Perfect Video Games

Tags

gamer, games, gaming, hardspace shipbreaker, list, listicle, lists, mega man x, mixolumia, perfect game, perfect games, splatoon, xexyz

Today’s post was inspired by a question tweeted out by Eric Bailey, a Christian gamer (though I suspect he’d prefer the former be put more far forward than the latter) and… I guess I can also call him an accidental satirist? Honestly, his Twitter content is equal parts wholesome and random. He should be in your social feed if he’s not already. And don’t let his faith scare you off: He’s actually one of the good guys.

Anyway, back to the post’s point. Bailey had tweeted out for examples of the perfect video game, citing Contra and Tetris as examples. This prompted one response out of me, but the more I think about it, the more I kind of pondered other video games that I would think fit the bill. Mostly because the question is so complex yet simple. It asks not about favorite game or favorite game story or favorite genre; it asks you to consider a video game condensed into its “purest” form. To consider gaming as perfect means it fits its function and executes its idea so flawlessly and so brilliantly that you don’t even have to think about it. At least, that’s my interpretation. So, I decided to write about it.

The Silent Support of Awful, Awful People

Tags

games, games industry, gaming, gaming community, hogwarts legacy, industry, red dead redemption 2, social, society

Take Two Interactive’s boss bragged about working his devs to the bone in order for Red Dead Redemption 2 to make it to market. Ubisoft has been demonstrably shown to keep miserably sexist and racist people in its upper management. J.K. Rowling has pulled off her mask to unveil a transphobic goblin beneath.

In spite of all this, I absolutely bought RDR2 day one, am interested in Riders Republic, and am at least curious about Hogwarts Legacy. All of which come with the extraordinarily complex baggage that feeling this way means I stand alongside vile humans and their even more vile opinions and behaviors.

The Best Anticipated List of Video Game Awesomeness for 2018 and Forever (Until Next Time I Do This List Thing)

Tags

games, gaming, list, listicle, new games, new releases, upcoming games, upcoming releases, video games, videogames, videogaming

Okay, enough of the sad crap.

My previous blog posts have been kind of droll, with me saying goodbye to a loved MMO and before that having a bit of a whine about people not having fun.

So, in the interest of that whole spreading fun thing, I’m going to take a few moments to look forward to some of the awesome stuff that’s coming our way in video gaming. Because dammit, that totally deserves a moment of excited flapping.

This kind of flapping.

The Colors of Nexus

Tags

carbine studios, closure, games, gaming, MMO, mmorpg, shutdown, sunset, video games, wildstar

Of course I was going to write about this story. Even though I’ve seen the writing on the wall for this game a long time ago, it doesn’t make ultimately saying goodbye to WildStar not suck. Just suck a little bit less, as I’d made my peace with the matter a while ago.

Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t provide a few final words regarding what was one of my favorite flawed MMO gaming experiences.

And this bright pink bastard in particular.

Welcome to Joy

Tags

chill games, community, fun, gamer, games, gaming, MMO, mmorpg, silliness, silly, silly games, video games, video gaming

As much as I like how “legitimate” video gaming things like esports are becoming, I’m often left reminding myself that legitimacy should always take a backseat to being fun. For every game that tries to be art or weave a genuinely complex story, I’d much rather there be about three times as many games that just have a good, goofy time.

It’s a lesson the Devil May Cry series seems to be taking to heart.

That sense of overwhelming fun has catapulted some games into high points on my mental list of favorites, and it’s something that I felt is worthy of elaborating on. Both as a self-reminder and perhaps a reminder to anyone reading this who might be taking this stuff a little too close to the vest.

The Power of Love (and Anger)

Tags

battle for azeroth, bfa, community, games, gaming, gaming community, haters, MMO, mmorpg, rage, warcraft, world of warcraft, WoW

I’ve written before about how you should just ignore the haters and like the games you like, and by and large I still absolutely stand by that statement. That said, being someone who’s new to World of Warcraft, I’m continually reminded that I probably am not wanted and that I should stick to people I have vetted outside of the game itself.

How did I reach this conclusion? By the needless upset of those who were enraged by the whole War of Thorns thing in WoW.

Burning a world tree and bridges at the same time. Well done, Sylvanas.

ArenaNet and the Price Paid

Tags

anet, arenanet, community, games, gaming, guild wars 2, gw2, MMO, mmo gaming, mmorpg, mmorpg gaming, reddit, social media, twitter

By now, everyone has had more than enough time to process the matter of ArenaNet’s actions against two of the writers of Guild Wars 2, including the resultant blowback that still seems to be washing onward at the point of my writing this blog. As someone who likes to follow and write about MMOs and multiplayer games, there’s something of a compulsion to provide my own opinion on the whole sorry affair, but there’s also quite a lot of thoughts I would like to get off of my chest.

Before I begin, though, I do want to mention that links that I provide in this post are very likely going to direct to some unpleasant content, so if that’s a sensitive spot for you, then I implore you to not click any links in this post if that will cause you to be upset.

I’ll also be including pictures of owls to further smooth the edges.

My 2017 in Gaming

Tags

2017 gaming, 2017 in review, 2017 year in review, best games of 2017, best of, best of 2017, end of the year, games, gaming, gaming in 2017, list, listicle, nintendo switch, pc, ps4, year end, year in review

Look, you can’t be completely surprised by seeing this topic on my blog; it’s kind of typical of this time of year to look back at what was and I actually was asked in the Discord server I help run. So while it might be par for the course to write these sorts of things, my responses might not be expected.

To further entice you to stay, here’s a puppy picture.

Wolfy’s Most Anticipated Games of 2018

Tags

2018, 2018 games, console, games, games of 2018, gaming, list, listicle, MMO, mmorpg, most anticipated, most anticipated games, multiplayer, pc, sandbox, single player

This is pretty much expected behavior for people who like to write about video games, I figure. So to further extend assumptions, I will now openly admit that I’m writing this in the hopes that I get all the free stuff from the games I mention.

In fact just writing that lead-in brought me about $35.

But seriously, though, whatever you feel about 2017 in terms of real-life things, it has been a great year for games and next year is looking pretty solid as well. So I wanted to wiggle excitedly in the direction of upcoming titles that I have no basis for anticipation for other than marketing speak and second-hand experience. Because piss off I like being excited.

Stop Survival, Start Life

Tags

design, game design, games, MMO, mmorpg, open world, sandbox, sandbox mmo, sandbox mmorpg, survivail, survival sandbox, survival sandbox mmo, survival sandbox mmorpg, world, world building

The MMO genre is in a pretty fascinating place right now, and that’s an opinion I still maintain to this day regardless of what I write beyond this lead-up. That said, I’m beginning to see something of a bothersome trend in the form of the survival sandbox MMO, and I’m not really a big fan.

Allow me to elaborate on why survival sandboxes aren’t just boring and lazy, but they’re missing the point of the MMO genre and further making things more disjointed.

“No sir, I don’t like it.”