Online Shenanigans

*Presses Start*

First off, Megan's on a roll, isn't she? Give her a hand! *claps*

Now to the good stuff.

Nowadays PSN and Xbox Live are a gamers second home. It makes you feel welcome. Accepted. Quaint. Playing online with millions of people across the world, making them all eat whatever you can dish out, it's a phenomenal experience that people around the world lose sleep over.

I can't stand it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a hermit, nor would I like my online systems disabled by any means. There are certain aspects of being online that I'm thankful for. I have friends everywhere that playing online is the only means of playing. However, I usually only play with friends. Not because I love my friends. Not because I love the netcode of the games.

It's because, by nature, human beings are assholes.

Playing online almost ruined my MVC3 playing because of the way people play (And still do) and it would get so frustrating and so ridiculous that the game that I waited to play for 10 years, I dropped in 2 months. It took a lot of convincing from friends to get back on the wagon and actually start playing, but now, I've limited it to just friends. I know we've all had that situation. Playing a game online just to run into that one person who needs to hit that instant win button. They make the game generally unendurable and maybe it's just my luck, but from Marvel to Madden to Modern Warfare, There's always that one.

On top of the online douchebaggery, The world wide web has never been the greatest place for competitive gaming. Some gamers will still get on with their dial up internet creating some of the slowest games ever. Lag is a terrible problem. It doesn't help the concentration when your game play looks like a slideshow. On top of all this, there are people to exploit this. Lag Switches are devices that temporarily disconnects you from the internet, and quickly connects you back. When happens, the person on the other end sees everything either in slow motion or catches the action in quick bursts, allowing the lag switcher to outmaneuver and do whatever is it to do to you to get the upper hand. It's a cheap way to get the win.

There's a ton more to talk about, like boosting, rapidfire, disconnecting, hacking, aimbots, exploits, etc, but then I'd be here all day. The main point that I'd like to bring up is there's nothing like having friends getting together and playing. Sure, I could play them online, but there's a certain feeling that you get when you've got your friends there. One of the best experiences I've had is getting friends together to play "X-Men Legends" when it dropped years ago. We were up all night, and then some. So much gaming. Same thing with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Multiplayer madness. Does anyone else remember Gauntlet? Get some friends and play some couch co-op! Go outside, make a friend so you can go back inside and be hermits. Besides, can you picture playing Mario Party 8 with a lag switcher? Geez.

Also, as a final note, back in May (or June?) , I made a post talking about Hollywood staying out of my video game movies. The post was sparked at the realization that they were making a Phoenix Wright movie. I blew it off, saying it was going to be dumb. The trailer was leaked on YouTube. I was wrong. It actually looks damn good. Go check it out. There's not many times I'm wrong about game movies. Hopefully, This will be enough to make me eat crow.

Continue?

Once upon a TCPS Holiday Guide

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and lots of people are thinking about gifts. Whether it be the person who's going out to buy them or the person being asked (or pestered) by their family for gift ideas because they can't come with something right away and they go through the same thing every year, and they're forced to make a- Sorry. Point is, it's the holidays. So what should you buy or want? Well, I Could give you a few ideas, but let me just run through some of the things that came out recently, so if you haven't picked them up yet, and you feel that you can wait until present opening time, you have something to tell those pestering persons of interest. (Also, I live in the US, so everything I state is based on availability and prices here.)

While the Nintendo 3DS didn't recently come out, it did get some awesome titles for it recently, and that enough should be enough to go out and pick up the handheld. If you're feeling lucky, or generous go and pick up one of the special editions or bundles. The new Flame Red bundle comes with Super Mario 3D Land, while a new Pearl Pink version has shown it's pretty face bundled with Nintendogs + cats. Of course there is the Cosmo Black Legend of Zelda Special Edition 3DS, detailed with gold art on the outside and gold buttons on the inside, and bundled with The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D. That's my personal favorite, but we've already clarified that I'm biased towards LoZ. You can pick all three of those up at your local GameStop(.com). (Please call ahead before you run in there saying TCPS told you so.) Walmart stores will have the Pink bundle, while you're local Target will be carrying The Pink and Red bundles. Both the Mario and Zelda 3DS Bundles will run you about $200, while the Pink puppy bundle will run you the regular price of $170.

But you're going to need something to play on your 3DS if you don't get a bundle! Well, just released is the new Mario Kart 7! Swim and Fly in this installment, and experience the fun that you know from the Mari Kart series. Also why not pick up some other Mario games, like Super Mario 3D Land, and the DS Mario games New Super Mario Bros, Super Mario 64, and many others. Not wanting to play as the courageous Link running around Hyrule in Ocarina of Time 3D? Got you covered. Do a freaking barrel roll in Star Fox 64, or spin dash into Egg Man in Sonic Generations. All of these games will run you between the sweet wallet spot of between $30 and $40. And don't forget to pick up those accessories for your games and handheld! You'll need a case to protect your pretty new 3DS, maybe a car charger, and a travel charging base if yo're gonna take it on the road. You might want to think about picking up a case to carry all of your games in to so you're not toting 10 to 15 big plastic cases with you in your bag. You'll need that space for the accessory to turn your 3DS into a controller for easier handling.

If we're gonna talk about Nintendo we can't forget the Wii. It's had some pretty good releases and so far the best selling release would have to be The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. This isn't just my bias talking, it's gotten some amazing reviews. Nintendo really took advantage of their Wii MotionPlus with this game, and it's paid off. Again, if sword fighting isn't your dig why not take a break and dance with Just Dance 3, or maybe some fighting in WWE '12. Maybe Spyro is more your likes and you want to pick up some Skylanders. It's all there for the range of $30 to $70.

I know, you're really interested in the other consoles, right? Xbox 360 and Playstation 3? Yeah, they've had some amazing releases, too. Like Skyrim. If you haven't picked it up, and you think you can wait that long, go ahead and put that at the top of your list. Then when you open the gift and thank the person who bought it for you, tell the rest of your family and friends goodbye while you immerse yourself in a game that's going to easily last more than 90 hours. It was nice knowing you. Don't want to disappear for quite so long? Yeah, I don't blame you, (even if it is a really good game.) Why don't you ask for the newest installment in the AC series with Assassin's Creed Legacy. I hear that Ezio is older and searching for something, something that may or may not have to do with Altair. Just a hunch, I'm not actually sure. *ignores blatant AC ad playing in the background* Don't forget about Sonic, he's not just on the Wii and 3DS, and of course Batman Arkham City. New DLC coming out for that one. Or maybe you're more of a FPS person, yeah we've got you covered there, too. Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. You're welcome.

We can't forget the exclusives, like Kinect exclusives, or PS exclusives. Looking for fun for the whole family? Pick up Disneyland Adventures, seriously, I'm almost 24 and I kind of really want that game. Of course you can dance with the many dancing games, like Just Dance (1,2 or 3) The Black Eyed Peas Experience or Dance Central. Want to just kick back, or kick something? Kinect Sports season 2 is out, or kick some alien animals with Raving Rabbids Alive and Kicking. And the one Playstation 3 exclusive game worth buying is the next installment in the Uncharted franchise, Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception. Perfect for any Nolan North fan. Seriously, that guys voice gets around. Did you know he was in Marvel vs Capcom 3? No? Well go get that game, too!

Then for you PC players, you can pick most of the games mentioned above. Probably through Steam. Assassin's Creed Legacy, Sonic Generations, COD: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Batman Arkham City, Saints Row The Third, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, and many many more. You could also play some Terraria and Minecraft which just came out with their own releases! Minecraft is official people, and Terraria is 1.1! You should think about picking up Bastion also, and maybe look into Trine and Trine 2.

Whatever you play this holiday you now have some idea on what to those gift hounds, and what to pick up for those that just have too much on their list, or too little. Whether you're going to stop at GameStop, Walmart, Target or Best Buy, at least you're not going to go in blind. Happy shopping all! Thank you for letting TCPS add a little more confusion into the busy season of shopping.

Gamers are Awesome, not Lazy

That's right, Parents, Grandparents, bosses, I said it. We're not lazy, or anit-social, well most of us anyway. "But, Megan, what proof do you have to back this up?" I hear you non believers ask. First, I've been told that you should start a sentence with but, but I do it all the time, (you also shouldn't start a sentence with And, but I'm about to do it.) And, I can't give you numbers, or science, but I can give you personal experience, and what I have observed. When I'm not working with video games as part of my job, (how I wish I actually played them for a living) I am at home playing them, or even watching them. I'm active on YouTube, checking my subscription box regularly, and most of them are of people playing the games that I don't like, or won't get for a while.

There are a lot of people on the internet that record themselves playing games, and I'm one of the people who watches them. Some of these commentators actually make a living off of making these videos, off of playing video games, and in turn they get to hear and talk to a lot of fans who watch their videos and find enjoyment and entertainment from them. For the most part, most of these commentators love their fans, and read every single comment and message they get from the fans, and listen to them. Not Anti-Social. Let me give you another example. Minecraft. Yes, I said it. Love it or hate it, it's gotten a lot of attention. Enough that a Minecraft convention, Minecon, is happening this weekend in Las Vegas. And a good number of YouTube commentators will be going there to meet their fans, along with have fun. And they are amazingly excited for it. See, not anti-social. They see day light, gamers that is.

Gamers are also not lazy, we cultivate talents without knowing it sometimes. We're constantly thinking when playing a game, looking for the best tactic, or the best way to befriends someone, or sneak behind their back to steal from them. Through my own personal experience I've found that recently when playing Dragon Age 2 I've found that I've been working on multi-tasking. Killing my enemies of giant spiders with no mercy is my main task, but I have to make sure that my character doesn't die, and the lives of my companions. All the while checking on their tactics and that my mage will actually heal someone when they start to die because I've used the potion and it hasn't had enough time to cool down. All those FPS games, those take thinkin', tactics, game plans. Call of Duties, Battlefields, Halo, even Gears of War, even those little Final Fantasy games take some planning when it comes to your characters.

I was in Voice/Keyboard for five years in Middle/High School. I sang in a choir and I took daily keyboard lessons, learning on my own and from the teachers. You would think that in all those years I'd be able to play some moderate stuff, right? At least something out of the level 4 piano book. Wrong. My left hand doesn't like to be independent a lot of the time. If my right hand is doing something simple, then yeah my left hand will go off on it's own, but if, say for chance, my right hand were playing the melody of a song, like the Sleeping Beauty Waltz, my left hand cannot play the accompanying chords for the song. It refuses to be simple, and wants to do what my right hand is doing. Now, what was the point of my telling you this? What relevance does it have to gamers? When I am playing Left 4 Dead, of Dragon Age 2 like earlier this week, my hands are all over the place. They know what they have to do to kill the undead and to keep myself, and maybe others (Antonio not included, you coward) alive throughout the game. When I was playing Guild Wars I had two computers up so I could play on one and look up anything about the game on the other simultaneously. My left hand had no trouble doing that. Playing all these games is actually training my hands, and in turn it's making my typing speed faster also. Not particularly more accurate, but, faster.

So, as I was taught in school, here is my conclusion. Gamers are in fact not lazy, or anti-social, in fact they can be quite social, funny, who actually know how to speak proper English, and game speak, meet people in real life, and are actually training their brains and hands, and their body if they use any of the motion "controllers". I may not have used science, but I used my own personal experiences and first hand observations. Thank you for your time. *bows*