I'm an Alice in Chains fan, have been since the 90s, when I was too young to understand what the hell Layne Staley was talking about in "Rooster" but I still loved the band. Even now with the black afro man replacing a deceased white man, I still love the band and can't wait for the new album.
Looks like I'll have more than just a new album to get excited for.

Got this in my email inbox today:

AIC Rock Band Cluster
To coincide with the release of Black Gives Way to Blue, AIC has partnered with Rock Band to release two very special download packs. The first download pack, available on Tuesday, will feature "A Looking In View", "Check My Brain", "No Excuses", "Rooster", and "Would?". Keep a close eye on AliceInChains.com for more news about the release of the second download pack coming soon.

Looks to me like we're gettin us some Alice in Chains for Rock Band! And a second batch at a later time!
Guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow when HMX releases their official updates, but I'm guessing it's pretty legit coming direct from Alice in Chains.


Now if only we'd get some Breaking Benjamin or COLD.

So, the avid readers of my blog (both of you) will know that in my last blog entry I talked about how I entered the contest on this site to win a sweet ass Pepsi themed Rock Band guitar!

Let's show that sumbitch again to make this blog look bigger than it really is:



Isn't it pretty?
AWESOME NEWS!!

The strum bar is fucked.
How's that for bad luck? Hahaha... Fifty of the things exist and mine is pseudo-busted. I fired up Rock Band to play the Green Day 3 pack. Had some issues with Know Your Enemy, but nothing major. Some overstrums, some missed strums. Then came East Jesus Nowhere which went well for MOST of the song up until that really fast part after the solo. It was missing EVERYTHING in that part and it wasn't my timing because I played the song later on again with my old Guitar Hero guitar and I did just fine. Finally, 21 Guns started and I was getting nothing.

So my problem switched between strumming waaay too much and then not at all. Seemed like the problem cut in and out, but it's not worth risking it to play.
So that's my luck, I finally get my first real win in a Destructoid contest and the strum bar is messed up. But hey, I'm not upset at all. I actually kind of laugh at the situation. In the end, it's not even the prize that matters to me, it felt good to finally feel like a winner on this site and that means a whole lot more to me than whether or not the prize works like it's supposed to. Hell, I think I'm more bummed I didn't get a Dtoid sticker to put on my van than the fact that the guitar didn't work right. And on the bright side, it still looks frickin AWESOME.

In other news, if you've followed my blogs at ALL (or you decide to read back on my previous entries) you'll see that I love the site Goozex a lot. I've posted in the past about some of the amazing games that I've gotten from the site and I wanted to add a quick note in here to mention that Goozex is enjoying it's 3rd birthday. THREE YEARS the site has been active and they've saved a shitload of gamers a shitload of money, not to mention all the rare games that have been traded on there.
I mean really, I've gotten some amazing gems from that site... Black label Symphony of the Night, Nintendo Puzzle Collection, a still sealed Lunar 2 Complete, Tales of Destiny... Hell, I just recently got an import copy of Altered Beast for the PS2!
Bottom line is that Goozex is amazing and if you haven't checked out the site yet, now is the time to do it.
They're good peoples.

So, a little bit ago, Destructoid had that contest where you had to show yourself rocking out. There were a bunch of entries and the winner would be the lucky recipient of a Pepsi themed Rock Band Guitar. Only 50 to ever be made! (and by made, I mean that only 50 normal Rock Band guitars had Pepsi themed skins put on them.)

So anyways, this was my entry here:




My explanation behind the picture is that I knew of the contest, but didn't really know what to do. I figured that everybody would be entering pictures of themselves holding a Rock Band/Guitar Hero instrument making a stupid face and rocking out. For the most part I was right. Some people even went a step further to play ALL instruments and shop it all together to look like they cloned themselves into one giant, abortion of nature band. Swear to god, if I ever saw a full rock band of twins, triples, quadruplets, whatever, I'd shit myself and run away. Fast.
I was up at a Game Store picking up a game for a friend of mine and my wife and I went to the grocery store next to us to pick up some drinks for the drive home. Walking out, I saw a display of lawn furniture and inspiration struck.
I guess the judges liked that I was literally rocking out with a rocking chair, so I won the big prize!
Fast forward a few weeks and BAM



New guitar to rock out with!
I must say, though, that I'm REALLY disappointed there was no actual Dtoid swag in the box with this. No stickers? Beanies? Condoms? My very own Destructoid Lear Jet?
Oh well, at least this baby has batteries! I am ret 2 go.


One final note for those reading. In a previous blog I mentioned some life changes I was going through and that I'm selling a good deal of my game collection. If you haven't seen that entry yet, I ask that you check it out, check out the sale thread and maybe buy some stuff.
And NO, Funktastic, I'm not selling this guitar.

I've been going through a somewhat bad period in my life.
I've always been a heavy guy. Husky, big boned, whatever you wish to call it. But for the past few years things have been getting bad. I've been packing on weight pretty steadily without really noticing.
There was a stretch with one job where I was losing weight, but an injury ended up stopping that position and the weight I lost came back with some more added on.
This has lead to a few problems. First off I have gout. It's a buildup of acid in your system. The body can't process all of the acid so it crystallizes and lodges in your joints, usually in the ankle or toes. It is INCREDIBLY painful... On top of that I've had back and knee issues for years on end. I've had knee problems for going on 10 years now, some of it related to an early job stocking groceries and the strain put on my knees.
Anyways, I'm rambling a bit with that.
I went to a doctor for some help with the gout problems and after some bloodwork and tests, I was told that my health is a pretty big issue right now and if I don't change my lifestyle, I could be dead in a year.
That kind of scares the shit out of you to hear news like that.

So you might be asking, "How the hell does this have anything to do with me?"
Easy.
I've made a conscious decision to change my lifestyle for the better and part of that is to unload the gigantic collection of games I've amassed over the many years I've played. This doesn't mean I'm giving up gaming for good though, so no worries. All in all, I'm probably getting rid of a good 95% of my game collection and that's where YOU come in. I made a huge listing of all the games I am offering for sale on a messageboard I frequent. If you are reading this, I fully invite you to look at the list to see if there is anything you would like to buy. If there is, send me an email (joecam at joecamnet dot com) with a small list (don't go asking about 30 games unless you can afford all of them). When you send your list, you must make offers on the games. I'm not setting prices. It's up to you to find what you like, make an offer and we work out a deal.
PLEASE NOTE ONE MAJOR THING...
This is not a desperation sale. I don't expect to get full retail value for my games, but I also don't want to get lowballed. I know what my games are worth and I would like to get a worthwhile amount for my games. If my games don't all sell, then no big deal. If I want to get ripped off, I'll take cash from GameStop. It'll save me a bunch of post office trips.

So yes. A change in my lifestyle means that you could potentially score some pretty nice games for pretty decent prices. I've already unloaded a bunch of good stuff and I have plenty more to go around. The money made on this sale is going to be used to pay for a much needed vacation and to start buying healthier food and getting a gym membership so I can work out instead of just play games all the time.
Comments here are welcome, but if you want to make an offer on games, please email me. I'll get those long before I get to the comments here.
Also note that this list has been mentioned in a few places and the list on the board may not be 100% updated at all times. I will be treating offers on a first come, first serve basis so you may make an offer on a game after somebody else. There's a huge list and a lot of interest, so bear with me if you send an email. I also work third shift and sleep during the day, so keep that in mind as well when it comes to getting a reply from me.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the list.

Massive Sale Thread Here

Rock out with your cock out.

I've faced many asshole bosses in my days. I've been a gamer for a good 90% of my 28 years alive. Started off with Colecovision as a youngin and I'm still going strong to this day.
I've taken them all down. Ganon, Bowser, Robotnik, Kefka, Shang Tsung, Lavos...the list can go on for days, but I don't remember most of the actual names. Old age I guess.
There was one foe that crushed my soul. Made me more frustrated than any other and it's name is "Visions" from Rock Band 2. Granted, this isn't the final "boss" of the game, but it's at least a main boss, maybe even a Goro type son of a bitch that's harder than the final boss.
It all started innocently enough. I'm not the best Rock Band/Guitar Hero player in the world, but I can hold my own on Hard and I'm about halfway there on Expert. I've gotten my fair share of Gold Star songs, I download every new song I can and my gamerscore isn't too shabby either.
So I sat down to play me some Endless Setlist on Hard. Just went wee wee, so I was going for Steel Bladder as well. I figured I was doing pretty well in the game. I didn't play every single song yet, but this would be a great way to do so. Take em all down in one shot. A few hours pass and I'm doing awesome. 5 stars on everything so far. A few toughies are coming up. 4 stars on Shackler's Revenge. 4 Stars on Get Clean. It's ok, I didn't expect 5 stars on everything. The end is coming and only a few songs left. A new song starts up. "Visions" by the band Abnormality.
Keep in mind to this point I haven't failed anything, I haven't paused, I haven't passed off the guitar. It's been me and Rock Band 2. Alone. Intimate. But I didnt' know what was coming. I've heard some horror stories about this song, but I didn't know what it was. But hey, I can hold my own, I mean, it's only on HARD, right? It's not Expert or anything. Plus hell, Painkiller is supposed to be the "final" song and I already got a 3 star on that a few setlists back.
I failed the fucking song at 9%.
I was unprepared for the torrent of notes that I saw before me. I was amazed that this was on Hard difficulty. I had to double check I was playing Rock Band 2 and not Guitar Hero III (zing). Alas, my fears came true. Hours into my bid for Steel Bladder and my dreams of that achievement were dashed with this song. I couldn't give up though. My hands ached, but I could still get this setlist completed. Steel Bladder isn't that big of a deal anyways, but I'll be damned if I came this far to fail out and stop.
For two hours I kept playing Visions. Over and over and over again. I was subjected to the mindless noise that is this god forsaken song and after two hours, I felt defeated. I though, "one more go" and I honestly believed I could do it. I felt like I was getting the rhythm somewhat down. The strumming was akward, but I knew I could do it. I had to try. I had to give it my best shot. I mustered up all of my might and strength and gave it one final shot.
I failed at 16%. Sadly, that was the best I'd done in those 2 hours.
16%.
Sixteen.
One six.
What in the hell...

My hopes for conquering the Endless Setlist were gone. My pride had been raped on the pinball table called Visions. I couldn't do it. I just could not conquer that song.
Many months would pass. I never dared try the Endless setlist again. No, not until I could conquer the beast that was Visions. I would try the song every time I played Rock Band 2. Whether it was for a half hour to play my new DLC or a 3 hour marathon session with friends. My best score to date was 18%. I had friends who claimed they were pros try it and watched them fail in a barrage of curses and tears...well, maybe not the tears, but there was plenty of profanity. This inhuman song could not be conquered. I was giving up hope on ever taking down the Endless Setlist. I mean, I could do it on Medium, but that's kinda gay. A real Rock Band player would at LEAST have it on Hard, right? I could even 100% the damn song on Medium, which makes that 18% on Hard a real kick in the balls.

March 23, 3009.
I just watched my little sister play her custom setlist of Panic at the Disco, Weezer and Hollywood Undead. She was done but I told her to try Visions. I laughed as she failed it on Medium. I asked her if she wanted to see how hard it was on Hard and she obliged.
I fired up the song...played....failed.
21%.
What was this? 21? I hit the twentys?? I tried again, but only came up with 19%. Still better than my previous record of 18%, that's for sure. One more try, for shits and giggles.
I start the song, hit all 3 star power phrases in that beginning section and then the time change hits and I'm still in the green. I'm just going crazy on that strum bar. I dip halfway down and realize I should use that Star Power. I tilt back and just keep hammering away on the guitar.
All of a sudden the notes slow down. I made it to a point in the song I've never experienced before...the easy section. I'm going to town, hitting every single note I could because I've seen videos of the song online. I know the middle is the easy part, but it WILL get hard again. It WILL destroy me again. It WILL make me cry and curse and throw my guitar at my cat and/or sister in a violent rage.
I am perfect so far in this section. I'm hoarding every single bit of Star Power that I can. I'll be damned if I use it here because I know I'll need to save it.
The song picks back up again and my hands are hurting. I'm playing this game like I've never played it before, like a man possessed. A possessed man who is still barely hitting any notes, but he's hitting just enough.
I use that star power I'd saved up and I don't relent. Then it happened...



The beast was slain. I was in the red to finish the song, but goddammit I finished the song!
I HAD DEFEATED VISIONS! I BEAT VISIONS!!
Two weeks later and I still can't believe that I'm typing those words. I BEAT VISIONS...ON HARD.
As a matter of fact, I actually beat it a SECOND TIME a few days later and improved my score to over 39,000. Still 3 stars, but shit, I BEAT VISIONS.
I sat there, mouth wide open. I sit there for a good 2 minutes and my sister asks if I'm ok.
At the top of my lungs I proclaim, "HOLY SHIT, I BEAT THAT FUCKING SONG!!! I ACTUALLY BEAT THAT FUCKING SONG!!!!!"
My sister was quite surprised as I do my best to keep my language clean around her since she's my little sister and all, but I couldn't hold back. I jumped up and down, cheering. I took that picture with my cell phone and sent it to everybody I could. I even posted threads on messageboards I visit just to proclaim that I had finally beaten that song.
The rush I felt when I finally conquered that song was the biggest rush I had in gaming in years. Bigger than when I beat Gitaroo Man, bigger than when I finished Final Fantasy VII, and dammit, I felt more proud in that moment than I did standing at the altar ready to marry my wife. It was a feeling I'll never forget and a sensation I still can't believe I can experience.
My next goal? To finally complete the Endless Setlist...

1.) My middle name is Anthony. Not a fan of it, try to ignore it's existence, but what the fuck I might as well tell you guys who I don't know at all.

2.) I had the greatest wedding ever. How so? First off, all of the wedding music was performed by The OneUps. On top of that, some guests included Sean "Ailsean" Stone, the guys from X-Strike Studios and Dtoid's own Dale North. I still have family members asking me when I'm going to do it again because they had so much fun.

3.) I was the victim of a huge robbery about 8 years ago that claimed most of my video game collection. Among the victims were my PSX collection (including Valkyrie Profile, Tales of Destiny and Lunar 1 & 2) as well as all of my Nintendo/SNES games. Among THOSE victims? Boxed FFIII, Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger. Amazingly they didn't take my GameCube or Dreamcast. Thank god I was still able to rock out some PSO.

4.) I've been addicted to Final Fantasy XI. Yes, while I spend my life shunning WoW and any other PC MMOs, I was well addicted to FFXI both on the PS2 and the 360. The thing? My addiction would last 3-4 months and then go away for a year... Then I'd come back as if I never stopped at all for a few months. I'm sure I'll have a relapse soon.

5.) I fucking love EarthBound Ok, that's not much of a secret, but I'll take any excuse I can to talk about Bound Together. Man I feel like I can still do so much more with that.......................

6.) I spent 3 days in jail. Yeah, it's true. I missed a court date and despite getting it all settled and taken care of the following morning (I got my days mixed up) I was picked up for missing the date. The problem? For some reason I was conisdered a threat risk and was kept under "psych watch" for 3 days. I never got my phone call and my family and fiance didn't know where I was the whole time. Also, my cellmate had some form of bowel problem that caused him to shit like 5 times a day and every time was noisy and incredibly smelly.

7.) I used to be a hardcore Nintendo fanboy. I still somewhat am, but with the Wii my allegiance has swayed. For a while I thought I was a Sony fanboy, but then I played Smash Bros on the N64 and realized I wasn't a Sony Fanboy, I was a Squaresoft fanboy. Alas, that too would soon fade as the quality of games dipped and innovation took a backseat to graphics. Today? While still a Nintendo Fanboy at heart, I'm loving my Xbox 360 more and more every day. And to think, when the original Xbox came out I hated it with a passion.

8.) My dream in life is to own my very own game store. I know that brick and mortar stores and getting harder and harder to keep open, but I honestly feel that I have ideas and layouts that would not only promote repeat customers, but also create a huge headache for EBGameStop. Fuck that place and the shithole they've become.

9.) I HATE to preorder games. Hate it. The only time I'll ever do it is when I get something free for doing it. Otherwise, I'm an Amazon buyer so I know I won't have to worry about my local GameStop only getting enough games to cover preorders.

10.) Now that I have EarthBound back, the gaming item I want more than ANYTHING else right now is a Panasonic Q. That is one awesome looking system!