This past weekend was amazing. I got to meet some awesome people and partied very hard with the Destructoid crew. However, the night before that, I was hard at work. Working on a present for Niero and the rest of the Destructoid crew. For about 7 hours straight of non-stop guitar playing...on Expert...and one melted left arm later...the Destructoid Rock Stars were born.

I went to Niero's place with my Xbox 360, my guitars (my Les Paul guitar with a GH2 guitar strap showing all the characters from the game and my special "Coheed and Cambria Rock Band 2 Stratocaster" in which I got at a Coheed concert), and my copy of Rock Band inside my duffle bag...ready to rock!

The reaction I got from each of the editors that were there was priceless. Then I got a hug from Niero. It was an amazing night and I'm glad I got to meet everyone there. You all were awesome.

Without further ado...THE ROCK STARS! My present to Destructoid!



Nick Chester: Nick was pretty basic to make. He looks like a Rock-A-Billy star with the outfit I gave him. I was glad with the outcome.

His reaction: "Holy shit! That's awesome! I can't believe you did that!"

Btw Nick, your voice is awesome and I wish you could've sang Number of the Beast at the party. :D



Chad Concelmo: It's Amazing Man! In the pic, I tried to give him the "Chad Face". lol. As for the outfit, it's super hero tights. Cape and all, with the word AMAZING across the chest, with a dolphin coming out of the water. Chad was by far the most complicated character I had to make, cause that tattoo on his chest has over 9 layers. It was fun though. :D

His reaction: "Does that say AMAZING on my chest?! And is that a Dolphin! Oh my God! That's amazing!"

Also, everyone at the party had Chad's babies...within 15 seconds after seeing this photo. lol.



Adam Dork: Adam was the last person I made before packing up my things to head to Niero's. Basic design and I think it fits. Pretty cool I must say.

His reaction: "Is that me? He even put the goatee and everything! Wow..." Then he hugged me. lol.



Dyson: Dyson's reaction was by far the most priceless. Reason? The suit you see Dyson wearing in this picture looks exactly like the suit he was wearing at the party. He was on the floor laughing and was just amazed at it. My work is done. :D

His reaction: He hugged me. "Thank you man. That's awesome."



Jonathan Ross: Metal t-shirt and spiked wrist band. Wanted to put that one someone, so why not Jon Ross? It felt appropriate after 5 starring "Let There Be Rock" on Expert.

His reaction: "Whoa man. That's pretty damn cool."



Dale North: While making Dale, I wanted to do something a bit more...creative. So, I made Dale dress up like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Success!

His reaction: "That's awesome. You can't go wrong with Marty McFly."



Hamza Aziz: While making Hamza, I wanted a shirt in which I can put a design on it. From what I know, this is the only shirt in Rock Band that I can put art on. So, I gave him this shirt, and put a tiger on the back of the shirt. Then I made him look like the Fonz. EHHYYYYY!

His reaction: "Oh shit! I'm the Fonz!"



Conrad Zimmerman: Ok, I know. I made him too big and beefy. I couldn't find a good pic of him to reference off of. lol. However, he liked it and I even gave him "Rose Tinted Glasses". I say it was a success.

His reaction: "Whoa, I'm huge! Still, it's pretty damn awesome."



Rey Gutierrez: Rey was pretty simple to make. I even gave him the tattoos on his hand for good measure. Too bad you can't put edited tattoos on the hand though, then I would've gave him his triforce. (Rey has the triforce tattoo'd on his hand in RL)

His reaction: "Holy shit man. Love it."



Dick McVengeance: Ok, I couldn't find a picture of Brad ANYWHERE! So, I went and tried to make Urahara Kisuke from Bleach...cause that's what his avatar is here on Destructoid. However, when I couldn't find an outfit similar to a "Gotei 13 Captain's Uniform", I went an gave him a white, gothic trenchcoat. Aside from Chad, this one make me use my brain alot.

His reaction: Trying to explain to him why he looks like that. "Hahaha. I see it now. Pretty damn cool."



Colette Bennett: Rock Star Colette! Behold the awesome sweater!

Her reaction: "Holy crap! That looks like me!"



and finally, Niero: It's Niero, without the helmet. With a hat, and sun glasses. All he needs is a cigar and he is set.

His reaction: A hug, a thank you, and a big smile. It was awesome. :D

You can see these photos in better HD quality on my Rock Band gallery. Just click the link below, click on a picture of your choice, then under "Wallpaper", click either Standard or Widescreen, depending on your monitor size.

http://www.rockband.com/users/Exeter35/gallery

Happy Birthday, once again, to Niero and Destructoid.

I'm glad the editors love the "surprise" and enjoyed rocking out to my copy of Rock Band (Niero told me to bring my Xbox cause I have more DLC that him...over 200 dollars worth of it...heh.).

Thank you Destructoid and thanks to everyone for being so awesome. I hope to see you all again at PAX and at SGC....if I get my hands on the money.

With that, I'm off to shred out Judas Priest with my battle axe in hand! I wish I owned an axe guitar. That would be awesome. Oh, and blue hair. You can't go wrong with blue hair!

Those who follow the RB DLC (like myself) knows this has been confirmed awhile back, but it never got a definite release date (just like Nirvana's "Nevermind" album). Well, those who are a fan of SVR, or a fan of complex blues guitar riffs, will definitely enjoy this Album DLC.

"Texas Flood" contains the following tracks:

-Love Struck Baby
-Pride and Joy
-Texas Flood
-Tell Me
-Testify
-Rude Mood
-Mary Had a Little Lamb
-Dirty Pool
-I'm Cryin'
-Lenny

For those who have played Guitar Hero's 1 and 3 will recognize "Texas Flood" and "Pride and Joy". Those two were a pain to complete on Expert. That gives you an idea of what the rest of the album will provide if you never heard it. I, for one, haven't heard the album. However, ever since being introduced to these two songs, I'm going to listen to the whole thing and be prepared for the beating ahead. SVR rocks.

Now, the album is going to be released March 3rd. Like always, 160 MSP ($1.99) per song. The full price of the album hasn't been confirmed yet, but we're looking at more than 10 bucks.

I'm definitely getting "Texas Flood" and "Pride and Joy", but I'm going to listen to the whole album to see whether to get the other tracks or not. What do you guys think?

Hey guys.

Something happened this past weekend in which I must share with you guys. Besides, I was told to post it here in the C-Blogs by more than one person. Plus, Niero gave the OK. lol.

This past weekend was my birthday party. The party also celebrated my girlfriend's birthday too, since our birthdays are 9 days apart. We figured we would celebrate both in one day.

The party had alot of highlights. Rock Band 2, Street Fighter 4, dominoes (in typical Cuban fashion), burgers, cheese balls, pizza, beer, and lulz.

However...there was one highlight that was memorable.

I brought pizza (gotta love employee discounts), Rey Gutierrez spilled beer, and this:



This shit is beast.



I love my girlfriend for filming all this. lol.

Enjoy.

I am shocked Nick Chester hasn't mentioned this yet. Better take the opportunity before Power Glove. lol.

Anyways, next week, on Feb. 17th, 3 new tracks will be made downloadable for Rock Band. This is a perfect week for you fans of Rob Zombie back in the old days with his band, White Zombie. Also, a track from the band who did the theme song for "Wild Boyz" (the show on MTV with Steve-O and Chris Pontius from Jackass going around the world, fooling around with animals), Turbonegro.

Here are the tracks:

-White Zombie - "More Human Than Human"
-White Zombie - "Black Sunshine"
-Turbonegro - "Wasted Again"

I, for one, am getting all these songs. It's about time some Zombie made it's way into Rock Band and I am very happy. So, who else is planning to get these tracks?

Hey guys, it's almost 5 in the morning and I'm still awake...I'm a freakin nut case.

After taking back Fallout 3 to Blockbuster, I've been playing Rock Band to calm my head, and afterward, I went to surf the web a bit. That's when I stumbled across some gaming websites (ScrewAttack and Gametrailers mostly) and read some of the things the users say in the forums. I also saw the recent G1 submission of the week on ScrewAttack...and the comments for that video kinda boggle my mind.

All of that, and the MANY experiences I have with not just the behavior of certain gamers, but with the SAME behavior I deal with at work on a DAY TO DAY basis...I felt compelled to share my thoughts with you guys concerning something I wanted to talk about for quite a while now.

To this is just a thought.

Now...to set this up...so some of you may understand where I come from...I work with food. Customers order what they want, I place the order, cooks make said order, order then is cooked and ready, I give order to customer, customer pays, and leaves. End of transaction. Simple.

However, we're human...we have a brain...and so you have to deal with people who sometimes DON'T USE IT. The picky eaters, the people that spend over 15 minutes giving you the run around because they can't decide on what they want, the people who complain that the food is too expensive and goes to the 'cheaper' competition, the people who use their kids to order and the kid has to go back and forth with the phone and his/her parents, the party harty teenagers who order big and don't give a single tip to the cashiers...AT 10 PM! I can go on and on about the people I deal with. Thank God I gave my 2 weeks...new job. Better pay. Woo. :)

Anyways, that's just the tip of the iceburg. What about the kind of people that waiters deal with? The kind of people customer service employees deal with? The kind of people ANY retail outlet deals with? Or resturant? Or call service? Or ANY business that involves interaction with the public and TRYING to make them happy with what they demand? What they "NEED"?

I feel like I want shove the phone down peoples throats when they say "I NEED a pizza." You don't need a pizza...you WANT it. If you NEED food, you could have went to another place where you can get food cheaper and have your fill. Easy. Makes life much simpler.

However, it's never simple. We live in a world of stupid people...wherever we go. Not even the world of video gaming isn't safe.

The world of gaming has it's fair share of stupidity. The hardcore fanboys who live and breathe for their system of choice and think everybody else is wrong and think they're the best. The online gamers who can't take a loss and start spewing obscenities from their mouth. Saying 'hax', you cheated, I wasn't trying, I could have beaten you, my controller is broken, and the list goes on and on. Especially if they're saying these things in '1337' speak. The MMO players that just go into world chat rooms and just spew stupid shit like 'I is looking for girlz to raep lolz". The gankers who kill lowbies. The so called 'pro gamers' that don't give the little guy a chance. Trash talkers. I can keep going and going and going. We all experience.

From WoW to Xbox Live. From forums to IRC. From blogs to YouTube. Stupidity in the world of gaming is EVERYWHERE. I wish...I just wish one day...and it's just for a day... people can get their heads out of their ass...and open their minds to world around them. Just one...freakin...day...

To ALL fanboys (who are a fan of any of the next gen systems, systems of the past, PC, and so forth): Do. Some. Fucking. Research. Learn to accept peoples opinions. Face the facts about the flaws of your system (or company) of choice and learn to embrace the good qualities that system can provide and work on that. If you have nothing nice to say about a certain subject that has caught your eye...don't say it at all. PERIOD. No one likes a flame war...unless you get off on that shit. That just makes you look sad. You need counseling. Also, on a VERY important note: When doing research...

DON'T RELY ON WIKIPEDIA!

If you want to argue, do it formally, present your facts, and you won't look like a jackass.

To the online gamers: Show some mercy on noobs if you play against them. If you're playing in a group with a noob...patience is key. PATIENCE. Learn it. Show the noob the ropes so the noob is no longer a noob. Don't trash talk CONSTANTLY. Gamers have feelings too. Also, for christ sakes, if you know English, WRITE IN ENGLISH! Don't write in freakin 1337 speak! Plus, if you lose, YOU LOSE! Done. If you think the person cheated, prove it. If you can't prove it, that's it. You got your ass kicked. Shake their hand or tell them 'Good game'. Get better. Practice. Then try again. They do it in professional sports...why can't you do the same when it comes to online gaming.

It's called 'SPORTSMANSHIP'. Learn it. If you don't know what it means, look for it in a dictionary.

Also, to the WoW players who get ganked on a PvP server on a constant basis, switch servers. Your complaining is going no where. There will be only a few that will give you mercy. You joined a PvP server and you must face the consequences. If you don't like it, switch. Plus, don't be a bitch about it.

To the gamers that bash music gamers (Guitar Hero, Rock Band, DDR, Stepmania, etc.): Shut up. Just...shut up. Let them (and me damn you) enjoy their game. If you're like Jameslikecoulter or GuitarHeroPhenom, 100% Through the Fire and Flames and what not, congratulate them. Don't go bashing them saying "you have no friends" or "learn to play the real guitar noobs" or things like that. They're having fun. The purpose of these games to provide an enjoyable experience. If you don't like music games, that's fine, but don't say "I rather play the real thing than some fake instrument". Then do it and shut up! Again, if you have nothing nice to say, DON'T SAY IT AT ALL! Also, if you say "If you spend this much time on Guitar Hero, you could use that time to play the real thing"...true....but sometimes, these gamers don't want that. Plus, if I recall, don't you have to also devote time in getting better in shooters and sports games?

That's like saying "If you spend this much time playing Madden, you could use that time and play the real thing". Same can go for ANY simulator.

Aren't games suppose help use escape reality and let us be who we're not? Aren't they suppose to be fun? Why can't we have our fun sometimes? Cause of the kind of people I mentioned above.

Games are meant for fun. However, it seems when it comes to having fun, we have to be serious all of a sudden. Gaming is serious business. God help us. Blah. I don't like it.

In short:

Respect opinions. Learn facts. Face the facts. Speak properly. Sportsmanship. Prepare for what you're about to play. Practice. Learn. Have fun.

and the golden rule...

IF YOU HAVE NOTHING NICE TO SAY, DON'T SAY IT AT ALL.

I'm done. It's almost 6 AM. I'm done ranting, venting, and I'm about to crash. There's some more stupidity I have to deal with 12 hours from now. Ugh...

Oh well. I don't care. I'll have fun with Rock Band before I leave. I gotta work on the solo of "Electric Eye".

So yea, later guys.

Oh, one last note...

DON'T. BE. A. CHADWARDENN.

...that kid needs to be castrated...so his seed never makes it into existence...such an idiot I swear.



...I'm gonna need an aspirin. Ugh...

It's 4 AM in the morning...taking a break from playing Fallout 3...believe it or not, I just woke up after 3 hours of sleep and I feel refreshed. My body works in mysterious ways, seriously. Anyways, I've been browsing and lurking the c-blogs and I noticed this little trend going around. In my opinion, it's a good idea to know more about our fellow D-Toiders. I might as well do the same, cause I like making new friends. It's all good.

So, without further notice, let's get started, shall we?

10. I am a music game addict.

If the words "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero" enter a conversation, my face lights up like a Christmas tree. All of my friends know how I am with both games and know what I am capable of. I love shredding it up on the guitar on Expert. Yes...expert. I also love to sing. A good example of that is at the recent NARP in Miami.



I'm the guy with the mic. I was singing Painkiller. Yes, the high pitched song from Judas Priest. I can also sing Master Exploder on Expert and nail every note. God I love Tenacious D. My current challenge now in Rock Band is trying to pass the Yngwie Malmsteen pack on Expert...I can only go up to 50% before I fail. Oh well. At least I can beat everything on Hard, which makes me feel good inside.

Oh, and when I play Guitar with my friends around, I do like to show off a little. Play the guitar behind my head, playing it upright, playing it like I'm shooting a gun, playing it while jumping around and spinning, and so on. They get a kick out of that.



Niero knows how big of a Guitar Hero freak I am, so thanks to him and the guys at SFX360, I judged at a local Guitar Hero tourney. It was an awesome experience.



That's me in the top hat...and yes...I wear it to big events. Kind of a trademark. lol.

9. I am the last to receive the goods.

Let me elaborate. With every single console I have ever received, I have received them 2-3 years after their release...leaving me to catch up with so many freakin games to play. A good example of that is recently. I JUST GOT a Xbox360 for Christmas last year....yea. I have alot to catch up on. For now, I'm enjoying one game at a time. Rock Band 2 is freakin amazing...oh...and Fallout 3 is AMAZING! At least when I get older and get kids, I can buy the systems for them...and borrow it on my spare time. lol.

8. I am a Flash Animator.

Ever since 6th grade, I've been fascinated with the world of Flash animation. Since then, I wanted to learn...bad. So, I taught myself how to work on Flash. It wasn't until 2002 I submitted my first Flash Animation on Newgrounds. Let's just say it didn't go too well. The overall animation sucked...and I was 16 at the time. That was 7 years ago, my god. It's still on Newgrounds if you want to check it out...but it's freakin horrible.

I have gotten better over time. My crowning achievement on Newgrounds was a Flash Collab I've done with a few friends of mine. It was a Flash music video to "Take On Me"...the cover done by Reel Big Fish. If you want to see it, here's the link.

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/256082

I'm the one who animated the guy in the mask blowing up the city.

Today, I'm still fiddling around with Flash, and I've gotten extremely better. Here's an example. Click the link.

http://www.2and2.net/files/49856dd007919.swf

The hair strand is a little funky I know, but I'm too lazy to fix it. It's just a tiny example. Currently, I just bought an awesome book that will help with my animation skills. The book's author is the animator who did "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". So, yea, I have a good book in my hands.

With the help of the book, some tutorials, my friends, and the internet, I'm currently in the storyboard stages of creating my first full length Flash Animated cartoon. It's still in the planning stages, but let's just say it will involve shredding guitars, heads flying, METAL, and the full force of all things rock. I think you guys will enjoy it.

7. I love to tinker.

I have a degree in Electronics Engineering, I have a crap ton of tools, and I freakin love taking things apart and putting them back together. I especially love doing it to video game systems...but the only systems I have actually tinkered with is my Playstation, my Dreamcast, and my DS. There will be more tinkering, I assure you.

Oh, and I final note on this subject.



(Funny note: My name is David. lol.)

I can fix red rings. I have fixed 2 Xbox360 red rings and the owners left with smiling faces. It's good to know how to repair video game consoles. It sure as hell helped me out.

Oh, and mod. I love modding. I just need the money. heh.

6. I can play the actual guitar.

Yes, I am living proof that Guitar Hero/Rock Band players CAN play the damn guitar. Been playing it for about 3 years now. The song I am most proud of playing is Highway Star by Deep Purple. From time to time, I'll pick it up and start playing on it. I've been offered to play in a few bands, but it wasn't my kind of music. I'm more of a progressive metal kind of guy. Alot of my favorite bands are metal, prog, or both (like Dreamtheater). I also written a few songs of my own. I want to get my hands on GH: WT for the sole purpose of using GH Tunes. I have so many song ideas in head. I just want to pour them all out and bring em to life...in some way.

5. I don't drink.

I don't drink or smoke. I've gone to many parties and I don't touch the booze. I mainly go after the cokes, sprites, and sunkists. However, the coke runs out quick cause my friends love their "Rum N' Coke". More Sprite for me then. The only time I EVER drink is when there's a toast of some kind...or if the drink is sweet...I freakin love sweets.

4. I. Fucking. Love. Food.

If there is one thing that can make me happier than a man winning a thousand dollars is FOOOOD! I FREAKIN LOVE FOOD! My friends and family know this all too well. I freakin love stuffing my face. My favorite place to eat is Fuddruckers.



I LOVE BURGERS! My favorite food is ribs, but burgers come in second. I just love food...AND SWEETS! I am a freakin chocoholic. I love everything chocolate related. I especially love Ferrero Rocher chocolates...my favorite.



My girlfriend knows how much I love these and gave me a box of them for Christmas. She is the greatest.

Seriously, bribe me with free food and I can pretty much do anything.

3. The story of MEAT!!!

I am a carnivore. I can't stand most fruits and vegetables. I mean it. Especially tomatoes. They make me gag. Funny though, I love juice, ketchup, fruit flavored objects, fruit filled pies, cakes, and most things that contain a fruit flavor in them or made from some kind of vegetable...but the raw product itself...I can't eat it. You will never catch me eat a salad. No way. No how. However, you will see me smother ketchup on a pound burger with bacon and cheese...mmmm...

Well, around the time I got my Wacom tablet, I wanted to test it out and draw a few things in Flash. I remember talking with some friends of mine on Skype about food and I told them my story about my hate for "edible grass". One of my friends is a vegetarian...and to smite her...I drew what is now my current header for my C-Blog. Thus, MEAT!!! was born. I use the image when food comes up...I use the pic. When food comes up in a convo, I do the MEAT!!! face. As so.



and yes, that's my guitar.

2. A bit more about me.

22 years old, about to hit 23. I live in Miami, FL. Everything else is on my C-Blog profile to the right. Some of it maybe a little outdated, but I'm too lazy to change some things.

Also, I am a nice person. I would actually put down what I am doing to help people out. I also like to be involved in events and other things so I put my talents and my brain to work. I want to be something and everybody says I have the potential for great things. Well, I'm working on it. I want to do SOMETHING with my talents, whether be animating, playing in band, fixing consoles and computers, and maybe even participating in writing and submitting things for websites. I can do alot, I just need some opportunity to put my foot through the door...cause I have ALOT of ideas to share with the world.

My mind is a consant hurricane 24/7. Seriously.

Oh and I'm open minded about most things and I tend to be an optimistic person. I guess why so many people open up to me so easily. Oh well. I do my best to be a good friend.

1. I have the greatest friends...ever. I love em all, you have no idea.

My friends...dear God...I adore my friends. I love hanging out with them. They're such awesome people and...just...so amazing. So...so amazing.

My best friend of 15 years is an amazing drummer and is currently in a band whose influences include Thursday, Underoath, and Trivium. He's such an awesome person and would be the best man at my wedding.

As for my other friends...man...well...let's go down the list.

2 of my friends write for Tomopop. One of them has a segment on Tomopop called "Go For Broke". He's an amazing guy, seriously. His girlfriend, also my friend, makes awesome cakes. You guys remember the "Wii Cake"?



Alot of my other friends as done amazing things. Like...Niero. lol. Colette and Niero are awesome people and I'm glad to call them friends. It was funny when I first met them...cause I didn't know about Destructoid when I did. lol. Now, I go to alot of the events they hold and when anything Guitar Hero/Rock Band related comes up, they turn to me. I freakin love it.

Another one of my good friends is someone alot of people on the internet know. I laugh everytime someone locally mentions his name or quotes any of his stuff. Even on the internet...ESPECIALLY on this website.

His name is Arin. You people call him by a different name.



He's an amazing guy and one of the nicest people you'll ever know. Such a class act.

I can go on about my friends all day...but it's now 5:36 AM...jesus. An hour and a half writing this already. What's wrong with me. lol.

One last thing...my girlfriend. She loves anime, she loves GH and RB as much as I do, she can play on Hard, she loves Rock and Metal as much as I do, she is an amazing artist, and an amazing person. Best person in my life.

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And there you have it. Some info about me in a tl;dr nutshell. Have fun. Enjoy. Oh, and to the Destructoid staff, I'll see you in March. I have a surprise for you all. :D

Have a great day guys...and for those who work in the food industry today...I feel your pain.