Cell Phones have games?
By Hamz 3 Comments
I don't consider cell phones or mobile phones as platforms for gaming. Thus I do not care.
Tales Of Hamz Island Chapter 1: The Screaming MooseWoman!
By Hamz 15 Comments
....will be the name of my first game once I get the money, staff and booze together to create and develope it.
It just also happens to be a humorous play on the title of the recent adventure game from Telltale Games, Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 1: The Screaming Narwhal which I have just, as in right now at 3:14am, finished. And I've gotta say it was a brilliant little game that has left me counting down the days until the next episodic installment is released. Definately a game I can get behind and say the developer took a much loved IP and license and did the original games justice with the sequel, not something you see occur too often these days.
But what about the rest of you, what did you think of TOMI?
The other purpose of this blog is to get some suggestions from folks on what to spend my pre-order voucher on at the Telltale store. I've never bought or played any of Telltale's other works before, so I'm looking for some suggestions on what to use this voucher on. Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated!
Hamz, XOXO!
FailFox - Oh And A Big Thanks!
By Hamz 34 Comments
FireFox has failed me for the last time. The past few days have involved the loss of two different blogs, three emails and a stock report for work. It crashes again it gets uninstalled and replaced by something more stable. I am tired of trying to google self-help guides or topics on fixing this damned browser and its bloody crashes.
That being said thanks to everyone who took time to read my last blog and nominate it for inclusion into the Community Spotlight topic. I appreciate the support and interest from the community.
Also for those interested Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has reached nearly $400,000,000 at the box office after receiving negative reviews from practically every self proclaimed film 'critic' out there. I suggest these critics go tie a noose around their necks and do us all a favour by hanging themselves, pretentious bastards. Although I do think this raises a significant question, are movie critics out of touch with what they think audiences will enjoy? Or is the film critic business / industry just become overly pretentious and smothered in their own ego?
PS - I enjoyed the film. Bloody good fun to watch. Oh and The Conduit looks horrible, is this really mean't to be the game that makes people value the Wii as a serious competitor to the PC / 360 / PS3 in regards to games that aren't party orientated? Really?
Soapbox (not to be confused with Soapbar)
By Hamz 47 Comments
Time to get on my soapbox a little and express my views, thoughts, feelings and opinions on a few things. Some related directly to GiantBomb and recent events and others related to general random things. Take from this blog what you will, if you hate it then let me know by leaving a rage fueled reply in the comments!
Moderator Positions
The GiantBomb Staff
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Wiki Moderators
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Karma / Flagging System
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L4D2 Boycotters
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Wiki Specific Boards
End soapbox rant.
Exclusive to GiantBomb!
By Hamz 44 Comments
Prequel can be found here for those unaware as to what this is all about. For those of you who can guess what this is a spoiler for then please leave links to forum topics / wiki articles / memorable occasions or quotes and general suggestions etc.
.....suggestions for a final title are also welcome :)
Hamz XOXO!
*ahem* Gentlemen!
By Hamz 35 Comments
Hello my name is Hamz and I'm an alcoho....err....video game enthusiast.
First order of business is the complete mind-fuck Valve has done in regards to the upcoming class update for Team Fortress 2. First the Sniper was announced and then out of the blue the Spy was announced to be released alongside his Austrailian colleague. But more shenanigans were to be had with the early leaking of the Spy's "Meet the...." video which may have been intentionally leaked if the below image is to be trusted.
My initial impression of the Spy's update is that the 'Cloak and Dagger' watch is a little redundant. Especially when not so long ago Valve updated the Spy's cloak so it regenerated once the Spy picked up ammo. I'm not sure I like the thoughts of a cloak which regenerates by standing still and drains during movement when as I mentioned above the regular cloak refills via ammo pickups. I'll trust in Valve's greater wisdom on the issue, still somewhat skeptical though.
Now onto the second order of business. Gather round children and listen to old uncle Hamz and listen well because I have something important I want everyone to read and understand. GiantBomb is a site that relies on and encourages its community to interact with one another and the site itself in a positive and productive manner, something which a large majority of you all understand.
However lately a small number of people seem to have taken it upon themselves to play the role of Moderator and seem to think they can order other users around as if they have the ability and authority to do so. As if they are somehow more important than their peers. Now I'm sure these select few people have good intentions but their approach and the way in which they carry them out comes across as very egotistical, bossy and 'wannabe-moderator-ish'. And has resulted in a few complaints and panties being twisted.
Everyone here at GiantBomb is on equal ground. No single user has authority or greater importance over another. So I am going to ask that everyone keep that in mind when they try to help out another user in need or when replying to a topic discussing any subject matter. Keep your ego's in check and remember there is a team of dedicated Forum and Wiki moderators on this site to deal with issues and make final decisions on matters. If you find yourself unsure, confused or generally needing guidance about anything then never hesitate to contact one or all of us.
Nothing disgruntles me more than seeing certain users continually act as if and feel the need to make their opinion known as fact when the truth of the matter is their opinion is entirely wrong or otherwise flawed in regards to our rules and guidelines here. It only serves to cause confusion for users and extra work for the actual Moderation team when we see things like this occur.
So with that out of the way I'll just finish with this, don't act like a smart-arse around the site. Read through the Wiki FAQ and the Forum FAQ for a list of every Moderator and our specific jobs on the site and learn the rules we ask everyone abide by here while you're at it too!
<3 Hamz XOXO
PS - The Spy is still a threat!
Gamers
By Hamz 25 Comments
<3 Hamz
PS - i r ninty fanboy noaw! B-ware mah powahz!
Mario Kart Love Song - Must Listen!
By Hamz 17 Comments
So a friend of mine sent this to me the other day and I have to say it is pretty damn catchy and rather touching in a nerdy / soppy way.
I suggest you get your other half, sit down with them and just listen. Listen and share a moment GiantBomb, a moment worth remembering! :P
Enjoy!
Persona 4 Soundtrack Endurance Run!
By Hamz 19 Comments
Hey guys and girls how are you all? Enjoy the GDC coverage and news? I was going to blog about some of the stuff coming from GDC. Specifically OnLive and why I can't see it working out the way the creators seem to think it will. But instead I've opted for something else, something less negative.....
If you happened to be paying attention to my Twitter feed (link to follow me) last night you'll have seen I mentioned I was listening to the entire soundtrack for Persona 4. In fact some of you who are already following me (link again if you missed it) expressed some mixed emotions over me doing this. Below are a few tweets I received from folks about this....
LordofUltima@Hamzini You're fucking sick. A SICK BASTARD.
LordAndrew@Hamzini Nothing wrong with that.
MattyFTM@Hamzini Nothing is wrong with you. Or everything is wrong with you. I can't decide.
Just a few of the replies and as you can see there was clearly a mixed response. At first I wasn't sure why, was it because the soundtrack is that bad? Or was it because people were shocked I was listening to a soundtrack for a game they didn't like? I couldn't decide. So I soldiered on and clicked play.
Now would probably be a good time to set a few things straight. And by straight I mean I like girls, the younger the better....wait ignore that, scrap that last piece from your memory. Anyway I should point out I am a big fan of video game, and movie, soundtracks. Always have been ever since playing Final Fantasy 7 and hearing the 'One Winged Angel' theme for Sephiroth. And for me personally I find my enjoyment for a game can be intensified if the soundtrack and music within it is good. Like Bionic Commando Rearmed for example, amazing soundtrack in that game. I would happily say it’s got one of the best soundtracks in a game, ever.
With the Persona 4 soundtrack I found myself instantly imagining Japanese schoolgirls dressed as cats in a club listening to this sort of music. I mean that was honestly my first thought when hearing some of the early tracks. The music is just really positive and somewhat addictive to listen too. Sort of like the game seems to be actually. I mean for all its JRPG merits, who doesn't want to play Persona 4 so they can get it on with Chie? Admit it, you've thought about it. We all have.
Obviously being the soundtrack for a Japanese RPG means there is some J-Pop in it. Some more obvious than others I'd say. And I have to admit I am not that big a fan of J-Pop, but in this case I wasn't bothered by it at all. I really found myself enjoying the more Japanese aspects to the music. Just because it was a lot more different and in a pleasant way. A lot of the soundtrack is very relaxing, laid back and soothing to listen too. I got a really positive vibe out of it.
There are some really emotive songs in the soundtrack. Most made me feel somewhat happy and relaxed while there are a few darker, perhaps more depressing tracks on the list. But they are few and far between and I think it balances it out a little, Persona 4 doesn't look like a game that is entirely all smiles and laughs, I'm sure there are darker moments.
My favourite tracks would have to be 'Reach out for the Truth' and 'Backside of the TV' which I found insanely catchy and at one point had me humming along to it as I listened. In fact as I type this I have it playing now. And that’s the beauty of this games soundtrack I think. It is just so utterly pleasant and relaxed. A lot of music in games tends to be long dramatic orchestral scores that have you imagining epic battles or adrenaline rushing heavy metal which makes you want to smash and stab things. Persona 4 sort of has this blend of genuinely calming and addictive music that really suits the game.
I could go on, but I'll try and keep this short and just say this about the soundtrack. Buy it. You know that transaction of money for a service or item(s)? Yeah that one. Go do it now; even if you haven't played Persona 4, like me, you can still appreciate the fine music this game has to offer. And who knows maybe like me you'll be flirting with the idea of buying a PS2 and a copy of the game just so you can experience funky student and fox first hand. And walk in the steps of Vinny and Jeff.
Also if you haven't done so already, follow me on Twitter. A link to my profile on Twitter can be found here, here and in my about me section which can be found here.
No Hamz blog is complete without a random and totally unrelated image at the end....
Sadly though this image is so awesome it refuses to show in full size HQ. So click here to see it in said HQ!
Popularity leads to intimacy!
By Hamz 13 Comments
Hello GiantBomb, it's been awhile since I last blogged and if memory is correct my last blog was before the new site redesign. So it really has been awhile. And as I type this I'm drinking a can of Red Bull so I'm going to try and see how much I can type before I finish it. A challenge, not as cool as the coke drinking challenge but one none the less!
So what has the great Hamzini been up to since the last blog? Quite a bit actually. Work as usual although I can't say I've done much when there, it just seems with the credit crunch and global economy being like it is people haven't got the cash to spend on booze. So standing in an empty bar waiting on customers has been both awesome and boring. Still I get paid for it so huzzah to that!
What have I been doing with that easily earned moola? Buying games, drugs and paying hookers while the booze comes free. Wait, forget I mentioned hookers, if the police or girlfriend ask, there were NO hookers. I've actually not bought any new games other than Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning which was a sort of spur of the moment thing after playing the recent 10 day trial.
As far as MMO's go I'd say WAR is pretty damn good. It's focused a lot more on PvP with the main focus being on RvR aka Realm versus Realm combat where players on both factions, Order and Destruction, battle it out against each other for control of various battlefield objectives, castles and zones. All very good fun and a nice change to the usual PvE style grind of most MMO's. I'm rolling a Knight of the Blazing Sun as my main toon (yes toon, gotta love MMO lingo) on the European Karak-Norn server under the name of Luchadeer. Yes I stole our beloved GiantBomb mascot's name because A.) The random name generator kept picking useless names and B.) I lack originality.
I seemed to have joined at a good time what with server merges, new classes being added and the begining of the live expansion "Call to Arms" starting. So I've no lack of online buddies to help me in the public quests, RvR scenarios and general open RvR areas. The only issue I am worried about with the game itself is the horrid lag that occurs in the Tier 4 zones which is apparently almost unplayable. I'm only just starting the Tier 3 zones so still have some way to go until I reach Tier 4 but still a little worrying to hear the "endgame" (assuming such a thing exists in any MMO) is full of lag / performance issues. Other than that though I'm digging the game quite a bit. Infact its the reason I've not been as active over the last few weeks if I'm being honest.
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Just finished the can of Red Bull at this point in writing the blog. Guess I failed the challenge, much like Kush will remind me I failed to gain 5000 Wiki points by the end of February. But you know what Kush? fuck you. You and your reminding me of my failures, I shall urge MB to continue doing what he does to "The List!" just to mess with your OCDness!
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And moving onto my final topic of discussion. The site itself and how awesome the redesign is, how awesome the community is and how awesome I am. Yes you read the last part of that correctly, I am awesome. I really do like the new site design and layout and the community seems to have shaped up into something even better lately. A lot less trouble making going on and a lot more productive chit chat as well. Thumbs up to everyone for that. Staff, Mods and users all deserve a pat on the back and a lolipop. Because everyone loves lolipops.
I've found myself really begining to become interested in the upcoming Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Athena game as well as my ongoing excitement for Batman: Arkham Asylum which I can't stop watching the trailers for. Something about Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy doing the voice acting for both the major characters has me excited for some odd reason.
Anyway in keeping with the trend started from my previous blog, enjoy this totally random image that is unrelated to anything in this blog.....
Hamz, XOXO!
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