Hello,

This is my first post as part of this blog. I am considering making a stand-alone version, separate from D'toid, but I figure this is probably one of the best proving grounds I could ever hope for. So I'll run it here and see if anyone likes it.

Here is the basic concept:

I was a grunt in the Marine Corps. I'm an Iraq veteran. I like video games, and military shooters are an obvious favorite. This blog is for talking about them, their realness or lack thereof, what they get right, what they get wrong, and how damn fun they are. Pretty straightforward, right?

Now, there will be room to talk about other kinds of games, but the ones that I have the most perspective on are military shooters. They are fun and, while we all know that reality is not like video games, these games are doing an increasingly good job of conveying the sights and sounds of battle, if not so much the feel.


(Above: Real vs. Unreal. War is more about comrades and less about nuking space stations.)


Now for a disclaimer:

I want to be clear here that I am NOT saying that I am Patton, a Navy SEAL, or some sort of hero. I spent four years as a ground pounder, though. I rode in AAVs (Armored Amphibious Vehicles) and Helicopters. I trekked through the jungle and the desert with a rifle and a pack. So, I know a bit about modern warfare. Also, I support the military, and I know that modern shooters are a good tool for getting kids to take the leap and join up and see what it's really like. Being in the military isn't all glamor and honor, but you do get to experience that. It was a positive experience for me and totally worth it. Maybe some people will read this and agree.

Overall, if I get the chance to talk about the relationship between video games and my real life service with gamers and other vets then this blog has achieved its primary function.

Another thing that I would like to mention is that I stay behind the power curve. I'm still working on leveling up on CoD 4 and have yet to get into MW2. Hopefully I will tackle some of the newer releases soon.

Anyway, [KILLBOX] is new and all blogs are stupid when they're new. The writer sometimes takes a while to settle into a pattern of posting, and the content itself can vary widely. This is a video game blog, but I do hope to tie in real life goings on with my discussion and reviews of games. That's the whole idea really: to link my experiences and my love for games in a meaningful way that other people might enjoy.

We'll see...