President's Blog


Mason Marks President GameGiving.org


      Contact
      Xbox Live: GGprez
      Playstation: GGprez
      E-mail: mason@gamegiving.org


What I'm playing: Grand Theft Auto 4, GT5 Prologue, Rock Band, COD4
What I want to play: MGS4, Age of Conan, End War

5/18/08: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is amazing. If you're into MMOs, definitely check this one out. If all goes as plannes, it will be arriving on the Xbox 360 next year.

5/16/08: Last week I started upgrading my computer in preparation for Age of Conan's upcoming release. As might be expected, the project didn't exactly go without a hitch. Shortly after booting the pc up for the first time, I was greeted by the infamous blue screen of death (below). It took a few days to isolate the problem, but I finally sorted it out thanks to the customer service at EVGA. It's rare that you find a company so willing to help you solve a problem, and because I was so impressed with their support, I thought it was worth mentioning. The whole experience made me reflect on PC and console gaming. Despite the three red lights fiasco, and the PS3's rather lackluster line-up, gaming on this generation's consoles is a very pleasant experience. Games like Call of Duty 4 on Xbox Live are likely to satisfy all but the most diehard PC fans. The consoles still lack the MMOs that I can't seem to live without. But once they do arrive in the coming year, gaming on the pc may lose much of its appeal. This latest PC project of mine could be the last, but never say never.

5/10/08: Big announcement today, starting tonight we'll be offering two extremenly unique items for auction: A copy of Bioshock autographed by the games creator Ken Levine, and a Rock Band Bundle signed by the development team at Harmonix. Both are for the Xbox 360. Please visit the online store to bid on these items.

I also recently posted the 4th episode of the Triple A Games Podcast. Ethan and I discuss the GTA4 launch and our impressions of the game. Lately I've also been collecting parts for a new gaming PC. I'm eagerly awaiting the launch of Age of Conan, and my new rig will hopefull handle this graphically intensive game.

5/5/08: I can't believe GTA4 has finally arrived and that I'm many hours into the game. Not long ago it seemed the game was many months away. Playing it now feels a bit surreal. Everyone seems to agree that Rockstar has taken their open-world formula to the next level with better graphics, a more immersive world, and an extremely well written and acted story. It's been many years since I first played Grand Theft Auto III, and felt for the first time the sense of awe that open-world gameplay can inspire. Playing GTA4 has allowed me to experience that sensation again. The scale and depth of Liberty City is nothing short of awe inspiring. The game is a great technical and artistic achievement, particularly given the tools currently available to game makers. It is a work that gamers will continue to enjoy for many years, and though I want to savor the experience of playing GTA, I also want to look to the future. Last year may have been labeled the best year in gaming, but 2008 will continue to deliver some incredible games on the heels of GTA4. Some of these releases will rival those of 2007. Games like MGS4, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Civilization Revolution, Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Spore, and many others stand to make 2008 one of the best years for gaming ever. It truly is a great time to be a gamer.

4/29/08: Yesterday I posted the third episode of the Triple A Games Podcast. On the show I interview my friend Ethan, and we discuss GTA and open world games in general. I also headed down to the local mall to wait in line for GTA4. I was lucky to be third in line out of several hundred people. Everyone around me was really nice, and we had some great conversations while waiting for the midnight release. I'll post my impressions of the game and my interview with some of the gamers waiting in line soon.

4/19/08: Today I posted the second episode of the Triple A Games Podcast. In the show I give my impressions of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, which I've been playing a lot of over the past few days. I'm really impressed with the game, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see that it's worth the 40 bucks. I also discuss a recent short piece on NPR that you can find here. It asks why games don't cover more serious issues, and poses the question "Does the game industry want to be seen as a serious medium?" I have some strong opinions on the matter. So check out the show and let me know what you think.

4/15/08: I'm pleased to announce that we've raised hundreds of dollars for our charities. But we hope to raise thousands. I also posted the first episode of the Triple A Games podcast last night. So check it out here. It should be available on iTunes soon. In the show I discuss what Triple A Games are, go over some gaming news, and give my thoughts on persistence in video games.

Lately I've been playing a lot Rainbow Six Vegas 2. It's so good that it's largely replaced Call of Duty 4 multiplayer, which I never would have imagined. Now that I've gotten into the cover system of Rainbow 6, it's hard to go back. I also think the new maps came just a little too late, and I was ready to move on to something else. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of Grand Theft Auto 4. Hopefully the multiplayer modes will turn out to be as good as they sound. Playing cops and crooks in the streets of Liberty City sounds amazing.

I also recently had the pleasure of visiting Harmonix in Cambridge, MA. They were incredibly hospitable and generous. I'll soon have some unique items that they donated available for auction. Stay tuned.

3/18/08: I'm very excited to announce the launch of Game Giving. A lot of work and love has been put into this site, and hopefully it shows. I think I'll use this first entry to tell you a little about myself. I'm a medical student in Boston, MA. Video games are a long-time passion of mine. I remember the first time I got my hands on a video game controller. I was over at a friend's house, and he had recently come across a ColecoVision. If you don't know what that is, check out the wikipedia page. Anyway, I was immediately hooked, and I have been ever since. I decided to go to medical school in 2002, and since then video games have always been a dependable outlet, as they likely are for many of you. Not only that, but with the advent of Xbox Live, games have become the primary means that I communicate with many of my friends. On that note, you're welcome to add me to your friend's list on Xbox Live or the PSN. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you online.