The End of the Year - a look back at what has come to pass

So this is it - We have made it through 2010.  Needless to say it was a bumpy ride and it had plenty of ups and downs.  A lot of people i know are focused on the idea that the new year also brings a new you via New Years Resolutions and promises to oneself to either be better then the previous year or to change habits and create anew.  While I am inclined to agree with the betterment of oneself I think that we should all take the time and take a look back at what we REALLY did past year.  Not in pop culture, not in politics, not even in the news - there will be time for that later.  But right now you should reflect upon the person you were and the things you accomplished in 2010. 

I started this blog earlier this year, with full intention of using it to express the things i have learned in my journey to become a more active part of the gaming industry through creating my own.  Not modding, not fiddling - I want to understand the business and make my own news.  So to relate this sentiment to this particular article I find that I have an easier time remembering the events in my 2010 through my achievements on  my Xbox 360.  Funny enough from the biggest and most epic tales from the apocalypse to space , my achievements have gained something that i never would've thought they would have - sentimental value.

Enough of that though on to a list!
This year I
-Finish 12 games on my 360, 1 on my PSP, 3 on my DS.
-Made the decision to attend online classes and further my education and one day become a Game Designer!
-Watched my girlfriend, Mina graduation from college.
-Helped her move from Boston to my house here on Long Island making my relationship all the stronger.
-Created some of the coolest and most entertaining Midnight Launches for my store.  A big thanks goes out to local bands -  Aprils End, 5 Star Heroes, and High Bluff!
-Learned how to outwardly market myself and my goals as conference really taught me what kind of business I was really getting into. It was awesome to meet and greet with some of the leaders in the industry.
-Had gotten my phone stolen, and so did my girlfriend, not a great year for that.  However that lead me into an early upgrade and an Iphone4 and of course a whole slew of new games and content to oogle over.
-Was also part of  getting one of the most unexpected presents ever.  A Washer and a Dryer. That may be a common household appliance but me and Mina have gone without for a long time and now we have a set.  I seriously do not have words for the gratefulness and appreciation I have towards Mina's parents.  Its different in a good way to have another family.
-Started this blog which has been heavily neglected in December.  Sorry till I stop working retail December is going to suck.
-Restarted DnD and have been the serving dungeon master for my group of players.  Bless them for their patience as I juggle work, school and family.


While those are the seeming "achievements" for my personal life this year there is plenty to look back on that was not so pleasant.  I think we all need to remember what we have and what we lost, in a personal manner and let bygones be bygones.  At this point it it truly time to look ahead and to create for ourselves what we want and who we want to be.  No matter how you perceive it - Tomorrow is a new day!

Satori moments and what they really mean

No - This is not a Japanese inspired post.  It's about the word and seemingly what it has replaced in my perception as of late.  So for those of us who are lazy : Satori.  Take a sec to go check this out - seriously I'll wait.


I had never heard this word before until several weeks ago in my Logic and Design weekly lecture.  Now the lectures are there to help maintain a human and explanation apart of the learning process, it is also extremely helpful to people who don't actually mind listening and learning as a process.  So satori is a moment of enlightenment and has very similar meaning to epiphany.  My professor giving the lectures refers to these moments a lot and also seems to put multiple explanations to it. 

A-HA! 

I seem to think that not only does Satori seem now like a bit more odd and unique for explaining this moment but it also serves as a conversation piece.  Hence here we are.  How many times have you ever heard this word?

In summary satori is a fancy way of saying A-HA and also a way to keep conversation grooving along.  Hope this either entertained you or satori-ed you. 

Week 3

So here we are again.  I'm in week 3 of my logic and design class and it mainly discusses how programming works.  So I've learned about binary, psuedocode, modules, boolean logic and rational and logical operators.  Three weeks ago this would have been mainly gibberish.... but now i feel mainly empowered to continually learn about how a good part of our society works.  Well how the computers and phones we spend so much of our time on.


So this new information combined with the things i learned in my game and programming simulation class makes me appreciate how gaming as a whole comes together.  How art and programming are married in many aspects with the entirety hinging on the user interface.  With out any programming being intuitive enough to use the program itself is not even worth building. 

On the note of building - alot of what i've been learning has been been likened to architecture and how its also a combination of art and science.  Exact measurements and a natural flow that you can't really find anywhere except gaming.

So what i really want to tell everyone is how positively beautiful and frustrating this can really be sometimes - thinking bout programming and how I can make it come together to make something entertaining and great.

Welcome!

So for my first blog post I'm gonna go into a little depth about what you can expect here.  To start you can expect my opinion - on lots of things.  From cookies and ninja's (both of which are awesome) to hectic days and insurance companies ( both of which are NOT awesome).  Mainly though you will find here a dabbling in video game reviews and opinions on things both in the world and in my life. However the main course here is the events, trials and tribulations on what it takes to accomplish the feat of becoming a game designer!  To some of you this may be the end of a short journey but to the rest -

Welcome! (to the longer journey...)

Now I'll probably be posting around once a week and more if the mood strikes me or if i truly have something to say.  For now - it's 2:20am and i still need to shower.