Video Games Causes Violence (Against Video Games)

Damn You Blogging Gods!!!

It's true.  Says so in the blogging codex.

Hey there.  I've been away for a bit.  I've been extremely busy getting our home move in ready.  Oh, I didn't tell you guys?!  We're moving!  I've been working feverishly to get all kinds of projects done before we move in full time.  But I degress... that's for another blog post.  I spent the last 2 hours working on a blog post.  I filled you in as to what was going on and one of my awesome Super Mario themed ideas that I was going to start working on.  And then... the blogging gods decided that my blog post was too damn good to share with the world and decided to devour it.  NOOOOOOOO!!!!  2 hours of work, gone.  Vanished.  Disappeared.  Even though there is an auto save feature in Blogger, for whatever reason, my post simply disappeared.

Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset Giveaway

Sweet!  Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Giveaway!

Hey there.  The first giveaway of the year is now live, friends!  I wanted to giveaway a headset to start the year but I noticed that many headsets are console specific.  You either need an Xbox 360 headset or a PS3 headset.  Turns out some of those headset are not compatible with the PS4 or the Xbox One.  What does that mean?  It means you can easily end up with several headsets just for your gaming consoles.  Well what if I told you there is gaming headset that is compatible with your gaming console AS WELL as your MP3 player, PC, and Mac computers?  Awesome right?!  Guess what... I found one!  The Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 is a universal gaming headset that works with practically anything... and I'm giving one away to one of you fine readers!

Win a Video Game of Your Choice via Dragonblogger September Video Game Giveaway

Click on the banner to check out the official DB post!

Hey there!  My good friend Justin, over at Dragonblogger.com, is hosting a video game giveaway and guess who's a cosponsor?! That's right, this guy!  The cool thing about the Dragonblogger giveaway is that there is no set game to win.  You get to pick the game!  That's right, as long as the retail price is under $60, you can chose ANY game for any gaming platform or console.  That's pretty damn awesome, right?!  You can pick any game that is already out or will be released by the end of the giveaway.  Most talked about games are out now and others will be available soon.  Raymand Legends, Madden 25, Saints Row IV, Lost Planet 3, Grand Theft Auto V.  If it's out by the end of October, it's up for grabs!  Not a bad deal if you ask me.  Now on to some giveaway details.

What I'm Playing... Bioshock Infinite Clash in the Clouds

Hey there. I haven't had one of these posts in a while. Sorry. I've been so caught up in so many things that some things slip my mind and before I know it, the week's over. Anyways, ever since the latest DLC for Bioshock Infinite was released, I've been playing Clash in the Clouds non stop. For those of you that are not familiar with the DLC, it's similar to a battle arena where Booker and Elizabeth take on several enemies at once. It may not sound like much at first, but it's the challenge behind the Blue Ribbon challenges that have really captivated me. Sure, I can get through the 60 waves of enemies without a hitch, if I just run and blast my way through enemies. But that's not the point of Clash in the Clouds. The Blue Ribbon challenges is where it's at! Challenges like, "Defeat each enemy with a different vigor." Not bad, right? Oh... but your enemies are 2 HandyMans and a Motorized Patriot. Yeah, good luck. lol  Also, I love that some of the Blue Ribbon challenges are creative too. "Defeat a Handyman while he's charging the sky lines." "Defeat the Siren before she raises the dead." I simply live for a challenge and right now I'm enthralled into this fight and giving it my all.

OUYAAAAAA!

LMAO!!!  I couldn't help but laugh at this one.

Summer Video Game Giveaway via Dragonblogger.com

Click on the banner to check out the official DB post!

Hey there!  My good friend Justin, over at Dragonblogger.com, is hosting a video game giveaway!  The cool thing about the Dragonblogger giveaway is that there is no set game to win.  You get to pick the game!  That's right, as long as the retail price is under $60, you can chose ANY game for any gaming platform or console.  That's pretty damn awesome, right?!  You can pick anything from the recently released The Last of Us or if you have your eye on a game that is releasing in August, you can pick that too! Also, if you decide that you want Minecraft for the Xbox 360, Justin will throw in a second copy of the game, FREE!  That way you can gift one to a buddy.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.  Now on to some giveaway details.

Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Black Ops II KILO Limited Edition Gaming Headset Giveaway

Hey there.  Who needs a gaming headset?  I asked the fans on Facebook if they would prefer a game or another headset for this giveaway and the headset won by a landslide.  So I've decided to give away a Turtle Beach Call of Duty Kilo II Gaming Headset!  I personally use this headset and I love the damn thing.  The sound is so crisp and clear and the headset is pretty comfortable to wear.  Here is a brief description:

Turtle Beach Ear Force X12 Gaming Headset Giveaway

Hey there.  Time for another giveaway!  I figured that some of your are probably still using the stock Xbox 360 head sets or simply don't have a gaming headset for your gaming needs.  No worries, friends.  I got you guys covered.  I've been focusing on giving away games and movies that I forgot that people like other stuff too.  That's the main reason why I'm moving to gaming books and other gaming related items.  Anytways, now for the giveaway.  This one is for the gamer that need a headset!  This time around, I'm giving away a Turtle Beach Ear Force X12 Gaming Headset!  How awesome is that?! Here are the details on the X12s:

Thoughts On... the Xbox One

Introducing... the Xbox One!

Hey there.  It's here!  The big unveiling of the next gen Xbox console.  It's not Xbox Durango, it's not Xbox Infinity.  It's Xbox One!  I'm sure many of you reading this have already checked some, if not all of the 2 hour presentation earlier today.  I'm not going to get into the specifics.  There are plenty of websites with people way smarter than me that will break down the Xbox One specs for you.  I'm an average Joe that loves games.  I have some curiosities about the Xbox One and I have a few thoughts that came to mind while checking out the presentation.  So here are my thoughts on the Xbox One reveal.

Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition Winner

Congrats, Christina!

Hey there.  Check out this awesome picture that I recently received from the Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition winner, Christina!  She can't wait til she gets to pop this baby into her Xbox 360 and get started on exploring the dystopian world of Rapture!  But it looks like her son jumped in and snatched it away from mom so it's looks like our winner, Christina will have to wait until he goes to bed!!!  lol

What I'm Playing... Magnetic by Nature

Hey there.  I know I haven't posted a What I'm Playing post in quite awhile.  To be quite honest, I've been stuck playing Bioshock Infinite (read my thoughts on the game here) for the past couple of weeks and I don't see myself stopping until I earn most of the achievements!  lol  I've gotten through the game, but I've spent quite a bit of time I'm battlimg my way through 1999 mode.  Anyways, in between my bouts with the HandyMan and Sirens, I'll jump on the Xbox Live Marketplace and play an indie game or two.  The most recent one I've gotten?  Magnetic by Nature.

Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising Released on Xbox Live Indie by the Students at the University of Utah's Entertainment Arts and Engineering Program

Hey there.  Have you guys had a chance to check out Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising on the Xbox 360?  It's currently available on the XBLIG marketplace and our good friends at Stunt Bear Games have provided me a code for their awesome game and I will be giving in depth review once I've had a chance to play the game.  But in the mean time, I do want to share their story and some of their game!

Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising is the senior project game of the student development team Stunt Bear Studios at the University of Utah's Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) Program.  Let that sink in for a minute.  Students at the University of Utah submitted an indie game as their senior project!  How freakin' awesome is that?!  Anyways, Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising is a Mirror's Edge type game that will feature YOUR avatar.  The game will time you as your avatar performs parkour type action and I for one can't wait to see my avatar jump, flip, and ninja my way through this promising 3D platformer.

Thoughts On... Bioshock Infinite

Hey there.  I am finally getting around to posting my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.  After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, finally we got to play the game.  The game is beautiful.  The game is awesome.  The game lived up to MY expectations.  I purchased the Songbird Edition of the game and when the kids saw it, they asked that they get to watch me play the game.  lol  My older two kids (14 and 11) have seen me play through Bioshock 1 and 2 and they wanted to know how the next installment would play out.  I promised them they could, but it proved costly on my end.  There were many nights where I itched to play but couldn't because the kids were asleep. lol  Anyways, after finishing the game, I knew I had to give some insights, but before I do, be warned!  THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS POST!  If you have not finished the game and plan to, do not read below!  Go and finish and then come back.  Trust me, you'll get more insight from this post AFTER finishing the game.  Also, keep in mind that this is NOT a review.  This post is simply my thoughts on the game.  I did write a review for Dragonblogger.com and you can check that review out here.  Now, my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.

Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition OR Bioshock Infinite Art Book Giveaway

Hey there.  It's time for another giveaway!  But this is one is going to be a little different the others I've had.  I've been in Bioshock mode for the past few weeks.  I've been playing Bioshock Inifinte and it's been one hell of a ride!  I promised the kids that they can watch me play, since they've seen me play the first two Bioshock games and have an interest in the Bioshock series.  Last night, I finally got through the game and it brought a smile that my 14 and 11 year old were discussing the possible meaning of the ending.  Anyways, I decided that this giveaway will be Bioshock related and I've come across 2 prizes that should make anyone who loves the Bioshock series happy.  The prizes up for grabs are the Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition OR The Art of Bioshock Infinite Hardcover Book!  The winner will get to decide which on the prizes they would like!

Press Start Issue #1 March 2013

Looking for video game reviews you say? Well you've come to the right place! Welcome to Press Start. A monthly video game review/preview show by yours truly Brian Alford and my co-host Luke Bayliss. Each month we will be reviewing the games that have come out the month before as well as discussing some of the games that are coming up this month.

I'm sure many of you are scratching your heads wondering why I have decided to call these episodes "Issues" Well I figured that this is a podcast version of a video game magazine so I am going to call each monthly episode an "Issue"

Get a Life Podcast Ep. 9 - The One with Pester and Flump Studios

Hey there.  Ready for another episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  Awesome!  What?  Too soon?  But this one has a special guest!  Our guest, Paul Marrable, one half of Flump Studios, joins Brian and I on our podcast to discuss Flump Studios latest game, Pester.  The guys at Flump Studio were awesome enough to provide us with a copy of the game, Pester, to try out.  You can read my thoughts on the game here.  Also, make sure you stop by their Facebook page to keep up to date with all things Flump Studios!

As a bonus, this podcast also has a giveaway!  Listen all the way to the end to hear the giveaway question and then enter the giveaway using the PunchTab widget below!  I also want to mention that we lost connection with Paul for roughly 10 seconds around the 9 min mark.  Small technical difficulties and a small hiccup in our show!  Sorry about that, guys!  Later!

Get a Life Podcast Ep. 8 - The One with Video Game History (February) and Console Issues

Hey there.  Ready for another episode of the Get a Life Podcast?  Awesome!  In this episode, Brian and I touch base on the history of video games for the month of February and chat about well known console issues (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo).

We also touch base on Flump Studios, our guest for next week's show!  This up and coming indie game developer will join us on next week's show and will discuss their latest game on the Xbox Live Indie Game Marketplace, Pester.  If you are interested in knowing more on Pester, check out my thoughts on the game here and come back next week to hear the guys behind Pester chat with Brian and I.

Dead Space 3 Giveaway

Hey there.  Who's ready for another giveaway?!?!  I know I am.  I had a few weeks of down time where I didn't post a giveaway.  So... to make up for it, I've decided that the next giveaway will be...  DEAD SPACE 3!  Yup, the one that was just released yesterday!  How awesome is that!

Thoughts on... Pester (XBLA Game) by Flump Studios

Hey there.  Our good friends over at Flump Studios are at it again and have released another GREAT XBLA game!  Super Killer Hornet (SKH) was pretty cool and now they have released Pester, another great shooter that takes me back to the days of Gradius and Galaga.  Pester is currently available at the Xbox Live Marketplace for a mere 80 MS!  Before we get into the game itself, I want to give a little info on Flump Studios.  Flump Studios is an up and coming small indie game developer and they are based in the UK.  They have been working on games for about a year now and have developed a few mobile games before their SKH release on Xbox Live Arcade. Pester is their second game into the marketplace and I believe they are already working on thier next title.  I respect all game developers but it's something about the indie titles that I feel more drawn too.  I feel as if they are living their dream and it's pretty cool to see thier hard work finally pay off.  That's a big reason why I enjoyed Indie Game: The Movie... but that's for another post.  Now... my thoughts on....  Pester!