Red Steel case nude

I picked up Red Steel today so I could read the instruction booklet 100 times and lick the disc waiting for the Wii to come out. But for the hell of it, here are some pics of whats inside and a pic of the game discs which aren’t anything different or speacial.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Launch Day Guide

A fellow WordPress blogger has posted a wonderful guide on camping out for your PS3 or Wii. If you are camping, definitely give this a read, and I would recommend reading the whole thing. This guide doesn’t go over keeping warm, hydrated, and nourished while camping very much, but there are plenty of resources for that. If you or a member of your family was once or is currently a Boy Scout or Girl Scout, break out that scouting manual. Also, just searching Google will yield some good results on that subject. For those of you who just plan to pick up a pre-order on launch day, I would read this too, especially numbers 1, 2, 9-11, and 14 on the list.

Another thing not mentioned on the guide: parking. For this, it is a good idea to follow through on step 2 on the guide I linked to. Park as close as you legally can to the store so that your trip back to your car is short. If store management gives you trouble about this, tell them you feel your personal safety is at risk if your car is not parked close. That should get the manager to back off. No store manager wants an incident in their parking lot. If the reason the manager wants you to move your car is a legal one, by all means, comply. You wouldn’t want to have your car impounded or end up in jail without your PS3 or Wii.

Some parking, especially mall parking, may appear to belong to the store, but it really does not. If you do choose to camp at a mall, make sure you talk to the mall management to find out if there are certain places they will not permit you to leave your car for days at a time. If you do end up having to park in a back lot of the mall, ask about a mall security escort. Hopefully, your mall has mall security vehicles that will take you to your car after you have purchased your system. If the store you camp out in front of is in a big city area where the store doesn’t have parking on their property, research your options. If you do end up parking in a lot that doesn’t belong to the store you are camping at, be sure that it is OK to leave your car there. Talk to the owner of the parking lot, tell him/her how long you plan to keep your car there, and tell him/her the make, model, color, and maybe even the license plate number of your car so they can make sure it isn’t towed. If the owner of the lot is particularly nice, maybe they will even look after your car. It may sound extreme, but if you have to walk more than a few blocks to your car, it may be a good idea to have a friend or a taxi take you to your car. Be sure to weigh parking costs; if you can’t park in an area you trust to be safe, or if parking for a few days is rather expensive, it may be best to just take a taxi both ways.

I know it has been said in the guide, but I just want to reiterate the point. Please be safe. This is only a video game system, and it is not worth sacrificing your health or your life.

And don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Especially you lucky ones who live in warm areas. I admit, when I camped for my Wii Pre-Order, I was cold, tired, and pretty cranky by the end. But it is an experience I will never forget, and I had the chance to meet some cool people I probably wouldn’t run into otherwise. And knowing that I will have the system at launch and won’t have to hunt for it later makes it all worthwhile.

Campers Spotted!

Here in cold, cold, Colorado, in which it is currently 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit and snowing, I have spotted a lone tent outside a local Best Buy, camping for the PS3, I assume. If I get the campers’ and Best Buy’s approval, I may post some pictures.