Gates & Gaming

Before I go on, I have to say that Bill Gates is one of my personal heroes. I don't exaggerate when I say I would love to learn from that man. I have always been a fan of Microsoft and what they do. So by no means is this a personal vengeda against the company or the man. I simply disagree heavily on their current stance with XBox 360.

It is without a doubt that the year of the old (2006) belongs to the 360. Games like Gears of War really took the system to the next level. Other games included Call of Duty, and the not so raved about Blue Dragon (a great game but heavily underrated). So when asked a question of what Microsoft has been doing for the past year (it's NOT so wasted one year as Gates claims). The answer is comprisingly H.G.L or Halo Gears Live.

Gates is seriously underestimating his competion in this console war. The online in 360 is great and fun but what makes you so sure that PS3 and Wii will not adapt the same functionality. The scores, tallies, friends systems, their all nice. But if you've ever played a game like counter strike. How often do you actually utilize the steam friends list. I'm not saying that it's not a good feature, it simply doesn't take priority or add to the gameplay experience.

Microsoft's pillar games like Gears of War and Halo are fun, yes. But in the end their just very good shooters. The system offers nothing else in the IP realm that might come close to games like Final Fantasy, which I might remind you have always carried the Sony machine technically year after year. Games like Tekken which I expect to see sweat drops outside of CG. Grandturismo HD which will put some people as close to driving simulator as one can get. The sheer amount of games comming out in late February, March, April, and the months to follow will all rival Resistance. So difference is, while games like Final Fantasy break ground level, the games to follow regardless of IP always push the envelop further. I'm not going to get into the technical aspects of the Cell, the YES isolated graphics processor (which comes only slightly short of the combined power of the 360's cpu and gpu), and finally the tremendous amount of space that is there to take people's breathe away.

While the Xbox will continue to do well for the next few years to come, we will see it's limitiations in Halo 3. And it will only be on par with games being released less than half a year into the launch of PS3. How about we all wait and see.

Experiencing FullSail

It's been two weeks since I took the 1,000 plus mile drive down 95 and embarked onto what I can call nothing short of life changing experience. While there is a lot to talk about, I'll try to focus this blog primarily on what it took to get to FullSail and what it's like once I actually came down to visit.

The FullSail application process is not a difficult one. Although I hold the school in high regard, anyone with a High School Diploma or a GED can get in. Their requirements aren't all that difficult but the school isn't for everyone and the price tag is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome when applying for a school like this.

The Application
At first I had a little difficulty getting a hold of an actual application for the school. Although I haven't checked the website recently but I had to contact Admissions and they had e-mailed me the official application.

The application requires the following:
- The Application Form
- $150 Check Addressed to FullSail for the Application Fee
- $500 Deposit (Refundable) to reserve your seat
- High School Transcript or GED Test Scores
- Game developers must provide transcripts for Algebra I & II
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- 2 professional or 1 professional and 1 personal
- 5 Essay Questions:

1. What aspects of your prior educational experience (high school or college) did you appreciate most? Where did they fall short?

2. What characteristics make for a good entertainment industry employee? A good student?

3. Each of us has a left and right brain that fuels our logic and creativity. Thinking of your creative side, what areas come naturally for you?

4. There may have been a specific event or moment in time that inspired you to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Please tell us about that, or any occasion that triggered your desire to work in this industry.

5. Imagine your professional life five years from now. What would be your ideal job title and description? What would you do in a typical day?

After about a week or so time (make sure to actually call Admissions to keep up to date on the process and make sure that they received all the information). You will be sent two packets in nice FullSail engraved folders. One of them is pretty important. This is the enrollment package. There are two forms that you are required to sign and return ASAP to continue your application process.

The Enrollment Agreement
This a very brief agreement, I'm not going to summarize it because it's very straightforward and I suggest you read everything you sign if you are planning to apply to this school.

The GPS (Global Professionalism Standards) Agreement
This is something very unique to the school. GPS works just like your GPA and will show on your transcript from the school once you graduate and be visible to possible and future employers. GPS is quite simply a gauge of your professional etiquette. What does that mean? Well, if you don't hand in your assignment on time, if your late to class, or if you quite simply misbehave, than expect to see a drop in your GPS score which starts out at 100%. There are also ways of raising your GPS score above 100% by getting involved in the community.

Lastly you are required to complete a Math Self Evaluation. I highly suggest you do not skip this as this is almost exactly what you will see during your assessment test once you begin your program.

You can also send in a $10 security card deposit. This is optional; you can pay this at registration. I did.

After another week or so you should see your final packet from FullSail. This is the general packet which will include housing information, potential scholarships, financial aid information, loans, and a bit more. For me this was mostly review of things I have already done or completed so you don't have to wait if you contact FullSail and get involved.

Financial Aid & Loans:
This process is very straightforward and is pretty scary for a lot of people.

Step 1: Apply for a pin# for Fafsa
Step 2: Fill out Fafsa and retrieve your ECT score (your expected family income score; I really don't remember the proper acronym).
Step 3: Go to Sallie Mae website and depending on your financial situation apply for loans. Obviously the best loan you can get is the Federal Parent Plus loan. Get your parents to co-sign and your done.

This wasn't the case for me, since I had no co-signer. The alternative is the Student Signature Loan and the CampusDoor loan. I suggest you call FullSail Financial Aid. Get to know your Admission's advisors, and your financial aid advisors early!

There are three terms in FullSail. Each term you need to take out loans. The terms are 8 months + 8 months + 5 months. Finally the maximum you can request is $40,000. This is the maximum the school can issue you for both living expenses and tuition. Disbursements also start after the first 45 days. Expect to pay all living expenses out of pocket until than.

Housing:
This is a problem since there are no dorms in FullSail. You will get a listing of others looking for an apartment. After two unsuccessful attempts at a roommate, I opted to get my own apartment. This is the best decision I could have made for myself. This is also a very personal decision everyone should make for themselves.

Things to remember about housing:
- Rent
- Water/Sewer
- Electricity
- Internet (Go with BrightHouse over Embarck)
- Distance from the school + Gas (6 miles is too far)
- Furniture (Wallmart is the best)
- Rentals Insurance * (AllState is really cheap)

Upon Arriving
Two days before classes begin everyone in your program will gather during the same time in the lobby and get processed through registration. This is a very painless process that takes no more than 15 minutes depending on how long you take to fill out some last minute forms and surveys (ex. what radio station you listen to, what's your fav. movie and so on). You also get your picture taken and given an official student id. This badge you can use to get into any building on campus. It's official! Your now a FullSail student.

After the Registration takes place there is a scheduled Assessment Test. Do not take this lightly! I did and I'll explain the repercussions in my next post. This test determines where you will be placed, if allowed to enter the program at all. The test is not difficult by any standards if your on par with your Algebra and Algebra II and your basic graphing.

The following day everyone goes through orientation which is a long four hour long session in the Auditorium. This is where you will get your schedule and your Assessment Test score. The score determines where you will be placed.

I'll stop here. I hope this was at least somewhat informative. I apologize for poor grammaticism and flow, it’s 2:13 am right now and I’m very tired.