Whats it like trying to be a Twitch Streamer?

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Most gamers have sat down and wondered what it would be like to be a streamer on twitch, some may have even tried it. But what is it like to put an even semi serious effort into it? Honestly vastly different than most people expect. Many people think its just a simple matter of sitting down with whatever game you want, hitting that stream or share button and away you go. Technically speaking thats all it actually is. But what if you actually want people yo show up or more importantly stay?

This is the part people don’t usually talk about. Sure we all get the idea that you have to be either insanely good or insanely entertaining when it comes to playing, and being both really helps. That part is kind of a no brainer. But there is that part we don;t think about. Networking. That first milestone on Twitch of 50 followers can be brutal for some people and for others it is that 3 concurrent viewers achievement. Both of these are hard to do if you aren’t on other social media sites talking to people and letting them know your stream exist in the first place. My first stream was 3 viewers, and all of them were family or a friend  I pretty much harassed into watching. This is however where your streams will start. Since than I have spent hours talking to people from Scotland and Ireland and all over the world..

The real question you have to ask yourself before streaming is, do you mind spending hours playing for no audience while building a small community? Also do you mind grinding away at a labor of love for the hope of someday maybe making a few bucks to supplement your income, because honestly most people won’t stream for a living. You might, most people won’t. If you can do these things long term and stay positive, it might just be for you. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

5 of my favorite super teams

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You ever get a rush watching a climatic battle full of your favorite costumed badasses throw down against a huge army or indestructible foe? Well, like millions of other nerds, I do too. So here’s my list in order of my favorite super teams in order starting with

5. JLA- one of the classics and very first it’s hard not to get excited seeing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Green Lantern getting together to kick some ass.

f4 4 4. Fantastic 4- Marvel’s first family and explorers into the strange and cosmic, despite the swarm of crappy movies, I always got love for Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing.

classic xmen 3. X Men- The Students of Xavier’s School helped start my descent into my love of Marvel. There has been tons of X Men over the years, so many I couldn’t list (near the next film I’ll get deeper into my favorites.) but they are awesome.

Teen Titans 2. Teen Titans- I can’t lie, this is strictly on the list because of how much I loved the early 2000’s series but damn near 20 years later the friendship between Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beastboy stuck with me and that says volumes.

gotg 1. Guardians of the galaxy- I got introduced to the comics a year before the movie came out and fell in love with these flawed but cool characters. Starlord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccon, and Groot with awesome guest Guardians throughout make them my favorite.

May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

batman under the red hood

If you caught my list of Top 5 badasses of DC or my Batman: Arkham Knight review, I touched on the badass of Red Hood.

The crime lords in Gotham begin getting hunted by a new vigilante calling himself The Red Hood. Killing the thugs of crimelord Black Mask, Batman notices the precision in which hood operates and the hood itself makes him recall Joker. Hood however is not the typical bad guy, taking control of the drug trade to help fund his murderous campaign, he has one rule- don’t sell to kids- which he strictly enforces. When the time comes for Batman and Red Hood to face off and the truth comes out about his identity, Batman must come to terms with the ultimate fate of his former ward, Jason Todd, and stop him before he murders Joker, proving the futility of Batman’s nonlethal methods…

I know the review maybe brief but there is a LOT to this story. As a story it is compelling and Red Hood is a badass. While Batman is awesome, Red Hood makes a damn convincing argument and steals the show with his gritty kill scenes and his interactions with his former mentor. If you plan on reading it, I do recommend reading Batman: Death in the Family before where you get the events that lead to Todd’s death. I enjoyed this book and say it’s worth checking out if you are a Batman fan. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: Death in the family

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Of all comics I’ve experienced so far, no hero has had more classic tales over the years than the Dark Knight himself. One of his most darkest tragedies is the tale of Jason Todd, the second Robin.

We begin this story with Bruce and Todd’s relationship getting rocky. Todd, getting older is becoming rebellious and angry. Discovering that the mother he knew was not his biological mother, Todd ventures into the middle east to find her- trailed by a worried Batman. Batman and Robin become entangled in a dastardly affair involving nuclear weapons, Joker and Todd’s real mother. Taken by Joker, Todd is tortured and beaten nearly to death by a crowbar, dying with his mother after failing to save her from a bomb. Batman’s iconic failure to save is brilliantly captured as he cradles Jason’s body. Left torn inside, Batman is left to take Joker down, but at the risk of causing a war with the middle east…

The tragedy of Jason Todd is a story we saw referenced in Batman Vs Superman and Arkham Knight and many other stories. I found this to be a surprisingly epic story I found really intriguing as well as really tragic. For an older comic, I was surprised how graphic it was but I somehow found it more effective than the overly dark tone of say Killing Joke. I will say A Death in the Family is one of my favorite Batman stories and I highly recommend it to Batman fans. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Pokemon 3

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By 2001, I began falling out of the Pokemon craze and appropriately so we get a epic finale to the original trilogy of Pokemon movies.

Pokemon 3, also titled Spell of the Unknown,is a strange tale of imagination, loneliness, and coming to terms with reality. A girl named Molly is sad after her father disappears after going on a archaeological dig. All she has to remember him by is the pieces of a old puzzle, awakening the Unknown, warping reality to Molly’s whim. She generates Entei, fusing the legendary Pokemon with her father’s voice but all that is missing is a mother. Entei steals Ash’s, so now Ash and his friends are left to save her and defeat the Unknown.

Of the 3, I would say it is my favorite story. There is something dark and rather sad about this particular story. On a personal note, I lost my mother right around the time this came out so not being much older than Molly, it impacted me a lot as a kid. I enjoyed the fantastical elements. There are sweet battles and cool dreamy settings. The end I found sad but wasn’t grim. If you want something a bit deeper and a little bit darker than the first two movies but I highly recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Pokemon 2000

pokemon 2000

Hey anyone, remember the hype over the year becoming 2000? Well, like Pepperidge Farms, we remember. And so did Pokemon.

Pokemon 2000, also titled The Power of One, is the story of the balance of the planet getting thrown violently out of whack because a collector of rare Pokemon decides to capture the 3 legendary birds. Moltres- the bird of fire, Zapdoes- the bird of lightning, and Articuno- the bird of ice; each a force of nature in itself that once unsettled begin fighting themselves. Because of a prophecy, the world will turn to Ash as a new force emerges, Lugia. It’s up to young Ash and his friends to set them all save the world…

Much deeper into the Pokemon universe, Pokemon 2000 is on par with the first in my opinion. There is more action, more epic locations, and a deep story. The legendary birds are freaking awesome to behold. Again the ending is happy but this time it fits better. In the end I highly recommend this animated film and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Pokemon: The First Movie

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Many, many years ago Pokemon was everywhere. Trading cards, video games, the cartoon and when the MewTwo Strikes Back hit theaters, everyone lost there shit in my first grade class.

Team Rocket’s leader, Giovanni, commissions his most evil deed yet: an experiment to create the world’s strongest Pokemon. Created from legendary Pokemon, Mew, MewTwo is born but is furious with the prospect of existing solely as a human’s slave. After mastering his devastating powers, MewTwo sets off to cleanse the world of man and reign in a whole new era of Pokemon dominance. Standing in his way are Ash Ketchum and his friends, as well as Mew in a epic showdown for the fate of the planet…

I’m a huge fan of the movie. If you were a fan of the show, you’ll like this darker next step; if you are a new comer, I think you’ll enjoy the epic tale and awesome fights. MewTwo sells the movie. He is a great, complex villain. The animation is beautiful and there a nice balance between light and dark elements.  My only personal peeve with it is the last five minutes or so, it’s a hardcore happy ending. In the end, I do highly recommend as a cool animated film. May the gaming gods bring you glory so you catch them all.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay trailer

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A few days ago the trailer for the newest R rated DC animated movie dropped and I felt a huge buzz of excitement. R rated Suicide Squad- just the way it ought to have been. This time we are joined by Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, Copperhead, and Killer Frost (a better squad selection may I add) as they take on a enemy that’s not a ridiculously over-powered demigod they shouldn’t be able to kill in any way, shape or form but do because…reasons. These 3 main factors make me cautiously optimistic- no one is forgetting Killing Joke anytime soon. May the gaming gods bring you glory and best wishes.

World War Z

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There are some ideas that are brilliant, some that are maddeningly dumb, and some that can only be done once. This is one of my favorite books and least favorite movies.

World War Z, as the rest of the title suggests, is a oral history of the zombie war. Basically the book is written interview style with multiple survivors of different cultures, creeds, ages, and social standings We get traumatic accounts of epic battles, tearful goodbyes, and get a cool view of how others outside ourselves would deal with such a catastrophic event. The book never feels repetitive in tone or character arcs and that is what makes it so damn enthralling: genuine feeling characters around the world dealing with classic, simple zombies- a threat most wouldn’t take at face value but Max Brooks demonstrates how endearing and dangerous they are.

The movie ditches almost everything but the zombie apocalypse. We get an obscene amount of fast, kinda green looking, Pg-13 28 knockoff zombies overruning the globe as Brad Pitt goes through action set piece after action set piece trying to find a cure and get back to his family. Watching this hurt. Bad. The stories and characters I loved in the book were striped and replaced with a Emmerich wannabe action movie. I admit, I may be hard on the movie; many folks I know that really enjoyed it never read it at all.

I’m going to say pick one, and whatever you pick, don’t go to the other because chances are you will get royally bent out of shape. I favor the book’s variety and emphasis on strong characters, setting, and simple zombies. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Zombie Survival Guide

zombie survival guide

Hello everyone. I have been really sick for a week, hence why I haven’t posted and well, tis the season for runny noses, hoarse coughs, and ZOMBIES! Ok, not really zombies. Zombies don’t do well in the frigid cold, although beware because those cadaverous bastards could be buried beneath the snow. This is something I learned from Max Brooks’s Zombie Survival Guide.

Now there is no narrative but the book is rather an actual survival guide heavily based in actual fact. Wilderness survival, weapons, and home defense tactics are some things that can learned from the book. As for the zombies, Brooks goes out of his way to add a layer of depth to the creatures both physically and contextually you rarely see in fiction. Seriously, they feel pretty damn real when you start getting into there inner workings, origins, and capabilities. If you love zombies and want something different that will make you feel safer come the inevitable zombie apocalypse, definitely pick it up. Best wishes and may the gaming gods save you from zombies…which I’m not..it was a stomach flu…I promise.