NO HOLIDAY FOR ME!
So I missed a commentary, so what? I never thought that it would result in a tirade, and my good name being attacked by my own editor, for crying out loud! I guess I'll have to explain my entire story to Breeden to make sure he knew what I was going through.
To start off, considering it was the 4th of July holiday, I decided that I wanted to spend it back in my hometown, away from all the noise and potential terror attacks that would plague DC. (Go figure the only attack was that gun-toting nutjob in LA. Kudos to the LAX security for plugging his rear instead of hauling him away.) However, there was one major problem: I had no immediate access to a computer to write my commentary. Usually when I write my reviews/commentaries when I am back home, I use the computer lab at Frostburg State University, but they were closed for the holiday, so I was SOL.
Not only that, but the 4th of July holiday was also the launch of Warcraft 3, and I knew that when I returned home Friday night I would have to take another sabbatical to get as much Warcraft 3 experience as possible so I could write a decent review. After all, a WC3 review would need to be done post haste and it was my top priority to get that finished. As a result, I had no choice but to delay my commentary for the next time. I felt like crap doing it, but in my busy schedule (having to manage two places of residence, dealing with my woman, and testing the latest gaming hardware/software) takes a lot out of me.
And then after Urben takes a hiatus because he has to be with his wife (another reason why I believe marriage is slavery), I, along with Chella, get thrust into writing bi-weekly columns. And while there are weeks when it is easy to come up with something (My attack on Nintendo for their lack of Gamecube-exclusive titles, preparations for E3, the hells of finding a decent AMD-compatible system upgrade), there are weeks when it is pure hell.
Case in point, this week there are no major releases to get excited about. If I didn't receive my copy of Morrowind this week (as well as finishing the last campaign of Warcraft 3), this week would be very slow for me.
Fortunately next week looks like a different story, if only for one reason (albeit a good one). When EA Sports releases NCAA Football 2003, I know I'll be spending a lot of time on it, getting my virtual league up and running, and officially starting the 2003 EA football season (with Madden following in mid-August). Hell I might even be able to finish my XFL restoration project after that.
Even better, the following release will be the launch of Unreal Tournament 2003. Now I have used other titles to test out my computer's horsepower (Medal of Honor, Wolfenstein, Dungeon Siege, NASCAR 2002, and of course Warcraft 3), and even ran a full benchmark using 3D WinMark 2001, but I feel the true test will come when I install UT2003 and play it for the first time. I am looking forward to seeing how it runs, as the Unreal engine is used to push systems to the limit. I do find it ironic now that my new computer can run the original Unreal Tournament at well over 60fps while at its highest resolution possible on my screen.
As a result, hopefully by the time my next commentary is due, I will actually have something important to write about. But I do apologize to Breeden for not getting a review in on time. I wish I could have more time to write a commentary bragging about my 28th birthday (yes Breeden I know you turned 30, but I'm still 28), or do Tuesday night role-playing sessions and still get a review/commentary posted, but I will make sure that I don't miss another commentary without just cause.
