I'm still a bachelor..

Well, for the next two days anyway. This will be my last post as a ‘free man’, (not that I was exactly single before anyway), and probably my last post for about two weeks, so I’d better make it comprehensive. To keep this from being just another personal post (though circumstances do make such a post understandable) I thought I’d mention some interesting developments over the last couple of days.

Oblivion has come

First off, the much anticipated game for the Xbox 360 and PC, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, was released on Monday. Along with many fans (and non-fans) of the previous Elder Scrolls game, I have been watching this one closely, and downloading every bid of footage I could find of it. Well so far it seems to be delivering on it’s promises, with reviews so far averaging 96 on Metacritic, the highest so far for an Xbox 360 title. True to form for Bethesda, who’s code has never been exceptionally stable, an exploit for the X360 version of the game has apparently already been uncovered, allowing the user unlimited gold. That took all of 3 days! Hopefully I’ll be able to pick up a 360 while we’re on honeymoon in Europe, along with a copy of this game.

Slow Sony

In news from the other big next-gen competitor, Sony announced recently that the PlayStation 3 will once again be delayed, this time until November. Developers will apparently have final-tech development kits in June though. This is a very unusual approach, and gives developers an unprecedented 5 months to polish launch titles. Speculation suggests (and for once I agree) that this delay between final hardware being available and the actual launch is to help prevent a repeat of Sony’s dismal handling of the PSP launch and also of stock shortages experienced during Microsoft’s global launch of the Xbox 360 last November. With promises of a Million units entering the market a month, it would seem that Sony is giving themselves a bit of lead time to try and have a flawless global launch, with plentiful supplies of their new console available to meet the high launch demand. Sony has also announced a free online system that will compete with Microsoft’s incredibly successful Xbox Live! Network.

More Microsoft

On the local telecoms front, MyADSL is reporting that Telkom has made another bid for local IT behemoth Business Connexion, this time to the tune of R2,4 billion. Telkom’s last bid was brushed off by BC as they felt they were worth much more, however Telkom’s eagerness to expand into the IT side of CIT seems to be great enough to warrant another, richer, try. With the convergence between communication and IT technology being a big focus today, Telkom needs a solid IT partner to remain competitive in the market.

But the real news is

Ok, enough geek talk. I’m getting married on Saturday and that’s far bigger news than some piddly little R2,4bn telecoms deal. At this point I suppose we’re as ready as we’ll ever be, though we have quite a few little things to sort out before then, and I think it’s just as well that I took tomorrow off. By the time we get on the plane on Sunday evening I think both Natalie and I will be exhausted, and we’ll probably sleep like the dead even if they squash us in a baggage compartment! The skies are looking a bit ominous, and the weather.com forecast isn’t looking good for Saturday, but hopefully we’ll see a bit of a swing and get some nice weather, even if it’s just for the photos.

Everyone (well, the guys) keep asking me if I’m nervous, and saying things like ‘its not too late you know’. It’s funny how women are celebrated and congratulated, but men are treated like they’re on their deathbed just before their wedding. It’s stupid. I’m not nervous about getting married, the arrangements may have me in a flat spin, but I’m really looking forward to married life!

Speaking of guy traditions, Tuesday was my bachelors, and true to form I spent it playing games J We had a great braai and Xbox multiplayer session at Andrew’s place. To be honest I couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend the day, it was awesome. We even finished Doom 3 on the Xbox in co-op mode.

So that’s it for my last ‘single’ entry. Not a bad attempt, I think. Natalie, if you ever read this, I love you dearly, and I am so happy to be marrying you, I can’t wait!