Rock Blog Wednesday 10/17/07

[hmxsean]

And I would like to present the newest (ok... only) addition to the community team - John V. AKA HMXJohnlok. He'll be helping me out in these parts as well as answering lots of emails from the public. He will also feed me grapes as needed and tend to the horses. Once we get some horses. Regardless there will be cake and we have invited all his favorite weighted companion cubes...

Welcome him to his new hell - working with me!

So I have been playing a lot of Orange Box. Which is a statement that would matter if it weren't for the fact everyone is playing Orange Box. I had the good fortune to finish Portal and honestly it is one of the best written, best designed, most enjoyable games I have ever had the good luck to play. It also has a song at the end by Jonathan Coulton who visited our offices last week (and is rad - and more on this later). I was wicked impressed by how funny the game was with this slight air of poignancy near the end. Brilliant.

Oh... and I have been playing the crap out of Team Fortress 2 with a cabal of other Harmonix folks. This is one of the best multiplayer games I have ever played. I like to play the medic and form a super tank with a Heavy or Pyro. If you don't know what I am talking about please go get the game. I... it's... these aren't tears... there's just a pipe that broke probably in the ceiling and is dripping onto my cheeks. Shut up. I'm not crying.

Both of these games come on one disc for, like, $60 or something. If I could legally marry a privately owned Pacific Northwestern corporation I would. To Mexico!

That is about all for today. What have you all been playing?

BLOGS!

Heather sees Jonathan Coulton hanging around the offices and sees his show. I was in Seattle. Jealous.

Canfield is like your guidance counselor... for rock.

[Apples]

I will assume by the name Johnlok that his name is John and he is endowed with Warlok-like powers? I can't wait to see him call down arcane magicks on the next poor sap who offends the sensibilities of the forum community.


As for games, I'm still playing TF2. I've been on a soldier kick lately because he blows up spies and engineer gobbly-gook with great efficiency. The orange box is a deal at twice the price and lives up to the hype.

[ThePaska]

Solid blogs today, I enjoyed reading them. They were quite enjoyable.

Everyone is raving about Orange box, I think I'm really going to have to get it eventually, maybe for the 360 since my PC is in storage and my laptop could in no way handle it. I'm interested in playing Portal and TF2 specifically, I've heard nothing but good things about them.

I have not been playing anything lately, maybe a little Halo 3. I'm home on a week off from school though with nothing but my PS2 and GH I and II which I've been playing a bit, but mostly I have been watching TV and listening to tons of music.

I just got into watching Weeds and Californication (David Duchovny Rocks!), both of which I highly recommend, also Heroes just began again as well as House, both are awesome, Heroes is incredible, and I always enjoy a good House episode.


EDIT:
OH I almost forgot welcome HMXJohnLok! I hope you enjoy your stay here, hopefully we'll see you posting around the forums!

[TheTogfather]

Sadly I have not been playing orange box. I know...I should just leave.

But I have so very little gaming time, and I'm still trying to get through Eternal Sonata and Bioshock...probably about halfway through both I think. Again, I know, this does NOT make me look good. It's all your fault anyway, if it weren't for Rock Band I probably wouldn't even have a 360 and be here posting, all feeling bad in the first place. See, thanks alot Sean...don't you feel sorry for yourself now?

Edit: Whoops, I forgot too...welcome HMXJohnLok! Lost reference? If so, thumbs up! Look forward to foruming w/ you...

[HMXJohnlok]

Whoa!! Like, hello?

A couple points of business before the questions pour in:

1. Johnlok is not from "Lost," nor is it a reference to any long-deceased philosophers. Apples got it right! But I was probably 5 or something, so my spelling wasn't the greatest. It is an original name with sentimental value. Don't mess with me on this! I'm feisty.

Okay so that was really my only point of business, so sue me. On another note, I am incredibly pleased to be here. Aside from the grape-feeding (Sean's messy) and being sequestered in a dark closet pounding away at e-mails, it's a pretty sweet gig. You'll be seeing a lot more of me over the next few weeks as we gear up for RB launch.

A little about me:
I come from the land of Quality Assurance, so if you see any crazy bugs in the game or crashes we missed, you can probably blame me. Or the booze. My favorite game of all time is Baldur's Gate 2. I like lasagna, garbage plates... who am I kidding, I pretty much like all food. Oh, and I play entirely too much WoW and xbox live arcade (Carcassonne anybody?).

Anyway, that's all for now. I am looking forward to getting to know you all better!

Yours in eating way too much lasagna,
John V. - "Johnlok"

P.S. - I need an avatar. Harumph. Who will help me choose!?? Maybe we can make it a contest!

[hmxsean]

See, thanks alot Sean...don't you feel sorry for yourself now?

I regret nothing!

[tf5_bassist]

I want to get Orange Box just for Portal. It looks damn awesome.

[tf5_bassist]

Johnlok, what server do you play on for WoW?

[Eman311]

nice having you here man... have fun with the madness.

yea i'd be a happy man if gamefly would send me the orange box

[HMXJohnlok]

nice having you here man... have fun with the madness

I'm holding my face in my palms right now. There's a really great ASCII image for this somewhere...