Thursday, May 20th, 2010 - Happy 20th Birthday to Raven Software!

Thank you for letting me be a part of your history. I wish you all the best and here's hoping for 20 more happy, successful years!

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 - The latest issue of Game Sauce Magazine is out today, featuring an article I wrote (along with my friend and fellow Producer Dan Magaha) entitled "Producers - Essential Glue for any Project or Useless Bags of Meat?" Check it out!

I've also posted my thoughts on the legacy of Heavy Metal icon Ronnie James Dio who passed away earlier in the week in my Blog over at http://kennhoekstra.blogspot.com along with a few thoughts on the realization that I am now officially old. =)

Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 - I did some general cleanup on the website. I started by archiving a bunch of the old updates and then moved on to updating the About Me, Writing, Links and Humor sections.

U.W. Whitewater's Alumni Magazine did a feature story on me for their latest issue, outlining my career in game development since graduating in 1995. I'm hoping it eventually gets posted online so I can link to it. If not, maybe I'll scan it in and post it as a .PDF so anyone who's interested (all three of you) can have a look.

I started a new Twitter feed called Movie Review Tweet that (surprise, surprise) reviews movies in a single tweet. Check it out here!

Movie Review Tweet

In other news, I'm jumping on the new Formspring bandwagon -- a kick that a bunch of my Game Developer friends have been on lately. Check out my Formspring Profile and "Ask Me Anything!"

To find out the latest on All Things Kenn, you can check me out at...

• My Blog
• My Twitter Feed
• On Facebook
• Formspring
• MySpace (Mostly Defunct)

Oh...and FEAR THE DEER!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 - It's hard to believe that I've gone almost an entire year without updating this site. I would say it's because I don't have time, but it would be more accurate to say that I've found updating the social networking sites to be a lot easier. I've been spending a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter and on my New Blogspot Blog these days. If you want to more regularly know what I'm up to (doubtful), you'd be well served to check those sites out.

I have numerous personal and professional goals I want to accomplish in 2010 and I have listed them on Facebook and in my Blog for my friends and family (and pretty much everyone else) to see. I achieved several of my 2009 goals, but I want to achieve even more in 2010! I'm off to a pretty good start with some of this stuff. For the rest? I guess I'd better get busy!


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Kenn's Goals For 2010
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* Ship Bonk: Brink of Extinction on XBLA, PSN and Wii

* Ship Bomberman Live Battlefest on XBLA, PSN and Wii

* Ship Quake Arena Arcade on XBLA

* Lose at least 25 pounds (35 would be better)

* Start recycling in my subdivision's recycling program

* Try to get my subdivision to join Houston's Adopt a Block program

* Get my Wisconsin driver's license re-instated

* Write and publish at least 10 sports articles (Check out my Bleacher Report Articles)

* Write and publish at least 2 game development articles

* Write a feature length screenplay

* Stay in better touch with my family by phone and e-mail

* Clean, repair and take better care of my car

* Re-design and re-launch Thundarr.com

* Update my home page (www.kennhoekstra.com) more often (at least once a month)

* Build a MAME arcade cabinet

* Lobby for KISS's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (without KISS, it's the hall of LAME!)

* Finish at least half of my house projects that need completing, including:

- Replace master bathroom window
- Install refrigerator water line
- Repair hole in wall in addition
- Install baseboards in addition
- Finish closet construction
- Finish drywall and painting in office
- Tear down and get old storage shed hauled away
- Curtains in dining room
- Patch and re-seed lawn
- Buy new gas range and microwave
- Buy and install new garage door openers
- Insulate attic

* Watch the movies in the IMDB Top 50 of all time I've never seen:

- 12 Angry Men
- Casablanca
- The Seven Samurai
- City of God
- Rear Window
- It's A Wonderful Life
- Dr. Strangelove
- Sunset Boulevard
- North By Northwest
- Citizen Kane
- Apocalypse Now
- Vertigo
- Lawrence of Arabia
- Amelie
- Paths of Glory
- To Kill A Mockingbird
- Avatar

* Read at least 15 books throughout the year, including, but not limited to the following:

- Pistol Poets - Victor Gischler
- Shotgun Opera - Victor Gischler
- Suicide Squeeze - Victor Gischler
- Vampire A Go Go - Victor Gischler
- Executive Power - Vince Flynn
- Memorial Day - Vince Flynn
- Consent To Kill - Vince Flynn
- Act of Treason - Vince Flynn
- Protect and Defend - Vince Flynn
- Extreme Measures - Vince Flynn
- Black Magic Sanction - Kim Harrison

More soon!

Saturday, February 14th, 2009 - Happy Valentine's Day! And happy belated Friday the 13th! Two great days representative of two pretty good re-imaginings at the box office in early 2009...

[ Back to back awesome, baby! ]

It's probably too late to catch My Bloody Valentine 3-D if you haven't seen it already, but if there's any way you CAN get out to the theater and see it in its full 3-D glory, you really should! The 3-D is absolutely AMAZING! This isn't your daddy's blue and red paper glasses we're talking about... It's like nothing I've ever seen before. I was ducking and throwing my hands up, just like on the poster! It's worth the price of admission for the 3-D alone, but if you like horror films, you're really in for a treat. It's great stuff! I hope the technology can translate over to DVD! Special bonus for genre fans: the movie was written by Todd Farmer, the screenwriter who wrote Jason X!

And speaking of Jason X...

If you know me at all, you know I'm a HUGE fan of the Friday the 13th movies. I grew up with the series and loved every one of them (even the two no one else liked)! So, naturally, I was in the theater for the very first showing of Michael Bay's Friday the 13th this weekend. As re-imaginings go, it's not bad at all. It's not high art, but if you know the series, you know it's not supposed to be challening for Oscar noms. =)

If you ARE a fan of slasher films or of the Friday the 13th series, I think you'll like it quite a bit. If you're not, this film probably isn't the one that's going to change your mind. I enjoyed it. I think I may even see it again. It's not perfect and I would have done a bunch of things differently (because I'm a mega critic when it comes to sacred films), but overall I'm just happy that the series is still alive and thriving and bringing me entertainment almost 30 years later.

Call me easy to please, but I'm already looking forward to Friday the 13th Part 2 v. 2.0 in the next 18 months. I just hope they bring back Harry Manfredini to do the music next time!!!

Finally, on a completely unrelated note, if you're on Twitter, I just signed up myself. Come follow me! =)

Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, January 30th, 2009 - Happy New Year everyone! I had to say it before it got to be February... Otherwise it might lose its effectiveness! =)

So, I've made a number of resolutions for 2009 that should make my life better. Here's hoping I can stick to them. They are, in no particular order:

• Lose 30 - 40 lbs through diet and exercise (I'm off to a really good start...I'm exercising daily and eating healthier. I've lost 8 lbs already!)
• Write and publish two articles about the Game Development Industry, Screenwriting and/or Fantasy Football
• Complete work on and move into our new house (for the love of God!)
• Read the rest of Kim Harrison's Hollows series. I'm on book 3 now... It's pretty good!
• Write a full length screenplay and do a full editing pass on my existing one (Cold Front)
• Ship the XBLA title I've been Producing (Very close!)
• Get off of my blood pressure medication (ties in with diet/weight loss)
• Get more organized personally and professionally
• Win the lottery!

So far I'm off to a pretty good start on everything...except maybe the last one. That could prove to be a little tricky... =)

Let's see...what else? My old Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater interviewed me for the Royal Purple...the campus newspaper...as a Notable Alumni. If you are interested, you can check out the Kenn Hoekstra Alumni Spotlight Interview here. Fun stuff!

Superbowl Sunday is this weekend! Go Cardinals! The Steelers have five rings... It's time for the Cards to get their due!

In Kenn's World site news, I've updated the About, Humor and My Job sections recently. Yay!

Thanks for stopping by!

Archives:

2008; 2007; Mar./Apr./May. 2006; Nov./Dec/Jan./Feb 05-06; October, 2005; September, 2005; August, 2005; July, 2005, June, 2005; May, 2005; April, 2005; March, 2005; Dec/Jan/Feb 04-05; November, 2004; October, 2004, September, 2004; August, 2004, July, 2004, June, 2004, May, 2004; April 2004; March 2004; February 2004; January 2004; December 2003; November 2003; October 2003; September 2003; August 2003; July 2003; June 2003; May 2003; April 2003; March 2003; February 2003;