If none of this makes sense to you, check out Part 1.  If it still doesn’t make sense, then blame my crappy writing.

Shortly after agreeing to go on the trip, and getting all of my travel arranged, I realized that I had a big, nay huge problem, namely that the event was taking place on the same day that the Redskins kicked off the ’08 – ’09 football season. I am many things, but first on the list is a Redskins fan. I bleed burgundy and gold, so the notion of not wearing my Redskins jersey on that Thursday, even if said apparel didn’t fit whatever dress code would be expected of me. I brought this concern up with my editor, and he said not to worry, just explain the situation, show off my tattoos (for some reason it intrigues him that I have four tattoos), show my business card and all would be ok. First, I don’t know why my tattoos would make a difference. Perhaps the PR people would assume that if they didn’t assent to my wardrobe I’d stab them in some sort of biker rage. I don’t know. Second, wait, what? Business cards?

My editor then explained to me that I’d need business cards because otherwise I’d look like a dork. No, my four superhero tattoos wouldn’t do that, but not having a business card sure would. Right. Not being one to go against the wishes of the guy who doles out my assignments, I set about designing my cards. I did a halfway decent job and in an act that can only be attributed to nervousness, I ordered 200 of them. Now, to my credit, I paid extra to get cards made from 100% recycled paper feeling that the notion of me buying business cards for one event was patently stupid so there was no need to get trees killed for my stupidity. Why I bought 200 of them I still don’t know. Oh sure, I’d love to be able to go out to more of these events, but so many of them that I’d need 200 cards? Highly doubtful.

He also told me that I’d need a voice recorder. Well, I didn’t technically need one, but seeing how there would be developers there, and maybe I could get them to talk to me, a voice recorder would make things much easier on me. He also told me that if I got enough time with a developer that he’d pay me for the preview piece and an interview. Now, I don’t want to tell tales out of school, but let’s just say that I don’t get paid a whole bunch for these pieces. It’s more than I’ve been offered at other places, but far less than I probably could get paid if I actually put some hustle behind this gig. Without getting into numbers, even though I’d be paid for a second piece, any decent voice recorder would balance out what I’d get paid for the interview. Sure enough, the one that I ended up buying was even more than what I’d get paid, but I figured that this was a chance to a) ask some good questions about making games and b) it would be yet another piece to add to my growing collection. Plus, I can use the voice recorder for podcasting, which could potentially get me paid more, so I figured that the voice recorder, unlike the business cards, was a sound investment. Worse comes to worse, I can use it to blackmail people at work.

So, armed with my buttload of business cards and my shiny new voice recorder, I headed off to Vegas. While waiting for my plane, I met a guy going to Vegas for a legal insurance conference. When I told him why I was going, he thought it was pretty damn cool, which, honestly, up until that point, I hadn’t. I’m under no illusion that I’m some font of gaming knowledge, and that my opinion is the definitive word on games. I’m a guy who got lucky enough to find out about a job posting, and who was competent enough to put some work together to impress those that needed impressing. Having an editor willing to take a chance on a complete newbie certainly helped. I like to say that reviewing games is fun up until you have to review a bad one. Truth is, it’s not that much fun when reviewing good games either. Oh sure, occasionally you’ll play something fun that you never would have played, or expected to be good (Crash of the Titans comes to mind), but any time you have to do something under a deadline, it ceases to be fun. But, I love games, and I love writing, so as much as I like to complain about having to review some crappy DS movie tie-in game, it’s totally worth it. After talking to this guy though, it hit me. I was being paid, albeit a modest amount, to go to Las Vegas and sit in a beautiful hotel room and play video games all day long. It was, in fact, pretty damn cool.

The flight was uneventful, and I passed most of the time watching Escape from New York on my PSP (again with the games). I was picked up by my driver Dale, who also thought that my reason for being in Vegas was pretty damn cool and proceeded to tell me that his son absolutely loved Rock Band. Dale’s son, as it turns out, had great taste in games. Upon dropping me off at my hotel, he asked me what site I wrote for and as a result, Dale became my first official recipient of my business card. Not exactly how I planned on things going down in that regard, but if it gets another reader to the site, then who am I to judge?

After getting to my room, which was gorgeous, by the way, I unpacked, cleaned up and headed to the lobby to meet the other writers and the PR guy and the developer for dinner. I had officially arrived in Vegas and was ready to be plied with food, booze and whatever other earthly delights they could come up with to secure my favor. Who needs integrity when there’s steak on the menu?

Tomorrow, comes Part 3, the final part: Twelve Hours of Gaming and I Don’t Even Get a Lousy T-Shirt