Introduction

Hello there. I'm Kenny, and I'm addicted to video games. Well, not really addicted, because addicts goto meetings. I'm not that far yet. On top of that, it would require admitting I have a problem, and so far I haven't killed anyone to play a video game, so I don't think I have a problem yet. I'd also like to point out that I can quit any time I want. Quit I tell you!

If you're here and I didn't tell you about this, you're probably wondering what is here. Well, I'll tell you what content you may find. I've been playing video games for 20+ years. I live video games. I breathe video games. Sometimes I sleep them (DAMN PRINCESS, GET IN THIS CASTLE!). I own several video game systems. I own a Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Game Boy Pocket, Nintendo DS, Wii, Sega Genesis, SegaCD, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation, Playstation 2, XBox 360, Commodore 64, and a PC. I know, that's not 15, like I said in my profile. I have Gameboy Advance games and Gamecube games.


When my friend Matt started up his own blog about System Administration, I got the idea to do something I knew a lot about. Considering I think FedEx might not like it if I start a blog about their internal workings, I figured I'd use video games as a subject. I mean, 20 years is a long time to become intimate with games. I also have a vast collection of games. I call it a collection because I probably haven't played half of them. With a quick glance, I can see that I haven't even opened two of them (.hack//quarantine and Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 doesn't count since it seems that new games are opened by Gamestop, but that's for a completely different post).

When I told Matt that I should do this, he was completely supportive. I mean, I know games about as well as he knows networks. I've been wanting to get a plan together, and get a place to put it up. Blogger seemed to be working for him, so I dusted off my account that I forgot I had and here we are.

I was kind of hoping to play a few newer games and write up some reviews, but alas, I really only have one newer game. I'm playing through a newish game right now, and I should have a review up in a week or so. But I digress.

I would like to lay out a few ground rules for myself right now.

1. I'd like to have at least one post a week. I read some webcomics that claim they update so many times a week, and it annoys me that they don't. Like Daniel Craig said in Layer Cake, "Make a plan, and stick to it." Even if it's not a review, I'd at least like to put up an update or a preview of my next game or two that I have lined up. Just something to let people know what's going on.

2. Try to stick to current games. While I don't always have the money to go out and get every game made, I still want to restrict myself to current games. I've been wanting to get a Gamefly account or at least a Blockbuster account for a while, this gives me a reason to do so.

3. Two words, retro week. Yes, I know this goes against rule two, but its' too much fun to not do. Remember that collection I mentioned previously? Well, that's what Retro week is for. I can bust out one of my older games (C64 FTW!) and review it. Sure, it probably has already had 20 reviews from well respected gaming outlets (I'm not looking at you, IGN), but I really don't care. It hasn't gotten my personal touch!

4. Put at least 20 hours into the game. You can't really say much about a game if you don't know much about it. In my personal opinion, if a game isn't at least 20 hours long, it's not worth playing. I mean, I put at least 80 hours into my first play through on Final Fantasy Tactics. My first time through (and currently only time) .hack//infection was only 10 hours. I can't tell you how disappointed I was with that. If I have less than 10 hours in the game, you'll get a preview. 20 hours, you'll get a review. The only way I'll give a review for less than 20 hours into the game is if I beat it in less. I most likely won't be scoring highly.

5. There will be no system of numbers. I hate number systems for ratings. I mean, ratings are subjective in the first place, but what's the difference between a 5 and a 7? What's the difference between a 9.5 and a 10? There's just too much wiggle room between the numbers.

For example, Nintendo Power just released a top 20 list for all Nintendo systems for their 20th anniversary. If there was a difference between a 9 and a 10, then Metroid Prime 3 and Smash Bros Brawl would have been fighting for 1 and 2 on the top 20 list, instead of fighting for 3 and 4. Both games recieved 10s, while Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess recieved 9.5s. I'm not trying to say anything bad about Galaxy (I haven't played it) or Zelda (I loved it), but you'd think 10s would trump their 9s.

Another reason why I hate point systems, there's no such thing as a 1 (if that's your lowest, 0 if that's your lowest) or a 10. There is no such thing as perfect. A rating of 10 signifies perfection. Everything else must compare to that. If something becomes greater than that 10, it becomes 10, and the previous 10 must step down. You have something new to compare to.

You might argue that a 10 means it's a must have game! I've played some 8s that were damn fine games, might even be a must have. Arbitrary numbers, that are completely subjective to the person reviewing, are not a valid basis for a means of rating. I mean, sure, a review behind the number helps a lot, but I know people who only rely on that number to buy games, and I think they're idiots. Words speak more than numbers, so all of my ratings will be words.

6. Above all, have fun. That's my main goal in life, to have fun. Nothing is worth doing unless you can get some enjoyment out of it. It's my motto for life. I'm the type of person who never says goodbye, because I hate seeing people leave. So I always tell them have fun, because if it is the last time I see them, I'd like to give them some worldly advice before leaving.

Overall, I think this will be a fun endeavor. I think I currently have enough source material to get a few weeks in, and I'm looking forward to playing plenty of games. I just hope I can tear myself away from Final Fantasy XI enough to do so. Right now, my current queue of games is Blue Dragon, an RPG from Mistwalker; Professor Layton and the Curious Village, a puzzle game from Level-5; and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, a tactical RPG from Square Enix. I'll also have a retro game lined up, but those are going to be secrets.

I'm hoping to have my first review up by Aug 4th (Monday seems like a great day to post reviews). If I can have it up sooner, then so be it. Until then, I'll be releasing FFXI updates. Until Monday, have fun!