We all know that the giants of the video game industry -Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) are trying to morph their craft into something bigger: an actual form of entertainment and not just a useless pastime for nerds. Nintendo has created the Wii and DS, easily used systems with a myriad of simple, fun games that appeal to everyone, even parents and gradparents (granted they have somewhat abandoned the hardcore gamer, but that's a totally different story and totally different arguement). Microsoft and Sony, on the other hand, have pushed XBL and PSN with online phenomenas like Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Gears of War and MGS, transforming average gamers or into junkies, while appealing to the hardcore simoultaneously. They have tried to do this by making games more like movies - they've added gripping stories complete with amazing cutscenes that keep you on the edge of your seat and slobbering for a sequel once you've beat the first edition a hundred times. However, we haven't seen the type of advertisement movies get in video games. While nearly every movie gets television exposure, video game companies have stuck mainly to online and newspaper ads. Until of course the next gen consoles came into being - it seems as though we are stuck in the midst of an epic battle between the monsters of the game industry to see who can first escort the art of video games to the next level of entertainment.

There were of course the occasional video game commercials - perhaps you'd see one for Madden, Pokemon, or maybe even Star Wars Battlefront, but these all had a couple things in common. First, they were developed by big-time publishers (EA, LucasArts) with money to throw out the window, or were already insanely popular (football, Star Wars, and Pokemon had seemd to seep out of the hardcore gamers hands by word of mouth, maye because it had been around so long). Perhaps both. Anyone in the last generation of gaming TV ads were few and far between.

Then as I mentioned earlier, the next-gen consoles were released. Now, slowly, you began to see their commercials silently sneak onto your TV screen. You see a couple Japanese dudes take a Wii around to the obscure corners of the earth, sharing it's joy with people of every race, age, and gender. Or perhaps you see a commercial for the 360, showing to the world how XBL lets you connect and play with friends and family all over the world at any time. Or, finally, you saw the graphical power of the PS3 unveiled with commercials for sports games, showing off insanely life-like player models in realistic atmospheres. A small step, but noteworthy.

Then, eventually you see commercials for games. It all started with that oh so epic scene in which MasterChief, decked out in his Spartan armor, valiantly leaps into battle against mysterious covenant forces in the middle of nowhere. Then Call of Duty came around, with commercials with spec ops soldiers running around, stuff getting blown up, and promotions for the game all being showcased on a sickly night-vision green screen.

Now, just recently I've seen another step. Like commercials for movies you never even knew existed, commercials for unpopular harcore games have emerged from the pockets of their developers. Gears of War two actually had a sneak-peak promotion on Sunday night football, showing Delta squad preparing to go into battle. It didn't show any combat, but how could they advertise that kind of gore on a nationally televised football game? Resistance 2 and Fallout 3 have commercials all over the place. The other day I even saw one for Mirror;s Edge,depitcing a high speed chase on the rooftops of a futuristic city, all from first person.

So, we all know the motives for these commercials, but what exactly will this do to the industry? Will the average gamers who stick to CoD4 and Halo 3 be enamored by how awesome Fallout 3 and Resistance 2 look? Will the person newly introduced to the addicting hobby quit playing Wii sports and actually buy a real game? Will even more people be drawn to this form of entertainment? What do you think?

Well, all my game systems seem to be failing me at the moment... I don't know why but it's like everything I have is falling apart on me. Haha I think it was maybe God telling me I need to get a new job (I'd said earlier I lost my paper route but didn't need a job one at the moment). Now I realize I need one, a decent paying one too. It's about time I need to start saving for future stuff (college, etc) so I'm looking in to working at Best Buy, which would work out quite nicely.

As I said earlier my 360 was down, but not with the red ring. Actually it's some grinding noise inside when you put a game in. Really wierd. So I called Microsoft and they said it was 99$ dollars to fix. Yup I need a job.

Then my laptop's motherboard got fried. It was like 500$ for a new motherboard so I just decided I'd get one for Christmas, but with my new job I may be able to buy one myself. I tried to copy the HD files onto my parent's computer but that went screwy, it kept saying I didn't have permission to copy or open the files. So I gave up. That means I'll have to rebuild my iPod's library and re-install all my new games when I get a new computer. Yup I need a job.

Sooo, that's whats happening, I'm hoping I'll have a change of fortune soon. Until then I may try to get back into Pokemon on my DS or maybe install Civ4 on my parent's comp and see if it'll work on there's (it never did work properly on mine for some reason although I had the requirements). I also got the new Eragon book, Brisingr by Chris Paolini. I hate that guy. The books have an interesting story but he basically combined Star Wars and Lord of the Rings into some new goofy fantasy world and added in a bunch of big, fancy words. Oh well, I'll see ya'll around...

Well to tell you the truth I'm a bit anxious about our next president. I'm going to start by saying that NONE of what I'm about to say is anything against his race or supporters, but against his POLICIES. I'm in no way racist, if Condoleeza Rice or another African American I agree with on most issues, I'd gladly vote for them. I am a bit ticked at people look at him and say "Oh, he's African American, I'm going to vote for him," and don't give squat about his policies.

First off let's look at his tax plan. He's saying that eveyone who makes 200k or more a year will get a tax raise so that those of lower incomes can have more too. Well, that's fine, but it gives money to people who sit around and don't work a bit!! They get to be lazy and lead a decent life straight off a steady diet of government cheese. So the question is why would you want to work hard? Why overachieve? Why strive to be a millionaire if your wealth is being given to those too lazy to work? It's like looking at a group of innocent kids who work hard and dress up big-time for halloween on your doorstep and deciding to force them to give you some of their well-earned candy and taking it to some kid down the street who's too lazy to trick'or'treat. A bit twisted, eh? Also he's gonna give 95% of Americans a tax cut, when only 73% even pay taxes!!! That means that 22% of Americans get a tax refund check without paying their taxes. Not cool.

The only other issue I'm going to bring up is one of morality. There are many I could bring up, but I'll stick with this one issue becasue the others may cause some... animosity I don't want. Abortion. I believe this is wrong as it is, but Obama is in favor of taking it one step further. He wants to make it possible for a baby to be born, and if the mother decides she doesn't want it in that one hour then it can be killed. This is outrageous!! It's called infanticide. I can't look at that word without wretching. This is an abomination. I'm sorry if this is graphic but it's the truth. Why just an hour, you might ask? Good question! Why not a day, why not a year? What's the difference! Ugg it makes me sick.

Anyway those are a few of my concerns. Please voice your opinion, but I won't go on forever debating you. This again isn't against his race at all. I just thought I'd share some of my thoughts. I understand these are some delicate issues, but again it's my opinion.