My New Years resolution

2010 was an interesting year for me. I went from struggling college student with no direction to a games journalist known for being professional, but also for being a bit of a dick. It's not often that your life shifts like this, but I sort of stumbled upon everything. It's sort of like falling into a random building to find that you've entered a really good party. Only problem is that said party has a few jerks inside it.

However, one thing that I think can happen during the holidays is that your perspective can change. I'm not a big fan of really going too in-depth about the goings-on in my family, but what I will say is that my family made me see a few things. Fact of the matter is that I have a niece, two nephews, and another niece on the way. All of them either do look up to me, or will. The question that I have to ask myself is this: "Am I setting the right example for them?"

At the moment, the answer is a really big question mark. I'm a good journalist. I write well, I speak well, I'm well educated, and I'm intelligent. That's quite a few advantages. However, I did the one thing that I swore I would never do in my life. I let the things that separate me from other people consume my mind. Don't get me wrong, I think that there are huge problems within games journalism, and I truly believe that if we amplify everything, we hear nothing.

Thing is, it's not right for me to hold what makes me good at my job over other people. So, in essence, I'm done caring about what other people do or say when it comes to journalism, because I don't think that what they do or say matters. I think that what matters is who people trust, and I think that my methods make me trustworthy. When I wake up in the morning, or go to sleep at night, I don't need to be thinking about what others are doing. I need to focus on being the best that I can be.

So, my New Years Resolution is to take the question mark away from my head. I'm no longer going to let a bad attitude sour my skills or my ability to contribute to the games industry as a journalist. My focus this year is simply being the best I can be for whatever site that I work for. It's the attitude of a freelancer, and that's what I am. I don't worry about the website. That's for the heads to worry about. I worry about what work I'm putting forward. Well, that and if they're paying me or not.

So, with that said, Happy New Years, everyone. I plan to make the most of my 2011, and I hope you do too.

Vlog 12/17/10 - VGA Wrap Up and Games Journalism talk

I Enjoy Murdering People

I've killed a lot of people in my lifetime. I've killed a lot of people, and may God strike me down if I didn't have fun every single second of it. I've also killed a variety of people. You see, I don't discriminate. I'm an equal opportunity genocidal maniac. In fact, what's really cool is that I've killed everyone with just about any means of killing them. I've used assault rifles, machetes, piano wire, pistols, chainsaws, my bare hands, cars, trucks, motorcycles, and I even did it with this big fucking gun that shot out a massive ball of green plasma. I've also gone under tons of aliases, like Minion, Mario, Snake, Lucas Kane, and several others.

Oh, wait. You thought I was talking about actual people, didn't you? Nope, I'm talking about video games.

You see, the reason I'm writing this blog is because it seems like the idea of fun is now beneath other critics. Oddly enough, these are the types of assholes that will put up a post that mentions something about a woman and ejaculate, but when a game like Splatterhouse or Conker's Bad Fur Day is brought up in conversation, all of a sudden that type of thing is beneath them. Now, maybe everyone got offended by Splatterhouse's review guide and are just sensitive people (see: pussies) but why are we forgetting our roots?

That root is fun. Every single gamer out there has murdered everything in their path at least once. In fact, we've all done it in at least one way that made us feel a little bit dirty afterward. As high brow as I come off when talking about a game like Dragon Age or Red Dead Redemption, you know for a fact that at one point or another, I've boned Leiliana in the former, and tied someone who tried to kill me after a poker game to railroad tracks in the latter.

Does this make me a bad person? Of course not. I'm just someone who likes to be entertained, and when something generally entertaining crosses my path, I try to make the most of it. Heck, even when something sucks, there's ways to enjoy yourself with it. For example: on my birthday, I had a lovely lady over for supper (as in real food, and get your mind out of the gutter) and we watched a couple horrible movies in Johnny Mnemonic and Doom. You know what? We had fun, and those movies sucked. That's why we had fun though. The movies are so bad you just have to laugh.

This is my overall problem with some game critics. Many of them have forgotten what fun is. Dragon Age 2 wants to save time and put me into the combat as soon as possible, and people already hate it? In what backwards society does that make any sense? Is there someone out there that wants to have to navigate a labyrinth before being able to enter an arena to see a boxing match?! NO! What the hell is wrong with you?

Listen, I love that gaming as a medium is maturing big time. I love games like GTA IV, Silent Hill 2, and their ilk, but I don't want high art constantly. The thing that the movie crowd has on us game critics is they've learned to appreciate all kinds of entertainment. I love really good movies like Citizen Kane and Gladiator, but I can't watch them all the time, and if that's all that was released, I would go batty. Variety is something that should be embraced by gamers. Fun is what got us here, and fun should never be forgotten.

Also, fun does often mean murder in the case of video games.

-Micah C

Video Review - Splatterhouse

The Year in Review - Micah C's Game Awards

You know, I've had this blog for quite a long time, and since I'm a fairly well known gaming journalist at this point, I wanted to take the journalist hat off for a moment, throw on the fan hat, and give some year-end awards to certain video games and things oriented around video games. Now, keep in mind that these games are only video games I played, so please bear with me if I miss something.

The Negatives

The Stuffed Bra Award for most unnecessary padding.

The Winner - Final Fantasy XIII

Why it won the award - To be quite honest, I haven't played a game that has been this drawn out since the Xenosaga series. I do not know why this game takes so long to get started, and when it gets started, why it's plagued with horrible storytelling and half-assed attempts at character development. I know that JRPG's are usually long winded, but come the hell on! Not to mention, if I hear Operation NORA ever again in my life, I may be arrested for murder.

The Newborn Kitten Award for weakest attempt at a game.

The Winner - Medal of Honor

Why it won the award - I don't think I need to explain it that much, so I'll just sum it up fast. No story, no characterization, player doesn't care, buy Battlefield: Bad Company instead.

The Napoleon Complex Award for worst attempt at getting revenge on a publisher

The Winner - Jim Sterling for his review of Kane and Lynch 2

Why he won the award - Never in my life have I seen a more thinly veiled attempt to stick it to a publisher "on behalf of all gamers" than Jimmy's review of Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days. Sorry, but even mentioning Gertsmanngate in the opening of your review gives away your intention. It's like you painted "I'm trying to be anti corporate!" on your jacket in blazing green letters, and thought nobody would notice. It may have worked if Jeff G were homeless and his kids starved or something, but last I checked he's doing pretty well. Not to mention it didn't affect sales of the game. It sold over a million copies.

The Shrunken Udder Award for most pointlessly milked franchise

The Winner - God of War 3

Why it won the award - God of War should have ended with the original game. If it needed a sequel, it would have ended in a way that you could do one without it feeling stupid. Well, the team behind God of War 3 reminds me of a parapalegic trying to walk, despite his nervous system being dead. All God of War 3 does is flop around on the floor, failing to make any sort of impact, and just embarassing itself. Keep in note that both The Force Unleashed 2 and Bioshock 2 came out this year, and I'm giving the award to God of War 3 HANDILY.

The Thales Leites Flopping Award for gaming issue that wasn't really an issue.

The Winner - Review Guides from Publishers

Why it won the award - Well, if you can't tell by the name of the title, it's because I don't give two shits about review guides. Let me elaborate though. Evidently some people gave two shits about the fact that publishers sometimes send us reviewers guides for our reviews. Are they telling us how to do our jobs? Yeah, pretty much. Why would they do this? Because some reviewers are fucking idiots. "Splatterhouse is just gore and violence." Oh, I'm sorry, were you expecting a game called Splatterhouse to be about kittens and ponies, you fucking pussy? I'm sorry, but if you're missing the point like a fucking champ over and over again, I'd not only be sending you a guide of how to review my product, but I'd be hiring a tutor so you can learn how to do your fucking job.

The Positives

Best RPG - Mass Effect 2

Why it wins the award - Truthfully, most of the other RPG offerings to come out this year simply weren't as strong. Not only was Mass Effect 2 a really well written game that was fun to play, but it was ridiculously well polished, and keeps players coming back for more. It's one of Bioware's best RPG's to date, but really does a great job of making a 3rd person shooter/RPG hybrid without upsetting either side of the fence.

Best FPS - Aliens vs Predator

Why it wins the award - In reality, there really weren't a lot of strong offerings from the genre this year. Bioshock 2 wasn't a bad game, but it didn't really have a reason to exist. Call of Duty: Black Ops was an enjoyable experience, but it was a little hampered because it still relied too much on multiplayer to really sell the game to people (though it had a very strong story). Aliens vs Predator is by no means the strongest FPS that I've played in my life, but it was lots of fun, and had a solid balance between the multiplayer and single player portions of the game. It's not very often that we see a weak year from the FPS genre, but this was one of them.

Best Downloadable Game - Shank

Why it wins the award - It's an incredibly well detailed, fun beat-em-up that relies a lot on player skill and thought to get through the game. It also had a simple, yet well written, story that wasn't hard to follow, and had a lot of inventive portions to it. I just wish the boss fights were a little bit better.

Best Action Game - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Why it wins the award - Truthfully, I didn't expect a reboot of my favorite franchise of all time to be this damn good. The storyline was well written, but didn't overwhelm the player. The game was long, but very well paced. The boss fights were epic and challenging, but never overwhelming. The level design was linear, but completely capable of immersing you in the situation. The combat was tight and a much needed improvement in the genre, but wasn't hard to learn. Truthfully, I think that Lords of Shadow is the second best game of the year, next to.....

Game of the Year - Red Dead Redemption

Why it wins the award - Though I feel like 2010 was overall a weak year for the game industry in its ability to produce solid titles, I also feel like Red Dead Redemption is one of the greatest games of all time. Not only that, but I feel like it's the best open world game ever made, even nudging out GTAIV for that position. It's a beautifully written game with a strong story, it has great multiplayer, and offers a sandbox that has a lot to do for those who like to faff about, but never insults the player with a purpose. I honestly feel like this is the one game that every gamer should own, just like how I feel every movie lover should own at least one Ridley Scott film.

So, those are my awards for the year. Keep in mind that these are all in fun, and aren't to be taken seriously. They aren't the official Blistered Thumbs awards either. Just my personal picks. Should you be offended for my awards, take one of these, and call me in the morning.

Revisiting my Reviews - Dragon Age: Origins

Though I've given up my video series for now, there's been a couple things on my mind. First is that I'm considering bringing back A Piece of History. Second is that I wanted to essentially go back over my video reviews, and talk about what made them fun.

First off, I really regret the whole Marcus the Cynic/M dynamic I had. It really didn't work very well. On the other hand, the opening to this episode was epic as all hell. Another thing that you'll notice is how clear the audio is here in comparison to some of my more recent videos. That's because I was actually using my camera as an audio in rather than my microphone. I need a headset, bad.

Another thing that made this review tough was the constant shuffling I had to do with the footage. It's not difficult to capture console footage, but I had to rummage through my numerous save files to really find games that took place at different points of the storyline. Even so, I don't think I got any footage from Orzammar or the Verillian forest in there. Most of it is from the start and end of the game. Word to the wise - Don't make the same mistake.

My biggest regret about this review? I barely touched on the origin stories. I focused way too much on similarities to past Bioware titles, and I really wish that I could go back and do it again. C'est la vie, I guess. What I don't regret is putting a heavy focus on the choices you have to make in the game, and how deep they are. Too many people brush that off about Bioware games, but I think that it's something that needs to be said.

All in all, I think that I did a solid review of the game here, and I do think it's a really good RPG. In fact, I think that it probably has the strongest role playing element of any RPG thus far in this generation. Despite the fact that Dragon Age 2 may be getting simplified, I'm still a little jazzed for the title. Granted, I can turn that switch off the minute the game enters my hands.

-Micah C

More random thoughts on random stuff

So, I woke up this morning with a killer headache that has just now faded. However, I have a routine when I wake up with a headache and down some ibuprofen to try and get rid of it. What I do is play a playlist on my Zune software of instrumentals, put an ice pack on the sore part of my head, and rest for an hour or two. Thing about doing this is that you're conscious for the entire time while listening to thought provoking music. So, now that my head has stopped aching and I can start picking out subjects to talk about coherently, I've got some good stuff to share.

Let's Talk Sex - I was watching a video review this morning about the film Love and Other Drugs, and the critic made the mistake of telling me that sex was the glue that holds relationships together. I'm sorry, but WHAT?! Are you retarded? Okay, that was a little bit much, but what I will say about that particular critic is that he couldn't be more wrong if he said two plus two equaled cheese. Before I continue, let me say that the difference between this critic and I is probably the fact that I've actually been in a couple relationships. Sex is awesome. In fact, it's probably my favorite thing on earth next to video games and pizza. In fact, just about every time I get really happy I want to bone a woman's brains out. There's a fun story that goes along with that, but I don't want to get sidetracked. Point is that sex is awesome. However, it's not the glue that holds relationships together. What holds relationships together is emotional investment. Can sex affect that? Yes, but my marriage had a very healthy sex life involved in it. I'm divorced. Do the math. Emotions will always be the deciding factor. Love and sex are a beautiful mixture, but you can have one without the other.

Forgive and Forget - A couple weeks ago I had an interesting conversation with one of my best friends. We were talking about one of my biggest fears: The idea of my ex-wife trying to get back into my life. Now, my friend and I are like brothers, but he and his wife still have marginal contact with my ex via Facebook, and there was a time where I was considering moving to his area. Though I made him swear to me that he would never try to get me back in contact with her, he asked me a question that dropped like a bomb. "Have your forgiven and forgotten what happened?" My answer was "Forgiven, yes. Forgotten, no." After that, he told me that he hadn't forgotten either. Afterwards, I realized to myself that I should never forget what she did to me, and that comes to my lesson learned. Forgiveness is beautiful because it allows us to shed ourselves of the bonds of our past. Forgetfulness is idiotic, because it means that we have learned nothing. Never be hesitant to let go of the past things that hurt you, but should someone from the past come back, never forget what happened.

Popular =/= Bad - I've always found it funny that gamers who consider themselves "enlightened" refuse to give a popular video game that's actually good a chance. Case in point is the game I most recently reviewed, Call of Duty: Black Ops. Now, if there is any one person skeptical about the Call of Duty franchise, and modern war shooters in general, it is me. Honestly, this is the first time that I've been genuinely surprised at how good one of these games can get, and I think the 8/10 that I gave it was justified. It's a good game. Is it Half-Life 2 good? God no. It's still good. However, the comment section was riddled with people who seemed to just comment without reading my article, claiming the game was bad. Now, guys, I love you but I know what you're doing. You haven't played the game. You're claiming it's bad just because it's popular, and that's silly. I know that douchebags you went to high school with probably play it too, but why should that curb your enjoyment of games? What if I let that affect the fact that other people out there in life enjoy sex and pizza as well? I'd be freaking miserable. Popular things can be good. Just look at Metallica.

Well, I think that's all I've got. I hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving. Hopefully this week my new lady friend will get in touch with me, and I can take her out on a date or something. I also am hitting the quarter century mark in seven days, so I'm kinda excited about that. Well, next on the table for me is a pinball review, and I'll be getting a review copy of Splatterhouse in as well, so I'm looking forward to it. As usual, leave your comments in the proper place. See you guys later.

- Micah C

Games Journalism - A "To Do" List

Since I'm in the middle of reinstalling all of my Steam games, and reuploading all of my music, I wanted to take a little time to give some tips on how to really become a games journalist. These are essentially the biggest needs that you're going to need to have in tackling it. In the list, I'll be going over general know how, necessary attitudes, and what I feel is "required reading".

Note: This is not a list about being a game blogger. To do that, you can have an I.Q. of 75 and just make random posts about condiments or underage Japanese girls. This is a list that will help you to not suck.

General Know-How

Note: These listings will reflect a lot of things that Daniel, James, and Allison went over in an episode of Extra Credits on "How to become a developer." Honestly, if you want to critique the industry, you need to know what they know.

- Have a solid understanding of video game history: You're going to make yourself look like a complete fool if you say a gravity shifting mechanic is "new and innovative" when Metal Storm did it in 1990. Having a knowledge of video game history allows your writing to stay fair and unbiased, because you'll know what innovations came about and when, and will keep your fanfare in check.

- Be incredibly well versed in literature: Most game developers out there have an extensive knowledge of Ayn Rand, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Edgar Allen Poe, and so forth. You need to as well. If you haven't read Atlas Shrugged, The Lord of the Rings, The Cask of Amontillado, or Out of the Silent Planet, you better get cracking. Many video games carry influences from these books in many ways, and you need to know what's going on.

- Have a knowledge of world religions: This is one of the most difficult, especially in modern society. Many developers come from a wide variety of backgrounds when it comes to religion, and you need to have a passing knowledge of where they're coming from. You also need to be able to take off the blinders of your own beliefs. For example: If you didn't catch the significance of Legion's name in Mass Effect 2, and then sighed when it was a Biblical reference, quit now. Mythology and Theology can lend well to art.

- Know your films: Though I've droned on and on about how games don't need to be more cinematic, that doesn't mean you shouldn't know cinema. There are quite a few things that video games could apply from cinema that would help in reviewing titles. For example: in my Medal of Honor review, I went on at length about lack of characterization in the game, and were I asked by the developers for examples of characterization in a similar scenario, I could rattle off five films and how they did it as a reflex. You need to be capable of the same.

- Know the commonly used technology: Though I don't expect you to give all the technical specs of the Unreal 3 engine, or tell me the minute details about how Nvidia's Phys-X tech works, you need to have a basic understanding of what the engine can do, and what games it's been used in. This helps your ability to critique a game. For example: If one developer is able to remove the texture pop-in issue of Unreal 3, it sets a new standard. Games need to be able to reach that standard, and should be held to it.

- Learn about music composition: This is becoming more and more paramount as time goes on. You, as an aspiring journalist, need to understand how music works, and its application in video games. You need to learn how it can aid the immersion process. You should be fully willing to beat someone to death for saying that Martin O'Donnell's work on Halo is superior to Akira Yamaoka's work on Silent Hill. Essentially, you need to know why a track like "Love Lost" in Lords of Shadow can make someone's heart sink, and the theme to Metal Gear Solid 3 can make your heart race.

- Know bad writing when you see it: As the ability to make deeper games continues to evolve, consumers need to know the quality of the story that they're getting themselves into. More and more people are playing games for solid storytelling, so you should be able to pick out the good and the bad. A game like Metroid: Other M should NEVER be given any slack for bad storytelling, because the storyline is the center of the experience. Same goes for Modern Warfare 2, and other games out there.

Adopted Attitudes

Note: These really aren't things that everyone can adopt, because sometimes your personality will clash with it. If you're incapable of pulling these off, don't pursue journalism.

- Go in with an unbiased attitude: Too many writers out there are complete and utter morons when it comes to this subject. When you're asked to be unbiased, people aren't asking you to put your tastes away. That's idiotic. People are asking you to give every game you're given for review a fair shot. If you're not a fan of JRPG's, then you shouldn't review them. To use myself as an example, I refuse to review JRPG's, and RPG's that are like Diablo. I think they're boring. If I tried to review them, that would shine through, I wouldn't complete the game and couldn't give you, the consumer, an idea of what you're getting yourself into.

- Understand what the developer is trying to create: Here's a question that I pose to you. If someone gives you a plate of spaghetti, would you judge it on whether or not it's a cheeseburger? No, you wouldn't, unless you're daft. If you're expecting a game centered around assassination (which is a process that takes time, patience, and planning) to be a fast paced action romp all the way through, then you're a moron. It's like expecting a kung-fu fight in the middle of Schindler's List. To give the consumer an idea of what they're getting themself into, and the quality of the product, you need to understand the purpose of it. You're not going to see someone judge Painkiller or Turok 2 like it's Baldur's Gate.

- Come to the realization that there's a business to Video Games: I've got another question for you, the reader. Would you go and stomp on a Girl Scout's cookies because someone from that company had to lay off workers? No! Why are you demonizing a company for getting rid of a developer that is underperforming? Fact of the matter is that money drives the wheels of industry, and if you can't perform, you're going to get cut. Yes, the reality of someone loosing their job sucks, and we've all been there. However, what would you do if you were in the position of someone like Bill Gates or Bobby Kotick? Keep a developer around and watch your company bleed money? No, you wouldn't, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar.

- Learn that there is no cheering in the press box: This is the hardest part of being a journalist, and it's something that I struggle with daily. I'm both a Video Games journalist and an MMA journalist, and it is really hard for me to keep my composure when I hear news about Bioware doing something new, or watching one of my favorite fighters lose or win. Fact of the matter is that the job is to observe and report. If you can learn to balance the fan in you with the journalist in you, then you're in shape. The comforting thing here is that everyone you work with is a fan as well, and there will always be points where you can take the journalist hat off, and put the fan hat on. It's why I kept this blog, after all.

Required Reading

Note: Not all of these are books. I'm going to link you to some books, video games, films, and articles that I think you should experience before getting into games journalism. Some of the games you'll just have to download on Virtual Console though. Finding a hard copy is near impossible.

Books:

- War and Peace

- Crime and Punishment

- Atlas Shrugged

- War of the Worlds

- Out of the Silent Planet

- The Lord of the Rings

- The Chronicles of Narnia

- The Great Divorce

- The Works of Edgar Allen Poe

- The Works of H.P. Lovecraft

- Walden

- I, Robot

Films:

- Alien

- Aliens

- Gladiator

- Blade Runner

- Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut)

- Jacob's Ladder

- Predator

- Soylent Green

- Black Hawk Down

- First Blood

- Pitch Black

- Terminator 2: Judgment Day

- The Empire Strikes Back

- Pan's Labyrinth

- Hellboy

- Raiders of the Lost Ark

- Casablanca

- The Godfather

- The Silence of the Lambs

- Schindler's List

- The Departed

- The Road Warrior

- There Will Be Blood

- The "Dollars" Trilogy

- Eraserhead

- Seven Samurai

- Perfect Blue

Games:

- Silent Hill 2

- Planescape: Torment

- Knights of the Old Republic

- Fallout 2

- Baldur's Gate

- Half-Life

- The Orange Box

- Super Castlevania IV

- Chrono Trigger

- Out of this World

- Grim Fandango

- Psychonauts

- Super Metroid

- Super Mario 64

- Beyond Good and Evil

- Doom

- Painkiller

- Unreal

- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Articles:

Opinions for Sale or Trade

- Here's the thing about me and Jim Sterling. We don't like each other. However, this article he wrote was very good, and he makes a solid point of how exclusive reviews look to people.

A New High (low?) in Game Preview Events

- Ben Kuchera is another guy that I don't particularly like. Personal feelings aside, I admire his passion for a lack of corruption in journalism, so this article is a must-read.

Game Journalists vs Game Bloggers

- Probably my most infamous article, but I'm not including it here because it's mine. I'm including it here because I know that it's true. True to the point where I got quite a bit of ire from bloggers because of it. It's how you know it's working. ;)

David Jaffe on The Problem with Game Journalism

- Jaffe is awesome. There's no debate. However, I do think he makes an excellent point here in this interview. We have to be journalists first.

No Cheering in the Press Box

As I've already told her, A.J. Glasser is an awesome journalist, and she talks about how the games industry is using our inability to control the fan instincts against us.

What Grade is your Content Comprehension?

This is an interesting article about proper writing level and such, but also carries an undertone that game journalists need to be intelligent folks, which I agree with. By the way, I average a 13 in the Gunning-Fog index, if you're curious.

How not to be a games journalist

Though mostly humorous, Mitchell Dyer makes some excellent points about the game press, and its issues with big events.

And there you have it.

One Man Banned: Episode 2

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On this week's podcast

-High Concept Films and Games: What makes them better than the normal shooter

-Games to check out: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Fallout: New Vegas

Intro Music: Ready to Die by Andrew W.K.

Background music: Soundtrack to Dragon Age: Origins

Don't forget to check out my interview with James and Daniel from Extra Credits on Blistered Thumbs.

One Man Banned ep 1 - Cloning and Writing

Right Click and choose "Save Link As" to Download MP3

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One Man Banned is a new podcast I thought up randomly that will essentially let me talk about a couple of subjects on my mind in relations to gaming that I may not get the chance to talk about, and maybe other stuff that I simply don't want to write a blog post about. 

Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Want advice on something? Send me an email at cynicscorner2009@gmail.com, or leave a comment in the comment box.

Background music from the podcast:

"The Broken" by Fireball Ministry

Music from the Planescape Torment soundtrack (which you receive for buying the game from GOG.com)

Music from the Shank soundtrack (which you can download here)

Note: Yes, I know that One Man Banned is also the name of a porn site. I don't care.

A Time and a Place

As is already known about me, I'm the type of person who objects to garbage being thrown on my front lawn. Not literally, mind you. I'm talking about people trying to sell me an item that has been falsely advertised. For example, do I really care about someone dressing up as Mario going to John Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity (which was a goddamn genius idea, by the way)? No, I don't care. Why is this on the front page of a website in such a large form? Why does it have equal status to a video game review?

Now, I've been in arguments about this with folks before, and I still don't care about what they think. Why? Because they're wrong, and if they try to argue with me, they're still wrong. If you made a mess in your pants, I don't really care if someone scared you so hard that your bowels loosened. You still smell like crap. It goes without saying that many websites have no idea where to place this sort of content, or how to handle it.

However, let's lend our ear to the other side of the argument. Some claim that there is a time and a place for this sort of content. This may shock you, but I absolutely agree. There is a part of me that has his interest piqued when he sees a Halloween lawn decoration that's a tribute to Pac Man. That's pretty neat. However, that's not all I want to see. I want to know how to get one. I want to know who owns this, and why. I want to know if there are other things like it. If you're guiding gamers, shouldn't you be telling them this information?!

This is what pisses me off so much. There are aspects of gamer culture that I love. For example, my sister grabbed a Portal image offline about "assuming the appropriate party position" and is going to put it on my birthday cake. That's freaking awesome, isn't it? What's better is that someone at the cake place will probably start laughing about it as well. Thing is, people want to know how this stuff comes about, and how they can get involved with it.

What I want to see from folks on websites (whether you be journalist or blogger) is to know exactly what these little tidbits have to do with gaming culture. It's neat to see people dressing up for conventions, but where do they take place? How can I get tickets? Give me more info about what's going down! Though pictures are worth a thousand words, those words don't often give details about what the hell it has to do with me. "This is cool" is not enough, kiddo.

On top of that, do the few of these little tidbits that are neat deserve as much attention as a game review, actual news, previews, or videos? No, and if you argue with me, you're wrong. Unless said culture post has something to do with legislation or shifts in the culture, it does not deserve to be given more attention than what people are actually visiting the site for. Heck, you could even make the argument that something about gaming culture that has to do with shifts or legislation is more news than anything.

So, what's the cure? Proper placement. In any and all websites, items need to be properly categorized, and weighed by their importance to the site. If this stuff is going to be posted, it needs to be posted in a fashion where the reader can get something out of it aside from a pair of breasts or something. If you see something at a con, tell us where the freaking con is! If you see a costume that you particularly enjoy, ask the person how they made it! This isn't difficult work! I would know!

Despite the thoughts about me, I enjoy little tidbits like neat costumes and such. Heck, I plan on going to Magfest one of these years dressed as the Heavy from Team Fortress 2. Why? Because stuff like that is fun, and gamers can really enjoy it. However, just posting pictures of it is downright silly, and a waste of time. I hope to see websites be much smarter about this content in the future, and maybe it'll come about.

Then again, we live in a world where some idiots who have a very odd understanding of the term "hard work" think that said work makes people free from criticism. I think it's safe to say that my general cynicism is understandable, eh?

Places you should visit, and why

As you'll notice on the sidebar, I've added a "places you should visit" spot. Well, I wanted to throw in a quick post about why you should visit those particular places, and what they entail.

Blistered Thumbs - Aside from the fact that I work there, Blistered Thumbs is probably best summed up as the one site that really has everything that a gamer needs in a website. So, go visit.

Detroit Metal Podcast - DMP is a good metal blog to visit, and I once had a guest appearance on that particular podcast. So, if you love metal, stop by.

Epic Battle Axe - I've always believed that you should support people who do their job well, and the folks at EBA really have my respect. Professional, yet fun. Not to mention they have the best gaming oriented podcast in the business with the EpicBattleCry.

Game Journalists are Incompetent Fuckwits - I think that it goes without saying that I admire what Ben Paddon is doing with this blog, and I do appreciate the fact that he's said nice things about my work in the past. Aside from that, though, Ben's blog is a great resource for budding games journalists to read through, and learn what not to do.

Pushing Up Roses - As I've stated before, Sarah Wilson is a very good friend of mine, and probably has one of my favorite blogs on the net. She's fun, a gamer, and a great artist, so feel free to stop by.

Sean Fausz's Blog - Sean's an awesome guy. I don't need a reason.

The Angry Joe Show - Joe's also an awesome guy, but he has probably one of the most consistently entertaining net shows out there. Not to mention I enjoy that he comes from a fan's angle on his work. He has a great show, and with the BT stuff, he's been a peach to work with.

Extra Credits - I've said before on my Twitter that Extra Credits is the best online show you can find, and I'm saying it again. If you really want solid insight into game design, game history, and where the medium can go, watch Extra Credits. These guys do great work.

Random thoughts again.....

It's not an easy task to be working for a website, especially as a review editor. Though I can't get into details, lets just say that it's not easy being a go-to guy for something, despite how much you enjoy it. There are points that you have to sacrifice your plans for your work, and try to work around issues that rise up. One thing that I will say is that Blistered Thumbs didn't have a review for my vote for game of the year, Red Dead Redemption. Now we do, and it took longer than it should have.

However, as I sit here, listening to music, I realize what I'm working toward, and what the future may hold. I'm not quite sure how the buzz is in the Channel Awesome community about Blistered Thumbs (you guys will have to give me feedback) but amongst the staff it's quite the event for us. As for me, I'm the type of person who has been incredibly low-key when it comes to being known on the net. One fellow writer of mine said that my show was the best kept secret on the internet. I think that a few people are in for a bit of a shock when they read some of my work.

I've essentially been trying to brace myself for an explosion. It feels like the moment before a dentist appointment. You know that you're about to have a moment of discomfort, but are trying to remind yourself that when it all settles down, you'll be fine. It certainly takes me to weird places, which is why I'm blogging. However, to set the stage of how different I've been acting lately, I've been drinking hot, black tea, and watching Midori Days. An anime that is a romantic comedy. Let me drive this in a little bit more. I'm six foot two, and am built like a panzer tank. I just watched a thirteen episode Anime that was a romance. Just so I can blame my emasculation on someone from the Channel Awesome umbrella, I blame JesuOtaku for saying the show is good. Illogical to do so? Of course. I'm still blaming her.

I think that it's safe to say that I'm building a foundation for the future here. There really is no doubt in my mind that Blistered Thumbs will explode in popularity. It's one thing for a new video game website to pop up. It's a completely different one for a site to pop up with a rabid, supportive fanbase attached. When people say that Channel Awesome has the best fanbase on earth, they're not joking. These are fans that stick with you til the end, and I'm hoping that they'll accept me as a part of the family.

However, the issue with the future is that you have to wait for it, and I've got a few things in the here and now that I have to worry about. One thing I've got to keep in mind is the difference between a doormat and a selfless person. I'm not the type of person who expects to get anything in return when I do something good for someone else. I do what I can to keep the people around me happy. At the same time, I've had to learn how to draw lines, which is difficult. I enjoy being a selfless person, but I don't want to be walked on. I'm going to have to get used to telling people I need time alone, and realize I'm not being a dick by doing so.

An unfortunate thing about the upcoming season of Winter is that it couples some very cold memories with it. Since my divorce, the cold has done nothing but make me feel isolated. My grandfather died on January 1st. My divorce was official in the winter. Every winter, my birthday goes by, reminding me of my own mortality. I think it's rather obvious as to why I hate winter. It's a cold reminder of how lonely life can be, and how good, warm days can feel so distant from where you are. In a way, loneliness is comparable to walking down a street in the middle of winter. It's isolated, dead, and cold. It gives this odd feeling of desolation that I abhor.

With the coming winter, and the loneliness that comes with it, I'm reminded of my own situation in life. You see, I'm picky about my company, and my core group of friends can be counted on one hand. As we've all gotten older, they've all grabbed a squeeze and continued on in life, save one friend. I can't help but feel like I've been left behind a little bit. Now, is it completely my fault? No. Some things happened that I couldn't control. However, I still don't like it. I sort of feel like I have to muscle my way into a conversation with some of my friends. Should things be like that? I wouldn't think so.

Last thing is that it all seems to come back to the fact that I'm single, and I hate that. Then again, I have to keep in mind that my subconscious is used to certain things in the winter, and the pleasure center of my brain wants to experience them again. Though some would give me loads of crap for these feelings, let me pose a counter to those accusations. Have you ever had the chance to sit with a woman, watching a film and being warmed by a blanket and body heat? Have you ever woken up in a cold room, and used it as an excuse to snuggle close to her? These are situations that I loved when I wasn't single that cannot be duplicated. I long for them. I dream of them, and they don't come.

Now, let me just say that I've decided to simply sit here and let things happen in my life. I want things to progress naturally, but there's a positive and negative to everything. One thing that drove me absolutely nuts after finishing Midori Days was that the entire process could have been avoided if the two of them had simply told each other their feelings. I'm waiting for someone to cross my path and speak up. So, here's my little slice of encouragement: Go forth and speak up. Whatever it is you feel the need to speak up about, just do it. The world moves faster with honesty. While you do that, keep in mind that you're keeping people from being in my spot, okay?

Well, until next time, I'm signing off. Let's hope that a woman speaks up to me, eh? Then maybe I can blog about something else for once.

-Micah C

Good news and bad news

Medal of Honor video review

Cynic's Corner Quickies - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

The Gag Order is lifted

For the past month, I've been teasing that something big was coming. I've been hinting that there was going to be a huge change for me, and I've been really vague about it. Well, now I'm allowed to tell you. Rather, let me simply show you a video of the site that I'm going to be involved with.

No, you're not seeing things incorrectly. It's happening, guys. I couldn't be more excited about this!

Horror 101

The Halloween Special

This month, I've found myself with plenty to do, and I've been having a lot of fun doing it. However, I really wanted to cap off October with a grand finale for you guys who love the show, and love the blogs. So, I've decided to have a special on October 31st. You see, one thing that I've never tried (and may never try again) is a lone movie review. I've decided to change that just this once. On Halloween, I will be reviewing this film, and it's gonna hurt:

ADHD - Dead Space

Watch after the credits for a goofy surprise.

A Piece of History - Half Life

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 - In 5 Seconds

Random late night thoughts/advice

One thing I haven't done here on a while is just some form of random writing. Usually what I do has a purpose to it. Tonight, not so much. You see, every once in a while I have a day when my mind is swarming with dozens of ideas and thoughts at the same time, and I can't sleep until they're quelled. Granted, this problem used to be solved with a Walkman or an iPod, but I lost both of them in my divorce, so it's not a viable option. What is a viable option is blogging about it, so here we go:

Writer's Note: I will be doing more of these in the future, so if you don't like them, feel free to skip them. I won't get offended. However, if you think I'm doing to much of them at any one point or another, feel free to tell me. Though it's a personal blog (and will probably become a site of its own in the future), I know that people visit it, and I'd like people to keep visiting it.

- The foolishness of unrequited love

I'm a man who has the unfortunate mix of qualities that I call "nice guy syndrome." Essentially, if you're not five foot nine and thinner than a tooth pick, and possess the following qualities:

1. Intellect

2. Sense of Humor

3. Generally sweet toward the gender you're interested in

4. Seen as a teddy bear by aforementioned gender

then you have fallen into the "nice guy" category. This means that you are outright doomed for most people you find attractive to immediately jump toward the usual "You're nice, but I could never date you." response. Is it baffling? Yes. Is it frustrating? Heck yes. However, let me tell you right now that you will save a lot if you simply walk away from the situation there, and find something new to think about. Nine times out of ten, when you're given that response you cannot sway the opinion of the person giving it to you, so don't try. What's happening there is that there's a certain quality or belief that you possess that keeps you from being in a relationship with that person, and beyond that it's either something you can't change (like height, build, etc) or a belief/character trait that you shouldn't change. Don't keep falling for that person. Walk on, and find something new. You'll get to keep a good friendship, and have the opportunity to meet someone new as well. Best of both worlds!!!!

- There's nothing wrong with having a "type"

Let me explain further. A former member of my old dorm told me that having a "type" of person that you are generally attracted to was foolish, because you could be giving yourself false expectations, or judging someone on their looks. I respectfully disagree. Everyone has their "type" of person they're into. In fact, some "types" are incredibly popular these days. I know a lot of girls that are attracted to guys that are tall, but complete twigs. It's just how they are. Personally, I'm attracted to girls who are thin, but have long legs. It's just a personal preference. However, I think that if you focus too much on finding a "type" at points, you will miss out on some cool people. Though that specific type of body type, or even specific type of personality trait may always grab your attention, I will say that it's silly to look for that alone. For example: I'm more attracted to women who perplex me. Girls who have me asking questions drive me nuts, but in a good way. I think that mental stimulation is great in a relationship, because conversations keep coming, and I'm a conversationalist. So, it's healthy to have preferences, but don't let them become a be-all end-all sort of thing to a relationship you may get into.

-Don't make everything a measuring contest

This one is more for the guys than the girls. I'm the type of person that you would describe as accident prone, and having bad luck. Feel free to toss in an Obi-Wan Kenobi quote, but I'm telling you right now that my luck sucks. It's like I have a neon sign that people other than me can see that says "Piss this guy off" flashing above my head. It seems that everyone likes to do something to make me mad, for some reason. Case in point, my best friend knows that I loathe online multiplayer, but makes me play against him anyway so he'll shut up. He knows I hate it, but does it anyway. Anyway, on to the "measuring contest." The one thing that annoys me most about other dudes is whenever they try to turn everything into a form of measurement for their johnson. Here's an example: a well known game blogger got pissed at me once for saying that he wasn't a person with ethics. His response was "I bet I have more ethics than you." What the f#@& does that even mean?! Ethics are not measured. You either have them or you don't. You don't see two pregnant women arguing over who is more pregnant, do you?! I'm not the type of person with anything to prove, so trying to measure yourself up to me usually ends up with me punching you. Don't turn things into measuring contests, because one day you're going to find yourself in a situation akin to jumping in a shark tank with Jaws inside, and you're wearing a sweater made out of raw steak.

- "Generic" is not synonymous with "bad"

I had a discussion about this with PushingUpRoses the other day. Aside from the fact that we remarked on how completely spoiled modern day gamers are, we also talked about something in media being generic. My question is this: How on earth did something being generic start to coincide with a lack of quality? Generic is not a word that has anything to do with quality, quite literally. It essentially means that the item is a catch-all. In the world of gaming, you'd call it a "design by committee" game. However, it doesn't mean that the game stinks. Turok: Evolution had more genuinely new ideas than Halo did, but the latter game is leagues better. Another good example would be comparing Scott Pilgrim vs the World to The Expendables. Scott's movie had much more going for it than Stallone's film, but Stallone's film was much more entertaining. When it comes down to it, there's nothing wrong with something not adding much. In fact, you could even make the argument that there is nothing new under the sun. Don't let a lack of new ideas stop you from enjoying an explosion or two. If you're a dude, and you like to blow stuff up while flexing your muscles, revel in it! It's what makes being a guy great. If you're a girl and you like blowing stuff up and it turns you on, revel in it! Then call me, because I'm free most nights.

Well, I think my mind is well drained, now. I've got other stuff planned for the week, and I've got quite a bit done. I wasn't sure if I would get my Greg Hastings review done on Monday, but there it is. So, what have I got planned? Well, all I've left to do with the Half-Life vid is to record the last bit of audio. With the Dead Space review, I plan on having it finished by Saturday, and I'll probably script it before then. After that, I'll be getting Silent Hill 2 in sometime this week, and I also plan on having Cynic's Corner Quickies for Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow this month, so it's going to be busy. Stick around.

-Micah C.

Who should Review?

I've always been disgusted when bloggers and journalists try and post articles that are only intended to try and save their own butts. Case in point is Jim Sterling's most recent article on review scores. From where I'm sitting, the article could have been very insightful had Jim's intentions simply been on a reflection of video game scores and their place in the media, provided Jim had reflected on other sites, or other reviews that were not his own. However, I don't think that Jim really understands why he gets flack for some of his reviews. It's not because of the score. It's because he's not the right type of person to review the game.

Whether it be Sterling, or Hilary Goldstein, or Jeff Gertsmann, or anyone else in the game media, one thing that has to be outed (despite the fact that it's obvious) is that each of us has certain tastes. Despite the fact that someone (such as myself) who has a very wide variety of tastes can review a large number of games, there are still things that cannot be touched by a specific reviewer. Using myself as an example, I cannot be the person to review a JRPG, or a dungeon crawler like Torchlight or Diablo. I know that these games bore me to death, so any review from me would not be a solid indicator of the game's content, or the experience that the consumer is getting his or herself into. I would probably have to hand over the review to Dant or Yousif.

A question that I asked myself a couple of days ago was what the purpose of a review was. What is a review akin to? After a bit of pondering, I realized that there was a misconception that needed to be addressed first. Reviews, as a whole, are not simple opinion articles. Articles such as my Tuesdaily List feature, or my Philosophical Fridays series are opinion articles. A review, however, asks quite a bit more of the writer than a simple editorial. For an editorial, I'm not asked to devote ten to twenty hours playing through anything to get an idea of what an experience is, and what my final judgment on that experience is.

Video game reviews are more than just opinions. They're akin to a trial. The reviewer is asked to sit and play through an experience, write an article that describes the pros and cons of that experience, and then rank it according to a numeral scale. You're not just being asked for a simple opinion. You're being asked to describe a situation, and then render judgment. If you do a poor job of it, then your credibility is in question. If the game is a popular release, then you may be labeled as someone who simply stirs the pot for the sake of getting attention. If you do a proper job of it, then your work will be heralded by the people you work with, the people who bought the game, and probably your bosses as well.

A month ago, I had a conversation with my boss, Admir, about the upcoming release of Halo: Reach, and whether or not I should review it. At that moment in time, Admir was correct to say that I should probably let that game go, and focus on a different title. Had I reviewed the game when it was released, I simply would not have been fair to the game. Aside from the fact that I haven't been impressed with the series since the second installment, I was also sick of shooters, having reviewed Singularity and Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days. Though Kokugamer didn't have a review of the game, I think that it was for the best. Would I have done my readers any credit with my review? I don't think so.

As it stands, whether you see yourself as blogger or journalist, the minute you sit on your computer and begin typing, you have a duty to your readers. Whether your site gets one thousand hits or one million, you have an audience that comes to you for information. When a game has quite a bit of hype built about it, the readers are depending on you to give them an accurate idea of what's coming to them. If you tell them that a game like Fallout 3 is just a boring trek through something that could be considered Obilvion 2099, and then they go to a friend's house and fall in love with it, you just made yourself look like a fool.

Since I've already driven that point home like it's a railroad spike and I'm John freaking Henry, let me answer the question. Who should review? The person who is fair. For example: Let's say that you're a website owner, and Capcom agrees to send you a copy of Dead Rising 2. You have four reviewers, and three of them are sick of zombies. However, those writers are more popular than the guy who isn't sick of zombies. I know that it's tempting to give the game to the popular guy, but your readers are going to hate you for it if he lambastes it for no reason whatsoever other than to appease his own need for self-entertainment.

Now, luckily for gamers there are dozens of sites out there that you can go to and try to find something accurate to the experience. On the written side of things, I tend to go for Giantbomb, or my cohorts on Kokugamer. From a video perspective, I really enjoy Angry Joe's videos, or Bennett the Sage's work, simply because the two of them do a fantastic job of giving the viewer an idea of what they're in for. In this day and age, video games are quite the investment, and nobody wants to get the wrong impression going in. For those of you who review video games, please have the sense to know when to step away from the table and let someone else take over. If you feel there is something that needs to be said, you've got the chance to write an editorial on it, or some sort of supplement. Be responsible.

Repost: The October Schedule

October 1st – Half-Life

October 8th – Dead Space

October 15th – How to make a true horror game

October 22nd – Doom

October 29th – Condemned: Criminal Origins


Now, here's the thing: There's some neat stuff coming up soon. What I can't say is exactly what's happening. What I can say is that there is a very big site that people are familiar with (to degrees) that you will be seeing me as a part of. A very big part of. No, that's not a fat joke.

Anyway, I've done a little working ahead for some projects, so some of these may change, and others may get thrown in there. Half-Life, by the way, is still an homage of "Freeman's Mind." That one and Dead Space are the two episodes that I'm really wanting to do. However, the rest of the month I'm not completely sure on. I'd like to cover Doom just for fun, but we'll have to see.

What I have been working on, however, is recording Mega Man X footage, so I may swap that out for something, and I've also been considering going over Mass Effect 2, and Dead Rising 2 if I end up getting it. So, whatever happens, it should be good stuff.

Insight ep 1 - Moral Relativism and Journalism

and then there was that time that the former Middleweight champion did the chicken dance.

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero review

Vlog 9-21-10 - Metroid: Other M

Searching vs Stumbling

Before I dig into the meat of what I wanted to write this morning, I think that how I've sort of treated this blog has certainly shifted from week to week. One week, it was a place for me to practice my writing. Then, it was just a place to host my videos. Now, I've actually got a few followers. Not many, but a few people who enjoy reading what I write, and the vids I work on. It's nice to have devoted readers, for sure. Well, now that the mushy stuff is out of the way, let's talk about something I've been thinking about recently.

Since I was divorced a couple years back, I've sort of realized that I've really seen most of what there is to see when it comes to the very lows of life. I've been homeless, I've lived with friends, I've been employed in a job I hate, I've been unemployed, and now I'm divorced and trying to build up a future for myself. During the course of the whole thing, I've found many of the answers of my life, such as "Who am I?" and, "What does it all mean?"

However, the methods of finding those answers were sort of weird. When it came to the "Who Am I?" question, I had to find the answer to that. I had to take a lot of time meditating, exercising, thinking, reading, and listening to music to really reach into the recesses of my own mind. In a way, I was retreading all of the aspects of who I used to be to see where I had come to. What I found out about myself was that I'm simply an enigma wrapped in a riddle. I remember when I saw a counselor around the time I had figured this whole mess out who said that she couldn't figure me out, and all I said was, "Don't try to. It'll just spin your head in circles."

So, with that part figured out, and the fact that searching is what found everything out, you'd think that searching would figure out what I was supposed to be doing, right? Well, that's what I thought. Nope. I was way off. My current work? Completely stumbled on it. Like I said in my one year retrospective video, both writing and video production quite literally fell into my lap. At the time, I was really wanting to get back into the ministry. Honestly, I think that you can have one look at my articles on Kokugamer, or my videos here and see that I'm better at what I do now. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Now, you may be asking, "Why are you asking yourself this now?" Well, as I've mentioned before in little tidbits, I have four sisters (two stepsisters, two sisters), and one of my younger sisters is about to get married. For those playing the home game, marriages do something funky to most Americans. We tend to think about exactly where our position is when it comes to relationships, and where we're going with it. Some people will reflect on past stuff and get depressed, and others will look to the future and try to figure out exactly what's coming.

Well, I'm in the latter group. I've already done the dance of my past, figuring out where everything stands there, and where I'm at. Without giving details, I'll just say that I want nothing to do with my ex-wife because of where she is, and the type of person she is. Since I've got a new sense of clarity and happiness, I want to find someone that enjoys that part of me, and wants to be happy with me. Essentially, I want the rest of my life to be a joyful little experience, for however long it is. Keep in mind that I hit the quarter century mark this December.

You see, I've only been in two relationships in my life, and in both of them I found myself swimming upstream for that particular person. You give effort after effort only for everything to crumble at your feet, and I don't want that right now. I certainly don't need it. Relationships are supposed to be easy, fun, and enjoyable. There's supposed to be positive chemistry that makes the burdens of life considerably lighter. It's almost as if all men like me are like Atlas, and the woman that comes into our lives helps alleviate the weight of the world. We're always going to have troubles. Relationships should make those troubles easier to get through. There's probably a scripture I should be quoting from Ecclesiastes right now, but I'm a little unfocused at the moment.

So, here's where I'm standing right now: Do I look, or do I let that person look for me? As a fairly logical individual, I wanted to look at this from a mathematical standpoint first and foremost. Most girls out there really are not fans of approaching boys about their feelings and asking them out. The chances of me finding that person by sitting here and waiting is pretty low. However, on the flipside, I'm looking for someone who is probably one in a million. So, that leaves me with 999,999 chances of being rejected. I have a very negative reaction to being rejected, so I'm sort of at a stuck point. I've had success with waiting, but I've had success with searching as well.

If you ask any divorced person who is currently single, they'll tell you what it's like to be where they are, even if they're happy. It consistently feels like there's supposed to be someone on your arm, or over your shoulder. You can almost feel them there, but then when you turn, there's nothing and no one. Now, is this some sort of big deal? No. It's like living with minor arthritis in a knuckle. It's just annoying if you don't have the proper medication.

So, that's where I'm at right now, so I figured that I would take the time to express it. I've got a big couple weeks ahead of me, so hopefully everything keeps unfolding well, because things have gone pretty well so far.

-Micah C

note: I'm trying something new this week. At the point of the blog they show up in, play the song. It's essentially there to set the mood.

ADHD - Dragon Age Origins

Coming soon: Insight

V-Log 09/10/10

Next week......

I may be a Christian......

......but I am incredibly disgusted by the idea of burning the Quran, or any book for that matter. The Dove World Outreach Center does not represent Christianity, and it's people like them that make me ashamed to believe what I do.

That's really all I had to say. Thanks for reading.

ADHD - Fallout 3

Duke Nukem Forever is Coming

Hail to the king, baby. Thank you, Gearbox, for finally making it happen!

Schwarzenegger vs EMA: A Gamer's Plea

For those of you who do not know about the case, the base premise of it is that the supreme court will be hearing a case that will decide whether or not video games are protected under the first amendment. Though the law has been rejected in California twice, deemed unconstitutional, it is still getting a Supreme Court hearing.

Also, Daniel Floyd, Allison Theus, and James Portnow did an excellent episode of Extra Credits on the same topic. If you agree with the sentiments, I'd ask you to please post these videos wherever you can, wherever you live so people can take a stand about this issue, and make sure that the right thing happens.

-Micah C

The Issue of Online Journalism

As many of you know, being a video producer is only a small facet of what I do with my life. I identify myself as a Journalist, and I love it. Honestly, it's the first job that I've had for a long time where I have been able to put all of my passion and love into it, and actually see it come back to me. People appreciate the work that I put into it, and I see it reciprocated. I know people love to get the news from someone who is going to be honest about it. However, there are issues with online journalism.

I'd like for you to take a look at two different articles on the same subject. One is written by Daniel Kayser of EpicBattleAxe, and another by Jim Sterling of Destructoid. Have a look at the difference:

Jim Sterling -

Microsoft has today announced that, as of November 1, 2010, it will be raising the price of Xbox Live subscriptions in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
In the United States, twelve months of Xbox Live Gold will now cost $59.99 instead of $49.99. A three-month subscription will cost $24.99 instead of $19.99, while one month will cost $9.99 as opposed to $7.99. In the UK, a month will cost 5.99GPB, in Canada it'll be $9.99CAD and in Mexico, twelve months is listed at 599 Pesos.
There's been no word on twelve-month subscriptions for the UK yet. We'll update if there's any more on regional pricing changes.
So there you have it. Xbox Live now costs more. I'd comment on this, but I have a load of cheap subscriptions to go stock up on.

Kayser-

Hang onto your hats…and your wallets…Microsoft is raising the price of an Xbox LIVE subscription by $10/year in North America beginning November 1. 2010. Other regions will see a price increase as well.

As posted by Major Nelson, the price hike will affect Xbox LIVE members in Canada, Mexico, the UK and the US, with various yearly, monthly, and 3 month subscriptions seeing an increase. In the U.S. the one month Gold subscription will increase from $7.99 to $9.99 while the three month will raise from $19.99 to $24.99. After the change takes place, the 12 month will set you back $59.99 as opposed to the current $49.99. It’s worth noting that renewing your 12 month subscription via a special promotion being offered right here, right now, will allow U.S. customers to save $20 off the new price and renew for $39.99.
As for the regions outside the U.S., Canadian gamers can expect to pay $1 more for the monthly subscription, Mexico’s 12 month plan increases from 499 Pesos to 599 Pesos, and those of you in the United Kingdom will be charged 5.99 GBP for the monthly subscription instead of 4.99 GBP.

“Since launching Xbox LIVE in 2002 we have continually added more content and entertainment experiences for our members, while keeping the price the same. We’re confident that when the new pricing takes effect, an Xbox LIVE Gold membership will continue to offer the best value in the industry.”
So, do you think Microsoft has added enough new features and content to XBL to justify a price increase? Do you think the new rates are fair or unfair? Let us know your thoughts below.

As you obviously saw the difference (considering I bolded the text) you can see that Jim Sterling purposely left out the part about the consumer being able to save money before the price increase. Now, I know that many of you will initially think that this sort of thing isn't a big deal. I respectfully disagree. Let's put ourselves in the shoes of the regular Destructoid reader. You read Sterling's post, and get all fired up about it. Then, you go on Xbox Live, and talk to a friend of yours after the price increases, who tells you he renewed his subscription early, and saved himself twenty bucks, while you have to now pay sixty because your subscription is going to run out.

You see, this is a big issue in the realm of online journalism. Many people like Sterling do not give you all the facts of a story, they don't finish video games that they have been assigned to review, and essentially push their own agendas with what they write. Honestly, I don't really understand as to how this came about, but I do know that it is a big issue, and I know that I'm not the only one who outright despises it. Though this style of writing has dominated online journalism for a long time, I honestly believe that this is a large wave of backlash that is about to crash against it.

I have no problem with honesty. I praise it, because there aren't enough people in the world who are honest with themselves, and with what they buy. However, the big issue here is the passion that comes behind it. Passion is a beautiful thing, and can create some amazing works from people. However, passion can also be a poison if you aren't passionate about the right things. Essentially, passion can make you a moron if you're not careful.

If you remember back to the argument that I had with Angry Joe, and even before that in an episode of Insight that I did here on the corner, I pointed to Kane and Lynch 2 and told all of you who read this blog the truth. At the end of the day, Kane and Lynch 2 is nothing more than a game on a disc. The original was nothing more than a game on a disc. The game did not get Gertsmann fired from Gamespot. That's on the heads of Gamespot and Eidos. Thing is, if you let that taint your review of a video game, what have you become?

You see, at the end of the day, when you sit down in front of your game console, you're not really thinking about the big corporate stuff that goes on behind the scenes. You just want to sit down and have fun. I'm the same way. Though part of my job is to provide the facts about what's going on, my personal opinion has to be saved for editorials, and when I review a game, or do anything of the sort, I have to take the gamer's perspective. I have to ask certain questions.

Is this game fun? Yes/No?

Is this game well made? Yes/No?

Will the demographic this game is aimed toward enjoy it? Yes/No

and so forth. None of the questions that a reviewer has to ask himself when it comes to reviewing games has anything to do with corporations, or anything of the sort. Developers are just normal guys doing a job, and we're given these games to review to grade them on their performance. We let the outside influence taint us, and we've essentially lost any battle that we're trying to fight against the issues within the industry.

To anyone who reads this, I think that all games journalists want the same thing. We want the industry to improve because we love it, and we love being gamers. However, I think that we all need to learn from one another as to how to get that message across in the best way possible. The cool thing that I learned from my discussion with Joe, and Noah as well, was that I shouldn't be afraid to be passionate, and I won't be, for sure.

Now, would I still give Dog Days a six out of ten? Yes. Honestly, there are some things that game does correctly that other games don't, and it pushes a pace that is very difficult to do with a third person shooter. However, though I think it's above average in its quality, IO Interactive can do so, so much better with their talents. You look at a game like Hitman: Blood Money and you see exactly how good these guys are.

Anyway, to wrap this up, let me say this: Passion is fantastic, and it's the sign of someone who cares. However, if you let your passion control you, you will set yourself up for a fall. Tell the truth, but tell the truth in a way that will have an impact. It's like fighting Mike Tyson in a boxing match. If you've got the reach on him, work your jab, and pick him apart from a distance, like Buster Douglas did. You go in there winging hooks at the gaming industry, they're going to duck the blow and knock you out.

-Micah C