Tomorrow is Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season officially begins. As for me, I will refrain from shopping tomorrow. Instead I plan to spend the day outside and will officially be supporting REI's #OptOuside movement. I will ski in the morning and then spend the afternoon on my sailboat. No, the lifts are not running in Utah and so I will have to hike up the hill in order to get some turns in.
Unfortunately I have two daughters that work retail and both are being asked to come to work this evening even though it is Thanksgiving. They will come home well after midnight and then have to head back to work tomorrow to work the Black Friday specials. So if you are fighting the crowds in the stores tomorrow, please be nice to the salespeople. They are someone's son or daughter who don't get to spend time with the family so you can get a good shopping deal.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
The Achilles Heel of the PlayStation 4
Last night I practiced my guitar as my daughter came in and asked if I wanted to watch a movie. Being in the middle of a song, I wanted to finish it before hanging out so I told her to get started without me. She headed down to the TV room and booted up our other PS4. The only problem is that I was in the middle of my song using Rocksmith on the console in my bedroom. The PlayStation 4 does not allow you to be logged in at the same time on 2 different physical machines and that is its Achilles heel.
I had to laugh as my daughter yelled up a sincere, "Sorry," when she heard me tell my wife why I suddenly stopped practicing my guitar. Last night was not the first time we encountered this problem and probably won't be the last. My daughter could have used the dedicated DVD player or our PlayStation 3 but prefers to use the PS4 as it does so better than any movie player available today.
There is a very simple solution to getting booted from my PS4: create a user on it in the TV room specifically for watching movies. I could even name it something like "Movie Watcher." That way when someone else in the house wants to watch a movie, I get kicked off my console in the bedroom.
I had to laugh as my daughter yelled up a sincere, "Sorry," when she heard me tell my wife why I suddenly stopped practicing my guitar. Last night was not the first time we encountered this problem and probably won't be the last. My daughter could have used the dedicated DVD player or our PlayStation 3 but prefers to use the PS4 as it does so better than any movie player available today.
There is a very simple solution to getting booted from my PS4: create a user on it in the TV room specifically for watching movies. I could even name it something like "Movie Watcher." That way when someone else in the house wants to watch a movie, I get kicked off my console in the bedroom.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Keeping the Dog Company
It is a Saturday evening and I find myself alone at home in Utah with the dog. My wife is at her sister's visiting with her family and so I can do whatever I want. I find my list of choices almost endless. There is a large library of video games still in the shrink-wrapped plastic. I could also sit down and watch a movie without having to get consensus from the family. I have a $20 bill in my wallet and can even go out to see a movie if I wanted.
When I left the family gathering this afternoon to bring my daughter home so she could go to work, the first thing I did was pull out my guitar and practice it for 2 hours. I have never been musically inclined but thought that if I could play an instrument, I would play all the time. Now that I have taken up the guitar, thanks to Rocksmith, I do play all of the time and it is very rewarding. I only stopped to make myself dinner but that may be something I continue later this evening.
I also have a PlayStation VR that I have not really spent much time using. My youngest son enjoys it and often invites his college friends over to play. They love Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. One person will play the game while everyone watches. It is set up in small 15-minute mini games that work for a group of friends. The person playing will get startled and jump, causing everyone to laugh. They can play for hours on end. I told my coworkers about this and they suggested I get Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. It is a party game that runs on Windows and Mac as well as the PlayStation VR. I have yet to purchase it, but it does sound like fun. In the mean time, I have about 6 or 7 other VR games I could play. Yes, some of them are still in the shrink wrap.
When you think about it, most of our lives today are amazing. It is a Saturday evening and my biggest concern is how to keep myself and the dog entertained. I am not sitting in a fox hole helping to fight some war. My next meal is already in the fridge and so I am not out hunting it or plucking it from the ground. When the house gets a little cold, a thermostat senses it and turns on the heat so I don't have to chop wood or keep a fire burning. Oh the choices I have for the evening and how I am glad I am not having to take care of one of the basic necessities of life.
When I left the family gathering this afternoon to bring my daughter home so she could go to work, the first thing I did was pull out my guitar and practice it for 2 hours. I have never been musically inclined but thought that if I could play an instrument, I would play all the time. Now that I have taken up the guitar, thanks to Rocksmith, I do play all of the time and it is very rewarding. I only stopped to make myself dinner but that may be something I continue later this evening.
I also have a PlayStation VR that I have not really spent much time using. My youngest son enjoys it and often invites his college friends over to play. They love Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. One person will play the game while everyone watches. It is set up in small 15-minute mini games that work for a group of friends. The person playing will get startled and jump, causing everyone to laugh. They can play for hours on end. I told my coworkers about this and they suggested I get Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. It is a party game that runs on Windows and Mac as well as the PlayStation VR. I have yet to purchase it, but it does sound like fun. In the mean time, I have about 6 or 7 other VR games I could play. Yes, some of them are still in the shrink wrap.
When you think about it, most of our lives today are amazing. It is a Saturday evening and my biggest concern is how to keep myself and the dog entertained. I am not sitting in a fox hole helping to fight some war. My next meal is already in the fridge and so I am not out hunting it or plucking it from the ground. When the house gets a little cold, a thermostat senses it and turns on the heat so I don't have to chop wood or keep a fire burning. Oh the choices I have for the evening and how I am glad I am not having to take care of one of the basic necessities of life.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Video Game Review: Sniper Ghost Warrior 2
Back in April I finished the Sniper: Ghost Warrior and wrote a review. I've had the second version for several months now and finally got around to playing it last week as I wanted a quick game to get through before the Thanksgiving holiday. The two games are very similar in that you are a US Marine sniper sent on a number of missions. Some of them involve sneaking around without getting caught while others require you to shoot people from a very long distance.
As I have mentioned before, I enjoy playing first-person shooters and so I had fun playing this game from City Interactive. As with the first version of this game, it is not a triple-A title and so don't expect a lengthy story or overly complex action. The maps are fairly simple and the 6 or so hours it takes to play the game feel about right for this title. They did do a great job on the scenery and the only glitch I noticed in the game engine is when it saves your progress to disk. That didn't interfere with the game play though. You should be able to find this for a very inexpensive price. I played it on my PlayStation 3 and most of those games can be found in the $5 bin at Walmart or Best Buy.
The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature due to graphic violence and strong language. I played it alone on my boat and so nobody got offended by the language. However if I had tried to play this at home, headphones would probably have been a requirement. I recommend this game to any young adult that enjoys first-person shooter games and needs an inexpensive Christmas present. I paid next to nothing for my copy and would not recommend paying more than $7 for the game.
As I have mentioned before, I enjoy playing first-person shooters and so I had fun playing this game from City Interactive. As with the first version of this game, it is not a triple-A title and so don't expect a lengthy story or overly complex action. The maps are fairly simple and the 6 or so hours it takes to play the game feel about right for this title. They did do a great job on the scenery and the only glitch I noticed in the game engine is when it saves your progress to disk. That didn't interfere with the game play though. You should be able to find this for a very inexpensive price. I played it on my PlayStation 3 and most of those games can be found in the $5 bin at Walmart or Best Buy.
The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature due to graphic violence and strong language. I played it alone on my boat and so nobody got offended by the language. However if I had tried to play this at home, headphones would probably have been a requirement. I recommend this game to any young adult that enjoys first-person shooter games and needs an inexpensive Christmas present. I paid next to nothing for my copy and would not recommend paying more than $7 for the game.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Video Game Review: Far Cry 3
Recently I finished playing Far Cry 3 on my PlayStation 3 console. I found a really cheap copy that included Far Cry 2 and Far Cry Blood Dragon. I have yet to play the other two games but interestingly enough, I have played some of Far Cry 4 on my PS4. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I thought I would go back and see if there is any tie into the game before. Nope, you can play each game in any order as they don't rely on each other at all.
Before starting the game I did review a few online guides. The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature. One of the reasons is because of nudity and that's not something I want to see when I play video games. I read that there really only is nudity at the end if you make a specific choice. They lied. There is another section in the game with some brief nudity. The M rating also applies to language and a lot of violence.
I finished playing Red Dead Redemption and really enjoyed that style of game. I tried a number of other games but couldn't find anything else I enjoyed nearly as much. Fortunately I stuck with Far Cry 3 long enough to discover that it is an open-world game where you can try to stick to the main story or go off and do other things just like Red Dead Redemption. I have to say that I really enjoyed Far Cry 3 and enjoyed playing all the way through the game. I spent about 10 weeks on the game. Remember that I only play about 3 nights a week for 1 to 2 hours and so it took me a lot of calendar time to complete it but not a lot of total time.
Far Cry 3 is published by Ubisoft and I have found myself playing a lot of their games lately. I got my copy of the game for $1 and recommend it if you are looking for an inexpensive game for an adult video gamer still playing games on the previous generation of consoles.
Before starting the game I did review a few online guides. The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature. One of the reasons is because of nudity and that's not something I want to see when I play video games. I read that there really only is nudity at the end if you make a specific choice. They lied. There is another section in the game with some brief nudity. The M rating also applies to language and a lot of violence.
I finished playing Red Dead Redemption and really enjoyed that style of game. I tried a number of other games but couldn't find anything else I enjoyed nearly as much. Fortunately I stuck with Far Cry 3 long enough to discover that it is an open-world game where you can try to stick to the main story or go off and do other things just like Red Dead Redemption. I have to say that I really enjoyed Far Cry 3 and enjoyed playing all the way through the game. I spent about 10 weeks on the game. Remember that I only play about 3 nights a week for 1 to 2 hours and so it took me a lot of calendar time to complete it but not a lot of total time.
Far Cry 3 is published by Ubisoft and I have found myself playing a lot of their games lately. I got my copy of the game for $1 and recommend it if you are looking for an inexpensive game for an adult video gamer still playing games on the previous generation of consoles.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Happy Halloween 2016
Today is Halloween and I am in the Bay Area staying on my sailboat this evening. I would much rather be at home welcoming trick-or-treaters. Fortunately my 22-year-old daughter is home in Utah taking care of all the little monsters that come to my house. My wife and son are there as well but this year my daughter really caught the spirit of Halloween.
I have to say I am a bit jealous. As a kid, I loved Halloween. Being able to go door-to-door and collect candy is a great tradition. More importantly to a child, it signals the beginning of the Holiday Season. We make a mad dash to Thanksgiving and then the month of December is magically filled with Christmas. I am hoping to have a number of reviews over the next couple of weeks should you be interested in finding gifts for the overgrown boy in your life. This means more about PlayStation VR and the games to go with it. I also ordered my PS4 Pro today and will let you know if you should spend the money or pick up the less expensive Slim. Now if it was only 30 degrees colder outside and the rain turned to snow. Then I could sing, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."
I have to say I am a bit jealous. As a kid, I loved Halloween. Being able to go door-to-door and collect candy is a great tradition. More importantly to a child, it signals the beginning of the Holiday Season. We make a mad dash to Thanksgiving and then the month of December is magically filled with Christmas. I am hoping to have a number of reviews over the next couple of weeks should you be interested in finding gifts for the overgrown boy in your life. This means more about PlayStation VR and the games to go with it. I also ordered my PS4 Pro today and will let you know if you should spend the money or pick up the less expensive Slim. Now if it was only 30 degrees colder outside and the rain turned to snow. Then I could sing, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Meeting Celebrities
This morning I visited with one of my friends who introduced me to Jeff Clark, a famous big-wave surfer. I knew I had heard his name before and his face looked familiar. I used to surf back in my early college days but I haven't followed the sport in quite some time. Naturally my curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to find out more about him. So this evening I pulled out my trusty laptop and did an Internet search on his name.
I am always asking how we survived before the days of the Internet. If you ever need to know anything, the first place to look is your favorite search engine. Have a question about some random fact? Search the Internet.
My friend that introduced me to Jeff this morning is my old surfing buddy that knew I have been away from the sport so long I might not know who he is. He wanted me to ask Jeff about his celebrity status. Fortunately Jeff is very self-effacing and not caught up in his own fame. He told me about his surfboard shop but didn't mention his many exploits at the big-wave surfing mecca known as Mavericks. I had to find that one out on my own. Sometimes celebrities are just cool like that.
I am always asking how we survived before the days of the Internet. If you ever need to know anything, the first place to look is your favorite search engine. Have a question about some random fact? Search the Internet.
My friend that introduced me to Jeff this morning is my old surfing buddy that knew I have been away from the sport so long I might not know who he is. He wanted me to ask Jeff about his celebrity status. Fortunately Jeff is very self-effacing and not caught up in his own fame. He told me about his surfboard shop but didn't mention his many exploits at the big-wave surfing mecca known as Mavericks. I had to find that one out on my own. Sometimes celebrities are just cool like that.
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