Hey all, I've thoroughly been enjoying what has been an evolution of bloggin thoughts and styles out through GB, but I lost so much time this past weekend meandering through forums and what not that I've come to the conclusion that the blog will follow an extended hiatus until final exams are over (May 14th.). Love all you nerds, keep gaming and gossiping, but remember not to hate on those with opinions different than yours (and if you must, then back it up with something other than an expletive, we're sophisticated in these forums aren't we?)  Wanted to see if I could attract an empire of followers before the end of the month, alas my conquest will have to wait.   
P.S. we need to make a page for this game.
 
Peace! 
  

As I sit studying in the library, alone, I happened across this while I meandered for a bit. Consider the ramifications of what games would do if they all resulted in such side effects. Whole new take on "the Rumble Pack." Article Posted Below.

 This is a more “official” start to the blog, as I’ve decided on what I’d like to do for the perceived future. Here’s the rundown: First section is titled Med School Mayhem and, as you guessed it, follows my exploits in “live-action” fashion. Next up is the Weekly Jab, an editorial of sorts with some personal insights I have on gaming, most prominently starting with a question I’ve pondered, my take on it, and hopefully, your responses in the comments. Continuing on, we have Resonance, a section I am dedicating to music and gaming affairs, that is to say, what games I have played in the week, what tracks I have jammed to while gaming, or simply my soundtrack for life. Again, comments on your tastes build my own, especially considering the fact that being a DJ for school occasionally demands it.   Finally, things wind down in Culture Café, everything non-game related and off topic, spontaneity at its best. 

  So last weekend we had our school formal event known as Gala, roast-esque presentations by a nominated teacher and student, photos, dancing, cash bar, etc. Pics below ( I’m the fellow in blue and gold). It’s been a slow week educationally, lots of studying with little gaming. Finals are one and three weeks away and then I’ll be travelling while I’m here in Europe. Here’s to praying I pass! (Otherwise I think my folks won’t be so keen on my traveling and all).   For the academically inclined, subjects covered as of now are Physiology, Neuroscience, and immunology. Topics of the week include renal and pulmonary physio, sleep, memory, emotions, ageing, and Alzheimer’s, as well as immunology wrap up, with a final a week from Monday. 

Looking back at history some major games come to mind. To summarize, we’ve got Quake and Doom amongst what I’d consider the golden age of fps gaming, Goldeneye 007 bringing that revolution to a console. Halo polished for the xbox what goldeneye established on the N64. Xbox live allowed consoles to branch out into network gaming like pc had accomplished long ago. With the x360, we had gears of war take a more tactical spin on first person shooters, with cover-based tactics becoming the mainstay of exchanges in games be they integral to the controls or not. COD4 produced in an attractive manner what would be expanded upon in Borderlands and thus forward most multiplayer games. The RPG conceptualization that continued play would be rewarded with unlockable weapons, modifications, and abilities that altered how one could play the game. This trend is quite appealing to the fps gamer who wants to adapt to their environment in the uber-mercurial environment of multiplayer gaming. As we move forward I think it is important to realize that fps gamers want more and more to define themselves as they play a game, creating an identity to suit their class of play, style, etc. I hypothesize that Brink, coming out of Splash Damage ( with partnership and influence from Bethesda Softworks) has the potential to polish what currently exists in fps gaming, if not establish a revolution in and of itself. Thus far, fps gaming has innovated upon character development, class styles identified with weapon and skill types, but few alter the way a player can interact with his or her environment, confining one to rely on sprint features and staircases to radically change one’s vertical perspective. Aside from memorizing a map in a 2d sense, it leaves little to the imagination as to how one can play an fps. With the Advent of SMART, I tend to think that we might have something groundbreaking to witness here. With all the character customization of previous titles, and the ability to bust out pseudo-parkour, there is a lot of promise in a title that changes not only the style of play, but how you play in the world.    

 All are welcome to dispute my claim, or suggest titles of your own In the comments.   

  This week I’ve been jamming out to Get It By Your Hands by Hiroshi Watanabe, a.k.a. Quadra. Prominently featured in the anime, Eureka Seven, it gives off heavy bass and cool tones. Trance and Techno are sort of my studying out music right now; I am not really listening to any tunes in particular while playing games at the moment. This week has been punctuated by either gaming sessions in multiplayer for BFBC2, trying to reach end class weapons, or by madman stints in Just Cause 2. Not too much here since Finals are up, but I plan on adding more when I have finished my immuno final the Monday after next.    
 

Greetings Fellow Travellers,
 
   I realize that my first post was a grammatical nightmare and a most severe case of mental diarrhea. In an effort to keep these posts interesting and direct,  I want to encourage anyone and everyone to leave suggestions on what you'd like to hear. Humility aside, I love making a joke out of this crazy life of mine in medical school across the ocean, and I love gaming, so what is it that really  piques the interest of you the expansive giantbomb crew, the smorgasbord that  comprises our community (anyone who sees this on  facebook can contribute as well) ? 
 
      To segway into other matters, this past weekend I regrettably forgot to tell the few people I game with that the medical school class had its regularly scheduled formal semester dinner with faculty, thus prohibiting me from play. Chastising will most likely ensue very soon, so lend me your jeers! The dinner was sucktastic, and in most cases the drunken and disorderly behavior of most individuals reminds me that doctors are people too. Surly, slutty, angry mofos that can act petty, indignant, and more selfish than my local neighborhood bum who always claims the money is to feed him but really it just feeds his liquor problem. Alas, I digress from my main punchli.. I mean point. I was warmed to see quite a number of  stars amongst that black sky demonstrate real humility and concern for their fellow man, one stepped up with a speech, some demonstrated restraint in the face of peer pressure, others controlling their vices,  you get the drift. 
 
     Gaming was a simple affair for the week, I forayed further into the rpg aspects of the multiplayer Battlefield BC2  experience, and a few novel pick-up teams  revealed to me  the awesome that comes from multi-class teamwork. Recon+Soldier+Medic+Engineer= You Win!  Aside from a few moments there, it' was a sparse affair those last several days. As finals inch ever closer I will really have to micro-manage every moment to avail time for this habit of mine. Also, who doesn't love hearing Ryan harass Brad as he pushes the trainwreck that is Deadly Premonition down the tracks every day. Care to share your thoughts on this peeps? That wraps this entry up, Look forward to hearing from all of you. Enjoy the Ride. 

So apparently we have endeavoured into meta here at Giant Bomb, thus compelling me to rejoin the blogosphere in chiming in my 2 cents. Greetings travellers, my name is Sunny S. and I'll be happy to share my trials and tribulations throughout the next however many adventures we embark on together through gaming and glory. I remember when I started playing games as a child, my uncle never let up on kicking my ass in Street Fighter 2..... Blargh! I digress, my gaming picked up really when the play station and N64 were at their peak, and I was the king amongst my peers in GoldenEye and  Perfect Dark..... I'm digressing too far back just purely for name drops. Let's fast forward at least to the halcyon days of high school, when Halo and Halo 2 had been popularized and I had endeavoured towards my aspiration of becoming a doctor. Friends were abundant, games were affordable, and piracy, or as I call it ,the freedom of information, had just blossomed onto the internet. College perpetuated this trend and I grew to embrace a wide variety of research opportunities, jobs, community work, bands, fraternity life, journalism, etc.. Furthermore, I got to continue my hardy passions of loving all things tech, anime, and gaming. I reiterate, those were golden times among golden people.  Thus far, I have succeeded in earning a Magna Cum Laude B.S. degree  in Biochemistry at Illinois Tech, and have moved forward into Medical School across the waters of my home country to Newcastle, UK  for a Global Scholars program. The rigours of med school have strained all aspects of my life, severely hampering every activity not related to my studies. It has been the most challenging step in my life thus far, balancing my work with my gaming needs. Literally, no one at this program plays games except yours truly, and costs for gaming are significantly greater, as importing titles that are region coded, and just prices here for games that are not, can be quite a hit in the wallet. These challenges, while daunting, do not impair me to play, so much as they impair me to play at my best. I no longer have a dedicated team for Halo 3 , ODST, or Battlefield, and thus am "lone wolfing" everything. It almost feels like my gaming style has come to emulate my lifestyle at school, as I often study alone as well. Nevertheless, I am confident that both my disposition and  teetering grades will improve due to the support of close family and friends. Gaming will always have a place in my heart, and I feel like the passions that have developed within me are greatly reflected in the peeps that comprise the bulk of the user-base here. This place really gets to the deepest analysis and love that drives gamers, and I feel like it's the best locale for me to express myself and voice my concerns.  I'm embarking on this journey to find my balance again, the balance that was lost upon reaching this new tier of study, as I aim to reconcile my social life with my work life, and thus attain true happiness. Enjoy the Ride.