Root canals are like individually packaged buckets of joy. Not really, but if you are like me, the need for a root canal is synonymous with a long overdue visit to the dentist. If you are even more like me, you have been living with tooth pain for years. Therefore, no matter how long you sit at the dentist, how much it costs, or how much drilling they do, you do feel at least a little relieved after the visit.
So, much of my day wasted away and many hundreds of dollars more poor, I simply do not feel like writing a video game blog today and shall not. Thanks for reading. Click to follow in the sidebar. For those that are counting, two and a half weeks until moving.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A Customer Service Experience: Alliance Auto Transport
These days, customer service is of the utmost importance. People have very little extra spending money and infinite ways to dispose of it. Therefore, when a customer goes to purchase a good or service, they are not just looking for high quality, they are also looking to be treated as if they were part of high society. The feeling is one that has been bred into us through the years. However, no matter how the feeling came to be, the fact remains that customer service is a part of purchasing products and services.
For some of us, customer service comes naturally. We aim to please. However, for most of the rest of us; myself included, customer service just is not our thing. This does not mean we get a free-pass or that it is an excuse. Frankly, we should always be looking for ways to improve our relations with other people. Recognizing you are not good at something should not be an excuse for avoiding that thing. Rather, it should be an opportunity to improve ourselves. Everybody will find themselves in positions where they must deal with people they would rather not deal with regularly. Every such situation should be looked at as a training program: handled the best you can, evaluated afterward, and have thought given to how the next such situation can be improved.
All of this said, I would like to share a recent customer service situation I was involved in. This time, I was the customer. My family and I are in the process of moving across the state. I needed to have my car transported on a carrier as cheaply as possible. I went to one of the many websites that offer to give away your information to every company in the phonebook and let them bid on the job. I went with the cheapest, but best peer-rated, company to bid, Alliance Auto Transport.
The people there were very easy to work with. The job happened much more quickly than I thought it would have. It also cost exactly what the quote was, which was very important to me. Everything was excellent, except for the driver of the truck. After dealing with this guy for the whole day the day of pickup, the only reason I let him carry my car was because he seemed to handle his rig expertly. I cannot really explain the situation better than I did in the letter that I sent to the person at Alliance Auto Transport that handled my job. Therefore, following is the letter, then a conclusion.
Hi there Scott,
I just want to let you know that my Chevy Malibu was successfully transported and give a little feedback.
First off, you guys in the office are awesome. I really appreciate being able to get the car carried up there for as cheaply as I did. I know the cost of this job was next to nothing profit-wise. Towing the car behind a moving truck would have cost about the same with trailer rental and extra gas to pull it. Moving is always stressful, so to have that taken care of is one of the weights off the shoulders. Your customer service is excellent. You and Phil were on the ball.
The web-based system works great. I cannot remember which site I went to for the quotes, but you guys get the response within minutes it seems, so good choice for advertising. I just saw the order form though. I never did fill it out and send it back to you. If you need it for your records, let me know and I will send it to you.
The carry itself went off without any damage to the car as far as I can tell from pictures sent from the receiving end.
I had a few issues with the driver though. He was very rude on both sides of the carry. He did not want to answer basic questions. He did not want to drop the car at the house on the receiving end.
I was told he would be here between 9 and 10 AM on Friday. At 10:30 AM, I called him to find out what his estimated time of arrival was. He said he was in the shop having an unknown problem diagnosed/repaired on the rig. I was fine with that and just let him know to give me a call when he knew. He called me about 2 hours later and asked me for directions, but still said he was not sure what time he would be there. I gave him directions, but I was concerned that a person that drives a truck for a living doesn't have a GPS or at least a map, he seemed to have the time at the shop to look at one. I let him know he could come any time except between 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM. He asked to meet him at a shopping complex near my apartment when he did come so he would not have to worry about driving the rig through the complex. That was fine, but I reminded him of the time constraint. He said even if he did arrive at that time, he would wait. At that time he did not sound like he had a problem with it.
So about 2:40 PM, the guy calls. He wants me to meet him elsewhere with the car about 4 miles from my apartment. I reminded him that I was picking up my kids and would not be able to meet until 3:30. I told him I could not take the car to where he was, because I did not have a ride back home and did not plan on walking the 4 miles with my kids. Everything was still fine at this point, he was irritated that I was not able to come that moment, but he agreed that he should meet me somewhere closer to my complex (the shopping center we initially agreed upon is literally across the street from the complex).
I rush my kids home, I drive over there, park the car perfectly behind the truck ready for him to drive up the ramp, it's 3:29 PM. I walk up and introduce myself. He was eating a sandwich and said "I was eating my lunch, but I guess I'll put it away." I kind of just thought were you not expecting me here? Anyway, so he looked over the car briefly and told me older than 10 years shipped as is. I am fine with that, but I still wanted to mark down the damage I have on the fender and stuff, just to establish the base condition of the car. He did not like that very much, I am not sure why. He loaded the car, and I was trying to get some basic information out of him while doing it. I ask him if he were driving up to Sacramento that night or the next day. He just kind of snorted something about his truck being empty. When he was done, he did not even say anything, just started heading back to the cab. I asked if there was a copy of the paper for me and he acted like I was ludicrous for asking. I told him I definitely wanted something stating that somebody else is in possession of my car for the purpose of transporting it upstate. I verified the cost of transport, he asked what I was quoted. When I told him, he did not contradict it, but he was definitely not happy about the price. Really, not a big deal, just kind of rude. I asked if he would call me when he knew an estimated window for delivery. He told me he would call the recipient when he arrived.
I was told by Phil the drop would be Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I knew loading the car Friday afternoon meant it would arrive either Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon. By about 12:30 Saturday afternoon I had not heard anything from the guy. I called and asked what the estimated time for delivery would be. He told me he was still filling his truck. I told him that was fine, but insisted he could have shared this information the day before. He was very rude about it and just said that it would be arriving sometime on Sunday. I told him that was fine, but asked if he thought it might be before noon or after noon. He said definitely before noon. He then asked if the recipient would be able to meet him elsewhere for pickup. I told him no. I was paying him to deliver it to their door, which is a house in a neighborhood that circles around. I understand not coming in the apartment complex, but he had no reason to not drop the car at the house. He said he would, but then asked for directions. It's not really a big deal, but this guy drives a truck for a living. How does he not know where he was going?
Anyway, so I guess he gets to Sacramento at about 11 Sunday morning. He calls my friend. He insists my friend meet him elsewhere to get the car. She told him no. Eventually he took it over there, but only after asking again for directions and having a frustrated conversation with them. I am told he was rude during the whole drop and did not want to give a receipt for the cash he was given.
I don't know what the guy was mad about, but some people might not want to deal with you if all the drivers are like this. It is too bad too, because besides him being so rude, half a day late on my side, and a full day late on the other side, he actually did a really good job. He definitely seemed as if he knew what he was doing while handling the loading of the truck.
Anyway, I'll let you know, and you should let him know, I had sent an extra $50 for my friend to give him as a tip, because I knew he did the job for dirt cheap. However, since he was such a PRICK, he did not get a dime.
Again, thank you for your service.
Brian
Now, Alliance Auto Transport is a contractor that subcontracts the carry out to trucking companies. This was the first time they had ever worked with this particular trucking company. Scott at Alliance was none to pleased to see the direction this letter took. He did straighten things out on both ends. The trucking company did give me a phone call with a formal apology as well. Even though I did not like the truck driver, the way Alliance Auto Transport handled the response to this email was of the highest quality in customer service. Due to this, I give Alliance a 5-star rating. The truck driver? Well, perhaps he was having a bad day. His day certainly did not get any better after speaking to his manager about this carry, but hopefully he got a talking to and is now doing better with his customers.
Look, part of the service you offer when you offer any service is customer service. Do not think your customer will sit down quietly while you act inappropriately? If you are in an industry that requires you to deal directly with customers, always be on your best behavior. Again, I understand I also have improvements to make in this area. However, I hope this guy has learned his lesson.
Alliance, thanks for the carry. Double thanks for making sure the truck driver was informed of his bad behavior and attempting to have it corrected. I truly appreciate the gesture and would highly recommend anybody looking for a carry to call Scott and Phil at Alliance Auto Transport.
For some of us, customer service comes naturally. We aim to please. However, for most of the rest of us; myself included, customer service just is not our thing. This does not mean we get a free-pass or that it is an excuse. Frankly, we should always be looking for ways to improve our relations with other people. Recognizing you are not good at something should not be an excuse for avoiding that thing. Rather, it should be an opportunity to improve ourselves. Everybody will find themselves in positions where they must deal with people they would rather not deal with regularly. Every such situation should be looked at as a training program: handled the best you can, evaluated afterward, and have thought given to how the next such situation can be improved.
All of this said, I would like to share a recent customer service situation I was involved in. This time, I was the customer. My family and I are in the process of moving across the state. I needed to have my car transported on a carrier as cheaply as possible. I went to one of the many websites that offer to give away your information to every company in the phonebook and let them bid on the job. I went with the cheapest, but best peer-rated, company to bid, Alliance Auto Transport.
The people there were very easy to work with. The job happened much more quickly than I thought it would have. It also cost exactly what the quote was, which was very important to me. Everything was excellent, except for the driver of the truck. After dealing with this guy for the whole day the day of pickup, the only reason I let him carry my car was because he seemed to handle his rig expertly. I cannot really explain the situation better than I did in the letter that I sent to the person at Alliance Auto Transport that handled my job. Therefore, following is the letter, then a conclusion.
Hi there Scott,
I just want to let you know that my Chevy Malibu was successfully transported and give a little feedback.
First off, you guys in the office are awesome. I really appreciate being able to get the car carried up there for as cheaply as I did. I know the cost of this job was next to nothing profit-wise. Towing the car behind a moving truck would have cost about the same with trailer rental and extra gas to pull it. Moving is always stressful, so to have that taken care of is one of the weights off the shoulders. Your customer service is excellent. You and Phil were on the ball.
The web-based system works great. I cannot remember which site I went to for the quotes, but you guys get the response within minutes it seems, so good choice for advertising. I just saw the order form though. I never did fill it out and send it back to you. If you need it for your records, let me know and I will send it to you.
The carry itself went off without any damage to the car as far as I can tell from pictures sent from the receiving end.
I had a few issues with the driver though. He was very rude on both sides of the carry. He did not want to answer basic questions. He did not want to drop the car at the house on the receiving end.
I was told he would be here between 9 and 10 AM on Friday. At 10:30 AM, I called him to find out what his estimated time of arrival was. He said he was in the shop having an unknown problem diagnosed/repaired on the rig. I was fine with that and just let him know to give me a call when he knew. He called me about 2 hours later and asked me for directions, but still said he was not sure what time he would be there. I gave him directions, but I was concerned that a person that drives a truck for a living doesn't have a GPS or at least a map, he seemed to have the time at the shop to look at one. I let him know he could come any time except between 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM. He asked to meet him at a shopping complex near my apartment when he did come so he would not have to worry about driving the rig through the complex. That was fine, but I reminded him of the time constraint. He said even if he did arrive at that time, he would wait. At that time he did not sound like he had a problem with it.
So about 2:40 PM, the guy calls. He wants me to meet him elsewhere with the car about 4 miles from my apartment. I reminded him that I was picking up my kids and would not be able to meet until 3:30. I told him I could not take the car to where he was, because I did not have a ride back home and did not plan on walking the 4 miles with my kids. Everything was still fine at this point, he was irritated that I was not able to come that moment, but he agreed that he should meet me somewhere closer to my complex (the shopping center we initially agreed upon is literally across the street from the complex).
I rush my kids home, I drive over there, park the car perfectly behind the truck ready for him to drive up the ramp, it's 3:29 PM. I walk up and introduce myself. He was eating a sandwich and said "I was eating my lunch, but I guess I'll put it away." I kind of just thought were you not expecting me here? Anyway, so he looked over the car briefly and told me older than 10 years shipped as is. I am fine with that, but I still wanted to mark down the damage I have on the fender and stuff, just to establish the base condition of the car. He did not like that very much, I am not sure why. He loaded the car, and I was trying to get some basic information out of him while doing it. I ask him if he were driving up to Sacramento that night or the next day. He just kind of snorted something about his truck being empty. When he was done, he did not even say anything, just started heading back to the cab. I asked if there was a copy of the paper for me and he acted like I was ludicrous for asking. I told him I definitely wanted something stating that somebody else is in possession of my car for the purpose of transporting it upstate. I verified the cost of transport, he asked what I was quoted. When I told him, he did not contradict it, but he was definitely not happy about the price. Really, not a big deal, just kind of rude. I asked if he would call me when he knew an estimated window for delivery. He told me he would call the recipient when he arrived.
I was told by Phil the drop would be Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I knew loading the car Friday afternoon meant it would arrive either Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon. By about 12:30 Saturday afternoon I had not heard anything from the guy. I called and asked what the estimated time for delivery would be. He told me he was still filling his truck. I told him that was fine, but insisted he could have shared this information the day before. He was very rude about it and just said that it would be arriving sometime on Sunday. I told him that was fine, but asked if he thought it might be before noon or after noon. He said definitely before noon. He then asked if the recipient would be able to meet him elsewhere for pickup. I told him no. I was paying him to deliver it to their door, which is a house in a neighborhood that circles around. I understand not coming in the apartment complex, but he had no reason to not drop the car at the house. He said he would, but then asked for directions. It's not really a big deal, but this guy drives a truck for a living. How does he not know where he was going?
Anyway, so I guess he gets to Sacramento at about 11 Sunday morning. He calls my friend. He insists my friend meet him elsewhere to get the car. She told him no. Eventually he took it over there, but only after asking again for directions and having a frustrated conversation with them. I am told he was rude during the whole drop and did not want to give a receipt for the cash he was given.
I don't know what the guy was mad about, but some people might not want to deal with you if all the drivers are like this. It is too bad too, because besides him being so rude, half a day late on my side, and a full day late on the other side, he actually did a really good job. He definitely seemed as if he knew what he was doing while handling the loading of the truck.
Anyway, I'll let you know, and you should let him know, I had sent an extra $50 for my friend to give him as a tip, because I knew he did the job for dirt cheap. However, since he was such a PRICK, he did not get a dime.
Again, thank you for your service.
Brian
Now, Alliance Auto Transport is a contractor that subcontracts the carry out to trucking companies. This was the first time they had ever worked with this particular trucking company. Scott at Alliance was none to pleased to see the direction this letter took. He did straighten things out on both ends. The trucking company did give me a phone call with a formal apology as well. Even though I did not like the truck driver, the way Alliance Auto Transport handled the response to this email was of the highest quality in customer service. Due to this, I give Alliance a 5-star rating. The truck driver? Well, perhaps he was having a bad day. His day certainly did not get any better after speaking to his manager about this carry, but hopefully he got a talking to and is now doing better with his customers.
Look, part of the service you offer when you offer any service is customer service. Do not think your customer will sit down quietly while you act inappropriately? If you are in an industry that requires you to deal directly with customers, always be on your best behavior. Again, I understand I also have improvements to make in this area. However, I hope this guy has learned his lesson.
Alliance, thanks for the carry. Double thanks for making sure the truck driver was informed of his bad behavior and attempting to have it corrected. I truly appreciate the gesture and would highly recommend anybody looking for a carry to call Scott and Phil at Alliance Auto Transport.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Seahawks Defeat Defending Champs
Many of you like to taunt me with the fact that Seahawks do not exist. I absolutely cannot deny the truth behind this sad fact. Seahawks do not exist. Seahawks are mythological creatures. As is the way with mythological creatures; Seahawks do not disappoint.
Seahawks fans are as sparse in these parts as Seahawks are throughout the world. However, even the worst Seahawks haters cannot help but be happy the Seahawks played football this last Sunday. Because of the Seahawks, no other teams will have to deal with the New Orleans Saints. Many people might loudly say they were not too worried; however, we all know everybody was more concerned about playing the Saints than the Seahawks.
I will admit; I was as doubtful as the next person. The Seahawks have simply not had an impressive season. We had lost 7 or our last 9 games going into the last week to play the Rams. I did not really think we would get past the St. Louis Rams, so when I found out we would be playing the defending Superbowl champs, I thought for sure our season would be over.
The first quarter did little to raise my hopes. I pick right at the beginning of the game left me sure that this would be a repeat of previous weeks. I believe that drive turned into a touchdown for the Saints, which then quickly led to the Saints getting the ball back for field-goal. Finally, towards the end of the quarter we were able to respond with a touchdown of our own and keeps the Saints from scoring again.
The second quarter is where the Seahawks really turned the tables. We came out strong and scored another 10 points before giving up anything more to the Saints. Still though, the Saints did manage to score 10 of their own points during the quarter; however, we made 17.
Third quarter was downright pitiful for New Orleans. They were so frustrated, they could not even keep their hands to themselves. The Saints really looked as if they had come completely unglued. The Seahawks really did well to shove them even further down; scoring 10 unanswered points for the quarter.
Something happened around the very end of the third quarter, beginning of fourth quarter though. As we all expect, the Seahawks lost their fire. They lost their fire to a team you do not want to lose your fire to. Drew Brees saw this and stepped up. Under his command, the Saints really could have taken the game. It was 30-34, and the ball was going back and forth. Seattle got it for a second down in their own territory with about 3:30 on the clock. It was going to be another probably fruitless rush by Marshawn Lynch. All of a sudden, he got the perfect start up the middle and shook every guy that came on him, even pushing one off of him. He ran it all the way in for a 67-yard touchdown; sealing the deal to advance to the second week of the postseason. Final score ended 36-41, Seahawks!!!!
The Seahawks may not be the best team, but whichever team we play this next weekend had better bring their top game. This is not the first time the Seahawks have proven they can bring on the heat in the playoffs. Watch out, here we come!
This is a video posted to YouTube of the play everybody has seen by now for sure. I, for one, cannot get enough of this video.
Seahawks fans are as sparse in these parts as Seahawks are throughout the world. However, even the worst Seahawks haters cannot help but be happy the Seahawks played football this last Sunday. Because of the Seahawks, no other teams will have to deal with the New Orleans Saints. Many people might loudly say they were not too worried; however, we all know everybody was more concerned about playing the Saints than the Seahawks.
I will admit; I was as doubtful as the next person. The Seahawks have simply not had an impressive season. We had lost 7 or our last 9 games going into the last week to play the Rams. I did not really think we would get past the St. Louis Rams, so when I found out we would be playing the defending Superbowl champs, I thought for sure our season would be over.
The first quarter did little to raise my hopes. I pick right at the beginning of the game left me sure that this would be a repeat of previous weeks. I believe that drive turned into a touchdown for the Saints, which then quickly led to the Saints getting the ball back for field-goal. Finally, towards the end of the quarter we were able to respond with a touchdown of our own and keeps the Saints from scoring again.
The second quarter is where the Seahawks really turned the tables. We came out strong and scored another 10 points before giving up anything more to the Saints. Still though, the Saints did manage to score 10 of their own points during the quarter; however, we made 17.
Third quarter was downright pitiful for New Orleans. They were so frustrated, they could not even keep their hands to themselves. The Saints really looked as if they had come completely unglued. The Seahawks really did well to shove them even further down; scoring 10 unanswered points for the quarter.
Something happened around the very end of the third quarter, beginning of fourth quarter though. As we all expect, the Seahawks lost their fire. They lost their fire to a team you do not want to lose your fire to. Drew Brees saw this and stepped up. Under his command, the Saints really could have taken the game. It was 30-34, and the ball was going back and forth. Seattle got it for a second down in their own territory with about 3:30 on the clock. It was going to be another probably fruitless rush by Marshawn Lynch. All of a sudden, he got the perfect start up the middle and shook every guy that came on him, even pushing one off of him. He ran it all the way in for a 67-yard touchdown; sealing the deal to advance to the second week of the postseason. Final score ended 36-41, Seahawks!!!!
The Seahawks may not be the best team, but whichever team we play this next weekend had better bring their top game. This is not the first time the Seahawks have proven they can bring on the heat in the playoffs. Watch out, here we come!
This is a video posted to YouTube of the play everybody has seen by now for sure. I, for one, cannot get enough of this video.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Why the XBox 360 Will Never Have a Spot in My Home
There is no denying that I am a PlayStation fanboy. I love my PlayStation and my PlayStation loves me. However, being a video gamer, I would be lying if I were to say there was not room for another console in my house. That is why I also have a Wii. There is also this other console out right now that every once in a while, my thoughts cannot avoid. I like it to refer to it as Microsoft's admission to Windows being an inferior platform for gaming even though it could deliver so much more than some of these consoles. Most of you know it as the XBox 360.
For many people, the XBox 360 was a clear and obvious choice. It releases before the PlayStation 3. It was cheaper than the PlayStation 3. By the time the PlayStation 3 released, the XBox 360 had a larger library of games.
There were also less obvious reasons for the XBox 360 when this generation of consoles were just getting their feet wet. It did not support a high-definition format right out of the box. There was an HD-DVD add-on; however, many felt as if Sony took a real dive by making the Blu-Ray disc the choice format for their console. Many uninformed people used scare tactic to attempt to keep people from buying Blu-Ray. One common myth was that Blu-Ray players would not play DVDs. Who would want to update their movie collection and render their current collection useless? Of course, this was a myth from the start. The first popular Blu-Ray player, the PlayStation 3, played DVDs from the start. These days, I do believe it is impossible to find a Blu-Ray player that will not play DVDs.
Anyway, so it is fair to say that the XBox 360 had more steam than the PlayStation 3 from the beginning. However, when it came time for me (or my wife, as it was) to put down a ridiculous amount of money for a current-generation console, there was no question it had to be the PlayStation 3.
It was not for a lack of players that I chose a PlayStation 3. I still would have to say that more people I know own an XBox 360 than a PlayStation 3. I knew this generation of console would have heavy online integration. Of course I would like to be able to game with my friends over the internet. Unfortunately, the friends were not enough to convince me to go with an XBox 360. The subscription fees did not help to persuade me either.
It was not due to missing titles in the XBox 360 library. In the beginning, the XBox 360 had several exclusives. As time wore on, companies such as Capcom opened up their libraries to the XBox. Hey, XBox even scored some early release dates and exclusive downloadable content for several games. However, I always knew that anything that was a third-party exclusive to the XBox would eventually make its way over to the PlayStation. Indeed, there are only a few instances in which this did not happen. The first-party titles are almost all available for PC. I have never gone to play these anyway.
It was not the lack of backwards compatibility. I never owned an XBox game, so I was certainly not turned away by that. As a matter of fact, the way Microsoft handled backwards compatibility was much better than the way Sony did it in my book. I would much rather be told flat-out that I could not expect backwards compatibility rather than get it then have it taken away. My PlayStation does play PSX and PS2 games though, so it is a plus for PlayStation in my book. However, everybody that does not have a 60 gigabyte PS3 was lied to by Sony, which does not sit right with me.
What was it then (beyond my PlayStation fanboydom)?
That is correct. Most of why I do not like the XBox 360 and did not like the XBox before it is this awful excuse for a controller. One thing is crystal clear when examining this monstrosity of a controller. Microsoft wanted a controller that looked familiar, but was different enough to stand out in a crowd. Unfortunately, some of the measures they took were simply too rash to allow for a comfortable playing experience.
The rearrangement of buttons is my biggest complaint about the controller. I believe the directional pad belongs on the far left side of the controller. The analog sticks should be where the thumb would naturally rest when handling the controller with two hands. Putting these two sticks on different longitudes makes the whole experience feel very unnatural. I am trying to play a game, not do tongue-twisters with my thumbs. I really just wish Microsoft would have put the directional pad and analog stick where they belong. Next thing you know, they will put the shoulder buttons all the way to the back and the directional buttons up on the shoulders. No Microsoft, you may not steal idea. If you do, it is a horrible design as well.
What could make this arrangement fallacy even worse? The spatial dimensions of the controller. Why is it that I feel as if I am turning my hand on the control and stretching my thumb over there to reach that directional pad and right analog stick? Again, I am playing video games. I am not attempting to train my thumbs for the Olympics.
Only adding to my frustrations with the controller is the feel of the buttons; particularly that hard-to-reach directional pad. The directional pad is setup as a single piece that controls the four directions. It is raise above the rest of the controller for some unknown reason. It is also stiff and has somewhat-sharp edges. To further complicate the feeling, the analog sticks and directional pad curve downward in the centers. All of this spells two things: sloppy control and blisters on your thumb.
I often forget about this controller dilemma. This is due to the fact that I usually will not play the XBox, even if I am in the room and people are playing. However, this last weekend I got the opportunity to play an old friend at Super Street Fighter IV. It was on. I picked up that controller and was immediately disgusted with the button layout. Analog sticks do not make good substitutes for arcade sticks. Therefore, when I play fighting games, my thumb goes straight for the directional pad. However, playing this way on the XBox 360 is a downright disadvantage. To the point that I was desperately trying to get the analog stick doing something good for me. Try as I might, I was constantly stretching my thumb back over to that uncomfortable excuse for a directional pad.
Luckily, the matches only lasted for about twenty minutes. Good thing too, because I was certainly over it. Anyway, I had to leave, so I did. Drove home, went to brush my teeth, noticed a little something extra on my thumb when grabbing my toothbrush. Oh great, a blister on my thumb from literally no more than twenty minutes of playing. This is horrible.
Therefore, Microsoft, I would like to say to you one thing. If you are making anything besides an operating system for computers, please stop. I like my companies to stay focused and you are stretching outside of your and my comfort zones. Concentrate on what you do well; making Windows better. If you do not do this, all I can do is stick my sore thumb at you!
For many people, the XBox 360 was a clear and obvious choice. It releases before the PlayStation 3. It was cheaper than the PlayStation 3. By the time the PlayStation 3 released, the XBox 360 had a larger library of games.
There were also less obvious reasons for the XBox 360 when this generation of consoles were just getting their feet wet. It did not support a high-definition format right out of the box. There was an HD-DVD add-on; however, many felt as if Sony took a real dive by making the Blu-Ray disc the choice format for their console. Many uninformed people used scare tactic to attempt to keep people from buying Blu-Ray. One common myth was that Blu-Ray players would not play DVDs. Who would want to update their movie collection and render their current collection useless? Of course, this was a myth from the start. The first popular Blu-Ray player, the PlayStation 3, played DVDs from the start. These days, I do believe it is impossible to find a Blu-Ray player that will not play DVDs.
Anyway, so it is fair to say that the XBox 360 had more steam than the PlayStation 3 from the beginning. However, when it came time for me (or my wife, as it was) to put down a ridiculous amount of money for a current-generation console, there was no question it had to be the PlayStation 3.
It was not for a lack of players that I chose a PlayStation 3. I still would have to say that more people I know own an XBox 360 than a PlayStation 3. I knew this generation of console would have heavy online integration. Of course I would like to be able to game with my friends over the internet. Unfortunately, the friends were not enough to convince me to go with an XBox 360. The subscription fees did not help to persuade me either.
It was not due to missing titles in the XBox 360 library. In the beginning, the XBox 360 had several exclusives. As time wore on, companies such as Capcom opened up their libraries to the XBox. Hey, XBox even scored some early release dates and exclusive downloadable content for several games. However, I always knew that anything that was a third-party exclusive to the XBox would eventually make its way over to the PlayStation. Indeed, there are only a few instances in which this did not happen. The first-party titles are almost all available for PC. I have never gone to play these anyway.
It was not the lack of backwards compatibility. I never owned an XBox game, so I was certainly not turned away by that. As a matter of fact, the way Microsoft handled backwards compatibility was much better than the way Sony did it in my book. I would much rather be told flat-out that I could not expect backwards compatibility rather than get it then have it taken away. My PlayStation does play PSX and PS2 games though, so it is a plus for PlayStation in my book. However, everybody that does not have a 60 gigabyte PS3 was lied to by Sony, which does not sit right with me.
What was it then (beyond my PlayStation fanboydom)?
That is correct. Most of why I do not like the XBox 360 and did not like the XBox before it is this awful excuse for a controller. One thing is crystal clear when examining this monstrosity of a controller. Microsoft wanted a controller that looked familiar, but was different enough to stand out in a crowd. Unfortunately, some of the measures they took were simply too rash to allow for a comfortable playing experience.
The rearrangement of buttons is my biggest complaint about the controller. I believe the directional pad belongs on the far left side of the controller. The analog sticks should be where the thumb would naturally rest when handling the controller with two hands. Putting these two sticks on different longitudes makes the whole experience feel very unnatural. I am trying to play a game, not do tongue-twisters with my thumbs. I really just wish Microsoft would have put the directional pad and analog stick where they belong. Next thing you know, they will put the shoulder buttons all the way to the back and the directional buttons up on the shoulders. No Microsoft, you may not steal idea. If you do, it is a horrible design as well.
What could make this arrangement fallacy even worse? The spatial dimensions of the controller. Why is it that I feel as if I am turning my hand on the control and stretching my thumb over there to reach that directional pad and right analog stick? Again, I am playing video games. I am not attempting to train my thumbs for the Olympics.
Only adding to my frustrations with the controller is the feel of the buttons; particularly that hard-to-reach directional pad. The directional pad is setup as a single piece that controls the four directions. It is raise above the rest of the controller for some unknown reason. It is also stiff and has somewhat-sharp edges. To further complicate the feeling, the analog sticks and directional pad curve downward in the centers. All of this spells two things: sloppy control and blisters on your thumb.
I often forget about this controller dilemma. This is due to the fact that I usually will not play the XBox, even if I am in the room and people are playing. However, this last weekend I got the opportunity to play an old friend at Super Street Fighter IV. It was on. I picked up that controller and was immediately disgusted with the button layout. Analog sticks do not make good substitutes for arcade sticks. Therefore, when I play fighting games, my thumb goes straight for the directional pad. However, playing this way on the XBox 360 is a downright disadvantage. To the point that I was desperately trying to get the analog stick doing something good for me. Try as I might, I was constantly stretching my thumb back over to that uncomfortable excuse for a directional pad.
Luckily, the matches only lasted for about twenty minutes. Good thing too, because I was certainly over it. Anyway, I had to leave, so I did. Drove home, went to brush my teeth, noticed a little something extra on my thumb when grabbing my toothbrush. Oh great, a blister on my thumb from literally no more than twenty minutes of playing. This is horrible.
Therefore, Microsoft, I would like to say to you one thing. If you are making anything besides an operating system for computers, please stop. I like my companies to stay focused and you are stretching outside of your and my comfort zones. Concentrate on what you do well; making Windows better. If you do not do this, all I can do is stick my sore thumb at you!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Why I Did Not Take the Plunge for Rock Band 3
I was a late comer to the music game genre. I had played Frequency and Amplitude a few times before, but I was not exactly an early adopter when Guitar Hero came out. As a matter of fact, at one point, I was in a Target store with some extra money. I had to choose between Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. I left the store a proud owner of Dance Dance Revolution. I played Dance Dance Revolution for a couple of weeks, but ultimately, my dance pad ended up a dust collector in the corner.
When Rock Band showed up on the scene; perhaps it was already there, I was not impressed. Off the bat, it seemed an instant incompatibility with me. I have no rhythm. I also live in a small apartment. I hardly had room to have these plastic instruments set up everywhere. Also, where would I store them when I was not using them? Not in my house.
As it would be, I happened to have quite a few friends whom were into the music game genre. On a trip to Reno, I had the pleasure of starring in a Rock Band with my good friends. By this time in late 2009, it was Rock Band 2, of course. Even though I was terrible, I had a load of fun. I went home with the thought that I must buy this game.
As luck would have it, Best Buy was having sales on certain inventory products to clear room for Christmas products. The Rock Band 2 set was on sale for about $100. I convinced my wife that we had to buy it. Of course I would play it, I assured her. However, I do not think even I was convinced at the time.
We got it home, set up, turned on, and I was instantly hooked. Of course I played the guitar. The thing with Rock Band was it was one of those games that kept giving. The version we bought had a couple more than 100 songs. They were not all unlocked at first, so the longer you played on the tour, the more songs you had to play. Another draw to the game is how rewarding it feels to move up in skill or to beat a song you could not even play the day before. Even though it essentially amounts to nothing, you really feel accomplished when you are good at playing the game.
As time went on, I never gave up my Rock Band guitar antics. I knew Rock Band 3 would definitely be coming. I had a feeling that it would boast more realistic instruments. I would be one of the first in line to buy it on opening day.
Eventually, the October 26, 2010 release date was announced for Rock Band 3. As I had predicted, the game would have a more realistic guitar, which was actually a working mini-electric guitar. I knew the $150 price tag for the instrument was a steep plunge, but I was willing to take it. I was also interested in the new keyboard peripheral, even if not necessarily to be played by myself. The bottom line was that I had to have this game come release date.
As time wore on; as it does between announcement and release, the news about Rock Band 3 kept dimming my view of the game. I was not very happy when I found out the full specifications of the guitar. I also learned; much to my dismay, that Fender would later be releasing an actual electric guitar that could be used with Rock Band 3 at a later date for $100 more than the first. Now it seemed that I would be shelling out approximately $300-$400 just to update to the new game. I was no longer excited, but I was going still going to do it.
One thing I felt Harmonix and Viacom were doing correctly was allowing players to keep all of the downloadable content they had previously purchased for use with Rock Band 3. Being a purchaser of Rock Band DLC, I was very happy to know I would have a large library of music for Rock Band 3 from day one. However, the news concerning the DLC also became less and less good as time wore on. Not only would you have to pay extra for the pro-mode for previously released content, all new content would also have a premium for the pro-mode. This meant that the new guitar peripheral would be essentially useless unless you were willing to pay upwards of $3-$4 per song on Rock Band Network. I still feel this is outrageous.
Then the news took a turn for the worst. Soon after the release of Rock Band 3, Harmonix and Viacom would drop support for Rock Band 2 on all new DLC. This meant that I would no longer have the choice to continue to purchase new music for my Rock Band library unless I was willing to upgrade my software. Frankly, this was the end of my career as a Rock Band musician. I retired my guitar and put it in the closet to collect dust with the Dance Dance Revolution pad.
Point of the story is; these companies did a lot to build up this franchise then practically killed it by letting down the fans. We all understand that sometimes better costs more. Those of us that are able are generally willing to pay more for better. However, these people saw an opportunity to milk something good for more than what it was worth. It comes as no surprise that a company such as Viacom would do this; however, it does come as a surprise that they believed it would work. To release a sequel should be treated as an honor. Of course you hope to make better profits on the successor than the predecessor. However, not many people are willing to shell out $300-$400 for a new game then an extra $10 for a couple of songs. If you release a sequel, it is one thing to say there are optional hardware upgrades that will cost extra money. It is plain unacceptable to raise the price across the board even for the little things.
As the story goes, Harmonix was actually sold today for a very small price; much less than the price of one of those fancy new guitar peripherals. I have always heard a lot about these music graduates that went on to make great video games such as Frequency, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. It is unfortunate that the only mistake they ever really made was signing on with a big name publisher. Much more unfortunate for them, they did it twice. However, these guys are ones to keep an eye on. Wherever the future of the music game genre goes, you can be sure that the creators of Rock Band will be in the center.
When Rock Band showed up on the scene; perhaps it was already there, I was not impressed. Off the bat, it seemed an instant incompatibility with me. I have no rhythm. I also live in a small apartment. I hardly had room to have these plastic instruments set up everywhere. Also, where would I store them when I was not using them? Not in my house.
As it would be, I happened to have quite a few friends whom were into the music game genre. On a trip to Reno, I had the pleasure of starring in a Rock Band with my good friends. By this time in late 2009, it was Rock Band 2, of course. Even though I was terrible, I had a load of fun. I went home with the thought that I must buy this game.
As luck would have it, Best Buy was having sales on certain inventory products to clear room for Christmas products. The Rock Band 2 set was on sale for about $100. I convinced my wife that we had to buy it. Of course I would play it, I assured her. However, I do not think even I was convinced at the time.
We got it home, set up, turned on, and I was instantly hooked. Of course I played the guitar. The thing with Rock Band was it was one of those games that kept giving. The version we bought had a couple more than 100 songs. They were not all unlocked at first, so the longer you played on the tour, the more songs you had to play. Another draw to the game is how rewarding it feels to move up in skill or to beat a song you could not even play the day before. Even though it essentially amounts to nothing, you really feel accomplished when you are good at playing the game.
As time went on, I never gave up my Rock Band guitar antics. I knew Rock Band 3 would definitely be coming. I had a feeling that it would boast more realistic instruments. I would be one of the first in line to buy it on opening day.
Eventually, the October 26, 2010 release date was announced for Rock Band 3. As I had predicted, the game would have a more realistic guitar, which was actually a working mini-electric guitar. I knew the $150 price tag for the instrument was a steep plunge, but I was willing to take it. I was also interested in the new keyboard peripheral, even if not necessarily to be played by myself. The bottom line was that I had to have this game come release date.
As time wore on; as it does between announcement and release, the news about Rock Band 3 kept dimming my view of the game. I was not very happy when I found out the full specifications of the guitar. I also learned; much to my dismay, that Fender would later be releasing an actual electric guitar that could be used with Rock Band 3 at a later date for $100 more than the first. Now it seemed that I would be shelling out approximately $300-$400 just to update to the new game. I was no longer excited, but I was going still going to do it.
One thing I felt Harmonix and Viacom were doing correctly was allowing players to keep all of the downloadable content they had previously purchased for use with Rock Band 3. Being a purchaser of Rock Band DLC, I was very happy to know I would have a large library of music for Rock Band 3 from day one. However, the news concerning the DLC also became less and less good as time wore on. Not only would you have to pay extra for the pro-mode for previously released content, all new content would also have a premium for the pro-mode. This meant that the new guitar peripheral would be essentially useless unless you were willing to pay upwards of $3-$4 per song on Rock Band Network. I still feel this is outrageous.
Then the news took a turn for the worst. Soon after the release of Rock Band 3, Harmonix and Viacom would drop support for Rock Band 2 on all new DLC. This meant that I would no longer have the choice to continue to purchase new music for my Rock Band library unless I was willing to upgrade my software. Frankly, this was the end of my career as a Rock Band musician. I retired my guitar and put it in the closet to collect dust with the Dance Dance Revolution pad.
Point of the story is; these companies did a lot to build up this franchise then practically killed it by letting down the fans. We all understand that sometimes better costs more. Those of us that are able are generally willing to pay more for better. However, these people saw an opportunity to milk something good for more than what it was worth. It comes as no surprise that a company such as Viacom would do this; however, it does come as a surprise that they believed it would work. To release a sequel should be treated as an honor. Of course you hope to make better profits on the successor than the predecessor. However, not many people are willing to shell out $300-$400 for a new game then an extra $10 for a couple of songs. If you release a sequel, it is one thing to say there are optional hardware upgrades that will cost extra money. It is plain unacceptable to raise the price across the board even for the little things.
As the story goes, Harmonix was actually sold today for a very small price; much less than the price of one of those fancy new guitar peripherals. I have always heard a lot about these music graduates that went on to make great video games such as Frequency, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. It is unfortunate that the only mistake they ever really made was signing on with a big name publisher. Much more unfortunate for them, they did it twice. However, these guys are ones to keep an eye on. Wherever the future of the music game genre goes, you can be sure that the creators of Rock Band will be in the center.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Seahawks in the Playoffs
It is hard to be a Seahawks fan. Not! I love it. People hate it. I love it more. I wear my jerseys proud every weekend. Everywhere I go, I get dirty looks from the haters. Every once in a while I get somebody brave enough to speak up and say something like, "You must not be from around here." I am from around here and I am proud to say Seattle is my team.
It takes a real fan to stand by a team that hardly ever makes it to the postseason. I had no idea that the winner of today's game would be going to the playoffs. It was a real nail-biter to the end too. One touchdown would have forced it to overtime and my ears kept ringing with these fatal words from Hasselbeck's mouth a few years ago, "We want the ball and we're gonna score!" I still ask myself why he had to go and say that. Anyway, I do not think we would have won it in overtime. I was really hoping that after that pick, we would have scored a touchdown to seal the deal. We ended up with just a field goal. However, with a ten point lead and under two minutes on the clock, we knew we were going to the playoffs.
We might not make it past the wild card game. If we do, it will be a hard battle against the Bears. The opportunity for a Super Bowl seems to be slim to none. However, this fan will be holding his breath for another shot at a Super Bowl win. If we can make it to the playoffs even after losing seven of ten games, a Super Bowl ring cannot be far off.
It takes a real fan to stand by a team that hardly ever makes it to the postseason. I had no idea that the winner of today's game would be going to the playoffs. It was a real nail-biter to the end too. One touchdown would have forced it to overtime and my ears kept ringing with these fatal words from Hasselbeck's mouth a few years ago, "We want the ball and we're gonna score!" I still ask myself why he had to go and say that. Anyway, I do not think we would have won it in overtime. I was really hoping that after that pick, we would have scored a touchdown to seal the deal. We ended up with just a field goal. However, with a ten point lead and under two minutes on the clock, we knew we were going to the playoffs.
We might not make it past the wild card game. If we do, it will be a hard battle against the Bears. The opportunity for a Super Bowl seems to be slim to none. However, this fan will be holding his breath for another shot at a Super Bowl win. If we can make it to the playoffs even after losing seven of ten games, a Super Bowl ring cannot be far off.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Trophies
For most people that know me, it is no surprise that I am a PlayStation fanboy. PlayStation and I have been a happy couple since my early teenage years. When PlayStation 3 came out, my wife was wonderful enough to buy me one; even though the price tag was rather exorbitant. The early life of the PlayStation 3 was filled with turmoil. There was not much of a library. Nobody knew for sure whether or not the Blu-Ray format would catch. I stood by my PlayStation though. Slowly but surely, functionality was added and the library caught up to match. Then, the final push towards widespread acceptance was the death of the HDDVD format. With following price cuts, it was no longer a large gamble to develop a game for the PS3. Instead, it became known as the standard. One idea that Sony undoubtedly "borrowed" along the way to current-generation fame was the achievement system out on the XBox 360, called trophies. Everybody that plays PlayStation 3 earns at least a few trophies in the course of gameplay. Here, I present my ideas on trophies, trophy collecting, and trophy hunting.
In basic terms, a PlayStation trophy is an indicator of a completed objective. Some of these objectives are completed during the course of normal gameplay. Others require extraneous gameplay. Some objectives are defined in the trophy list. Other objectives are hidden; only discovered after being completed. The trophies come in four flavors: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. All disc-based games have at least one platinum trophy, which is usually awarded for obtaining all other trophies in the game. Most PlayStation Network games offer a gold trophy instead of a platinum, due to their smaller nature. Trophies are great in general. They offer immersion into games on different levels. First, you are able to show your trophies to all of your PlayStation Network friends; as well as post your PlayStation ID with trophies on various websites. This lets people see how well you are doing. If they feel so inclined, they can check out which games the trophies were earned in. On another level, trophies really add to the gameplay experience. They act as a set of secondary objectives to all games. For the people that are obsessed with earning trophies, this can mean many more days of play time per game. I believe that everybody feels at least a little excitement from earning trophies, regardless of the degree of which they actively go collecting.
Trophy collector would definitely describe my level of trophy obsession. I go into a game with a very specific purpose: game completion. However, I will go out of my way to earn the majority of the trophies along the way. As you can see though, (in my sidebar), I do not hold a single platinum trophy. This is because earning all the trophies in a game requires a level of devotion that I simply do not have time for. Some games have trophies that are easier or more fun to collect than others. Therefore, in some games, I have a great majority of the trophies, while in others, I may have less than half. Some games, I actively continue playing after completion to earn some of the trophies. Other games go straight to the shelf. I will sometimes even cross the lines to trophy hunter and do things such as keep multiple save states for the purpose of returning to an earlier point in the game at a later time to try to get trophies that were maybe easier to obtain earlier or not possible to obtain later. I would love to earn some of those platinum trophies; however, due to my ever-growing game library and current backlog of games to play, it is highly unlikely you will see my moniker with a platinum trophy for some time.
I have a deep admiration for the trophy hunters. Whenever I see somebody that has several platinum trophies, I know they worked hard for it. Even in the games that are known for being easy to collect trophies in, there is always at least one that they make you work for. No matter which game these guys play, trophy collection becomes much more than just a secondary objective. Collecting all the trophies actually becomes the point of playing the game. They will work for hours just to collect a single, seemingly impossible to obtain, trophy and the thought of shelving the game would be an act of heresy if they had not yet accomplished the task. They will even sink to low levels, such as playing the kid games, just to earn some easy platinum trophies. Again, while I would like to earn some platinum trophies at some point in the life cycle of the PlayStation 3, I simply could not fathom putting in the time needed to do this. Most of these people are the same people that were online the last time you turned your PlayStation 3 off and still logged in when you turned it back on the next day. Not only are they dedicated, but they have very little going on outside the world of PlayStation.
All of us that own a PlayStation 3 earn trophies. Some of us feel the experience of earning trophy is more rewarding than others. No matter if you just earn the trophies that you get from playing the game, you actively go trophy collecting from time to time, or you are a true trophy hunter, it is hard to deny the pleasure you get when you hear the little ding associated with the unlocked trophy in any game.
In basic terms, a PlayStation trophy is an indicator of a completed objective. Some of these objectives are completed during the course of normal gameplay. Others require extraneous gameplay. Some objectives are defined in the trophy list. Other objectives are hidden; only discovered after being completed. The trophies come in four flavors: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. All disc-based games have at least one platinum trophy, which is usually awarded for obtaining all other trophies in the game. Most PlayStation Network games offer a gold trophy instead of a platinum, due to their smaller nature. Trophies are great in general. They offer immersion into games on different levels. First, you are able to show your trophies to all of your PlayStation Network friends; as well as post your PlayStation ID with trophies on various websites. This lets people see how well you are doing. If they feel so inclined, they can check out which games the trophies were earned in. On another level, trophies really add to the gameplay experience. They act as a set of secondary objectives to all games. For the people that are obsessed with earning trophies, this can mean many more days of play time per game. I believe that everybody feels at least a little excitement from earning trophies, regardless of the degree of which they actively go collecting.
Trophy collector would definitely describe my level of trophy obsession. I go into a game with a very specific purpose: game completion. However, I will go out of my way to earn the majority of the trophies along the way. As you can see though, (in my sidebar), I do not hold a single platinum trophy. This is because earning all the trophies in a game requires a level of devotion that I simply do not have time for. Some games have trophies that are easier or more fun to collect than others. Therefore, in some games, I have a great majority of the trophies, while in others, I may have less than half. Some games, I actively continue playing after completion to earn some of the trophies. Other games go straight to the shelf. I will sometimes even cross the lines to trophy hunter and do things such as keep multiple save states for the purpose of returning to an earlier point in the game at a later time to try to get trophies that were maybe easier to obtain earlier or not possible to obtain later. I would love to earn some of those platinum trophies; however, due to my ever-growing game library and current backlog of games to play, it is highly unlikely you will see my moniker with a platinum trophy for some time.
I have a deep admiration for the trophy hunters. Whenever I see somebody that has several platinum trophies, I know they worked hard for it. Even in the games that are known for being easy to collect trophies in, there is always at least one that they make you work for. No matter which game these guys play, trophy collection becomes much more than just a secondary objective. Collecting all the trophies actually becomes the point of playing the game. They will work for hours just to collect a single, seemingly impossible to obtain, trophy and the thought of shelving the game would be an act of heresy if they had not yet accomplished the task. They will even sink to low levels, such as playing the kid games, just to earn some easy platinum trophies. Again, while I would like to earn some platinum trophies at some point in the life cycle of the PlayStation 3, I simply could not fathom putting in the time needed to do this. Most of these people are the same people that were online the last time you turned your PlayStation 3 off and still logged in when you turned it back on the next day. Not only are they dedicated, but they have very little going on outside the world of PlayStation.
All of us that own a PlayStation 3 earn trophies. Some of us feel the experience of earning trophy is more rewarding than others. No matter if you just earn the trophies that you get from playing the game, you actively go trophy collecting from time to time, or you are a true trophy hunter, it is hard to deny the pleasure you get when you hear the little ding associated with the unlocked trophy in any game.
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