So... here we are again. I've tried to do this blogging thing, especially here on GB, before. And, for at least a tiny while, it worked. Remember my "One Hour In" blogs? Where I tried to recap what happened in the first hour of a game? Yeah, those were fun, and I liked them just fine, but unfortunately, I couldn't keep up the pace. I didn't have enough games, and I didn't know if I'd constantly have the patience to continually switch to a new game all the time. So, that went away. And then things happened, life got in the way, and y'know, I just got lazy.

But, what's a guy who's natural inclination is to write to do? Well, yeah, write! Duh! So, I'm giving this bad boy another shot, coming in with a whole new format, and pounding out a blog that should make my Momma proud! (if, indeed, my mother was online in any real capacity...) I'll be trying out different styles to this, hopefully settling on one that's good enough. Any suggestion, just let me know!

Let me welcome you to:

The Week's End Blog #1

Welcome, friends, to The Week's End! A little blog that will be devoted to, not only gaming an such, but to general pop culture and my silly musings week in and week out! So, let's get started, shall we?

Possible PS4 Controller Pictures?

Gallery

You probably all saw these photos of what is, more than likely, the controller design for the next PlayStation (Orbis/PS4) floating around this week. Well, it certainly looks different, but also carries a design aesthetic that makes it familiar, as well. What can all the changes to it entail? Guess we'll have to wait until Wednesday to find out. (well, at least hopefully that's what we'll be seeing on the 20th!)

In the mean time, GamesRadar has a bit of speculation on what may or may not be going on with this thing.

Speaking of Controllers

Either these Dualshock 3's don't hold a charge for long enough, or I don't play my PS3 nearly as much as I should. I mean, I have three, count 'em, THREE controllers for the thing, and I had to charge all of them yesterday. The one I mainly use was low, but when I pulled the other two out of the box I keep all my controllers in, neither one would turn on. Oh well, my problems are soooo numerous...

Also, I really don't like the Dualshock 3 for FPS games. I'm not really knocking it that much, but for what it's worth, I play as many FPS games on my 360 as possible! I like you, PS3, but the 360's controller is just better for those game types.

On the Subject of FPS Games

I've tried to start playing Killzone 3. Yes, I just whined about the inferiority of the DS3's design for FPSs, but I'll just have to tough it out! Really, though, I do like this series. It looks great, the story is kind of interesting (in that, "hey, let's do something to get dudes to shoot each other" kind of way), and I do like the cover system. It feels weird at first, but once you get used to it, it's a breeze to use. I hope I can muster the interest to make it through to the end. Here's hoping it leaves the door open for future games in the series, maybe for PS4? Who knows, all I know is shooting dudes is still fun in my book.

I Seem to Shoot Many Dudes, Really

I finally made it to level 50 in Borderlands 2! This did encompass shoot many, many dudes. And critters. And monstrosities. And explosive barrels. And many other things. I did it as Salvador, the Gunzerker. On my own, too. Yep, no co-op, no nothing with anyone else. While I like playing games with others, that's not the case about 98.5% of the time. I'm a loner when it comes to games. I'm one of those weirdos who likes the Call of Duty franchise for the single-player campaign. I rarely, if ever, will play the same game my friends are playing at the same time so they won't invite me to "join their party." I liked the Autolog stuff in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, but beyond that, just don't ask me to play with you. I'm sorry if that hurts you feelings, but it's what I do! I guess I enjoy being on my own.

Lonely? No, Not So Much...

Listen, if you didn't know, Valentine's Day was this past week. Now, if you like it, that's fine. If you don't like it, that's okay too. But, leave me out of it either way. I'm almost 32, have only had one girlfriend in my life, and I'm not really interested in any kind of relationship right now. I had to tell off (well, sort of) one of the old ladies that volunteers at my workplace when she started going on and on about me and how I need to, "find someone, blah, blah, blah." Look, it's nice that you're concerned, but I know me better than you know me, and me's okay with what me wants... Uh, right? Anyway, maybe I just dislike holidays that don't let me have the day off and almost forcibly tell me to spend my money on crap that doesn't truly matter in the long run.

I Will Spend My Money on What I Want, Though

Which, funnily enough, is things that I like! Shocker, right? I've just been getting hounded by people who believe that gaming is a "waste of time and money" and believe that it's something not worth pursuing. Even a couple of my so-called "friends" on Facebook have stated as much. Listen, same as with V-Day, I really don't care what you think. I do what suits me, and gaming suits me fine. But, it's not the only thing I'm interested in. I have plenty of hobbies, and ways to relax. I spend far less money on games that so people do on things that are harmful and/or destructive. Give me a break, I'm only doing what I like! I like things you don't! Get over yourself!

Yes, I Like Things That You May Not!

*gasp* and OH NO! Can it be true? Can someone like something that I do not? Can I like something that they do not like? Can we share a planet with such differing opinions?! Turns out, the answer, shockingly, is "yes, Virginia, there is a place for that in our world." Just because I don't agree with you, or you with me, doesn't me we can't be friends or anything. Quite the opposite. I've learned, or the course of the past 30-some-odd years, that people just need to suck it up and get along. Accepting what is different in others isn't necessary, but tolerating them for a while might be. Or something... listen, all this stems from the fact that I'm a Brony (yes, yes, I know what you're thinking...), and some people find that unacceptable. Strangely, they let that one thing define me in their eyes. It ain't that simple, kids. I'm many things, and sometimes one thing. I have phases that I go through, as I'm sure you do. I almost started listing all the "labels" you could ascribe to me, but figured it would be too long to put in here. Suffice to say, I'm me. And isn't that what really counts? But yes, I'm also a Brony.

I Cried at a Cartoon This Morning... About Ponies

Yes, I will admit it. I did cry at the Season 3 finale of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It was just... well, worthy of the shedding of tears. Tears of joy. Tears of sorrow. Tears of... whatever else there was. Hey, when you've spent three seasons watching a character change and grow and become more than she was when her journey started, you tend to get a little misty eyed. Don't tell me you didn't lose it when [insert character here] from [insert show here] had [insert thing that happened here] happen to him/her/it! I mean, I'll probably cry when they finally reveal how Ted meets his kid's mother on HIMYM. In fact, I know I will. All journeys end sometime, I'm just glad that Twilight Sparkle's will continue for at least another season! The same can't be said about some things...

Hasbro, What Are You Doing? Hasbro! STAHP!

Well, I can only lament the loss here, as little to nothing can be done. Oh, what am I talking about? Well, the fact that, maybe, just maybe, a company needs to not go all "C&D Happy" when it comes to fan projects of their IP. Yes, I know the whole thing about protecting your properties, but Hasbro killed something really cool that I was really looking forward to, and it seemed like they were initially not going to kill that thing. I am talking, of course, about Fighting is Magic, the MLP-based fighter that garnered a bunch of attention and looked to be shaping up to be a fun and cool thing. But, I guess since it had to do with the MLP license, Hasbro got all in a tizzy and shut it down. And this was after months, or even years, of work that the team had done. On their own time. With no outside financial backing. But, I guess there's just no satisfying some gigantic corporations... At least Lauren Faust offered to make some original characters to replace the ponies. It just wouldn't be the same... Still, maybe they can salvage it. Who knows?

Well, I suppose that's it for today. I hope I can keep these up, and also keep you all entertained. Please return next week to see what I have in store for you then! Until next time, my friends!

So, it's that time of year again. Yes, the time when we all gather 'round with our friends and loved ones and count our blessings. We reflect on the wonder of the previous year, and look forward to what we hope will be a year to come full of joy and love.

With that out of the way, who wants some end-'o-the-year gaming award goodness by your friendly neighborhood Raditz? If you said "Oh, oh, me, I want that!" then you've come to the right place, my friend! Alright, so without further ado, here's my picks for the best (and whatever else) of the year of our Lord 2011.

The "Oh yeah, that came out this year" Award

Sometimes, it's easy to forget what came out early in the year when it comes to games; (hell, when it comes to most anything, actually) so it's no surprise that we forget about a few gems. We get so inundated with releases in the last two months of the year, that all those games just take over our memories. What games did you forget about this year? I know there are some I did! But, the one that takes the cake in this category is:

LittleBigPlanet 2

Yep, this came out way back in January. Hell, I finished the damn game, and I barely remember that it was a 2011 release! A fun game, but I won't fault anyone for forgetting that the little Sack and his pals had their adventures earlier this year. But, if you've got a PS3, maybe you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy, and give Sackboy the lovin' he so deserves.

Runners Up: Dead Space 2, Pokemon Black/White

The "Best Use of a Licensed Property" Award

Now, I know what you're thinking, "This is obviously the category that Batman will win!" and I won't kid you, The Bat came awfully close, but he was edged out ever so slightly by:

Back to the Future: The Game

Yeah, that's right! I waited too long on this, until they compiled all five of the episodes on a disc, got it for PS3, and enjoyed the hell out of myself. I loved this way more than I think I should have, but when Back to the Future is your favorite movie ever, when something like this hits all the right notes, and does it so well, then the only answer is "give that game a (fake and meaningless) award!" Seriously, I even had tears in my eyes when the credits ended, and there was a surprise that I couldn't have been happier about. Even if that thing doesn't mean what I want it to, the other meaning that it could have makes it just as awesome. Ah, screw it, BttF: The Game was amazing to me, and a great use of the name!

Runners Up: Batman: Arkham City, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

The "Arnold Schwarzenegger" Award for Best Use of Stupid Guns

Sometimes, you just need to shoot the crap out of someone/something, and what better way to do it than with some overwrought weapon that does far more damage than you need to do?! Yeah, guns are cool, but ridiculous guns are even better! That's why this here award goes to:

Bulletstorm

Seriously, the weapons in Bulletstorm start out mildly normal. Assault rifle, pistol, etc. But then -- HOLY CRAP! Hey, this gun launches grenade bolos! I can upgrade my assault rifle to fire 100 rounds at once! A cannon ball launcher? Rocket propelled drill gun?! A four-barreled shotgun?! A sniper rifle that fires manually controlled shots?! Add in the skill shot system, and Bulletstorm did everything it could to make you appreciate the over-the-top-ness of its arsenal. Also, ENERGY-LEASH! Hey, not a gun, but still damn cool.

Runners Up: Duke Nukem Forever, Shadows of the Damned

The "How the F*** Do You Say the Name of This Game?!" Award

Sure, with translations/localization become more and more better (...more gooder?...) we don't have to hardly put up with the old "A Winnar Is You" any more, but darn it, if there aren't still those tongue-twisters that eek through to end up on shelves anyway. I can speak fairly well (I keep telling myself), but even this game's title made me wonder if I'd had some sort of brain damage when I tried to read it:

Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel

Seriously, the only words I know how to say in that title is "of", maybe "Knell"? Good golly, I know you want to give us games that we don't usually get over here, NIS, but dammit, if I can say the name of the damned game, how do I get it?! Good thing there's Amazon, I'd hate to try and say this to some clerk at Best Buy! Oh well.

Runners Up: Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

The "I Should Have Played This Game, But..." Award

Okay, so, I'll admit it, I'm not much of a portable gamer. DS, PSP, hell, even my phone. I know they can kill some time when there's just a little time to kill, but I just have too many big games on my big systems that I play on my big TV that I have shunned the handhelds for too long. Fortunately, I look to remedy that soon. Anyway here's the award for I should have played this game but I didn't have a DS:

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Please don't hurt me! I would've loved to have played this game! Unfortunately, it was released at the beginning of the year (strike one!) when I didn't have a DS (strike two!) and there was some stuff going on that I don't want to talk about right now (strike three! I'm outta there!). Well, luckily, I'll have the ability to try it out soon, and I hope it's as good as everyone has said. Yeah yeah, excuses excuses! I'll get right on it, just don't say you told me so, I already know!

Runners Up: WWE All-Stars, Yakuza 4

The "If I Played MMOs, I'd Totally Play This" Award

Look, I've heard some of you out there like these Massovely Multiplayer Online games. It's cool. They sound like fun; ganging up with friends and going to beat up giant monsters and delve deep into dangerous dungeons. That's alright, go for it. As for me, I just don't see the appeal. I'm more of a "play this on my own" type of gamer. But, I think if I played an MMO, this would be the one:

DC Universe Online

Yessir, with a year that saw the release of The Old Republic, and the continuing popularity of World of Warcraft, among others, DCUO would be the game that I think I'd enjoy the most out of all the MMOs around. I love superheroes, and the offer to mess around in the DC universe just seems so neat and appealing to me, that were I to pick up an online game, this'd be the one! I may even try it, since it's gone Free to Play. Maybe... Hmmm... *strokes chin*

Runner Up: Star Wars: The Old Republic

The "Shoot that Dude!" Award for Most Shooting of Dudes in a Game

It never fails, each and every year, trillions of bullets are shot at billions of dudes, and those dudes eventually fall over from being hit by said bullets. And, it seems that, no matter what, people don't get tired of shootin' dudes. Hey, it seems fun, even. I'm not immune to the thrill of doing the shooting, either. I shoot my fair share of dudes, and I did so a bunch in this game:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

There were a lot of dudes to shoot in this game. I mean, a whole lot. They just keep coming. And what's a highly skilled, expertly trained dude shooter to do? That's right, shoot them dudes! Thankfully, it's actually fun to shoot the dudes in this game! I had a blast trying to make my way to higher and higher waves in Spec Ops mode, the story came to a satisfying close, and although I hate the people that play multiplayer all day long and are about 8679% better than I am, at least the new support class stuff makes up for me dying a whole shitload! So, go shoot some dudes, it still pays off.

Runners Up: Killzone 3, Gears of War 3

The "Beat the Crap Out of Everyone" Award for Best Beatdowns

You know, there are times when I just want to up and whip someone's ass. You know, just to feel the rush and let them know that I'm boss. Also, dumb people need to be kept in line. Barring that, there's a few games that I can use to get my aggression out, and nothing does that better than a goof fighter! This one was the one that I felt help me relieve tension, if even just for an hour or so:

Mortal Kombat

Nothing beats the bloody joy of smacking around a foe quite like MK did this year. Impressive, considering that Mortal Kombat really wasn't on the best footing recently. But, NetherRealm Studios brought the franchise back from the brink (no, not that Brink, the other one. Like the edge of a cliff. Geez...) and did it with all the brutality and finesse that made this a joy to pick up. And man, those X-ray moves, Fatalities, and even some just special attack were some bone-crunchingly good that I wish I knew how to do them! ...You know, for, um, self-defense... yeah, that's it...

Runners Up: Marvel vs. Capcom 3, WWE All-Stars

The "OH GOD MY EYES!" Award for Most Prettiest Game

Graphics. You'll almost always run into that one guy who says, "Graphics aren't important, it's [insert other element of game here] that makes a game good." And you know what, he's WRONG! Now, I'll be that last to say that a game with just good graphics will be good, but without it's graphics prowess, this game would not have been anywhere near as awesome as it could've been:

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Seriously, I don't know how Naughty Dog does it, but they must have some sort of magical unicorns working there, because I don't know that there's any other developer that can make anything look as good as they make Uncharted look on PS3. I can't count the times that I just went "wow" when playing this game. There were times I just had to stop and pan the camera around. If this is what they can do with this generation of hardware, I think I'll have to get new eyes when they put anything out on the PS4, because my retinas will probably melt when I see it.

Runners Up: Battlefield 3 (PC), Gears of War 3

The "I Played Entirely Too Much of This Game" Award for Game I Played the Most

Okay, full disclosure, I broke the big toe on my right foot the week before Thanksgiving this year (that's U.S. Thanksgiving, my Canadian friends) and it was bad enough that I had to have surgery to get it fixed. Meaning I was laid-up for six weeks. And that meant I had time to play a whole lot of games. But, there was only one game that captured my attention and that I played more than anything else this year. That game is:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Oh man. Oh man, oh man. Like I said, I broke that toe the Tuesday after this came out. Learning that I would have to stay home from work (and, well, most everything else) I reveled in the fact that I would get to delve into the world of Skyrim for huge lengths of time during any given day. And I did. At last count, I'd sunk over 200 hours across three characters into this game. And I don't regret a single second of it. Even after hours and hours of play, there would still be things I would run across, people I'd meet and places I'd go that I'd never seen or heard of before. SKYRIM! Man, now I just need to wait for the DLC...

Runners Up: Batman: Arkham City, Saints Row: The Third

The "This Made Me Feel Smart" Award for Best-est Puzzle-y/Adventure-y Game

I'm not so smart. Sometimes, I can be downright dumb. I have a hard time doing crossword puzzles in pen, and sudoku gives me a headache. That's why I general avoid games that make me have to use too much brain power. And yet, when there comes a game that makes me think "wow, I actually did that!" I really appreciate it. Thanks for making me feel smart:

Portal 2

Seriously, there were times where I'd get through a test chamber, or any part of this game, and I would feel such satisfaction. And then, I'd get through the next part. And the next. Sure, there were a couple of times I got hung up, but then I'd figure out what to do. And that would just make me feel like a genius. Thanks for that, Portal 2, now I've got some calculus classes to study for, or else I won't be able to finish my real-life portal gun...

Nah! Just kidding, I'm still the dummy you know and love.

Runners Up: L.A. Noire, Deus Ex: Human Revolution

The "This is Sweet Music to My Ears" Award for Awesome Use of a Song

Very often, the music in games is just in the background. Sure, you'll notice it occasionally; but when it swells, or something significant happens, that's when it can have the biggest impact. And when a song just hits you, you know that there's something special happening at that moment. That's why this song gets this award:

Zia's Theme from Bastion

Just listen to that. Now, that's a song. But, just hearing it here might not give you the impact that it's meant to. If you've yet to play Bastion, please do. You'll know when you get to the part that this song plays why I like it some much. It just hit perfectly. Not much else to say than I love it.

Runner Up: "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler from Saints Row: The Third

The "These Are All Great Games So They Deserve Recognition" Award(s) for The Other Great Games

Otherwise know as "I couldn't think of a clever title for this" section. Right now, I just want to list the other games I think were fun and/or awesome this year. So, here's the games I think were the best of the rest (regardless of whether or not they've already been runners up in other categories):

• Okamiden
• inFamous 2
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• L.A. Noire
• Shadows of the Damned
• El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
• Gears of War 3
• Batman: Arkham City
• Saints Row: The Third

That's it, folks!

Thanks for reading, I hope you gleaned some amount of enjoyment from this here list of games. This year was another great year to be a gamer, with offerings for everyone all around. Here's looking forward to 2012 and even more copious amounts of goodness in this here hobby of ours!

Especially when I'm not the one being treated. Anyway, I just spent the last 6 hours waiting to see if my Dad was going to have to have heart surgery or not. Fortunately, all the tests and everything revealed that his heart is fine, so that's the good news. He'll have to see if the chest pains he was having was due to something else (like a medication problem), but for now, looks like he'll live to see 60 in a couple of weeks. I have to admit that I was a little scared that they'd have to do surgery. It sucked to see my Dad, who is usually the "tough guy", seeming so helpless. He was scared, and when Dad gets scared, I don't take it well. The last time I saw him so vulnerable was when Grandpa died. I know he's only human, but a dad is the one person you look to when things go bad. If he doesn't know what to do, what then?

But, things worked out, he's home, and I just wanted to get this off my chest. To anyone who may read this, thanks for taking the time.

Superstition be damned, it's another blog post!
Or, well, sort of? Okay, here's the thing. I'm a lazy bastard, and haven't gotten to anything that I wanted to. It didn't help that I started my new work schedule this past week (four 10-hour days) and getting used to that has screwed me up somewhat. Oh well, I really, truly hope that I can get my shit together for next time. So, that's it for now, hope next entry is full-fledged and entertaining and not lame-o! Peace out.

Update time! Who's ready to hear what's been going on in the life and times of a simple gamer? No? Well too bad! You're just gonna sit there and enjoy it. Or not, you can leave, that's fine too. Anyway, here we go again!

Great Gobs of Gaming Goodness!

This has normally been the area where I outline what I've been playing, usually that first hour of a select game. Not this week, sorry to say. I've been trying to get through my backlog pile, and it's been slow going. (I still haven't finished Final Fantasy XIII for crying out loud!) That, and I've been having to tighten up my budget after losing the extra income from my former roommate, so less cash for new games. Barring that, I've been planning on going out and digging up some older classics and getting those ready for this blog. So, while my main feature won't be as fresh as it could be (meaning filled with current-gen games) it will still be ongoing, just maybe at a little less frequency! Oh well, we do what we have to to survive!

But, as I said, many much games as of late. Still working on several titles that I should've completed months ago, but I have a tendency to go off and not finish games like I should. (heck, I still haven't finished some PSone games I've got floating around here!) But, I have vowed that I won't purchase any new games until I finish the ones that are on my shelf! So, that may end up being the next feature of this blog, what games I've finished. We'll see about that, considering I think I started something to that effect early on, but abandoned it...

Nothing's set in stone, so all this, even if this thing is months old, is still a work in progress. Hopefully I can get it all locked down, and you'll see me doing my regular thing on a regular basis without any snafus or blowouts. Also, that podcast thing I talked about last time, yeah... not happening, but I never expected it too, so nothing truly lost!

I suppose that's it for now. Please return next week when I will (hopefully) be back to some form of normal. HUZZAH!

What's this?! It's been a while, hasn't it? (over a month, from the looks of it) Well, circumstances conspired against me, and have kept me from updating, but that ends now! The problem, though, is that I've been having issues trying to keep up with playing any new games and keeping track of my first hour of play within said games. Not that I haven't played any new games; I just have been remiss in my duties...

Anyway, here's what's going to be happening: 1) I will continue to update this blog as regularly as I can (once a week, at the very least), 2) The regular "one hour in" feature that I've used to previously headline this blog will n longer be a regular feature. I will, to the best of my ability, try to make it work, but if it doesn't (for that week), then so be it. I won't be abandoning it entirely, because I know there are some folks who've enjoyed it. 3) Despite me doing the feature less frequently, I still will retain the name of the blog as "One Hour In". I dunno, I think it sounds interesting enough, and helps set me apart. 4) I will be (hopefully) embarking on a quest to find out how to start a podcast. Lots of other people do it, so why not me? I'm not sure what shape it will take, but I really want to try it out. If it works, it works; if not, oh well... 5) Graphical interludes! I have a mind to make this a bit more pleasing to the eye, so I'm going to try and make headers for the sections of this blog, when appropriate. I'm not the best at that stuff, but I can try, can't I?

Well, for now, I suppose that's all. I'll do my best to never abandon you all like that again. Look for another update soon!

I'll keep crankin' 'em out, if you keep readin' 'em! Ain't it the truth! Hell, even if I knew no one was reading these things, I'd keep doing this, if just to keep myself occupied for a little while on a cloudy Sunday afternoon. Beats doing anything important, like, say yard work (yuck!). Anyway, I guess you're all looking forward to this week's hour game session. Well, truth be told, I really did do a proper sit-down for this week. So, in lieu of that, I'll go through my impressions of the first bit of L.A. Noire. Sound good? Alright then, let's do this!

L.A. Noir

Other Happenings

Randy "Macho Man" Savage Passes

PSN Returns (kinda), the Masses Rejoice?

No More TV Service

The World Doesn't End

Hi gang! What's shakin'? I just wanted to put this out here this evening, since I'll be a little busy this weekend and unable to post on my usual day (that being Sunday). "Busy with what, Mr. Raditz?" you may ask. Why with a fairly important milestone, I suppose:

I Am Turning 30 Saturday!

Howdy y'all! A Happy Mother's Day to you and yours. I hope you all did something nice for your moms on this day. I had a nice lunch with my mommy, and we're going out to the movies later this week as my present to her. Hey, it's what she wanted! So, I guess you're eager to delve into my next entry in this series. Well, I can assure you, we'll be getting to that right... NOW!

Zack & Wiki: The Quest for Barbaros' Treasure

Uh oh, what's this? Looks like I didn't get any new games played for this blog in the past couple of weeks! Yikes. I won't bandy about excuses, but I will say I've been super busy and just didn't get around to sitting down with a good game and laying out it's first hour like I usually do with this. So, what have I been doing? Well, that's a whole 'nother story...

The Weeks in Review

PSN Implodes, World Still Intact

Pokémon Still Holds

The Summer Creeps Up

The Quest for SNES Games

The Move to a TV-less Household

That's All Folks