Finding my bookworm mode again

I have been hearing a lot of good talk online about a few recently published books and thought it would be a good time to get back into a reading mode.  I have been spending a lot of time playing video games and doing work related activities rather than pick up a book.  I decided it was time to get back to enjoying a good book and losing myself in the stories rather than watch TV.  So I just order two books which should be at my house early next week. 

The first book, 'Four Decades of Magic: Celebrating the First Forty Years of Disney World,' is a compilation of stories by numerous bloggers, podcasters and general Disney enthusiasts.  Chad Emerson, who wrote a great book on the process behind the land acquisitions for Walt Disney World, compiled the stories and published it through his company.  Most of the people who contributed are the same people who I read online so I am really looking forward to this one.

The second book, 'The Vault of Walt,' is by Jim Korkis, a Disney historian who has been sharing his stories on online for years through the Wade Sampson pen name.  He has also been known to frequent a few of the Disney podcasts and always manages to entertain and inform with his stories.  This is another book I have had my eye on for awhile.

Once I get a chance to read through these books I'll try to go even further out of my comfort zone and post a few thoughts about each.  Not going to promise anything insightful will come out of those thoughts or if I will follow through on the threat.

I guess I don't really have a lot to say...

I thought I would use this space more than I do.  Usually I'm pretty good at rambling on, just ask any of the people I work with.  lol  It just doesn't seem like I remember about this space.  It is always an after thought.  Not how I wanted to proceed.  I invested some time in the beginning, especially when I was designing how I wanted it to look.  I think it tuned out well.  Now I just need to find topics I want to talk about.

There are plenty.  I really enjoy Disney.  Spend a good portion of my online time checking out the plethora of information to be found.  I also haunt some video game sites for news, reviews and info about the latest games.  Maybe my problem is not spending much time actually thinking about this stuff.  I take it all in but must not be properly digesting it.  It has to be like eating Chinese take-out... you are hungry an hour after eating.  I guess it is time to think of the info as a meal and not take-out.  Actually sink my teeth into it and digest it properly.  I know, kind of a gross analogy, but one I can work with...

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

Last week while I was traveling I started the new Golden Sun game.  I have to say I am really enjoying it.  The first Golden Sun was great.  I couldn't put that game down.  The second was not so thrilling.  It was more of the same and seemed like more backtracking and re-hashing of areas.  I never completed the second game.  I was a little hesitant about this game but I had read good things online and figured it was worth a shot.  I'm glad I did.  I have the same feeling as the first game where I don't want to put the game down.

I haven't played for more than 5 or 6 hours so far but I'm hooked.  Now I just have to schedule time for the DS.  Probably wasn't the greatest time to start this game seeing how Tactics Ogre was just released for the PSP (another great game).  But it is giving me a chance to give my new DSi a work out.  We'll see how it goes...  too many systems and too many great games to play.  Do I really have to go to work?

Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together - U.S. Trailer

New trailer for Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together. I'm really looking forward to this game. I have to leave on a business trip the same day it is released. Hoping I can stop by the store on the way to the airport and grab me a copy for the trip. Sure would make the three flights more bearable.

I remember getting this game when it was on the PS1. I was never able to finish it so this is going to be a great chance in a portable fashion. These types of games play better for me on a portable system since I can pick it up and play any time. We'll see how I do on this version.

The Year in Review

OK, so maybe the title should be changed as not to mislead anyone, but it is my year in review.  I started posting last December with a renewed interest in gaming.  That hasn't changed but my dedication to chronicaling my adventure just didn't pan out.  It could have had something to do with my wife spending six months in Afghanistan but I think I can safely say I didn't really make the time.

I did get through some good games and managed to keep playing more than I thought I would half way through this year.  I don't want to sound like too much of a fan boy but I really like the games Bioware is putting out.  Dragon's Age and al the add-ons for it were great!  Even when my PS3 hard drive crapped out and I ended up starting from the begining even though I was 10 hrs into Awakenings.  I liked some of the newer DLC that came out this summer, I just wish it was a little longer.  I just finished playing through Mass Effect 2 and I am toying with the idea of playing both games again making different choices alon the way so I will have different options available when ME3 comes out next year.

I rediscovered my PSP recently.  It had been spending some time in the corner after I finished FFT and Jeanne D'Arc last year.  I am currently working through Brave Story and finding it quite enjoyable.  it is definitely a game I can handle.  I also picked up a few used games a couple of weeks ago; FFVII: Crisis Core, PixelJunk Monsters and Popolocrois.  I figured it is a good system to take with me when I travel.  My daughter received a DSi XL for Xmas and now I am pondering if I should trade up or wait for the 3DS?  All I know is the XL will fit into my hands better than my DS.

Well time to go find another game to play... been sitting at the PC for too long.

1UP's RPG Blog : Gotta Blog 'Em All #1: Isshu Starter Pokemon

via 1up.com

OK Robyn, this one is for you. Thought you would appreciate this look into the new Pokemon Black and White game.

PS3

PS3 hard drive crashed yesterday.  I really think it was my own fault.  I treated it like a computer and tried to multi-task too many things at once.  Should have known better.

At first I thought it was a major catastrophe, but really just a couple of game saves is all I really lost.  I had just started the Dragon Age: Origins: Awakenings expansion utilizing a completed save file from the original game.  I was really enjoying it, so I have lost about 12 hours of game play on that.  The bright side, if I continue to look at it that way, is I now get to play through Dragon Age: Origins with a different character, race and class.  This gives me a chance to see a different part of the game and unlock some additional achievements.

Going through the process of restoring the system did highlight a few things I never considered before.  The current generation of game systems are way more sophisticated than my old Sega Genesis or Sony PSOne.  Because of this I need to treat them differently.  There are options to save data to external devices and make complete backups of the hard drive.  I now need to make sure I get that on a schedule similar to my PC.  Need to go buy another external USB drive now.