Sean - 5:32pm EST

It has been a tough two weeks. I've had to deal with daily overtime sapping all my free time. That is why I took advantage of the weekend to sit down and finish Mass Effect. I would like to say the game was amazing, but I can't. It was really good though. Why was it not amazing? For one, it was too short. I completed all but two of the side quests that I found, achieved level fifty (the cap on the first playthrough) and completed the game in under twenty-four hours. Secondly, the side quests are mostly the same with the areas all looking alike. I think there were only three different side quest layouts? Maybe I will write a review for it sometime. I decided to play a renegade Vanguard, by the way.

Those that are in the know will be wondering why I played Mass Effect and not Final Fantasy XI. There is a really easy answer to that. I no longer play it. No matter how much fun it was, I couldn't afford to continue playing it. My brother is an addict, you see, and while playing any MMORPG he loses all interest in everything else. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, it is when one needs to find a job. When he is employed again, we'll see. We might take it up again. But who knows? The MMO-less freedom is just intoxicating!

I am not really sure what I want to play now. I'm toying with the idea of trying to finish off a few of the games I have already started in anticipation of Lost Odyssey. Then again, I think I have enough time to pick up something brand new to play in the meantime. In any case, when Mazes of Fate arrives I need to review it, so I might want to stick to shorter games, if I intend to play Lost Odyssey at release.

I've started playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance with my sister. It is rather boring and I am not too impressed. The same goes for Super Mario Galaxy and Bleach: The Shattered Blade. I really need to update the stuff in my sidebar. There: updated! Enjoy!

As it is a once a week affair, I decided to just write the column on the weekend, if I have enough letters. If I don't... well, I can just format it and get it ready for the bags full of letters that I will eventually receive by Tuesday. I think I did well today with eight letters. In any case, writing it early gives me more opportunity to make a longer column and gives me the chance to write when I know I won't be in a rush to do so.

I wrote down my backlog in the sidebar as I was reading this week's letters. Sixty-nine games. It will take a while to get through those. The chances of me completing all of them before purchasing new games is very, very low. Without school this year, I might be able to complete thirty or forty of them, but I can never be too sure. I'll try though!

The differences between SD and HDTV are quite large. Sure the PS3 and 360 look nice on older sets and are perfectly playable. I was happy using my PS3 downstairs until I saw it in action on my parent's 1080i TV. The difference was huge and I found myself unable to accept the difference. Now my PS3 is hooked up to that set and I settle for playing it every once in a while. It just feels better that way.

I did try to buy a VGA/DVI cable for the PS3, but it didn't work. My monitor couldn't accept the signal. I am using a 360 VGA cable and I am really impressed with it, so the 360 stays downstairs.

The moral of the story: SD is fine until you try HD. When you see it in action, you better be ready to stick with HD. It really makes a big difference. If you've played it at a friend's place already, you may already be doomed. Of course, once you actually play in HD, you might regret not having had it in the first place. I've heard tales of similar experiences from others in any case.

Congratulations! I've been trying to figure out how to get my mom to quit and nothing works. Oh well. Did you set any rewards for hitting milestones?

Well, I am sort of the "unofficial official" reviewer here at RPGamer. I think Macstorm called me that. A reviewer must first complete the game, but is not required to complete all the optional stuff. So there is the completion time of the game to take into account. Secondly, it takes a good hour or two to pen a review, and another couple to self proof it. There is another four or more hours that must be spent getting it proofed by others and performing corrections.

A reviewer will typically tackle a game or two a month. They are required to post at least one a month. Some staffers just write a review whenever they finish a game. I like to write reviews for games that are missing reviews. I would say it takes me about eight hours to complete a review.

Along with the reviewing duties, all staff members need to stay in the staff channel on IRC. There we help proof the work of others, so expect to need to spend at least a few hours a month there as well. I think I sit in there (and paying attention) at least ten hours a week.

Yes, Mass Effect is crack. I just wish they had extended the meat of the game and left out the useless side quests. If I had my way, GTA 4 would never come out. Yes, I am that evil.

I don't think it is the gamer that is changing but rather the market. Back in the day I played FFIV to the end on my first try since the only RPG I had was FFIV. Nowadays it is common to get multiple games each month, or even per week. Since there are more games available now, it is easy to see why we are jumping at chances to try more. It is not just the quality either--just the quantity.

I need to know how No More Heroes turns out. Please fill me in!

I don't have a high frustration threshold. It is common for me to look things up in FAQs when I am stuck, or when I am trying to figure out if there is anything secret that I should be looking for. I figure that I have better uses for my time than spending ten hours to find a hidden item. I still remember trying to find a shard in DQVII. I spent eight hours searching for it until I gave up and looked it up in a FAQ. Since then I haven't let my pride get in the way of having fun. Anything that is boring and feels like work might as well be work. I prefer to have fun with my games.

I do use some FAQs as progress markers though. What I mean is I save a FAQ and then delete portions as I progress. It helps me keep in mind how much I have left (the little scroll bar changes size to give me an indication). This is a great way to motivate myself to finish less than stellar games. Games such as Magna Carta. Ugh.

I didn't hear the news when I chose that title. It wouldn't have made a difference anyways, as I didn't know he was in that movie. I was trying to be witty like the other hosts. As you may notice, I've been much more comfortable just posting the subject lines to the emails I have received. It is your turn to be witty now!