This has been, so far, a great year for fighting games. Either in terms of release or announcements. The last leg of 2009 will count in this too. We got Tekken 6, Street Fighter 4, SUPER Street Fighter 4, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. We also got the announcements of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Mortal Kombat 9. While MVC3 isn't out until June '11, gameplay footage shows absolute excellence. MK9 will be out around Christmas time and it also looks awesome. If you missed old school MK's way of doing business, rejoice. If you awaited 10 years for MVC3, be as joyful as the people that waited for Toy Story 3!
Speaking of year of the fighter, this doesn't just extend to video games. This goes for us as a country, whose economy is on its knees. This isn't the time for peace be still. This is a time to fight to survive and stay alive. Our economy is in a similar situation as someone put into a trap from Saw. If we really cherish our lives, our ideals and our dreams, this is the moment to kick, scream, stomp and lacerate our way through. Believe me, it's been a weird year so far for me and the fam and my heart goes out to everyone else that's scratching and survivin' for some good times.
Blogs by Ron Gunz
6.28.2010
6.26.2010
update on Walk This Realm... and the journey continues!
Hey there Gunzlingers,
Just thought I'd keep you posted in regards to my second book that I'm working on. So far, I've got 14 pages done and quite a bit more to go. As I keep writing and drawing, I find how different Walk This Realm will be in contrast to Taking Over Me. For those who haven't even glanced at the first one, feel free to buy online at lulu.com or email me with the subject titled "your debut" and I'll send you a pdf copy of the book.
Whereas my first one goes through a jumble of emotions and styles, this sophomore effort is looking much darker, grittier and, dare I say, pretty damn grunge. It seems that my hands like to write about depression, anger, lust, hope and expectation an awful lot. The artwork itself, all of which I am drawing and painting, seem to coincide with the vibes as well.
The way I see it, my writing reflects the battles that I have going on within my spiritual journey. Usually, so the thinking goes, we like to go from happy to happier. The problem here is how shallow it sounds. The reason it sounds as such is because there is no scratching of the surface. It is as though people expect growth without brokenness. You can't expect life to really shine and happiness to glow without piercing and confronting the legions of depression, anger, sin, death and disarray that bombard us from day to day. It's ironic yet comforting that such mighty things such as joy, comfort and peace are born out of the decimation of legions of horror. The very fact that this little detail is usually overlooked at times is a bit staggering to me. Everyone wants success yet a lot of times they forget the most important elements-- the blood, sweat and tears, the sacrifices and the suffering that tend to chip at us night and day.
Just thought I'd keep you posted in regards to my second book that I'm working on. So far, I've got 14 pages done and quite a bit more to go. As I keep writing and drawing, I find how different Walk This Realm will be in contrast to Taking Over Me. For those who haven't even glanced at the first one, feel free to buy online at lulu.com or email me with the subject titled "your debut" and I'll send you a pdf copy of the book.
Whereas my first one goes through a jumble of emotions and styles, this sophomore effort is looking much darker, grittier and, dare I say, pretty damn grunge. It seems that my hands like to write about depression, anger, lust, hope and expectation an awful lot. The artwork itself, all of which I am drawing and painting, seem to coincide with the vibes as well.
The way I see it, my writing reflects the battles that I have going on within my spiritual journey. Usually, so the thinking goes, we like to go from happy to happier. The problem here is how shallow it sounds. The reason it sounds as such is because there is no scratching of the surface. It is as though people expect growth without brokenness. You can't expect life to really shine and happiness to glow without piercing and confronting the legions of depression, anger, sin, death and disarray that bombard us from day to day. It's ironic yet comforting that such mighty things such as joy, comfort and peace are born out of the decimation of legions of horror. The very fact that this little detail is usually overlooked at times is a bit staggering to me. Everyone wants success yet a lot of times they forget the most important elements-- the blood, sweat and tears, the sacrifices and the suffering that tend to chip at us night and day.
6.22.2010
Graduation, Fist of the North Star, Lone Wolf Syndrome
First off, I'm congratulating my dear sister on being a high school graduate. IT always warms my heart to see someone graduate. With that said, I just woke up from a long nap.
So I sat down to watch the Fist of the North Star anime series. Folks, you're better off watching the anime movie. The story is tighter and the ending has a sense of "damn" in it. For those who don't know, it's about a post-nuclear world. Seas are dried up and the earth looks about as barren as Cera in Gears of War. A guy named Ken is trying to find Julia, his beloved girlfriend, and exact his revenge on Shin for not only kidnapping her but also, in his madness, leaving him for head (with seven wounds on his chest, mind you). In his journey, he helps the innocent that are struggling in this barren world against cruel biker gangs and hoodlums. Then finally, he faces his brother Raoh in a final showdown. This is where the movie and the show differ. In the show, Raoh loses, turns to stone and Kengoes his merry way on Raoh's horse with Julia to spread the seeds of life. In the movie, the ending isn't so happy. Julia dies after falling down along with a big cross that she's tied to. Raoh wins the fight (or it's a draw depending on if you're watching the American or Japanese version) and Ken goes off to spread the seeds wherever he may roam. That's after he recovered from a good butt whooping.
Lately, I think I've been suffering some sort of Lone Wolf Syndrome. Usually, I desire to be around people I like or simply like to be with. Yet as of recent, I've been wanting to be alone, a lot. Literally, all I would do is think more than Winnie the Pooh. Believe me, that bear can think forever on top of that log. I don't know. My girlfriends seems to treat me just fine, so there's no trouble in paradise as they say. I'm probably just having one of those moments. Maybe I need to book a show just to keep myself busy.
So I sat down to watch the Fist of the North Star anime series. Folks, you're better off watching the anime movie. The story is tighter and the ending has a sense of "damn" in it. For those who don't know, it's about a post-nuclear world. Seas are dried up and the earth looks about as barren as Cera in Gears of War. A guy named Ken is trying to find Julia, his beloved girlfriend, and exact his revenge on Shin for not only kidnapping her but also, in his madness, leaving him for head (with seven wounds on his chest, mind you). In his journey, he helps the innocent that are struggling in this barren world against cruel biker gangs and hoodlums. Then finally, he faces his brother Raoh in a final showdown. This is where the movie and the show differ. In the show, Raoh loses, turns to stone and Kengoes his merry way on Raoh's horse with Julia to spread the seeds of life. In the movie, the ending isn't so happy. Julia dies after falling down along with a big cross that she's tied to. Raoh wins the fight (or it's a draw depending on if you're watching the American or Japanese version) and Ken goes off to spread the seeds wherever he may roam. That's after he recovered from a good butt whooping.
Lately, I think I've been suffering some sort of Lone Wolf Syndrome. Usually, I desire to be around people I like or simply like to be with. Yet as of recent, I've been wanting to be alone, a lot. Literally, all I would do is think more than Winnie the Pooh. Believe me, that bear can think forever on top of that log. I don't know. My girlfriends seems to treat me just fine, so there's no trouble in paradise as they say. I'm probably just having one of those moments. Maybe I need to book a show just to keep myself busy.
6.14.2010
Real playing, core elements and things that matter リアル再生、コア要素とのことは問題
As I got home form work, I did one of those little things I normally do--hopping onto IGN, Gamesradar and/or Gamepro to see what is new in the magical land of gaming. Surely enough, I saw on Gamepro the one thing that not everyone thought would see coming. No, it's not so much Rock Band 3 but what it will do that will game music gaming forever. It isn't the Keytar, or the triple voicings you can do with your friends with three microphones. It isn't even the drumset getting expanded to assemble much like a real drum kit. The guitar. The new controller. It has strings. All six of them. With the new Pro Mode, you'll be forced to play like a real guitarist. You'll be forced to play drums like a real drummer. Five-piece kit with cymbals. Just to entertain the horror of trying to get through a song on guitar in Pro mode, Crazy Train by Ozzy will be in the game. You read correctly. Once you're bored with expert mode and you want something to challenge you, in Pro mode, you'll have to play like Randy Rhoads. Guitar solo and rhythm included.
Ever since I got into Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the one thing I felt would really create a sense of awesomeness would be to play it as though it were the real deal. Crazy enough, Guitar Hero II and III are monumental in terms of how I write songs these days. This is plain bananas, as Larry would say. This will separate the men from the boys. I think this will be the source of inspiration for a new generation of guitarists. Guitar Hero 1-5 and Rock Band 1 & 2 have nothing on Rock Band 3. I'd like to see what Activision will pull in favor of Guitar Hero 6 now.
I remember having a conversation with Melissa and her dad about sacraments, religion, spirituality and whatnot. While I did not delve into too much, it made me really remember what the Bible tells me about what being a Christian's all about. Love. Self-sacrificing, looking out for one another, familial, no-nonsense type of love. I think at some point, a whole flock of Christians have been swimming into rules, regulations, dogmas, politics and traditions to the very extent that a lot of them live for and represent anything but Christ. Many have strayed from that core principal, the very core of the Church's life. You can destroy all the church buildings on this planet. I personally could give two craps less. That doesn't mean God's been killed. If the Earth is God's footstool, why do we act as though the church building is his limit? It really makes me question how much faith do Christians really have in their God, that they limit him to only one location. As I read once in one of Frank Viola's books, we're probably walking past the true organic body of Christ. We've probably walked past the real Christians and not realized it just because they don't speak Christianese nor appear like your average lawyer and Wall St. stock buyer.
One thing that makes me realize this even more is the fact that up there, in Heaven, since June 12, 2008, my sister Bernice is up there, having the time of her life. To the average, self-righteous, penguin-suited Christian, her soul wouldn't make it to the gate. She dressed like a hip J-Pop/Rock fan, read funny books, watched anime with me and damn it, she was learning Back in Black by AC/DC. Yet in all of that, this was a young girl that, in spite of her rough situation, she still had some faith in God. It may have been the size of mustard seed, who knows. She made it past the gate. She showed a heck of a lot more Christ-resembling attitude than a lot of Christians I've known over the years. For those who never bothered reading the lyrics, Back in Black is about someone being let loose and given a second chance right when they were about to get hung. Hence the lyrics, "Let loose from the noose".
These days, I find myself resting, keeping my head up and living life, if only one breath at a time. Some things just don't matter-- what you look like, your favorite pastime (so long as it doesn't result in self-harm or the harm of others), favorite song, favorite book. The only thing that matters is the core of everything that embodies who, what, where, why and how you are. So what's in your core?
Ever since I got into Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the one thing I felt would really create a sense of awesomeness would be to play it as though it were the real deal. Crazy enough, Guitar Hero II and III are monumental in terms of how I write songs these days. This is plain bananas, as Larry would say. This will separate the men from the boys. I think this will be the source of inspiration for a new generation of guitarists. Guitar Hero 1-5 and Rock Band 1 & 2 have nothing on Rock Band 3. I'd like to see what Activision will pull in favor of Guitar Hero 6 now.
I remember having a conversation with Melissa and her dad about sacraments, religion, spirituality and whatnot. While I did not delve into too much, it made me really remember what the Bible tells me about what being a Christian's all about. Love. Self-sacrificing, looking out for one another, familial, no-nonsense type of love. I think at some point, a whole flock of Christians have been swimming into rules, regulations, dogmas, politics and traditions to the very extent that a lot of them live for and represent anything but Christ. Many have strayed from that core principal, the very core of the Church's life. You can destroy all the church buildings on this planet. I personally could give two craps less. That doesn't mean God's been killed. If the Earth is God's footstool, why do we act as though the church building is his limit? It really makes me question how much faith do Christians really have in their God, that they limit him to only one location. As I read once in one of Frank Viola's books, we're probably walking past the true organic body of Christ. We've probably walked past the real Christians and not realized it just because they don't speak Christianese nor appear like your average lawyer and Wall St. stock buyer.
One thing that makes me realize this even more is the fact that up there, in Heaven, since June 12, 2008, my sister Bernice is up there, having the time of her life. To the average, self-righteous, penguin-suited Christian, her soul wouldn't make it to the gate. She dressed like a hip J-Pop/Rock fan, read funny books, watched anime with me and damn it, she was learning Back in Black by AC/DC. Yet in all of that, this was a young girl that, in spite of her rough situation, she still had some faith in God. It may have been the size of mustard seed, who knows. She made it past the gate. She showed a heck of a lot more Christ-resembling attitude than a lot of Christians I've known over the years. For those who never bothered reading the lyrics, Back in Black is about someone being let loose and given a second chance right when they were about to get hung. Hence the lyrics, "Let loose from the noose".
These days, I find myself resting, keeping my head up and living life, if only one breath at a time. Some things just don't matter-- what you look like, your favorite pastime (so long as it doesn't result in self-harm or the harm of others), favorite song, favorite book. The only thing that matters is the core of everything that embodies who, what, where, why and how you are. So what's in your core?
6.04.2010
Topsy Turvy life, Oil and blame
Boy, these past two weeks have been insane. BP let hundreds of gallons of oil head into the bottom of the ocean. Then add in all the various attempts to cap and stop the leakage. They're pulling every rabbit out of the hat they can. I'm willing to bet they'll take any advice they can get from the American people. Heck, they are calling out to James Cameron for his work with Titanic (believe me, Avatar's blue alien won't help here).
My biggest problem here is how Obama is taking responsibility and blame for something he didn't cause. Granted, he, until now, didn't have a problem with oil as fuel for energy and offshore drilling (at least not in its entirety). What can you ask the president to do? Have people forgotten that he's only a mere man? He can't scuba dive down there with superhuman strength and throw the damn thing to the moon! What's the matter? Have Obama loyalists finally realized that he is a mere human instead of an unstoppable idol? Have people become oblivious of the obvious sign that Obama is just a pawn and that the governmental machine are the Kings, Queens, Rooks and Bishops behind everything? He can only execute but as long as the other branches and puppeteers in government do not agree on any proposal he makes, his power is on a minimal scale.
People have whined and bitched saying, "Obama, bail us out", "Obama, fix our health care", "Obama, fix the economy", "Obama, stop the war in Iraq". The good news is that troops, last year, were told by Iraqi leaders to get the heck out. Health care got a re-haul although some can debate if it's any good. Economy is still shaky and with this oil thing, it's getting worse.
I ask that you guys just pray and just help me keep my chin up and my faith alive as, quite frankly, hard times are coming ahead and while there may be moments of rescue and relief, I'm pulling rabbits out of a hat to make sure that I can help in preventing some rough moments from coming upon me or my fam.
My biggest problem here is how Obama is taking responsibility and blame for something he didn't cause. Granted, he, until now, didn't have a problem with oil as fuel for energy and offshore drilling (at least not in its entirety). What can you ask the president to do? Have people forgotten that he's only a mere man? He can't scuba dive down there with superhuman strength and throw the damn thing to the moon! What's the matter? Have Obama loyalists finally realized that he is a mere human instead of an unstoppable idol? Have people become oblivious of the obvious sign that Obama is just a pawn and that the governmental machine are the Kings, Queens, Rooks and Bishops behind everything? He can only execute but as long as the other branches and puppeteers in government do not agree on any proposal he makes, his power is on a minimal scale.
People have whined and bitched saying, "Obama, bail us out", "Obama, fix our health care", "Obama, fix the economy", "Obama, stop the war in Iraq". The good news is that troops, last year, were told by Iraqi leaders to get the heck out. Health care got a re-haul although some can debate if it's any good. Economy is still shaky and with this oil thing, it's getting worse.
I ask that you guys just pray and just help me keep my chin up and my faith alive as, quite frankly, hard times are coming ahead and while there may be moments of rescue and relief, I'm pulling rabbits out of a hat to make sure that I can help in preventing some rough moments from coming upon me or my fam.
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