The Next Gen And What it Means.... To Me

The Next Gen will be soon upon us, or is currently upon us if you are one of the few lucky one who got their XB1 early from Target. So the question is what does the Next Gen mean to the future of gaming. My answer? I have no clue what so ever unfortunately. I can say however what Next Gen means to me.

To me Next Gen represent a necessary change in gaming. I see what looks like amazing ideas, Knack for example one of the games shown on PS4 looks gorgeous and the game play mechanics looks interesting as Knack ( I'm going to call him Knack ) fluctuates from tiny to gigantic. On the other side of the isle we have Quantum Break for the XB1. While nothing has really been shown about Quantum Break we do know it will run side by side with a show and how we play the game effects the show. Now while I'm not to big a fan of the idea i happen to be tired of the same old things that i appreciate something different. Console gaming i believe has reached or is reaching its pinnacle in terms of graphical abilities and looking forward New IPs and innovative ideas are what going save the future of console gaming. While much has been made about graphics and great third party games and understandably so but to me those things were a given new ideas unfortunately are not. So for me Next Gen represents hope, the hope that creativity hasn't died. A little hope can't hurt right?

Why I Don't Like Superman

The title of this could have also been named why i find Superman boring but this still gets my point across so i'll stick with it. Superman is almost universal love or at least in America. In fact Superman is more American in our eyes than Captain America.That's right i said it Superman is more American Than Captain America


He represents the ultimate good. He has the world in the palm of his hand. There is nothing unattainable for Superman in fact the only limit that Superman has is the limits he puts on Himself. Limits that he can take off whenever he wants yet he doesn't. If he were to do so who knows want would happen. He is paragon of good and yet... I can't stand him. My dislike of Superman is for many reasons but i will try to keep it short.

1) He is a god among men. Even in a world with other super heroes Supes stand out among them but not in any satisfying way. He's not really any different than his contemporary he just way better at his craft then them. While other are strong he is simply stronger others can endure he is invincible he's not really different just better than the rest. He is a tank in a world of bulldozers. Simply put he is a god and like gods he is not relatable in anyway. Sure we can never truly relate to superheroes 100% but we when the costume comes off we can relate to a lot of them. I still have both my parents and I'm not rich but i can relate to Batman pushing away people. I can't relate to Superman aka the boyscout I'm not infallible Superman however is which brings me to the other point

2) He is never wrong. Superman is never wrong. No matter how much you feel like he is wrong be certain he is not. Why you may ask because he is Superman. That is how DC treats Superman. Sure there might be a moral to the story at the end but trust me the moral is that you should listen to Superman. He never fails and because of this he has never had to grow like other characters. He doesn't learn any lessons at the end because there is nothing for him to learn because he is perfect which brings me to my final point

3) He Has no equals. Besides of course monster create specifically to kill him he doesn't have any equals. Superman chooses to live with us mere mortals. Even in the Justice League he has no real equal he so much better than everyone there it isn't funny. Superman is an shinning image of the perfect human and he isn't even human. That's what bothers me. His small "real" American roots don't take away from the fact that every little thing do Superman does seems just a bit condescending when you think about it. It feels forced. In fact no one asked for superman in Metropolis he decided Metropolis needed a Superman. The same Superman who claims he is not a judge, jury, or executioner Judge that Metropolis needed a hero. He is more not a man yet he wants us all to believe he is just that. In short he is a poser.

There is nothing wrong with liking Superman in fact there are times when Superman is probably for some, exactly what they need to read. He is the ultimate power fantasy. He could take over the world if he wants but he doesn't. He is the best way that some people feel they can redeem their hope in humanity because superman is the ideal. All I'm saying is that i find him to be super boring.

PS4 Reveal/Non Reveal

I saw the PS4 reveal which wasn't really a reveal. It was more of an acknowledgement. Nothing wrong with that but it wasn't a reveal. A reveal requires something to be you know....revealed, but that just schematics so let me get to the meat of this post. I liked what i saw but i wish i saw more. There seems to be a lot interesting features but i still a little wary i have to see it in action a live demo if you will before i can make any claim of how good it is

The Line In The Sand

So it has come to my attention that DC Comics has hired Orson Scott Card for their digital version of "Adventures of Superman" now i try not to get political on here because i feel everything is politicized today. I however won't mislead or make any false claims so before i go in on this topic i have to let you know before hand. I was raised by mother and my father who is also a girl. My mom is gay is what I'm saying. I have been around gay people all my life and i support their fight for equality. Now this post isn't about gay rights its about drawing your line. I've heard many of my friends says well "I won't be reading that issue" very loudly as to let me know they stand with me. That kind of irked me. Now don't get it twisted i have no intention of reading it myself but that is because I'm not a superman fan. Orson Scott Card had zero to do with why I'm not reading it. Many of my friend however feel that if they buy it they are betraying me or my mom for some reason. That if they buy this book they are supporting all of Orson Scott Cards beliefs. As some one is very active in gay rights let me be clear if you buy his books, it does not make you homophobe. It means you like his writing. You can appreciate something and not love the artist. As an American i love that Thomas Jefferson help draft the Constitution but does that mean i love slavery? No of course not because most adults can separate Thomas Jefferson the founding father and Thomas Jefferson the person. Just like most adults should be able to separate Orson Scott Card the writer and Orson Scott Card the man who dislike gays. Now don't get me wrong if you want to boycott DC because it personally crosses your line you are personally willing to tolerate or your principles that is fine. I know for some people that this is an extremely tough thing to do especially if you love superman but if your willing to do it that's fine. I personal think the battle of gay rights will be won on the ballot not the comic prints but that's just me. If you want to boycott go ahead but please don't tell somebody who is not boycotting that by buying that issue they are approving of Orson Scott Card message. It's wrong to guilt trip people to join your side. People want to read what interest them and it just so happens that a big homophobe is writing that story.

When Fun Is More Important Than Winning

You to play to win is a phrase heard a lot in sports. It is a simple phrase that sums up why you step out onto the court. It is the goal of every man or woman in competition. You want to win. It is generally one of the truer statements in life. I of course say generally because this is not always true. There are times when winning is simply a bonus after achieving your actual goal, which is having fun. To give you an example i had planned on playing Black Ops 2 with a buddy of mine but he unfortunately could not play so i was on my own. My first game i was with a group of dudes. Now they weren't a clan as far as i could tell but they were obviously friends who were in a party. I could hear one of them on the mic. His husky voice burst over the mic screaming "Pick Raid! Pick Raid!" (He must of had a lapse in judgement because everyone knows when you scream out a map everyone choose something else just to piss you off.) seeing that he map didn't get picked he let out a roar of disappointment "FUCK! YOU FAGGOTS SUCK!" i say How quaint into my mic. "Fuck You, You Fucking Bitch" he replies back to me. Clearly this man had a steroid sandwich for breakfast. while i am creating my class this guy starts talking strategy. Now i am not the most strategic gamer. My idea of strategy is throwing one flash bangs instead of two. so needless to say i was pretty lost on what he was talking it about.

The game start he was all ready barking orders go here, shoot there, set up a perimeter here. It felt like work. The game ends and he is handing out compliments he even told me good job but it didn't feel like it to me. I won yes but it was the same kind of empty winning that you get beating a 10 year old in basketball. now i had a good game i went 20-5 and i won so by all accounts i should be happy and having fun. I wasn't and it was because i played to win. Don't get me wrong it is not as if i don't try to win, but when i put my disc in my console my goal is to have fun. Winning can be fun it is not the antithesis of fun, but my main goal however is to have fun not to win. They often come together but not always. I have played games like Battle Field 3 or Black Ops 2 where my team won and i hated it I games where we lost and i loved it. My friend would eventually come on later and we would play about 15 games we lost about 12 of them. We did however reach our goal of having fun each and every game. Do you guys have any story about Winning not being fun?

Entitlement and Gamers

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about online passes. After reading an article on Kotaku we discussed whether or not gamers feel entitled. He argued that many of us due in fact feel entitled to demand things out of our games. That we feel that we are owed something when we are not. I on the other hand argued that we don't feel entitled any more than any customer does. That we instead feel as if we have been cheated or mislead. The problem with gaming is that it works on a "Trust Me" narrative, so there are hardly demos any more and those that do exist are from games that have been out for 2 months or for buying on Live or PSN. Meaning that when we are told something buy a game and it doesn't match the experience we rage. One could argue that it is stupid to do so. I would disagree. Anytime you make an investment to buy a game you have earn the right to complain. Game feels too short? Go ahead and complain. level to difficult? Complain away. Game is to old school? Knock yourself out with complaints. Now your complaints might be stupid but you have paid for the right to complain (though if you do complain about these things often you might be know as what is called a whiner). DLC feels to some people as if they cut a piece of the game to sell you it back at a later date. Is this wrong? i don't know i'm sure not all games do that but does it feel like it? Absolutely! Due i feel like i am entitled to it? sometimes yeah. To me its like buying a pizza with seven slices at full price and then being told that you can buy the remaining slice for $5.

Besides that there is another thing that bothers me about this discussion. Entitlement has now become the go to word for any opinion that complains about a corporations actions. First off that shit is mad annoying, secondly it is only entitlement if i feel entitled. Pointing out online passes is stupid is not me being entitled. I don't think EA or Ubisoft owes me a free online pass. I just think the whole idea of online passes dumb. Third where are all of these corporation defenders coming from? A company can go out an kill somebody and their will be group of defenders claiming we aren't entitled to justice. Stop it. You just make everyone think your a dick. Anyway my point is that no we aren't entitled to anything from EA or Ubisoft this is true. We are however entitled to feel entitled so please for the love of all that is holy STFU about how gamers feel entitled. It serves no purpose other than to show me who not to hang out with at a party.

Knowing When To Step Away

I remember being 10 years old and my mom reminding me to pick up my brother from the bus stop or else the bus driver won't let him off (my brother has a mental disability and it was very bad back then he is a lot better now and is about to graduate college so you go bro.) yeah yeah i said as i continued to play my game of Soul Edge. Its 4 o'clock in the afternoon and my mom comes home and asks where is my brother. It hits me that i forgot to go pick him up from the bus stop. My mom was furious but not as furious as i was that i left my brother on the bus over a game. Since that day i have always been careful about managing my game time. It is a very important thing to learn those who don't learn it let their whole life be dictated by games. Now my example was a serious example of how things can go wrong and not all situations will be like this but my point remains. We got to know when to step away and get some air. Now if you are over the age of 18 and either have a job or going to school or both this is not about you dude in fact i am proud keep it up dudes/dudettes. This is for those guys who got up this morning didn't take a shower and whose hands are covered in Cheetos dust and are about to pick up their controller.

Fuck you dude i will not pass you the controller! Wash your damn hands, take a shower, eat a good breakfast and do something. Step away from the game. Its fine to go and relax and play games hell if you play games for awhile but when i hear the phrase

all i did today was play games for 24 hours straight

and i can look at your pit stains and tell you are telling the truth it seems like such a waste. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When you tell people you been playing games for 24 hours its like bragging about getting to first base with your mom; No one is impressed and in fact we are all feel sorry for you afterwards

Go do something it doesn't even have to be productive! I am literally saying go do anything else you don't want games to consume your life. You don't want to be a stupid slacker....ah alliteration.

The Mysterious Creature Known As Original IP

In the safari i am in search of a legendary creature. It is rarely seen anymore some thought it extinct but i know better. I get a glimpse of what i think this majestic creature is. I move closer but ever so slowly as to not disturb it. i am almost there but all of a sudden i step on a tree twig.... damn it got away. I check the footprints that it left behind. Yup there is no mistaking it... this was an original IP. The 3 best selling games of 2012 were all sequels. Same as 2011 and i have a hunkering feeling that 2010 is not much different. So now it is 2013 and the games i find myself most interested in are sequels minus The Last Of Us. In fact besides The Last of Us i don't know of an original IPs in 2013. So How did we get here? Well that is pretty easy to answer. Gaming has now become a risky business. Games are expensive to make and marketing ain't cheap. So when you have a game sell well naturally you want to ride that train all the way home. Lots of games sell on brand alone which means if you haven't had a huge selling game your on the verge of death. Every publisher is looking for a home run when before under normal circumstances a double or single would have been fine. They want COD numbers but not every game has the mass appeal of COD. Now don't get me wrong i don't hate COD. I play it occasionally and while i can't play it for hours on end i get why it is massively appealing. I however won't sit here and say COD hasn't had some bad effects on our culture. COD sells well so naturally you are going to have people emulate it or go in the opposite direction. That means sequel year after year. COD is so big now it sells on brand name alone. The Money that goes into our Habit is immense and unlike movies which plays at theaters and can sell DVDs games have yet to find a movie theater equivalent which means they have one source of income. So what do we do? honestly i have no clue. We can learn to love sequels but eventual every sequel will take it toll on you (I'm talking about you AC.) You can not buy them but i find this to be wrong as well, not buying a game because its a sequel without any regards to its quality is just as stupid as buying a game cause its a sequel without any regards to its quality. The best option i can think of is letting developers know how you feel. Believe it or not they do listen at times. Another thing you can do is fund kickstarters that sound interesting to you. Overall sequels aren't going away anytime soon so we have to get use to it but instead of asking for less sequel we should ask for more IPs .

Gaming's Inclusion Problem

It's one of the most annoying things i hear from female friends about gaming.I honestly tune my friends out at times when they start this topic on how females are treated. Unfortunately it is also very true. The culture of gaming is surprisingly unfriendly. Its a unforgiving culture but when did this exactly start? Many older gamers claim a time when they were excluded from their peers as nerds and losers and that gaming was a come as you are type environment. I can't say as to how true it is because everyone played some form of a game when i was in school but i can attest that this no longer the case. We as gamers divide ourselves up every chance we get. Are you a Real gamer? or just a casual fan? Did you have a sweet built from scratch gaming PC rig? or are you just a console player? this just the lighter side of this issue. One of the main divisions of course involves female gamers. Let me be clear if you are one of those Gurl Gamerz this is not a defense for you as far as i am concerned you are a part of the gaming problem. No this is for every girl who speak on her mic and is lambasted with names like bitch and whore. This is for cosplayers who have to worry about handsy attendees. This is for men who are tired of being assumed a dick by girls because of the actions on others. Dudes this shit has gotta stop. I get that some people take the attitude that Xbox Live is broken and can't be fixed so why bother. They believe it is a cesspool for racist,homophobic, and sexist assholes . A kind of last bastion of a lesser civilization that has survived the great plague known as growing the fuck up. Yes they huddle together teaching each other they ways of old continuing to refuse to evolve they are the last of their kind. They are like Will Smith from I Am Legend if Will Smith played an Assbag or Dickwad

Regardless if it is the truth or not we can't let it stand simply muting them does not make them go away though it does make them tolerable. We have to be vocal i recommend that at least 3 times a week you tell some ass face on Live the what for. Anymore and you'll be screaming all day. As for you Con attendees i know not all of your are lecherous perverts. This rant is not about you these are for that 1 percent who are. Seriously dudes? You complain that these girls are just there to whore themselves out for attention. That they could not possibly love the series that they are dress as or representing or that if they did not want to be groped they would not dress provocatively. OK let me address all these points Mr. McFeely. First off why does it bug you so much that they are only their for attention? You are clearly not trying to avoid giving them attention so why do you care so much? You act as if they are trying to mind control you with their breast to do their bidding and that the only to break this magical trance is to clearly grope them or make them extremely uncomfortable. A piece of advice when you are unable to stop looking at someone that is your problem not theirs. Don't like cosplay or booth babes? Complain about it to the shows host don't take it out on the girls. Second Why do you care how much they love the series? Maybe she just likes dressing up in costumes. Maybe her brother was watching the show or movie and she thought that the costume looked great. Maybe she is paid to represent the product and if she is why do you care whether or not that she love the series? I like burgers in fact i love them, but i don't get all bitchy trying to find out if the employees at the McDonalds loves them or is just trying to sell me a damn burger.

Now the last point i find the most idiotic it borders on rape apologist i especially find it repulsive. I said it once I'll say it maybe they dress like that because that is how their character dresses. Some women find dressing sexy makes the feel empowered (i myself am the opposite but you know.. to each its own.) but that is not permission to go and grope them or making them uncomfortable (at this point i just repeating myself). Also if we go by this logic that means every guy dressed as batman obviously wants to have dead parents and to deal with sociopaths.

Anyway this is the end of my rant but my point remains. Gaming culture was suppose to be about taking all the people the other groups and cliques didn't want not about deciding whose is and isn't a gamer or who is allowed in the club. When we do that we become exactly the opposite of what gaming is about. P.S. that batman costume is sweet as hell.

The First 2 Hours

Time goes by fast. It is a notion by which many people subscribe to but i never realized it more so than in gaming. As a child with four brothers we would have 5 to 10 hour gaming sessions on the weekends. My mom would often complain about how its anti-social so we brought friends home to play with us during these 5 to 10 gaming sessions. Now that i am older i miss those days as it stands my life is no longer compatible with a 10 hour gaming session. I now have other obligations and duties so it is important to make sure that a game grabs me in the first hour or so that way i am hook and can't wait until i play it again.Many game accomplish this, but others do not.

Assassin Creed 3 was the latter. Now don't get me wrong i don't mind a tutorial level. I feel sometimes they are unnecessary but never has a tutorial level stop me from playing. No Assassin Creed 3 Is unique in the sense that the first 4 hours are tutorial under guise of setting up the story. Assassin Creed 3 expects me to maintain my excitement for four hours (our more depending on how you play) just to play as the main protagonist. This is the equivalent of having your girlfriend tell you she is in the mood but that you must maintain your erection for 4 hours before you two can have sex

AC3 is not a bad game as far as i can tell (though it has some flaws) but it did break my 72 hour rule which is that if i haven't beaten a game and haven't played it within the last 3 days i probably won't beat it. I bought the game in November here it is January and i still haven't beaten it. I find the whole thing unfortunate because i am so far enjoying playing as Connor but i care so little about the story at this point that i just can't see myself continuing to play this for long. Good or bad did not play a role into this decision just time. Time is only matched by money in its value and in some cases not even that. So it sucks when a game can't appreciate your time. Some would claim I am picking on AC3 and that Far Cry 3 does the same as well. I strongly disagree i would argue that Far Cry 3 advertises itself as Skyrim with guns so there is no shock while playing it. AC3 doesn't advertises itself as a 4 hour prelude/tutorial. In the end i think the lesson to be learned from AC3 is that not everyone has insane amount of free time on their hands so it would be nice if games respected this fact stop it with pointless filler. No amount of filler is going to stop a customer from complaining that his game was too short and not worth $60 so lets stop trying to appease them. Good games are good games regardless of the time. So stop wasting mine.

The Introduction

All my life i felt as if i had something to say. That my voice alone could change the world forever. Then i hit age 16 and realized that i was full of shit. So 5 years later i finally decided why not blog about shit i find interesting like gaming, movies, and geek culture. What can you expect to find here? Honestly just my opinions of our culture and what i feel makes it awesome and shitty at times. So stay tuned.