Mike Wants a Game Job

Before I get started today there are a couple pieces of business to take care of. First, I have created a new e-mail account for messages related to this site: mikewantsagamejob@gmail.com. Please use it instead of the e-mail address mentioned in my very first post. Secondly, I hope to begin podcasting within the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes open for that. New podcasts will be posted every other week or sooner, depending on how quickly it takes me to create a new episode.

Now on to more interesting matters: a couple of days ago I was referred to an article by CHUD.com's Devin Faraci regarding the controversy surrounding the adult only rating for Manhunt 2. In the article the author uses this issue to assert that the videogame industry is still primarily targeting teenagers, a fact which severely limits its potential as an art form. Until videogames present their audience with intellectually, emotionally, and philosophically mature themes, he argues, they will forever be a form of crass entertainment.

As a gamer, I found the article completely infuriating, but I must admit that it made a number of excellent points. Certainly a game like Manhunt 2, the main selling point of which seems to be how much brutal, disturbing violence it can showcase, does not meet commonly accepted standards of art, but are there games out there that do? Furthermore, what constitutes art? Is it the intent of the artists, the ability of the work to evoke something in its audience, or is beauty simply in the eye of the beholder? This is a subject with too much complexity to delve into in a simple blog post, but it's something I plan to explore with more depth and perspective in my podcast. For now, I would like to say this: there are not many games out there that I would consider art, but they are indeed out there. In games such as Planescape: Torment, Okami, and Katamari Damacy, it is clear that the designers and artists responsible for these games created worlds, characters, and stories that they poured themselves into in order make them beautiful and inspire awe in their audience. For Mr. Faraci to call the work of these dutiful men and women "disposable junk" is incredibly insulting both to them and to the audiences that enjoy them. Certainly there are games out there that were clearly treated as a product to be marketed, but games such as the ones I mentioned do not deserve to be lumped into this group, as I am sure movie aficionados would be loathe lumping together Pirates of the Caribbean 3 with Citizen Kane. 

Like I said, I'll be exploring this topic more in the future but for now I would like to end on an upbeat note. This video is a must-see for any old-school Nintendo fans, particularly those that faced the endless frustration of Bald Bull, Super Macho Man, and Mike Tyson/ Mr. Dream. Goddamn I hated those guys. 

One Two, One Two Punch, Mac.

-Mike

Last week I wrote an entire post apologizing for not being entirely forthcoming with my reasons for starting this blog and for the quality of my previous work. It was long, bitter, and full of self-loathing, which makes me incredibly happy that I decided to sleep on it before posting. While I have decided to take this site in a slightly different direction, last week's post would not have been a good way to start it.

In that vein welcome to my new and improved blog, a place where I will be documenting my progess as I try to break into the videogame industry as a designer. This is a career that I've only dared to dream of in the past but, now that I've done my research and gained a little more confidence, it's something I believe I would be great at. I have been a hardcore gamer for the past 18 years, I have excellent critical and and analytical skills, a BS in theater and physics (yes, I know, that is "interesting"), an obsessive with perfection and detail, and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of mythology, history, and pop-culture. The key things I lack, however, are an impressive writing portfolio (or any writing portfolio at all) and connections in the industry. Through this blog I hope to develop both.

As this project continues, I hope to be able to hone the writing skills I've let atrophy for the past couple years as well as have some fun talking about gaming. Constructive criticism of my writing by those of you with experience will be much appreciated, and if you like what you read spread the word about the site. I'm hoping to start podcasting soon, as well, so everyone will have tat to look forward to (or dread) in the future. Until next time, in the words of Al Gore's disembodied head, "peace out y'all!"

Roughly 3 weeks ago, faced with the prospect a new and boring shift at work, I decided to pick up Pokemon Diamond for the DS in order to keep myself amused. Other than complaining about Pichu and Pikachu on Super Smash Bros, the only experience I've had with the franchise came about 8 years ago where I played Pokemon Red and Pokemon Snap. Since then, I've been one to laugh at others my age that play the Pokemon games and denounced the series as repetitive and childish.

Karma is a fickle bitch, indeed.

The game starts off like any other Pokemon game: you and a rival pick up some Pokemon and begin a quest for an older Poke-phile obsessed with learning all he can about the creatures. Despite the by now unoriginal storyline, I soon found myself enthralled by the prospect of catching new species and raising them in to veritable engines of doom. Every patch tall grass presented a new oppurtunity to expand my collection while every battle allowed me to try out new skills and tactics, all the while hoping to gain enough experience for a new evolution of one of my valued team members. I cannot even begin to describe how excited I was when my TURTWIG evolved into a GROTLE, leaving behind the cuteness of its first tier form and gaining a countenance that appeared to say "I will cut you to death...with leaves."

As someone who left the Pokemon franchise and came back to it, I am forced to wonder what is it about this game that has made me its willing slave? Certainly not the storyline, it's the same as any other Pokemon game and even gets in the way of the fun at times. No, it's the subtle complexity and promise of competition that has drawn me in, along with the pleasure that comes with knowing that I can one day "catch them all."

The main concept of the game is simple: capture wild pokemon and use them to battle other trainers and human opponents. Tactics were dependent upon which pokemon you used, their respective types, their attacks, and what level they were on. With each game came a new level of complexity: pokemon breeding, equippable items, pokemon dispositions, and secretive "effort values" that rewarded you for how time you actually spent with a pokemon. Combine this with the idea that correct utilization of the is knowledge will allow you to prove yourself better than any other trainer, either digital or human, and you have a game that truly gives you a sense of accomplishment when you figure it out, which may be the most addictive type of game of all.

Pokemon Diamond also uses the Nintendo DS's wi-fi ability to its full potential in this game, giving you the oppurtunity to battle and trade with other people from around the world or in the same room through the game's built-in trade stations. This greatly enhances the multi-player aspect of the game by allowing you to find a trade or battle partner nearly any time of the day, the lack of which being a hindrance to earlier Pokemon iterations. In a game where you a urged to become the best trainer you can be, the ability to almost instantly test this fact allows the player to obtain the afore mentioned sense of accomplishment that will keep them playing.

So despite being slightly chlidish with a dull storyline, Pokemon Diamond presents the greatest asset of the franchise, a simple battle system with highly complex nuances, in a way that has left me completely addicted to it. Even while typing this, I have been thinking about the best combinations of pokemon for my team, what moves to give them, and how best to train them. It is amazing how this game has infected me and I cannot see myself giving it up anytime soon. I haven't even begun battling online or with friends yet, and I doubt that will do anything but strengthen my resolve to be the best. Now if you'll excuse me, I have tiny creatures to subjugate to my will and force to do my violent bidding.

Hello and welcome to Name of the Game blog! My name is Michael Ridgaway and I'm a lifelong gamer (except for a few dark years in the beginning) who loves to play and discuss videogames. In this blog I'll be reviewing both old and new games, writing essays on videogame design elements, and occasionally ranting about some feature or game that I find particularly odious. New updates will be posted on Friday, at the very latest, with at least one update per week. In addition I will begin podcasting a weekly session about my digital adventures sometime in the future. Discussion is highly encouraged and if you like what you see feel free to shoot me an e-mail at nameofthegameblog@gmail.com. Hell, shoot me an e-mail even if you don't like what you see, I always enjoy a good argument.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will visit again. An actual post should be up in a couple of days, but until then I leave you with the Fallout 3 teaser trailer. Yummy.