The Next Best Thing

Call this an excuse to use a screenshot for "Remember Me" but this picture describes better than words my feelings over the past few years. It is possibly to multitask, but the mind works best focused on one thing. Now this isn't realistic, especially when one has a family. Even so, one thing at a time is best. That's where my problems lies.

The picture shows what one would assume to be a camera that just spotted Nilin, and now she's gonna have to haul ass before she gets shot. This is the thrill, the challenge, the achievement. Slipping in and out of cover and giving yourself something to do and feel good about. Eventually, you become used to things. There is some fun to still be had but it's become something you are used to. For one reason or another, the desire fades. Before you know it, you seek the next best thing; whatever it is that may be.

I've been in and out of lots of things. Work, temp jobs, relationships, friendships, and so forth. It's like I'm never truly happy wherever I am. Eventually, I want something more and it usually only takes a few months. A variety of things will happen during this time. I will start branching off and doing several other things in addition to what I am doing, or do more research on whatever I am involved myself in and drive myself nuts to the point where I don't have the desire to do whatever it is anymore. Or I'll simply not want to do it at all. This process happens much more often than I'd like to admit and is a small part of why I lost my previous job. I stress a small part, because I know I did what I needed to do there.

The same pattern happens with gaming. My "to play" list is huge. I'll attempt to make a list on the spot right here:

DmC: Dante Playthrough (Dante Must Die Mode)
DmC: Vergil Playthough (Son of Sparda Mode)
BioShock Infinite - 1999 mode
Gears of War Judgement - Actually make some progress in the game
Assassin's Creed III - Continue the game, on Sequence 7 and stopped
Pokemon Black 2 - Get past the 2nd Gym after months of not playing

That's just to name a few. I get bored. I want more. I want something else. This happens quite a bit. I become complacent. Even with no real reason to feel this way, it happens. Lately I've achieved more for myself than I have in quite some time, yet the feeling still lingers.

It's like I'm always looking for that next achievement. The next trophy I can show off the the world, but more importantly, to feel like somebody. Everyone has a purpose and someday I seek to find mine. My focus, if you will. This is something I've gone into before, but I figured I'd shine some light on it.

Even with these feelings there, I want to make something clear. I love what I do with Video Gaming Hard Corps, as it has developed to a point where I never thought it would be and I have some awesome people on the team that I have the pleasure of speaking with on podcasts and talking with through the Facebook Group. My current job is what's in question. Not because I can't do it, my numbers are actually much better this month. The potential that lies with my current place of work is the biggest reason I stick around, but certain details have had me thinking lately. So much to the point where I've lost sleep over it. I'm one of those people who tries to think of EVERY possibility and it will hold me back sometimes from doing things because of the fear of doing something wrong. That is actually something this job has helped with. Self-respect and confidence in talking to others. That's of course when I'm not being told to piss off or being threatened over the phone. The latter was actually pretty humorous.

Nobody truly wants to settle in life. If you settle, you're just another person. We're all meant to be more than we think we can be and then some. Crank up life to Insane mode. Be Legendary for a change, or laugh at yourself for trying. You may just be impressed with the results. When it becomes a routine, perhaps a change is in motion. It all varies from person to person.

Now if you all will excuse me, I have to brainstorm for a super secret project that my favorite band of all time is supposed to know nothing about.

Low Profile, Many Results

I'll skip the success stories as much as possible and get right into it. Details aren't important, just what has actually happened.

I've upgraded my TV, monitor and game capture device recently, made a appearance in a music video by my favorite band, and re-launched MachinaeMondays with someone I know in the MachinaeTribe who has been doing great as a co-host. I've been making upgrades to things I have over time, because why not? Everyone likes to have new things.

Skipping all of that, things just really are falling into place. While I only have a path in life (not a plan) if that makes sense, things are coming along smoothly. Soon I'll have all my bases covered debt wise and can start putting away for whatever the future holds for me. I know not where my place in gaming is outside of the place I've made for myself. Known by some, but mostly infamous. Same with my involvement with the MachineTribe, although I'd like to think I'm better connected with the band than I've ever been. The things that have taken place are crazy.

The achievements keep coming, both in gaming and IRL. The biggest change is a increase in self-respect I've  never really had before. I still put others before me, but not at my own expense. Why put yourself at risk or do for others that don't appreciate what is done for them? It's stupid. This brings me into my next topic.

Considering I am trying to make a name for myself (hopefully for the better) I will respond to pretty much anyone online. I'm a friendly person and also trying to stay at least somewhat professional. Real life is very different. I follow more of a "do unto others" attitude in person. While a part of me still likes to play the hero admittedly, I will no longer do so if I know it's not beneficial to my well being in the process. I do nice things, but if it's taken for granted or not appreciated, it's a waste.

Negativity, it's a part of life I suppose. Much like in gaming, I ditch it in real life. Now more than ever. Look, nothing against anyone, really, but if you only complain, you're gonna get ignored. No exceptions. My next path doesn't allow for that kind of nonsense because aint' no one got time for that! Sometimes I find myself let down. It's much harder now with a job again to manage all the things I do which some may not even be aware of. I'm finding a balance for it all though, and I must say, it feels great.

Throughout VGHC and the MachinaeTribe, I have met several people online. It's been great to talk and associate with people all over the country. My love for connectivity online has stayed. It's something I enjoy. My attempts to do it online are much easier than in person, but this is mostly because of the people I know and lack of people being able to be civil around one another. With that being said, I know what groups now work, and which never will. Interacting with people makes up for the fact that I had to ditch Psychology in college. That's another story entirely.

Accomplishment and eye opening things have taken place. In the midst of all this still lies a passionate gamer. Someone now not afraid to put himself out there. I've taken up Dance Dance Revolution yet again. Been in and out of that game for years. I've never been insanely good, but I'm good enough to work off a few pounds and get a good workout. I still try and work at a huge list of "to-play" games when I can. In the end, with me, not much has changed. Internally, I'm the same guy I've always been, I've just changed up my approach. One key element to this is Machinae Supremacy with songs such as "Hero" to start the mornings and inspirational tapes. The rest is simply my new attitude towards life. I won't talk much more about this though, because in the end, people need to find what works for them. I'm comfortable where I am right now, even if it's sometimes admittedly a bit lonely.

I no longer see my ways as a bad thing, even if it sometimes means I don't have a social life. I'm playing it all by ear. To the ones who have truly been around, I thank you. There are many I do the things I do for, but it's the select few that are there for me that get to both see where I am now, actually enjoy it, and appreciate it all with me.

Will You... Remember Me?

This is a strange post I've thought about putting on VGHC, but I really don't think it belongs there even though it is somewhat in relation to gaming. Everyone seeks a focus. Something you want to accomplish to feel good about yourself and your accomplishments. Something that simply makes you sit back and say, you know what? This...this right here is what I shall be known for. It could be a job, it could be a good deed, it could be both. It could be a combination of things.

Capcom's new IP (Remember Me) will feature a girl named Nilin who has no idea who she is. Her memories were wiped, so she has to make a name for herself even more so than a normal person. She's completely lost. As you play the game, one has to assume since she is a "memory hunter" that she will fight along and eventually both realize who she is and make a difference in the setting of Neo-Paris when she comes face to face with the one (Memorise, Nilin's former employer) who wiped her memories clean in the first place. This is her focus, although at first she won't know it and be quite lost. None of us start life knowing what we are going to do. We may dream about it, but there is no guaranteeing that you get to be exactly who you want to be. Not without pushing hard for what you believe in. Working towards a focus.

• Some are remembered for their kindness
• Some are remembered for honesty
• Some are remembered for that shoulder to cry on
• Some are remembered for making you laugh
• Some are remembered for having an impact on another's life
• Some are remembered for sports achievements
• Some are remembered for gaming skills
• Some are remembered for computer skills
• Some are remembered for simply being around where it counts
• Some are remembered for being helpful even when you know you won't ever be helped in return

The list goes on and on and this post comes at a interesting time in both my personal life and my gaming adventures. I've decided some time ago I won't hold back on things. How else will I truly see what I can't or cannot achieve. This mentality has landed my two jobs, the courage to make a music video and submit it to my favorite band (Machinae Supremacy), the launching of a new VGHC podcast and better interest in VGHC overall than ever before. It doesn't stop here.

Or does it? With my latest job, I work 45-50 hour weeks. I've come to realize this recently. While it hasn't held me back too much in certain aspects, it has held me back. Thing is, I couldn't feel better about where I am right now. I just don't always know where that will put me with my friends or my gaming. I've come to terms though that both are becoming that much better. I'm starting to see who my true friends are and some to my surprise I didn't know were there. I'm finding out what family members truly support the things I do. I'm finding online friends that really have great personalities or are great to talk to. With gaming, I'm judging games that much more now. I thought in between jobs, man when I get a new one, I'm gonna buy like every game. Now I ponder if it's really worth the money or just a rent.

Lots of thinking with both things, all leading back to that focus. Where do you stand in life? Where do your adventures take you? I feel like the biggest adventures so far outside of my accomplishments lately are all in my head. Or in a memory...

This will be in the "Remember Me" game somewhere. Yep, me in a game. Go figure.

Looking back, it's all insane that in just three months since I made a pledge to myself, things have gotten better. What if someday you become Nilin? Someday, you just lose your focus. You lose who you are as a person. You forget what your purpose is. Whether you stick to a focus or just start one, one thing is for certain. You give it your all and for that is how you shall be remembered. That becomes your legacy, whatever that legacy may be. I think I've found my focus. It's just a matter of honing in on it and leaving something behind for the world to notice.

Maybe this all sounds crazy, but we aren't getting any younger. My thoughts race like never before and it feels great. It's like I'm achievement hunting IRL. I never really know what's coming lately and what's funny about that is Nilin literally has no way of knowing. It's like she's starting fresh and for me personally, in a way, it feels the exact same.

Deciding on "Go-To" games for each Gaming Platform

So, here we are, towards the end of another year. Here I am, making a post before Christmas Eve. A time of celebration and people show their true colors as well. Christmas is all supposed to be about what you give to others and a good time spent with such people. Friends and family time. Of course that comes later, onto some games.

PlayStation 3 - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

Sony Smash Bros. as I commonly refers to it as, with good reason, has enough similarities in it to Smash to just pick up and play. When you start playing Ranked Matches and such, you start to realize how very different the game is. Even in playing Arcade Mode, you see this. When you play online however, you are forced to think and use your supers properly, with good timing and predict things that you opponents are going to do. This is the case with any fighter but being able to do this with no lag is what keeps me going. Bring a friend to do 2v2s, and you're golden. It gets points over Smash Brawl for this reason and will keep it in my PS3 for months to come.

You will see this. A lot...

PC - League of Legends

This is a strange pick for anyone that knows me and for me personally as I am still trying to learn this game. Based on games I have played and skills I've become used to, I think I've decided on a Champion. That being said, I'm told you don't really "main" a Champion and should know how to play with multiple Champions. There's something to this feeling like you have an army, with a team of five (yourself included) against an opposing army. A game that seems so simple, in theory, but once you play for yourself, you may find yourself not just curious about the game but stuck. There always seems to be something to learn. I'm still misplaced on my feelings with this game, but it has me interested enough to have made time for in a already busy schedule. That being said, I haven't touched Torchlight II yet, and I'm not even gonna get started on Diablo III. I already did that.

Badass Sword. Badass Female. The bunny suit is a bonus. Thank you, Jeremy.

Nintendo Wii - Super Smash Bros Brawl

Alright, so this one didn't come out this year. Well, I didn't want to leave out the Wii. Unfortunately, since I got the console for Christmas for some time ago, the very reason I wanted a Wii is still the only game I'm really that attached to, provided I have friends to have fun with it in. If I want to play online, I'll stick with PlayStation All-Stars. That's all I've got.

Peach Power!

Xbox 360 - Halo 4

Honestly, this whole list is somewhat surprising, because every game on here I have originally thought not much of. Except Smash and that's the one out of all of these I come to the least. Go figure. Anyway, sidetracked, Halo 4.

I hated on this franchise for multiple reasons. Ignorant twelve year-olds who think Halo revolutionized console shooters, being taken advantage of in Halo 3 when I first attempted to play the game, and others I can't remember. I decided to try it. I had little faith in both this and Black Ops 2 but I knew they would be hot games regardless. As it turns out, Black Ops II continued to only bring so much different to the table, while Halo 4 just flat out impressed me. The multiplayer works much better than any Call of Duty since the original Modern Warfare ever will, and the campaign was quite enjoyable; on Solo Legendary. Yep, first Halo game I play and this is what I do. Short story, I succeeded at this earlier today. I will probably make a separate post to get into all this after Christmas. Maybe before the new year. We will see.

These things are assholes. All of them.

Well, that will just about do it. With holiday cheer, comes holiday rushing out the door due to horrible planning. For now, I must run. Merry Christmas everyone and with Christmas, came yet another video. Yep, even right before Christmas Eve I'm putting out content. I play through the Giana Christmas level.

- Victor Max Vellon

Street Fighter X Mega Man Review

Street Fighter X Mega Man is a fan project brought to life and with this fan project came a much a needed revival to the Mega Man franchise. The game accomplishes successfully closing out the anniversary of Street Fighter and starting the Mega Man one with a bang. You can see why the name is what it is based on everything just said. The game mostly succeeds and is a great things too see. The future of Mega Man may be safe yet, but what is a fun game is simply over way too quickly.

You are treated to eight new master robots or excuse me, "World Warriors", that Mega Man has to of course defeat and take shier powers. If you have played any Mega Man game before, you know exactly what to expect here. What makes this experience different is that you see this version of classic Mega Man with brand new music that changes between 8-bit themes of the Street Fighters themselves, or clever mixes of other classic Mega Man tunes mixed with such 8-bit Street Fighter themes. The music is a strong point for the game, and was fan-made as well. Fans of both franchises will be treated to great level design and somewhat of a challenge. This Mega Man game in particular will have you doing things you did not in any other classic game such as Dhalsim's level that offers somewhat of a maze experience, climbing ladders not just straight up or down, and bosses that chase you the whole level. Real treats await past the initial eight bosses. As far as the  bosses go, they may seem a bit frantic and complex at first. Once you get past the fact that each boss will from time to time throw a super move at you and you have the proper boss order, as mentioned before, you will get through this pretty quickly.

I've mentioned the length of the game now twice. It is rather short for two reasons. For one, it's about the length of the original Mega Man or Mega Man 2 as opposed to the later games that would have a castle, then another castle leading up to Dr. Wily. Because of this, the decision would be made to not have a save system, nor a password system. The other problem is that the game was toned down in difficulty in comparison to Mega Man 9 or even Mega Man 10 that had it's moments. When the novelty wears off, it will be easy to dismiss this game as a tease for what it to come for the Mega Man franchise. With all that being said however, this game is worth trying out if for no other reason than because it's free.

You gain the ability to slide and charge shots again, which were missing in 9 and 10 respectively, and they are very welcome additions considering how crazy some of the stages and bosses are upon first playthrough. I have no doubt that fans will enjoy this game, but at the end, a feeling of being underwhelmed and wanting more are a very likely possibility. The only real incentives to go back are to try and unlock the "Secret Boss" or to play each level with a special code that enables you to listen to a cleverly named track called "Goes With Everything". Luckily, it seems that Mega Man is indeed back and hopefully this is the start of good things to come throughout the Blue Bomber's 25th Anniversary.

The Future of Video Gaming Hard Corps and Much More

It's 5:10 am. I've been up since around 4 am. Why? Well, I set myself up for it, and I'm also anxious/excited about the Mega Man 25th Anniversary Video I am going to be putting out just tomorrow. Let's just right into the topic though. Gaming is always in my life, so I'm trying to make a name for myself. Problem is, I have to juggle that with the need to find a job that grows more and more desperate by the day.

A few weeks back, I made a post about The Future of Video Gaming Hard Corps and this is kind of a follow-up to that as well as clarity. I tend to jump in an out of things. While gaming will always be in my life, I still seek my gaming niche. When running a community, I have to get my feet wet with quite a bit to entertain as well as socialize. While the past six months have not been successful for a job that is paying the bills, I have two as a writer for GamerSyndrome and Examiner.com. The interesting part about the latter is the focus I've put in since it has the most potential to get my name out there and the fact that I've been examining my life quite a bit lately. As cool as it is doing the things I do with VGHC are, I can do better for myself as a person.

I'm not trying to take away from VGHC, I just think that part of this passion I have for it should also be put into strengthening my life as a whole. I've been distant from friends. This has been for several reasons. I won't list them, as I don't want this to be some big emotional post or anything like that, but 2013 is gonna be different and I see it as a year of change. I already have as a person and a close friend that told me he didn't even know who I was anymore. This was however because I finally decided to try out a big gaming franchise I hated on for years. The franchise being Halo, and with Halo 4, I'm loving every minute of it. The point is this, I seek stability. I want it in my life. This means in my family, friends, future girlfriend, and career. Not a job. Jobs are temporary, a career is what moves you forward and you feel comfortable in (hopefully) also with benefits. The closest thing I've ever had to that was my old job, and this new gig over at Examiner, which I recently got promoted in.

It's easy for people to look back and call this lack of a real social life "sad" or "lame" or "boring", but it benefits me. I've been doing me for some time now, because I need it. I've held myself back in life always because of something and things just need to be put in motion. With VGHC 3.0, I plan to have a job to help support that, still write content for places, and continue to take the stances I do for self-respect. With all of this however comes the point in life I've been referring to as "the storm". A storm's coming. I can feel it. It's already started. I'm more willing to push aside the ones who I comes to realize don't really support me or really care if they have me in their lives or not. I think it will continue. Some of these realizations are more harsh than others, and I fear one very close is coming when this new site rolls out. I will have no choice but to face the storm though, because in the end the steps I've taken with VGHC have helped me as a person and made me feel good about bringing up something in gaming from the ground up with the potential for even more growth. In the end, I won't compromise what I feel is ideal for the brand. 3.0 means stick to what works, ditch what doesn't. The problem is, what currently doesn't was part of our "focus" and I'm simply not willing to put in the effort when to this day, I'm the only one who has unless the name "Triple Threat" is involved, and even as far as that goes, I have much to consider.

I'm laid back, and too nice of a guy to be the leader I need to be at times and that's the part that really sucks about the whole thing. I don't regret any of it though. I'm most thankful for the ones I don't know that actually stick around to talk to me or even just leave a comment on my videos. Sometimes that makes all the difference and tells me that I'm not wasting my time. No one is getting any younger. Sticking to what works and ditching what doesn't applies to life as well. The excuses end here. I just want results. Stability.

VGHC Mega Man 25th Anniversary Video

There is no way this wasn't happening. Everyone that knows me is aware of my love for Mega Man. Hell, I have a sub-series dedicated to it on the VGHC YouTube channel called "Mega Madness". The full title was indeed "Mega Madness: Tributes to the Blue Bomber" but I ditched the sub-title in favor or making things more simple and organized on the channel, but enough about all that.

If you are here, you are aware of my preview video, because I will be debuting it here on my personal blog. Since we are in the process of re-creating the Video Gaming Hard Corps website, I didn't want to post something there in case we are not able to hold onto old content (which I believe we will be able to do, so no worries). The benefit to coming here outside of seeing the video are details for a even further sneak peek on what I have been working on over the past week. Also, while this is the perfect video for "Mega Madness" it will be under the latest review playlist, reason being is that I basically combine everything I've done on the channel thus far, and put it into this video. Rants, game impressions, music rants, ect. All being said, let's get into some details.

- New intro just for "Mega Madness" videos from this point on.
- A new run of the very first Mega Man was done, just for this video, only clips for time sake.
- Permission granted to VGHC to use a song by "The Megas" for my ending montage portion of the video
- Mentions of other Mega Man themed music you should hear
- My personal feelings on the first Mega Man and the series as a whole
- A clip taken from the TV series to illustrate a particular point
- None of our usual links will be attached to this video and is strictly a Mega Man tribute vid.

I think that about covers everything. Total run time I believe is close to twenty minutes or just below. You didn't think I'd be able to shorten this, did you? Don't be silly. Really though, it was a person mission of mine to put out this special video to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a series that I hold very close to me. Because of this, I've worked hardest on this video and it shows. That being said, I'm no professional video editor. I haven't spent this much time editing any videos outside of places I'm sure I'll never get proper credit for them, but was done for the greater good. With all being said, this will be the biggest things for the VGHC YouTube channel and the brand as a whole until the 3.0 site rolls out. As I post this, final touches are being put on the video so it is ready to go on Dec. 17, which leads me into one more thing I want to reveal...

I will be streaming Street Fighter x Mega Man on Dec. 17, since that is now a thing. You can read more about that here and here. Enough talk from me, check out my preview and stay tuned to the YouTube channel on the 17th for the full video. I can't wait to share it with everyone probably more so than anything I've done thus far.

- Victor Max Vellon