Thursday, October 13, 2011

Computer Applications for Business

So the past 7 weeks has been a ton of exciting and boring and frustrating and dull assignments in my Computer Applications for business class.  This class essentially breakdown the fundamentals of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel and really drills in concept complex and simple in nature.  I thought to myself at the beginning of this class that it would be "a breeze" and "how could i not know what was going on?"

I was wrong.  The beginning of this class was like the beginning of a rollercoaster.  Slow, agonizing even and not fun at all.  Then as the weeks flew by there was this steady incline of pressure.  Ideas flying past you as you reach the apex.  Finally last week happened.  I found myself struggling to get down all the aspects of Excel into this one assignment.  To be fair - I've honestly never used Excel before this class, Word and PowerPoint were at a point in time important to business and idea placement here and there. 

Excel kicked my ass.  Last week and not so much this week.  I won't let it get my lunch money again.  I write this blog post triumphantly and from standing on top of the bully I can clearly see that I haven't truly learned anything - yet. 

This is a quicky today and everyone should realize every once in a while that there is always something else to learn.  Also that anything worth doing is worth taking to time to do right 

Oh and there is this bit of excitement!!!!

Next time - Numbers and Gaming systems!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

So many topics....

One of the things I hadn't taken the time to think about is that I would be spending time thinking about what to write about.  Now that i just re-read that sentence 8 times.  Topics seem to be easy and difficult to come across.  From something like your Birthday and recent happenings to very social and professional aspects of life.  I could just talk about this weeks new releases or my thoughts on Space Marine.  I could even talk about the Old Republic and it's mishap.  There is almost too much to talk about.

While all these things are relevant in the last week or so it's all about priorities.  From what I play first to what is even worth my time.  Time is money and there always seems to be a shortage in the gaming industry this time of year.  Sadly video games are not truly treated as a form of entertainment but are subject to the whims of the average toy.  Cramming it all into a small period and hoping for the best when the holiday shoppers come out with large amounts of capital to spend.  The truly frustrating part of this is that even if we take out some of the big releases that we still find ourselves overwhelmed with AAA games.

Here's what I have a problem understanding.  You're telling me that is Call of Duty was released in February that it wouldn't still be a world wide entertainment juggernaut?  Would Battlefield be any less in demand if it was released in August? There is little reason to lump huge titles so close to each other like this.  It seems like the industry is interested in gaining new people and keeping them interested but how can we do that when within weeks a purchase could be null and void by the new item on the market? 

So many people this week had to make a conscious choice of to get either Dark Souls or Rage - not both.    No one who lives an ordinary life has that kind of money and time to invest in getting both.  This isn't an isolated incident either.  Over the next 8 weeks so many people who might've purchased a whole slew of games will only choose a few based on money and time and so many of these titles will be pushed off till post holiday season purchase (when they should come out).

I understand that most companies in the entertainment industry as a whole make most of their money in the holiday season but gaming has grown beyond this and the industry has to make steps not to cannibalize is own business by etching out each other.  Competition is always good - but not when it hurts the sum of what could be.