More Videos Coming

 In addition to Saturday review videos, there will now be a midweek video. The midweek videos will be many different things. The first midweek video will be the first in a new series "Worst Part of Great Games", the subject will be Resident Evil 4.

How I make videos.

I made the decision that I would release at least one video a week this year. Thus far, I have kept to that. This takes up a lot of time. This also takes a lot of work, both in making the videos, and coming up with ideas for the video.

First there is finding inspiration. As I mostly make game reviews lately, it has been as easy has finding a game I have a strong opinion on. Other time it might be an idea that has been cooking in my mind for a long time, or a particularly frustrating situation. I sometime write notes in my phone when I have inspiration strike, as it might be hours till I am home and can do anything else with the idea. 

Next is the prep for making a video. In the case of a game review it is fairly straight forward, capture game footage and look up a few facts about the game such as current price and available platforms. When doing other videos it is harder, as I have no video camera. So that means taking, or finding still images to use for a montage. This is why I have largely moved into making where game footage can be used. 

The next bit of work is "script". I put that in quotes, because I don't write out a full script of everything I will say. I write a page of two of notes, and then use them as jumping off points. That works better for me than scripting every word. Now depending on the topic, I might need more notes than others.  

Then comes recording the audio. I use Audacity, because it is free. I use a generic mic from Walmart because at 20$ it was the cheapest one I could find. It would be nice to upgrade the mic, but that cost money I don't have. Generally, I record in one long take, and then edit  it down. So in the raw audio there are flubs, and other noises, sometime ever alternate version of lines. 

Finally I use Vegas Pro 14 to actually make the videos. It is not the newest version of Vegas Pro, but it serves my needs, and I got it pretty cheap from Humble Bundle. It is has a lot of features, and I don't know how to use all of them, but I am working on that. 

Once the video is made, I upload it and schedule it to release Saturday at 6am.

My Longest Consecutive Gaming Session

 I have played video games for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories of them are of the Atari 5200, and on an old computer at my grandmother's house. However, I am not generally known for super long play sessions. Usually after about an hour and a half to two hours, and I need to stop for a bit. Illness or extreme circumstance have lead to slightly longer over the years, but very rarely more than 4 hours. However, there is one that stands out.

It was back in '08. I had just upgraded by computer with my friends old graphics card. I didn't have anything to test it with, well nothing other than a friends copy of Bioshock that he had forgotten to take with him a week earlier. Well couldn't exactly test it with Half-Life 1, so in went the copy of Bioshock.

 It had been a long day, and it was nearly midnight when I finished putting the card in and started installing Bioshock. Now I was not very into FPS games at the time, truth be told I am still not. Bioshock for whatever reason was very compelling to me.

I started playing almost exactly at midnight. I kept playing till I began to see the morning sun beam through my window with the sound of birds. At that point, I thought I would stop at the next obvious check point. I didn't, I kept playing. I didn't stop till I had finished the game, seeing the good ending for saving all the "little sisters". It was a few minutes after noon. 

I had sat and played Bioshock for 12 hours straight. Even as a child when home sick from school I don't think I ever did anything like that. No game has compelled me in quite that way since.

Schools are open...

Schools are open again, and I feel bad for the kids.  As a boy, I used the books I was issued at school to teach myself. I found any interaction with the teachers, and being around the kids to be a massive detriment learning. Really it was a kind of psychological torture.

When the schools closed due to covid, I thought how lucky the children were. They could learn, and not suffer. But that is over now. Hell has reopened. 

Rare Replay Review

Pretty much the best exclusive on Xbox platforms.

Dealing with Samsung.

Last July I bought a 43" 4k Samsung TV. It Broke in February. Did not even last a whole year. Dealing with Samsung in regards to this was an overall terrible experience.

So, early in February. the TV gets a horizontal row of dead pixels. I call Samsung, and they say a third party repair service will contact me, that never happens. On top of that, while waiting the screen goes out completely. Call Samsung back and they inform me that I was contacted (again, I wasn't) and that they are scheduled for two days from now between 9am and 4pm. Well, that is a ridiculous window of time. 

The thrid party repair company can't fix it. However, they think they can with parts that they need to order, will come back the following Monday between 9am and noon (at least the window was much smaller). They show up still in the 9 o'clock hour, and quickly find that no, it is still repairable. They say, that Samsung will contact me within the week as to what the next step in the process is. The week goes by, and a second week, and finally on the Monday of the third week I call Samsung again. 

Samsung tells me the repairmen still need to come one more time, and they will contact me. So not wanting to waste more time, I call the repairmen, they tell me "no, Samsung only has us come twice". The next day I call Samsung again, and am put on hold for just over two hours. 

After holding, I finally get somewhere. I am told I will receive an email telling me what to do, they will include a form to fill out, and a place to upload pictures of the TV and of the model number sticker that must be removed from the TV. Once the forms and pictures are submitted they will come collect the TV and I will be compensated. This will lead to me getting a voucher for 330$ in the Samsung store. I am a bit disappointed in that, but given how long this has already taken, I am happy that will get anything.

While waiting, I remove the sticker and take the pictures. What I get the form it says in bold red letters to not remove the sticker. At this point i am livid, as I think I have been lied to about the process. I fill out the form, but don't send the pictures yet, I am debating finding a lawyer. For the first time I get a call from Samsung, they "need the picture of the TV and of the sticker removed", I point out that the form I received said in bold red text not to remove the sticker, they tell me that only applies to TVs over 65". So I send the pictures. They say the TV will be picked up within the week, and a week later I will get a check. I was surprised by the check comment, but glad, and wondered if it was true.

Two weeks go by, they never contact me about picking up the TV, but I do actually receive a check, it is only for 319$, but it is still better than a voucher. I cashed it. Was glad to have real money. Still, I am waiting for the TV to be taken. 

 After a few more days I called Samsung. I am told they don't take TVs of this size. I ask why I was repeated told they would, he claims such a thing was never told to me. He then puts me on hold, claiming he needs some more information. He gets back just to tell me we are done, and is very rude about it. 

I used to like Samsung, was the second TV I had bought from them. Third if you count the computer monitor I use. I also have used several Samsung phones that have been reliable. However, after this experience I am hesitant to ever buy Samsung products again.

Mayflash F300

 So, I got a package in the mail containing a Mayflash F300. I didn't order it. It was addressed to me, but it had no explanation with it. Nor did I receive an e-mail explaining it. I am happy to receive free stuff, It is just a little weird to have it happen. I know that I don't have anywhere near enough eyes on me to make it worth sending me anything, still nice to have it happen. 

 So, I used this arcade stick for a bit, tested it with various consoles. and computers I have. Then I made a video about the experience. 

 

 

Over all, I would say it is a good product. Would consider buying other Mayflash products.