I will re-install preoper photediting software at some point

Hell, it has only been close to two years that I have been reading this site and about a year since I began commenting, it is about time I got of my arse and joined in with the fun...

First things first, the name is Andy but go by many others on the interweb.

These include:

* Triox (origins lost in the mist of time)
* Steadfest (intentional mis-spelling of steadfast - Etymology: Middle English stedefast, from Old English stedefæst, from stede + fæst fixed, fast
1 a: firmly fixed in place : immovable b: not subject to change <the steadfast doctrine of original sin — Ellen Glasgow>2: firm in belief, determination, or adherence : loyal)
* Introxicated (mis-spelling well, when I was intoxicated and trying to use long words - my drunk typing skills are lacking...)

Gaming started off for me with the Atari 5200 and Commedor64 but never really took off until I got my first IBM 286 Compatible machine... The height of technology dont you know. Many hours spent trying to get my laptimes down on Indy500 and battling tanks on, well, BattleTank. I'm pretty sure that the machine is still knocking around somewhere.

From there, gaming hit the Gameboy (original one - still working, still used) and the NES. Memorable mentions go the Rad Gravity, Solar Jetman and Solstice (NES) for destroying my childhood as well as a number of controllers. The SNES came along afterthat and destroyed a bit more of my innocence although not as many controllers this time. Both machines are still alive and well and boxed up in storage for the time being.

For a long time, that was it. Still turned them on to play, but they were toys to me, as with the many action figures that got just as much, if not more, use. Was definately a child of the 80's as Turtles, Centurions, Crash Test Dummies and Ghostbusters had me captivated.

It wasn't until the breakthroughs of Rise of the Triad, Wolfenstein and Doom in the mid 90's that pulled me into "serious" gaming. Then it all fell apart...

Fallout...

Final Fantasy 7...

Fallout 2...

These games almost caused me to fail my GCSE's (age 16 exams for non-english). So many hours, so many playthroughs. Even now, I can still close my eyes and play through each game in my head. Obviously getting crit's on everything but hey, it's my head...

PC gaming took up all my freetime. You name the game, I had played it. Consoles, they were benethe me. Gaming for the masses... The "casual" audience as it were. Yes, I was a PC Snobb / Elitist <- take your pick.

The N64, Dreamcast, NeoGeo, Saturn, PS, Gamecube and PS2 all sailed by without me caring. There was nothing on those systems that I couldn't get bigger better faster and more complicated on the PC. Heck, if the game didn't work first time, fantastic. It gave me the chance to rip into the innards of the machine and play, just so I could play later. This was living...

College came and went and uni snuck up on me. Ended up playing all night sessions on a daily basis. MMO's became my fix. Even more so, beta's became my fix. I was transfixed on getting into everything. Not so that I could play it first, but so that I could break it first. Not living at home with parents that would flick the circuit breakers to get me to go to bed (again - gameboy for the win on that front), communities, message boards, flame wars, discussions on everything and nothing with people that I'd never meet. Wow... This was living...

Then, the real world hit. Spending all day fixing machines, designing lifting and anchoring systems, beating head against the wall and dealing with life took it out of me. I lost my passion for gaming. It became a chore. I had seen it all before and nothing excited me.

I was ready to be taken out back like Ol' Rover and kiss the double barrel of gaming goodbyes. But something happened. Something new... It was only something indevelopment, it was something that may not see the light of day, but it was... interesting. It could be a Revolution in gaming...

Like a tiny spark in the dead of night, there it was. The first ray of sunshine after the darkest night. The feeling of the first quadruple espresso in the morning.

The fire had returned.

As soon as pre-orders were announced, I booked the afternoon of work to go and place my name in the ring for one. I was 21 on the list... The manager said they weren't sure of numbers but told me not to hold my breath on getting a release day console. I consoled myself by picking up a DS... After all, it was by the mighty Nintendo, had a lot of good reviews and had just launched a new Lite version. It looked beautiful. It played wonderfully.

Anyhow, about a month before release, I found out that I would be at a "Posh Do" as some might say, on the midnight half hour opening evening of the store. I wasn't too fussed as heck, I had found out they were only getting 20 consoles in. I had missed out by one... or so I thought.

At 00:21 (the image is burned into my retina perfectly) my mobile flashed up "Incoming call... Gamestation".

Someone had cancelled their pre-order. The remaining console would be held for me for one day only.

In my tuxedo, probably hung over but too giddy to notice, I was waiting outside Gamestation from 8am till it opened at 9. I wasn't the only one there, but hell, I was definately the best dressed.

I called in sick to work for the next two days...

Since then, I've gone on to get the psTriple and the 360. I've upgraded my TV just for games. I've put off moving into my own place and kept the lodgers so I could spend money on gaming.

I think I may have a problem.

I think I like it...

The Rig


The Games


The Chair - and the dog