Wednesday Housekeeping: Comments and Tweaks

More changes have been implemented into RPad.TV 3.0! More content, including images and videos, shows up on the front page. There’s a nifty menu bar at the top of the screen. The social media bar now floats on the left of the screen instead of under posts (it appears in individual posts only). Please let me know how you feel about these or any of the new features.

The biggest addition from last night was adding Disqus 2012 comments. On paper, your old comments should return some time this evening. However, I’ve never had a positive experience with comment importing/exporting, so I have zero faith that it’ll happen smoothly or as scheduled. Let’s see. On the plus side, Disqus 2012 has lots of cool features. Kindly play around with the commenting system if you have some time today.

Tuesday Housekeeping: New Site Design and Old Comments

My relaxing weekend turned into a stressful one thanks to multiple technology failures. As many of you noticed (and thanks for the G+ alerts!), the site was down for a large chunk of the weekend. There were a few technical issues and several annoying skirmishes with tech support. The bad news is that a few old Intensedebate comments were lost. The good news (I think) is that I was forced to change the site and it should be faster than ever. Please let me know what your experience with RPad.TV 3.0 is like in the comments section.

Speaking of comments, I had to scrap Intensedebate because of performance and spam issues. Currently, the standard WordPress system is being used along with a simple spam checkbox. I’m considering switching over to Livefyre, but I wanted to get your feedback first. Please let me know.

Lastly, my TV died over the weekend. That…sucked.

Win Chun Li and Ryu Street Fighter Bobble Budds

Here’s your chance to win a pair of Street Fighter II Bobble Budds, courtesy of Multiverse Studio! Chun Li and Ryu Bobble Budds are up for grabs in this super-simple contest. I wrote about these sweet toys back in May and now you have the chance to walk away with a pair of your own! All you have to do is:

1) Follow me on Twitter

2) Share this post using the handy “Tweet” button below

3) Wait until the winner is randomly chosen at (roughly) 5PM PT on Monday July 9, 2012

If you’re interested in purchasing all the awesome Street Fighter Bobble Budds, head on over here. You can also keep up with the latest Bobble Budds news on Facebook. If you’re headed to San Diego Comic-Con then be sure to visit Multiverse Studio at booth #2846. While you’re waiting for the winner to be crowned, please leave a comment on which Street Fighter Bobble Budds toy looks best to you.

Monday Housekeeping: Back From Asia!

Howdy guys and dolls! Your friendly-neighborhood verbal-entertainer is back in America and it’s back to your irregularly scheduled programming. Thanks for posting comments while I was away. Special thanks to those of you that humored me in the RPad.TV Google Messenger group while I was in Asia Town(s). It was a pretty emotional trip and I’m probably going to be wonky for a few weeks. I know that one of you is on a “finding my smile” trip and I completely empathize; I could use one of those. Hopefully the rest of you are doing well. I’m happy to be back and looking forward to enjoying your company once again. Now let’s get to it!!!

RPad.TV Invitational: Double Quarrel Madness!

Would you guys and dolls like to join me for some Quarrel excitement? This fine word game is like a cross between Scrabble and Risk. Please let me know if you’re down to play on Thursday. If so, shoot out some times you’re free. I’ll also host a weekend session if you’re down. Again, just shoot out some times you’d like to play.

Today’s Poll: If Tiffany Spencer Married Raymond Padilla….

In the small and not terribly relevant world of videogame journalists and PR professionals, it’s no secret that I’ve fancied Tiffany Spencer for well over a decade. Her irresistible charm, overwhelming intellect, sparkly eyes, and alluring smile — any sane straight man would be attracted to her! At GDC 2012, we talked about getting married in that celebrity couple way, so that we could raise both of our profiles. If Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian can do it, why can’t we?!?

The problem is choosing a celebrity-couple name. X-Play Blair Herter and Jessica Chobot are affectionately known as Blobot. That’s pretty tough to beat. Tiffany likes Tifadilla, but our dear friend Perrin Kaplan suggested Padcer. Which celebrity-couple name do you think is best? Kindly vote in today’s all-important poll and explain your answer in the comments section (please)!

Update 15-March 2021: The poll is now closed. The previous winner has been discarded in favor of a most excellent suggestion from bsukenyan that was seconded nine years later by Chris DonahueSpendilla! So in an alternate universe where Tiffany Spencer is crazy enough to marry a schlub like me, Spendilla’s love would shine brighter than any star.

RPad.TV Invitational: PlayStation Home Poker

As per RPadholic N8R’s suggestion, let’s play some poker on PlayStation Home next week! Please let me know if Tuesday or Wednesday works better for you. I’m pretty flexible with the times. I hope a bunch of you can make it! Also, a heads up for March: it’s going to be Quarrel on XBLA. I love that game on the iPad and hopefully a bunch of you are down to play this Scrabble/Risk melange next month.

Congratulations to Sgt. smartguy!!!

Please join me in congratulating RPadholic smartguy for becoming a…let me see if I have this right…sergeant for being a senior tax manager for a law enforcement agency. In WWE terms, I believe this makes him a cross between Sgt. Slaughter and Irwin R. Schyster. I’m also certain this makes him one of the few RPadholics that’s allowed to carry a gun (legally). Now it’s time to start scripting a new RPad.TV original series featuring smartguy harassing people that haven’t filed their taxes.

Off to DICE 2012!

Howdy guys and dolls! I’m off to Las Vegas for DICE 2012. As many of you know, this is my favorite gaming-industry event by a Queens Blvd. mile (country miles are meh). I’m looking forward to some excellent networking, catching some outstanding panels, attending the Interactive Achievement Awards, and chatting with some of the most creative people in gaming. Also…video poker!

I’ll be checking on the site between sessions and drinks networking. I’ll also be posting pictures on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. It’ll be just like attending with me (minus the hangover)!