Lay Off the Gamers. Now.

What am I thinking about?

You and I…the gamer

Yes, you.  And you.  And even YOU who's sneaking & reading this saying "I'm no gamer but what the hell…"

Well…you are, too.

Often times, I get that queazy feeling when someone declares in a disdainful tone:  "You're into video games?!?".  The words pierce the air, as if I had just lit a cigarette & exhaled a cloud of permeating smoke in their face.  It's a moment in which I wish I could hold up my hand & execute a Darth Vader Jedi choke hold.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing"

Damn, I always wanted to do that for like, a couple of seconds just for show.

Anyway, I digress.

What I DO find disturbing is the hypocritical nature of the so-called "non-gamers" who have this oh-so more exciting, fulfilling life that puts them in a position to be entirely judgmental of the gaming community at large.  Why?  Because they…are a part of it, too.

In fact, who ISN'T these days?  The traditional perception of gamers & gaming is going by the wayside.  There are still folks (like me) who enjoy console gaming, LAN parties (long time ago) and such, but that changed long ago.  Nowadays, the next-gen consoles are trying to survive in a world of mobile, portable gaming that will, mostly likely, never go away.  Or at least, not any time soon.

From rage mobile games like Flappy Bird (R.I.P) & any other off-the-wall title you can recall, more and more people are themselves becoming gamers in a redefined, ever-evolving world.  The latest survey by The NPD Group finds 36-percent of Americans play digitally downloaded video games.  That includes a console, a PC or a mobile device.  Now the study was more about how gamers still prefer a disc in hand to buy and sell, but it sheds light on the growing digital gaming craze.

Now you're thinking about your phone or your tablet and thinking "Hmm…yeah right…I'm a gamer.  Whatever"

Want to feel even worse?

Ok, fine, let's take, for example, the demonic creation known as Candy Crush from King.

I was walking around my neighborhood in the city and spotted something that stopped me in my tracks.  It was a playing card face down that read…."UNO".  Remember that game?  Of course, people play it to this day & it's one of the most entertaining card games I can recall.

You might think that UNO isn't in any sort of contemporary gaming category, but it is.  You can put it right in there with video games, mobile and board games that millions are breaking out & playing at this very moment.  In fact, in its day, you could say it had Candy Crush stature in the card game universe.

Since the launch of Candy Crush in 2012, the free-to-play mobile game has been downloaded more than 500 million times.  Thanks to its success with microtransactions, the company made almost $2 billion in revenues last year.  That comes out to $5 million a day.

Did you hear what I just said?  500 million times.  $2 billion a year.  $5 million a day.  And it's coming from all of us.

What's more silly?  Deriding someone for being that cliche "weird gamer in the basement" playing a console gaming once in a while?  Or being the person who's paying money to move on to…Minty Meadow.

Ugh.

My point is this:  We're all gamers.  Even if you downloaded an app game & tossed it aside, there was still something inside that piqued your interest.  We all having a gamer inside us.  Typically, the person who's going on the attack against the video gamer is the one who doesn't fully understand what it's all about.  Fear drives the critic.

The next time you make a face at the sight of a "gamer" in your midst, look in the mirror.  You're one, too.

UNO!!!!!!!!!

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in NYC

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Kids & Video Games: Is It REALLY As Bad As This Guy Says?

What am I thinking about?

Video game addiction

I recently read comments made by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison about video games and kids.

At the HCM World conference this week, Ellison said he is "so disturbed by kids who spend all day playing video games".

“When I was a kid the sun rose, I was on my bike, and if my parents were lucky I was home before dark.”

Umm.  Ok.  Me too.

I gamed a lot.  I played a lot.  I turned out fine.

Any particular kids in mind?  Could you tell us where these kids are at?

I won't deny that there are many gamers who devote loads of hours to titles on a daily basis, but Ellison's statement really bothers me.  A man who's made loads of money off creating software and advancing technology that, in other ways, infiltrates our lives, is criticizing the very thing that, I would hope, he promotes:  technology development spurred by young people.

Who is he to say that, with a broad brush, that essentially all kids are inside right now playing games ALL DAY LONG??  What kind of an irresponsible statement is that?

While there are some who indulge too much in the niceties of life, no matter what it might be, there are still countless others who choose to have a balance in their lives.  On the flip side, there are others whose dedication to technology and gaming at a young age that will some day BECOME a Larry Ellison.

I think it's not wise to give a proverbial wagging of the finger in the faces of young people like that.  It's not cool at all.  Unless you have stats to back that up, don't say it.  Has he ever seen this study?  Researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Germany found playing Super Mario 64 causes increased size in brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills.

What's up Ellison!

In short, Ellison is basically calling kids idiots, relegating them to a life of solitude.  One that is more entrenched in isolation and not getting up when the sun rises like he did and…whatever.  In other words, you're pissing off gamers.

At least I'm pissed about what he said.  How about you?

A4TECH: "A" Grade Products for PC Gaming

What am I thinking about?

How can I improve my PC gaming skills.

Truth be told, I stink at PC gaming.  Over the years, I've gravitated to the game consoles.  I don't know why that happened, but that said, I do like to clear the cobwebs every once in a while and get back to the keyboard.  And what would help me?  A gaming mouse from A4TECH.

These guys sent me this model:  A V-Series Wired Gaming Mouse that's part of A4TECH's Bloody Ultra Gaming Gear.  At first, it looks a bit intimidating, like it's ready to burst out of the box and bite your hand off.  I wanted to put it to the test.

I'm currently involved in the beta for "Sir, You Are Being Hunted", a survival FPS from Big Robot that's in the works.  Initially, I played the game with my old mouse.  As usual, I was wobbly, having trouble firing, etc..  Then I made the switch.

Not only did A4TECH send over the mouse, they also provided a Bloody Gaming Mouse Pad that provides more gaming precision.  Long story short:  What…a difference!  I love the way this mouse handles.

I feel like I can stop on a dime as I'm moving/looking around, which I was never really great at doing.  The mouse has what's called "Metal Feet" for better control.  Combine that with the mousepad, it did the trick.  It also has 8 different buttons, which made a lot of my actions much easier to complete.  it's also great to have for a first-person shooter game in which you NEED precision to take down enemies.  Usually, I'm all over the place with aiming.  Not with this baby.  Tight control is the name of the game in an FPS…and this V-Series gaming mouse is the ticket, that's for sure.

During a period when my laptop was undergoing maintenance, I also gave my brother a shot at this.  He's a World of Warcraft expert/longtime player.  He loves the functionality when it comes to WoW, especially the ability to toggle through inventory menus more quickly during battle.

Some other subtle things I like about the Bloody series of products are simple, like the fact that now I have a mousepad that's more than 2 times larger than the conventional one.  It's so helpful to be able to spread out and not be in fear of running out of, well, mousepad space.  Even when I wasn't using the mouse, I simply loved staring at its intermittent Bloody breathing light, like an eye that keeps opening and closing to check and see if anyone is coming around to play.  It's like a living, breathing dragon connected to your hardware waiting to mix it up.  SO…cool.

If you're a diehard PC gamer, look up A4TECH & check out their products.  This mouse is a cut above the rest & will IMMEDIATELY make your PC gaming more enjoyable.  Take from a guy like me who needs all the help he can get.


The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
TwitterL  @thebgamerreview
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

What Makes a Good Video Game Great?

What am I thinking about?

What makes a video game better than the rest.

I was literally awake almost all night debating with myself about it.  It's a simple question with a complex answer.  In this day and age, there's so much that goes into a title.  Developers take years to produce a game that requires a large team of writers and designers to come up with titles that play out like feature films.  To me, it boils down to this:  Balancing gameplay with storyline and presentation.

Thinking back to the early days of gaming, the story didn't matter as much as it did today (in my opinion).  From Super Mario Brothers to Metroid, the story was ancillary to the side-scrolling, platform gameplay that kept a gamer's interest.  A basic plot was tossed in that, typically, was wrapped up in the long-awaited finish of the game.  To me, the longer, extended "beat the game" scene gave rise to the expansion of present-day cut scenes throughout video games.  While there was certainly pressure to produce fantastic game titles back in the day, I doubt there was much intensity or scrutiny placed on the story surrounding characters.  Why?  Because we were more fascinated with the gameplay itself...not the story.

Since those days during the '80's and '90's, a lot has changed.  Advances in graphics brought gaming to new heights. Action-adventure, first person shooters, massively multiplayer online (MMO) ushered in a new age of broad chronicling of characters and places.   It became more essential to have top-notch writing, scripts, actors and dialogue to go hand-in-hand with your gaming experience.
 
Back to the main question:  What makes a good video game great?  I believe striking the right balance between gameplay, presentation and story is key to a good game...and it's a delicate dance.

Take, for example, some of the games released so far this year.

Remember Me, an action-adventure cyberpunk title from Capcom certainly nailed down the presentation, especially its music, but was relatively weak on story.  Gameplay was also laborious.  It was a game with potential and a strong main character/personality, Nilin, that ended up suffering from its confusing, tedious moves, as players tried to figure out how to precisely carry out combinations.

Deadpool is another game that missed the mark.  While the story and writing was stupendous with humorous Marvel Comic book lines thrown in, the gameplay was shoddy and formulaic.  The presentation wasn't bad, but the hilarious jokes stole the show from the simplistic gameplay that only improved at the very end.  However, by that time, you've beaten it!

The only title I've seen so far that's achieved this balance is The Last of Us.  From the smooth gameplay to the above-average cut-scenes, the story written up by Naughty Dog is the best I've seen so far.  It's a game that's not only fun to play, but fun to even watch, say, if you have someone in the room who isn't exactly a gamer but enjoys watching a good show.

It's not an easy subject to tackle, nor is there an easy answer to what makes a game great.  I guess that's why I was up all night.

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerreview
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

Big News at Gamecom 2013...Listen here!

Microsoft and Sony make headlines at Gamescom 2013

Sir, You Are Being Hunted, And Sir, I Can't Wait

What am I thinking about?

When I can get my hands on 'Sir, You Are Being Hunted'

It's a single-player survival game that's currently in the closed alpha stage, set to be released August 19th.  Very few screenshots and game trailers are available to the public, but from the little we've all gathered so far, this looks like a big PC gaming hit in the making.

The so-named 'tweedpunk' game is styled like an FPS.  Your sole objective is to stay alive and escape an island, as you're tracked down by robotic Victorian-dressed 'gentlemen' in top hats, complete with creepy horizontal, red laser slits for eyes.  Why?  I don't know and who cares.

The imagery reminds me a lot of  the smash hit 'Slender:  The Eight Pages', in which you're stalked by the infamous Slender Man.  It makes sense because they're both technically categorized as survival genre titles.  Both appear to be similar in their stealthy styles, but "Sir, You Are Being Hunted" goes well beyond that by allowing a player to have more control of their fate, by collecting weapons, food, and rune stones to make your way off the island.

Again, little is known about this game thus far.  Information is shared in spades, but I've already put in my pre-order.  In my mind, it's a sharp-looking indie game that's making the hardcore gamer's head turn.  Just look at the numbers.  Last year, the game's developer Big Robot looked for £40,000 with a crowd-funded Kickstarter campaign.  They more than doubled that amount at £92,551 (that would be...let's see... $140,915.38 U.S. dollars to be exact.  Nice bank).

I've seen write-ups about SYABH, but some might argue that this game doesn't have a ton of buzz outside the U.K..

Here's my part in creating some...Sir

The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerreview
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer

The Gaming Analyst & The Gaming Market

What am I thinking about?

Game sales

I'm not talking about discounts.  I'm talking about overall console game sales for 2013.

I write this post after reading an article on GamesBeat about dismal summer sales, quoting an analyst from Cowen & Company who believes an upcoming title like Grand Theft Auto V could save sales this year, as well as other games and the release of the big name consoles.

Yeah?  No kidding.

Sometimes I wonder what these video game analysts get paid.  It's common sense among gamers that the summertime is always the down period, followed by an upsurge in the release of more highly-anticipated titles in the fall and winter season.  There's a reason for that:  it's called the HOLIDAY season.  Sony's 'The Last of Us' is one of the exceptions when it hit store shelves in June.  It was widely talked about & so it was the top-selling game for that month & also exceeded estimates (according to the Cowen & Company dude).

Let me get back to my point.  I don't understand these 'analysts' and their...'analysis' of the gaming market. Honestly, it's something you and I could simply do ourselves.  The motives are in question.  Are they trying to implant hints in our heads to get us to go out there and buy when they tell us to do it?  I believe that's partially true.

It bothers me.  It bothers me because I believe they're trying to build up the hype for certain games or set the tone for sales, like GTA5, which really doesn't need a whole lot of advertising.  Its reputation speaks for itself.  It bothers me because I don't like seeing the power of the analyst making or breaking games or company sales.  There's a symbiotic relationship between the expert and the gaming company, IMO.  I harken back to my blog post in response to an analyst assessment of Nintendo and how I don't think they're done by any means.

Maybe I'm being a little too harsh when it comes to analyst predictions. Maybe I'm speaking in too many generalities.  Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me.  Maybe I'm the one who doesn't know what I'm talking about.

But it's something to think about.


The B Gamer is a video game reviewer at 77 WABC in New York City
Twitter:  @thebgamerpod
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TheBGamer