The HDD Boot Sector 1: Resident Evil 4

One thing about me is that I'm very passionate about video games. It borders sometimes on unhealthy obsessions or it ebbs where I don't care for games. Needless to say I've played and remembered way too much about video games. I'm like a Johnny Mnemonic

All this knowledge about games is bleeding over kinda similar to an Animus effect from Assassin's Creed. (See I told you...) I think the best way for me to make room on this

(Yeah, I have a 5 Terabyte Hard Drive in my brain), I got idea for this while I was out walking with my dad (and plus I don't want my memories of these games to fade away when I die.) The HDD will be either a weekly or bi-weekly thing, depending on how in-depth I want to go.

YO, KEN, what up man? You gonna drop another Keanu Reeves movie reference before the blog is over?

Hi, 36PSWii. 36PSWii is one of my alter-egos from the GameTrailers days. He, EHeroClayman, Deadpool (yes really Deadpool. Shh... He's sleeping and if you mention his name, he will wake up and ask about the cheesy doodles...) and several other versions of me will occasionally pop up to help remind me about certain games.

Yes Mr. Wii, I'm breaking out another Keanu movie reference. Bill and Ted. I got my time machine ready.

Uhh... Dr. Who fans are gonna put you in an uncomfortable place talking about time machines and not using the correct term; Tardis.

I hate to use Kayne West simply because he's in the sunken place. Needless to say us nerds need to stop being stuck up and where was I going with this analogy... Anyway, the time machine is needed to transport me back to when I played the game....

 Dammit... You couldn't help but drop a Metal Gear reference in a blog about Resident Evil could you?

Just what I expected with someone with the same code name as the boss (geez, people are thinking I'm psycho for having conversations with myself.) I'm wasting everyone's time 36, I'm absorbing you back into me (plus this gag is gonna get really old when I gotta talk to myself in the past).

Arbitrary rules for each of the defragmentations:

1. I will try my best to recreate how I feel when I played these games. Some memories may be hazy but that's why I'm defragging.
2. I have to had played each game and completed it. Unfortunately, The Last of Us will not be on this list, but I will stream it before this year is over with.
3. I had a rule where I limited games with a once per franchise rule. As I couldn't use the same game franchise twice. That rule is gone...
4. What was the impact of game not only in my life but what impact did the game have on the overall gaming culture. I.E. did the game do something to revolutionize game or is the experience very good that others should experience it.
5. Finally, if a game came out after 2010, I will not spoil it. Metal Gear games I wouldn't dare spoil. Same with Spec Ops : The Line (MrKENnedDY used Foreshadow. It was super effective).

 Submitted to the approval for the Midnight Society, I call this adventure "How I Learned to Accept that Wrestling Moves are Cool in Third Person Shooters".

Stranger, Stranger. What are you buying?

It was the winter of 2006. I just came home from Fall Semester in college at Mississippi State. Christmas was around the corner and my people knew how much I loved video games. I went to Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve and checked out what games were left in the gaming bin. I was less than a few weeks from getting Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (more foreshadowing. I should be a ghost type Pokemon...) and my ultimate prize

That is my monolith as my buddy called it. The 60 gig PS3 freshly wrapped in my dorm room back in 2007. To make matters worse, I still had my PS2 and Gamecube along side it. I played the joke that I didn't get a PS3, but if you removed the towel you could clearly see the PS3. Back on topic...

Survival Horror Reimagined

I started playing Resident Evil 2 on my PS2 on Christmas Day. At first it wasn't nothing too exciting.

Going through a Spanish village, shooting the locals that was impeding my progress, and collecting Blue medals. I get to the main village in 1-2 or 1-3, in which you battle the horde of villagers. After that point, I think I quit until I got back to school in January. The PS3 was compelling me to play all my new games that I bought. So, I dropped RE4 until about the end of January and that's when it clicked...

(No joke or gag about me creating a Time Paradox with myself. The gag went overboard, but I do reserve the right to use the gag in the future)

After the end of chapter 1-2 (I looked it up. Thanks Resident Evil wikia), You battle Del Lago. That fight was pretty intense. I know I used a ton of herbs to defeat this guy. The pattern with it was pretty weird. After you chucked harpoons into it, the creature would dive into the lake and you had to track it. Track it correctly and you were rewarded with a little extra damage. Track it wrong and your boat was getting damaged and you were getting some health knocked out. It was a nice tug of war and ultimately after dying about 3-4 times I got the pattern and defeated it.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the first time I heard Chainsaw Man rev the chainsaw up. I had my surround sound bumping in my dorm room and heard the chainsaw, I thought to myself, "Well the villagers are setting up a trap and I can avoid it no problem. Then, I saw him running towards Leon and almost regretted that life decision. In the later chapters, I did get my head cut of by Chainsaw Man and I laughed/groaned about it.

Chapter 2 was crazy. I encountered my first El Gigante. That took about 5 tries to master it. Knowing what I know now, I believe in some speed run that I saw, you can skip the fight (a.k.a. use a rocket launcher.) The second encounter was the one I was thinking of with Ashley Graham. (By the way, I hate escort missions...) I also learned in Chapter 2 the golden rule of RE4, headshots aren't necessarily a good thing. When the first Las Plagas with a sword pop out, I trained myself to aim for the legs and use the knife to chop villagers up.

Or you can embrace your inner wrestler or MMA athlete and just suplex folks. I know on YouTube there's a run entirely dedicated to suplexing folks.  The end of chapter fight with Mendez was tense. A fiery building and what used to be a human creepily chasing me. Knowing what I know now, that fight is pretty easy (a.k.a Rocket Launcher).
 
Chapter 3 and parts of 4 were set in a castle. That change of aesthetic was a bit jarring, but totally fits the creep factor in game. At this point in the game, Ashley becomes rather needy. You have all types of cultist after you. Even more creepy creations and abominations that want you dead or Ashley as their queen. If I had the option, I'd let them take Ashley and do God knows what experimentation on her. Funny moment that always made me chuckle and I wish I had the tools to record it back in the day. Ashley gets kidnapped and you have to save her with your sniper rifle. Once you free her, you have to protect her from the cultists. If you do this section right, no problem. However, in my defense, I was overwhelmed by the numbers and heard the magic words. "LEON, HELP!!!" So, I helped the damsel in distress and shot her in the head by accident. I was aiming at the cultist and he moved a tiny bit which caused Ashley to take the full force of my rifle. I probably couldn't recreate that moment again even if I had the proper set up.

After Ashley gets free, you get a section in which you control her. I hated it, but I was having fun with the Ashley sections truth be told. NO, I did not (REPEAT) DID NOT intentionally get Ashley killed. Despite my better judgements and almost failing a few Quick Time Events. I completed the section and took a deep breath.

Chapter 4 ups the intensity from the jump; fighting through cultist, avoiding rocket launchers, collecting treasure.  Business picks up further when you meet up with Salazar's Right Hand. I love Leon's quip about Salazar detaching his hand.  You fight Salazar's Right Hand in a claustrophobic situation. There's two ways to do this fight. Survive for 4 minutes or instakill the Right Hand with some conveniently placed Liquid Nitrogen and a rocket launcher. (I know the rocket launcher is a catch-all solution for most encounters in RE4, however getting rockets are insanely easy at least on normal.)  After some more intense situations, you eventually make it to the mines and take a ride in carts and have to eliminate enemies including Chainsaw Man.  To conclude this chapter, you finally face Salazar and unfortunately miss out on him taunting you for the rest of the game.

Chapter 5, or as I affectionately call it 'The Island of Dr. Moreau', throws more challenges towards you. A minigun maniac who happens to be a bullet sponge, chainsaw men and women, and the two creepiest enemies in horror games; the Regenerador and the variant Iron Maiden.  The Regenerador is exactly what you think. It regenerates from any damage taken and if any limbs are lost, those are regenerated as well. The Iron Maiden is just like Regenerador but don't get in close because it gives nasty hugs that instakill you.  After fight more Iron Maidens, Regeneradors, abominations, and a homicidal maniac, I made it to the end boss Saddler. Unsurprisingly, I used a rocket launcher to finish him off and for the record I did not buy this one.

Ah, I'll Buy That For a High Price

To say RE4 had an influence on modern gaming is putting it mildly. All sorts of Game of the Year awards (to those who care about those things), countless people putting among their favorite games of all time, and numerous remasters. The obvious influence RE4 gave was the over-the-shoulder camera that's standard in any action game. Everything from Gears of War and including the most recent God of War uses it.  Also included in that influence was the precision aim mode that seeming every game that's action oriented uses.

The above picture is a game that was released in 2004. It could be one of the many remastered versions -Proofreader

This picture is a game that was released in 2018. Maybe this will appear in a future installment?

There was also a design philosophy that completely overhauled the survivor horror and more specifically action adventure games. Instead of just having the player control the character and not being able to get out of tricky situations, we have prompts that allow the player to fend off those situations...

 and of course what I used at the top of the blog...

We know them now as Quick Time Events or Q.T.E.s. In one respect, the player can't put the controller down to rest during cutscenes.  It's a breathe of fresh when modern games don't have Quick Time Events (although if I'm being truthful, I did miss them in God of War 2018).

The other influence RE4 had was the creation of a certain guy wearing red and being a wiseass....

Contrary to popular belief Deadpool was a villain and also he was created in the 90s, so he doesn't fit this description...

That's the guy. One of the original designs of Resident Evil 4 ended up being the template for the action series Devil May Cry.  Dante would also go on to be featured in another Capcom title Viewtiful Joe as an exclusive character on PS2.

Resident Evil 4 impacted me by helping get over some fears about horror games. I don't play them as often but if I need a good jolt of healthy fear and tension, I'm not apprehensive about playing them.  I'm also asked about my PSN ID and people ask me is it because of Resident Evil 4. I have to tell them that it's not.

Closing Time by Semisonic

Resident Evil 4 was a fantastic experience and almost everyone can play it. I want to go back and play it again just to relive the crazy moments and white-knuckle intensity it gave. Unfortunately, my backlog says no and I try not go back and play games that I've already played before...

Explain why you played MGS3 again?

See, what had happened was I'm a hypocrite... Wait a minute... (Oh God, he's awake isn't he?)

HI KEN!!! NO ESCAPE THIS TIME!!!  I'M TAKING OVER THE REST OF THIS ENTRY!!! While KEN goes and fetches me some cheesy puffs, I'll be suggesting to him the next entry in his blog. He'll be talking about Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Alucard is my guy.  If Konami wants to make a Symphony of the Night movie they can cast Ryan Reynolds as Alucard.  


Because we need some awkward transition to close out the blog and because KEN wants me to be polite, I'll sign out for him. DEUCES!!!

After 10,000 years I'm free. It's time to conquer Earth...

So the games of the generation thing isn't complete. I suffer from irrational fear of not completing projects. Life happens and I have to course correct. At any rate, I plan on blogging again. Got a great idea that will combine the rest of my games of the last generation and some of my all time favorite games. It's called the Hard Disk Drive. Yeah, I shamelessly got the idea from an old D-troid post years ago called the Memory Card. I got my own twists to that. I'll have it posted up either Wednesday or Thursday. Gotta do a ton of research about Resident Evil 4.

Until then, stay classy Interwebs....

Games of the Generation Part 2

Last time on the blog, we had a debate about Spec Ops : The Line

-That wasn't a debate, more like a one-sided argument about why you loved Spec Ops and why you didn't pick The Last of Us as the first game on the list.

I told you why I wasn't gonna put The Last of Us on there...

Excuses Kenny, excuses...

Do you wanna clear my backlog of games for me?

Nope. But while you're making your excuses, I wanna talk about the next game on the list.

Uhh... I haven't played it yet.  Got Episode 1 free from Xbox Live and PSN.  Talk about another Telltale Game.


Like....

That will work for me.  Besides, I'm pretty sure the story choices that we made we're different.

So, The Walking Dead Season 1 is on the list?

Yeah.  I enjoyed Season 2, but overall it fell short of what Season 1 accomplished.

Like what?

Some of the characters you meet in Season 2 felt underdeveloped.  Some of the actions that you chose didn't make that much of an impact (except the end of Season 2).  The ending I chose was one of multiple endings, but the 'good' ending made much more sense in the larger picture.  I have no idea how Telltale is gonna attempt to pull that off, but whenever Season 3 is released, hopefully my save data from PS3 will carry over.

What did you like about Season 2?

Season 2 starts off with a bang and in typical Walking Dead fashion, well I won't spoil it.  It was enough to buy Season 2 when it went on sale in December, I believe.  All 5 five episodes for $14.99.  I couldn't pass that up.  I definitely like some of the members of the group, but everyone else I couldn't connect with.  At least if you bought the 400 Days DLC from Season 1, some of those characters appear in Season 2...  I see what you're trying to do, you want me to talk about Season 2 while we don't discuss Season 1.  I'm going to let you type to your hearts content about Season 1.  I'll be thinking about the next game on the list and play NBA 2K15.

You can't leave in the middle of the blog.

 Watch me.  I'm signing out and I'll catch you on the next blog.  KEN OUT!!!

*Turns on NBA 2K15 and plays MyTeam*

The Walking Dead Season 1 was a good story.  What I liked about it was some of the choices you had to make.  One I remember is do you tell Clementine that....

Uhh, Angie, aren't you forgetting something?

I thought you were playing NBA 2K?

I can multitask.  No spoilers about the game.

You spoiled some of the Batman game on a Facebook post years ago...

I had a disclaimer.  It was a major spoiler.  Plus it was a nod to something Metal Gear Solid did about 15 years ago.

KENNY, I HATE YOUR RULES.  I'M GONNA BREAK 'EM, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!!  

Do whatever you want.  I don't care...


Hey, Kenny...

Like I was saying, each one of the games had different things you could do.  One was choosing to tell Clementine she was eating human or not.  Another was saving the chick who was good with the gun or the guy who could build stuff.  Both of them died eventually.  The guy, Ben.  I knew he was trying to help the group, but he was a liability.  I glad he died.  Duck was ok.  I'm glad he and Clementine were friends, but it sucks to see one of your friends die.  And poor Katja.  Lily's dad was a jerk and I was glad he died too.  I wonder if he was gonna turn.  It would've been cool to have Lee choose Lily or Kenny to save.  I would've save Lily, because screw guys like Kenny.  They're all jerks.  j/k :-p

The main character was Lee.  I liked Lee.  He might not be Clementine's real dad, he raised her like she was his.  When Lee got bite in episode 4, I felt sorry for him.  I thought he was gonna live if they cut his arm off.  At least in the T.V. when Herschel got bit, they cut his leg off.  Knowing Kenny, I bet he cut Lee's arm off thinking the same thing.  One thing I remember was this car at the end of one game.  You could choose to steal the stuff to survive or leave it alone.  In a zombie apocalypse, finders keepers, losers weepers.  Then the creepy dude in episode 5 that was Lee and Clem's stalker.  I liked how he talked about the things we did and how Lee had to explain why he did those things.  I'm glad that creep got what he deserved.  But the ending of episode 5 made me sad.  You could handcuff Lee and let him turn or kill him so he doesn't have to suffer as a zombie.  When Clem and Lee had their last talk, it reminded me of Return of the Jedi, when Luke took off his dad's mask.  All that Lee and Clem went through and it was over in a blink.  Christa and Omid were ok, they came in too late for me to get an good opinion on them.  Maybe in Season 2, they let us find out more about Christa and Omid or if they lived or died.  The biggest mystery is what happened to Kenny, not the Kenny I know, but the Kenny in the game.  Did he die? Is he alive? 

What in the world? How did you survive that?

I'm an American ninja.

Like Chris Farley?

Indeed.  I'm glad you had fun taking over my blog.  For the next topic, I'm going to your wheelhouse.  Without a doubt one of the best RPGs to be released and that's all I will say.

When did you play...

Remember Angie, we have to give the readers something to reel them back in for the next one.  If you give them too much information...

Kenny, that's boring.  Let me use one of your catchphrases.

 Go for it.

Until next, just because a zombie is down, doesn't mean it's dead...
  

Games of the Generation Part 1

Happy New Year to everyone.  These series of blogs are based on games that I completed during the 7th generation of consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii).  Normally, with lists such as these, it's impossible to cover every game that was released and I have many games on my backlog thanks in large part to PlayStation Plus and Xbox Games With Gold. A numeric list is out of the question, because some games that have made a mark are still fresh in my mind whereas others are forgotten about and maybe the details are vaguely remembered.  I decided to make a few restrictions to save my sanity and also to remind myself of how large my backlog is (around 30 or so games to complete). 


First restriction, I had to played and complete the game, (i.e. got the trophy for beating the game on a certain difficulty).  Second restriction, no HD remasters of games, ( i.e. any game that was previously released on any home console or P.C.), The final restriction, only one game per franchise ( i.e. one and only one game from a game series could be chosen).  The last restriction made some clear cut choices in some franchises others I had to think about what the sequel did different from its predecessor, either positive or negative, and how did it impact the overall enjoyment of the game.  This list will be constantly updated when I finally complete games that should be on the list.

Finally, along for the ride is a friend of mine.... Hold for just a moment, I have a phone call...

*Computer overhears conversation thanks to an app on my P.C.*

Wait, what do you mean it's not possible to collaborate with my long collaborator?!  I realize that it's been a long time since we...  I understand completely the need for fresh voices, but...  Fine, you win... If this doesn't work out, I...  Could I at least make a few...  When is my mystery guest coming?  HELLO? I can't believe this... *Hears a knock on the door along with a familiar voice*

KENNNNNNYYYYYY!!!!

*Hears voices in my head saying, "KENNY, WAKE UP SLEEPYHEAD!!!!"*


Well, ladies and gentlemen our special guest for these series of blogs is angelgirl357.  Hi, Angie.

-Angie: KENNY, why did you fall out?

-Uhh, it's an inside joke.

-Angie: Suuurrre....

-This blog has been postponed for a while so, I'm sure you've overheard the rules for this blog so let's get started.  The first game on the list is a candidate for one of the best games to be released last generation.

-Angie: Yeahhhh....

-A story that many people would say is well-thought out and carefully crafted...

-Angie: Uh-huh...

-Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

-Angie: Yep!!!

-Angie: The Last of US!!!

-Uhhh...

I was thinking more along the lines of...

(No, the pun was not intended..)



 -Angie: HUH!!!  That game looks like a rip-off of Call of Duty and Battlefield.

-I'm glad you noticed that.  What if I told you, this game is nothing like Battlefield or Call of Duty.  Instead, the game takes the things that Battlefield and Call of Duty do well (at least story wise) constantly reminding you of your actions and reinforcing to the player, every thing you do has consequences. 

-Angie: That sounds kinda interesting...

- Indeed it was. Without spoiling much of the game, which I highly recommend you (everybody that's reading this and you as well), it starts off in typical Call of Battlefield fashion.  The reason why you're in Dubai and an action segment that abruptly gets cut off.  Your character is Captain Martin Walker, voiced by Nolan North (a.k.a. Nathan Drake), and you're the leader of Delta Squad and you have command of squadmates Lt. (Alphonso) Adams and Staff Sgt. (John) Lugo.  You're able to command Adams and Lugo for additional options to defeat enemies.  They're able to flush out entrenched enemies, snipe long distance enemies, provide suppressing fire to cover your advance, or revive each other if one is downed.  The downside to having these guys as squadmates are if they die, the game is over (which makes sense) or they don't do the exact command you requested.  On easier difficulties this isn't too big of a deal, however on Suicide Mission and FUBAR, you may want to limit the times you want to use them because you will die and die a lot on both difficulties.

-Angie: Is it difficult like Battlefield on the highest setting?

-In certain sections, it will cause you to question why you tortured yourself on playing the highest setting.  FREEBIRD MOVE IN!!!!

-Angie: So, if I did play it, try it on the normal setting?

-I'd recommend the easiest setting Walk in the Park.  That way the story is in the front of your mind and not how many times you died, unless you want to hear "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" when you die and that's pretty creepy.

-Angie: What the hell Kenny?!

-To be honest, that's not the creepiest thing in Spec Ops.  The game may or may not question why you play modern shooters or at least gives civilians a sense of what some soldiers in the military that have PTSD struggle with.  For me, this game kinda made me stop playing games like Battlefield, which glorify war in a sense.  Spec Ops can be heavy-handed, but so was Metal Gear Solid 2.  At first, I didn't understand what message both games were sending, but after multiply playthroughs and reading developer diaries, I have a greater appreciation for what the team at Yager Development tried to accomplish and the fact 2K Games at least gave the game to be published.  It may not receive the critical praise of The Last of Us or Bioshock Infinite, but if you appreciate storytelling and having your expectations challenged, this is up there with the previous two games I mentioned.

-Angie: Hmm...  Where did you play it?

-From PlayStation Plus.  I was going to buy it, but found out it was coming to Plus the day after I was about to buy it.  Right now, it's about $21 on Amazon.  There's worse things you can spend 21 bucks on video game wise, but this isn't one of them.  The multiplayer is lackluster and not even worth playing.  Even the developers admitted it was something they didn't want to do.

-Angie: So why do it then?

-Well, every other shooter has a multiplayer, that's the reason I understood it to be.

-Angie: You think it'll be remade on PS4?

-I highly doubt it.  As much as I enjoyed Spec Ops, I don't think many people would buy it, unless extra content was created for it and even then, the market for shooters is congested.  Unfortunately, Yager is working on a new title and the lead writer of Spec Ops isn't working on video game projects anytime soon.   Spec Ops came out at the best time it could.  Any later in 2012 and it would've been forgotten.

Angie: Soooo.... What's the next game on our list?

-Well, here's a teaser.  Next time, a Telltale Games game will be on the list.

-Angie: Is it what I think it is?

-Tell me on the next blog, we have to give the readers an incentive to continue reading.  You can't give the entire list away.

-Angie: Fine...

-Until next time, to quote a loading screen from Spec Ops:

The Hardest (Flash) Video Game Ever

A few months ago when I first got my laptop, I was browsing NeoGaf (this will be a common theme on this blog) and I stumbled upon a thread that interested me entitled "The Hardest Flash Game Ever."  I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to video games, but I never heard about this title.

Winnie the Pooh Baseball

I'm pretty sure there's a few laughs at the title, but when the game is played, I guarantee frustration will set in.  Even though the game is in Japanese, a few instructions are needed for a degree of success.  The left mouse button is used to swing.  Winnie can be moved using the mouse.  Finally, the outline of the bat with the green sweet spot is what gives the best chance to hit home runs.  Eeyore is easy once you understand how he pitches.  After him, the only thing I can wish is luck.  Piglet is a cheater and the final boss is just unfair.  Have fun, MrKENnedDY has signed out....

The Deuxcision

I'm not just a video game enthusiast, I enjoy watching sports, specifically basketball.  Something that's currently having the basketball world captivated is LeBron James' decision in Miami (or as NeoGaf calls it 'The Deuxcision').  I've been asked by a few people about what I think LeBron should do basketball related.  I can't be critical about his game, the Spurs did a fantastic dismantling the Heat.  It's not a template that many teams can recreate.  After that lose, I can understand why he would have second thoughts about rejoining the Heat.  With some reports of him wanting the maximum amount of money that he wants as a Free Agent.  So what that caveat, there's quite a few teams that can afford his services.

The two frontrunners that most people have been reporting on are the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.  If the reports are true, they have Cleveland getting LeBron's talents once again.  I was thinking that it would be a good fit, but now I'm not so sure.  I'm a frequent listener of Dan LeBatard's show (Weekdays at 3 p.m. EST/ 2 p.m. CST) .  It's a good show with a unbiased point of view.  The point that Dan makes and I agree with is why would you go back to team, city, and owner that disrespected you, all because 'your boys' don't have the influence they had in Cleveland.  However, I can understand the redemption factor after winning two championships in Miami.  I can see why an individual can be torn (if that were the case, but I don't know).

If I were him, I'd sign with Cleveland with the hope that Dan Gilbert gets Kevin Love (preferably with an extension).  The ceiling for that team is pretty high.  Miami doesn't have that much flexibility.  (They are operating as if they are at the salary cap threshold, meaning some expensive Free Agents would be out of reach, unless the player or players would take a salary cut.   Some are willing to take a salary cut, but others have said they will not take a cut.)  Also, with 3 players taking over (under the assumption) $10 million in restructured salary, the Heat will be perpetually looking for people willing the play in Miami for the veteran's minimum, mid-level exception, or other creative salary cap benefits for teams either reaching the cap.  Here's some links explaining the salary cap situation a bit better and what all options the Heat have.  Wikipedia's Salary Cap Explaination and Salary Cap FAQs

With those restrictions in place, it will be tougher to acquire some of those expensive pieces, but as I mentioned, there will be players who won't mind playing for lower salaries in the hopes of getting a ring.  In 2012, those odds looked very good.  2015, I'm not so sure Miami would be the best place to get a ring, but the odds of getting out the Eastern Conference is very high.

Why Cleveland then, you ask?  The young talent they have can learn from LeBron the sacrifices on what it takes to win a championship.  Younger legs, means LeBron can take a few games off and the team has enough players to win a few games without him.  He has a point guard that can score when necessary and make plays without making too many costly mistakes in key situations.  Assuming the Cavs make the necessary trades to get Kevin Love or not, the team does have enough pieces to make a run in the playoffs (whether they make it to the Conference Finals, even with LeBron, I'm not to sure unless they make a few trades and sign players that fit the new system).

Just a few thoughts about Free Agency.  I've been glued to NBA.com, Reddit, and NeoGaf since Free Agency started.  I can't wait to find out where Carmelo goes, whether the Heat re-up for another Finals runs, or if the dream is done.  Silently, the Spurs have the reassembling their team and if Patty Mills is healthy for the start of the season or around Christmas, I don't see why San Antonio makes another deep run in the Western (barring injury).  Sometime next week I plan on starting something special video game wise involving the previous console generation.  Until then, peace, love, and hugs.

The (slight) Return of the Blog

I can't believe it's been about 4 1/2 years since I last blogged.  A lot of things have changed since I last logged in. A believe a brief recap is in order.  As I last posted in August 2010, I got my PS3 back about a few weeks before Christmas.  I didn't buy Rock Band 1, Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2, Gran Turismo 5, Medal of Honor, or Rock Band 3 (more on why I didn't buy all those games in a moment).  However I did get NBA 2K11.

2011, Sony got attacked and PSN was down for a few weeks.  Seemed longer than that.  Got four of the five games out the deal.  Before that, I bought the Mortal Kombat reboot.  I enjoyed that a whole lot.  I also became a fan of Borderlands, bought Batman: Arkham City, and received NBA 2K12 as a Christmas gift.

2012, we had a few deaths in the family.  One of those things, we all have to face.  I got MLB 12: The Show, the 1st baseball game I bought in 3 years.  I also bought Borderlands 2, Red Dead Redemption, Hitman: Absolution, WWE '13, and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.  On my birthday, I became a member of PlayStation Plus.  I'll probably remain a member of Plus for as long as I own a PlayStation console.  I finally put my 60 gig PS3 to rest and got a Super Slim for Christmas.

2013, I got another laptop of Christmas.  Bought Grand Theft Auto 5, Battlefield 4, and the Last of Us, and Gran Turismo 6.  Bought quite a few games digitally from the PlayStation Store (thanks to the Plus discounts).  Played a bunch of games from Plus and I need to complete my backlog.

Fast forward to the present, I bought MLB 14: The Show, played Metal Gear Solid : Ground Zeroes, and downloaded games to our Xbox 360.  Started listening to several wrestling podcasts and finally started transitioning to playing PC games.  It's going pretty slow, but I'm enjoying it.

As to why I didn't buy the titles I previously had wanted in 2010.  Resident Evil 5 came to PlayStation Plus so that saved me money.  Dead Rising 2 was given to Xbox 360 users for free, along side Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.  Medal of Honor, I wasn't feeling after the demo.  Rock Band 1 and 3 I forgot about.  Gran Turismo 5 had a large install and with me only having 60 gigs, I couldn't prioritize the space on my hard drive.  Plus, the 60 gig PS3 had known issues with GT5.

I'll be regularly blogging on here instead of Facebook.  It isn't that great for what exactly I want to do, but I'll have regular posts on both.   Glad to be back blogging and hopefully it will be a more rewarding experience.