That’s when they made games that had real substance. There were no crazy colours, no mind bending alternate realities or fancy buttons. Everything was simple and straightforward, as it should always be.
I remember that buying games was less complicated too. Why, in my day, we walked five hectares through hail sleet and snow just to buy a game, and we were better off for it. Can’t we have those days back?
Filed under Video Game Misc., Video Game Technology
“I want to play this video game for five more hours.” This is the refrain of the person who wants to game, but he or she is not an addict. You might think, though, that this quote suggests an addictive behaviour.
You might picture someone sitting on a couch with Cheetos stained fingers. In the other hand, the person clutches a frosty Big Gulp, sporting a pronounced couch groove and sunless skin. This couch potato description might be true in some cases, but one should not assume this about people who play video games. One should not store negative imagery about gamers in one’s head and drew upon these images at will.
Instead, I see the plea to play for five more hours as an acknowledgment that video games are wonderful and engrossing. They are so wonderful that one wants to spend more time with them to enjoy everything they offer.
However, it’s probably not very wise to stop everything and play for five straight hours. Don’t stop living your life and loving others. Find a responsible way to make time for games.
Filed under Non Gamers, Video Game Misc.
Last week, I got to meet many of my video game heroes. They invited me over for dinner, but I wasn’t sure what they would serve, or if they eat at all. Let me recount what occurred.
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1. Mario and Princess Peach had me over for spaghetti and meatballs. The food smelled heavenly, the wine flowed like water in a river, and they were indeed interesting company as they shared stories of their many adventures.
In a dimly lit dinning room, we tucked into the main dish, as well as squid and fish that were both freshly caught from Mario’s games. After a while, I got the feeling Mario and Peach would recreate the famous spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp, and I tried to excuse myself. But then Toad, Mario’s annoying neighbour who can’t take a hint, appeared and would not stop yapping. Oh well, it was a good night overall.
2. Does Master Chief eat? That’s what I thought after I had accepted an invitation to dine with him at his palatial space mansion. Something about taking a giant space elevator into Earth’s atmosphere seemed strange, but I happily went on my way. Of course, I had to take a time machine several years into the future for this meal to be possible, but I’ll omit such boring details from this story.
As the elevator ascended higher and higher into the heavens, I mused about how Master Chief eats. Does he take off his helmet, or does he have a system inside the suit that feeds him? Then I laughed as I pictured him eating cream puffs or dainty finger foods. First of all, this kind of food doesn’t fit with Chief’s “tough guy” image as projected by Microsoft’s marketing. Second, he probably has to avoid such delicate food for fearing of smushing it with his iron grip.
Ding! The elevator had arrived at the top where the Chief had prepared a delicious meal. To my great surprise, I discovered he was a vegan. State secrecy laws prohibit me from discussing how Chief eats or what we ate, but the food sure was tasty!
3. I wasn’t sure Kirby could ever be “full”. That was my suspicion as I headed for his place. It turns out my suspicion was correct: Kirby devoured both his plate and mine before consuming the entire refrigerator! At first, I thought this overeating was okay because he was ensuring nothing went to waste. He somehow seemed thoughtful.
But my initial reaction turned to disgust as Kirby spat out whatever he had sucked into his mouth and then inhaled more. I don’t mind telling you that I was thoroughly upset, and I ran away before Kirby could eat me. Talk about terrible table manners! I guess you should never eat with some of your video game heroes.
Did you have dinner with video game characters and what happened?
Filed under Video Game Misc.
Imagine video game characters suddenly appear in our world. They still have all of their powers, talents and they look the same. But now they speak English, and they have something to say. Here’s what they told me when I bumped into them:
Pikachu: “Plug me in! I need to recharge.”
Bowser: “Get me a breath mint. I smell like burnt hair.”
Kirby: “Sorry I inhaled all your food. It was an accident; I swear.”
What did video game characters say to you?
Filed under Video Game Misc.
I promise I won’t see Video Games anymore.
It will be just you and me forever.
Please come back!
Filed under Video Game Misc.
Video games are both smooth and bumpy. One side of the disc is smooth, shiny and calm, like a tranquil lake on an early Saturday morning when the mist is settling over the water and no one is nearby. The disc also has faint lines going around part of it, resembling ripples on the surface of the lake. The machine is able to read and reflect on this side of the disc, and the metal box does this work quietly as if it were meditating near a calm lake. Then the machine can display something beautiful and creative for all to see and enjoy.
Sometimes playing this disc is a smooth experience, one without hardship that flows from beginning to end. The game doesn’t punish small mistakes during a smooth experience. The game doesn’t offer strange design choices that keeps gamers from playing until the end. Instead, the game lets you play, and encourages you to do so, without interruption.
We might also say that a gamer could be smooth. What do I mean by “smooth” gamer? I mean someone who sails through a game calmly without hitting any waves. Maybe he does see waves, but he knows how to avoid them. The smooth gamer’s actions are deliberate, well-thought-out and appear effortless, but not everyone acts in this way.
By contrast, there is a bumpy aspect to video games. One can feel this by picking up a video game disc and touching the side that has the game’s title and possibly other images. This bumpy side is like a rough path that is uneven to the touch rather than a tranquil lake.
The rough path is not inherently bad, for this side lets one know that one is holding a video game that a machine can run. However, some people will not see it as self-evident that the bumpy side faces up as the disc goes into the machine. You have to walk the path to understand, you have to put the game into the machine, or read or hear some instruction, to understand this is how you play a video game.
Once you play the game, you can sometimes expect a bumpy ride. You might get knocked off the path because of an increase in the game’s difficulty, just as you start to enjoy playing. You might get frustrated and lose your temper. Perhaps this angry person might throw a controller at some unfortunate bystander or some unfortunate peace lily.
Some of us might feel this anger and frustration in a more intense way than others. This person might be a gamer who cannot experience the bumpy side without exploding in rage. They are unpredictable and antipathy of the cool, smooth lake, the cool, smooth gamer.
Perhaps all gamers, all people have some degree of the cool, calm lake within them and the potential to lash out in anger. Although the path can be a little bumpy sometimes, one need not give in to aggression, to hate. Play like a smooth, calm lake, live like a smooth, calm lake.
Filed under Video Game Misc., Video Game Technology
Maybe we would spend time with video game characters if they were like people and had personalities. Maybe we would get to know them and grow old together. And maybe we could even play games with them.
I think that characters from shooting video games would probably be less popular. I mean, you would probably not befriend a violent psychopath, right? By contrast, we would probably still love Mario and think of him as being delightfully joyful. However, we’d probably be concerned about his magic mushroom consumption, and his influence on kids. Pikachu would probably remain just as loved if it were a real pet, albeit a highly dangerous one.
What do you think life would be like if video game characters were real and had personalities?
Filed under Video Game Misc., Video Games: Reader Q&A
At first, I thought this recipe only provided a developer’s perspective on how to make a great video game. But, as a gamer, I realized that my recipe would look very similar to a developer’s. I either want the ingredients listed below, or I experience some of these feelings while playing a great game. The developer might feel a sense of accomplishment after they finish making a complex game and ship it. I might feel a sense of accomplishment after I beat their challenging work. This recipe should work for everyone.
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until combined. Pour mixture into baking tray and cook for 50 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately with fresh microchips.
What’s your recipe for a great video game?
Filed under Video Game Misc.
Joe always had grey hair. Some say this was because he was always wise beyond his years. He would try to find out what he didn’t know and made time to learn new things. He was a deep thinker who dove into murky questions and didn’t resurface until he found the answer. He always loved to share the treasures and wisdom he discovered with others.
For Joe, helping others was his true calling in life. He donated his time and money to people and groups that needed his help. He had welcomed many refugees to his community and into his home. Somehow he found time to do all this even though he was so busy.
One day, Joe got up early to walk his dog, he mended his neighbour’s broken fence, and he read a collection of rare books. He cleared the shed and garage. He wrote an eloquent essay on the nature of love and made dinner for friends. Then the old man sat down on his couch to play video games, a hobby he had loved all his life.
On the couch, he grabbed the controller, and became excited to play. He turned on the TV as one eye struggled to stay open before shuttering. Then the other eye gave in and collapsed. He fell asleep as if been up all night the day before studying for final exams. The TV screen had a sea salt and freshly ground black pepper wallpaper appearance, and it gave off a deafening, crackling sound, but Joe didn’t notice. He finally got to play video games — in his dreams.
Filed under Video Game Misc.
Video Games Nebula 