Hey, y'all, let's talk for a minute.

[SpaceGhost2K]

I know it's been kinda quiet in here. Been kinda quiet for a while, actually. I sent an email to Kamshaft, but didn't get an answer, nor have I seen him around here. Ghostrider's been busy. Moltenluv kinda disappeared. It's kinda like everybody came together as a group for a while and now everybody is back to doing their own thing. The last three customs I sold on eBay I practically gave away, and the two I didn't give away, didn't sell, either.

I've got a lot of plates to work on. A few of those are for people but most of them are for games that I hope to get signed by devs. A guy who sent me five emails back and forth about a plate finally found out I was asking a whole $45 for his custom, and he said "Oh, never mind then." Someone else is buying some stickers for what they cost me and nothing more.

I've wanted to be in the gaming industry so bad for a long time that I'm doing irrational stuff. I agreed to take on some writing projects for a website called thegamereviews.com. I spent 15 hours playing Dead Space so I could write them a review, and a couple of hours working on the review, and a couple MORE hours editing the review along with the staff there. I did two other articles for them, too. I had to write them back and tell them there just wasn't any way I could keep a schedule like that.

I started back at Game Crazy. I have an interview next week in LA with a Gamestop DM who I THOUGHT had a manager position available, but doesn't. However, he does have an ASM position available but I don't think I can justify moving to LA for that. Still, this guy is the guy to know, so I'm considering it a recon mission.

I also have an offer to submit freelance work to OXM. I sent inquiries out to two places about potential stories. One place never got back to me. The other said they would, and THEN never got back to me. Plus I still haven't been paid by OXM for the article I DID write. I emailed last week, and THEY haven't gotten back to me.

I wrote a concept for a game that we never got a chance to pitch because the company changed gears and went a different direction. And there's so much I want to do in here at XBA to this database to make it more than a really long list, and there's just nobody to do it.

Maybe it's all just mid-life crisis. I want to have some kind of an impact on SOMETHING. All of my swings seem to just be glancing blows.

So, sorry for the emo moment.

I think what I might do is this: I might call 2009 the last hurrah for the game industry. That might change if I do get in somewhere where I can make a positive impact. But I think I'll do something like... I'll work on faceplates until 1/1/10 and then say goodbye to the customizing hobby. I'll still collect them if there's money to be had, but there's other things to be done, too. I'll go to E3 if I can, and PAX if it is at all possible. But once 1/1/10 gets here, I think I will relegate my connection to the gaming industry to "a guy who plays games" and leave it at that. That will give me a long time to work through the requests that I have, and the things that I want to do for my own creative outlet.

To end: This isn't a "me" thread. It's just a thread. If you've got something you want to talk about with the rest of us faceplate guys, throw it out here.

[Floppy Brown]

After reading your post and knowing your skills at faceplate crafting (among other things probably), it'd be a shame that your talent(s) would be wasted or underused.
Times are hard at the moment but there's still room for hope and there's room for you in the videogame industry.

I think you should stick with faceplates customization and offer your skills to game developers / publishers for events like E3, GDC, PAX... where 360 with WIP games would be running. It'd be something perfect for companies to promote their games without the need of a huge scale command to faceplate manufacturers.

I'm a videogame developer myself (in Europe) and having a couple of faceplates for games we're presenting would be a must.

I don't know if you're on it yet but you should register on LinkedIn for example to build a "job network" by getting in touch with people from this business.
Have a look for tester jobs if available in your area, that's most of the time one of the first steps in the videogame industry.

You can pm / mail me if you have anymore questions or just want to chit chat.

Take care and don't lose hope.
Floppy

[Symmetric-XBA]

space after reading this I need to talk to you a.s.a.p. man. trust me, its nothing bad at all, however, I have something under wraps that I've kept quiet on for a long time, however, this is something that I can not do alone. if you get on xbl sometime soon man hit me up w/ a private chat b/c this will take a LONG LONG time to type lol.

[LINKINPARK8591]

Your very talented with the faceplates, i think floppy is right. Linkedin is a great site to make connection with different things. i have a account on there but havent used it in so long, i think i'm might have to start using it again. As for the faceplates i've been wanting to pick up some for the longest time but, for some reason didn't. And now that i've really been wanting too, i can't cuz i'm well unemployed and still looking for a job. Symmetric sounds like he's got something that he needs assistance with. To me it just sounds like your stressed and over stretching yourself.

[KatamariKutie]

I dunno.... you bought a new red car last year, you got a 29 year old girlfriend last year... I think it IS a midlife crisis......

There is nothing wrong with pursuing your dreams. (as long as others aren't hurt in the process)

I don't see a reason to link faceplates with the cessation of your pursuit of a gamer career. The want for them is going to taper off and all that - but I say as long as people are still willing to pay for them that you can use that as a creative outlet (unless you want to take up making origami with $100bills and give all your practice ones to me)

(PS though you ARE in the gaming industrty at GameCrazy -with the most contact with the customers - way more than any game company has with them)

[Symmetric-XBA]

Symmetric sounds like he's got something that he needs assistance with.

yeah definetly lol. this isn't something small but (i'm not going to say "if") but when it pans out it should be something absolutly huge that all xbox gamers will get to see. I'm looking for people w/ drive and determination to see this through. I'm not looking for people to feign interest and then do absolutly nothing to further this goal.

[KatamariKutie]

yeah definetly lol. this isn't something small but (i'm not going to say "if") but when it pans out it should be something absolutly huge that all xbox gamers will get to see. I'm looking for people w/ drive and determination to see this through. I'm not looking for people to feign interest and then do absolutly nothing to further this goal.

Ooh ooh ooh Do you need a cute blonde sissy gamer girl to sit around and provide moral support in exchange for 25% of the profits?