So out of frustration, I decided fuck buying a cheap Madcatz controller and undertook the process of modding my own 360 controller into my own arcade stick.

#1 I don't know anything about soldering before starting this
#2 it turned out a bit expensive, since I had to buy a ton of things I was not aware I needed
#3 I Do know a bit about working with wood
#4 this was a crazy fucking idea



































What I did learn, its too damn big, soldering is hard and sure its kinda ugly, BUT IT WORKS.... video coming later

anywho...LINKS!
I bought the parts from.
http://www.happcontrols.com

and these sites helped me in the process to figure out wtf to do.
http://www.hacknmod.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/xbox360wired.jpg
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=605873
http://www.instructables.com/id/Xbox-360-Arcade-controller---Project-Gyokusho/

So im not sure if it came with age, or just fancy new graphics but something has happen to my ability game happily.

So I had been a avid gamer most of my life, I spent my youth dumping many quarters in to “Street Fighter 2” machines, but for about 3 or 4 years I stepped away from gaming, mainly just because I could not afford to buy anything (and im poor).

Then after a long hiatus on gaming I finally got to check out this epic “Half-Life” game everyone was raving about. So I had gone to a friends house, sat down on his PC and started to play this fucking amazing game but something odd was happening. I started to get a stomach ache and I didn't think much of it but I kept playing till I got to the point to where I HAD to lay down.

I didn't think much of it, cause I didn't own a PC at the time that could run half-life, so most of the games (rgps, platformers) I was playing didn't have that effect on me.




Then came the day I got a copy of GTA3, and I realized every time I played the game it made me feel dizzy and nauseous.

Then I realized the sad realization that this awesome game was not going to be played cause my stomach. And since that day I keep finding myself playing games and never really sure which ones are going to make me feel like shit and which ones are just fine.

But yeah, fuck you motion sickness...

So I finally break down and get myself a ps3. I don't care that there is a msg4 bundle coming out next week, I work, and I have zero interest in going all over town to find one. So today i have the day off and what do I do? I tear apart my entertainment center, cause cause there is too much crap in there for my ps3 to fit.

So the first thing I do, is realize that I have entirely way too much crap in my room. And I open up my box of spare cables that I have, and start to look for junk so I can zip ties and other assorted things needed while starting this endeavor.



And once I get all the junk off the tv stand, I realize I don't have enough space for all the things I want to put on there, so I rip apart the backings and relocate a few items where my cds would usually go.



So after 2-3 hours of zip typing and creatively relocating unnecessary cables, I now have a ps3 set up very nice and neat.






and this is my finished product!
(PSN gamertag is “sleepingagain” a few adds would be nice, its a lonely freinds list)



Btw, here are a bonus pet pic, of one of my dogs and one of my turtles

It was around October 07, I had been on Destructoid for a few weeks, reading posts and commenting randomly never really getting too into the site. But one fateful day I was bored and was looking through the podcast page and out of curiosity I downloaded a episode of Podtoid and RetroforceGO. I would listen to them an enjoyed them but I never kept up to date with any of them.

So I found both Podcasts highly entertaining, but I started to wonder why Podtoid was not being updated anymore and I wanted to listen to something new, so I started to delve into the older episodes of Retroforce.



Then something odd was starting to happen. The folks of Retroforce were starting to become fleshed out individuals in my mind and in a weird way starting to becoming a comforting voice to listen too. The more familiar I was becoming with each member, the more I started to realize that these people are amazing. So I started to listen to the podcast more and on a regular basis.

At the same time I was starting to find my ideas about being a gamer were changing. My whole life I have been a gamer but I always had the mentality that once a new system was out, it was time to discard the older games and move on. When I got a Nintendo, I dumped my Atari stuff, when I get a Super Nintendo I got rid of my NES stuff, and I repeated this pattern all the way through the recent purchase of a 360.

It almost feels like I was brainwashed by the hype that is most mainstream video game coverage and in a weird way, Retroforce helped me feel more like a individual than just every other typical non informed Gamestop shopper.

So I started to backtrack a bit and started to think I need to replace my ps2, I needed to get another Super Nintendo and I am still waiting till I get some extra cash before I buy a Dreamcast. There are so many games across so many old platforms that I needed to play. That focus on new games and new graphics was just stupid in the end, to dismiss what are classics was my biggest mistake. It was not necessary to dump all my new games either, the focus was more on being open and willing to go back and play games I missed or that I loved.

A few months have passed and I went back and listened to EVERY single Retroforce podcast ever made.

I forgot what episode I was listening too but I started to hear stories of all the hosts past. Then it got more personal for me, since the hosts are just regular folks and have the same gaming pasts that I had. I recall the stories Colette was telling of having a childhood of having not many friends, and just being a geek in general that I started to connect with. They all started to feel like people that I can totally relate too and that is a very comforting feeling knowing that I was not the only one that grew up a bit odd. The feeling that people like me existed was the breaking point in the end, once I knew I was not alone in the world, was the moment when I realize I was in love with the podcast, hosts, ideology and just what Retroforce strived to convey.

Now as a gamer a few things have changed. My week does not start till I download my weekly dose of Retroforce. I am finding myself going back and replaying games that I have not touched since I was a wee little gamer in the SNES/NES days.



And the last thing I really need to say is thank you to Dyson, Colette, Chad and Topher. I hope I get to meet you folks in the future, cause your small endeavor in podcasting means a lot to me

I am really starting to get frustrated with my loss of my gaming love as of late. Even with the recent purchase of a new ps2 (my old one died) I am still feeling like I lost it. I never really understood how I could fall into this void or how it could happen ever really. But now I am stuck in this limbo where I want to game but I have zero interest in trying to recapture the lust I once had for my hobby.

Its not like I don't play anymore, I still dabble in a few games but I cant sit there like in the olden days and play for hours and hours. And the last time I really was obsessed over a game, was when I was playing World of Warcaft which I find might be the reason that gaming in general just frustrates me.

I spent 2 years of my life in Azeroth, living my life around a game and its not like I was having a horrible time. I actually made friends I will have for years to come, and had a ton of fun just enjoying the content that blizzard provided but once leaving the shores of Azeroth is when I started having issues.

I had purchased a 360 over the summer and a copy of Gears of War and for the most part enjoyed it. But what I found is that, I would only play for a hour and just want to turn it OFF, but I never really thought nothing of it. And I played many games after that with the same lack of enthusiasm and at times I would find glimmer of hope in games that I found amazing, but even with gems like Bioshock or COD4 I still could only play for a bit of time.

I just don't know if I lost my mojo or newish games just bored the fuck out of me. But the last time and current time I found some glimmer in my love for gaming, was not with a game at all but more of the discovery of Destructoid that I found myself hopeful for my long time hobby.

And I have no fucking clue where this is going, its just a bit frustrating even with time to play games, half the time I just want to avoid my systems. I just wish I knew how to get out of this funk, or find that game that will get me back into the fold.

i have no real words for this, i just have to show folks this thing



i just feel dirty from watching it