In 1909, Italian writer Fillipo Marinetti and his contemporaries expounded the virtues and ideals of Futurism in the Founding and Manifesto of Futurism. This movement was the opening salvo in the Modernist retaliation against Realism and Romanticism. By way of an auto accident, Marinetti embraced the Industrial Age with violent passion.
According to the Manifesto, the Futurists embraced speed, aggression, war, and the machines that executed these ideals. Futurist paintings and sculpture attempted to capture speed and momentum. Familiar subjects increasingly blurred into unrecognizable maelstroms of color as the movement progressed. In the theater, angular sets featured actors donned in robotic costumes while impossible-looking instruments simultaneously attempted to assault the ears.
The grotesque horror of machine and chemical warfare in World War One curbed the enthusiasms of Futurism and many of its adherents already had moved on to other Modernist forms of expression. As the twentieth century crossed the halfway point, Postmodernism reared it’s amorphous and indefinable head. As I write, New Media artists are attempting to fuse the aesthetics of Futurist art into their installations and works.
What fascinates me more than the look of Futurism are the ideals contained in the Manifesto. Although rough and preliminary, I speculate that many of the claims made can be reworked and fashioned into a Futurist manifesto regarding Computer Games and gaming itself. Realistically, some of Marinetti’s claims are chauvinistic and antiquated; however, you can’t make an omelets without breaking a few eggs…and some eggs will see some damage here.
It’s an interesting project idea and requires some consideration and would require a modicum of research. Hopefully, my interest won’t sputter out on this. I’ll keep you posted.
War in computer games is often a bloody, gory mess filled with more grit than you can shake a M60 at. In three simple words: War is Hell. However, in the case of EA’s free 2 playBattlefield: Heroes...war is heck. BF Heroes is a stripped-down version of the popular Battlefield series. The mainstream commercial versions take the player through large-scale, multiplayer battles set during various times in history (WWII, Modern Day, Star Wars universe…yes, Star Wars, etc.) BF Heroes’ setting is a cartoonish, sanitized version of Europe during World War II. The player can raise a soldier as one of the English-like Royals or the German-like Nationals. Once you get going you will be thrust into a couple of gameplay modes that mainly deal you taking a position and holding on to it. Like many free 2 play MMOs, items can be purchased by earning game money through playing. However, in BF Heroes’ case the bulk of the game money is only earned by winning…kid you not. That’s pretty hardcore. Like other games, special items can be purchased with real money.
The Allied British-y Royals
It’s a pretty solid game with very high production values and a light, breezy sense of humor. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to get their war on, but is put off by the controversy and seriousness of CoD: Modern Warfare 2. Here’s the break down:
Pros
Great looking game, especially for a free one.
The Battlefield formula still works here, which is a nice combo of strategy and action.
You can drive jeeps, tanks and even airplanes (or hitch a ride on them)!
Cartoon violence may make it appropriate for your tweens or young teen
Cons
Leveling is a grind. It took me forever just to get to level 10.
You can’t pick your server or room, you get thrown into one other players.
I repeat, your team has to win to get game munny.
A little too few maps and game modes, which limits my playing time.
Seriously, sometimes I think I was born perhaps five years early.
I’ve got the soul of a 29-year old and the body of a 67-year old.
In the gaming sense, I think that I would feel more comfortable with the constantly-changing landscape.
Perhaps I would be looking forward to the PS3’s motion controllers and 3D glasses.
I don’t think it will be 3D. From what I surmise, the near-future of gaming will involved the further erosion of the boundaries between player and game. This will be done through innovations in the way that people will control their avatars, giving them a greater sense of agency. Think of the interface that Tom Cruise’s character used in Minority Report…
As I peruse tech blogs, that is becoming more of a reality. Frankly, I would miss the controller in my hands. Having, what Janet Murray called a “Threshold Object” cradled between my digits is what keeps each of my size 13 feet planted in both worlds. I believe it’s the tactile interface that keeps us from being totally sucked into a digital space. What would happen to emotionally compromised individuals when they confuse their material identity for their virtual one? Here’s the thing: I don’t mean to spread fear like many a vote-grubbing politician. I believe in the first amendment rights of game developers. But I believe the thing that keeps the Jack Thompsons of the world at bay is that bit of plastic and wiring with the candy-colored buttons.
Perhaps I wouldn’t worry so much if I was five years younger.
However, my age gives me perspective that minus five years would grant me (in the gaming sense, at least).
Would I still have had my experiences with the Commodore 128 (in C=64 mode of course) that gives me appreciation for the advances in PC gaming since 1985?
By the way Archonwas, and still is… awesome. If you can find a way to play it: play it.
Would I still understand the affects of the video game crash of the early 80s and its affects on console platforms on an intimate level?
Indeed, I did have E.T. for the Atari 2600.
I also got to see the rebirth of the console in the form of the NES in 1986 (I got the one with R.O.B. for Xmas) and the first-generation Game Boy.
So…maybe not being five years younger has its bonuses.
Visiting the website of PC Gamer magazine left me optimistic, yet a little wary of Irrational Games’ upcomingentry in the Bioshock franchise. Retro-Futurist fans rejoice! Bioshock Infinite transports us to an Industrial Age America where the Rapture-like metropolis of Columbia floats in the air. The steampunk aesthetic seems a reasonable choice considering the Art Deco environments of Rapture.
Along with many who posted on PC Gamer, I greatly anticipate immersing myself in the world of Columbia in the same way I was enchanted with Andrew Ryan’s ill-fated experiment. However…
Hopefully it will not be so derivative of the first game that it will feel like playing a mod. Regardless, I excitedly await.
A parting thought related to Bioshock…
I recently visited New York, New York casino and resort.
I was incredibly creeped-out by the casino floor/restaurants as it overwhelmingly reminded me of Rapture. At the same time, I LOVED it!
Next Posts: My research, More memories and More MMO-hunt.
Do you like it when writers begin their posts with a barrage of questions in order to pique your interest?
If so, check outCombat Arms (CA). It’s a Free 2 Play Massive Multiplayer FPS.
Originating in Korea, CA has been brought over and localized by Nexon.
Players earn GP (game points) and EP (experience points) while competing in several different game modes on a surprisingly plentiful number of maps. Over time, your virtual avatar will advance in rank, earning large sums of GP to spend on temporary weapons and gear at an in-game shop.
Like many Free 2 Play MMOs, Combat Arms uses microtransactions of real money to purchase NX points. With NX points, additional weapons and equipment can be purchased.
However, the weapons purchased with GP are pretty good, and a decent player can stand toe-to-toe with those who pay moolah for their stuff. In other words: pay money only if you really, really want to make an investment it the game.
I played more than a year before I actually forked something over to Nexon. If you do pay money, I would recommending spending it on GP and EXP bonuses to increase your rank and GP income. GP is gained easily enough (although I advise frugality), but ranking up gets harder as you progress. I’m near the verge of getting my first officer rank (2nd Lieutenant) and it’s a grind sometimes.
The graphics are not cutting-edge, so it will play on somewhat older graphic cards. However, I would recommend having a high-speed connection in order to cut down on the lag problems.
So to sum it up.
PROS:
Will play on most PCs purchased within the last 3-4 years. Although I’m not sure about netbooks.
Nice variety of game modes, from simple deathmatches to a bargain-bin version of Left 4 Dead.
Easy to get into a room and play, easy to start your own and invite people.
Fairly easy learning curve with a new tutorial map, although getting good enough to stand up against hackers is a challenge. Which brings me to…
CONS:
Hackers,.Glitchers. Get used to them. Ignore them if you want to derive any pleasure from this game. However, if you get good, you can teach them a lesson.
Getting good. Yeah, expect to die a lot at first. Even playing with other newbs, it was tough at first. As I stand now, I’m not bad at it now. I can even place first every now and then. Be patient.
Trash talk. Just be try and ignore the thousands of adolescent males and their banter. Every time I’m accused of being a hacker (meaning: I smoked their bee-hinds), I just have to grit my teeth and be the better guy…on most occasions.
Hopefully, I’ll return with some more Free 2 Play MMO goodness. Never in my youth did I ever imagine that…what??…I can play video games for free???
Malibu Gran Prix. Showboat. P.J. Pizazz….and of course, Chuck E. Cheese.
The late 70s and early 80s were the Golden Age of Video Games. Innovation was the pulse of the newly birthed industry. Yes, the technology was improving year after year, but the distribution also had to grow. After Nolan Bushnell sold Atari, he envisioned what we would come to know as Chuck E. Cheese/Showbiz Pizza. Perhaps miniature golf courses and bowling alleys were around before the video game explosion. Chuck E. Cheese showed that when you combine arcade games with other activities, a family entertainment center congeals (like the cheese on pizza) into a digital Cibola that beckons all gamers.
I loved the arcade rooms. Games standing side by side, wedged next to each other like houses in old NorCal neighborhoods.
Some games were already immortally famous. Several Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Galaga machines stood sentinel over games that only perhaps a few have heard of.
One fact I’ll admit…I was and still am terrible at playing computer games. I was awful at pretty much every arcade game that I laid my hands on. But man, oh man, I loved the abuse. Admittedly some of the games even scared me…yes, scared me.
I remember being freaked out playing Sinistar (RUN COWARD RUN!), Gauntlet II and Dragon’s Lair. Sometimes it was the loud sounds or the visuals (watching Dirk the Daring disintegrate was traumatic), but that rarely stopped me from checking out what experiences awaited me in those cabinets.
There are of course, two main types of places: The kind that centered on sort of activity (mini-golf, Lazer Tag), and the self-contained playspace (Chuck E. Cheese). I used to work for a now-defunct Lazertag arena called Lazerstar in Glendora,CA. I mostly worked the arena and weirded-out the guests with my instructional briefings. No kidding. The owners liked my enthusiasm (they wanted me to train new people), but hated the eccentric condescension of my tone. The local chain has since gone under and the remaining location in Camarillo changed ownership.
In the 80s heyday, my mother also used to work part-time for a place in West Covina called PJ Pizazz (Now BJs Restaurant & Brewpub) , she used to sling pizzas in the kitchen. The place rocked. No gimmicks. No talking robot animals. Just pure gaming bliss in its nice-sized arcade room. She wasn’t there long, I’m sure it wasn’t bliss for her. I used to periodically make pizzas and work concession at Lazerstar: not the best job to be had.
If you lived in Southern California, those two were combined in a wonderful place in Upland, CA just off the I-10. The place has changed ownership and themes (remember Bullwinkles?) over the years, but the main attractions have somehow remained intact. There are two indoor miniature golf courses, which makes sense being that the original owners were from the Pacific Northwest. There were also two outdoor mini-golf courses, bumper boats, go-karts and batting cages.
My first time there was at a time when I was still new to California at the age of five. I went there with my family as well as my godmother, whose adoration for me was mutual as I also was very fond of her. However, in years to come, we never went back there. The entertainment center was something that must have been in another place, in another state…maybe another universe. In my younger years, I tried to get back there as some men try to return to the womb somehow. I believe that it was happenstance (or a date with a girl), that I rediscovered the place when I was in my early 20s. The indoor courses are what mattered. Both were still there with the same themes. One was a fairy tale/nursery rhyme-themed course and the other took on a Redwood (not a big surprise given its origins), mining motif. The decor was a bit worn and the artificial grass was scuffed from thousands of footfalls and putts. However, I took back this little piece of my foggy past (I guess some details are worth forgetting) and my date and I headed for the arcade to do some gaming.
It’s been a while since I last blogged, the demands of my Masters exam kept me away from writing. After all that writing, the last thing I wanted to do for a while was more writing. It’s been a month, and I’m feeling a bit twitchy in the fingers…so it’s time to type again.
First off, my Video Game Memories segment is still on, and I have the next post partially sketched out.
The main reason for writing is inspired by my very recent (like, five minutes ago) viewing of the film Gamer starring Gerard Butler (and his abs of titanium).
I agree with Common Sense Media‘s review of the movie: whatever social commentary on mediated violence it’s making is lost under a heap of gratuitous slaughter and boobies.
Nothing is wrong with that, if that’s what you’re looking for, however I see it as a lost opportunity to make people seriously think about the directions in which social networking and gaming are going.
I believe that the creepiest part of the film is Ken Castle’s (Michael C. Hall) creation of a digital/live-action hybrid program called Society. Imagine a no-holds-barred version of The Sims in which people are paid to have their minds digitally controlled by people who pay to live out their sordid fantasies through them.
Another scene that received my attention is near the beginning of the film where the convicts are playing the game and one of them “tea-bags” the person that he just killed. By showing how immature and lame it is with live-action players, the director showed how unbelievably immature and lame it is in virtual space.
I was a little dismayed that they portrayed the person who was controlling John Tillman’s (Gerard Butler) wife a grossly obese shut-in who touches himself while being naked in front of the computer in the dark. I’m insulted by the stereotype….okay…it’s a little true…well…at least I don’t sit in the dark!
The thematic crux in all this film (besides the Running Manplot rip-off…Ludacris is no Mick Fleetwood) is that society can become desensitized to the rights of others through digital mediation. When we lose contact with others, we lose contact with our own boundaries.
I’m not going to lie, I enjoy capping the occasional foo’ (very occasional, I’m not very good) on Modern Warfare 2‘s multiplayer. However, we can’t let ourselves forget there are living, snacking, energy-drinking, people that are being shot at on those rendered battlefields. We don’t have to be nice, but we don’t have to be insensitive either.
For those who are thinking about playing online shooters, here are some suggestions to living a happy life.
Trashtalking. It happens. But please, please use another insult besides “You’re gay”. It’s totally unoriginal and bigoted. If you are going to be a bigot, may I suggest, “You live in a state that’s not California!”
Hacking. Sore losers will accuse you of it. Everyone seems to be doing it. No, they’re not. Don’t be one of them.
Stretch. Seriously. Get up.Walk around. Stretch. Play. You will feel better.
Okay, that’s it. If I think of something else, I’ll post it.
This will be the first in a series of posts that will provide a personal, qualitative study into my own life as a gamer. I propose that there is a philosophical, and perhaps spiritual connection between gamer and digital games.
Part One: Combat.
For most of the gamers that I met in my undergrad studies, their first love (in gaming) was with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), or the Super Nintendo (SNES). They were the group of gamers that have fond recollections of stomping gombas, whipping Dracula to death (at least, until next time!) and getting KO’d by Tyson’s ferocious (…and did I mention “cheap”? ) uppercut. However, by the NES’s release in late 1985, home console gaming had already been around for more than a decade.
My life as a gamer began six years prior to the NES’s entrance into the lives of Americans. On Christmas of 1979, my father presented a used (from my uncle) Atari VCS or 2600 to my two older brothers and I. It was already connected to the color TV.
Side Note: Remember those TVs that had the remote control that made a high-pitched buzzing noise when the button was pressed? Remember how weird it felt to put your tongue on the part where the signal came out? (…ok, it was just me then.)
When that TV blinked into life, I was greeted with my first console game. The pack-in game Combat.Combat was the home version of the arcade game Tank! The objective was to manuver your tank (as the pixelated glob on the screen was supposed to be) into a firing position and blow away your opponent. When a tank gets hit, the tank spun like a pinwheel.
As with learning how to play chess (I learned how to play by age six) , my first antagonist was my father. In an Oedipal feat of skill, I defeated my father. Thinking on that night now, he may have let me win. Either through pity or inexperience, that was the only time I beat him at Combat.
Up to the age of ten, my father was the one who introduced me to home gaming experiences. For good or ill, I have him to thank for my start.
NEXT: Chuck E. Cheese, P.J. Pizazz, Showboat and Divorce.
I know that I totally missed the train on this song. However, “General” Larry Platt’s diatribe on urban youth culture has caught on quickly. I’m thinking of the ways why it was so effective…I mean…it’s catchy, that’s for sure. However, I think that the audience was ready for it.
1. Really, I think that many communities may be tired of the style itself. I’m guessing that when Platt was fighting for civil rights and helping his community, he didn’t imagine that two generations later that many would be copying fashions that promote conspicuous consumption.
2. Ennui. Yeah, I said it. Ennui. I think we are becoming weary of the 20th century and all the crap that came with it. I think there were thousands of really great things and people that came out of it. But, I believe that this song is holding a lens to something that has overstayed its welcome. 1 out of 10 are jobless; families are struggling in this country. Then how can young people stand around with “gold in their mouth” while 200,000 people are dying in Haiti? Why have we donated millions (that have been unused so far), sent a rapid response, and people still suffer?
I don’t have easy answers, or compose fair rhetorical questions (see the end of last paragraph). I do know that we need to take the changes that are coming and roll with them. We can succeed as a nation, as consumers, and as individuals. We need to let go of the shameless and empty pursuit of vast wealth, overnight fame, conspicuous consumption (do you REALLY need those rims?) and drug-assisted athleticism.
The sooner we can see our situation and roll with it, the faster we can get better.
I know that this is a gaming blog, so in spirit of this post, I’m including a relevant link.
I encourage educators, kids and the curious to check out Ayiti: The Cost of Life. This is a simple simulation that asks the player to help a friendly Haitian family survive and succeed in spite of poverty, sickness and violence. This can be a great learning tool for Social Science teachers who wish to immerse their students in current events.
Don’t buy gold, buy a game! Seriously. Perhaps I’ll give my reason in my next post.
The Picklebandit's Barrel 