Where I'm Coming From...

I had a professor in college who talked about the "conceptual grid." He said that there is truth and there is your perception of that truth, but in between is a grid that you filter information through so it makes sense in regards to personal context. It is extremely important to have an idea of what colors a person's conceptual grid if you are going to take their opinion seriously. AKA know what's going on in someone's head so you have an idea why they feel the way they do about things.

So, a little about me after the jump.

My setup:

42" Panasonic Plasma 1080p TV

Xbox 360 with composite video (HDMI connections in the mail)

5.1 surround sound (Headset on order... and it WILL be reviewed... I can't wait)

I was born in 1980. I am recently married, own a house, and have a pit bull named Otis. I play the vast majority of my games on the Xbox 360 with the exception being MMOs that are still a PC exclusive. I own a Wii, but when I moved in September of 09 I never hooked it back up... mostly laziness and a wealth of alternatives. I traditionally buy games that are multiplayer focused online games and rent offline games from an online rental service (which I may or may not review in the near future) unless the single player game is extremely interesting or I don't want to have it spoiled.

I have always enjoyed a wide variety of games, but once Goldeneye was released I became a First Person Shooter (FPS) fanatic. I moved to the PC in 1997 when I bought Rainbow Six packaged with Rogue Spear, but ended up back on the consoles for TimeSplitters and later Halo.

My time spent gaming is currently 90% online 10% single player, but that changes depending on the quality of games that are out at the time. Fable II, Bioshock, N3, and a bunch of other games have pulled me offline, but I will default to being online unless something intriguing is out.

My online time is heavily adversarial, but I do really appreciate a good co-op mode. Terrorist Hunt from Rainbow Six, SpecOps from Modern Warfare 2, and (whatever they called) the co-op missions from Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter are all great examples of great co-op modes.

My favorite games have been simulation shooters (Rainbow Six 3, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Ghost Recon, Battlefield) as opposed to arcade shooters (Halo, Gears of War, Call of Duty) but I have spent considerable time in both categories. I also prefer a game that requires teamwork over a game that doesn't and will always choose cooperation over individualism online. You'll hear me talk a lot about the community's perception of teamwork and strategy a lot.

I feel that a game should have a learning curve that's tough but fair. I shouldn't be able to buy a game 2 months after launch, optimatch into a room, and go 1:1 (Kills:Deaths). The games I've enjoyed the most over the years have taken me a long time to adjust to... but that just made it more satisfying when I did.

I have a special place in my heart for RTS games, but I haven't been involved in a long time.

I'm not overly impressed by amazing graphics, but amazing sound will cause me to talk. I am very aware of hit-boxes and hit-detection. I feel like that's the single most important part of any shooter. I don't mind if a multiplayer game like Call of Duty or Battlefield has a short single player. I like when the single player brings something to the table in a multiplayer game, but let's be honest... nobody is buying Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that doesn't have an internet connection.

I loathe the word "nerf" and will never use it in regards to balance issues.

I don't like instanced content in MMOs but understand their value.

uh... what else...

I'm extremely libertarian. I don't believe the government should have any involvement in our business or personal lives unless it's straight up protection (Police, Fire, Military) and shouldn't have an overseas presence for any reason.

I work nights on a container port... my favorite movie is The Matrix... Zakk Wylde is my favorite musician with David Allen Coe neck and neck. When I'm not working or gaming I'm on my motorcycle or playing semi pro football (I'm an Offensive Lineman).

ANYWAYS... that's who I am.