It?s been another busy, and somewhat bittersweet week. A number of press events and other social gatherings, mostly geared toward games people, which meant lots of ?sorry, not gonna be able to hang in San Fran.? At least it?s nice to know that I?ll be missed, plus I?m hoping Adam will pull through with his plan to make it so I?m practically there. I might also have a special ?correspondent? on-tap to for a very specific facet of next week. Though it?ll require certain things to fall into line, which might not happen in the end, but at least I?ll have fun telling folks what coulda been once the time is right (can?t spill the beans now I?m afraid).
At least not going does offer a few advantages. Like how I?m saving a TON of money. Which means I?ll be able to pay for zine related expenses and also afford food! Plus I can attend Joe Simko?s annual Oscar bash, which as mentioned numerous times before, is more or less our Super Bowl. God, I cannot wait to eat a sh*tload of deviled eggs and get angry drunk at Avatar. I only wish I could pass along the flyer he created, but Sweet Rot?s just bashful like that. And while checking out the conference from afar will certainly pale in comparison to actually being there, at least I won’t have to deal with the army of fellow reporters that will swarm the Bay Area. Not gonna lie, these days my tolerance for game journalists is at an all-time low (with the exception of the ones I?m friends with, naturally), who might end up being the sole sour point of the entire event.
On a semi-related note, one of the aforementioned press events earlier this week was for EA, and as enjoyable as it was to check out their springtime releases (virtually all of which I cannot speak about, save for one; Mirror?s Edge for the iPhone) and hang with Steve Totilo (there?s me name dropping again), a few random bloggers desperate to make a splash were total pains in the asses; these loud and obnoxious guys toting around wrestling belts. Hey, we all need a gimmick, but seriously, if being roving wrestling game reporters is gonna be your thing, at least spring for a custom creation instead of a stupid replica WWE championship strap, which actually costs as much as getting a unique one made.
But in the end, I’m pretty damn bummed out about not being able to attend the Game Developers Conference. Now, I’ve stated several reasons for wanting to go for weeks now, but there’s one I’ve hesitated to mention, for perhaps obvious reasons; to see if the show does indeed ?jump the shark? like some are predicting. Only recently have I discovered that, as many folks as there are who are super psyched for Gamma 4 and all the surrounding excitement, just as many are completely sick and tired of the hype and hoopla. And even though I?m pals with some of the key movers and shakers of the so called scene, I can still somewhat understand where the haters are coming from too (I always try my best to look at everything objectively). It?s an uncomfortable road that might ultimately never be traveled; I simply know way too many people involved and don?t want to be an exploitative jerk.
To be honest, I blame a lot of these problems on the reporters and bloggers out there. It would take far too long to properly explain (and I’m somewhat short on time at the moment), but basically, it’s like everyone is desperately trying to write a modern day equivalent to that Rolling Stones article, circa the late 70s or late 80s, in which the author had “discovered” Bruce Springsteen. Indie gaming is the new hot thing and everyone is out to starf*ck it to death. Meanwhile others, in reaction, have been needlessly negative. It’s sort of a big mess, really. God, I actually feel sorry for folks like Phil Fish and all the nonsense they’ll have to endure in the coming week. But there’s other issues plaguing the “industry” for sure.
And here once again I am tempted to openly question my role in the wonderful world of video game journalism for the umpteenth time, due to all the politics, cult of personalities, childish antics, and abysmally low standards that’s pervasive among the major mainstream outlets, along with how much of it is tolerated and even openly celebrated by the audience. Even though I keep telling myself that such nonsense can be found in every creative field, plus how petty bitching serves me no good other, other than making myself look like just another whiny, jealous, bitter journo (most cuz, these days, that?s precisely who I am). But something just finally hit me. Actually not a thing, but a person; the current host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno.
Why? Because he more than anyone at this moment best illustrates the general public’s tastes and standards (plus as a result, how business is conducted); the guy is a total a**hole and simply not very funny, yet was able to get his old job back, one which he did not rightfully deserve. The rest of Hollywood is back to sucking his penis, even if they don’t like the guy, but most importantly, no matter how many folks call him out for being mind-numbingly mediocre or simply a douche, there’s a hundred times more who will watch him without question (it could be argued that Leno’s current big numbers are the result of curiosity seekers, but I think he established within 30 seconds of his return that it’s same old, same old, which most people like, hence why I believe he’s going to stay on top). Not to be so cynical, but we all know this to be true; the masses are not interested in anything that’s genuinely different or stimulating, they just want drivel, whether it be from late night television, big screen entertainment, what’s on the radio, and most especially when it comes to their sources of information, including video game news outlets.
But the important words here are “mainstream” and “masses”. Thankfully there are some genuinely good stuff out there, and it sucks that most don’t care, yet that’s just the way it is. I guess the key is not to think about it too much, hence why I am not giving up on writing about games, just for a mainstream audience, mostly due to the fact that it doesn’t appear to be a good fit on a variety of levels. Make no mistake, if one of the big boys offers me a job, I’d be more than happy to oblige (you can add “poor” to that list of descriptive terms for me above), though I have a feeling that any such relationship might not last too long when all is said and done.
And I swear to God that this will be the last time I address such matters. Even I’m getting sick and tired of all my complaining. Plus, hey, it’s an f’n blog, and what is the internet for if not for self-absorbed pontification?
Sorry to be such a downer, just been one of those weeks; not only has GDC been on my mind, but SXSW as well. Remember when I mentioned a chance to speak at the event, on the subject of internet dating (which I have extensive experience with), provided the topic got enough votes? Guess what; it did indeed receive enough, so thank you all so very much! But I discovered afterward from the person putting the presentation together how, despite having enough public support, it was all up to the internal committee to make the final yay or nay. And when word came down that it had been nixed, was disappointed for sure, but figured that?s just how it was. Well, I recently discovered that the panel is happening after-all, and also guess what; I’m not a part of it, despite being one of the folks that helped to make it happen. I’m still not clear what the hell is going on, though needless to say, I’m fairly bummed out about the situation.
Anyway, back to SF, was initially going to provide daily highlights from the thick of things, but now that I?m stuck in NYC, may as well just wait till all is said and done (since I?m obviously going to have to rely upon other people?s reports). Besides, something else just landed in my lap; earlier this afternoon I spoke with a collaborator of mine, from a game project last summer that was shelved, and its just been resurrected! One of the reasons why I passed on attending (aside from not having hardly anything in the bank) is not having enough recent work underneath my belt, so the timing could not be any better. I?ll also be glad when the thing is over, so I can finally make some big announcements, so stay tuned!
Oh, so another press event that went down yesterday was a visit from Disney Interactive and Black Rock Studio, to get some hands on time with Split/Second. Everyone can check out my impressions over at Heavy as well; long story short, sure to be my fave racer of 2010, without question. And two days prior, on Tuesday, was a non-game thing; a special press screening of Mother, the latest from Bong Joon-ho, director of Barking Dogs Never Bite, Memories Of Murder, and The Host…
I’ve actually been struggling to figure the best way to discuss the movie ever since, and have finally come to the conclusion that less said, the better. Mostly because it’s a murder mystery… an absolutely brilliantly composed and executed one, from top to bottom to be exact… one that is most importantly still readily available (it’s currently playing in NYC and LA, plus new screens are opening across select markets this weekend). Whereas most will never get the chance to see the majority of the Asian flicks I write about, hence why I don’t feel too bad for spilling beans, Mother can still be enjoyed first-hand, and I implore everyone reading this to go out and see it ASAP. Though the bare essentials won’t hurt; it’s a story about a mother and her son, the latter of whom is not exactly bright. He’s easily impressionable and blessed with not so great memory, among other wonderful character traits, but you know how mom’s love works. Which goes into action almost immediately when a schoolgirl is murdered in their small town, and the son is implicated as the killer due to completely circumstantial evidence. The mother then goes on a mission to clear her child’s name all by herself, since both the cops and even the hotshot lawyer she tries to hire, who ultimately can’t be bothered to do actual work, believe it to be an open and shut case. I realize that none of this might sound particularly interesting, but trust me on this one; with strong shades of Hitchcock, things start small, with seemingly obvious revealed to be greater mysteries, all of which build and build and build into an absolute head-spinning and genuinely jaw-dropping climax. God, there’s so many awesome things about the movie; the acting, the camerawork, basically everything. It might actually be Joon-ho’s best effort to date, and more or less cements his status as one of the two best directors in Korea (along with Chan-wook Park) period. It’s so dam good that it’ll make you even angrier over the bullsh*t that comes out of Hollywood, and how people actually like that crap. Once again, cannot wait to vent my frustrations on Oscar Sunday!
Alright, almost time to go. Might be back later this weekend, for another gaming news wrap-up, to clear the plate before GDC, since so much has been going down. Though regarding the Activision/Infinity Ward situation, my only comment is this: I’d care a whole lot more about the situation if I actually liked their games. Sounds kind jerky, I totally realize, sorry. The only other big thing worth mentioned at the moment is how the PlayStation 2 turned ten years old yesterday! And it’s taken about that much time for me to warm up to the system. It’s the reason why the Dreamcast died a premature death, yet it did give us Persona 4 in the end, so all is forgiven. Shadow of the Colossus is pretty damn cool as well. BTW, if you still don’t have one, and would like a unit to not just enjoy the wide selection available at your local GameStop, but also all the wild and wacky titles from Japan that’s available via friendly eBay sellers (or via the dark and dirty corners of the web), well, I’m trying to get rid of my modded unit. It’s either a 3000 or 5000 series machine; basically, the original, monolith model. The thing is in great shape and plays domestic, import, and everything in-between with zero issues. Except for PSone software for whatever reason, but I have a modded pre-shrunk model for sale as well; each comes with a controller and all the necessary wiring. Make me an offer (I’d like to get rid of both of possible at once).
Back to the Dreamcast, if you’re in the market for one of those as well, this just in from the Tiny Cartridge Twitterfeed; new ones are on sale over at Amazon!
Okay I’m actually officially late for a Babycastles thing going on right now, some chiptune related event! Though one last thing, and the actual reason why I’m sad about not being at the GDC…
… Paul Hornschemeier X Game Over? I hate to use internet lingo, but if that’s not a win, I don’t know what is.
