I'm A Beta Tester
5/13/2
It�s interesting the things you forget.
A while back, I was chosen by Sony to be an online game beta tester for the Playstation 2. When I agreed to the agreement between Sony and me, they said they would contact me by the 10th of May.
I did remember enough on last Wednesday to be disappointed that I hadn�t been contacted already. I hoped that I was correct that I had actually agreed to be one, not just be considered to be a beta tester.
Thursday, things looked up. I got home and there was a UPS post-it on the front door. It looked like it said �Wetwork ADP� as the address. But since this package required my signature, it wasn�t delivered.
Now, I�ve recently ordered a Tampa Bay Mutiny T-shirt, but why would they make me sign. Then, I understood...Network Adapter. I called UPS and asked them to deliver it to my work on Friday. Oddly enough, when it arrived, TC signed for it. Hmmph.
So, as soon as I get the box, I open it. Little network adapter thing, the driver disk that includes the music game Frequency, and a Twisted Metal: Black Online DVD.
I had to run and get a Hydrogen Sulfide sample and test it before I could leave for the day, so I did, and hit the road.
I tried to use the cable modem downstairs, but due to the amount of splits as the cable runs through the attic and ties in the loft and kitchen on the way there, the signal was too weak for it. In other words, I wouldn�t be able to use the PS2 on the 25� TV with the subwoofer. So I took Aisai�s kitchen TV.
The TV that Aisai uses in the kitchen is the one my parents gave me when I was 14 to have in my room. I actually think my sister, Kelley, had it for a few years before I did. So this is about 18 years old.
I don�t know what it is about old TVs, why didn�t they make the screens square. I ran out to Circuit City to buy an RF adapter. Actually, I bought an Interact adapter on the internet and arranged for local pickup. However, when I got there, they didn�t have one so they substituted a Sony one, which was $5 more, but they didn�t charge me more.
The old 13� TV was lame and I couldn�t see parts of my heads up display, specifically, I couldn�t see my �health� bar. Aisai said we had the cash for me to get a TV for upstairs for this, so we went out to Best Buy. The plan was Best Buy first since I had already seen what Circuit City had online, and you never can tell what Best Buy has from their website.
All the good, hard-edged 13� TVs were around $150. The fairly squared 19� were around $180 to $250, and the very rounded ones were $109. However, my good wife Aisai saw a Sansui 25� TV with a pretty non-rounded screen. It was $180, and yes, I�ve never heard of Sansui either...but I�ve never had a TV die one me either. So we bought it.
There was a little network problem on Sony�s side on Friday night, but other than that it�s been pretty good. I know several ways to lock the game up, the easiest of which is to try to view the credits. It seems that there aren�t that many of us out there since I�ve never seen more than ten people online at a time.
Basically, it�s Twisted Metal: Black that you play against real people on the internet. Cool, but not amazing. Or so says me.
Now, if we were just racing and it wasn�t just car combat.
I did lose considerable sleep time this weekend due to the game. And this week is going to be eventful also. Nothing�s going on today or tomorrow night, besides a new Buffy and Smallville tomorrow and a new Angel tonight. Wednesday, we have church and a two-hour finale of The Amazing Race 2. Thursday, it�s Star Wars: Episode II at 4:30 p.m. and a new Survivor. We also have to go grocery shopping for home and for the college age retreat we�re supplying the lunch for Saturday for. We can�t shop Friday night since we�ll be at Doublehead [and no, not the Disney resort, the one near us].
Now, speaking of TV and movies. Next week, we have a two weeks season finale of Buffy. In San Francisco, the Battlebots competition that will make up next season begins. We have the card night at our house on that Thursday, and I wonder what goes on with Survivor since it�ll be Final Four time after this Thursday. I dunno if they will do a two-hour or not. I think they do a one-hour and then the next week they do a one-hour with a live thing where they reveal the winner. Unfortunately, it�ll be Rosie O�Donnell hosting the �Reunion Show� live from Central Park.
I need to boil some water for my Kimchi Bowl Noodle. Yep, I�m back to eating quickie Korean food for lunch again.
But right now, I�m chewing some double bubble, and it still has flavor...so I can wait.