Learning to Play
In preperation for my move into my solo play, I have been spending the last two days reading the manual that came with the Final Fantasy game. I know it is not protocol for most ‘gamers’ to read before they play, but this is an exception. I am becoming more and more aware of the differences in types of gamers, and realizing that although I played from Pong to Mario to Killer Instinct, my (personal) experience in console games havent moved much beyond that.

And so,

I am learning, the hard way, the leaps and bounds of differences between pc gaming and console gaming. The comparison between platforms only begins with the hand/eye coordination requirements. So many buttons on a console controller. So much easier on the pc with my four arrow keys.

Shrinking My Horizons: From massive to solo play
Stepping a bit outside of my element, I have chosen to work with a solo player game for the comparative analysis component of my game studies course. I chose to work with Final Fantasy X-2. Although not a multi-player game, I am still within my comfort zone working with an RPG. I am looking forward to exploring some of my usual research questions surrounding identity construction and maintenance in a single player game. X-2 is an innovative space since it defies some traditional elements of rpg’s such as an open map from the beginning offering broader boundaries to explore during missions.

As for the film, I have chosen Nightmare Before Christmas. Although not an obvious choice for comparison, but I think it will make for some interesting links seeing as how the film is really an exploration of the self for Jack Skellington, which works well with some general concepts of rpg’s in terms of exploration and the development of identity (of both the player and the character).

This project will also give me an opportunity to read outside of my current corpus of literature venturing into film studies to explore the literature on character development via narrative, elements of identification between player/viewer and game/film. It feels nice to step away from mmog’s a teency bit.

Radio To Go
Since the discovery of WOXY.com, I have been an avid advocate for internet radio. The only thing that made me sad when woxy went internet only (abandoning the landlocked AM/FM band of the past) was that I could not take them with me during the day when I stepped away from my computer.

Thanks to Griffin Technologies, now I can bring the whole woxy gang with me! They have a new product called IFill. It basically allows you to record internet radio onto your ipod’s hard drive. You can allocate as much space as you want to it and can replay it on the go. A step beyond the radio, since its recorded, you can skip a song.

Thanks sashay for pointing me in the direction of this great add on. =)

Course on Cinema and Video Games
In my last semester of coursework for my Masters degree and I FINALLY get to take a class that focuses specifically on video games and all the issues that surround them. Our first task is to choose a game and a movie in order to do some comparative work. (It is a cinema course afterall). We must choose a game we have not played and document our play experience (learning curve, immersive elements, interactivity, etc). From my understanding (the course is given in french) we are to compare these elements to the movie that we choose. In the case of mmog players such as myself, we are welcome to document our play in terms of where we are now compared to the process of getting to our specific level.

I am torn between working on mmog related material – character development in mmog’s versus character development in a film (perhaps even a fantasy type film) and taking off into left field and do something I haven’t done at all. I have considered taking Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas and do some work with the game. Although a liscenced game, it breaks a few boundaries in the fact that it is an extension of the movie and not meant to be a replica. That and the fact that the game devs consulted Burton on the making of the game and its script makes it an interesting link between games and movies in contrast to the more traditional “movie made from game” (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil) or “game made from movie” (LoTR, The Incredibles) formula.

I have until Monday to choose – so it’s still a bit up in the air.

The Shift from Print to Screen
I just recieved this month’s Technology Review in the mail and with it came a “Dear Subscriber” letter in it to inform me of some of the new and upcoming changes to the print edition of the magazine such as bimonthly editions and featuring longer articles in the print version and increasing the shorter articles on the website.

Although this shift should not shock me – especially with the crowd who read Technology review. But a part of me is sad that I have to be sitting at a computer to read the fast bits, I will miss being able to read on the bus or subway. As much as I am an advocate (at times) for digital living, there is still some things that paper can do that technology cannot. [Yes, I know I can get web-access on my cell phone, blackberry or palm pilot – but who wants to scroll through lines and lines of miniscule text on a moving vehicle?]

Games & Culture
As mentioned quite a few months ago now, there is a new journal out focusing specifically on(video) games called Games and Culture. Here is a link to the first sample issue. A relative who’s who in Game Studies, the first issue looks like a good read.

Happy New Year
A new year begins – 2006 – always strange when I look at dates and stop to ‘remember when’… it usually results in my realizing that I am not 21 any more and that nostalgic looking back ceases relatively quickly.

We had a good holiday, got to visit my family, eat LOTS of holiday food and our games collection has grown again. We got the Nightmare before Christmas game for PS2 as well as for my youngest daughter’s gameboy advanced SP (she didn’t want to have to fight dad for playstation time). She also got Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Kaznapped! which she is quite fond of.

Other games added to our collection this holiday season – Sims2 (for my oldest daughter – admittedly a bit late – sadly she had to uninstall EverQuest and Sims to have space to run it .. guess its time for the girls to get an upgrade). My partner got the even more anticipated Resident Evil 4 – finally released on PS2. Metal Gear Solid 3 and Prince of Persia – Warrior Within made it into our stockings as well.

Fit that in with my lagging attempt to hit lvl 60 in WoW, while (very) slowly grinding AA’s in EQ and another full course load of my LAST!!! semester of course-work in my Master’s program – which looks like a promising semester with a class on methodology, a contemporary theory class (focusing on Baudrillard and Foucault) and a class (in french) on cinema, video games and interactive fiction. Should keep me busy =)

Happy Holidays
Off to visit family for 10 days – Yipee! So much turkey and stuffing.
Be back in the New Year – hope you get all the games you’ve asked for. I know top of our list is the new (and one year late) Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge game – a favorite movie in our household, we are looking forward to getting to play the skeletal hero Jack (no matter what the review says!).
Have a happy holiday.

Academic vs General Research
Over at my WoW guild’s message board, a member posted a link to an article done on the fly to see what type of people/players are playing MMOG’s. Their methodology?

“we decided to spend ALMOST 30 MINUTES compiling the 10 player archetypes that make up the barren husks of human matter behind the keyboard. And trust me, we covered them all. Didn’t miss one. See for yourself!”

Interesting archetypes I daresay with a touch of comedy for good measure … I responded by offering the guild some academic culture with links from terra nova, richard bartle and nick yee (forgive me, my links seem broken from this point of the post on..). I know that what separates academic research and material like this article is methodology. But I guess it kind of bothers me that someone who spends a year of their life (slight exaggeration here for effect) working towards creating a typology of player types in mmog’s only to reach the same conclusion as a bunch of guys who, in 30 minutes outline 10 player types complete with comedic anecdotes and humorous pictures.

Edible bits of WoW

Making games fun in the kitchen. hope you have maxed your cooking skills.
Check out this contest sponsored by Intel and Blizzard.

The baking hats are on as of December 2nd! Pull out the flour, bring out the mixers, and preheat the oven — now is the time for our bakers to shine! We want to see our worlds come alive… in cookie form! Any recognizable bit of the Warcraft, Starcraft, or Diablo universes will do, but the important part is its existence as a cookie. Snap a photograph of your baked goods and send it in. The five best cookies will be awarded a Nintendo DS and a copy of The Lost Vikings Game Boy Advance cartridge for their baking prowess! Get out the mixer; now’s the time to level your real life cooking skill to 300!