*cue Tom Petty*

Game: Dark Spire for DS
Amazon pre-order placement date: 4/6/09
Street release date: 4/14/09
Amazon ship date: 4/18/09
Shipment receipt date: 4/23/09

Amount of time between game release date and game receipt: 1 week, 2 days

So, really, on what planet is this acceptable? Fine, I chose super saver shipping, that's my fault. But why the hell didn't it even go out until the Saturday after release? It's not as if it's a high-profile game, either. Old skool RPG hardcore gamers are an extremely niche market; on the DS, even more so. Is this normal for Amazon pre-orders or what? Either way, looks like Gamestop will be garnering more of my first-day purchases. Crap.

Now, to encapsulate my annoyance in review form, or a customer service email? Decisions, decisions...

Zombies ahead

You know the scene in Futurama where Fry finds out that, because he left 93 cents in his savings account for a thousand years, he was now worth $4.3 billion? Then his brain completely overloads and he starts frothing at the mouth, eventually passing out on the floor? That's exactly how I feel when I read this sentence from Valve about their new Survival Mode for Left 4 Dead:

"Given the extreme pace of Survival Mode, the number of zombies killed in a single round often outnumbers an entire campaign."

Holy nuts, that's a fuckload of zombies. Sign me up. *thud*

Put another one on the fire?

An ad for Rhythm Heaven on the DS piqued my interest, so I checked it out on Nintendo's site. Dear god, I wish I hadn't. It looks like another wonderful timesucker. This can't be happening! I can't possibly take on another fun game! I've got my near-nightly TF2 meetup, mornings and nights on the train with Etrian Odyssey or Puzzle Quest, Dark Spire winging its way towards me in the mail (eventually), practicing my Rock Band skillz, plus, you know, work, eating, showers...I'd petition for more hours in the day, but I know I'd blow it all on sleep.

That's it, I've got to find a decent cocaine hookup. Cocaine's safer than caffeine, right? That stuff'll kill ya.

Like coming home

Just played Quake Live for the first time. How did id know how much I loved this game? How did they realize I prize this FPS over all others? How did they know to preserve it in all its stylish, lightning-paced glory? I feel I am not alone. And that makes me happy.

Until, of course, someone calls me a fag.

One of these days, I should just learn D&D...

...since I love RPGs so much. I just pre-ordered The Dark Spire on Amazon. Word is it's a toughie, too, in the realm of old skool Wizardry. Dark, minimalist dungeon; first-person POV; random encounters; the works. Now I just gotta finish (ha!) Etrian Odyssey 2 and I'll be all ready to play Dark Spire! *faints* Oh, if only I didn't have to grind so much...

TF2 Update Update!

Next up: Snipah!

Reaction: Thumbs up! I'm one of the few who really enjoys sniper; always have. One shot one kill is hard to argue with. If you're on the receiving end, find a way around it or find ways of nerfing it, of which there are plenty. But I digress. What kind of new weapons could he have? Uber rifle? Throwable flare for dark corners, like in original TF? Piss jar? No clue. I'm just glad they're updating another class I play, albeit not that often.

My concern is all the other things Valve says they're going to do along with the sniper update. If it's just new maps, that's great, but.. don't fix what ain't broke, guys. It would take a lot to discourage me from playing, but it's definitely possible.

Two things:

1. I just discovered a stash of full-length songs in my TF2 sounds/misc folder. I assume I've procured them from random servers for game lead-in purposes. I understand uploading small snippets onto a client PC, but entire songs? No wonder it takes so damn long to get on a server sometimes. On the other hand, you gotta admit, finding out you suddenly have a full Static-X song without your prior knowledge is like some glorious Christmas. "YMCA," not so much.

2. Kotaku put up a feature post about gaming in theater. In a word? No. No, no, no, no, no.

Let me be fair: I am an uncultured wretch. I don't remember the last time I went to the theater and being hauled to a musical qualifies for me as the seventh circle of hell. But come on. Do games have to be everywhere, especially when still so few people really enjoy them? I'm not talking about the "casual" statistics, I'm talking about people with a width breadth and appreciation for gaming.

Take the "Ace Attorney" musical mania that's going on in Japan. Granted, it's Japan (and female-only, which fascinates me to no end). But imagine if there was an opera made out of Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy. Or a musical based on TF2 or Pac-Man. I don't know, it seems like a silly way to cash in on a niche market. I seriously doubt they'd make a profit when it's all said and done. Beyond that, when it comes to games, I like being a minority. It makes connecting with other gamers that much better. Dragging our milieu into the performing arts just makes me want to gnash my teeth and claw at my breast.