9. Flo Rida – Whistle

8. Victoria Duffield – Feel

7. Raghav – Top of the World

6. Suzie McNeil – Tough Love

5. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

4. Rihanna – Where Have You Been

3. Gotye ft. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used to Know

2. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – Dance Again

1. David Guetta ft. Sia – Titanium

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

9. Elise Legrow – No Good Woman

8. Victoria Duffield – Feel

7. Ellie Goulding – Lights

6. Pitbull – Back in Time

5. Calvin Harris – Feel So Close

4. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

3. Train – Drive By

2. David Guetta ft. Sia – Titanium

1. Justin Bieber – Boyfriend

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

Before I get into my first reactions to creating a character and playing the game, let me tell the epic tale of trying to download and install this beast of a program. In dramatic journal format. If you’ve played Diablo in the past (or past day) imagine the voice of an old narrator.

May 15, 2012.

10:22am – Today is the day of reckoning. Long have I awaited the Ides of May, for the chance to once again journey into a realm of ruin. But alas, I fear I have not the time to quest, nor should I spend my money so unwisely on a game the day of its release, when surely in 3 months it will be nearly half the price. And yet I yearn to join the thousands already logged into battle.net. I shall ponder this dilemma further.

12:38pm – Despite the errands of the day occupying the forefront of my mind, I have been unable to shake the lingering sensation of longing and trepidation. I find myself beginning the process of purchasing a digital artifact that will allow my emersion in the world of Diablo, yet I hesitate before clicking ‘Confirm.’

4:02pm – I still have not sealed my fate by purchasing the game. I have considered questing to the nearest game merchant for a physical facsimile. I am sure that harnessing the power of an object bound to the dimensions of this reality will aid my descent into Diablo III. This consideration is forfeit as I realise that surely every copy is sold out in this town and I had best just order the digital version and be done with it.

9:34pm – I have received word that the ritual required to conjure the install file, which is of vital import, upon my hard drive can take up to several hours. This has weakened my ever waxing and waning resolve to have patience and experience Diablo III when I am sure I have time to quest. I sit, poised to begin the rites…

9:48pm – It has begun. Dark magics like this are said to invariably come with a cost. In some cases this cost is unforeseeable, however in this instance I fear a severely diminished sense of time-management, interest in personal hygiene, and perhaps most frightening of all: an eradicated sex life. It is too late to turn back, and so I must accept, endure, and embrace the joy and pain of the journey ahead.

10:00pm – At last estimate, the downloading ritual will take a further 7 hours to complete. Far longer than I had hoped.

11:00pm – Checking in on the ritual, it appears that I still have 7 hours to wait. This is a dark arithmetic..

12:00am – My day of toil and labour is at an end, I will walk home and resume the download ritual from my homestead.

12:09am – The ritual now appears to have only 52 minutes remaining. This hastened pace is a gift, however I fear the length of the ritual of installation to follow.

12:58am – The download ritual appears to have completed. I am one giant step closer to diving into the portal to the cursed land of Diablo III.

1:29am – The installation ritual appears to have faltered at 41%. Three times. I am tempted to write a very strongly written parchment to the mages in the Order of Blizzard. I must consult the archives of the ether(net) and seak out a solution.

2:11am – The ether(net) appears to be flooded with sentiments that match my own frustration. Little is written on the subject of solution, at least little which I find useful.

3:02am – I am dejected. This night is spent, and the ritual must begin anew at day’s light.

May 16, 2012.

10:13am – I wake confident that today will see success, nay, victory in my quest to enjoy Diablo III. After consulting a council of experts in the discipline of conjuring the download artifacts prerequisite to the installation ritual which had failed in the night, I proceed without fear.

10:49am – The sage advice I had received has yeilded fruit. The installation ritual has now reached 50% completion.

11:03am – Diablo III is now within my grasp. My descent begins, and it is time to create a hero…

Ok, enough of the medieval-speak. Clearly I have already wasted way too much time on this game, and at this point I haven’t even played it yet! All the trouble to get here only makes me more determined to actually play the effing game.

Instantly I’m impressed with the visuals of the game. Crisp cinematics, rich environments, and I kind of feel a strange attraction to my new laptop. This was an excellent choice of games to test out its capabilities. I didn’t even have a moment’s trouble logging in and adventuring solo, despite seeing almost nothing but annoyed and disparaging stati and tweets about being locked out of the game the night before.

The clock is really ticking, at this point, and I have to actually eat, shower, and leave the house before I’m due at the station. I gave the gameplay due diligence for the sake of writing this blog, however. I made it as far as the first level of the first ‘dungeon’ beneath the Tristram cathedral. Some of the baddies down there are already really gory and gross. I can’t wait until the game really reaches some messed up heights after the ‘get used to it’ chapter. I had to peel myself away from the screen before trying out the social online play. I look forward to it, though. Look me up, my battle.net name is… get this… SteveReeve. And I’m a Demon Hunter.

Is it weird that my character makes me want to grow out long hair again?

9. Usher – Scream

8. Hedley – One Life

7. Taylor Swift – Eyes Open

6. Pitbull – Back in Time

5. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

4. Suzie McNeil – Tough Love

3. One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful

2. Karmin – Brokenhearted

1. Morgan Page ft. Tegan and Sara – Body Work

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

9. Usher – Scream

8. K’Naan ft. Nelly Furtado – Is Anybody Out There

7. Elise Legrow – No Good Woman

6. Suzie McNeil – Tough Love

5. Calvin Harris – Feel So Close

4. Maroon5 ft. Wiz Khalifa – Payphone

3. Katy Perry – Part of Me

2. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

1. Dragonette – Let it Go

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

9. Rihanna – Where Have You Been

8. K’Naan ft. Nelly Furtado – Is Anybody Out There

7. Karmin – Brokenhearted

6. Usher – Scream

5. Nicki Minaj – Starships

4. Pitbull – Back In Time

3.The Wanted – Glad You Came

2. Morgan Page ft. Tegan and Sara – Body Work

1. fun. ft. Janelle Monae – We Are Young

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

9. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – Dance Again

8. K’Naan ft. Nelly Furtado – Is Anybody Out There

7. B.o.B. – So Good

6. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj – Turn Me On

5. Taylor Swift – Eyes Open

4. Maroon5 ft. Wiz Khalifa – Payphone

3. Gotye ft. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used to Know

2. Dragonette – Let it Go

1. fun. ft. Janelle Monae – We Are Young

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

I’ve noticed (as you do) a sharp increase in the number of insects in my day over the past couple of weeks. Huge water beetles, ants flying everywhere, and deadly spiders by the dozen. They’re all out to get me, and to get you. So familiarize yourself.

-Click Here to Listen-

9. Justin Bieber – Boyfriend

8. Carly Rae Jepsen – Curiosity

7. Elise Legrow – No Good Woman

6. Nelly Furtado – Big Hoops (The Bigger the Better)

5. Adele – Rumour Has It

4. David Guetta ft. Sia – Titanium

3. fun. ft. Janelle Monae – We Are Young

2. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – Dance Again

1. B.o.B. – So Good

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!

9. Dragonette – Let It Go

8. Nickelback – Lullaby

7. Usher – Scream

6. K’Naan ft. Nelly Furtado – Is Anybody Out There

5. Calvin Harris – Feel So Close

4. Pitbull – Back in Time

3. The Wanted – Glad You Came

2. fun. ft. Janelle Monae – We Are Young

1. Rihanna – Where Have You Been

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow – call 780-791-1037 before 9pm with your favourite song of the day!