Archive for the ‘Playing’ Category

In the always-fun-to-read comic book "Y the Last Man" by Brian K Vaughn, all of mankind has been wiped off the face of the earth, leaving all of womankind to recreate a society. Well, almost all of mankind; there's still Yorick, the sole surviving and somewhat helpless guy. And many of the surviving women want to get ahold of him so they can procreate with him or kill him, and often both. Lots of twists and surprises, great dialogue, and an action-packed journey across America. Perfect for a video game, wouldn't you say?

The folks at Packet Switched Press think so and they mocked up a trailer for the game, with explanations of game play. One innovative aspect, to make use of the newer widescreen monitors, is the 4-paned screen that gives you a large window showing where your focus is, while 3 smaller windows to the side can show you different POVs of the same scene or different scenes altogether, since in Vaughn's layer-heavy stories there's a lot going on at the same time. There are also suggestions that the players be able to click on Autopilot and just enjoy the story.

Has anyone approached Vaughn or DC Comics about making a Y game? No clue. But this would be a good start.

The sun rose reluctantly, carefully stretching its wan rays of light through the misty morning fog air to rest on the huddled forms on the sidewalk. One of them stirred, a tousled head emerging with a yawn. "Is it time yet? Are they here?"

Next to him his comrades slowly struggled to their feet, swaying slightly. They were bundled in coats, knit hats, and blankets against the chill but their steely eyes blazed with resolute purpose. There was a palpable feel of intense anticipation; these people had a mission and they were determined to see it through, no matter the cost. For hours they had waited in hardship, with hours more to come, and still there was no sign of wavering or weakness. I was one of them, holding silent vigil in the December morning, and my goal was as clear as the paper sign taped to the wall: "Nintendo Wii Line Starts Here."

I was one of the greenest, having arrived at a measely 6 a.m., only two hours before the stated sell time. Hard-bitten veterans near the front of the line had been bivouaced for days, with their base camps of sleeping bags and massive Thermos mugs established on the Wal-Mart sidewalk. They talked among themselves in spirited terms as they shared donuts and power bars, laughing and confident of their success.

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Voyeurs, take note: now you watch the same person in two different places at once! What a timesaver!

To demonstrate a) the amazing potentials of the online 3D world Second Life, b) the amazing flexibility of some Intel thingamabob, and c) that New Yorkers are capable of ignoring anything, acclaimed virtual designer Versu Richelieu is spending 72 hours in a storefront window at 5th Avenue and 39th Street living her life entirely through a computer. She is also inside Second Life, where her avatar is busily designing a copy of the street she's on in real life. Got all that?

For the next three days she'll be ordering her food and entertainment online, demonstrating the usefulness of computers and probably boosting her WoW levels to some ridiculous, Cartman-killing number. I stopped in and watched as she whipped up a street sign and some traffic lights. It was sort of like watching God, if God wore Lennon glasses and was into urban renewal. Versu stepped away from her creations and answered a few questions.

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The first adventure written for the award-winning Serenity RPG game is out, finally. Had a few months of delays, some confusion over contracts, and I received an e-mail from Amazon saying they were canceling my preorder because they weren't getting it the same day Margaret Weis Productions announced it was available.

All is well, I got a copy, and eagerly dove in.

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We're past the celebrity baby births and news of Paris Hilton's new hip hop album, leaving only the seas of blood to complete the disaster trifecta, but I'm remaining optimistic because my youngest son has found true love and it's a wonderful thing to see.

James is 13-almost-14 and the change in him has been remarkable. Where once he was mainlining DVDs and living on Long John Silver's while playing Worlds of Warcraft for weeks at a time, now he has let those childish things fade away as he takes that next step towards manhood and focuses with laser-like intensity on the new love of his life: the Xbox 360.

I was astounded when he bought one a few weeks ago, mostly because he had managed to keep from spending any money since Christmas to afford it. This is roughly akin to a tree deciding to save its leaves until spring; James isn't usually aware that he's spending his money. It just occurs, the way a dog sheds. But this time he held onto every dollar with an iron fist, begging to do chores for some extra bucks (while still avoiding the usual chores he ostensibly gets an allowance for, of course) and selling everything he could bear to part with. It was inspiring to watch, and a little frightening.

Finally he was within range and he traded in his old Xbox and his Playstation II — once treasured, now only recyclable plastic — for credit to reach his goal. He watched the salesman bring it to him like a proud groom waiting at the altar. When we drove home he carried his new prize in his arms, cooing to it softly, and since then they've been inseparable. It's sweet to watch, really. I never knew he had such a romantic streak in him.

I'm not exaggerating, here. He's been showing pictures of it to friends. Coming up to brag to me for hours about how great it is. Discarding all the games and accessories from previous, lesser systems. Writing "Xbox 360" on all of his notebooks. Planning for future accessories together. At this point I'm just waiting for him to come up to me, with his Xbox and an awkward expression, and say, "Dad, we have to tell you something. . ."

Still, all in all I have to say this beats a girlfriend for him from any objective standpoint. Cheaper, ultimately; games may be pricy but they can be rented or bought used. He got the game he really wanted, "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion," on eBay; yes, I tried to explain the ironic appropriateness of using eBay to search for oblivion, but he just looked at me funny. And Xbox Online isn't any more a month than he would spend on cars or dates. Plus, we've had the Safe Gaming talk, so I'm not worried about viruses.

If anything, I'm envious. Did I ever have such a pure relationship? And you have to admit, tossing your old loves up on a counter to get credit towards a new one is pretty cool. Try that with girlfriends and they just get mad at you.

And what can girlfriends give you that an Xbox 360 can't? Speaking for a 13-almost-14-year-old boy, I mean. Adventure, amazing graphics, fast-paced excitement, golfing with Tiger Woods, flying with a WWII squadron. . . who could compete? Besides, in this relationship, he's completely in charge. Few girlfriends let you pause and pick up again later. He can change its face to match his room. He doesn't have to dress up for his Xbox, or even bathe. He can ask for advice from friends that actually works. It doesn't have in-laws to deal with. And the Xbox 360 comes with an instruction book.

All I know is, if some girl ever tries to get James interested in her, she better have a wireless controller.

Why wait for the plastic and resin versions? Print out and assemble your very own bulk transport ship with Jorge A. García's paper Serenity kit. It's free, and pretty damn awesome.

Warning: the instructions aren't in English, but there are plenty of pictures to follow. Be sure to scroll all the way down the page; there's also instructions for making a movie version.

There's another version, based on this one, by Sean White. You can follow his progress and download the files at his blog, or download the files from summerglau.co.uk).

Want a soft, squeezable hero to call your own? You gotta check out Custom Rag Dolls by Lily. She's working on creating dolls that resemble "certain characters from a certain show that's not on anymore," and they look great.

There's the Mercenary (pictured), complete with cunning hat and boots, there's the Mechanic in her jumpsuit, and the Psychic in a pinafore, boots, and oversized sweater. There are gorgeously designed and make great gifts for Browncoat friends such as, well, you.

Stardoll.com (formerly Paper Doll Heaven) has added Summer Glau for your sartorial pleasure. Dress her up in any number of different clothing combinations, change the color of her hair, eyeshadow, and lips, and save your creations to share with friends.

OK, she's in a very unRiver pose, there are no Riveresque outfits, and her hair appears brushed. But other that that… So where's the rest of the crew? Where's Morena and her filmy outfits, or Gina and her leathers? For that matter, where's Adam with his t-shirts and guns, or Nathan with his one pair of pants, brown coat, and pretty floral bonnet? You've got some catching up to do, Stardoll!

Major League Gaming, the first professional video game league (of course there's a professional video game league) has just announced that the MLG 2006 pro circuit will be broadcast on the USA Network, finally catapulting the grueling challenge of video game competition into the fast-paced world of professional sports. I don't know about you, but I can't wait. . .

"And we're back! This is Rick Riviera in Chicago, with Josie McLellan from Game-itude Magazine; Mitch Miskelli, the first kid to ever get a perfect score in Super Mario Brothers back in 1985–"

"I'm not a kid, I'm 37 now–"

"–and Game-Ho.com's Mr. Freeze, and we're here at the 2006 Boost Mobile Major League Gaming playoffs. First up is the Halo 2 competitions, where Josie has the news. Josie?"

"Thanks, Rick! It's been an exciting game so far, and the players aren't giving an inch. JaiBen327, 13-year-old captain of the D'ohBoyz, has been playing Halo 2 nonstop ever since he torrented a stolen beta copy in the summer of 2004, and he's bringing all that experience to the field this afternoon. But the Pwn Wolves want it just as bad. Mr. Freeze?"

"JaiBen327 is indeed an incredible player. In the last heat when his mother interrupted his precisely timed melee attack to make him take out the trash he kept on sticking people right and left, getting three more kills without ever spilling the bag. His final doublekill was stolen, however, when the Pwn Wolves' Juxtapose took off JaiBen327's overshield with a PP and BRed him just as JaiBen was switching from the BR to the shotty. Bad luck, there. Mitch, what did you think?"

"Hey, did I ever tell you kids about the time I found out how to jump Mario into the secret coin level?"

"Yes. Josie, how did JaiBen327 take that last death?"

"I got to talk to him right afterwards, Rick, and here's what he had to say. JaiBen327, how do you think this season is turning out for you?"

"Good, good. We got the Microsoft sponsorship, and that's really helped with the replacement gear and the private jets and everything. Sure cheered Dad up!"

"I'll bet it did. I notice that you use the claw technique, with your middle fingers on the controller buttons leaving your thumb in control of the stick. Do you find that gives you the advantage?"

"Actually I am no longer able to bend my hand in any other direction and must be fed and clothed by my support staff."

"Bummer! In your last game you had just made an incredible no-shield melee/BR kill that had the crowd jumping in their seats when you were vaporized in a rocket attack immediately afterwards. Do you regret the move?"

"Regret is a name, Josie. Whoops, I'm spawned! Later!"

"Any last words, JaiBen327?"

"PWNZORS!!!1!1!!1one1!"

"Thank you, JaiBen327. Back to you, Mitch!"

"What are you people saying? Are you speaking English?"

"Thanks, Mitch. Rick?"

"Well, the crowds here at GameSpot Stadium are really going wild today. Excitement is high, and the Goodyear Covenant Dropship is circling over–"

"Wait, check it out, JaiBen327's in trouble!"

"You're right, Mr. Freeze. He's back in play but Juxtapose was spawncamping. It looks like… yes… yes… 0wned! JaiBen327 is down for the count. Josie, can you see what's happening there?"

"Juxtapose just took out JaiBen327 and now it looks as if he's preparing for his signature move. Yes, he's squatting… there he goes! And the crowd loves it, Rick!"

"And that brings us to halftime. The MySpace Marching Band is firing up their MP3s but stay tuned for our incisive and painfully exhaustive mid-game analysis. One last word from Mitch. Mitch?"

"I don't understand any of this. People actually pay to watch kids play video games? Where are your parents? Why am I even here?"

"Because we needed someone old enough to buy beer for the championships. We'll be back with the Smash finals right after this word from new Mountain Dew Intravenous. Drip the Dew!"

Need something to push around your Serenity Role-Playing Game maps? Until we get official miniatures we'll need to make do, and for now "Captain Nathan" from Heresy Miniatures will do just fine.

Comes with a base and replaceable weaponry. Click here for better pics, and let's hope we see more. Engineer Jewel, Pilot Alan, Wacko Ninja Summer…