Gameism: The Doctrine of Judging Others Based on Their Gaming Practices

How often have you basked in the all-encompassing, reflected light from a new gaming disc?  To whom do you listen during such great, historical events such as E3 or the GDC?  What are the games in which you are most interested?  Forget those questions for now; they don't matter.  What does matter is how what you do -- how you act -- reflects on you.  If I go around punching children and stealing from blind people, chances are I am not a good person.  If I have a gaming blog and look forward to reading other gaming blogs, I would say it's a safe bet I also play videogames.  Maybe something just as likely is that spend large amounts of time playing these games and forgo anything else.  This is all fine and good, but what about the types of games you buy?  Well, that probably says something about you too.  How about the consoles?  Do you think each console defines who that gamer is?  I hope not.  Don't be a Gameist.

One day, I will punch these children.

Let's begin with real life in a generic sense: type of console.  I have a Wii.  I do not have an Xbox 360 nor a PS3.  Since I have a Wii, maybe you can assume I'm a casual gamer and that I love playing games like Wii Sports or Farmville.  Or that I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to gaming since anyone who owns a Wii is either 73 or 7. If you think these things, you are one of the flawed Gameists.  Similar to Sexists and not as traditional as Racists, Gameists have their own preconceived stereotypes for different kinds of gamers.  For my own sake, I hate games like Farmville.  I could never stand to play any Facebook game and I only play Wii Sports after being dragged into it by the actual casual gamers.  I have Team Fortress 2 and Mass Effect 2 on my PC hard drive.  I love those games.  But there are some people out there who willingly accept Wii gamers as childish and it's almost to the point of defining them as not actually gamers.  Personally, I have not been a victim of this prejudice, but the victims are out there.  Do what you can to help the less fortunate.

When it comes to the PS3, you may guess these gamers are skinny Asians -- or people who wish they were skinny Asians -- who spend most of their time playing expansive and vastly time consuming JRPGs like the Final Fantasy series.  And, of course, these people always have some new JPOP going in the background, right?  Well Think Again!  I have friends who own a PS3; one is white, one is Jewish and another is Mexican.  None of them take more pleasure in Japan than is appropriate.  What is wrong in the minds of these Gameists that such prejudices exist?  Do they just listen to the representatives of the products they own and never hear anything from the other sides of the aisle?  Are these people set on categorizing everyone into these narrow stereotypes that limit other gamers?  It seems like it sometimes, it seems like it indeed.

 One of these people own a PS3, the other owns a Wii.  You Decide.

And what about the Xbox 360 owners?  Are they all shooter-obsessed bros, who buy cases of "amp" and insist every time they die is a lucky shot?  Does each Xbox 360 gamer yell into their headset, swearing and hypothesizing about another's sexual orientation?  Well...  Well, Okay, some are more true than others, but you get the idea.  What console one owns does not, for the most part, determine what kind of a person one is.  But those damn Gameists and their Gameism.  How do they think they can lump so many people together and make them faceless embodiments of a specific type of gamer?  Let the gamer community unite under one flag and realize that, even though we are all different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside.  Every gamer is a gamer because of their love for videogames.  Let us extend that love to one another and Stop this senseless Gameism.  Is this the dream of which Dr. King spoke?  Is this what the honored Veterans have fought and died for?  I can honestly tell you, without a doubt in my mind, that answer is no.  Thank you, everyone, and don't forget to do what's best for the gaming community.

Non-Violent Does Not Mean Non-Good

For those of you who don't know, which I'm sure is not many of you, the Supreme Court -- like really, the Supreme Court -- has been hearing arguments on violent video games.  Strangely, this case started in California, one of the most liberal, free-thinking states out there.  Think about it.  Where do you go if you want to escape being persecuted for your crazy-ass lifestyle?  California.  More specifically, maybe San Francisco.  That's the reputation we have at least.  Anyway, I am more than confident this case will come out with gaming on top.  The courts have always sided with free speech, so if they started censorship with videogames, it wouldn't make much (any) sense.  With that being said, I am not here to talk about violence in videogames.  That's been done.  I am here to talk about games that don't have violence at all.  Games that have a protagonist, in some form to be sure since someone must be controlling something, but do not seem to have any antagonist.

Now, truthfully, an argument can be made for a protagonist and antagonist in every game.  Tetris: the player vs. whoever sends you down blocks; Flower: nature vs. pollution/industrialization; Sim City: the city vs. the world.  There are games that are more directly concerned with the hero defeating the villain, but, as you can see, there are also games that feature conceptual enemies.  Games where you may even hesitate to call them enemies.  Would it be a bad idea to have more games like these?  These games are more than one person defeating several armies worth of minions; they force you to attempt to understand something more complex than "bullet goes into head, I win."  Ok, maybe not Tetris.  That one is in a whole other genre with games that are more puzzles than anything else, like Peggle or Monopoly.  I would venture to say that these are all great games.  You may balk at Monopoly, but how many times have you played it?  How many years has it been around?  The answer to both of those question is "a sh*tload."

This is so exciting! I LOVE games without any action!

I would like to see more of these games.  Games like World of Goo, Braid, or flOw should fill the stores, both real and online.  I've gotten tired of games where I can mindlessly defeat mindless hordes of poor-operating AI.  Sure they can still be fun, but less often intriguing and rarely original.  Maybe that's because I am not an FPS gamer.  I prefer games like Mario or Zelda to Halo or Call of Duty.  "Adventure" just has a much nicer ring to it than "First Person Shooter."  I own a Wii, but I do not own The Conduit and I will not own Conduit 2.  There is no appeal for me in these games.  Surely, those shooters are the only kinds of games that would be under scrutiny if videogames lose the aforementioned case.  I guess my gaming tastes would still be satisfied if this happens, despite my moral outrage.  Good-ish news for me then.

Everyone else who has different views than me, however, will still be at a loss, right?  Not necessarily.  Perhaps this would give them the perfect chance to broaden their gaming experiences.  I know two people who live together and both have Xbox360s; between them, there is not one non-FPS title.  This disgusts me.  I cannot go to their house and watch them play anything because it's all the same, whether they're shooting aliens or terrorists.  If you absolutely refuse to acknowledge that these games are too similar, think about the controller set-up.  Is the right trigger always shoot?  Is A always action and B always melee attack?  It's the standard control scheme now in place for most shooters.  One could seamlessly switch between several games and not lose a step.  But to go from Flower to Sim City or from Peggle to Minecraft?  Who will see any connection between those games?  As a side note, Minecraft can be switched to "peaceful" if you just want to build without any annoying enemies sneaking up on you in the dark.  Maybe it's not possible anymore to have such variation in FPS games.

Oh Man! This game is WAY better than that other, generic shooter we just beat!

The point here, if you haven't picked up on it already, is that you don't need violence to make a game good.  You don't even need to have a strong antagonist.  If the title has innovative gameplay, addicting mechanics, and/or a fascinating experience, that's more than enough to make an enjoyable game.  People who can't get enough of gunning down endless enemies should be aware that there are other games, most of which are rare gems in the gaming universe.  It's not often one will find something like Flower or Minecraft, but it seems games like Halo have become a dime a dozen.  Whether that's something that needs to change in game developers or something in the gaming community, I cannot say.

So Far the Only Reason to Buy Motion Plus

Like the typical, hardcore, Wii gamer, I bought the Motion Plus add-on as soon as it came out. It was only $20, and I was sure there would be many more games coming out that will need the 1:1 apparatus of motion control. Or, at the very least I thought, the next Zelda will have Motion Plus. Well, turns out that the very least is exactly what I got. That's not a remark on Red Steel 2, but on the countless companies that failed to utilize the accessory. Ok, countless may be stretching it. It has, after all, only been on the market since June 2009 and any game that was in the works before that couldn't possibly add such a unique feature as an afterthought. Red Steel 2, however, implemented it beforehand with ample time, despite the game's lack of commercial success. In regards to the poor sales figures, the Creative Director, Jason Vandenbergite, of the game told IGN that Red Steel 2 had a very small audience window and explained how gamers didn't want to "exert themselves." Neither of those arguments is unfair, but the latter makes me wonder about the future of the Playstation Move and Microsoft's Kinect.

To begin with Red Steel 2, I must admit I was excited to play this game long before I ever got the chance. Sword fighting, westerns and 1:1 movement will do that to me. But my first copy of the game had to be sent back because it was faulty and it was over a month before I found it again for the same price. So one can understand that the buildup of desire was much like that of a virgin high schooler at his prom. I was also just as hopeful of experiencing something that I thought would change everything. I would never -- could never -- go back to what it was like before direct 1:1 motion. For those of you not familiar with the Motion Plus accessory, it doesn't live up to this hype, which is seen clearly now with the noticeably few games that even offer the option of using it. Only one game, to date, takes advantage of the accessory and offers a complete gaming experience. The review of Red Steel 2, then, must include a review of Motion Plus gaming.

The opening cinematic of Red Steel 2 was very impressive. You begin by being tied by the wrists to the back of a motorcycle going through the desert and nearby city. I instantly thought, "wow, this looks fantastic. Cel-shading and the Wii are a perfect match." Even better was the idea that whoever gets dragged behind a bike like that would surely be dead by the end of the ride. I even winced a couple times when hitting glass bottles. Eventually the sequence ends and I was happily surprised when the in-game graphics stayed in step with the cinematic. We find out our hero is a member of the Kusagari clan, and so we start wandering the city in search of other Kusagari clansmen. At first the only weapon available is a gun, but that changes after a few minutes. The moment of truth for the Motion Plus add on. Can 1:1 movement improve the overall quality of a game? It took some getting used to, that's for sure. At first I was not able to swing the sword without turning the point of view in tandem with my swing. But, yes, there was 1:1 movement and it definitely made a difference in the game. For instance, the game immediately tells you to swing "with your elbow" because frilly wrist waggles won't be enough. The strength of the sword swipe depends on how fast and long your movement is. I can honestly say that my arm felt a little sore after a while, though, and I used to play tennis.

The entire set up works very well together. Motion Plus completely changes the action of the game. Since no one without wrists the size of dictionaries will be able to make little movements effective against the enemies, the gameplay is much more difficult. No sitting and leaning back. You gotta be front and center, ready to have broad slashes against armored foes. It doesn't feel like you're actually swinging a sword, even if the Wii remote is now longer, but it does get your head more into the game. As for the gun, there's nothing special there. It would work exactly the same without Motion Plus. Think Resident Evil 4 but without the stationary shooting. And the zombies.

As I mentioned earlier, the game's story is reminiscent of a spaghetti western. You get to play the wanderer who comes in to clean up the town, which is under siege by a group of bandits. In addition, there is also some classic Japanese story-telling here. The lone samurai, having been disgraced and banished by his clan, returns to help in a clan war and has to deal with other, sword-wielding assassins. The look and sound also blend the East and West. Not only are there paper lanterns, but telephones and vending machines. Not only is there a drunken-ish sheriff, but also a samurai master who reluctantly agrees to train you. If you're a fan of films like "Unforgiven" or "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" you will recognize the classic western sound, but with a Japanese tinge to it.

The combat gameplay largely relies on the sword, but that's the point. There is the option of buying additional guns and upgrades for them, but you can play the whole game without using your gun, while you need the sword for several things from taking off an enemy's armor to using for finishing moves. Also, almost everything you see lying around is breakable and will give you cash to purchase said upgrades; it would just be a waste of bullets to use them on shooting up every barrel and trash bag. The last little detail I would mention is the surprising use of the Wii remote speaker. Personally, mine is always off because the sound is usually awful quality and adds nothing to the experience. But, in Red Steel 2, the speaker is used to hear clicks when trying to unlock safes. You turn the remote as if it was the lock on the safe itself and listen for the clicking to know where to press A. Not a bad idea or implementation -- it was certainly never annoying. High praise for that little speaker.

To sum up this game, I can say it was a unique, enjoyable experience. The Motion Plus attachment was iffy at first, but over time I felt more and more comfortable with it. The point of view rotating with the swing stopped happening and really never happened in combat to begin with. The story was a nice mixture of classic plots, although the voice acting was a little off-putting, but there aren't many games that do that too well. I enjoyed the way to accept missions, along with collecting money, optional side quests, and upgrading your gun and sword. This game has a great deal of positives going for it and the addition of the, sadly under-used, Motion Plus does increase the overall quality. Especially in light of being one of the only games after a year to use it. I rate both Motion Plus and Red Steel 2 as Super Dope.

4.5/5 Near Perfect Score! Super Dope!

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Wii

For those few of you who do not know, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game recently came out for the PS3, and the Xbox 360 version is not far away with a release date set for the 25th. The design of the game is one reminiscent of 2D, old-school beat'em ups like River City Ransom for the NES or Secret of Mana for the SNES. Both of which are classic titles. I never played River City Ransom, but that won't stop me from using it as a tag for this post. Scott Pilgrim is clearly an accessible game - graphically, at least - for any console. So, why, dear readers, is the Wii the only one left out?

I understand this comes out on the heels of KeepinItFresh's "Open Letter," but I can honestly say that this is the first game in a while for which I've felt genuinely giddy. It's as if Scott Pilgrim: The Game is that sexy girl at work you always have flirtations with, but nothing ever comes of it. That's what it feels like for me. I'm excited for this game; I talk about it with my friends and explain how badly I want it; I've spent a lot of time with Scott Pilgrim (not the game, but the graphic novel), and I want my due payoff. The problem is, of course, that the only system I own is the Wii. Now, I'm sure the decision to keep it off the Wii has some business and marketing decisions behind it, to which the general public are not privy. Does this make it any less heart wrenching? God No. No it... it just doesn't. I want to play this game and I would happily dish out the $10 or $15 to own it, but not the several hundred it would take for me to get a PS3 or Xbox 360 first.

For the most part, the Wii's Virtual Console and Wii Ware games provide more variety and an overall better gaming experience than when compared to the alternatives. The PSN has Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Echochrome; the XBLA has Shadow Complex and Castle Crashers. All of which I think are great additions to the system and may even go so far as to call them reasons to buy each respective console. The Wii may have begun with much bigger success than it now holds, even the newest addition - the Wii Arcade - was a disappointment; although, it did show interesting promise. Surely most of the gaming community believe now, more than ever, the recent downloadable games offered by the Wii are nowhere near the quality of other systems. The point is, despite me only buying (or wanting) a handful of titles, I still believe in the service. Even now, while I sit, staring at the lack of Scott and Ramona, I realize I can still go back to the Virtual Console, find River City Ransom, and settle.

IGN has dealt with the decline of the Virtual Console (here you go) and claimed "It must be like jumping through hoops to try to get any game not originally presented by a major Japanese publisher through the submission and approval process to go live in the American Wii Shop." Does this mean that Nintendo doesn't care about white people? Looks like it. I would love to see other titles (IGN makes special mention of Earthbound throughout the article) also put up, but this one takes the cake - most likely because it's in my recent memory, but also because I can't just find a place on the internet to download it illegally like... well like almost every classic game in existence. It seems to be true that "Nintendo of America hasn't been able to fully respond to our requests." But don't get me wrong, I don't mean for Super Dope Game Reviews to take up a war against Nintendo, and I certainly don't plan on doing anything so bold as to sign a petition to get Scott Pilgrim: The Game onto the Wii. I just really want to play this game.

While the previous entry by KeepinItFresh focuses on the faults and betrayals of Nintendo's system, I choose to view these imperfections as what makes the Wii even more beautiful. I know the worn out, scratched up, broken apart Wii has seen better days and hasn't aged as well as other systems (who seem to be just now reaching maturity *cough* PS3 *cough*) or even as well as I had hoped. But all this simply makes me appreciate what the Wii has that other consoles don't. A catalog of games that focus on a fun experience, for instance. Also, what the Wii lacks can be turned into a positive - like the absence of a platform for preteen boys to shout profanity at me through a headset. Maybe I'm more of an optimist, or more of a Nintendo Fanboy (proven by my choice to capitalize that title), than KeepinItFresh, but I'm sure that while I flirt with other games from other systems, I'll always return home to the Wii, who has been there for me through thick and thin, like a loving wife instead of that sexy girl at work.

Super Dope Battle: Retail vs. Online

I come to this point, fellow videogame lovers, like many people: after the final straw. Recently I bought Red Steel 2 used from Amazon. It was about $20, so I couldn't pass that up. It's on my "really should play" list. I was mostly looking forward to this game because I have yet to try out the motion plus attachment (I know, I know, but Wii Sports Resort just wasn't worth it for me). Much to my disappointment and infuriation, when I put the game in the disc was "unreadable." So after trying everything I could think of for the next 15 minutes, I surrendered to the faulty game. It had won. I was broken. Forced to retreat to Amazon and appeal for a refund, I found myself trying to remember the last time I had such resentment for a mere merchant.

In my younger years, I would frequent the local Gamestops and Best Buys in order to browse through their larger-than-mine collection of games. At the time I thought this was the only way to buy games. Never would I dare order it online; that would run the risk of being damaged in transit. And how could I ever return it if I got the wrong (or a faulty) item? Now I know that it's very easy to return an item online. Just like when dealing with actual stores, you must keep everything. Luckily, the online version doesn't come with a too-easy-to-throw-away receipt; it does, however, come with a box in which it should also be returned and a processing request which must be printed and shoved into that same, original box. But as we all well know, the worst thing about shopping online is not the hassle of a possible return.

The length of time spent waiting for your shipment is sometimes unbearable. For Red Steel 2, I was bursting with anticipation, which meant the 5-7 business days lasted about 5-7 months. To add to this, I'm just naturally a very impatient person. I'm bothered every morning by how long it takes me to get to work - it's a ten minute walk. But in all fairness, no one in our instant-gratification society of today enjoys waiting a week to use the item just purchased. "I paid for it now, so I should use it now." Not an uncommon opinion.

On the lighter side of online shopping, you can almost always guarantee a cheaper price. I've been to a few Gamestops since I returned Red Steel 2 and the used version is always at least five dollars more than from Amazon. Of course, few need to be lectured on the evils of the greedy Gamestop company. I know I've been rather proud of myself before for deciding not to use that store ever again. Within the last weeks, I've spent an increasing amount of time just browsing their used games. "Maybe I can get a good deal on something that got good reviews. Maybe some obscure, sleeper hit." Good luck with that.

It seems as if it's an even trade off. Pay more for instant gratification. But with pre-orders, you can play the new game the day it comes out and without anyone asking if you'd like to join any newsletters or hear about any kind of "reward card." Does this make stores obsolete? Why would anyone choose to get their videogame from some busy, line-filled mall when you can just sit in your room and have it, literally, hand-delivered? I used to think I had no more use for these shops, now stocked with nostalgia more so than anything I'd want to buy. And yet I come back to them now, as if I never felt ripped off by buying an expensive used game. This is because I'm tired of waiting. I feel now that if I could find a copy of Red Steel 2 that was less than $10 more, it would be spinning in my Wii by the end of the hour.

I realize everything I've said really just applies to the used games. When it comes to new games, I've mentioned the "same day it comes out" pre-order plan. Then with the systems themselves, I can't imagine preferring to buy them online. For those I still have my old paranoia of something, somehow, getting damaged. I want to delicately carry my system, like a newborn, coming home for the very first time. Portable consoles are the same way. I would never rely on the U.S. Mail to hold a 3DS with as much care as someone who wanted one. I can bet the thought, "Well, it's heavy so it's also probably tough" crosses their mind.

Here I am at this impasse. Should I return to the retail gaming world and spend some extra cash? Or can I be patient enough (and cheap enough) to get my games online? Red Steel 2 was the first defective game I've gotten through the internet, out of countless other items that worked perfectly. I've also received a defective game from a mall distributor - for which I lost money since I had thrown away the receipt and they could only return 60% of what I paid the day before. So clearly neither are perfect, but I'm wondering about the opinions of others. Do others have videogame online-shopping horror stories? Does anyone always prefer to walk in and hand their cash over to such an avaricious company? Will one eventually take all the business away from the other? I'll leave you with these questions to ponder while I personally try to get Gamestop to lower their prices by reading customer reviews off of Amazon.

IGN Editor's DDR Duel

Earlier today, I was listening to IGN's Nintendo Podcast, because I had several hours of free time, you see. In the middle of this podcast by Craig Harris, there was an announcement of a "meet and greet" at 4 pm in the 21st Amendment Bar and Cafe in San Francisco. I was excited to say the least, audience. I decided to go and meet this, hopefully, small group of people, introduce myself, give out Super Dope Game Reviews information and be on the fast-track to videogame journalism. I even left work two hours early (no big loss, really) to get there on time. Anyway, what I found when I got there was a DDR Tournament, tailored for the editors of IGN, not a small gathering of editors I imagined just hanging out at a bar, talking to the fans. I also saw about 20 other people who looked like nerds waiting for the chance to meet internet celebrities. In other words, my people. Here is the article I wrote on my iPod Touch while the whole thing was going on - from 4:00 to 6:15:

IGN gets the hottest girl they can find to introduce the event

IGN leads today with a sponsor from Jacklinks Jerky. Greg Miller and someone I don't recognize are first to play DDR (Not what would have been my first choice, but not bad. At all.) and the crowd loves it despite most of them not really knowing who these people about to play are. I've been to one Comic Con in my life, and the energy of the mass of people stuffed into this thin room are a close second to the masses at the convention. Greg Miller loses. People cheer. I have a feeling that's how this whole thing will go; no one seems to like the PS3 editor. Miller blames the Xbox 360. Next is a man whose arms look like they're covered in tattoos (this guy looks like he belongs to a Hot Topic marketing ad) and Ali - a newcomer to gaming I imagine since she had to be told how to play DDR. Ryan Clements I think his name is. He demolishes the girl without pity, but who needs pity when you have thunderous applause and Greg Miller yelling "Defeat her! No prisoners!"? The second match is over and now comes Hot Topic man with the person who beat Miller [Daemon Hatfield]. Not too bad, either of them. Certainly the best match so far. Still nothing really impressive. That's alright. These are IGN editors, not Japanese children. But DDR is over so quickly sometimes you can miss it in a blink. [Hatfield] wins and the crowd begins with a chant of "Blue shirt! Blue shirt!" which quickly dies down.

this is the crowd 5 mintues after "free beer" was declared

Now Greg Miller and Ali. The two losers. Who will win between the PS3 man and the lady n00b? It's anyone's guess. I know I'm cheering for Ali. Both failed the song with rank E. Hilarious. Now comes Blue shirt and Greg. They pick Gutterpunk. The best thing about Greg Miller is his high-top, black converse. It's the only shoe I wear. Also he looks like Dwight Schrute from "The Office" and seems to share some of the characteristics. They both failed but Greg Miller gets the higher score. Blue shirt and Ali again. The crowd still loves it. Screams and laughter are heard. The camera (independent company hired by IGN) might have something to do with that. A song is actually cleared. Ali with another E rank, but Blue shirt wins the match with a B. Greg and Blue shirt Round 2. The editors are enjoying it more than anyone else, it seems. Makes sense; the crowd is full of nothing but witnesses to the fun. Blue shirt wins. Good attempt, Greg, good attempt. Hot Topic [Clements] and Blue shirt [Hatfield]. Blue shirt's a pro. Nothing but a final bar. A rank. Final match of round two between Greg and Hot Topic. 5:44 - the tournament started at 5. Gotta tell you I love seeing that giant "FAILED" in the middle of a song. They tie with E rank. Blue shirt vs. Hot Topic for the final match. I don't think it's unreasonable to think Blue shirt will win - he's clearly done this before. But we'll see if time proves me wrong. The winner gets a gold-painted bobble head, holding a little bag of the beef jerky sponsor on top of a trophy. This may be the best victory prize ever even conceived. Oh no. Hot Topic guy already has no bar and Blue shirt's going at full force. It's over! It's all over! Blue gets the trophy! Congratulations are given all around.

In all it's ravishing splendor and glory

With the tournament over, people migrate downstairs. I've decided to stay to see what I can do to associate with the IGN-ers. Can't get to them though. Too many people, too small a body. Waiting at the top of the stairs. It's clear not even IGN predicted this many people. I heard someone say $1000 of free booze for the crowd ran out at 4:30. Impressive, but not surprising with this crowd. 20 minutes later and there are somehow more people here. I can't stay, have too many things to do. Too bad. These are the people I want to be like in the future. Maybe not exactly like them. As I walk down the stairs, I look back with a feeling of love and hopeful ambition, and the thought, "This is what I want to do with my life." But also comes a sad sense of longing. I want that kind of life as soon as possible, but I know it will take years of hard work, while I've only had one Super Dope blog for about a month and a half. I'll try to be patient. And I know my team of authors will make time go by quickly and the path a little easier. Besides, I'm already having the time of my life.

IGN Editors Profile Pages:

Greg Miller

Ryan Clements

Daemon Hatfield: The Winner