Go Fund Me Campaign: Ron

As promised, I am now writing a blog post about the person(How we met) who has contributed to my campaign for a new computer or to write about a certain topic of their choosing!


Today's Post:



RON



I have know Ron for roughly two years now and our story of meeting is one that I enjoy telling even though at times it can fill me with sorrow.

After my father passed away in early 2011, I felt lost and upset about losing the man who I respected and who still had a plentiful to teach me about life and the whirlwinds it can toss you through.

I was fortunate enough to find my first job out of college back in my home town where I could stop in to say hi to Mom after work. The months that passed brought our family closer, but even I knew that a time would come when she would find someone that has been through the the same struggles and to have that companionship back. Of course my wife and I were eager to help her out in anyway we could. Took the photos for her online profile and even escorted to her first date. I was so torn of whether or not I should be upset or happy about this new comer.

Now it's an easy choice.

Ron is now a part of family. He is a man a honor, love for family, and a husband that has grieved. He has been instrumental in encouraging my mother in living life to the fullest and having a good time at it. He is a man I respect. A man who gives to others in need (even on Thanksgiving Day), a man who has everlasting faith and hope, and someone who will debate you about politics till the cows come home.

To Ron, who not only has helped me in my small fundraiser, but to helping my family heal and honor my father.

Kyle
@Shwoodylove

Web Series Wednesday.....better late than never?

Good Evening All!

After a wonderful week in Florida, I'm glad to be back in the routine and ready to get on track with the blog!

This week's Web Series Wednesday isn't necessarily a review by any sorts but more a public service announcement on a type of web series that I enjoy daily while at work....PODCASTS!

Podcasts can easily turn a boring day of shuffle on your Iphone to an hour of enjoyment where you can laugh and learn something......sometimes.


So Tonight I wanted to mention not only the the big name podcasts that I enjoy but the also the local podcasts here in Indiana who are just amazing as well!


1. IGN' GameScoop (Knockin' Boots):
This is a hard to beat podcast especially with a great crew that is constantly rotating besides the hilarious Greg Miller and Damen Hatfield. The podcast focuses on weekly stories in the Video gaming industry as well as general chitchat. The GameScoop podcast is great for hearing the latest in developments of games and announcements, but it's the podcast's alter ego that takes it to the next level. Although the Knockin' Boots podcast currently is not being recorded anymore, all the past episodes are available. These episodes are not for kids by any means. With a large supply of alcohol and an inbox of emails from young lovers around the globe, the group struggles to answer questions about Video Gamers's in love. Be ready for big laughs and moments of shock even.

2.ChatterBox Radio:
Although not necessarily a podcast until 2012, the duo of Alon and Ara every week meet up every Tuesday night at 6PM....or 9PM here in Indiana to have deep discussion on everything gaming. The two occasionally have guests that have either worked on video gaming projects or just avid fans on the topic. This is the podcast for you if you definitely love good debate and are eager to learn a fact of two.

3.The Dice Tower:
This a podcast that is out of my norm. I am first a Video Gamer, I am just naturally better at picking up a controller and going. This past year though, my brother in law has really immersed me into the world of table top gaming. Since then, I continue to listen to Dice Tower for not only the fun chit chat between Tom and Eric but to learn the latest news in the industry. Great way of hearing about new games as well!

The Last two are new to me and are locally broadcasted here in Indiana.

1. Crit Confirm: I first have to say thanks to Tony Trexell @IndianaGeeking for showing the twitter world such an awesome group of people. This is just a fun group of people who I have really enjoyed listening too this past week. When listening, I can imagine a good group of friends who meet up to talk about what they love, and you can seriously feel that every episode. By far the episode of Future of Gaming is my favorite, especially the discussion of obesity and the treadmill full immersion. I hope they continue to bring more content forward and can't wait to meet the group in person!

2.The Established Facts: Another local group who I just found this past week, but unlike Crit Confirm, they do have a large backlog of past episodes for you to enjoy. I have to compare this group to Chatterbox Radio, they aren't pod casting to just have fun or goof around....which they do....but they are doing it to create quality discussion about today's gaming culture.

I still have plenty hours of listening to these two podcasts, but luckly I have 40 hours a week to do so!

What podcasts do you enjoy listening? I'm always looking for new content to enjoy listening to, please share @ShwoodyLove

Until next time Indy!

PS-Please also visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/371449909/crit-confirm-entertainment-operation-indy-pop-con  to help support Crit Confirm. Although they have hit the goal for Indy Pop Con, they like everyone else can always use an upgrade on equipment and possible free swag!!!

Kyle
@ShwoodyLove

"That's not a bomb is it? Anthrax? Ovaltine?"

Good Evening Readers and Happy Hump Day!

I have finally decided on a schedule for posting "Series" of posts to really push myself on being consistent instead of random posts coming here and there.

With that being said........DRUM ROLL PLEASE.......








Welcome to WEB SERIES WEDNESDAY!


I'm a avid watcher youtube videos. The simplicity of watching a short video that can teach you, make you laugh, cry, donate money, and even inspire!

There is a huge market of web series out on the web and someone needs to sift through the mountain of possibilities to share and review!




Billy and Brandon Watch Movies:



To begin the series, I wanted to share a new webseries that launched their youtube channel less than a week ago but already has eight episodes for you to enjoy (and a well crafted website). I met the duo at ICC, even though it was only a brief moment, Brandon's excitement and humor while explaining the series was enough to make me watch the series.

Concept of series: The concept alone should draw in viewers. Every episode follows the duo during their day to day to life, the catch? Their day is influenced by what movie they had just previously watched. This spin on normal life to reflect movies makes for humorous situations with puppets, bad hair wigs, and a poor man's cos play outfit.

One liners: You will notice many one liners or just plain good scenes that will definitely make you laugh out loud. The opening scene of the Muppet's episode and Kick-Ass episode are quite possibly two of my favorites scenes of the series, "Why can't we be partners? Because you are whiny little Bitch!"

Video: The video is of high quality and can easily be seen that the editing of the video was not hodgepodge together in a cheap software. I also wanted to note the special effects of the Kick-ass episode when Brandon does his daily journal. This is huge for me because a poor quality, pixelated video drives me crazy!


The series has a lot going for it. With a good script, good quality, and a endless on-going concept (unless they do absolutely every movie), it's hard to be negative towards the series. I must mention a few areas of improvement that I would like to see or have seen through the series.

1. The sound quality and editing during the first few episodes is a little poor. There are issues with sound between screen transitions, even if it's just a simple switch between two people in the same room. By the end of the season, the editing of sound improves greatly and doesn't take away from the scenes as much. I would like to still see sound improve, but it's just the beginning! I care more about the concept and if it makes me laugh!

2.Comedic Timing is another area you might notice that the duo lacks at times. Some scenes Billy and Brandon hit it dead on but other times there is just an awkward sense (Muppet scene in Jeff's office...especially when you can see the sounds mics) that definitely lowers the enjoyment of a scene. This is hit and miss though and I feel that the duo will improve as the series goes on and a level of comfort of doing the series increase.

Overall I really have enjoyed watching the series and look forward to future episodes! I would for the series to begin doing not only current movies, but even some cult classics! Let's see an episode of Breakfast club or maybe Tommy boy. I think this would be an awesome direction to do movies that have duos as well!

What are your thoughts of the series? What's a web series are you enjoying?

Send your thoughts to @shwoodylove or to Shwoody@gmail.com

And remember to watch Billy and Brandon at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChob5Y8m1zJKQCKUGBm4JXQ

Till Next time Indy,

Kyle
@ShwoodyLove

Indiana Comic Con: Review

Good Evening All!


I hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful weather we are experiencing and taking advantage of an eventful weekend here in Indianapolis! With that being said, below you find my final review of Indiana's first official Comic Con.

I want to give fair warning though on two key aspects of my review, so please keep these in mind.

1. I only attended today, Saturday. I didn't attend Friday due to fewer events scheduled (and other priorities that took higher urgency than the Con). I also do not plan on attending tomorrow (this is a mixture of how today went but other factors did play into my choice).

2. This is the first year for this organization and style of Con in Indianapolis. I could write several blogs comparing this Con's first year to Gen Con, but that is just not fair... they are on completely different levels!

With this in mind, Let's Proceed!



Before Arrival:

As I mentioned in the pre-review of the convention, I was worried of hotel availability and parking issues due to the mass of events planned for this weekend in Indianapolis. The city had the Big Ten Tourney, Saint Paddy's celebrations(just for you Sarah), and the Librarian Convention. Fortunately for my wife and I, we live in the right outside of Indianapolis. No hotel was needed for our trip the Con. As for parking, we have a monthly pass, so once again parking was no issue for us. When we arrived and made our way to the convention center, we noticed many parking garages were doing 10-15 dollar all day event parking. This to me is extremely reasonable and many garages were in easy walking distance to the convention, considering the nice weather. We only had one roadblock on our way to the Con! For future reference, never try to cross in front of a 5K, apparently the cops do not like it "Do not interfere with the Runners!".

Overall, it doesn't seem like with the all events occurring, anyone had trouble making it into the city and to the Convention. I would still say a weekend with less might be more favorable. I will give one to the organizers of the event. During my initial interview with Stephen from Action 3, he made this comment, “Indiana Comic Con exhibitors stand to gain from Big 10 attendees that are "casual" fans of what a “comic con” has to offer." This moment actually occurred when my wife and I first arrived. A Father and Son were looking for the Con and asked the information desk for directions. One of the women replied, "I am surprised you are asking, you don't look like the typical people going to Comic Con". They replied they were looking for a specific Comic for a family friend but were in town for the Big Ten!

Before Arrival Grade: A- (Remember this is my grade! If you had an awful time getting a hotel or finding parking....please let me know!)

Arrival/Entry to Con:

Okay, this is going to get rough. As mentioned before in the pre-review, I was frustrated about ticket prices. If you bought pre-sale, you paid roughly 11 dollars in processing fees for each ticket or you could wait in line and purchase tickets at the box office. I finally gave in and purchased my tickets online to avoid long lines and forgoing the possibility of being sold out. I went to pick up the tickets at the local Walmart that had a Ticketmaster counter, I did this on Friday. Since it was Friday, the event official started, my tickets were then printed at Will Call and I would have to pick them up on Saturday. This was a nuisance but nothing to ruin the day, so we shrugged it off and planned to go to will call. (To note: The organization has stated that they plan on going another route for ticketing to avoid fees.)

Now the fun begins. As we arrive to the convention center, we realize we have no idea where will call is or even where the convention is! We begin to look at a map and find the ticket box and assume this must be where will call is located as well. We begin our journey of looking for the ticket box, but alas none is found. Eventually where hear the convention is located in exhibit hall D and begin our way. Then.....

Three long lines with absolutely no volunteers and the only signs visible are the ones at the entrance/exit of the exhibit hall. My wife and I found a bench to relax on and watch as others look confused and frustrated. Jumping into lines they think they may need to be in. Eventually my wife finds a volunteer and asks where the will call for presale tickets, his response "You need to get into the line for people who haven't bought tickets yet.". That is right, the line for those who haven't purchased tickets yet........although I have already given them money but have not received a ticket, and we must stand in a line with no ropes, no organization, and one volunteer yelling just to pick up our tickets with those who haven't purchased one yet. Seriously! Why the hell was the option to print at home not available! After roughly a thirty minute wait and restroom break, we arrived in the hall and picked up our tickets and then.......waited in another small line. Finally, we arrived.

Entry/Arrival: D- (Once again, this is only Saturday. I understand that Friday probably went much smoother and Sunday will most likely be better as well. The only reason I honestly didn't give this portion an F is simply this is the first year of the Con here in Indiana. Still, this is an organization that puts on Comic Cons in other states; this is truly unacceptable and hoped for much more organization. I also thought I would mention that on Facebook, it was quoted that "the box office for purchasing tickets at the door will open before the comic con doors open. This is in an effort to process attendees over a larger span of time and avoid the build-up of a massive line, should the turnout be very large. The box office will open at 10 AM on Friday, 8 AM on Saturday and 8:15 AM on Sunday." And yet, when we arrived shortly at 10, hundreds had yet to purchase tickets?

The Con:

As we arrived in the hall, I could only take in one fact. The con was in one major hall, a quarter of the hall was taken up by ticketing, and another by the panel floor for celebrities and the rest of the floor contained a small area for comics/toys and an artist gallery. That is it. I understand that this is the first year in Indiana, but really one hall? During my interview with Stephen, they were estimating low 5,000 to high of 10,000.....but where would you even put 5,000 attendees?????? 

As our tickets were torn, we walked into the Con and immediately hit a wall of attendees. We would not have a two feet radius from someone else for another 2.5 hours. This caused basically a mentality to continuously walk and just glance at booths, expect for those who thought it was a good idea to take a photo of cos-players and block a walkway that was already blocked. 

I wish I could tell you how the booths were, but I can't. I'm sorry but I am not a fan of battling others just to see a collectible....especially when many of them are just innocent kids having a good time. I can mention briefly the artist alley. It was small, but we did see many talented artists and even had a small chat with Billy and Brandon/WatchMovies. Still the alley was small, but once again I assume this is due to the first year. 

The panels seemed to be lacking something as well. Although the topics were good, the lack of panels was evident. We did sit on the panel with Maisie Williams and enjoyed her answers and break dancing!

After walking through the hordes of guests in a small confined space, we decided to have lunch at McNivens where during the meal began to hear that the Con was sold out and overcapacity and that people were being turned away. At this point, I just gave up, enjoyed my beer and went home to do yardwork and enjoy an evening run. 

The Con Grade: C+
Although I mentioned many negatives, I cannot say it enough that this is the first year. Yes the organization and crowd was dealt with poorly but the number of guests, vendors, and artists will only increase as the Con goes forward! I'm hoping that they can see what changes to make next year that will create a better atmosphere and more enjoyable experience.

Overall Grade: C

It is hard to say I enjoyed the day, mainly because I didn't. I had to deal with ticket issues, extremely long and unorganized lines, and barely saw the con due to an overcrowded room. The Con can still succeed though. With more volunteers, structured lines/information, and larger space, the Con has a chance to become an annual event here in Indianapolis. I look forward to Pop Con, but I have to say I still want Indiana Comic Con to succeed because having two great Cons a year is something I want to look forward to!

Let me know what you think about the Indiana Comic Con and your experiences at @ShwoodyLove or commenting below!

As always, Thanks for reading and until next time!

Kyle
@Shwoodylove

Indiana Comic Con: Preview

Good Evening Indy,

With the convention beginning this Friday, I wanted to do a preview of the convention. Let’s begin with the concerns I have seen so far!

Ticketing: Cost for one day and three day passes are relatively cheap for a convention, unfortunately with Ticketmaster Fees and other processing fees, a one day ticket will cost you almost 32 dollars instead of the 20! The convention organizers have already admitted that this is a fault and plans on going with another ticket provider in 2015.

Considering the issue with fees, I thought I might just want to purchase at box office to bypass the fees, unfortunately the convention organizers posted that only a finite amount of tickets would be available at the box office each day. Saturday they will open at 8:15 AM, almost two hours before doors will open, to begin box office sales. This means you better show up early. With this happening I feel like I’m being forced to purchase my tickets ahead of time and get stuck with the fees. 

Social Media: To me this was a huge miss on the convention’s part. All year long you might have noticed that Fackbook is starting to lose followers (according to News Agencies)….so please tell me why your biggest means of spreading information is on Facebook? Twitter is being extremely underutilized for announcements, and I have to say the webpage is a bit cheesy! 

Spider Man dancing with the Colt’s Cheerleaders? That’s all I can say.

PLEASE NOTE:

Even though Facebook is the main media for information, they are using right. Constantly updating the page with new guests and events that are planned.

Time Event: This is one that could go either way. The Big Ten tournament (A Indiana Classic) will be taking place this weekend as well. This causes a large shortage of hotel rooms for out of state guests and a lack of parking (with higher prices). At the same time, interested fans could boost sales and increase audience size!

Now lets talk about those positives!

Excitement Factor: This is Indiana’s first Comic Con. They are setting the bar for all other conventions that are comic/entertainment based here in Indy. This brings a sense of excitement that is just to hard to crush. Seriously, I have been waiting for this weekend for some time (Pretty sure my wife is ready for it to be over). 

 

Lineup: This is a new Con, and for being a new con the lineup is impressive.  With Evan Peters,  Caity Lotz, Maisie Williams, Daniel Cudmore and tons of great artists I can easily say that this lineup proves credibility of the Con. What is great about growing conventions is that every year more guests will come and more fun for all! And I think Indiana Comic Con is on the right track.

Panels: At most large Cons across the Midwest, panels are usually celebrities talking about the tv shows/ movies they have appeared in or are currently working on. Besides this, you get a hit or miss scenario of panels. Indiana Comic Con though has a wide array of panels with many interesting topics that I am extremely excited for.  Two to really keep your on eyes on for Saturday are Superhero Story Time and Indy Podcasting!

What are your concerns about the Con this weekend? Please share thoughts in the Comment section or @Shwoodylove

Look forward to a full review of the Con on Sunday after I attend where I will update what I find about my concerns and positives!

Until next time Indy!

Kyle @Shwoodylove

Irrational Fears?

 Good Evening Everyone!

I posted through Twitter a few weeks ago about completing the newest BioShock in less than 24 hours, something I haven't honestly done since college! I enjoyed the game through the entirety and cannot wait to download episode one of the DLC and for episode two to be released soon!

But.......

As many avid fans have heard, as of last week Irrational Studious laid off roughly 75 employees to create a new,  smaller, more entrepreneurial studio under Take-Two. A new studio where creator Ken Levine can focus on smaller, narrative work that will be released digitally.

Now thankfully this studio is not a Indie firm, otherwise we could have kissed goodbye any chance of a new Bioshock in the near future.......it's just that Ken's team put the time and effort in creating a well made game....most likely Take-Two will not take that much time........which brings us full circle.

The real reason why Irrational Studios "closed".




 I honestly do believe Ken's team wants to focus on creative and well designed games, although they may be smaller projects. It's simple, a game was made over a seven year span and did not sell enough copies to keep the big producer happy.

Obviously this is the right choice financially, considering the Video Game industry is a business.

Is it is the right choice for the gamers though?

We as gamers are living in an age of fantastic, cutting edge technology, and creative gaming development....but there is clear shift from innovative gaming to producing agencies and studios that pump out big name titles(Usually Sequels) either yearly or bi-annually. I honestly feel that this has crippled the aspect of gaming.


What games are you excited about this year? A typical question right? It seems the answer is almost identical between the years. A Halo (Type) Game, Call of Duty, Batman (Even though I like the series), any sports or racing. Those are the big games, the games everyone looks forward to. I can't blame the hype, all of these titles or genres produce decent games with additive multiplayer. Just like you might always order the General Tso's chicken at your favorite Chinese restaurant, why try something new when you know the General Tso’s is delicious. And the producers and studious (not all) see this and continue to pump new titles with the tweaks to the system so that we will continue to stuff our faces…..figuratively.

My fear is not a financially strapped video game industry due to long, drawn out production, my fear is the material and development of games being produced by big market gaming. I fear a gaming console that controls all aspect of entertainment, games that are continuously built off their predecessor, a game that relies on multiplayer and not narrative. I fear the current path the industry is heading on.

Now I would be a complete liar and ass if I would sit here and type all this without saying that I  have played these games too. Everyone does! That does not mean that when I get that one rare gem, that one game that changes the boundaries of gaming that I wouldn't prefer that over anything else on market.

Luckily, I know that I am not the only video gamer who has these fears. Look at steam, a whole community that encourages the creation of creative and innovative gaming......and it's wonderfully cheap

And I can't forget Kickstarter; several groups daily are presenting their ideas and dreams of producing their first title.(Although a whole other story could be said about Kickstarter!)

At the end though, the big titles are needed. They are the games that bring in the money. They keep the industry floating and are the only reason small studious even begin, but if creativity of a game is capped at seven years, we may be in trouble.




What games do you believe were a rare gem of creativity? What direction do you wish to see the video game to go in?

Please share your thoughts below in the comments or of course tweet over @Shwoodylove

Until next time!

Kyle

@ShwoodyLove

And the Countdown Begins!

Can you believe it? Almost three weeks away until the Con season begins in the Circle City!

And first up........

Wooooohooooo!


I always am super excited when it gets down to the wire, not just because the event is almost here but for the convention updates! What a feeling when you check the webpage to find events instead of a "Coming Soon" text. Finally, you can begin to plan the days and get amped about the exciting times ahead!

Originally, I planned to attend the First day of the Con (Friday), but I have changed my initial mindset  and believe I'm going to attended Saturday solely on the lineup and opportunities that will be available that day!

I have three panesl I definitely plan on attending:

1. Masie Williams: I can not wait to attended this panel. We not only get to see a star of the show, but to see a character that hopefully can answer questions so close to the new season!

2.Super Hero Story Time: This looks to be a very cool panel. Especially after reading a story earlier this year about Marvel. http://marvel.com/news/comics/2012/5/30/18801/meet_the_blue_ear

3.Indy Podcasting Panel: This is one I will not miss! As a new comer to blogging and hopes to move to podcasting/youtube, I want to gain any knowledge and tips on sharing to the masses!

And of course, I will be busy visiting awesome vendors, playing games, and meeting artists to fill in the day!

What is everyone else looking forward to? Let me know what you are most excited about through comments or even tweeting @ShwoodyLove

Until Next time Indy!

Kyle
@ShwoodyLove