Mike Wants a Game Job

I know I promised a podcast today, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. This past weekend was a sordid array of discovery and disappointment where I found out that podcasting is much harder than it looks. I'll be working throughout the week to finish it, but until then hang tight. Also, if anyone has words of encouragement, this would definitely be the time for them.

Sweet fancy Moses but the last couple of weeks has been crazy for me! Between working 12 hour shifts, a general lack of sleep, and trying to not to go completely insane from cabin fever, I haven't had a lot of time to write. Thankfully life is getting back to normal and I"ll be moving to a normal 9-5 schedule at work, so I’ll definitely be able to create a more regular writing schedule for myself. Additionally, I’ll be attempting my first podcast this weekend, so check back on Monday for that.

Last time I talked about the positive impact and videogames have had on my life so, as promised, I would like to now address the negative effects videogames can have on people. Every other week it seems like there is a new TV host, politician, or other angry citizen laying the blame for all of society’s ills on videogames, but I will strive to be a little more rational than these wackjobs. According to them, a person would think that before the advent of videogames the world was a peaceful and happy place, bereft of any kind of violence or immorality. Because it’s not like there were ever things like world wars, unspeakable violence, or indecent behavior before videogames.

Oh wait, there was. Lots of it.

Videogames cannot and should not be blamed for all the problems of the world, but that does not mean they are free of danger. Many videogames feature moderate to extreme amounts of violence and/or place the player in a moral vacuum where murder and mayhem are required to progress in the game (GTA, I’m looking at you here, buddy). Children should not be allowed to play these games, just as they should not be exposed to any type of media without the proper context. For lack of a better term, children are insane, impressionable, little monkeys without any type of filter through which to judge the world. Would you let an insane, impressionable, little monkey without any type of filter through which to judge the world be shown an incredibly violent scenario and expect them to sort it out as a mature adult would? If so, please contact me so I can meet you and give you the smack upside the head you so richly deserve. If not, congratulation! You realize that what children hear and see can have an effect on them. Videogames can set a bad example for children, but it is up to the family to set an example and pay attention to what the child is doing and foster healthy development.

Another negative effect is the possibility of videogame addiction. This is an issue that has only recently come to light and an interesting discussion on the topic from NPR can be found here (I can’t say I agree with the "videogames are badâ€? tone many of the guests take, though). I myself have never been physically or mentally addicted to anything, but I do have an addictive personality. If I encounter something that I really resonates with me I find that I am unable to pry myself away until I am finished with it, be it a certain television show, a video game, a book, or a project that I am working on. It’s a habit that, combined with my inclination to procrastinate, has always proved a bit of a nuisance, but it is something I have never allowed to get in the way of my career, education, or personal life. Still, I can understand how it could be possible for some people to develop a dependency on videogames, just as it is apparently possible for genetically disposed person to develop an addiction to almost anything. Again, videogames have a potential downside, but nothing more than what one would encounter with anything else in the world.

Nothing in this world is completely good or completely bad, and as such the existence of videogames has both positive and negative consequences for the world. Yes, they can entertain people and, at least in the case of my childhood, present good role models for them to follow, but they can also showcase bad role models and poor behavior. As a gamer, whenever I hear someone belittle my cherished pastime my first inclination is to immediately shoot back without really thinking about the point they were making. It’s a fleeting sensation, thankfully, and while I do eventually make myself think about what the person was saying, there are many people on both sides of the fence that refuse to listen to any differing opinion at all. Such an attitude is probably the single greatest threat that any society can face, as evident by the many conflicts civilization has seen within the last century and prior, and it is far greater than any danger videogames could ever pose.

Can’t we all just get along?

Promise not to tell anyone, but I have a conscience. Shocking, I know, but alas I am the sad victim of a little voice in my head that tells me to do good. And wouldn't you know it, I think I picked the damn thing up from videogames.

It is rare to hear of videogames having a positive effective on a person"s life, but here I am before you (digitally speaking) proclaiming that it is true. Even though I have been a gamer since childhood I am not a violent, maladjusted psychopath or a complete slacker, but rather a successful, contributing member of society with a strong moral compass. More than anything else, I know my parents are the main reason I turned out as well as I did through their continual love and support, but I sincerely believe videogames helped to cement many of the lessons they taught me about how to act and treat other people. If I know of someone who could use my help with something, I feel compelled to do so. If I give less than 100% effort on a project, I feel guilty about it for days, even though that imperfect performance could still have been exemplary. If I have extra money left over from my paycheck (after bills and the requisite saving), I often donate it to charity or use it treat my friends. I CANNOT STOP BEING NICE, and I blame it on videogames.

My road to morality was cleverly disguised as simple entertainment: as a child I played many games where I assumed the role of a hero with the normal hero responsibilities, i.e. bringing peace to the land, rescuing the damsel, and generally being an all-around stand-up guy. These heroes exemplified the values I was being taught by my parents and the two forces worked in tandem to teach me important lessons about courage, integrity, and compassion. For instance, Final Fantasy 4 presents players with Cecil, a dark knight suffering from a guilty conscience after unknowingly killing innocents at the behest of his king. Despite the fact that what happened was not technically his fault, he still strives to make things right and, in doing so, overcomes his past crimes and becomes a paladin, a holy warrior. By the end of the game, I was left with a wonderful feeling of growth and learned about the power of people to overcome their past and help those around them.

Link from The Legend of Zelda series was another favorite hero of mine. Link is a silent hero; his thoughts are never revealed to the player nor does he speak with any of the other characters in the game. I have always loved playing these character; loquacious ones often spoil the immersive quality of a game through bad dialogue or silly speeches. Due to Link’s silence I easily found myself engrossed in the Zelda games I played, leading me to wonder why Link kept persevering through all the obstacles he felt. Eventually I came to the conclusion that Link knew that people were depending on him and the task before him was something only he could do. These feelings were instilled in me, and before I knew it I started to be more concerned about doing my part to help out others be someone whom others could depend on.

There you have it, the sad story of my descent into morality and kindness. At least I can be consoled by the fact that there was usually a reward associated with good deeds in gaming, so I can rationalize my good behavior by telling myself that I will eventually be rewarded for it. For example, in many games a character will be rewarded for his exemplary behavior with an item of considerable power, after all one tends not to entrust uncaring jerks with artifacts of arcane power capable of destroying enemies in a single blow. In the real world, however, I know that there are rarely such concrete rewards for doing good; more often than not the only thing a person stands to gain is the pleasant feeling that comes from helping another person. Over the years that has become enough for me to develop my own conscience, and a rather strong one at that.

Since I’m sounding like an after school special I’ll let the forces of sarcasm and bitterness in my psyche regroup before I attempt to write anymore.  Next time I’ll be writing about the possible negative impacts of videogames, because if they can influence people in positive ways I certainly believe there can be a downside. Until then maybe I should see about getting my own Dateline special as a "good gamer.â€? Then I could finally pitch my idea to Stone Phillips for a buddy comedy starring him and myself as conjoined, zombie-hunting desperados in post-apocalypse Soho.

It’s fun to dream. 

Game: Overlord for PC by Triumph Studios

Premise: Player is a recently revived evil Overlord who must reassert his dominance over the lands surrounding his battered tower. Through the use of minions and various spells the player solves puzzles, defeats heroes, rebuilds his tower and reasserts his rightful place as dark lord over all he surveys.

Graphics: On a medium-end gaming machine graphics were rich and detailed with very few instances of slow-down or skipped frames. Environmental and lighting effects properly enhanced the mood of most areas and character models were well done and distinctive among the major characters, although there was a lack of similar diversity in the minor characters (for example, I encountered the same peasant about a hundred times over the course of the game).

Sound: Music and sounds effects were standard fare for fantasy games, but well done nonetheless. Of particular note is the Disney-esque music of the first area that accompanies your violent conquest of the human and Halfling villages nicely. Voice-acting was generally funny and immersive, such as the child-like delight in the minions’ voices as they retrieve treasure and armor for their beloved Overlord; however, overuse of NPC dialogue was prevalent and became annoying at times.

The Good: I have always been a big advocate of games that let you control vast numbers of lesser creature (i.e. Pikmin), and this game has it in droves. Even better, these minions display a more complex and intelligent AI than I have seen in such games and it was a relief not having to worry about my horde of followers accidentally killing themselves in a random fire or puddle. The game also gives players a choice between being completely or only sort of evil, so even gamers with a conscience will be able to play the game without encountering too many moral dilemmas. Speaking of evil, it’s so rare that one can play the bad guy in a game and actually be rewarded for it that the experience is reminiscent of a much-needed vacation: every so often you just need to get away from being a hero and just be a bastard for a while.

The Bad: I found myself wanting to know more about the back stories of many of the characters in the game, especially the fallen heroes whom the Overlord must defeat to advance. The story reveals a few details about these characters near the end of the game, but enhancing the plot by revealing more detailed backgrounds could have made the game truly epic. Also, the first area of the game, Mellow Hills, is the only area in the game where you really get to feel like an evil overlord. The area presents you with an idyllic pastoral setting complete with a peasant village and hobbit settlement (evil hobbits, but hobbits nonetheless) for the player to defile to their heart’s content. The other areas are still fun, but all are either besieged and/or already defiled to some degree, so the experience becomes about being a hero again, even if it is only so that the people worship the correct evil Overlord. Finally, using the PC keyboard to control the Overlord and all his minions can become difficult in the heat of battle, but this could probably be remedied through the purchase of a controller or by playing the game on the Xbox 360.

Why You Should Play This Game: Overlord is fun little excursion from the normal hero antics of most video games and sports an excellent sense of humor. My girlfriend watched me play through the first area and even she, a non-gamer, was enthralled by the experience. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation.

My Girlfrend: So you’re controlling those little goblins? Me: Yup. My Girlfriend: Are….are those pumpkins on their heads? Me: Yeah, they’re using them as helmets. Adorable little helmets. And those two are carrying away servant wenches for my Dark Tower. My Girlfriend: That’s kinda hot. By the way, when are you gonna get a mistress for your tower? Me: That’s my next quest.

Overall Rating: Deliciously evil

A few days ago I visited the Pokemon trading forums on GameFaqs for the first time and found something I was not expecting: a bustling economy. I've always had a strained relationship with economies in massively multiplayer games; by the time I"m ready to start exploring such aspects they are already glutted with players who have seemingly infinite reserves of goods and capital and, as a newcomer, it is very hard to break in. Personally, when I know there are rare or more powerful items out there that other players possess in abundance, I begin to get envious and disgruntled by the fact that I cannot seem to obtain these items. This eventually turns into distaste for the game, which lingers until the next time I log in and am reminded once again of my comparative poverty, driving me off again. I’m able to get a fair amount of enjoyment out of the game up until that point, but once it becomes necessary for me to interact with the game economy the experience quickly ceases to be fun for me.

It happened to in Diablo 2, Kingdom of Loathing, and Magic (not a videogame, but the "spend more money to win more� philosophy seems applicable here), and I’m afraid the next victim of this trend may be Pokemon. I’ve always wondered: is it possible to have a balanced economy in a massively multi-player environment? How does one prevent hacking or players using multiple accounts to garner more than a fair share? How do regulations or a lack thereof influence player enjoyment?

 So far, I’ve found that Urban Dead has my favorite form of massively multiplayer economy: none. Characters cannot trade items with each other, and even if they could, there are not any rare or super-powerful items that would cause a large of amount of jealousy. Any item in the game can be scavenged from the appropriate building, with malls being the ultimate in one-stop scavenging. I know that once I’m ready to get myself a shotgun, all I have to do is head towards the nearest mall and start looting, not spending hours seeking out the one item the shotgun trader wants. The creators kept things simple in this respect, and this design element has kept me focused on the adventure and role-playing aspects of the game, keeping me happily occupied with my character’s survival instead of his economic standing.

While the economy of Urban Dead works, in my opinion, I realize that it is an extreme way to control an economy. I’m certain there must be some happy balance between fun and business out there, perhaps one where rare items are limited and very specialized so as not to make them the end-all-be-all of the game. Of course, I could solve the problem for myself by just playing the game and not worrying about being the best and having the best items, but then that just wouldn’t be me. A gamer has to keep his self-esteem up somehow, you know?

Seriously though, anybody have any spare Pokemon? There are still a few out there I haven’t caught.

I've been super busy lately but there'll be a new blog on Tuesday, I promise. Until then enjoy this 100% percent true video.

Sorry for the lack of a second update last week, folks. I know I've been setting a bad precedent here, but it is extremely annoying when you have a lovely post ready to upload only to have your website time-out and delete the post without having saving it. It's a feeling similar to not saving a game for three hours then having a freak lightning strike or needlessly difficult boss end your quest, almost like you’ve had that time forever stolen away from you. Whenever something like that happens, be it with a videogame or writing, it takes me a few days to work up the desire to get back into it, so here I am.

Speaking of things that can make me stop playing a game, I’m working on a formal essay regarding difficulty in videogames. In my opinion it’s a design element that can make or break or game and can influence future profits by luring or scaring consumers away from a particular franchise or game design studio.  Originally I had planned to make a single blog post on this subject, but I soon realized it was a topic I could not speak about without going into detail. Hopefully this will give me a chance to practice my formal writing skills and give those of you who read this blog something to critique.

In the meantime, I urge you to check out Urban Dead, a browser based MMORPG set in a town besieged by zombies. Players can be either human or undead and learn new skills while struggling to survive in an expansive cityscape. There’s a limit on the things you can do each day which may seem annoying at first, but it soon becomes clear that it’s a nice little hook to keep you checking in throughout the day. UD is a lovely way to kill some time while bored or at work (not that I would ever do anything like that), plus you get to kill zombies.

Man, I hate the undead.