Clark, if there's one lesson I've learned from you ...

Being a gamer I know that this coming week is E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) time, but I can't say I'm that excited this year since it seems neither Microsoft or Sony are going to join Nintendo with a new console announcement yet.

Hoping for something to surprise me and Nintendo is first out the gate with some pre E3 videos on their new Wii U system. I'll admit I am intrigued by the concept.

(There is a skit about 15 or so minutes in that shows the system in use if you don't want to muddle through the entire video)

A) It does look like Dreamwidth has increased with content since I last searched through it. Might be a great companion to LJ, just need to go spelunking for communities.

B) In desperate need to change my icons on here. Almost makes a person want to make their own again. ALMOST.

C) I'm all set for Mass Effect 3 coming out next month:

I LOVE this game franchise. I still remember about a year and a half ago around my birthday getting the first Mass Effect game and immediately becoming absorbed in its universe and characters. The revolutionary gameplay letting you make decisions that alter how the game turns out and the addictiveness of Xbox Live achievements and wanting to get every one possible.

Then life entered into things and while I got the sequel that Christmas, it stayed on the shelf unplayed for the better part of the next year until just recently when dj_tenku got a 360 and Mass Effect after my raving about it before. Well, now I was on the other side of the coin and hearing all the fun things about the game got me wanting to play the franchise again, and that was how I started playing the sequel during the holidays.

And now I'm full into the sequel, loving the changes made to the weapons/upgrade systems, as well as the differences to the story approach compared to the first, and with Mass Effect 3 coming next month I can't remember the last time I was so excited for a game launch (maybe The Legend of Zelda on the SNES).

And when I become a fan of something I go full board I start to develop ships I lean towards and I've even looked through some fanfic (nothing caught my eye). But also I came to the discovery of Collector Edition releases for big video game titles when they launch. Usually I'm a budget gamer, since I have little time to game anyway (having several I have yet to play that I've owned for years) I rarely ever buy one that isn't at a budget/sale price.

However, when I first got into Mass Effect, I had become very interested in getting the art book for the first game, but that proved to be nearly impossible. So when I learned that the CE version of 3 would have an artbook included amongst other extras and the game only being around $20 more than the regular version, I had to jump on that. So I've pre-ordered, and while news recently that there might be not enough CEs for the pre-orders, I'm hoping mine is one that goes through.

I just had to write this out because I thought it was a good idea and I had to put it somewhere lol. I was talking the other day with a fellow Potter enthusiast and I started thinking, boy wouldn't it have been fun if Warner Bros. had decided to create a straight-to-disc animated feature of Harry Potter that say came out when Deathly Hallows Part 1 became available and it covered some of the storylines that weren't able to be covered in the films.

Sort of like the Animatrix dvd that went with the Matrix movies or the Batman anime thing that went between Begins and Dark Knight.  I definitely think the Remus/Tonks storyline would have been perfect for something like this since their marriage and baby were pretty much erased from the film, with a series of 10 minute shorts with the voices of the film actors doing the parts.. you could even maybe have done one segment focused on Ron after he left Harry/Hermione and his struggle to get back to them.  Maybe have shown some of the Hogwarts life while the trio was on the road, how things changed etc. THE DUMBLEDORE BACKSTORY!

I have too many ideas.

I see ads for the DH2 video game. It looks good but I really hope it was better than the kinect-friendly DH1 game I have. It was my least favorite experience with a Potter video game because it basically was like a really bad shooter.

I think I talked about my plan to try to get through every video game I own from this generation and the last of consoles before I continue purchasing games only to have them sit on the shelf for a long time.  Anyway, first on my list (alphabetically) was Batman Vengeance for the PS2.  It came out in 2001 and is based off the 90's Batman the Animated Series with voices from the series like Batman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn and Joker (Mark Hamil!).  The cutscenes brought back memories of the old series and the game was separated into several episodes each with their own title page like the series.

The game was a total of 19 levels and some were extremely short, some were confusing in what you had to get done and others were just plain out right frustrating in the simplest maneuvers would take me close to an hour to get through.  I don't know how much was the control scheme and how much was the fact that my controller is not the newest and doesn't have the sharpest response as a result.  I think any fan of the BTAS series that likes video games should definitely give it a try but be ready for frustration. I'll put it this way, it's a great game that I hope never to play again.  I finished it last month. Next game on the list is Bloodrayne 2 for the PS2, I've played about an hour or two of it and damn it is VERY BLOODY.  Totally warranting the MA-17 rating.

I can't remember a time when I'm actively watching so many new seasons of TV shows.  The return of White Collar led to me trying out Covert Affairs which caused me to then catch Burn Notice and Psych AND NOW I'M WATCHING NEARLY EVERY SHOW ON THE USA NETWORK!  But clearly Psych is my new favorite show. I can't believe it took five seasons for me to give the show the chance, but I think I've changed in that time and maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed Psych back then.  I'm making sure never to watch an episode of Royal Pains just so that I don't get hooked on another show, and as for Burn Notice I have to say it seems much more like a 'on in the background' type of show for me.  I like the action and the narrating storytelling device but I've seen a handful of episodes in the last week and more often than not I'm not exactly wanting more afterward.

I've also started watching the new BBC Sherlock series.  I've only seen the first part and plan to watch last Sunday's episode shortly but it is doing just enough to keep me interested.  I did think the 'Pink' episode had some pacing problems, and at times it seemed like Holmes' keen observation skills were dulled in order to help the viewer figure out the clues at the same time of him (I'm thinking of the scene where the police are in Holmes' place and he's telling everyone to be quiet over and over).  Also has anyone noticed that they've certainly modeled the music after the Robert Downey Jr. Holmes movie, I wasn't the only person to notice that similarity when I was watching the episode and I think it's a brilliant thing to do considering the success of the film and how it gives the show a touch of the Old Holmes feel while being modern.

That did get me thinking though - does anyone remember hearing about another Holmes movie being made?  I'm not talking about the Guy Ritchie directed, RDJ starring sequel that I'm sure is on the horizon, but when the RDJ movie was being made I had heard that there was another Holmes movie in the works by a different company and there was question as to which would do better as Guy Ritchie had been in a bit of a rut box office wise with his movies.  Since the RDJ Holmes came out I have not heard a peep.

Lastly, I met my writing goal for last night!  Already in one day I wrote more than I did in July and some of the months before that.  I love when I can get in a groove and I'm looking forward to getting back to writing tonight (I think you can tell with the length of this post).  Also everything I wrote last night is for a story I've decided wasn't going anywhere and wont' be seeing the light of day anytime soon, but fear not I am absolutely excited with the idea of touching up some of the fics that I've left dormant here for the last few years and maybe completing a few (since that is a peeve of mine to leave something incomplete).  I'm going to proclaim it now, AUGUST WILL BE BEST WRITING MONTH EVER!!!

TITLE: Flirting Snake
FANDOM: Metal Gear Solid/Metroid
RATING: PG
CHARACTERS: Solid Snake, Samus Aran, Otacon
PAIRINGS: Implied Solid Snake/Samus Aran
WORDS: 520
SUMMARY: Solid Snake hits on the new girl.
STORY NOTES:
Written for dj_tenku's birthday. Happy belated birthday! Sorry it took so long but I wanted to do my best.
Reading up the wikis for both characters have made me more than ever want to finish the games of each character that I've left in limbo. Maybe I'll get to them one day.

I would call myself a fan of the Twilight movie, it certainly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.  I really have no interest in reading the book series and didn't really understand the whole Jacob vs Edward thing especially after seeing Twilight.  Since seeing the movie, I've been looking forward to seeing the sequel and hoping to enjoy myself again.  Then the paperback version of the book got a new cover, and I saw the exclusive trailer of New Moon that they showed during the MTV Movie awards.  I am now steadily backpedaling on my expectations with the next installment and am thinking about waiting for the DVD release to even see it.  I knew there would be some sort of love triangle aspect, but like with most stories I learn to enjoy, I've become attached to the main character pairing of Edward/Bella and don't want to see a movie where Edward does the typical hero leaving the love behind thinking it would be safer for them, and have the focus be on Jacob.  Also did he really need to cut his hair? Seems odd to change his look - unless that's in the book of course. My enthusiasm has certainly been dampened.

Something that has got me really, really excited is this preview of a comic art piece on DC Comics' blog that has Dick Grayson Batman kissing Starfire!  Ever since the idea that Dick was going to Batman became a serious possibility, the shipper side  of my brain immediately kicked into action in regards to my favorite DC character and thinking how his relationships would take new uniques look now that the Bat cowl was a factor.  Imagining Dick!Batman kissing Starfire was one, or having the Birds of Prey walk in on Barbara kissing Dick!Batman and even the possibility of matching Dick!Batman with characters that just didn't work with Bruce!Batman.  The piece might not lead to anything but it does look fabulous and I'd love to see it inked and colored. (On that note of Bat family and shipping, I am really becoming enamoured with Squire and I hope she continues to get some run in the Bat books now that Battle for the Cowl is over).

And I wanted to mention that I started a new story the other day.  I even made a banner for the chapter and plan to for every one after that because it ended up being really fun to do. :)  It's intended to be the first part of a trilogy, but seeing as I've yet to complete a multi-chaptered fic I'm not going to promise that and instead will make sure that the story works on its own in the end just in case.  It's a big sign that I'm in the writing mood and plan to get stuff other than birthday drabbles and the ocassional challenge ficlets written down.  I was almost derailed with the Xbox 360 gift I recieved last week as it really started to suck up my free time, but after two days of obsession on it I realized that none of my other fun endeavors were getting any traction and I didn't like that one bit.  Now I've limited my gaming time to when I've finished everything else on my to-do lists because I know how easy it is to get sucked back up on it. Now everything is pretty fun right now. Just in time for the heat to bear down on us.