Peachy Project Updates

So my brother has given my family and I no ideas for Christmas except for an Xbox 360. While that would normally be not too difficult a problem, in looking for one, my parents have become very confused on requirements and prices. Could you guys help?

They've looked around EVERYWHERE and while they found the Xbox 360 for $199 at its best price, to even play it (or so the store said- I'm not an Xbox 360 person, so I don't know), with all the attachments and requirements it will take to set up and function properly, it comes to $299.

Since my parents are helping me through college and getting a few Christmas presents for me as well (which I have to admit, while not nearly as pricey as a new gaming system, are still a little expensive), they really need the best price they can find.

So what ARE the required tools/cords/etc., to work the Xbox 360 and where can we find the best price for the system? Furthermore, what is that price?

Thanks a bunch, everyone.

Wai Wai

• 00:47 I was so tired and distracted by working at the store that I almost forgot to checkup on the support emails for work. Daddy reminded me LOL #
• 00:52 Damn. I should have emailed myself the text file with the support email templates. #
• 01:11 As if I am answering support emails instead of relaxing with tea and watching Matthew Macfadyen right now. Outraged... at myself [/fail] #
• 01:21 Okay, Jay Chou makes everything better! #nowplaying: 周杰倫 - 菊花台 bit.ly/5LW2qe ♥ so 'effing beautiful! #
• 02:13 HAHA~ I like these people who are replying to my late-night support emails at 2AM #
• 02:26 Har har. Plowed through the emails like a tank. I guess I should go to bed now, I have to wake up earlyish to go to the store. #
• 13:39 Another inpromptu Chinese lesson with @conartiste at the store... #
• 14:36 "Christmas Shoes" is the dumbest 'effing song but @conartiste's vitriolic hatred for it makes me unable to hate it. It's just funny now lol #
• 00:02 Time for Matthew Macfadyen? I think so. Watching "Little Dorrit" ♥ #

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Shorty; ShuiMei

I felt the sudden random urge to make some Silent Hill 4 icons 8D (No idea where that came from, it only happenes every few years that I feel like making icons lol.)
Thought I might share them with you :)



( 9 more under the cut )

I'm in the process of finishing a Marudai to give my mother for Christmas and thought I'd find a way to put the word Kumihimo on it in Japanese calligraphy. From what I have read it seems the most appropriate way to do this would be to use the hiragana characters ku-mi-hi-mo which would be rendered like this:

くみひも

Is this correct?

(I'd hate to carefully letter anything offensive on a woodworking piece I've worked so hard on...)

:)

Alex Wollangk

Arrived safely in Sydney after a rainy but pleasant 6-hour drive from Lawrencetown, with Bill's classmate. Even the cat was well behaved (Bill and the cat were dropped off in Port Hastings, to return to Port Hood.)

Lasagna, wine and chocolate here to enjoy. Yum.

--

Our grades were posted online today.

Web Design I - 98
Illustration III - 98
Design III - 96
History of Graphic Design I - 99
Typography I - 97
Pre-Press I - 99

Conclusion: community college is pie.

I've got a survival horror blogcrew going on H E R E, if anyone's interested!

Title: Happy Holidays 2009!
Artist: K. Kitsu @ vulpes_demonica.
Character: Reno.
Rating: Mostly SFW.
Warnings: Skin?

I'd like to see some intelligent gamers chime in on this:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6244419.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2

"Microsoft patent details technology to make 360's avatars have same physical appearance as their real-world counterparts--and thereby promote physical fitness."

( Article Under The Cut )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00phmrs/Games_Britannia_Joystick_Generation/

Interesting series: the previous 2 programmes are about board games, but this is about videogames. Enthusiastic, nostalgic - but why no mention of 'Dungeon Keeper'? BEST PC GAME EVER!!!!111eleventy-one!!!

(I may be feeling a wee bit overenthusiastic here, but you play an Evil Overlord destroying a cute world and massacring the Lord of the Land, Avatar of Light. What's not to love, hm?)

ETA: I'm informed that DK wasn't actually a British game, chiz: I must have been misled by the Narrator's dark English accent. If you get the chance, give it a go: it's a great game.

ETA ETA: actually, wikipedia says DK is British. No matter, it's still a fun game - dark and funny at the same time.

Although 2009 boasted many fantastic voiceover performances in the video game industry - Mark Hamill as The Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum and Jack Black as Eddie Riggs in Brutal Legend come quickly to mind - perhaps the most accomplished overall cast was found in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Why? Well, let the voice of Chloe Frazer explain a bit about how Naughty Dog handles their business; when it comes to preparing an interactive movie of sorts, you need some highly professional and well-trained individuals, right? Joystiq spoke to actress Claudia Black about her first time doing motion capture for a game, and she talked about the general experience:

"Yes, this was my first motion capture experience. I am a huge proponent of it because I think what impressed me about Naughty Dog's is that they respect and appreciate the magic that occurs over time between the performers. That you can have a great script, and you can have great voice actors in the booth, but you are never going to recreate that incredible alchemy that occurs with people in a room together.

( Read More )

Hello!
At the moment i am busy with my term work, ant the theme is "Mass Media Language in the Japanese Language".
So, for now I'm gathering all kind of info, and I would appreciate it very much if you could advise some sourses concerning this particular thing.

Also, may be you know some special words that are used much in mass media (Internet, TV), I will include them as well.

Thank you!

A guy on the Handmade Gifts community asked if anyone had a cross stich pattern of Samus for his GF to make for xmas.

I figured you ladies would be highly qualified to assist him, so here is the link to his post:

http://community.livejournal.com/handmade_gifts/350879.html

I've no idea if you've heard of Ice-Pick Lodge. Maybe if you read a few sites that've generated a small cult following around Pathologic. But mostly this Russian developer is a blip on the radar and really, they shouldn't be. In a time where games treat us like we're five and suffering from a cerebral handicap, Ice-Pick Lodge takes the other extreme. Their latest game, The Void, believes with all its barren non-heart that you're capable and intelligent and beautiful. Okay, not beautiful, but if you've a thing for Russian bleakness, then in their book you're pretty gorgeous.

( I'm putting on my Pretentious Gamer robe and a Hat of Avant-Garde +50. I'm not kidding about the pretentious thing )

I highly recommend it to people who liked Planescape: Torment, the Silent Hill series, Sanitarium, VtM: Bloodlines, the Half-Life 2 mods "Dear Esther" and "Korsakovia" or don't mind games that demand a lot but also reward you with enough material to base a 10,000-word paper or two on. And it's cheap! Available on AmazonUK for a measly £14.61. Also available on Steam and Direct2Drive for about $20.

Wai Wai

• 01:38 Yumm. I love Matthew Macfadyen's voice, it's so pleasant and textured. I could listen to him talk all day~ #
• 02:40 HAHAHA. The Circumlocation Office is the greatest thing ever. Attacks on bureaucratic inefficiency bring the lulz. #
• 10:25 Listening to @JJ_Lin's new album with @conartiste in the car on the way to the store #
• 12:32 Snacking on tea and digestives. I guess all those BBC dramas have gone to my head... #
• 14:47 I see the crazy bitch in the other jewellery store is up to her usual tricks. Stay classy, hai por! #
• 16:31 LOL when @conartiste was young she thought Jesus grew up to become Santa Claus. Hilarious. #
• 00:02 OMG. Preview of @jonesong's new song ♥ 另一种温暖: bit.ly/63227j Oh~ how I have missed his soothing voice and gorgeous falsetto! #

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Shorty; ShuiMei

Final Fantasy x-2 for an early Christmas present. Is this any good?

Okay, so hey.
Here's my conundrum. I have a Playstation 2, a Wii, a DS and access to a PS3.
I want a PSP, but only to play 2 games on. Once I'm done with them, I'll probably never pick the thing up again. If I were to get a PSP it'd have to be a worthwhile investment (I'd have to use it more than for just those two games).
Can anyone recommend some good games for the PSP? Or am I just gonna waste my money on it if I don't end up using is aside from these two (Dissidia Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep), and it'll just sit and gather dust and be of use to no one?

Title: Her Catastrophe
Characters: Barret Wallace, Marlene Wallace
Rating: PG to PG13 for a bit of language, nothing too terrible
Summary: Armageddon comes tomorrow, and Barret – she ain't got no answers. Female!Barret, brief reflections.
Notes: Written for starsplinter as a Christmas present. :) Please enjoy!

That, now that's a real mindblow...

I have a problem.

I have an older (3 years maybe? Online its warranty says it expired two years ago on the 17th) Xbox 360 that does not play game discs. I'm not sure that it could ever play original Xbox games anyway since I believe it's an "Arcade" model (I got the thing used as a gift) but it doesn't play the 360 games I've tried either.

Anyway, I really want to start getting some used 360 games and such and make use of this thing, but I don't know what I should do. Microsoft lets you send consoles in for repair but it costs $100 (I'm guessing they pay shipping since there's an option to print the shipping label). On the other hand, a brand new Arcade would be $200 (getting an Elite is right out of the question). There are people on Craigslist who offer to do repairs for $80, but that's a good chunk of money for no guarantee and I don't know about their reliability or honesty. Also, since I already have two controllers and perfectly good cables and the HDD and everything I really don't want to buy an entire new system . . . I just want a working console!

Does anyone have any advice? What would you do in my situation? 

I figured some of you would me interested in these holiday sales. It looks like I'll be spending a LOT more than I thought I would this month.

Machinarium download for $10
If you haven't heard about Machinarium you NEED to watch this trailer. It normally goes for $20 but you can get it + Samorost2 + soundtracks for $10 straight from the developers (only until Dec 25th).

Good Old Games sale
Good Old Games is having a massive sale on ALL of their games:
Tex Murphy 1+2 FREE
Fallout 1/2 $3.89
Freespace 2 $3.89
Simon the Sorcerer 1/2 $3.59
Beyond Good and Evil $6.99

... you get the picture.

I was in Gamestop today, just browsing and I randomly spotted a wireless controller for the Paystation 2. I never knew they made wireless controllers for that system and I could really use one. My couch is so far from the TV that whenever I play my PS2 I need to put the system in the middle of the floor for the cable on the controller to reach the couch. This is dangerous because it can be tripped over if someone is trying to get past me (and on numerous times my dad has tripped over the controller cable itself trying to step over it, even though I place it on the ground to make it easier for him). I started doing some research online and came up with a few different options for wireless controller manufactures. The top thee on my list, in order are:

1.) Officially Licensed PS2 Wireless Controller - Black
2.) Logitech PlayStation 2 Cordless Action Controller
3.) Gamestop PS2 Wireless Controller

I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with these items and could tell me how they perform. How are the feel of the buttons and how does it feel like in your hand? Too small, big, etc.? How long is the battery life? Can you buy rechargeable batteries for it? Maybe a batter pack like with 360 controllers?

Thanks for your help!

Kay