I just had my computer hijacked by a Battlestations Pacific demo. I downloaded the demo to see if I would like the game. I didn't like it all that much so after about ten minutes of playing I decided to stop playing. I exited and the game went into a cinematic ad, where it played about 30 seconds of game footage with various messages on the screen about the game. At first I didn't know what was going on, when I figured it out I decided to esc out. But guess what? I couldn't get out of it. The company hijacked my computer for their additional sales pitch and then did not let me esc out of the cinematic. I was already not that interested in their game, but now I definitely will not buy it. I realize that a demo is essentially an ad for the game, but isn't that enough? What genius decided that an additional cinematic after you leave the game was warranted? And what exactly were they thinking in not letting you esc out of it? These are rhetorical questions because it was probably not a decision made by a gamer but by a corporate advertisement type. Listen up fellas, that kind of stuff is more of an irritant than a good marketing scheme. I don't play too many demos, so I suppose this tactic has been used before. That doesn't change how irritating it is to have your time wasted by such schemes. At the end of the day the ad did the exact opposite for which it was intended. Take note demo developers. Leave the cheesey hijackings and stick with selling the actual game play in the demo.

It appears I'm batting 50% with my first 6 submissions. That's a whale of a batting average, but otherwise a failing grade almost anywhere else. Although I suppose a PGA golfer would be ecstatic to win 3 of 6 tournaments. For those of you who are thinking of submitting read carefully the fine print and purpose of this site. There are high standards, and although I must admit to being a bit miffed at "rejection", it's a very good thing those standards are upheld. I had to remind myself that one of the reasons I started coming here were those very same standrds. Time to roll up the sleeves and work on the writing. Enough of that, on to another bit of advice.
Any writer out there already knows this, but consider it a cautionary tale and a refresher for those who already know. Don't submit the last copy of anything you have written. Why do I say that? Because I deleted some reviews from a competing web site and submitted them here without backing them up. Brilliant you say? Yes, it was less than stellar. In the day and age of computers this should not happen if you have half a brain. Unfortunately, we humans on occasion operate on less than half a brain, in fact I manage to operate on zero brains much more often that I like.
So kids, remember to back up your documents, and don't be foolish like Uncle JS here. I'll be back soon with some reworked reviews, ready to receive the incoming 120mm rejection mortar. Now, where's my pen (mightier than the sword?) and my kevlar...

JS

Some notes on how I review the games and where I'm coming from. First off, I am not 12, or 20, or even 30. I've been playing video games since 1978 when my dad brought home a Commodore Pet and I started shooting white pixels on a black background. I've owned a 486DX, a Pentium 3 an alienware 3.0 single core and have just built a Quad i7 system (my first foray into building a system) which was something of a comedy at first but it worked out in the end. I've owned an N64 and a PS 2, neither of which I used at all (I've found that the PS 2 is good for my kids). I'm almost exclusively a PC gamer. It's not that I don't like the idea of consoles, I just find the execution to be much less than the promise. I like strategy, RPG and wargames but I've tried most everything at one time or another. I like the idea of flying simulators but most fall flat after a while. I'm lukewarm to FPS at best. Anything to do with 'Horror' as the main plot device I won't buy. I don't care for tons of gore and blood, could care less about 'romance' options in RPGs. I like 'adult' themes, but that does not mean pornography, misogyny and vulgarity. I can't stand the poor English usage of most reviewers, I can understand the odd misspelling or occasional lack of punctuation. But some reviews are truely a waste of pixels. That's about it for now, you'll note that many of my reviews are not 'agreed' with, I'll take that as a compliment considering most of the audience. If you want an adult opinion with an honest assessment in your reviews; that's what you'll get with me.

JS