Self-proclaimed "Hardcore" Gamers

This is a bonus post, which I initially wrote for Destructoid, for their monthly theme: "Feel the hatred." I wasn't going to post it here, but I feel I should take credit for my hard work. Also, all gamers need to see this, especially this particular breed.



Culprits:

Just over a week ago, I decided to drop in to a local game store to take a look at the games that have been released before the big holiday rush, one of which was Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise. I picked up the box, and was reading the information for educational purposes.

I was probably grinning to myself while reading the silly storyline inside the booklet when an employee approached me, and asked if I had any questions. Unsure of the exact style of the game, I asked if it was another party game, a sequel to the original, or an expansion. The guy looked at me as though I just spoke Swahili, and replied "I don't really know anything about Viva pinata, I'm a hardcore gamer - I got spore and stuff. Viva Pinata is for kids."

After which, he went into a very long monologue about how he's in college for game design, but will only design hardcore games, and I should only get spore.

Self-proclaimed "hardcore" gamers - we've all seen them. In our game stores, or in our forums - almost a generic fanboy/fangirl, but with a double dose of elitist pride.

These specific gamers will scoff at you when you ask questions about Crash of the Titans, or show an interest in the latest Kirby game. These gamers will tell me, on a regular basis, that I am not a true gamer, because I prefer Marvel Ultimate Alliance to Gears of War - without even being avidly against Gears of War!

Define a Term...

If everyone would please take a moment to define the term “Hardcore Gamer” in the fewest words possible. Go ahead, I'll wait. This definition for each person should be individually tailored, but have basically the same theme; Someone who thoroughly enjoys games, or video games are a large part of that persons life. Simple, yes?

Unfortunately, with the way gamers behave toward one another, no. For the most part, the most specific definition goes down to individual games, or even one game system from another, rather than the actual gamer.

When any one of us engages our consoles, or computers for a bout of gaming, how do we express that verbally? I can't think of any other way, than "I'm going to play some games," in slight variations to fit a specific situation.

For instance;
"Want to play some Halo?"
"I've been playing Assassins Creed for hours now!"
"I'm going to play Starcraft."

By using the word play in every gaming scenario to express our gaming interest, we imply we are going to have fun with whatever game we decide to boot up.

I am now, more than ever, having a hard time finding the specific fun in gaming. These hardcore gamers, the ones that will come up with some interesting names for me for not playing World of Warcraft, are taking a lot of the entertainment value out of gaming.

We, as consumers, require our critics. This way, we know the flaws we're getting into when spending hard earned money on a new game, from the most stripped down, nitpicked standpoint. Knowing these things, we know where our hopes stand so we're not crushed somewhere down the line, and so we might enjoy the game for other aspects.

However, if the entirety of the gaming community, both on and off the Internet, are critics – who is left to just have fun? Also, "You're retarded," or "This game sucked," are not valid criticisms, for the record.

What can be done about it?



Lighten up! That doesn't mean stop defending your favorites, hardcore or otherwise! Just be more productive about it, try listening, as well as talking.

Your hardcore status doesn't change, if you tell a fellow gamer about the great time you had playing Jet Set Radio Future, or about how much fun it is to catch Elebits for a few hours. Discuss the "guilty pleasure" games, the ones with very little content, but hours of entertainment.

You can still be hardcore after you write a review about something relatively low key, raving about how great Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was. Pick up a controller with the kid down the street, and enjoy an afternoon of Lego Starwars. Be just as serious about your time spent on Nintendogs as Resident Evil.

"Hardcore" gaming doesn't have to be a status war, trying to size each other up based on gamer score, or how many times we've beaten Ninja Gaiden Black – those are boasting rights, but shouldn't dictate what gamers are "supposed" to play. Let a conversation cover all plains of gaming, from Smash Bros. To Silent Hill.

I would like to be allowed to store Kameo on the same bookshelf as Bioshock, if that's all the same to you. If that means calling myself a casual gamer, so be it – I'd rather have fun, then try to sound cool by taping the hardcore label to my forehead. Play the hardcore stuff, but give yourself a treat once in a while with something more laid back.

Also, Pokemon.

Now, imagine me, only being a video game equal rights activist - playing Oblivion in one hand, and Mario Superstar Baseball in the other.

New York City

New York City – The sprawling metropolis, celebrated for its superheroes, destroyed regularly for our Hollywood amusement, notorious for its crime, and thoroughly crashed by yours truly.

In (less than) four days, I blitzed Manhattan, ferried the New York Harbor, was blinded by Broadway, shopped Fifth Avenue, and explored Central Park with the help of a good friend. This is the short version, with plenty of photos. The original post was approximately 8 pages long, and I'm almost positive the collective attention span of the Internet wouldn't hold out for 8 pages, myself included.

Impressions

Much to the contrary of the stereotype that everyone in New York is mean or rude, I did not encounter a single person that was any more mean or rude than they would be in any other city – just people in a constant rush. I would imagine if you go into the city knowing everyone will be mean to you, everyone will, indeed, be mean to you.

Street vendors will hand you pamphlets of all kinds, soliciting faith, souvenirs, and food on almost every corner. I even made small talk with a few of these people, and received a +3 in my social skills - and a book-bag full of papers.

Small shops, and restaurants are definitely mandatory for visitors. Forget eating at the Olive Garden on Broadway, hit up the small places; especially the Morning Star Restaurant, at 57th and 9th ave, which was the best breakfast I've had in my 23 years of experience.

The nickname "rats with wings" is often applied to pigeons, and I didn't realize exactly how literal that nickname was. Then, I saw flocks like this;



Also, every pigeon in the city was suffering from some kind of mange, completely unafraid of humans, and swarmed things as though they were rats.

Transportation

There are many ways to get around the city, and as with most things, some are better than others. The cheapest way to get around is by foot – but I will suggest anyone taking this approach wear good shoes, be it hiking boots or excellent tennis shoes. Trust my feet on this one, they wouldn't lie.

By walking, you'll certainly discover things you may, or may not have been looking for. Though, the term "foot traffic" is one I hadn't ever taken literally until visiting this city, where you can get stuck in rush hour traffic on the sidewalk.

Horse drawn carriages and bikes are the best way to get around Central Park, and the drivers of whichever mode of transportation are good for directions to just about anyplace you could imagine. You simply pick a horse, or cyclist, that fits your fancy and off you go.



Complete with nail polish – kind of.

Cabs are the preferred transport vessel of films that take place in NYC. I was tempted to hail a cab, just to say I'd done it once – then I remembered the website for the airport warning me that cabs have a tendency to charge your left liver and life savings to get you haphazardly from point A to point B.

Cabbies themselves are an interesting creature. Traffic laws seem to be suggestions rather than actual laws to them, they'll do everything but drive on the sidewalk to get a pedestrians attention, and there are more of them per capita in the city limits than Squirrels.

Subway trains are probably my personal favorites as far as public transportation goes. There is no traffic to speak of, the trains themselves move faster than anything else, and the graffiti under the city provides one with a view of sorts. I'd suggest taking the subway if you can stand claustrophobic conditions, as the Metro stations are very hot, and crowded.

Stuff

First and foremost, the Statue of Liberty, which has a line you'll wait in for a few hours to get to Ellis Island – or, like me, you could take the (free) Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan to, you guessed it, Staten Island. You'll get a clear view of the beautiful statue, quickly, and did I mention it's free?



The primary reason I chose to travel to NY in the first place, was Broadway - right next to the obscenely bright Times Square. It is a dream come true for any theater buff, with plays and musicals every night of the week, and the off chance to meet some of the cast after a show. The two shows I had the chance to see were Wicked, and Equus, and I would definitely like to go back for more, someday.



Aside from the lights and shows, Times Square has some...other attractions as well;



The Naked Cowboy.



New Yorks Finest, hard at work.

Fifth Avenue isn't as much for the super-rich as one might expect, just so long as you don't plan on wandering into Tiffany's, or Saks. There are plenty of different types of shops there, including the Disney World Store, with 3 floors of amazing Disney paraphernalia. Or, near Central Park on Fifth you can hit the famous FAO Schwartz toy store, and play on a giant piano keyboard, or peruse the selection of collectibles, toys, and candy.

With many different areas, a different atmosphere follows. Rockefeller Center was one of those with a calmer feel to it. You can take the tour to the top of the tower and overlook the city, or sit on the quiet terrace and enjoy lunch. The statues were beautiful, and I could almost picture the giant Christmas tree that is absent this time of year.



If you round a corner near Rockefeller Center, Nintendo fans will have a treat with the Nintendo World store, displaying a small memorial to forgotten Nintendo systems, and selling toys, plush, and games alike.



To find a whole new world within Manhattan, wander into Central Park for a few hours - find dense trees, lakes, and fountains to take the edge off the otherwise hectic city. The sound of honking cars is replaced by kids playing, and any display of bright lights is forgotten while watching or listening to street performers of every variety.





The Little Things

Being the type of person I am, I had high expectations in the geek aspect of this trip. I did get a chance to geek it up on Broadway, but there was something missing on the comic book front.

Batman, Spider-man, and Superman are supposed to be residents of this city, along side the sewer dwelling Ninja Turtles. I had credited this team of heroes for my not being mugged or harassed once; but had a hard time locating any of them.

I checked the sky;



I checked the sewers;



Then, when I least expected, I found Spider-man and Superman teamed up in the four-story Toys R Us in Times Square. Keeping those shoppers in line, and making sure T-rex doesn't eat any children. My trip was complete.







Now, imagine me, only busting ghosts at the New York Public library.

Mushroom Men: Wii Pre-release

In life, I try to be a level headed, rational human being. Rarely will I jump ahead of myself, and get excited about something I haven't tried, which goes double for the video gaming world.



In recent months I've followed a few titles, not yet released, that had me excited beyond my usual reasoning. I've already mentioned Spider-man: Web of Shadows, and there are many more in the direct spotlight – but, one I haven't seen advertised much, relatively ignored, and out of Nintendo's shallow pool of available titles; Mushroom Men.

Mushroom Men, from my general impressions, seems like an amazing platforming game. The art, and suggested humor of everything reminds me vividly of Oddworld. The Oddworld series is among my favorites, brilliant in story, art, and game design. I would like to see other things like this, and it looks like Mushroom Men may fit the bill.

Mushroom Men is a story that takes place in the microscopic world of mushrooms, where the mushrooms and other small creatures were effected by space dust; Basically, I see a lot of silly brilliant humor and (hopefully) hours of fun on the horizon.




Don't believe me, watch the trailer. Even the theme music suggests it's brilliantly silly.

I'm excited for the Wii picking up a few longer titles – party games are great, but only satisfy for a brief time. Another suggested Wii title has been "De Blob" which does look awesome, so maybe my Wii will get some exercise after this Holiday season.

Now, Imagine me only rallying a Mushroom Men Mob to take over Canada.

Equus

What does the public know about Equus? Going into the play, I had no real idea what I was in for. Every interview or "review" I'd read, doted on the young, male actor that had the very risky stage role, featuring full nudity. It was suggested I see it on Broadway for its limited engagement - which I just happened to be in NYC during, so I went.

Admittedly, I was one to joke about the idea of stage nudity, and all I could tell anyone about the play was; it's about a crazy boy, that blinds a bunch of horses – as that is all the knowledge I'd obtained from any press I'd found. I left with a head full of ideas about society, that emphasize my admiration of the clinically insane, which I can share with you now.



Summary
As I mentioned, the only part of the actual story I'd heard was about a boy who blinded some horses – nothing about the psychiatrist that, I felt, was the primary character in the story.

Dr. Martin Dysart starts off the play wishing he'd never met young Alan Strang, discussing a small part of the boys obsession with a horse called "Nugget." You're given the impression this boy effects Dr. Dysart in a different way than the usual child schizophrenics.

The story then rewinds to an earlier time, when 17 year old Alan Strang was introduced to Dr. Dysart by Magistrate Hesther Saloman, who had tried the case where Alan had blinded 6 horses for seemingly no reason. Alan enters the stage, unwilling to speak, he sings commercial jingles in the form of communication. The dialog is amazing, especially between the Doctor and Alan, very satirical. It's something to actually hear – not read.

Alan and the Doctor bond somewhat, and the story unfolds flawlessly. I won't explain it all, but I will explain the two major themes I sensed.

Alan Strang

Basically, Alan was poorly educated, barely able to read, and very sheltered - living off his amazing imagination. Alans mother was a teacher, and did her best to teach him at least a few things at home, but didn't seem to mind he wasn't learning things at school. Alan loved the Bible and horses the most, and sucked up all the information on those subjects he could. While, his father had a tendency to be overly critical almost to the point of unloving.

Alan's attachment to the horses comes in the form of his own religion, fashioned by combining the concept of Jesus suffering for the people, and man becoming one with horses from childrens books read to him. He views the horses bridal bit as a restraining, abusing chain, and their ability, yet unwillingness to stamp out human beings as ultimate love. His desire to become one with the horses has him secretly riding late at night in the nude as a ritual, allowing him to meet his “Gods” as it were.

(Spoiler)

Alan himself is harmless, his attack on the horses comes from a bad situation. The girl in the story, Jill, is attracted to Alan, or at least his quirks with horses. She pressures him into going on a date, where the sexual energy rises quickly. Alan has a dilemma which he doesn't fully understand - he is a boy with physical desires, and he'd discovered other males have the same. However, Alan feels too guilty betraying his horse Gods, which he calls “Equus”, and loses control before anything officially happens. Having hid out in the stable for their sexual adventure, the horses had seen his sin, so his solution is to blind all of them violently with a spike.

Doctor Dysart

The Doctors moral dilemma is recognized early on, as he explains a dream he has; a dream where he is an important figurehead in a ritualistic society, where he cuts out the hearts of children for sacrifice. He also has an amazing monologue, where he explains to Magistrate Saloman that he never touches his wife, and he has no connection to true happiness or any Gods of his own. He has his work, which he is good at, but nothing else to look forward to in his life – he suggests the boy would have been happy if left alone to have his rituals, because he visits his Gods on a regular basis, and is more free than “normal” people.

By the end of the play, having deciding to “Fix” young Alan, his guilt is overwhelming. The final monologue is his explanation that these people, like Alan, won't ever fully fit in with society – that, these kids lose a major part of their individuality, when they are “cured”, they become dead inside – and to do that to a child, would be the same as cutting out their heart for ritual sacrifice to the “real world.”

I'd say, to summarize in a sentence; The story itself, is about the tragedy of psychiatric drugs and treatments.

The Venue and Production

The stage in this case was very simple. I've seen things like Phantom of the opera, and Wicked, with elaborate sets, costumes, and musical numbers. This, was nothing like that. There was a round stage, 6 half doors to represent stables, and four rectangular blocks used as props. The only costume change was from clothed to nude, and the horses themselves were men clad in brown, with wireframe hooves and wireframe masks with glowing eyes.

To see a production this small, work so well, was amazing. I was impressed how all of the setting changes were done using different colored and shaped lights, instead of elaborate props. The Broadhurst itself only seats about 140 people, which is about half the available seats in any other theater I've been in.

The fame and popularity

Richard Griffiths delivered amazing monologues, if not for him, and his ability to make this work – Equus wouldn't have been anything at all. His ability to bring Dr. Dysart to the stage, fighting and bonding with Alan Strang, was flawless. Not enough press has covered his role by a long shot, so I'm here to tell you, he's the main character.

While I may not agree with the sole publicity of this play being on Daniel Radcliffe, he did an amazing job breathing life into Alan Strang. He was wholly convincing, to the point that he was almost unrecognizable. Every line worked wonderfully, and even with a minor issue with some stage wires, he did a wonderful job bringing Equus to Broadway.

(I had several paragraphs for the rest of the cast, which were amazing, that I trimmed for length. I am very sorry for that, but know, they were all brilliant.)

The morons

Americans have the reputation of being generally rude. In this case, I had two people sitting near me in the balcony, who spent the entire intermission complaining about how boring plays are. I believe the exact words in this case were, “we came here to see some naked Harry Potter, and we have to keep listening to this guy talk. I'm gonna fall asleep, wake me up when it gets good.”

Outside the front doors, people lined up to attempt to get the autographs of any of the stars that happened to run by. Of all the insults I can imagine with Daniel Radcliffe signing autographs, would be for someone to have a stack of Harry Potter pictures outside the production of Equus. I don't imagine this seems like a very big deal, but I feel the need to apologize for the starstruck fans' manners.

If given the opportunity, go see Equus, no matter who is part of the cast. I would call it a point of view changing experience.



I fully support the production of this play, with an overpriced tee shirt and a stupid smile.

Now, imagine me, only fitting in with upper class New York at the Broadhurst Theater.

**apologies for the length, and lack of pictures, as they weren't allowed. I didn't want to steal internet photos this time, so you just get me and the sign outside the Broadhurst.

Overlord

Note to everyone; read my update to the right of this. There -------->



Reviewers have called Overlord the sleeper hit of 2007, sadly overlooked by gamers of every kind. I have heard rave reviews on the title, generally placing it on the top of the scale compared to many other choice games. I have also thoroughly enjoyed this game, plugging away many hours listening to hilarious dialog, while destroying and ruling everything in my path.

I was, however, mildly suspicious to begin with – if every reviewer gave it thumbs up, why did it disappear out of the mainstream so quickly with an insulting price drop? So, having the personal flaw of curiosity, I ventured out and picked up this game...almost 6 months ago. I played it briefly, then it sat on my shelf. Now, I share my thoughts, and the one major detail that really made me put it down.

Overview.

You are the "Overlord," kicking ass in some snazzy armor, commanding entertaining, color-coded minions. You travel around generic-fantasy-land, defeating bosses that represent the seven deadly sins in order to rebuild your tower, and establish some sort of reputation.


These gremlin clones have a snarky attitude, and a taste for destruction...and beer.

Your minions are your power, and you'll find colored "souls" out of the creatures or players you kill. Souls represent how many minions of whatever color you have available to summon. Minions will attack whoever you tell them to, move objects, fetch items, and progress you through the game based on their color-skill.

Interaction with NPC's is minimal, primarily passing commentary a-la-Fable, and verbal requests to find, fix, or destroy things. You're given moral-alignment options in each quest, though they're not always made crystal clear - once you accidentally sic minions on a towns person because you wanted to talk to them, you'll understand.

My Experience.

Upon first picking up the controller for this game, I thought: "This is GREAT! How could anyone have missed this?" I explored quite a bit, I kicked some minions around, tormented some villagers, and massacred some sheep – what's not to love? Then, I spent about 3 hours wandering around in a relatively small fort, looking for the red colored minions, which should not have taken nearly that long.

Generally with action-adventure-esque games, you a expect a few standard flaws; camera angles, depth perception, and abnormal controls. Overall, these particular flaws are very minimal in overlord. The thing that hits you right between the eyes is very simple, very important, but I didn't worry about until I walked in circles approximately one-hundred-forty-seven times.

There is no map. There is nothing resembling a map, or nav point, or compass, or any general directional help as to where you are maybe, kind of, supposed to be headed. There is a journal that tells you what you've already done, which I found by accident and didn't care about. There are warp points, most of which only exist while you're doing a specific mission – accidentally tag a new warp point, and there's a chance your key warp disappears.



I'd have taken this. Set this on fire, and I'd still have taken this, over nothing.

It doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it's a bitch. A few places will have changing terrain, which makes it easier to tell which direction you are supposed to be going – and then, you have places like the Dwarven mines, or Elven forest, or human town/fields, where everything looks exactly the same around every corner.

The Rest of it.

A few of the features seem somewhat useless, unless you're so lost you'd rather shave a cat than continue playing. For instance, you can sacrifice minions to build new armor in your forge – which doesn't sound that bad, except acquiring enough minion souls to make it worth while takes a lot of patience, and doesn't seem to effect the armor all that much.

You can also spend a bit of time decorating your tower, where your mistress will make commentary based on what you buy. There are a few design choices in things like tapestries, but basically everything is just on an advancement system. After one boss, a certain statue will be available. Defeat another boss and come back, you can buy an upgrade for that same statue.



Or, you can change mistresses, and take a good or evil approach to decoration. Yes, I am indeed female.

I've only ever heard one other major complaint from the general populace, and that was the hands-off approach. The Overlord will sit back and let the minions do all the work. I personally didn't mind, it was nice to take a break after things like Devil May Cry 4, and you still get plenty of spells to try on enemies and minions alike.

This game has been picked up again, and thoroughly enjoyed despite the serious map issue. At the greatly reduced price of this game, it is definitely a good experience – just know what you're in for. It really is a shame such a game was left feeling somewhat unfinished, but then, what isn't anymore?

Now, imagine me, only commanding all the dogs of the world to do my bidding.

Conventions

Rolling into the month of September, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia for things I used to do this time of year. One of those things that inspired excitement from my high school years was the Nan Desu Kan convention. Conventions draw a lot of negative attention toward geeks, nerds, and dorks – and the cause of this negative attention is an obnoxious handful of those geeks, nerds, and dorks themselves.

I'm talking about Fanboys or Fangirls. Fans are people who appreciate an art – be it video games, anime, science fiction, comic books, or electronics. Fanboys/Fangirls are the completely obsessed fanatics that drive everyone else up a wall, and do so with little style or tact. Here, I will present a few tips to bring harmony, or something like it, to the convention world.

For one, if you are old enough to attend one of these events without adult supervision, act like it. It is not necessary to run, gallop, or skip to any place or person – whatever you've targeted will probably be around for the entire weekend. Use indoor voices, as shouting and otherwise yelping at one another is rude and obnoxious.

Your intellect is not so overwhelming that things like “excuse me,” “please,” and “thank you” are beyond you. Being a know-it-all does more to annoy than impress, and it is necessary to know and understand the difference. Please don't start spewing worthless information at me – and “would you like to see my lightsaber” is not a clever or effective pick-up line. Observe “normal” behaviors and imitate them, if you're so smart.

An important rule, that also seems to be the most ignored or overlooked, is hygiene. It is necessary to bathe on a daily basis, and this is especially important when you are packed in tight quarters with similar people. This issue seems to extend into every nerd realm I've ever wandered into. Gamers, Otaku, Trekkies and whatever-you-call-comic-book-nerds seem to share this ailment, and it doesn't have to be so.

There is a simple solution to the hygiene issue, and it goes something like this;

1.Hotels, apartments, and homes have a bathroom, with some form of shower or bathtub installed standard. This part is simple; locate this device and turn the handles until water is dispensed.

2.Regulate the water temperature by testing with your hand, if this is your first time – the sting means the water is too hot, not that your skin will fall off.

3.Stand under the running water, or submerge yourself in the bath water and apply some form of soap and shampoo. Soap is inexpensive, and comes in a variety of styles to match your particular lifestyle and personality.

4.Scrub your entire body. Soap does not work alone, it needs the assistance of friction.

5.Dry off, and be sure to apply deodorant. Deodorant can be purchased at any convenience store or grocery store, and is of vital importance in this process – or it will all be for nothing.

6.Finally, wear clean clothes when you assemble yourself for venturing outdoors.

All of these steps can be completed within 10 minutes for a standard human being, and you will have rescued many people from a wall of odor that otherwise lingers. If you feel like being really fancy, there are alternative methods and add-ons, but don't overwhelm yourself right away. Practice makes perfect.

Cosplaying is common practice at many conventions; from the wookies to the Vash the Stampedes and then some. This suggestion is specific to people that participate in this art, which can be beautiful, but is often marred. Please, please, please, wear costumes that fit your body type and age. Or, at least alter the costume from the original design to be tasteful. Also, it helps to not wear the same costume the entire weekend, bring at least one change of clothes – this falls under the hygiene category again.


You may make a pedophiles dream come true. Cute, but creepy.

Cross-dressing is acceptable only if done correctly. I personally saw an amazing Princess Peach that was very convincing until he had to speak. Then, you have the man-Faye, who is only famous in the convention world simply because of bad taste.


Don't be man-Faye.

In a public hotel where one of these conventions was held, I had an older gentleman pull me aside and ask “What is wrong with these people?” Referring to the terrible cosplayers that were unrecognizable and barely legal to be in public. Please don't make me explain this stuff to the rest of the world.

The bottom line, there are fans that do not fall into these stereotypes, and we would like to be allowed to celebrate our arts without having to walk through a thick cloud of stink and eye vomit to get there.

Now, imagine me, only showering often on behalf of funky nerds everywhere.