NOT OUR DAY JOB

As I'm sure all of you have already heard, Chinese electronics mega-manufacturer Foxconn recently ran into a wee bit of a P.R. pickle. Apparently the workers in China, who so diligently put together our Xboxes and iPads, were so upset that they decided to protest in the way they thought most reasonable: Threaten mass suicide. Now this is China, and more specifically Foxconn, so onlookers took note and happily the situation was diffused. However, in the wake of this amazing "take charge," career power-play made by the Chinese workers, I can't help but contemplate some of the deeper seated goings on.

To add insult to injury the company shirts are 4 sizes too big, and pink.

Continue reading "RANT: Fox Die: Terrifying, Yet Reassuring"

What a year it's been! Thank you to all our loyal readers, new readers, casual readers, illiterate readers, and a special warm holiday "something" to Amberlee and her Russian spam-bot entourage. We here at Not Our Day Job have had a banner year and put out more content than ever before to a (for the most part) larger audience than ever! I'd especially like to thank my partners in crime, Abortion Fist and Almasy Marquis: Take a bow boys. While we focus on games here at NODJ, I'd like to take a quick look back at some of the happenings within the "Is our day job" times of our lives!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Continue reading "RANT: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From NODJ"

Piggy-backing off of Fist's 2011 awards, I will be following suit with a years end wrap up of my own. No argument can be made to the point that 2011 was a banner year for video game fans. If you couldn't find at least THREE games to sink your teeth into this year, you probably forgot that you actually hate video games, and are in fact a human shaped decorative candle, devoid of emotion, reason, and a PSN account. However, just because a game reviews high, or sells well, doesn't mean you have to play it, or even want to play it. In fact, with so many AAA titles released this year, it felt almost refreshing to be able to simply recognize "that's not really my type of game" and pass on a big game, only to have a game more in line with what you enjoy come out the next week! Submitted for your approval (or not) I present my list of 10 games of 2011 that I gladly let slip by.

Ironically not on the list, but rest assured: I Passed on this one.

Continue reading "TOP 10: Games of 2011 I Passed On"

I know I complain about it on a weekly basis these days, but I've never been in this desperate of a 1st world crisis: I'm all gamed out. With the weight of all the recent AAA titles bearing down on me, my mind has literally gone numb to what should otherwise be the greatest gaming feast of (maybe) all time. While I understand just how good us video game aficionados have it right now, I can't shake the feeling I am being overstimulated into apathy.

If Max Payne 3 came out this year I'd find a new hobby.

Continue reading "RANT: Game Fatigue"

Watching an actor bring a character to life before your eyes is amazing! Seeing Johnny Depp nail yet ANOTHER creepy 50 year old child molester leaves audiences enthralled and praying for more (sadly). However, while casting perfect actors is definitely an important part in nailing a video game adaptation movie, what is perhaps more important is securing a director who "gets" the source material:not a guy who just directs video game movies. Also, a director who shows they have the capacity to cater to the genre can't hurt either right? Wes Anderson making a Contra movie is not what I'd consider a "good fit". So lets delve deeper into some of our favorite games and the directors who could make them work as a movie!

Continue reading "CASTING CALL: Director's Cut"

Good God, the hits just don't stop coming. I had absolutely, positively NO intention of playing Saints Row The Third. I don't like sandbox games, and I definitely don't have time for one right now with a record high FOUR games sitting unopened and un-played. I was about to launch into MW3 or Ace Combat or just replay Batman or Uncharted, when out of the blue a friend decided he needed to buy Saints Row immediately. I'd overheard a lot of talk of the insanity of the game: the outrageousness, the bombast, the full frontal nudity. My interest was piqued, and as luck would have it, my philanthropic friend decided to let me borrow the game a day after he bought it. So here I sit, after beating Saints Row The Third with 17 hours invested, telling you all: DON'T MISS OUT.

You can keep your brooding Eastern European protagonist GTA, I'll take the V-TOL.

Continue reading "GAME REVIEW: Saint Row The Third (PS3)"

Well it took a little over 2 years, but we have arrived at our 100th rant here at NODJ! It's been a great journey, and while we don't always have the breaking news, or even the most relevant topics, we strive to keep it honest, and not burden our devoted readers with Axe Body Spray ads....yet. If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that the medium we love so much (video games for you newcomers) gives us PLENTY to talk about. I can't imagine trying to write a blog on some of the less popular hobbies, like say model trains, stamp collecting, or professional basketball. There simply is just so MUCH going on in the gaming world at all times that we can always find something to comment on. However, not only are video games changing the landscape of the blogosphere, they are also introducing literally hundreds of new words and phrases into our everyday vocabulary. Like almost no other industry, the games industry constantly creates new terms to help explain itself. Sometimes it goes even further, releasing games that influence the world far beyond their circle of adoring fans. The words Grand Theft Auto used to refer to a measly felony, now those three words represent something entirely different. Just google it and see what happens. For our 100th rant I am going to attempt to throw together a list of 100 words and phrases that video games have either created, made their own, or forced into the minds of those who don't even realize how far electronic gaming has invaded their world.

You'd be amazed how many power points this stock photo shows up in!

Continue reading "RANT: 100 Words For Our 100th Rant"

Spoiler alert: This review may be biased. I can't in good faith pretend like I am going to judge this game solely on its quantifiable aspects in a cool and reasonable fashion. IT'S FUCKING BATTLEFIELD 3!!! That means a great deal to me, as I still consider BF2 one of my all time top 10 (maybe even 5) games. I've waited a LONG time for a Battlefield sequel, * and the anticipation has been unrealistically sky high. It's been a bumpy road leading to this review, (from 2142 to BFBC2) but my blinding love of the TRUE Battlefield games has kept me ever vigilant and positive that Battlefield 3 would be the second coming of Christ. Now, here it is! Yet, with great power comes great don't break MURDERNATOR's heart or he will ruthlessly dump on you in his blog and convince his adoring public to never play you again. So let's see if BF3 can live up to my self-induced hype.

*To make this easier when I reference other Battlefield games in this review, know that I am NOT talking about any of the Bad Company games.

Not sure what the glowing stuff is on all the BF3 art... Looks like a Tinactin ad.

Continue reading "GAME REVIEW: Battlefield 3 (PC)"

I am 28 years old (spoiler alert). That means as I grew up gaming, I read game magazines to satiate my unholy appetite for Video Game knowledge. Nintendo Power, GamePro, PSM, these publications were how I kept my finger on the gaming pulse. I would be soaking in low-res pictures of MK screen-shots in the magazine section of Albertsons while my parents got groceries. It was a different time. Yet from the very beginning, each and every gaming magazine liked to use a unique scoring system when they rated their games. The only problem was, since every magazine had different systems and criteria, sometimes you couldn't compare them, especially since some magazines only covered one console. Enter the internet and the age of IGN. I don't know exactly when it became a phenomena, but I got heavily into the site around the time of the PS1 (PSX). IGN was a big deal for me as THE outlet that got game info first, uploaded sweet trailers that required broadband to download, and of course had a rating system that applied to all games across all platforms. It was the great equalizer. IGN scores for MGS could go head to head with WinBack for N64. There were no discrepancies, no punches being pulled, no holds barred, flat out numeric warfare. As a kid, IGN was law.

For those of you too young to know, this is from Predator.

Continue reading "RANT: IGN's Perfect 10"

Well it's FINALLY HERE! The true successor to BF2, and a game with an insurmountable amount of hype to live up to amugst it's hardcore fans. Well we here at NODJ are squading up and putting the game through it's paces, but until I hammer out a full review here are some early impressions.

Meet the team.

Continue reading "RANT: Battlefield 3 Impressions"

I just took advantage of a great Toys R' Us deal and bought 2 new PS3 games, and got the third one completely free. I went Tuesday and picked up Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, Dark Souls, and the just released that day Batman: Arkham City. On top of paying only $120 for these 3 games, I got a Batman action figure, and Toys R' Us exclusive DLC costume. Oh and that $120 went towards my rewards card that doles out gift cards, like the $5-off one I used on my purchase of the three games. As me and my buddies (who also took advantage of the deal) were walking out of the store, high fiving each other over our great success, a thought crossed my mind: Why the fuck does anyone still shop at Gamestop?

If by "power" they mean "dick cancer" and by "Players" they mean "customers".

Continue reading "RANT: Why Do People Still Shop At Gamestop?"

Anyone who comes here enough knows I love getting TF2 into a post as much as AbortionFist likes talking about Fallout. So finally I can make a semi-relevant TF2 post! Oh yes, having your own blog is next to Godliness! It's no secret Valve's been pumping more personality into its (now) free-to-play online, team-based, hat-collection simulator for years. What started as a fairly shallow world of Pixar-ish characters killing each other has blossomed into one of the most instantly recognizable, and personality rich shooters, well, ever (sorry Duke Nukem, you're a one trick pony). So figuring that Hollywood would butcher a TF2 movie and decide to cast real life actors, here is MY rundown for the cast of nine!

Continue reading "CASTING CALL: Team Fortress 2"

Well, it's been brewing for years now: women complaining their significant others spend more time with video games than with them. I took this as idle female prattle from a generation of women who wanted Sex and the City meets Happy Days (read completely fictitious) type lifestyles and relationships. I looked on and chuckled as articles came out from various women's magazines wondering "where have all the REAL men gone?". I'm sure every era of man has had its own scapegoat for failed relationships, but since this is my man era lets tackle the subject of video games! Sure I LOVE playing games, and my wife has no problem with it (that I know of), but this is more of a defense for any and all men who have to sneak around their favorite hobby lest the vagina troll cry "ME ME ME!". Need an excuse? Read on.

The choice is yours ladies...

Continue reading "TOP 10: Worst Things Men Could Be Doing Besides Playing Video Games"

I like my Gears like I like my poops: Long, Hard, Explosive, Corny and best enjoyed with 3 other friends. Wait maybe that's a bad analogy. Let me try again. Gears of War 3 is like awesome. Let it be known I bought a 360 for Gears of War, in fact when I logged on (thanks to a free one month Live card I've been saving) the last game I'd played was Gears 2, 600,000 years ago. So with that out of the way, know that if you don't like Gears of War, part three is not going to change your mind. Here's why.

There's a love triangle going on here, but it's not between who you may think...

Continue reading "GAME REVIEW: Gears of War 3"

Well avid readers (Carlos and McBallsenstein) just a quick update to how we will be releasing content here at NODJ. What with the economy and busy schedules we have moved to streamline our updates, so we will now be releasing content Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That's not to say we may not fire off literary gold on any other day, but our main days for updates will be scaling back from 5 to 3. The hard hitting, and award winning (awards pending) content will be the same, but just come out less frequently. That is it in a nutshell, so keep on coming by!

Don't Fret! We're still the same ol NODJ!

Continue reading "RANT: NODJ's New Schedule"