Hype is a bitch.

Hype makes people do stupid things like pre-order a game that doesn’t make good on everything the developer has promised. It seems like some developers are more like used car salesmen, saying whatever the customer wants to hear, hoping they won’t realize they’ve purchased a lemon before cash has been exchanged. Practices like these leave people skeptical about the “Next Best Game.” So is the case with Portal 2 (for me).

I have yet to play Portal 2 but this isn’t about the game-play or price or DLC; this is about misleading advertising. I loved Portal, mainly because it was a surprise and a breath of fresh air. Never before has learning to play a game been so fun and immersive. Being pitted against GLaDOS as an individual, forced to solve puzzles or die a painful death, it made the completion of the game all the more rewarding.
So here’s my question: Why did we/I hear nothing about the single-player campaign of Portal 2 before its release?

We all like the funny robots, running around firing off portals, working together, all the while Valve touting the new co-op element of the game. “Ooh, co-op sounds fun…” I thought. I don’t buy games just for co-op, though. As we all know the final result is a single-player campaign which is three times the length of the first game, as well as the added co-op missions (which were specifically designed for co-op play, not simple re-skins of single player puzzles). That’s clearly worth the price they’re asking, in my opinion.
What bothers me is how they advertised the frosting/icing without mentioning the cake it covered. Is that pandering? “Hey kids! You like sugar, right? Here’s a bunch of sugar!” but once you purchase it you realize “Hey, wait a second…there’s cake in my frosting!” Sugary frosting is good, I admit. It’s enjoyable, but without a cake to put it on you’re just a child or glutton. (okay, maybe this is getting away from me…)

I will buy Portal 2, I would have pre-ordered it ages ago if they had actually informed us that it was more than just co-op. Am I the only one bothered because they decided to market this less like a single-player game and more like witty Call of Duty with puzzles? That’s the only game I know of that people bought solely for multiplayer. Why bother making an entire game when your core audience won’t even play it? That was the reason for my skepticism about Portal 2, something I am glad to be wrong about.

Every few weeks I make my rounds to various movie related sites, looking for updates on current productions, new trailers for upcoming movies, etc. There hasn't been a whole lot to watch lately, however while looking at Apple's site I noticed a movie called "9". Curious, I clicked on the link. What I saw slightly confused me.

I don't have a PS3 and I've never played Little Big Planet, but I know enough about the game to see striking resemblances between the game and this movie. First thing I noticed was the material used for most of 9's body, along with a zipper right up the middle of his torso.

If any of this sounds familiar to anyone, pendelton21 posted something on December 24th about it. I guess I should research a little more before getting excited about posting on here. At least I got to make a cool image!

A friend of mine has been posting on here for a while. From time to time he'd send me links and I'd come check the site out. Finally it came down to the realization that I should just make an account here and start saying things along with the rest of you. My friend thought it would be a good idea, said there's always room for one more voice to be heard on this bit web we share.

Not much to say at the moment, still trying to figure out how to get around the site. It's like a lot of things, a little confusing at first, but eventually you get used to it and may find it pleasurable.