Just a heads-up about some more deals. I told you all about what you can get at Circuit City dirt cheap. TV stands and accessories are still abundant in some parts. For a place where you can wheel-and-deal, HH Gregg is the place to go. They'll match prices on hardware and services alike! Last but not least, Sears has XBL subscription cards for $29.99 instead of the usual $49.99. This is a great deal so jump on it if you can cause they're going fast!

Hope I helped some of you get some good deals. Making my way to Augusta Mall now. w00t w00t!

P.S. If you happen to be in the market for a 32" TV that could double as a computer monitor, I've seen some great deals from local and online stores alike. March is when 2009 models start coming out so last year's stuff is going to drop A LOT. Prices have been between $200-350 for models that often include 4-8ms response time, high native resolution for PC gaming, 60-90hz refresh rate, and every video input you could possibly need!

Affordable technology FTW - GO RECESSION GO!

With all the traveling and bouncing around projects I have been doing, I figured it was worth using Twitter as a way of letting curious people know some of the things I am doing. I'm still pretty tight-lipped about my project work, mainly cause I don't want more ideas being stolen, but you can see I am still very much alive and keeping busy! After much nagging and hype from JulioFromNY and gang, I finally jumped on the tweet bandwagon. You hear a lot of hype about social media but I can see where Twitter can be useful for business use but, still, I think it's best used as a way for people to make friends and keep up with old friends.

ALIAS: Bowchicasbro (otherwise known as the least skilled of the three Bows, Yogizilla, and Pirate Lord chef)

OCEAN: Midnight (previously, I believe I was in Cobalt and some other ocean which didn't last too long)

CREW: Pirate Lords (previously Hounds of Hell, but still reppin' NoF all the way)

FLAG: The Brethren Court (previously Hade's Haven)

NOTE: My stats suck compared to what they were when I first joined the game a few years back. That was back when TheGreatSkate tried to get all of us in NoF to play with him. The game has come a long way since then! New puzzles are in public testing as we speak as well!

Anywho, for now, my Yogizilla-branded Twitter page is mostly to keep in touch with my friends on Puzzle Pirates, fellow creative engineers and writers, and those in "RL". Feel free to add me since some of you keep in touch and may find my tweets rather entertaining or at least refreshingly pointless! I don't use it like a buzz marketing tool like most people do so it's rather spam-free. I do sometimes plug a project or event, however, so you'll have to forgive me on that! ;o)

My "Sexbox 360" is currently collecting dust, not because I am bored with it but mostly because I've been 1) rather busy focusing on priority items and 2) waiting for it to be shipped from my old address. It's a good thing that it is NOT physically here and the only XBox in the house is now broken til someone gets off their lazy arse. I think the temptation would be far too great and I'd only procrastinate more! For now, Warcraft III (especially DotA Allstars) and YPP are more than enough to keep me distracted

In any case, I read some interesting articles (more like pictorials/galleries, really) on GameDaily recently which I may or may not blog about here.. I just wanted to say hi and catch up with one of my favorite communities. You guys and gals have certainly helped me procrastinate and game away many, many hours of my life! =o]

BTW, as many of you know, Circuit City is closing down after 60 years or so of business. They're slashing prices but don't be fooled: televisions and other things are still not that competitive. For video games and various accessories, they're awesome right now. It'll be a bit before they put out some real liquidation prices on everything. If you need a TV stand, that's a good place to go. Chances are the video games have been cleaned out since they're around $5-20 on average for all games on any platform. w00t!!

I'll be embarking on some pirate travels later and definitely enjoying some Warcraft III, after 8:00pm EST, roughly.. Cya then! =oD

First and foremost, I wanted to let all my friends know that I am still alive! I am now a resident of California (San Diego, to be exact). As always, moving out is a long process. I'm getting settled in, becoming more of a family man, etc. etc. There have been lots of changes in the past few months and, boy, it's been a wild ride!!

Anywho, I've toned down my gaming affinities quite a bit but I'm still itching for some good fixes here and there. Currently, I'm into the quick fixes like those you'll find on XBox LIVE Arcade. I've also been into some heavy karaoke, for poops and chuckles. Yeah, I got sucked into the crappy American Idol version of Karaoke Revolution. They really need to port the old version to the X360 - much more songs to select.

Speaking of song selection, I'm stoked for Rock Band 2. I just hope they'll be smart and make the peripherals compatible across-the-board. The addition of cymbal ports is definitely a smart move. Now, Rock Banders will have the pleasure of boasting 200+ songs right out of the box; that is, if you own both Rock Band and Rock Band 2!

Back to XBLA, I've really gotten into Fable II Pub Games. Still not sold on Fable II but I am a lot more interested. Apparently, Pub Games is a freebie for those that pre-order Fable II. I'll pass for now.

My one gripe with F2PG is that Fortune's Tower is the only game with a real strategy to it. Keystone and Spinnerbox are much more about luck and being smart enough to change your bets often (and knowing when to quit). Spinnerbox could have been so much more.. It seems a bit lazy as finished product but I must admit I love watching those coins spin.

The neat thing about F2PG is that you get all sorts of perks for Fable II. Unique items and game enhancements can be unlocked by winning various tournaments and such. It's a good time for everyone! Alas, no online multiplayer.. Shockingly, I bought the game anyway!

Onto the next XBLA treat, I've been really surprised with how good N+ really is. It's gotten some crappy reviews, mostly because people judge the graphics rather than the gameplay and abundant features. The multiplayer options in N+ are amazing. The level editor is a huge treat.

Watching your ninja die never gets old but this game has much more than just cheap gimmicks. The racing and coop modes in N+ add tons of replay value to the game. I find myself loving even the basic singleplayer modes are surprisingly addicting. I'll have you know that pure platformers annoy me.

While I think 2D games still have a place, I rather be without some of the heavy platforming elements. N+ somehow finds a way to make the physics and headaches of it all really draw you in. I'd go as far as to say that N+ succeeds where even games like Prince of Persia (the newer versions) fail. The controls are easy to get and very much responsive so your focus is on just figuring out solutions to the puzzles at-hand.

Basically, N+ is a puzzle game in an action-packed wrapping. It's a good mix and it does it without being too pretentious. Don't get me wrong, I love PoP but I think a lot of the spirit of old-school games has been lost in an effort to bolster eye candy. N+ may not be the sexiest-looking game (if you are a polygon counter) but it is very much stylistic and well thought out.

N+ uses some very simple T&L, pixel shading, and anti-liasing to make for a game that may not be up to today's standards but it certainly not ugly. I can't focus enough on how much of a pleasant surprise the game is. At first, I told my buddy, KiNgDeeM, that I couldn't get into the game cause it was too simplistic and I'd get bored easily. The fast-paced nature of the game makes it addictive and highly replayable.

I don't know how good the DS and PSP versions of N+ are but there's a good reason this game has quickly become a cult classic. Just check YouTube and other viral video sites and you'll see lots of fan fare. N+ is definitely worth looking into.. Darn it, we need more people hosting online sessions too.. Ranked and not!

BTW, my belief on XBLA pricing is that no game should be priced above 400 unless it has replay value and multiplayer options. N+ has both and is well worth it. There are, however, many XBLA games that I feel should be more at the 400-600 range but that's for Microsoft to wise up about.

In other news, I am in a writing mood once again and I have a little free time (sorta) for once. I have a piece I'm writing and syndicating on MySpace, N-o-F.com, and Facebook. It's about the decline of gaming clans, in a nutshell. Should be a good read for those that are open-minded. Yes, I'm getting back on the soap box. ;o)