The former means a solid year of my car payment with some very enjoyable work and the latter means I have to somehow learn a bit about the Louisville gaming scene. You’d think after living in the area all these years I would have picked up on, well, some of it. You’d be wrong.

My Planet Fallout duties consist of doing the odd editorial here and there and updating the interactive map. It’s a user-content filled bastardization of the Google Maps API and boy can it be hell to work on. In some ways, I feel like a mechanic though. Proud to know the ins and outs while still kicking the thing and cursing from time to time.

The Louisville Video Game Examiner gig isn’t likely to be all that lucrative. But it is a fairly simple set of conditions that I can meet that may or may not make me money. It’s better than a whole lot of other places where I absolutely make none. Some chance is better than no chance.

I’m hoping to finally dredge myself out of whatever dark place I’ve been inhabiting that has kept me from writing for DIYGamer. I tend to see a lot of press/recognition for those columns but they always take a lot out of me. It is a little daunting to try and distill the essence of an entire genre, scene or just one game even.

Oh. I also will be having a little piece going up at TheGameReviews about Leliana’s Song soon. Might be my last piece for them, barring a chance at more DLC reviews. One door closes, another opens.

Games completed recently: Valkyria Chronicles, Halo ODST, Modern Warfare 2, Castle Crashers. Strikes two off my list and adds to the completed pile another entirely unmentioned two.

I miss that kind of RPG. It reminded me of why I didn’t care for FFXIII; it’s nothing like the older Square Enix games and that’s a damn shame. I’m glad that I finally got a chance to finish, though, and it’s made me want to give Chrono Cross a shot. I’d gotten close to beating CT before but my save files were completely wiped when, during our vacation, the van took a bump and my portable setup jiggled whilst I fought Lavos. I just couldn’t bring myself to play the game all over again. That was over ten years ago.

I spent the July 4th weekend in Wisconsin with my girl and her family. During that time, it was tremendously hot and I helped install a patio. Did I mention they don’t have AC? So I was constantly sore, tired and unwillingly to try and finish another game that I’d already started. Because of this, I returned to some games that I’d already beaten so that I could mindlessly play them again.

Empire: Total War saw play. My Spanish democracy demolished the Poles, Swedes, Greeks, Iroquois and the single holdout of the United States–Maine, if you were curious–all in the name of a world united. I also quickly breezed through another round of SMT: Devil Survivor. I was accidentally stuck with Yuzu’s Path which, I’ve been told, is the worst of them. Oh well.

I also read through the entirety of Bone. That’s a whole ‘nother beast.

Maybe this’ll make me actually take up the reins and finish the suckers. Considering that I’m done with school now, at least I can keep myself busy. These are all games I have started and not yet finished. Ones that I own but haven’t played are not included.

1. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)

2. Resident Evil 5 (PS3)

3. Dead Space (PS3)

4. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)

5. Pokemon SoulSilver (DS)

6. Chrono Trigger DS (DS)

7. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS)

8. Final Fantasy VI (GBA)

9. The Witcher (PC)

10. King’s Bounty: The Legend (PC)

11. Sam & Max S1E2: Situation Comedy (PC)

12. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening (PC)

EDIT: Forgot a few. The list goes on.

13. Flower (PS3)

14. Critter Crunch (PS3)

15. Machinarium (PC)

16. Castle Crashers (XBLA)

Well, whatever. We deal with what we must.

I’ve decided to rededicate this otherwise idle webspace to something near and dear to me: games. Yes, I know I already have one neglected gaming blog but that’s a very specific endeavor which will soon see an energizing kick in the butt as well.

My resume is now linked up top. The Works page will soon become a place filled with all the journalism tidbits I’ve worked on over the past couple years. Have to aggregate somewhere. My About is also all new and amazing. My life is clearly fascinating. No, really. Okay. Maybe.

So come on in. Stay a while. There are many things that look exciting on the horizon and I’d love to share them with you. I’m a recent grad, heading to LA for E3 next week, and I’m just about broke.

What more could you want in a blogger?

Also, a revised version of “To Catch the Rain” has won First Prize in Short Fiction for the IUS Writing Competition which I entered this past May. As soon as anything is up on the web announcing this, I’ll be sure to post a link.

I suppose I should get around to uploading Zenith, right?

I’m updating the site a little here and there. Aesthetically, mostly, but stuff that should have been done a long time ago. I submitted both the newly revised To Catch the Rain and Foundling to the Kentuckiana Metroversity Competition. Also, to the Canvas: Creative Arts Magazine.

I’m looking to hopefully connect my Twitter to a sidepanel, update the links on the side to things more like the places I do freelance for, get these posts to automatically post to Twitter (which may cause a loop, but I’ll deal with that when I absolutely need to) and need to at some point use the FTP to get Leaning (another video with original concept by yours truly and filmed by Klein M.) on the site. So much to do and so little time.

- Bishop

Also, working on a new story to submit to the Kentuckiana Metroversity Competition this year!

Here is the story: Foundling.

Sadly, my group did not win the Insomnia Film Festival, but I still had a blast with it. Feel free to take a look and comment, as it’s linked under Works. It was my first film, and I think I may have caught the bug. Learned some things, too.

I cleaned up some pieces of To an Athlete Dying Young, mostly due to simply looking at it and feeling that some of it would be better off reworded and the like. When I have time, I’ll edit through them all and try to fix them up.

Also, if possible, I’ll upload a performance of the play I’m currently in at Hayswood Theatre in Corydon, Indiana. I play Harry Bailey and Mr. Welch in It’s A Wonderful Life, and it’s been a blast. Cheers.

- Bishop