So my sketch turned into a zombie drinking brain coffee

The difference between cold and hipster is a matter of inches

Cold:

Hipster:

Beau

Video

Jan 24, 2012

Still one of my favorite little pieces of Ryzom machinima

This is VERY rough, barely edited and I had to switch out all of the music for generic stuff when YouTube made me, but it still shows how fun the Ryzom Ring can be when used for machinima. Old, but fun.

Jan 24, 2012

Beau Hindman’s website re-do

I’m working on rearranging this site a bit, since I have no plans of letting the years and years of stuff go. I will be updating on it more, now that my Massively schedule is smoothed out and in order! Feel free to check back as I remake this site.

Beau

Oct 14, 2011

4 Comments

My rearranged 24 hours of Gamin’ List of Order

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First, see this post that explains my 24 hours of gaming (the why and what-nots.) Now that you have read it, here is my arranged schedule with times:

Oct 5, 2011

My charity 24 hours of gaming game list

Here is the list of games that I will be playing for 24 hours straight, for charity on October 15th. (Starts at 8 AM Central Time, USA.) In case you didn’t know, Extra Life started this marathon to raise money for Children’ Miracle network years ago. This will be our 4th year to participate. If you would like to donate, please please do! Anyway, instead of trying to cram in 24 games like I do every year, I decided to do fewer games so I can have the freedom to play more of what I want. It’s important to note that I will be playing games that are generally easy to stream. I will be streaming the desktop the entire time, for one massive unbroken stream. (No jokes please.) Here is the main list I will go for: (in no particular order for now.)

Sep 16, 2011

Why Lucas is perfectly right in re-doing any of his films

Yay.

Another release of yet another version of the Star Wars movies. Weee. I get to read non-stop complaints from fans who bought the thing as soon as possible, then decided that they hated it. Of course they forget to mention that this has happened 18,000 times in the past and each time they went out and did the same thing. They get mad at Lucas, say he’s ruining their childhood memories or “Why can’t he just leave them alone?” The more important question here is: why can’t those people just stop buying his shit? Yeh, yeh…I know…there are new, deleted or not-yet-seen scenes in these versions! If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see some grainy footage of Han Solo flubbing a line and everyone giggles. Weee. The greatest thing is that they will be in perfectly crystal clear BluRAY! WHOA! Finally all of the poor sufferers who had to sit through anything less than super-duper HD will have a day to sit down and finally enjoy these movies. All of the 1,078 times they saw them before won’t count…they weren’t in fucking BLURAY. (wait, is it blue ray? Blue-ray? Whatever.)

Sep 8, 2011

My hunt for the toys of my youth

eBay really is evil. Not only can you actually make some money selling off your old shit, but you can take a walk down memory lane and possibly buy those memories back. Well, as a near 40 year old man, you might expect that my memory is going a bit. No, not because of my age but because my head is now filled up with so many details that I simply cannot remember it all. Oh, it’s IN THERE alright, as I have read all memories are… but it just takes the right image or sound or smell to bring em out.

Well, I was trying to remember all of the toys from my youth. I want to buy ‘em back, except for the stupid ones like GI JOE. Anyway, here is a quick list. I am searching eBay, but if you have any information about them, let me know where I might score them. Thanks!

Aug 29, 2011

Magic champ dissed, card-carrying nerds react

Quick! You there! Read this blog thingy over at Gizmodo.

There…done? OK, cool. You got the gist of it. Basically a lady who interns at the site wrote this tiny lil piece about how she went on a date with a Magic: The Gathering world champ. Woo hee, big deal, right? Well, no…it seems as though you cannot have an opinion against such nerdy things. People have called her names on Twitter, others saying she was not as date-worthy. Of course, many of those comments came from chubby dudes on Twitter. In real life they would be down with it just fine. She goes on to say how she gave him “strikes” for continuing to play Magic…she asked more about it on the second date (see? she did give him a second chance.)

Aug 28, 2011

A quick note about SWTOR’s lack of gay possibilities (UPDATED)

Before I say anything, watch this video at 2:49…

Aug 16, 2011

Roleplaying the MMORPG columnist

When people ask me what I do for a living, I beam and tell them “I write about games.” It usually takes a bit of explaining, but to be honest it feels good to tell someone that I get to stay at home and play games all day. Of course that’s not all there is to it, and I’m not exactly a millionaire because of it…but the point is that I even feel as though I am bragging about it much of the time. Of course, the person on the other end of the conversation probably does not give a poo about what I do for a living, but I enjoy it enough that it feels like it should be bragged about or said with pride. I mean, it’s not as though I need their approval or want to act like some sort of bigshot (mainly because me or the job are both nothing like that) but I just enjoy telling people about why I like the job and the industry.

Aug 7, 2011

A quick review of the train wreck that was The Raid

I’ll let you watch the horrid documentary The Raid yourself. It will be available for free soon. Me and Leala discussed this movie as far back as last year (if not further) and we knew then what was possibly going to happen. We knew that if the one dude who was making this movie was busily asking for thousands of dollars just to make a PREVIEW version of the movie that it was already well into the lands of douchebaggery.

Aug 3, 2011

The site is slowly coming together…

…I love finding all my old art, music and other things and getting em uploaded to this website. As you can see, more options appear up top. I am slowly adding old songs, writings and artwork where they need to go, so check back if you are interested. Honestly, I am doing this for myself, to have one central location to have my entire life digitized, updated and published. It’s a good feeling to have all of it together (or getting there) and I can even download it all as one massive file to save forever and ever.

Neat!

Beau

Jul 25, 2011

1 Comment

Why we shouldn’t be surprised when geeks act like clueless dorks

Another Comic-Con come and gone. As usual, I was (not really) surprised to hear how many news items and stories from the event had absolutely nothing to do with comics. I get it, I do.. Comic-Con is about geek “culture.” The geek “culture” is about ingesting content. I understand that now Hollywood or the “mainstream” or whatever you want to call it has known about the buying power of older, former nerds and dweebs. Even though I never considered myself a “geek” as a kid, and certainly was never picked on (I spent a lot of time drawing and ditching class, something I regret to this day) I am attracted to art, science fiction, fantasy…you know, geeky things. Still, I get that TV shows like “Sons of Anarchy” are now featured at what is supposed to be the place for “uncool” people. “Geek” is hipper than anything.

Jul 24, 2011

How to survive being a stay-at-home-writer/fur-dad/gamer

Entertainment Weekly recently posted a little blurb about surviving a press tour, written by Tom Hanks. That guy is always busy so I read it with interest. Funny enough, I have traveled enough in my life to sort of hear where he was coming from. Granted, I never had as much demand on my time as that guy does, but it was interesting to read some of his thoughts and to find myself going “Hmmm, that’s true!” I used to travel a good amount with a band, and now I travel at least a few times a year to cover games. I am sure that the number of trips I take will only go up. Also, I stay at home all the time. Sure, I get out of the house, but generally I leave only to go to the store or to visit somewhere for dinner, etc. In other words, covering games for a living can turn you into that weird homebody on the block.

So, over the last year and almost a half that I have been covering games professionally (for the 3 years before I wrote on this site and others, but volunteered or barely got paid) I have learned a thing or two about how to do it without going insane. Also, I learned recently that I have Ulcerative Colitis…a disease of the colon. Yes, the colon. I’m not at all shy about talking about it…why would I be? Essentially my immune system is attacking my colon, and if I do not keep it in check it can cause pain, problems with going to the bathroom, blah blah…you get the picture. Fortunately, I have almost no issues, and I’ll show you in the following rules how staying at home has helped with the condition. I know people who have it and either have a much worse case than me or are so stressed about it that it makes them sicker. The truth is that my healthier living — even with UC — has put me at less risk than people who eat crappy diets everyday. I know people who don’t have the disease and have more issues in the bathroom than I ever have! Anyway, here are some rules for staying at home while remaining a useful member of society:

1) Exercise: This is the most important thing in my life. If you are going to stay at home for ANY reason, you better damn well take care of yourself. Let me put this as simply as possible: humans are not designed for sitting behind a desk ALL DAY. It’s ridiculous. We MUST move. Also, stress is relieved during exercise, and it can be a great mood lifter. Then…I discovered YOGA. Yoga is incredible for a number of reasons. First, though, let me tell you that it is by no means some kind of nutty, religious hippy thing. (Unless you want it to be.) Yoga is simply stretching and moving your body. This means that it actually effects different areas of your brain. You know how good it feels to stretch in the morning? That’s how yoga feels. Yoga is relief, not something you dread like regular exercise. I can now perform yoga moves that I couldn’t even weeks ago. This has made me more limber and able to take more abuse. I walked around E3 without eating or even drinking much, and felt amazing the entire time, thanks to yoga. Exercise is a must if you are staying home. Of course, eating healthy is a part of that (and drinking TONS of water) and since you have time to cook, DO IT. Stop eating that shit they call food at a fast food place. Cook, make something fresh.

2) Schedule everything: Walk your dogs at the same time. Eat at the same time. Do the same things. The stronger your schedule, the easier it will be if you have to flex on it. My dogs are calm and lovely because, even if we miss a day of walking or something gets off, they know that it will return again. Their clocks match mine. We get up at the same time, eat at the same time. Also, give yourself room in your schedule. Just pretend that your item is due two days earlier than it is, and always stick to that. You’ll have breathing room.

3) Be good with money: Again, since you have the time to dedicate to book keeping, DO IT. Keep a calendar of the bills. Make sure everything is paid. That alone will left so much stress from you that you will be able to work better.

4) Maintain some sort of social connection: I hate to sound like I am whining, but spending so much time alone (well, with dogs too) can make you feel a little lonely and even a little depressed. I rarely have any sort of depression, but when I do it helps so much to talk to someone about it. Sometimes, it feels good to even just chat with someone in a game or on Twitter. When I was younger and drew more than I do now, I would draw very intense, almost scary drawings in class. The kids would just watch me draw…in hindsight, it was really very flattering. I would feel great after I drew those pics, my teen angst on the page and no longer in my skull. Social connections are very important when you work at home, so try to keep them, even if mildly. If it gets to be too much for you, look at getting another small job at a local store or cafe — you’d be surprised how much just getting out of the house feels good.

5) Take it easy on the caffeine: Yeh, yeh I know…every morning I get up and check my Twitter or other social site and see screams from people who need to wake up. Coffee! they yell, even though they know full well that coffee’s effects will only last a little while, more than likely give you poo problems, and can be bad for the stomach. Granted, I love coffee. I do. But I also haven’t had a cup of it for…Hell, I can’t remember. Do yourself a favor, maintain a schedule and get a good amount of sleep and you won’t need the coffee. Try a lightly caffeinated tea instead, or foods with a little kick to them. If you get so used to drinking so much coffee, you will not be at your best when you’re stuck at a hotel with none and need to get something written that day.

I know there are a lot more that I can think of, so I will add them to this list as I do. If you have any tips, leave em in the comments. I have found that staying at home to work is not only a blast, but a privilege. The last thing I want to do is to burn out, become unhealthy or turn into a social idiot.

Good luck. You’re going to need it!

Beau

Jul 11, 2011

Facebook games keep on chuggin’

“Facebook” gaming, or social gaming, has come a log way. Sure, you’re still going to see the same old games and design for a while, but you can already see the evolution of the next generation. With a game like Empires and Allies, giant developer Zynga is trying out yet another variation on their standard and most popular design. I love watching the evolution of the genre, simply because it represents designers thinking (some would say scheming) of new ways to get you to play their games and, of course, pay them money. I play casual games casually, so I rarely if ever spend a dime. I think over the past two years I have spent a total of 10 dollars in Facebook cash, and even then it was more-than-likely for some silly puff item.

There still seems to be this odd reaction to Facebook or social — or casual of course — gaming…some people tend to think of it as the “dumbing down” of the playerbase. I find that well beyond silly, for a few reasons.

1) No one person would have access to numbers that would tell you that much information. Who knows who is playing what? Each individual developer might know, but each one of those developers is reacting to probably some limited information about the others

2) Since no one knows this specific information, then how do we know that the MASSIVE number of players for social games are not actually just brand new gamers…people who have never played a game in their life, much less a more complicated MMO or FPS

3) This all means that there are more people who are OK with gaming, whatever the type. This means that games are more accepted, making more money, and trying more new things than ever before

Social gaming is wonderful. If you don’t think so, try some of the Big Fish games or other “casual” market games that ask the player to basically sit back and work their way through a story using puzzles or riddles. They are a relaxing distraction and, frankly, a welcome break from the near-nonstop “drama” coming from the MMO world. Facebook gaming is making the money it has been because it is good, not because it is bad. Or, at the very least, because people are enjoying themselves. There is a reason that “Paying Your Taxes World” is not the most popular title in the world: boring stuff does not do well. People want to relax and enjoy themselves, and no amount of gritching and griping about how “evil” Facebook gaming can change the fact that many, many people love it and have a good time with it. I am one of them.

Yes, I know about the traps and tricks of the social industry. If you think that all of those hundreds of millions of players are that gullible and stupid to fall for such tricks (while you are the only human being who is smart enough to see through it all) then you need to reconsider just how silly the entire industry is. Paying 15 dollars a month for a game that is not guaranteed to give you any new content is no smarter than playing the Hell out of Farmville….trust me.

Beau

Articles, Vanguard

Jul 10, 2011

5 Comments

A quick thought about Vanguard’s “update” announcement

If you did not see it yet, Massively’s lovely and talented Karen Bryan met with a bit o’ SOE and got this crumb of info from them. Essentially, they say that there is some stuff in the works, and that they are still meeting about it, etc etc. We’ve heard it before. Hell, we’ve all heard it before, no matter what game we play. It seemed alarming simply because Vanguard does not receive a lick of updates — at least not for a year or so. No big deal, the game is still amazing and fantastic.

So, I wanted to fire off a few of my ideas as to how it might go down and how I wish it would go down.

First, I don’t think anything major is planned. There will be no new content, and the few updates, if any, will consist of primarily bug fixes. That’s not a bad thing, at all, but it should be noted that this is no expansion announcement. At least I don’t think so.

Second, hopefully the dev team (if there is one, no matter how tiny) will not concentrate on putting their last man-hours into crafting yet another raid or high-level piece of content. That would seriously depress me. Yes, yes, I know…raiders put a lot of time into the game and pay their sub. We should be sure to point out that they spend a lot of their time in game in one dungeon, with one group of people. Night after night. While there is nothing at all wrong with this style of play as long as they enjoy themselves, that doesn’t exactly foster community growth. Also, we all know that they would figure out the Mario-like secret of the bosses and have the raid on farm within about 3 months. Then, they’re right back on the forums complaining and asking for the next patch. Please — fix the bugs in the raids if you want — but no more new raid content.

Third, we all know that the game is not due for any major content probably ever. Well, let me rephrase that — we all think that it is not due for any major content. We Vanguard players have enjoyed the game for years without seeing large content releases, so that’s fine. The game still has tons of things to do and see. Also, the simple fact that an MMO connects players in a real-time, open world means that essentially content is endless. Socializing is content…roleplaying is content. Travel, exploring..all content. So, despite the fact that the game is probably not due (again, I am guessing) for any major patch does not mean it is dead. That’s something a linear-minded player will tell you.

Last, here’s what I would love to see in a patch. If it’s going to be probably the last patch the game will see, here’s how it should roll:

1) Fix as many bugs as possible. This is the number one priority. Clean up the edges, sweep the dust and tidy it up. Polish a bit. for God’s sake bring back the rain effects!

2) Add in a few smaller systems, like the fishing system, that give players of all levels something to do besides kill stuff. Killing stuff becomes old, fast. That’s why players resort to measuring their DPS — killing over and over is boring. Add in an ability in boats to carry goods. Make those goods regional only…trade routes open up as in Wurm Online. Add rentable inn-rooms — non-instanced (as in all housing in Vanguard. There are a lot of inns around, they could do it) for players who do not want to build a home. For the effort of adding one new raid, they could build a handful of smaller systems.

3) Increase the exposure of the Live Gamer shop. For those who don’t know, Vanguard’s characters and goods can be bought on Live Gamer for real money. Push this to more players, and more will participate, driving prices down. Sure, a lot of players do not like it, but it’s there already. It might attract new players who are fine with paying for characters and gold…and we can always use new players. Don’t listen to the snobs who say that someone who buys a character or gold (legitimately) are somehow lazy or less players. People who say that about people who frequent cash-shops are snobby and need to go. It’s here, in our games. Deal with it.

I hope something happens with the game, but in the end I truthfully feel that it is fine the way it is. Keep the lights on, SOE, and maybe polish it up some more. Re-do the website. Hell, if I had my way you’d make it free-to-play with a real cash-shop on top, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Either way, I’ll still be enjoying the game. It’s there, it’s playable, and it’s epic.

Beau

Jun 17, 2011

I just killed a lot of monsters in Dragon Nest, oops.

Dragon Nest is pure action bliss. Where Vindictus is harsher and physics-based, Dragon Nest is just rip-roaring fun. So, here’s what I did a few minutes ago (click for larger images.)

I ran to get a quest, then killed shit hardcore.

Now leave me alone, I need to go kill stuff.

Beau

Jun 14, 2011

What I learned from the E3 culture

This is a simple one. What DID I learn during and after E3? Well, some developers can be real assholes. The good news is, most aren’t. Well, let’s break that down. If you are a female writer wanting to check out the latest shooter, they will literally look at you as though you are made of cheese. Noob cheese. Then they will shrug and push you to the back of the line, and let real players in. If only you had worn your backwards baseball cap and silk jersey.

If you are from a larger website, they will generally invite you in and love on you. Our site is large enough to that I got into places I was not scheduled nor really cared to be, but I saw people literally beg to get in to see 15 minute demos of games that will not come out for a year.

If you were a student or somehow received an invite to the event (we shared our cab with a worker from Fry’s who gets an invite every year. He doesn’t know why) then you will spend your time taking pics with half-naked booth babes who smell like cigarettes. You will also wait in long, VERY long lines to play Street Fighter, even though you can sit there and watch hours of gameplay for free.

If you are me, you will enjoy the whole thing by taking it all with a grain of sugar. Not that fake stuff. After all, the business side of making games has nothing to do with the playing side. Games are silly. They’re cartoons — yes, ALL OF THEM. Including Skyrim. It’s fake. None of it, at all, is anywhere close to real. All games have been made up, written, created or crafted by someone that is not you. If you enjoy them, or if you cover them while you enjoy them, then E3 will feel like a circus to you. A fun circus, not a creepy one from your childhood.

But, if you are concerned about bullshit takeovers or “this company sold out to that company” then E3 will look like a big, glossy piece of poop. You will probably think the place smells bad, and that each and every developer is a con-man. Yes, there are a lot of developers who take their game WAY too seriously, who think that their shooter or MMO is somehow lightyears different than anything else on the planet (well, there are a few of those.) But even they know that they are the servants of the public. You can have the best game ever..but if no one plays it and has fun, you mean nothing. That much should be obvious.

For me, I found that it was a noisy festival of madness. Pure, fun madness. It was a toystore and a trip to the movies. The people were cool, the players were patient. Some of the press thought that working for certain sites or television stations made everyone aware of them, without considering that there were probably thousands of press there. No one gave a shit if Gene Simmons walked through, at least no one I saw.

E3 is a goofy, bright, shiny mess of electronic joy. We cover it and take it seriously, but in the end if it isn’t fun you are doing it wrong. As I walked around that showroom floor all I could think was “…and to think that people are paying me for this.”

Ignore the assholes, enjoy yourself. That’s my motto.

Beau

Jun 3, 2011