4nim4l

4nim4l is an Xbox 360 gamer, blogger, and a dad of 6. Partner & househusband to Machiavelli Id, full time dad to Mini-MI. Also a rock & blues drummer, chef, and painter & decorator from time to time. Tweet @4nim4l to get in touch, or look up Matt4nim4l on Xbox Live.

Join Us for Battlefield 3 Realism: 28/29 April, Xbox Live

Apr 242012
 
 April 24, 2012  Posted by at 13:00 Machiavelli Id goes digital, The 4nim4l , , , , ,  No Responses »

From Saturday 28th to Sunday 29th April 2012, I will be taking advantage of my trial month’s Rent A Server subscription to host a day of Battlefield 3 for Xbox 360 with a bit of added realism:

  • No mini-map
  • No HUD
  • Friendly fire allowed

Battlefield 3 for Xbox 360

Why Switch Off the Mini-Map & HUD?

Machiavelli has been going on about how the HUD (Heads Up Display) makes games like Battlefield 3 much less realistic and she says it just turns it into a game of follow the lights. And it would be interesting to see how the death count and kill:death ratio change when you don’t know where you are unless you follow landmarks and remember the terrain.

Because we’re aiming for improved realism, I’ll also be allowing friendly fire, so no more shooting at everything you see LOL. This is war!

So, from 10 p.m. London time on Saturday 28th to 10 p.m. on Sunday 29th April, the mini-map and HUD will both be switched off on my server for a full 24 hours of Battlefield 3 realism. Friendly fire will be allowed but not encouraged. You’re welcome to come and play.

Join In and Be a VIP!

Send a message or friend request to Matt4nim4l on Xbox Live to get on the guest list as a VIP for better server access, or just show up and join us on the Matt4nim4l server. You can find Matt4nim4l on Battlelog, too.

Live Music: Always Do Your Stupid Check!

Apr 202012
 
 April 20, 2012  Posted by at 21:50 The 4nim4l, The sound of Machiavelli Id , , , ,  1 Response »
Live Music: Always Do Your Stupid Check!

I was taken with my dad to gigs from a very young age. I barely remember it, but he played at Stonehenge free festival when I was about 2 or 3 years old.

Fancy Jacket Potatoes With Cheese

Apr 152012
 
 April 15, 2012  Posted by at 18:00 Eating with Machiavelli Id, The 4nim4l , , , , ,  Comments Off
Fancy Jacket Potatoes With Cheese

A very easy, but fancier and tastier than usual, baked potatoes recipe. This one is relatively healthy if you go easy on the cheese, and makes a simple but good-looking dish for a quick dinner on a budget. It also makes great finger food for babies or cutlery training food for toddlers. I used: 1 large baking potato per person lots and lots of cheese (mine was a medium Cheddar) ground black pepper mixed herbs (marjoram, basil, oregano and thyme) garlic granules What to do: Bake the potatoes (Google this part if you don’t know how… hot oven, an hour [...]

Battlefield 3 News: Xbox 360 Update with Rent Your Own Server

Apr 052012
 
 April 5, 2012  Posted by at 09:48 Machiavelli Id goes digital, The 4nim4l , , , , ,  No Responses »
Battlefield 3 News: Xbox 360 Update with Rent Your Own Server

A big new update to Battlefield 3 for Xbox 360 has just been released. The news they’re making the most of is that you can rent a server to play on via Xbox. Yes, PS3 has been offering this for a while and it is out for Xbox 360 at last. This means you can rent your own server and create your custom Battlefield 3 gaming space. OK, you could already do this by privately renting a slot on a server if you knew how, but now it’ll just be easier for those of us who don’t know. What Can [...]

Roger Lewis: A Great Guitarist (and my dad)

Mar 292012
 
 March 29, 2012  Posted by at 16:00 The 4nim4l, The sound of Machiavelli Id 2 Responses »
Roger Lewis: A Great Guitarist (and my dad)

This is some of my dad’s music. His name was Roger Lewis, some people knew him as Smokey Joe. He was a song writer and rock & blues guitarist. My dad wrote and performed in many bands over his life and was devoted to his guitar. Sadly he died 4 years ago. He made his first guitar when he was a child, and played guitar for 50 years or more. He was self-taught and started writing his own music as far back as the 60′s and 70′s. His music was very important to him and it is to me as [...]

Image of the Week: Win A Dream Holiday

Jan 202012
 
 January 20, 2012  Posted by at 17:34 The 4nim4l, The Picture of Machiavelli Id, The word of Machiavelli Id , , , , , ,  No Responses »
Image of the Week: Win A Dream Holiday

My mate posted this on Facebook. I thought this was ironic due to the fact this paper came out only a couple of days after the Costa Concordia tragedy happened (on Friday 13th January, woo00ooo), and just above the photo of the sinking cruise ship they’ve got a big red headline offering to win a dream holiday. Mmm, I think not. I wonder if they got in trouble for this ? ***** 4nim4l ***** Want to Win Image of the Week? Send me the URL to your image, or email me the file as an attachment if you must.  I’m [...]

Gun sales banned for Xbox Live Avatars

Jan 092012
 
 January 9, 2012  Posted by at 15:26 Crash Test Baby, Machiavelli Id goes digital, The 4nim4l , , , , ,  2 Responses »
Gun sales banned for Xbox Live Avatars

I’ve just found out on OXM online that the Gears of War Lancer and Hammerburst avatar items are no longer available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.  Apparently a new policy came into effect for all gun-like avatar accessories on the Xbox Live Marketplace from January 1, 2012. If you’ve already bought guns for your avatar, you should still have those, but it looks like you won’t be getting any more. What a load of bollocks! I am an adult Xbox 360 gamer and I don’t see the point of this ban. They put age limits on these gun games so why [...]

Spiderman Shattered Dimensions [Xbox 360 Game Review]

Dec 172011
 
 December 17, 2011  Posted by at 10:30 Machiavelli Id goes digital, The 4nim4l , , , ,  No Responses »
Spiderman Shattered Dimensions [Xbox 360 Game Review]

It’s great fun to play Spiderman, even with the occasional glitches it’s one of those games that keeps you playing, if you know what I mean. You have loads to upgrade as well. With things like power ups and fighting moves as well as web moves…

Burnout Crash will be Kinect enabled – but will it be good?

Jul 142011
 
 July 14, 2011  Posted by at 00:21 Machiavelli Id goes digital, The 4nim4l , ,  No Responses »
Burnout Crash will be Kinect enabled - but will it be good?

I am definitely going to get Burnout Crash, as I have Kinect already, so I’ll let you know if it’s crap :D. I am excited. But at the same time, I know how it goes when they bring out a new version of a game I love.  Here’s one example: Burnout Revenge was the most fun driving game of  its time for me.  But when they brought out Burnout Paradise, I thought it was SHIT — only my opinion! It just seems like sequels often ruin the originals and create a less impressive track record.  Is it just me, or [...]

Hard times getting to see my kids

Jul 032011
 
 July 3, 2011  Posted by at 23:22 Crash Test Baby, The 4nim4l , , , ,  No Responses »
Hard times getting to see my kids

I feel for anyone who has to jump through hoops to see their kids like I did and I say stick with it, don’t let anyone make you think about giving up.

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