Guy In Rubber Suit

They did. The most obvious point to me is the breakdown portion of One, before the main solo. All Metallica is doing is chugging along the E string on 16th notes. There are no additional chords going on yet Activision added a couple of chords on expert just for the hell of it. In some songs, especially with Slipknot, they have really terrible two button chords that just piss me off. I have no intention of beating Dragonforce on any setting, besides I'd rather try to conquer it on real guitar, if I didn't have other songs I want to learn first, like Nevermore songs.

Wow this seems kind of pathetic for some of you guys, especially the teens. I'm 23 and I don't feel old at all. Not even when I play older games or if the younger kids don't get it. I do sometimes surprise myself when I remember when a console or game was released.

I'd like to see more screenshots. This game seems interesting and even though I'm not a Sonic fan I'll probably enjoy the Bioware touch. Oh and thank god random battles are not in there. Such a fucking wasteful archaic gameplay feature.

I probably meant them, referring to video games. My bad.

I've never lost my love of video games. Sure I've spent less time playing some because I've been busy and/or didn't have money to play but I was always there for them and always drooling over some game to come out. In fact I'd say that my love of video games grew since I got to college and I just become more excited about the. It could be the fact that I actually want to design them or be involved in the creation process some how that makes me excited for them. I'm personally into old school and new school games. I track down older games that look interesting and want to try, even if they are generally mediocre they tend to offer something new. Not a whole lot of innovation on the mainstream console front but the DS, PSP and independent PC gaming scene seem to be picking up on that slack somewhat. I dunno about you guys but it is pretty exciting to be a gamer now with so many options available to us.

At least all the scenes for the Joker have been filmed. I have no real feelings towards this other than surprise. Nope. Doesn't affect anything.

My screen name came to me when I was active in the early, early Minibosses message boards. I wanted a unique name and somehow I thought of Godzilla, which was some guy in a rubber suit and I suck with that. Later on, some people thought it was in reference to a body condom, or bondom as I like to call it. I've done some signatures and avatars based on my name. I also had a variation of this screen name which was Absolut Rubba. I got a little tired of Guy In Rubber Suit when I was on the Nintendojo forums that I wanted a change. Absolut Rubba was decided for me and I stuck with that for a while. I also went by skedar_grey for awhile when I was first playing Perfect Dark. I will not occasionally use metalhead_machete or jolly_metalhead, which a friend at work said I was. For video game names I usually use my real name, though I sometimes use Odovacar, a name I looked up which means "wealthy and vigilant" and I plan on using that for a character in an RPG series I came up with. Or if not that name then some Scandinavian name from the many bands I listen to from that region.

Why should we care what you think?

I was not a fan of the movie. Then again I do despise musicals outside of Simpsons, Futurama and South Park. I feel they serve absolutely not purpose other than to irritate. The art direction was decent but extremely typical of Burton, whom I find overrated, and I did enjoy some of the humor. Either way I movie that I will forget about and not bother picking up ever.

Reprinted editorial from EGM #225 The basic jist of this is that those three companies are pissed that EGM gave their games low scores and now they are effectively revoking coverage from the publication. Something similar to this has happened before like Acclaim pulling ads because of the low scoring NES game, Total Recall and Capcom doing the same when they didn't give Super Street Fighter II the stellar reviews that Capcom felt it deserved. Honestly I'm pissed and disappointed with these companies. It really makes game journalism seem illegitimate and this doesn't help in the light of 'Gertsmann-gate'. This also prevents the video game industry from being taken more seriously. If many magazines are getting paid off for reviews then it just cheapens the medium and really prevents it from being bigger than it should. I'm glad that EGM is sticking to their guns by being honest in their reviews despite how much game companies or even other people might hate it. The truth hurts and at the same time, not everyone's opinion is the same however it is good to be informed about any issues involved with the games. To the point I would like to propose a gamer wide ban on Midway, Sony Sports and Ubi Soft until they cut this childish act out and allow EGM to cover their games in a timely fashion. I'm going to sell off my Ubi Soft collection which includes Prince of Persia: Sands of Time unfortunately. I don't believe I have any Midway games but if I do I'll get rid of them and I've never bought any sports games, realistic ones anyway. I also plan on boycotting future releases from those companies and it really sucks because there are some good games coming from Ubi Soft, Splinter Cell: Conviction being one of them. If you're with me, great. I want the corruption of video game journalism and video game PR to stop. I want EGM or any publication or anyone for that matter to really blow the lid off of this. I want it to stop and I want to see honesty in reviews and previews, not ass kissing.

I'm not talking about the artwork. I'm referring to the animation, how much motion and emotion are present from the drawings. Most of what I've seen are just static heads with blinking eyes a mouth that just moves in and out and maybe some hair or a cape blowing in the wind. If it's an action sequence then it's just blurred fists and feet against a speed lined background. And I hate how some shows will completely change the art style on the fly for 'comedic' effect.

I really can't stand most anime. Cookie cutter storylines and characters with piss poor production values. It really disgraces the artform of animation in general. I do like some theatrical anime and very few TV shows like Cowboy Bebop and that's about it really.

If you like them definitely check out Unexpect. They're very experimental and avant garde with a violinist, female vocals and growling vocals. However they are more chaotic than Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Arsis This is technical melodic death metal at its best. Killer riffs, quality musicianship and really sick solos. Atheist A fantastic metal band that fuses thrash, death and jazz elements into a unique brand of music. Plenty of time changes and great riffing. Something that needs a couple of listens to properly digest. A little bit of a tidbit, the singer of the band apparently tried out for the position of Drowning Pool's vacant singer slot. Drunken Immortals Here is a rap group that I really love. They're a local band from Phoenix. Yes I do mean band as there are about seven members or so and instead of abusing sampled beats, they play original music underneath the rhymes. The lyrics for the most part are intelligent and politically and socially conscious.

I second Angra. My favorite power metal band. Larry Coryell This is for fans of melodic guitar jazz. This guy is freaking brilliant. I recommend picking up Spaces Revisited if you want to hear some incredible musicianship from the guitars, bass and drums. http://www.larrycoryell.net/page.php?2 (some music samples) Rodrigo Y Gabriela This guitar duo is absolutely astounding. They blend flamenco with rock elements all on acoustic guitars. Gabriela plays the guitar percussively while Rodrigo regularly provides the musical backup but neither is a slouch in playing.

Yeah but I bet you can't change the key or time signature or the genre of the piece can you? Yeah didn't think so!

Unexpect These Canadian metallers are just nuts. It's really difficult to pigeon hole them into a genre other than avant garde I guess. You should definitely download some songs from their website and give it a few lessons. It's very hard to digest this music. Kalmah Finnish melodic death metal, or power metal with harsh vocals as they're sometimes described. Really catchy riffs and melodies. http://youtube.com/watch?v=rqBexdo1CME Summoning Symphonic black metal that is heavily influenced by Tolkien. Their early stuff is synth heavy and reminds me of RPG music at times. http://youtube.com/watch?v=hUhEsuwp6g8 Agalloch Considered atmospheric dark folk metal or whatever. I really enjoy them. They're from Portland, Oregon. http://youtube.com/watch?v=z4ih3JVrRPE

I really didn't want nor expect much so I was quite surprised with the haul I got this year. Received: DVDs Planet Terror Death Proof The Pursuit of Happiness The Shawshank Redemption The Office (Complete British Series) The Office Season Two (US Series) Borat Futurama: Bender's Big Score Simpsons: The Movie It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Seasons 1 and 2 Letters From Iwo Jima Blade Runner deluxe set (the one in the briefcase, though I haven't received it yet, my brother says it's on its way) Video Games Contra 4 Front Mission Phoenix Wright Trials and Tribulations (I need the first two games now) Music Les Paul and Friends - American Made World Played Tool - Vicarious (music video DVD single) Misc Bender Bite My Glorious Golden Ass t-shirt Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss t-shirt a dark brown button up shirt Dr. Zoidberg action figure $50 And apparently I'm getting more on Saturday as my girlfriend is going to get paid soon and has more gifts for me. Fucking sweet.

There really isn't anything specific that I want for Christmas. I just gave my folks and girlfriend an Amazon wishlist that has DVDs, music and video games on there. Anything or nothing from there is fine. I already have my 360 with the games I want and I have a loving girlfriend. I guess the only thing I'd want is my own place. Preferably a house.

Probably your best bet would be some folk metal like Arkona, Borknagar (not entirely folk but it has traces of it), Hardingrock, Tuatha De Danann and some others. I'm not really familiar with the subgenre. But definitely check out some folk metal, there might be something there that you enjoy.

Again I guess my experience is pretty unique. It can get tough but for the most part I'm surrounded by awesome people who talk, joke around and enjoy hanging out afterwards. So far I haven't burnt out on video games and I've been there for about 9 months with 4 of those being constant 80 hour weeks of overtime. I don't play as much but that's also because I want to develop my other interests in animation and art and try to land a job in that field. It's a job that pays money, not much, but it's money and it's not flipping burgers. You don't have to deal with customers and there are opportunities to grow if you give yourself the chance. Oh and you do get to have your name in the credits.

That link is pure bullshit. Never, ever, EVER trust a website or any place for that matter where you have a job and you have to pay for something. The company should pay for everything you need to get started. I don't know much about game producer but good luck with that one.

Not true. I test for THQ, not in Augora like TheLeviathan but in Phoenix. The branch out here is brand new, started up in January of this year and most of everyone, outside of the test leads were contract testers and several now became official THQ testers or test leads. Sure the vast majority of us are still contract but there are opportunities. That's true for any video game development related job. The companies are very protective of their secrets and IP and don't want them to be leaked. Sure it sucks you can't really talk about it but it can be fun to add to the mystery, makes people more interested in it. Neither does any other job. Depending on the location you can find plenty of restaurants around the area. For us at least the company sometimes provides food depending on the situation like a celebration or as a treat for working so much bloody overtime. True, though it depends on the location. Rainbow Studios is located directly below us and sometimes they visit to check up on the game that we're testing for them. And sometimes guys from companies from out of state fly in to check up as well. They're not video game celebrities but you can sort of mingle with them. I doubt they'd be too pleased if you're trying to grovel at their feet to get a job. Again true, but that's because the game testing is usually sent off to the publisher who provides the testers. If a development company is big enough, they employ their own testers. I know that Volition has a testing group that's pretty big and I'm sure larger companies like BioWare also have their own. I don't know how much fast food employees get paid in your area but they're just above minimum wage. I get paid $9.50/hour and I'm guaranteed 40 hours a week plus over time if I so choose. It's not the greatest pay and it can be a bit to live off of especially if you're California or some other area with a high living standard. Besides I'd much rather work as a game tester than flip burgers because I can at least go to a game store and point out my name in the credits on a game that I tested. Again true but you're very cynical about this. It can easily be a stepping stone into other things. Hell a guy just recently got hired on as a programmer for security networks and the guy who hired him was also a tester of many years. Many game designers and other developers started off as testers. It might not be as common as before but it happens. I've gotten free games to the ones I've tested. And gotten more free games from the car pool incentive program that we have going on. Again this might because THQ is taking this seriously but it sounds like you had a pretty shit experience. Working here I've gained insight to how developers operate and I even have access to design documents which is fantastic to look through and gives you an idea what goes into a game. The hours can be long and it can be tedious. The games are extremely buggy but you're not there to play. You're there to test which is a different mindset than playing a game. At the same time, I've met plenty of wonderful people and I'm having a great time. Granted I don't want to do this forever but I definitely like this job and would gladly take this over a fast food job. Oh and about input into games, there is some but don't expect much. Most developers are not receptive however some will ask for input especially if the game is still in the early stages that they can make some changes.

I just made an Amazon wish list putting everything on my mind down and then sending it off to my parents, brother and girlfriend. They can get whatever or nothing, I really don't care, from that list. It mostly consists of DVDs, games and music though I also asked for a PSP. If I get that, great if not then I'll get it on my own.

I can't wait for this game to come out. One of the guys working on the game, who helped design the drum controller and is an actual drummer, said that if you can play the drums on expert you shouldn't have a problem picking up an actual drum set. Sure there's more to drums than that but at least you should keep a steady beat and do some simple fills here and there. Agree? Disagree? This game is seriously what I wanted Guitar Hero to become and I'm glad they're working on it and bringing it out. I can't wait for the album downloads, though I do hope for some more metal and hell even jazz would be nice.

This brings to mind simulated reality. Perhaps we are all just a creation of DJPretzel and we were created to keep him company and worship him. He must've felt lonely enough to plug us back in.