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Tag Archives: Opinion

Royal Wedding

I had originally promised myself that I wasn’t going to cover this topic at all, but after a conversation about it at work something was said that I disagreed with so strongly I felt the need to talk about it here (Also, the fact I haven’t made a post in a while was a good reason too).

So, at work today a couple of people started talking about it, going into insane details about dresses, etc. My natural response was just to shake my head, to which people started getting offend and wondering why I was doing that. I expressed my disdain for it, to which someone responded with the point that everyone has something like that and I shouldn’t scoff at them for it.

While I normally would agree, I make a special exception to anything involving the royal family. When you look at sports, they involve players and teams that have worked hard to get to as far as they’re going. When you look at technology, the introduction of products and news relating to it has a practical application in society. But what does the monarchy bring to society these days? Nothing. They’re a legacy group of people that do nothing of value for society. As it is, the wedding is just a colossal waste of money that could easily be going to better things. The people who care about this wedding are the same group of people who read Entertainment Weekly and wonder about who in the celebrity world is with who.

So no, it isn’t quite the same. My only consolation was that the wedding didn’t break any Internet traffic records.

Microsoft’s Secret Tablet Strategy?

If any of you remember, a while back I criticized Microsoft’s lack of a tablet strategy.  With the market for tablets increasing at such a dramatic rate, Microsoft was looking to be two steps behind as usual with their push to use either Windows 7, a desktop OS not designed for tablets, or to use Windows 7 Embedded, which no one has had experience for nor really seen anything from.  Both of those options were terrible, and made you wonder if Microsoft would ever successfully enter the market.  However, over the past couple of weeks, I’m starting to think that Microsoft has an ace up their sleeve. Read More »

Apple’s iPad, New and Old

Ah Spring, when a young techie’s thoughts turn to new Apple products being released.  Well, not really, but once again we’re at that wonderful point in time when the news is saturated with rumors about the next iPad in anticipation of the event on Wednesday.

This time around, I actually care a considerable amount as to what they announce, considering I’m in their ecosystem.  After having had my iPad for over half a year now, I’m certainly sold on the formfactor right now.  Will I always want to stay in Apple’s ecosystem?  Probably not, but the fact of the matter is that all the competitors right now, while showing promise, lack the maturity and support that Apple’s products currently have.  Hopefully, within a year or so, I’ll be after an Android or WebOS tablet, but for now I will probably be buying a new iPad – mainly because I have a list of three or so people that will happily buy my old one off me used. Read More »

Dangers of Cross Game Promotions

Many of you already know about my disapproval of a lot of the practices that Team Fortress 2 has implemented into the game in the past little bit, but ignoring the whole buying items and trading aspect of it, I believe the most negative point about the game is the gigantic marketing tool that it’s become.  Let me explain:

Within the past year or so, Valve has been “teaming up” with various game developers, both big and small, and putting items and other goodies relating to both IPs in either game.  Inside of TF2, it usually consists of hats, miscellaneous items, and even reskins of weapons.  In the other game, it consists of other assorted cosmetic changes as well, usually wearable items.  All in all, fairly harmless additions to games, but I find the principle of the matter, as well as motivations of a large crowd of TF2 players to be the big problem.  With the ‘black market’ that exists inside of the game, a lot of people will simply buy the game to get their free items inside of TF2, and never even open the game.  As a great example, Valve’s most recent deal was with the game ‘Monday Night Combat’, a game I had been playing since the beta and have enjoyed thoroughly to the point of gifting it to a few people for Christmas.  Before the promotion, it was pretty much myself and the four people I bought it for who owned the game.  On Monday, when the game officially was released and the promotion was announced, a dozen people bought the game within twenty four hours.  Of those people, only four have actually played the game as of this morning.

Of course, the big argument to be made for this is that it’s increasing sales for the developer that chooses to advertise this way.  While flat-out sales are always good and do help them develop more games, there are two things to note from this.  One is that people should be aware that these developers are more than likely paying a substantial sum of money to Valve for this marketing.  I don’t know if anyone knows the exact dollar amount, but I imagine it would be a substantial sum since it requires them to design and implement items into the game.  Secondly, large sales don’t necessarily send the proper message to game developers.  While sales are good, it’s playtime as well as feedback that should be determining if a idea for a game works well or not.

While this lovey-dovey action between large and small developers may seem nice on the surface, I think it truly does hurt both games’ reputation.  One game turns into a gigantic marketing platform, and the other is simply getting sales without earning it through good gameplay.  Money may be the major benefit here, but I don’t think it’s a good option for consumers in the end.

Platformer Month: F.A.Q

Since I’ve started the list, I’ve received various criticisms, questions, and other feedback directly relating to the list.  So, instead of just calling these people trolls and trying my best to ignore them, I figured I’ll take the time to respond to them.

You’re just a hipster who picks games that have sold less than a million copies, haven’t you?

Incorrect.  I am, however, a great fan of independent game developers.  As a few of you may know, before I really got big into first-person shooter land, I was involved in the Deadly Rooms of Death community, going as far as being their website editor for a brief period of time, as well as contributing both storyline and my voice to one of the official level sets.  I have a great deal of respect for independent game developers, as the amount of effort they put in versus the average amount of money they get from it is negligible compared to big name titles, and it’s those kind of developers that will be willing to do adventurous and new concepts as opposed to turning out another simple sequel to a game that sold millions.  Does this mean that all independent games are good?  Of course not.  But, when a game is good and made by an indie developer, I feel the need to point it out.

Why isn’t insert name of your favourite game or series on here on the list?

Odds are because I haven’t played it.  This includes such series as Mega Man, Metroid, and I’m sure a few others.  Conversely, while I did enjoy Psychonauts, I simply haven’t played it for long enough to justify putting it on my list.

No Mario games!  Do you hate fun?

I do enjoy fun, but thanks for asking.  In my mind, Super Mario Bros. 3 would automatically be on the top of my list if I included Mario games.  It’s simply my favorite platforming game, as well as my favorite Mario game.  I remember visiting a friend a couple of months back and meeting her boyfriend, and the second he said that he had never played SMB3, we broke out the NES and played it that night for the simple reason of I felt he couldn’t consider himself a nerd if he hadn’t played it.  Heck, I even have plush Frog Mario, Hammer Bro Mario  and Tanooki Mario sitting in the back window of my car.  Mario games are very well done, and if anything have defined platformers for us.  I would honestly feel I would need to make a Top 10 Mario games list to actually give it justice.

I’ve never played any of these games!

Then play them.  The most expensive game on the list right now is probably Mirror’s Edge, and you can get that for $20 on Steam.  Or, even better, wait until the Steam Holiday sale that will happen in about a week and pick them up then.  No excuses!

You need to play  game x because it totally belongs in the spot where game y is!

Adding a game to my “To Play” list usually doesn’t end well.  Speaking as someone who owns more than 180 games on Steam and probably hasn’t played half of them, you may not get much luck with that.

Why do you suck at making lists?  I don’t agree with any of these choices!

This is a list of MY PERSONAL FAVORITE platformers.  Of course, your opinions may not match up with mine, but these are all games that I’ve enjoyed playing and have fond memories of.