yugijak

So I recently came to learn about the game Six Days at Fallujah and the 'controversy' that followed with a quick abandonment under the pretense 'it's a game' thanks to Extra Credits and their video on Game Controversy.

(For those who don't know Extra Credits is a channel on YouTube that creates lecture videos on various aspects of game development and game design, and a fair amount of what's covered can be applied to other subjects as well.  By all means check them out.)

And after learning about the whole thing of 'it's a game' and the idea of people at first seeing games as a kind of toy it immediately got me thinking:

What's in a game?

Not as in what's IN a game but WHAT'S in a game.

Allow me to explain things.

Typically, the subject matter of a game will fall into one of three categories:

- A serious topic handled in a fictitious manner
- A fictitious topic handled in a fictitious manner
- A fictitious topic handled in a serious manner

An example of the first one would be the first Call of Duty game.  Actually, scratch that, a better example would be Spec Ops: The Line, which was a third person shooter set in a post-catastrophe Dubai where the player would have to rescue a specific individual.  Over the course of the game however there are several hallucinations and it forces the player to take note of the horrors of war by making many morally grey decisions over the course of play.  The game handles modern tactics and real threats in a fictitious way by using fake characters in real places facing potentially real problems.

The second one is easy.  Slime Rancher, Minecraft, Doom, all of these use a set of fictitious topics that are handled in a fictitious manner.  How do you manage to kill the Ender Dragon in Minecraft?  By finding a portal, creating several Ender Eyes, loading up on gear and heading to The End.  How do you defeat demons in Doom?  You shoot them until they die and then shoot them some more.  These are focused on fake things and are purely for entertainment and nothing really else.  You aren't supposed to take them seriously

The third one is a bit trickier.  But a good example is easily Dust: An Elysian Tail.  The game focuses on the story of the main character Dust as he tries to recover from his amnesia.  A fake character, but in a genuine situation that reacts genuinely to what goes on around him.

Now, the kicker is that there is actually a forth type.  A serious topic handled in a serious manner.  News, certain kinds of modern fiction, and even some artwork or music focus on real, serious things that can really, seriously happen and deal with them seriously.

But every time a video game tries to do this, like with Six Days at Fallujah, it's shot down in a massive controversy.  Why is that?

Some people think that it's because video games might need a better name to allow them to be taken more seriously, but I disagree.  I heard the argument that comics got respect when they changed to graphic novels, but that didn't really seem to happen either.

Graphic novels seem to often be there own thing entirely.  If anything, the term graphic novel came around about the same time manga started gaining popularity here in the US.  And I've seen graphic novels sat alongside comics sat alongside manga sharing a similar name but all being different.  Hell I owned a graphic novel that was a collection of the original Dark Phoenix Saga comics, and I do mean the original.

What changed wasn't the name of comics.  What changed was what people thought what a comic really was.  What was in a comic.  And what was categorized as a comic.  It became interchangeable.

There are several games out there now that are close to this already.  Paintball is a game at it's core, so are sports and definitely board and card games.  But video games get caught out for it.

And yet why?

So now I'd like to ask a favor, and for the first time it's about Twitter and hashtags.  Whenever you're on the topic of games, or you feel that people need to reconsider just what a game is, use the following hashtag:

#whatsinagame

I'd like to see people give them more thought.  They're more than just toys or entertainment.  They're experiences, just like any other game, and like any piece of work (novel, art, movie or otherwise) they are only limited by what we as a society limit them to.

I for one feel that Six Days at Fallujah should have been made, if only so more people knew about that battle and so that the troops who died could have their names honored.  The fact that people who lost relatives and actual survivors in that battle got behind this game really made me pause.

So ask yourself:

What's in a game?

   WARNING!

    The following rant will feature an excess of swearing, geek rage, obsession, and general profanity/rudeness

    If you are easily offended by any of this, please go somewhere else.  I currently.  Do not.  Give a shit.

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    Okay, so I recently started playing Monster Hunter.  The original game.  It's amazing.  Think the pace and forethought of Dark Souls with the plethora of gear and foes from Bayonetta.  The game relies on forethought and research, actual FUCKING RESEARCH, to pull of a quest successfully, solo or otherwise (though right now I'm only playing solo because no PS2 emulator internet.  Which sucks)

    I love a game like this.  Yes it's grindy, but it rewards thorough persistence and forethought with the gratifying sound of a monster falling for the final time, leaving you free to carve the fuck out of them and turn all that shiny, shiny loot for badass gear.

And you know what?  You can't get it on PC or console.  AT.  ALL.

    What the living fuck Capcom?  What.  The living.  FUCK!

    Ok, I know you can get it here in the US, but only on PSP, 3DS, and WiiU.  NONE OF WHICH I FUCKING OWN!  And the reason this makes me angry IS BECAUSE THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR CONSOLE AND PC BUT ONLY IN FUCKING JAPAN!!!!!!!!
    
    Are you shitting me here!?

    Oh, and as if that's not enough bullshit, get this.  They released the local play games here in the US, but we all play online.  And on top of that, the online play games are sold in Japan, WHERE EVERYONE PLAYS LOCALLY!

    GOD.  FUCKING.  DAMMIT!
    Were you HIGH when you did that Capcom?  Huh?!  WERE YOU!

    On top of THAT, the only decent games LIKE it ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE FUCKING PSP!?  WHAT IS WITH THIS SHIT!?  SERIOUSLY!

    And to preempt anyone wanting to suggest Hunter Blade, it's been closed.  FOR YEARS.

    And to ADD ONTO THAT BULLSHIT, while you can find a benchmark, when I used it on my computer, it said I wouldn't be able to run the game BECAUSE I NEED THE EXACT FUCKING SPECIFICS THAT ARE ON MY MOTHER FUCKING COMPUTER!

    -taking a moment to calm down...-

    Now think about THIS for a moment.  Imagine a Monster Hunter game on your PC, those of you who have played it.  It would be beautiful, because we could finally hunt down monsters as big as the colossi in Shadow of the Colossus.  Sounds insane, right?  Now imagine playing this on Steam, with actual decent fucking customer support and no DLC BULLSHIT LIKE ASURA'S FUCKING WRATH!!!  And now, picture this.  Mods.  Being able to mod the game.  Just...picture that.

    I would play nothing else ever fucking again.

    I mean, this is an idea that could be worth BILLIONS!  Monster Hunter is a brilliant game that encourages cooperative play and investing hours of effort into the best gear just for that one...more...kill.  Plus, it's quests are BUILT for long play sessions, which is PERFECT for PC.  And to top it off, it would be an online game in a country WITH A PERFECT FUCKING MARKET FOR IT!

    Just...just...son of a bitch, Capcom.  Can you stop fucking people over?  Please?  I don't like it.  I do not.  At all.

    Oh, and on another topic, for everyone who thought that Microsoft buying Minecraft 'wouldn't be a bad idea'.  I am going to preemptively tell you I FUCKING TOLD YOU SO!

    Why?  Five words.

    Minecraft Storymode by Telltale games.

    If you can't figure out why that is a terrible thing that will hurt minecraft, look up 'Infoquest II'.  Not only do I find the way it's made offensive as a gamer with the way the tropes seem to be used like it's someone's actual response to something (you will never find me saying 'shut up and take my money' about anything.  Commenting it...maybe, after I've done actual research and I find it's the Monster Hunter game I've been fucking dying for recently.  But I think I'd have the brain capacity to say 'sure I guess I'll buy it'.  I am not the mindless fuck you think I am.) but I'm sure anyone actually looking for information on a 'minecraft 2' has already lost what little respect they had in the gaming community.  Or is a troll.  Or some odd combination.  Also, 'a wild Mojangsta'?  Really?

    I will not spoil what pissed me off about it, but I will tell you that I'm thankful whatever hope I could have had for that idea never existed.  Because it will suck for anyone that actually plays Minecraft.  Just my thoughts.

    So with that, mum's the world, fuck the world, don't get butthurt and keep the smirk, I'm out.

Hi.

I probably have mentioned this to more or less EVERYONE that's ever thought it was a good idea to watch me here (sorry for updating never I know I suck) but I have a gaming channel on youtube!

It's actually been there or a while...so I have no idea why I'm mentioning this now...

ANYWAY

The point is that I actually have a channel for playing video games that I feel more people should play and such.  There's some Legend of Zelda, some M&L Superstar Saga, some Dust: An Elysian Tail, some Dead Space, and you can bet there'll be more coming too!

Here's a link to the channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCsedI…

Enjoy!  And sorry if I'm sort of tooting my horn or viewer fishing or anything like that.

Hey there everyone!

Now, I know I haven't posted anything in a LOOOOOONG time, but I think I may start fixing that.

See, I recently had an idea for a project, and I have NO idea where it came from.  Further more, I can't use the actual title because if I did I would offend people, but I will put it in once I put up the comic pages.

Yes.

Comic pages.

I am drawing this.

By myself.

God help us all.

All kidding aside, I'm going to take on this project as an attempt to reduce my amount of perfectionism and furthermore ACTUALLY GET STUFF THE FREAK DONE.

Fingers crossed everyone.

Anyway, I won't be spoiling TOO much of the plot here, but I will give you a summary AND hints toward the title before I finally tell you.  Do not scroll down past the warning mark if you want to try to figure it out.

Summary:  A rent that needs paid, a pair of magic middle fingers, and a dream to be the world's best bounty hunter all belong to a punk by the name of Jika Matseia.  When he sees a wanted poster for an incredibly infamous criminal, he takes the chance to simultaneously get his rent paid and fulfill his lifelong dream.  Of course, it can't be easy, but with his robotic buddy Ronenroka at his side and the power at his (middle) fingertips, one thing that is certain is that this will be a wild, wild ride.

Well, the summary is your hint.  The clue is actually near the beginning of the summary (check the part about his middle fingers), and if you spot it, you'll get it instantly.





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=====================TITLE SPOILER BEYOND THIS POINT!  GUESS FIRST!====================
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The title of the comic...

*drum roll*

...is F#@$ YOU!  (THIS IS NOT A JOKE THIS IS THE ACTUAL TITLE OF THE COMIC)

Okay, okay, I know the title isn't THAT clear, and I don't know why it is what it is, but nothing else fits!  Please believe me!

I'm also hoping I don't get too lazy, or that it sucks, or that I make it horrible...

Okay, I'm going to stop freaking out.  The first comic page will be out...when I get to it.  I want to first try out a cover page and then the first page.  Granted people might really despise the first page because of what I have in mind for it, but you know what?

Comic title.

LOL.

Yugijak Out.  Ja Ne~

After watching Summer Wars, needless to say, I have been blown back and pumped up.

For the many who have never heard of it, Summer Wars is a Japanese movie I recently watched an English Dub of about a kid named Kenji Koiso with a big talent for math and a job as part time moderator for OZ, a sort of virtual reality super-web where anything and everything can be managed.  The plot of the story kicks off when he agrees to help out his friend Natsuki by going with her for a couple of days only to instead be played off as a fake boyfriend.

As for the rest, you'll have to look it up yourself.  But man is that movie awesome!

I guess this is kind of just a random journal about how much I love that movie.  It can seem a bit slow, but it's definitely worth watching from beginning to end.  The animation for the characters in OZ is something I've never seen anywhere else.

Seriously, go watch it.

Yugijak Out.