A Multicultural Era for a Multicultural Nation

I've taken a few days to contemplate my feelings of exoneration about our new president.  His inauguration speech was one of the most inspiring things I've heard in a long time (and in eight years from that office).  There are so many wonderful points to elaborate on from his rhetoric and for the lack of time, I'm going to focus on this one: 

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

Although the truth behind that statement cannot be denied, it somehow has for quite some time.  Too often this nation is referred to as a "Christian Nation" that was founded on "Christian principles" with "Christian values" and so forth.  The feeling of exclusion from these statements is palpable.  And from them intolerance is allowed is often used as a right. 

The President's statements echo a marked change from this position.  His acknowledgment of other creeds as allies in his own country (and the larger world) sends a welcoming message to those that have been pushed to the sidelines in the past. As a person that flinches at the thought of a "Christian Nation", I feel that Obama has already done what he is known for - bringing everyone into the fold. 

The GIRLs of 2008

In listening to all the game of the year announcements from different places, I have decided to declare what is surely the most unimportant game awards list of the year - the Games I Really Liked (or GIRLs).  This list stems from games that I played to completion (if they could be completed) or saw all I needed to see (if they had no definite ending).  Using this criteria, games from other years, not only games that debuted in 2008, are eligible.

And here we are! 

GIRL that was most the fun to touch (Best Gameplay)

Left 4 Dead was a game that is was hesitant to buy, but am thoroughly glad that I did.  It continues to draw me back while other games rust on the shelf.  The AI director is hailed as the critical component that makes the game so damn unique in that it makes each run of the campaign different. That's only 1/2 of what makes this game great - the other half comes from the people you play with - you never know how good your team of 4 will be and who will be the weakest link, exaggerating all that previously mentioned variation.  I've played with a person that single handely destroyed a tank on expert and a team of three others that struggled to make it through the first section of No Mercy.  This is a game that I just can't keep my hands off! 

GIRL with the best personality (Best Story)

Metal Gear Solid 4 is an choice for best story.  The game had more cutscenes than gameplay! My play time during my first run in which I watched all the cutscences was 10hrs 45mins whereas, playing through a second time while skipping all the cutscences reduced my play time  to 5hrs 10mins.  I've been a huge fan of this series since MGS1, when I had to do research on the just budding internet to learn what the hell everyone was talking about and figure out why I never met big boss.  This is a game that I could stay up late talking all night with.  

GIRL that is best for a long term relationship (Most Played)

During Christmas time, I returned to my parents' home for 6 looooong days.  The length of time was compounded further by no familiar faces being in town.  So how did I make it through this visit? By logging 50+ hours in Fallout 3.  I think that makes this game my common law wife. 

GIRL that I just don't get why my friend is into (Most Overhyped)

GTAIV has been a very interesting story in the press - from its extreme praise to its now "its so cool to hate" status.  I don't want to be a part of the latter group, so I won't.  My problems with the game stem from the mission structure and controls.  I could not stand the "drive here, kill these people, then chase this person in a car, and finally evade the police" structure of nearly every mission.  What contirubted to my disdain was the terrible control system.  All developers should learn that relyings on pressing a trigger 1/2 way down as 1 input and all the down as a 2nd input is absolutely horrid.  Also, I felt the shooting while driving mechanics were desperately in need of a lock on mechanic.  Lastly, the revenge themed story did not resonate at all and led me to commit a personal form of blasphemy - skipping cut scenes.  In the end, I feel as if GTAIV is giving those who like it the best blowjobs of their lives because I can't see why they stay.

GIRL that I don't want my friends to know I'm sleeping with (Most Embarassing)

I have a strong affinity for the Lego Games and let's be honest - they are pretty well done and Lego Star Wars is the best.  However, its a game that I would prefer to take to out of the way places with lots of dark corners so that I'm not seen making out with it.  

GIRL that I most enjoyed getting in every way possible (Most Fun 1000/1000 points)

Dead Space does what it intends to do extremely well and you can even move while aiming!  The achievements were challenging rather than frustrating and came at appropriately paced intervals.  Grabbing the full thousand was a to of fun even as I played through it a second and third time (although I was glad to put it down when I was finished).  All in all, I'm proud to say that I bagged this one.  

GIRL that I would just not let me hit it from behind (Had to walk away from the 1000/1000)

Multiplayer achievements continue to be the bane of my exsistance, especially those that force me to play game types that prevent me from achieveing them! Ulimately, I could not "Beat the Meatflag" because of the rarity with which submission pops up AND the difficulty of capturing the flag.  As such, gears 2 will be one that wouldn't let me go all the way. 

GIRL I never want to see again (Least Enjoyed)

I'm a huge fan of Diablo style games and was intrigued by Too Human's "epic story" and different approach to combat.  In the end, I don't remember or care what happened and have zero desire to ever touch this game again.  In fact, I wrote a prior post about how this game turned me away from getting achievements.  This game rubbed me in the wrong way, the way that requires me to now take valtrix.  

GIRL that got away (Wished I had owned)

How appropriate that the game I wish I had played most actually features a girl, and an appropriately proportioned one at that.  Ultimately, the mixed reviews that Mirror's Edge received pushed me away from paying for it, but hopefully I will have an opportunity to take this one out soon.  

GIRL that I will settle down with, at least until next year (My personal game of the year)

I'm surprised that I chose this one, considering the time I've spent with many other games this year.  However, the continued draw of L4D's gameplay and co-op experience makes it the game that brings me to one knee.  

GIRL that I will be cheating on the previous award wth starting next week (First Game of 2008 for 2009)

There was just not enough time to get around to this game, despite it being a day one purchase.  I'm glad to say that as of this writing, I'm already far along in the game and have mostly positive things to say.  Although, its not gripping me the way fallout or other RPG-esque games have and its one that will probably not get a call back when its be used to its full potential.  

    

Why Game Publishers (and the Auto Industry) Need to Revisit Econ 101

As the world slips further into an economic abyss, several industries have sought financial help from their respective governments, especially the auto industry.  There were several excellent pieces written by Thomas Friedman about why the auto industry should be left to its own fate and how it can reinvent itself for the future.  The crux of his argument, with which I mostly agree, is that the American auto industry should suffer the consequences because they refused to innovate where other companies did. 

The capitalist principle of innovating on a product to keep the market in your favor is necessary for a variety of reasons that we all learned about in either Econ 101 or by visiting any Apple store in late January.  Similarly, video game developers and publishers must use this principle to address their problems with the used game market.  Their current strategy is to cry.  The used game industry provides a tremendous service and value to the consumer.  I'm not referring solely to gamestop , but the myriad of services that allow the you and I access a game without having to buy it in shrink wrap.  There are tons of games that we want to play, but don't want to pay full retail price or wait for a sale/price drop.  Hell, there are several games I want to play but don't want to spend any money on, ever! And the used game industry provides a means for us to address this issue.  And what the market wants, the market traditionally gets and whinning about it isn't going to do any good.  

However, innovation can help everyone! For example, I recently traded away several PC games via goozex only to rebuy them through Steam.  Why? Steam allows me to easily install the games on multiple machines or put them right back where they were after I format my hard drive.  That is a service I'm willing to pay (twice) for and prevents me from reselling.  Console publishers need to develop similar improvements to their approach that will encourage you and I to consistently buy new.  Unfortunately, I don't have any good suggestions at this time, but I think that the inclusion of bonus content with the initial purchase (and not as rip off DLC) is a good start as per Gears 2 or NBA live.  However, strides should be made to avoid punishing the users for not buying new a la Nintendo's Wii Speak model or Epic's suggestions.  That method is akin to pushing Hummers when gas is $4 a gallon.  Using that tactic is sure to lead to a bad response from the market and the US government will never bailout the games industry.  

Always Call the Police

This has nothing to do with games or politics but it is a word of warning to the 0 people that follow this blog - if you ever get into a car accident, be sure to call the police immediately!!! I am perhaps the only person on this dying planet that did not know this and foolishly did not call the cops after I got tagged by a moron driver named Heidi Thomsonn.  As such, I am stuck with a dented car and a no insurance money. 

Always call the police - before you even get out of the car, call the cops!!!!!!

Leftist Advocate: Your Buck Doesn't Really Stop at Gamestop

I recently went through a video game purge.  My game bulimia was inspired by my recent move in which I packed 3 boxes full of video games that I have not touched in over a year.  This included an N64 collection that had not touched a TV since in over 7 years as shown by the still connected RF adapter.  After lugging these "classics" to the new place and falling short on shelf space for my newer games, I had to face the facts - I had squeezed all the frustration (and most of the achievement points) from Assassin Creed, Shadowrun, Crackdown, and many more.  This led to a new predicament - what do I do with this trash that would be someone else's treasure? 

I decided to unload them via Goozex and Gamestop using an arbitrary system I invented to determine which provided the maximum benefit.  There is often a ton of negative press for Gamestop, much of which is well deserved.  Yet, I am here to argue in favor of the nation's largest dedicated video game retailer.  In this story, I brought in a bunch of merchandise that I would never again  touch and, without any personal risk, walked out with credit towards a future purchase that I would inevitably make.  My initial disappointment that I had brought in almost $500 worth of merchandise to receive back $110.82 was alleviated by two thoughts - 1) there is no other area is which there is an "authorized" method for returning heavily used electronic merchandise for a monetary compensation and 2) most of my trades were PS2 and gamecube games.  I say authorized as there are tons of peer to peer services such as ebay, goozex, CAG trading, etc. that allow you to trade or sell games, but carry some risk and a delayed reward.  I certainly won't be able to give anyone my old HDTV for credit towards a new one when the time comes to replace it.  There was no one that wanted my shitty 4 year old router when I needed to buy a new one this weekend.  Yet Gamestop gladly took my Jak 1, 2, and 3 and gave me about $5 bucks to use towards something else.  The store is immediate, safe, and useful (albeit underwhelming in credit for games more than 15 days old).  Recently, I traded in my near death 360 that was readying itself for its 5th visit to McCallen, TX for $151.80, which I was able to combine with that $5 (and much more) for a brand new elite.  

As such, I've revised my harsh opinion on Gamestop and their trade in racket in light of their being a method to efficiently unload merchandise that would most likely find its way to the trash can.  I agree that their return prices should be higher, but I'm satisfied to receive any return on my investment, especially if it keeps me from falling into old habits.  

What's your method of dealing with your older games? Gamestop, Goozex, Ebay, Ikea (for more shelving)

Next Entry: Much like the Auto Industry, Game Publishers need to take Econ 101 

It's Chambless - Not Chambmore

This past Tuesday incumbent Senator Saxby Chambless was relected.  Mr. Chambless defeated rival Jim Martin in a run off because he failed to receive the necessary 50% + 1% on election day. The run off was forced by the popularity of Barack Obama on the Novemember 5th election who led many people to vote for his democratic opponent.  Those people stayed home on the 2nd. Chambless' victory speech was broadcast all over the news on Tuesday & Wednesday both here in Atlanta and (I assume) the national news.  His speech carried a very different tone than the ones Americans heard after the general election.  Rather than proclaiming his victory as an achievement of this nation and a mark for progress, it was filled with statements proclaiming his ability to block those ideals.  It's surprising to hear a senator expound his desire to continue to the failed policy of the republicans after being forced to a runoff.  I suppose we should give Mr. Chambless some credit for bucking the this year's trend of hope and change - after all he did win with traditional right wing attack politics (and because the Democratic opposition wasn't very good, but that will be just between you and I).  

What upsets me the most is the grand standing done Mr. Chambless.  Especially when isn't too surprising he won despite the negative environment for his party.  He was a republican incumbent senator who won in a state that went for John McCain and whose response to Barack Obama's victory was to purchase as many assault weapons as possible.  The primary reason for the spike in gun sales? Those who live in southern Georgia were "terrified" about the Obama administration.  As such, Mr. Chambless should not proclaim his victory as a hard fought battle that will prevent this country and its new administration from coming out of the worst economic recession in recent memory.  His victory was an expected win in a traditionally republican state, using a traditional right wing campaign, and, evidently, means he is going to keep our country on the (more recent) tradition of failure. So Mr. Chambless, please stop doing what traditional republicans do by pretending you know what it is like to win in combat when you haven't seen a battlefield and remember your name ends in what you probably contribute to this country - less.   

Achievement Unlocked - You've kicked the habit

I was never a person who cared about high scores, collectibles, or seeing every ending to my games. One play through to see the ending and maybe a few side quests and I was ready to move on. So you could imagine my surprise when I found myself chugging through hour 15 of Army of Two's horrendous multiplayer to unlock my "Retirement Savings Plan" achievement. Something about seeing the little achievement unlocked bubble or the filled in achievement icon page for the game makes me so happy. I'll admit it, I was a full fledged achievement whore. That was until I played through Too Human.

I finished the single player campaign for Too Human with a big frown on my face. I couldn't stand the game from beginning to end. My complaints are pretty much the same as everyone else's, so I'll skip that bitch fest for now. After seeing the mediocre ending, I checked out what achievements I missed on my first run through and guessed I would be playing this game for another 2-3 weeks if I was to reach the full 1000/1000. With Dead Space, Fable 2, and Fallout 3 on the shelf and Gears 2 in the mail, I was faced with a tough decision. Move on to another game that I would probably enjoy immensely or suffer through several more weeks of pain with Too Human to satisfy my addiction. Typically I would have chosen the latter. For proof, check my gamer card for Army of Two, Conan, and Shadowrun. But this time, I chose to eject Too Human from my disc drive and my life. Maybe it was my realization that I'm now an adult and don't have as much free time, maybe it was knowing that I'll never get through my backlog if I don't move on, or maybe it was a deep understanding that having a full 1000 in Too Human isn't anything to brag about (no offense to those that do). Thanks to Goozex, I will never even be tempted to return to that game.

Now, I'm still a recovering achievement junkie/whore - I'm playing Dead Space a third time for the final achievement and I would like to get the full 1000 in Gears 2 - but at least these are games that I enjoy.

Are any of you guys hopelessly addicted to achievements? What is that appeal that draws us in? If you kicked the habit, what was your method (or game) that helped you walk away from an incomplete game?


And - anyone wanna get some gears 2 achievements (Tag: Mindzeye82)? (I said I was recovering!)