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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post

Dec 19, 2018 (Updated Dec 19, 2018)

Time for a rant and no spoilers if you haven't finished the game yet.

So last night, I decided that I was finally finished with Red Dead Redemption 2. I have played through the entire 60+ hour campaign including the Epilogue, (which is like an entire game in and of itself,) I have done all of the side missions in my side-bar other than the tedious collectathons and I believe that I have encountered the majority of relevant strangers in the wilderness.

It's not my favourite game of all time, I don't even think that it's my Game Of The Year, but there is no denying that it is still one of the greatest achievements ever seen in the medium of videogames. There have been a few stories talking about the 6 figure bonuses that some Rockstar employees are receiving on the back of this release and frankly I feel like that is well deserved. As a 3D Animator near the beginning of my career, a project like this is what I aspire to one day get the chance to work on. The level of quality and vastness present here is astonishing from a development perspective.

Red Dead 2 has been in development for around 8 years, as apparently work began on this game very quickly after RDR Undead Nightmare was released. If you sit through the almost hour long credit sequence at the story's conclusion, you will see thousands of names scroll by. When you consider the salary of the amount of people that worked on this game over eight years along with the extravagant worldwide marketing campaign, the total budget for RDR2 must have been astronomical, yet the game made it's money back IN IT'S FIRST WEEK!

Regardless of the huge profit and enormous number of sales that this game has generated, the entire Rockstar staff that worked on this game can now put this milestone on their CV's. It's a golden mark against their name that would most likely land them a job at any other game studio that they desire joining.

The reason that I am bringing all of this up is due to a number of articles that were published on a fair few major gaming websites back at the time around the game's release. Kotaku, IGN, Gamespot and Unilad Gaming all reported that during an interview with one of the Houser brothers, (the joint CEO's at Rockstar,) when asked about the crunch period of the game's development that employees were more of less forced to work 100+ hour work weeks.

This was of course an exaggeration of what was actually said and the context was twisted for the sake of click-bait headlines, but nevertheless there was an outrage within the videogame echo-chamber. People online decided to become civil rights speakers on behalf of Rockstar employees before it came out that at most, even the heaviest work weeks leading up to the game's release never exceeded 60 hours and even then, that was only if the employee volunteered to work the overtime, time for which they were financially compensated.

As someone trying to break into the videogame industry, I understand feeling passion for a project and I recognise that feeling of pride you get when finally completing a project that you have slaved over, (on a much smaller scale of course.) I understand that there are developers out there that choose to work a 50-60 hour work week on something that they are passionate about and can be proud of and I also understand that games like RDR2, which are so vast and yet so full of intricate detail and high levels of quality don't get made without devs that refuse to put in the extra time required to pull something like this off. Frankly if I was a Rockstar dev that had put this amount of work into a product that I am proud of and then seen these rants online, I would be offended. Who are you to judge how much of a workload someone else can handle?

I am not saying that there aren't toxic places to work that have horrific line managers that force their staff to work crazy hours or lose their jobs, but by all accounts that I have heard, Rockstar isn't one of those places. So the next time that you decide to put on your SJW hat and sit in front of your computer and start berating someone for being passionate about something that they have worked extremely hard on, remember what Rockstar delivered through RDR2 and maybe do some research before unleashing your tirade.

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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

Apr 27, 2020

When I was a kid I remember flicking through a magazine that I bought from the shop when suddenly a poster fell out. I opened it up to find it was this absolutely gigantic picture of a teenage boy holding a huge plasma weapon and towering over a dystopian city scape that looked like it was powering a big cybernetic heart off in the distance. I had no idea what the hell any of this was but I was immediately transfixed on it and believed it to be the coolest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. This was a time where we weren't allowed posters on our walls (fear of marking the wallpaper) but after studying it for so long I decided it was worth breaking the rules for and thus put it up with pride dead central right over my bed. From that day on I then decided it was my only mission in life to find out what on earth this image was from and to see it no matter the cost. Naturally after years of making drawings of this poster and imagining what an amiga game or movie would be like featuring this character (and of course having no internet) I gradually gave up searching. That was until one day my friend came bursting into school sweating and raving about how he had stayed up late one night till 2am watching channel 4 and recoreded off tv (without his parents knowing of course) possibly the greatest and most badass film he had ever seen in his entire life. So naturally that day we devised a plan of how we would sneak out of school at lunch time, go to his house and watch some of this movie even if we didnt quite believe him. That day lunch time hits and we sneak past the teacher on the gate run to his house, go up to his room and lock the door, pop the vhs tape in and hit play. I swear we must of only got literally 30 seconds in but the moment I saw the fist city shot I knew I had found the movie from the poster. Wow, and let me tell you now I still get goosebumps to this day thinking back to how I felt in that moment. Akira アキラ so thats what its called. I was literally in ecstasy and so happy I could of cried on the spot right there and then I was that flooded with joy. Now you might be wondering what the point of this long winded story is and theres a couple of reasons: The first is Akira literally changed my life. Its not only the film that got me seriously into cinema in genral but its the movie that made me realise just how powerful, emotional, addictive, influencing, important and absorbing films can be and how much they can imbed themselves into our minds and make us escape reality. Second today marks the release of the remastered (from the ground up) 4k uhd release of Akira in limited edition pakaging which means its literally going to look and sound the best its EVER looked, and if I'm being completely honest with you I feel like a kid again waiting for it to arrive. I'm honestly that excited I can't sleep, I'm anxious and while in this dark, sad and depressing time at the moment where we are all struggling and uncertain of what the future might bring I can tell you I'm so happy right now because a film that once changed my life all those years ago is now all these years later managing to keep me happy, positive, excited and strong once again. See this is why I love film, why I'm so passionate about movies, why I review films and why I believe everyone should embrace and keep doing the things they love no matter what other people think. Its unquestionably such a fantastic feeling when you get that connection to something that your so passionate about and it really does posses the power sometimes to lift you up, break you away from even the darkest of lows and help you revel in pure happiness even if its just for an hour or two. Stay in, stay safe and stay happy faithful followers hope at least a couple of you enjoyed my long winded nostalgia trip.

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Merissa (12051 KP) rated Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3) in Books

Nov 14, 2017

Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3)

Jordan Ford | 2017 | Romance, Young Adult (YA)

10

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3) by Jordan Ford

Foul Play is the third and final book in the Barlow Sisters Trilogy. This time we focus on Chloe, the youngest of the three. She is a year younger than Maddie and Max, but is stubborn and passionate about what she believes. She knows it is a tough, hard world out there, but is convinced that if she can spread some goodness - just a little bit at a time - then eventually, the world will be a better place. This could lead to a whole world of hurt, but luckily for Chloe, she has a warrior who wants to protect her. A warrior who is down and broken, scarred with life, but not beyond Chloe's help. Together, these two help each other and the world too.

Jordan Ford has managed to write Chloe to perfection. I was a little bit worried from the first two books that she would by 'too' sweet, but instead, she comes across as naive but strong. Vincent is her perfect foil, and does what he can to protect her, even taking physical beatings to keep someone away from her. The storyline that has spread across all three books comes to a close here, and it was the most brilliant ending. It didn't go the way I thought at all, but once I read it, I couldn't envisage it any other way. Max and Maddie don't feature as much in this book, not until the end. We still have parts that overlap with other books, but it is totally from Chloe and Vincent's perspective.

Also, Jordan Ford has once again given me smiles, when she gives an extended epilogue at the end. Yes, I know I'm greedy, but I do love knowing how the characters are getting on at some point in the future. I won't share any spoilers, but I'm happy with how it ends!

Extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow; this book was a smooth read from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

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Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated A Hope Undaunted (Winds of Change, #1) in Books

Feb 27, 2019

*This review is from my blog and originally published in 2010*

Okay. Let me start this review with SHAME ON ME! Why? Because, sweet saints, I haven’t ever read a Julie Lessman novel until this one and I most definitely should have been reading her books already! She is absolutely FANTABULOUS! The power that Julie has over her readers when they open the first page is mind-blowingly INCREDIBLE!

In A Hope Undaunted, Julie combines tenderness and passion with wit and God’s love, to create a romance story set in the 1920’s that will carry you away and leave you utterly breathless. Katie O’Connor was such an amazing young woman….thinking she had her life all planned out for herself. That is until she encounters a very handsome “soda jerk” by the name of Luke. Luke “Cluny” McGee, the boy she hated as a child, has been chiseled into a stunningly remarkable character. (Julie, can you send him my way, please?!) So, that leaves Katie with a choice….to follow HER hopes and choices, or God’s hopes and choices for her life. A beautifully created plot line!

For years, I’ve collected The Queen of Christian Fiction, Karen Kingsbury’s books, including true crime novels she wrote prior to her Christian work, and the ones that are under her pen name, but after reading this breathtaking, passionate story of a hope undaunted and a love that’s pure, Julie Lessman has earned a spot on my favorite authors list at the very top, pushing Karen Kingsbury down one. It takes an absolutely fantastic author to do that because I’ve held Karen Kingsbury at the top of my list for years! I’m still in awe and savoring this unforgettable story and it’s characters!

So, what you waiting for?! Don’t be a ninny like myself , who waited TOO long to read her work. GO GET A COPY OF A HOPE UNDAUNTED RIGHT NOW! You will instantly fall in love with the people in this book as they crawl in and take over your heart. Worthy of 1,005 stars, this 5 star book is a MUST read for everyone! Thank you, Julie, for creating a story full of passion, history and a breathtaking plot….it’s what I was needing and looking for! Now, I anxiously await the release of book 2, A Heart Revealed, in the Winds of Change series!

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Readforthesouls (5 KP) created a post

Aug 24, 2018

Hey Readers!
We all experience the same struggles as writers, and especially as bloggers. Not knowing what we are doing wrong when can't get followers- it's hard to get noticed! Especially in the beginning.
I read this book yesterday that is basically the months we have all spent gathering information on how to blog from the internet, all rolled into one book.
Amazing right! Too bad we didn't all find it earlier.
Although the first half of the book is teaching you how to physically start a blog (picking a domain, a hosting site and figuring out what you want to write about), there are still some amazing tips in here that help out even us who have been blogging for several months (or years)!
For instance,
• Tips on how to make money (which I think we can all appreciate)
• Tips on social media- how to take advantage globally!
• Examples of what great blogs look like
• What Google looks for with SEO
• How to stay organized! (thank you for that one)
• Staying motivated through all the mess we call life
• And of course, how to get and keep followers
That last one is what we all really want, right? To BE READ. Not all of us are here for the money or to come off as know-it-alls about our subject. We all simply want to be influencesÂ on other thinking-minds and to be noticed by our peers. We keep typing away and hope that it makes a difference.
This book told me that it does, usually, make a difference.
There are 250 million blogs online, and a majority of them are abandoned after year 1. The trick is to keep moving forward because it takes time as all things do. What we are passionate about, we are definitely not the only ones, and grouping ourselves with like-minded people and their blogs can really make a difference in your view of your own purpose.
Sitting at the screen and not knowing what to write, or if people even care what you say, is just you in your own head. All the rich bloggers out there KNOW that you care, otherwise, they wouldn't be such awesome blogs, right? HELLO. EARTH TO BLOGGERS. You are here for a reason. Tell us about it, whatever it is.
And tell me, what do you struggle with the most? Also, read this book.
"Blogging for Writers" by Robin Houghton

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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Not If I See You First in Books

Dec 14, 2018

Not If I See You First

Eric Lindstrom | 2015 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)

8

8.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

3.5 Stars

This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Eric Lindstrom’s ironically named Not If I See You First is a story narrated by a blind teenaged girl, Parker Grant. Parker has had to deal with a lot in her short life - the accident that killed her mother and left her blind; the recent death of her father; however she seems to be coping fine. But there is one incident she will never get over, one person she will never forgive.

Being blind, Parker has memorized voices, the number of steps to get from one place to another and the layout of the areas she frequents. So when her high school merges with another there is a lot of unfamiliarity to get used to. What she is not prepared for is the reappearance of Scott, a boy who broke her heart a couple of years ago.

Parker’s coping mechanisms, both with blindness and grief, result in a hardened personality, unfeeling and caring. She has become unintentionally selfish. Literally and figuratively blind to everyone else’s emotions. Realising this, Parker tries to turn things around, but can her friends forgive her? Can Scott?

It is interesting reading from the point of view of a blind person. For a start there is a lack of physical description. It is difficult to conjure up a complete image of the various settings, almost as if the reader is blind as well. It also challenges stereotypical ideals. Just because someone is blind does not mean they cannot look after themselves.

Despite her hostile demeanor, Parker is an admirable character. She does not let her disability hold her back and sticks with the things she is passionate about, for instance running.

The problem I had with this novel is that Parker seemed to care more about her history with Scott than she did with her father’s death a couple of months previously. I am aware there was a point to this, but even after Parker’s emotions begin to flow she is still more focused on romantic relationships than anything else.

Targeted at young adults, Not If I See You First will appeal to those that enjoy contemporary romance. Nevertheless, be aware that it has an ambivalent ending, rather than the happily-ever-after that you may be yearning for.

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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Echoes in Books

Jan 23, 2020

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
<h2>Three words: Hackers. Go. Missing.</h2>
I'm not talking baby hackers who have no clue what they're doing and slipped up badly I'm talking top of the ladder ones.

Mallory Park is a hacker who moderates The Forum, a message board where hackers are anonymous, crack down on the dirty secrets of companies, and leak them out to the world anonymously. She's extremely motivated and passionate about her work, and likes to have control she's independent, wants to do her own thing, and based on her background, it definitely fits her character. Mallory, however...

Just comes out cold. Apathetic. Indifferent. She doesn't really have any clue what to do with herself because hacking IS who she is. She is also extremely brilliant (I would love to have her math skills right now in Calculus...), hates being touched (much like me...), and is as awkward as David 1 and David 2 (one of them is a <a title="The Sorcerer's Apprentice review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/movie-review-the-sorcerers-apprentice"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">Physics major</a> and the other is <a title="Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-steelheart-by-brandon-sanderson"; target="_blank" rel="noopener tag">terrible with metaphors</a>).

While I like Mallory, I think Mallory came more out of her shell when she meets Warden. Warden is very cheery, optimistic, and hilarious he's really just one of those adorable nerds who would love to squish hug. And despite the fact he is introduced as Mallory's online friend from The Forum, I can hear his voice and see his facial expressions leaping off the screen at Mallory.

There's so much anticipation and danger (and Warden's humor laced throughout) as Mallory gets closer to finding out about the missing hackers, but in the long run, Echoes really just teaches about online safety in a similar, yet different way compared to other books related to online safety.

But you should really just read it for Warden's humor.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-echoes-by-laura-tisda/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>

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I'll Be Your Blue Sky

Game of Greed (Francis Scott-Wren Series Book 1)

Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post

Dec 19, 2018 (Updated Dec 19, 2018)

Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

Apr 27, 2020

Merissa (12051 KP) rated Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3) in Books

Nov 14, 2017

Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated A Hope Undaunted (Winds of Change, #1) in Books

Feb 27, 2019

Readforthesouls (5 KP) created a post

Aug 24, 2018

Hazel (1853 KP) rated Not If I See You First in Books

Dec 14, 2018

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Echoes in Books

Jan 23, 2020

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Fruit Smoothies Recipes

I'll Be Your Blue Sky

Game of Greed (Francis Scott-Wren Series Book 1)

Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) created a post

Dec 19, 2018 (Updated Dec 19, 2018)

Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post

Apr 27, 2020

Merissa (12051 KP) rated Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3) in Books

Nov 14, 2017

Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated A Hope Undaunted (Winds of Change, #1) in Books

Feb 27, 2019

Readforthesouls (5 KP) created a post

Aug 24, 2018

Hazel (1853 KP) rated Not If I See You First in Books

Dec 14, 2018

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Echoes in Books

Jan 23, 2020