Patty's views

I'm finally in London!

2009-10-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well well well, where to begin. I guess I start that I made it to England nice and sound. The flight was a little long, but I expected to be. For people who never flew overseas before, the biggest problem is getting some sleep on the plane. It is probably the most difficult thing to do unless you are in first class as their seats are more like lounge chair. Trying to sleep up right in a seat is so uncomfortable. Eventually after being up all night, we landed in London. Then there was the two hour wait through UK Customs. It was very painful and I don't understand how last time I went through it only took 10 minutes or so. The only difference is was the airport I went through this time was Heathrow while in 2007 it was Gatwick. Oh well, I made it through customs...barely. On a side note with US Department of Homeland Security is they searched my bag sometime between St. Louis and London as they confiscated my allergy medicine. I guess they saw me as a drug smuggler and threatening the United States. It always funny when I get one of those homeland security brochures in my bags. I think the searcher was excited this time as he was able to confiscate something out of my bag for once.

After I made it through the airport I finally made it to my hotel, Hotel St Giles. It wasn't a bad place, but nothing special. The rooms were small, but that is common throughout Europe as space is not a luxury as it is in the US. My roommate was from Israel, and he could speak 5 languages, so that was really cool talking and getting to know him a bit. The biggest thing I hate is the showers are really small, and at the hotel the shower hose fell on my head a couple of times. Ouch! Now the elevators, or as the British call "lifts", were awful. The second day I was there I hit down and 3 elevators went by me on their way up, but never ever seem to come back down. So I walked down with my sprain ankle. That's right, I sprain my ankle when I was walking around with some people from my group around the Thames River. I just took a bad step, and it has caused a lot of discomfort since walking is the main source of transportation out here. But I'm getting through it. Speaking of transportation, London's transportation system is amazing! Outside of my dorm is a huge tube station with 5 underground lines! It's amazing, the tube system is probably the most develop and extensive network in the world. BTW, the word tube is slang for subway out here. On top of that, the bus system is just as good! The bus stop outside my dorm has 6 busses that go there, and that doesn't even include the night bus routes. The only downside to public transportation is the tube closes at midnight, and a lot of bus routes go off until about 6 am. The night bus routes aren't bad, but are usually filled with drunk people.

Since I did move into my dorm a couple of days ago, I've finally had the first part of my orientation at Westminster and finally settling in. Settling in has been the biggest pain in terms of getting everything. A store a person from Westminster recommend was Argos. The store setup is kinda cool. It is just a room filled with catalog magazines, and you pick what you want and take it to the counter and it magically appears on a conveyor belt. Well, there is just one problem, for some reason I couldn't find anything that was physically in the store. For example, bedding, I could order it and get it in a few days. Basically I could freeze my ass off for a few days, nothing "too serious." Luckily someone recommend me another place called Primark and that place is awesome! I got all my bedding besides pillows, towels, for 25 pounds! That is about $40!!! The quality of the products are good! On a side note with that store, I was browsing around their clothing and they had leather jackets for 20 pounds, blazers between 15 to 30 pounds, and I got leather gloves for 8 pounds! Stuff in the UK is so much cheaper. Here is another example, I'm on a UK phone now. I got my phone for 5 pounds and top it with 15 pounds. Here is the breakdown: right now it's 10 pence (cents) for a text message, 20 pence per minute for calling someone in the UK, and 5 pence per minute to call someone back in the US. Can you believe that, for about 5 cents per minute to talk to someone back home. AT&T was charging me $1.29 a minute to call someone back home. Well that isn't a tough math equation right there, so I only have my US phone for looking up contacts. So far, the UK prices have been as competitive, or even better than US prices. However keep in mind, that is currently with the exchange rate. Two years ago the exchange rate was 2.05 pounds, and it was murder to buy anything here.

Something cool I'm doing right now is I'm working with other study abroad students on doing a little group project which includes some basic research on the city, and taking some group photos. Now originally my group had 5 people, but one left instantly saying "I got to find a job, get groceries, buy things, so I'm not doing it, bye." I have to admit, that was one of the most clever and boldest ways to get out of something. Luckily rest of the group stayed as the prize is a free weekend trip to anywhere in the UK, and it's kinda cool that a couple of people in my group are from Germany, and one from Massachusetts. I've met people from all over the US the last few days with my study abroad group, and now including some other nationalities. So expect some more pictures in the next few days.

A few final notes here is some differences I've seen between the US and the UK. It is mostly words and sayings. Instead of the word exit, the British use the saying "way out." The saying normally shows a picture with a guy running towards a door. Also frosted flakes in the US are called Frosties out here. Some other cool slang words: cheers is used for good bye, knock me up is used in place of wake me up, and just other cool slang words like that. Also cussing is big out here. You hear people cuss all the time, especially the word f*ck out on the streets, and it's no big deal. Well, that is all for now, expect a lot more in the future.

This is my group, one other guy is taking the picture.
Cheers!

Travel Plans and Flight Reviews

2009-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while since I've posted anything. This blog was set up as a place to put my thoughts and views on anything that was on my mind, but I also set this blog up as a way to record my travel experiences when I am over in Europe. Now I've all my flights plan out for when I leave and come back from Europe. Also I'll be flying out west later this year for a little vacation with my dad which I'll explain soon. Finally, I decided to put a little review section on airlines and airports I've been on and to in the last few years.

Well first my flight plans to Europe. I'll be leaving on September 30 from St. Louis to Newark Liberty International Airport on American Connection. I'll be leaving St Louis around noon, and I'll be arriving in Newark at 4pm. Then I'll be connecting on Virgin Atlantic to London Heathrow! That is where my journey will begin. Now for my return flights. First of all I leave London on December 19, but I won't be back in MO till December 22. I'll be leaving Heathrow Airport around 9pm London time. I'll be arriving back in Newark around 11:30pm Eastern Time. So I decided to stay a few nights in NYC since it is a perfect opportunity. I'll be staying at the Crowne Royal Plaza hotel near Newark Airport for an average $73 a night. Believe me, that is a great deal. Especially for the NYC area which is really expensive. I am really looking forward to seeing New York City again as it has been 11 years since I've visited the city. Last summer I just went through the city and only spend a few hours, and ate in Chinatown which is awesome! However that was it for NYC. This time around I now have a few days to check out the city again, and I'm going to revisit the World Trade Center as I've visited the towers in 1998, several years before 9/11. So I kinda want to revisit the area as I am still shocked that a few years after I visited the site, it is gone in an instant. Anyway, those are my travel plans to Europe and back.

I mentioned earlier I was flying out West. So here are my plans. I am flying out on August 24 from Kansas City to Denver to connect my flight to Las Vegas. My dad is already going to be in Vegas for a billiards tournament, so I am coming out there the last couple of days to hang out in Vegas, then we are driving back to MO on August 26. The plan is to drive up to Salt Lake City a night, then head to the Badlands and Mount Rushmore and visit that area for a couple of days. Then we head back south to MO. So I am looking forward to that. Starting next month, I am going to be a busy traveler and I am looking forward to every bit of it.

Now for a special review section on some airlines I've been on, and airport reviews. Anybody who reads this may find my little reviews useful, and I'll be giving my personal experiences with these airlines and airports. So first of all here are the airlines I've been on in recent years.

American Airlines: I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I am a little generous with this airline as they are notorious for delays, and I've dealt with 2 and 3 hour flight delays with them. The best flight delay moment with them will be mention later. Overall, they are a solid airline. The service is friendly and respectful. The biggest advantage with them is all the destinations they go to. It is easy to catch an American Airlines flight out of St Louis and reach your destination without having to connect flights at another airport. One of the main reasons is American Airlines has several hubs across the country. American along with Southwest have the most hubs by a single airline. With these two airlines, it is easy to get across the country on a direct flight and avoiding connecting flights.

Southwest Airlines: I give this airline 2 1/2 stars out of 5. First of all, the airline is cheap. No doubt about it, their fares are very competitive and hard to beat. However in recent years, I've been founding other airlines offering cheaper flights than Southwest as their fares have gone up a bit. Keep in mind, it all depends where you are flying to as prices vary across the country due to local taxes and airport fees. However I haven't had the best experiences with Southwest. The way they do seating is you get a group letter, either A, B, or C. The letter you get is when you show up to the airport to check in. If you show up real early, then you'll get group A. But if you show up late, then you get group C. They board Group A first, then Group B, the Group C. Even though I get to the airport 2 hours before my flight leaves, I am always stuck with Group C. It sucks! I usually end up with a middle seat, and their planes are cramp and small. Also the service on the flights aren't friendly. So if you want to go cheap, Southwest is the way to go, but don't expect much in return.

British Airlines: I give this airline 5 out of 5 stars. This airline is amazing. The service is great, and they fly to almost anywhere in Europe. When I flew them from the US to London, their flight was perfect. The seats in coach were really comfortable, and the food they serve was good. I had shepherds pie on the plane, and free wine with my meal. The food was actually good too. I also few British Airlines from London to Nice, and I actually got a meal instead of a snack for a 90 minutes flight. I got a tasty sandwich for lunch, and it came with chips and a little candy bar. Awesome! If you ever in Europe and you won't mind paying a little more for your flight compared to the discount airlines of Ryanair and EasyJet, then take British as it is by far my favorite airline to date.

Now for the airports. Also in this section I'll be giving a few personal experiences I had at these airports.

St Louis International Airport: I give this airport 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I've been in and out of this airport throughout my life. I know the ins and outs for this airport. The best thing STL airport has going for them is security and checkin have been really quick for me. The biggest downsides is it may take a while to get to your gate, and not a lot of choices for food and drink. Also getting into and out of the airport can be a hassle as their is constant traffic around the airport. But otherwise, the airport staff are friendly and it is easy to check in and out of the airport.

Kansas City International Airport: To be honest, I hate this airport! I give it 1 start out of 5! I know a lot of people like this airport, but I hate it because of my one experience there. In 2006, I flew from KC to Dallas to catch a connecting flight to El Paso for the Sun Bowl. Now, when I got to KC my flight was already delayed for 2 hours. This was a morning flight, so I had to get up at 5 am to get ready and to get to KC by 8 am for my 9 am flight. With that two hour delay, I was really pushing to make my connecting flight. Anyway, I checked in and headed to my gate. At KC airport, security check in are at the gates. The way it is set up for every 4 to 6 gates there is the security check in. Normally they have two to three metal dectators for these gates, that day only one was working. So the line was really long and slow. What I saw was literally 8 security guards at the security check in, and only one doing actual work. The rest were just standing there talking to each other. After I got through security, my flight got delayed another hour and half. On top of that, to get food you have to leave the gate area and go through security all over again because the way it is set up is all the food and shops, which in reality there is no more than a half dozen of places for each terminal. BTW, my flight was an American Airlines flight. I eventually got into the air about 3 1/2 hours after I was suppose to leave KC. I missed my connecting flight in Dallas, but luckily I was able to get on another flight to El Paso really quick. A few quick notes about KC airport, first of all the airport is 22 miles out of the city. It is literally in farm country. So when you head there, plan for a long commute to just get to the airport. Also if you plan to stay at the airport, there is only a couple of hotels since it is out of the middle of nowhere. Keep that in mind when you are out there.

Chicago O'Hare Airport: Chicago is one the busiest airports in the nation, and probably one of the nicer airports I've been too. I give O'Hare 4 stars out of 5. There are numerous restaurants and shops at O'Hare. Also American Airlines and United Airlines have hubs there, so it is easy to get a flight to almost anywhere in the nation, and the World from O'Hare. Only thing else I have to say it can take a while to get up in the air as they always seems to be a line of planes to get on the runway. If you ever see the runway from the terminal, there is always a line of planes waiting to get on the runway. That sometimes takes a while, and it is annoying if you are stuck on the plane waiting to take off as planes normally turn off the air when you about to takeoff. Otherwise, it is a nice airport.

Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport: This is a beautiful airport. I give it 5 out of 5 stars! There is a monorail system just at the airport allowing people to transfer to whatever terminal they need. There is tons of food and shops at the airport. Check in and security is easy and quick. Also the airport is between both cities which makes it conveniant to where you are going. Also American Airlines HQ is there, and there are plenty of international flights that go in and out of Dallas. Two things that really cool at the airport. There are flat screens tvs everywhere, and the only place in the world I've encountered a Sony vending machine. I'm not joking. Last time I was at this airport, you could buy SD memory cards, a PSP, a digital camera, several PSP games, and several other items out of a vending machine. It took credit cards along with cash. Otherwise I don't see people carrying several hundred dollars in their pocket.

Finally I've been to a lot of airports. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newark, London, Paris, Atlanta, the list goes on. However it has been a while since I've been through these airports that I don't remember all the details. But I would like to mention that San Francisco runway is out in the Bay. When you are landing, you'll be over water and all of a sudden the runway pops up! Also Cincinnati airport is in Kentucky, miles away from Cincinnati and Ohio! That's it for now, thanks for reading!

Why I love fallout 3

2009-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been addicted to Fallout 3 again. I just love this game. There are a few annoyances that bother me. Occasional bugs pop up such as people falling through the ground, or characters not responding like they should. Overall, this game is great. Gameplay is fun, exploring is fun, cool items, customization, just so much to do in this game.

However they are a few things I want to talk about Fallout 3 and other things related. First of all, I hate how people call Fallout 3, Oblivion with guns. Yes, I know Fallout 3 is based on the same engine. But each game is a different universe with a different story and background, and also some different gameplay elements. If someone is a huge Oblivion fan and doesn't like Fallout 3 because it is based on the same engine, then stop going onto forums and streams of Fallout 3. It's annoying and all you do is ruin the experience. I have played Oblivion and it's a great game. However, I can't get into the game as easily as I am tired of the fantasy world setting, and the combat is a little difficult to grasp at first. But otherwise, it is another great game and you get your money's worth.

Another beef I have is with Bethesda! First I recently saw and heard interviews back when Fallout 3 was being produced. A spokesperson said, "We at Bethesda had included over 200 endings to Fallout 3." Also they mentioned you would be able to continue the game after the main quests were finished. I was pissed off to hear all these promises that didn't happen, well at least till May when Broken Steel came out and allow you to play beyond the final main quest. I hate developers who promise all this crap, and then they changed it. It is a huge disappointment and I think it hurts your credibility in the long run. The second beef I have with them is the DLCs. Why in the hell it has taken them so long for them to bring DLCs to the PS3??? Here is my theory. Originally they probably didn't see a lot of potential in the terms of sales for the PS3. However, recent data reports show a lot of people have been using the Playstation store. Bethesda is like, "crap, there is a lot of money to be made there." The reason they gave for the long delay was a short response that basically said it was harder to create content for the PS3. What a load of crap! They finally wised up and gave the fans access to the DLC on the PS3. Hopefully it won't be completely buggy as the first DLCs for Xbox and PC when they came out. With that, Bethesda needs to learn how to polish their games. It is unbelievable how many games they released, and how buggy they are at first. It is just sad and pathetic they can't polish their games before they come out, and their only solution is releasing patches. When I purchase a game, it shouldn't have serious bugs that crash the damn game!

Anyway, as I finally got that out of my system. All I can say Bethesda does make great games, and even though they do a lot of stupid things, they eventually make up for it. With that in mind, I am excited for the DLC coming out for PS3 as that is the system I have the game for. I like how they expanded the game with new areas such as the Pitt and Point Lookout, and adding a cool simulation that expands the backstory to the Fallout world. That probably means I will stay addicted to Fallout 3. And I can't wait for the expanded level cap as I am stuck at level 20 right now.

A final note, what I would love to see in the Fallout games. I seem to get a bunch of crazy ideas for the Fallout universe. First of all if anyone didn't realize this, but a new Fallout game called Fallout: New Vegas was announced recently and is scheduled next year. The only information about that game is that game is being develop by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda. Apparently Obsidian was formed after the breakup of Interplay which develop the original fallout games. And some of the people on the team for this game are from the original fallout games. Also the game will be based on the same engine they used for Fallout 3. So it should be a 360 degree free exploring world. I am looking for that, but I am little disappointed in the location. I would love if the next game stayed out East. I am curious to see a post apocalyptic New York, or Boston. I can see a lot of potential if a Fallout game was set in the Northeast. I would also love to see it take place in the Midwest. Have a game set in Chicago would be awesome. I could see a couple of DLCs for a Chicago Fallout. One DLC can take you to Milwaukee, or another one take place in St. Louis. I just see so much more potential out East then out West. The first two games were in California, and then several spin-off games were in the Midwest. But the spin-off games weren't done well. With the current set-up, I would love to see another game out East, or in the Midwest in a city like Chicago. Those a couple of ideas that popped in my head that I think would be cool. Also, maybe a couple more simulations. Like a simulation of handling the riots in the US, or something with the annexation of Canada. That's all that has popped in my head so far. I am going to finish this blog post with a few videos from youtube.

Infamous Review

2009-06-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

I recently purchase infamous for the PS3, and I have had such an amazing experience with the game. I am not going to go into a whole lot of detail in regards to the story. I am just going to give my opinion the game. The game overall is beautiful. The game takes place in Empire City after a major bomb went off which leads to the downfall of the city. The main character, Cole McGrath, delivered the bomb to the city (by accident), and after he recovers from explosion he develop super powers in the form of lightning. From there, you can explore the city by either helping the city pedestrians, or destroy it through the main story-line and it's side missions. Over time, you develop new powers such as electric grenades (which is awesome!). And overtime you can develop your character further by purchasing new powers and upgrades through the XP you earn. It's fun developing your character and seeing it get more powerful. Also the game runs on a karma system. Over time you can develop either as a hero, or a villain who uses their powers for personal gain. I haven't beaten the game yet on, and I am doing hero right now. But I've seen the evil side of the game, and played it a bit and it is as fun as being a hero. Also your powers are different and the look character changes as you develop through both stages.

Now the difficulty of the game isn't easy. Luckily the game saves automatically after a mission, and it lets you continue where you are if you die. It is easy to die in the game even though you have super powers. The reason it's hard is it is easy to get outnumbered by villains which end up doing a lot of damage on you. It's actually really annoying when you are traveling around Empire City and all of sudden you have 8 bad guys, and a huge truck with a turret brutally killing you. If you haven't tried the game yet, you'll be surprised how hard it can kick your ass!

With the difficulty, the game play is amazing! It is easy to learn, and the controls respond well to everything you do. Fighting, climbing, shooting, etc... The only flaw with the controls is at times when you are climbing buildings, it can be hard to reach a certain place. It automatics takes you to a certain spot when you are climbing and it can be frustrating when you are trying to get to a certain spot. You'll most likely encounter this in some of their side missions that requires a lot of climbing and accuracy.

Finally, the graphics are great. The city is beautifully created, in the term of graphics and the look of it. In reality, it's a shit hole as the city has been partially destroyed. There is wreckage everywhere, dead bodies, people crying on the street. It's very detailed on the destruction the bomb had on the city.

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The only nitpicking I can do on the graphics is at times the game play doesn't sync well with the graphics. When you can arc restrain an enemy to the ground, it is a little choppy as it shows you sliding towards him. One time it shows him trying to arc him to the ground when he was next to a car, and it showed my character sliding to the other side of the car where he was further away from the enemy and arc him from there. Also at times they may be similar things like that when you are fighting an enemy, but other than that everything is so minimal that it doesn't pop out at you. Finally the graphic and art design for movie clips are really cool! It is done in a animated comic book setting which was done really well and is probably one of the biggest attributes to the game.

As I sum my little review up, I recommend this game to all video game players. It's an enjoyable experience, and it's great to see a video game finally capturing the superhero potential in a game. The characters, story,game play, and setting to the game has its own unique feel to it, and it's something that players shouldn't miss out on. I sum up the game rating wise a 9.5 out of 10!

My Big Whiskey and GrooGrux King Review

2009-06-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan! There are one of my favorite groups. After a 4 year wait, they finally released a new album called Big Whiskey and GrooGrux King. Just a little trivia, the name GrooGrux King was a nickname for LeRoi Moore.

Since his nickname is in the album, DMB couldn't of done a better job than paying tribute to their fellow band member and friend who past away from complications after his car accident last summer. One word to sum this up, GREAT! I was impress to see DMB go back to their old roots a bit, but at the same time keep a good new sound. Several songs such as "shake me like a monkey" is fast paced and is fun to listen to, especially with the trumpet and saxophone presence. While some other songs are a little more slower and soothing like "you and me." It doesn't matter if you are a big Dave Matthews Band fan like me, or just a casual listener, I recommend you check this album out. I guarantee you'll like at least a few songs and you will be impressed to see a group who has been around for almost 20 years are still creating good music.

A couple of other notes, the artwork is really cool! I just put the album cover here, but I recommend you search the artwork for this album. The little album book that came with my CD, I was amazed to see some cool and creative artwork. Another plus if you purchase the album. Also another personal opinion of mine, I was shocked to see Rolling Stone calling this the best Dave Matthews Band album. In my opinion, "Crash" is their best album. I like DMB's new album, but "Crash" is just amazing.' Songs such as "Crash into me" and "Two Step" are great! "Crash" is one of my all time favorite albums and I recommend you check it out. If you have never listen to DMB before, then check out their biggest hits such as "American Baby", "Crash into me", and "Crush." That is how I got hooked into DMB, and now they'll one of my favorite bands out there! So check it out because you are missing out!

My Impressions on E3 so far

2009-06-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

E3 has been underway the last few days, and it will be wrapping up later tonight. However, most of the big news has already been announced. As a fellow gamer, this events always excites me every year. It makes me happy that I get to see some games that I might be interested in greater detail in turns of gameplay and what will be offered in the game. Anyway I am just blabbing away right now, so I am going to give my impressions on the big 3 (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony) press conferences. After that I'll talk about a few games I'm looking forward to and my impressions.

The first major press conference was Microsoft.

First of all, I loved how Xbox 360 presented everything. The music, their speakers, and the overall presentation of their conference was good. Microsoft got right to the point on just presenting games and their upcoming accessories. The upcoming games that were presented look good. I thought it was really cool they bought in Paul McCartney and Ringo (however they should of said more), and Stephen Spielberg. It was really cool to see them at a video game conference. A nice twist to bring in other big names outside the game industry. Now, let's go into the games that amazed me.

The biggest games announced were Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3 ODST, Splinter Cell Conviction, and the biggest announcement game wise was Metal Gear Solid Rising. All the games looked impressive. I am looking forward to Modern Warfare 2 and Splinter Cell the most as I've enjoyed both series for a long time. The only thing I disliked about the game presentations is the presenters along with the Microsoft spokespersons always seem to imply everything is better, or there's more to offer on the Xbox compared to the PS3. That bothers me quite a bit. Overall, there isn't a lot of differences with the games on either system. Splinter Cell and Halo are only Xbox, but I can also get them on PC and still get all the special content that may be offered. Putting the games on PC also defeats the word exclusive. To me, nothing is considered an exclusive if it's offered on another system. That goes for majority of Xbox games as I can get purchase them for my PC if I really want them that badly. I think Microsoft is starting to realize that as they are now trying to do more with their system in the contents of Xbox Live and new accessories.

The Xbox has finally moved into the motion sensor business. Project Natal which is the next big thing for Xbox. I had mixed feelings on the motion sensor. Some things such as the possiblity of fighting games and communicating with a video character was cool. But their commercial they made which showed people driving with the project natal look lame. It'll be interesting to see what games and programs will be develop for Project Natal as the release date comes soon. Finally some updates to Xbox Live look cool. They'll be offering live video streaming of Sky TV out of the UK is really cool. The idea of just watching a tv network from your game system is a good idea. I'll be interested to see where that goes.

Next is Nintendo. Nintendo's press conference was nothing special. Mostly just showcasing upcoming games for Wii. It was better than last year as their big announcement last year was Wii music which looked lame. The biggest games announced that interest me were Super Mario Galaxy and new Metroid game. I haven't played a lot of these games, but when I have I enjoyed them and it looks like they are on par. Also Golden Sun was a big announcement for the DS. Overall, not much to say about Nintendo. Otherwise rest of their conference was mostly about Wii motion, Wii fit, and some other games announced. Nothing special, but nothing bad either.

Finally the PS3. Sony was the last press conference again this year, and again they put another solid showing. Their biggest announcement was leaked a couple days before their press conference, and that was the PSP Go. Their portable system is finally getting a nice update with a new slim look, and at the same time adding more memory up to 16GBs by default. A good update to the PSP, but unfortunately it was already known so the surprise factor was gone. The only other big announcement was their version of motion sensor controls. I wasn't that impress with it. The presentation they showed it looks like they might be some good potential, but overall motion sensor controls don't appeal to me that much. Unless this, and Project Natal, can bring some new amazing game experiences to it, I am not interested in motion sensors much and I am tired of seeing everyone now is trying to create something similar to the Wii.

Anyway, what impress me the most was the games they showed. Not all the games, but a good chunk of the games they showed were actual exclusives. Games that are only on the PS3, and nothing else. That right there is an exclusive is a one system game. The games to come out of sony that impress me the most were Assassins Creed 2 (not an exclusive), Metal Gear Solid Peacewalker for the PSP, MAG, and the new ICO project The Last Guardian. The Last Guardian's trailer really touched me and I can't wait to hear more about it in the future.

Overall, Sony's press conference was solid again, and probably impress me the most. I did say Microsoft had a good show and it was done well, but when it comes down to content that excited me the most, it was Sony. They are doing some new and amazing things for the PSP and are creating more exclusives for their system which is nice to see.

Finally I am going to mention which games I am looking forward to. Even though E3 isn't over yet, I know which games impress me the most and what I am looking forward to in the next year. These games are:

Rock Band Beatles: I love the Beatles and I was excited to hear that they are going to release all their albums onto the rock band store. Sgt Peppers baby!!! The only downside to the game is there are only 45 songs, and any Beatles albums released on the store will not work on regular rock band. Luckily I am a huge Beatles fan, and buying the game won't annoy me. However I do feel sorry for people who only wanted a few Beatles songs.

Modern Warfare 2: the sequel to Call of Duty 4 looks amazing! From what I've seen they aren't going to change much, and hopefully the story will be better this time around and the multiplayer will live up to first one. The only big change I want is preventing the game ending online when the host leaves. It should just switch to a new host. That is so annoying, and ruins the experience.

Assassin's Creed 2: the sequel to the first game looks to be on par with the original. I like the new environment of Italy during the Renaissance. Also some cool new features such as a special flying machine designed by DaVinci, new ways to assassinate people, and overall improvements overall to the environment and AI. I hope the story is a little better this time around and they'll answer some questions that were bought up in the first one. Of all the demos at E3, this one has impressed me the most.

There are other games such as Agent and The Last Guardian that I am interested in, but they won't be out soon and there isn't much revealed on these games. As of now, the games above I am just showcasing as they come out later this year and demos have been presented.

Anyway, that's it for now and thanks for reading.

Hello!

2009-06-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

Hello,

My name is Patrick Anderson, and I created this blog for several reasons. One of my reasons was to record my trips and adventures when I am in Europe this fall as I'll be studying at University of Westminster in London, UK. I'll be traveling across the continent and I'll be using this blog to report my adventures over there. Also, I am creating this blog to create posts on my opinions on anything. Which will probably include video games, movies, sports, occasionally politics, or anything else that interests me or what is on my mind. In the end, this blog is set up for all my friends who might be interested in my adventures and what I might say on certain things. I hope everyone who visits this blog enjoys it.

p.s.: expect my first actual post later today.