Maxxie's Blog - 2old2play

My First Break Up Letter...Thoughts?

Dear TV,

We've been together...well since I was old enough to walk across the room and change the channels for my family (before we got the remote). Mom always allowed us to hang for scheduled shows when I was younger like The Electric Company, The Muppet Show or The Carol Burnett Show. But never too much, "TV will rot your brain," she warned. Except on Saturday mornings where she and dad slept in and I, armed with a bowl of Fruit Loops and my favorite stuffed animal had at least 4 - 5 hours free to watch such gems as The Land of the Lost (sssslllleeeestacks!), Fat Albert, Looney Tunes (unedited), Timer PSAs, Robotech, American Bandstand, Soooooooouuuul Train and much more. Saturday mornings were a bliss. We had such great laughs then.

We had some adventures too. Whether watching Mutual Omaha's Wild Kingdom ("Jim, why don't you jump out of that copter onto that Elk!?") or exploring the oceanic splendor of the sea with Jacques Cousteau, I learned about the world larger than my humble hometown or the city next door. You would even scare me and teach me to appreciate the bizarre and macabre by watching B movies on Creature Feature late at night. Godzilla, love at first sight. We had other types of adventures, like when I would wake up really late at night when everyone was suppose to be asleep and happen upon my brothers intently watching you with a scrambled screen. I thought you might have had people dancing but the muted sounds of a guy or girl or both or more lifting something really heavy, faster and faster and crying for God, made it hard for my kid brain to figure out. "You can't watch this!" My brothers would be panicked (for my welfare, right?) when they found me peeping around the sofa, transfixed. They would shove me out of the room fast and switch the channel to something else as they whispered in harsh tones, "Mom would KILL us cause...it's uh, it's bad for your eyes! Go play something in your room! Wait, why aren't you sleeping?"

And sports! My dad and I would watch the latest football or basketball games with you. We'd eat KFC's latest special and drink though a cooler filled with ice cold beers. His were Heinekens and mine were always A&Ws. We bonded and argued every play, every call while you shined and only occasionally fizzed the screen on a crucial play. Videogames! I can't even count since Atari how many systems and hours we've shared playing through countless games. Not to mention how you took me through Betamax to DVDs. Such good times. You've been part of so much good in my life. You've shown me places I haven't been able to travel, introduced me to new ideas and helped me to explore concepts I'd never considered. You expanded my mind. Through commercials you taught me about sex appeal, hygiene and the importance of dressing well. And whenever I was bored or didn't know what to do with myself, you were always there to offer some sort of amusement.

That's why writing this is so difficult and so long. We've been there for each other and over time we both have remained the same...and we've changed. You see I love you, but I'm not in love. I can't be with you anymore, not hot and heavy like we were. You really are sorta...rotting my brain and stifling me. I know you don't mean to but..you have grown with your added sex content, late night paid programming and satellite channels instead of just flying the American flag with the anthem playing, showing test patterns and then calling it a night. You entice at all hours now. And of course, those countless reality TV shows that repeat ad nauseam. I just need...I want to start reading and hanging out with more Books, more often. I want to play more games of cards and Monopoly, go for more walks that sort of thing. And...yeah Books and I we do have a thing, I won't hide it. There's a feeling I get reading books when my imagination is running wild and the weight of the books are in my hand. I feel more alive, more engaged in my life. So it's not you, you are great. And yes, I meant it when I said I understood about the whole needing to be polygamous thing for you with the rest of the world, this isn't about that. It's just me. I feel like I'm spending SO much time when I'm at ends letting you entertain me, I'm just not growing in other areas. I think with Books I can grow more meaningfully.

I know it's probably shitty of me to ask, but I want to know if we can still be friends? I want to still hang out together but kind of like mom taught me at scheduled specific times. You know I can't miss The Riches, Battlestar Galactica, Futurama, Robot Chicken, The Boondocks, Survivor, or any Discovery channel programs about Egypt. I need to see the news, sometimes. And really excellent videogames will always bring us together. I don't want to quit you exactly, I just want the way we relate to change. I don't want to be your lover, I want to be a dear friend who spends quality time with you. I tend to think given how many people you share yourself with in the long run, this will be good for both of us. You'll be okay.

Take a few days to consider and adjust. Please ask me any questions. I can use TIVO in the interim. And then...I'd like to set up a schedule so that when I turn you on and you give me what you offer, we both know we are going to enjoy our time.

Fondly and forever your friend,

Me

[6 Comments]

Thank You, Gary Gygax

I met you once at Gencon when I worked at one of the other company booths, across from yours. I was shy and couldn't figure out how to put my words together. The lady working the booth with you and I became booth buddies and she quickly recognized an opportunity for amusement after hearing me go from reasonable human being to stuttering fangirl whenever you were mentioned. She gleefully insisted I meet you because she liked how much I blushed as we talked. I admired you, you see. You showed so many of us how to engage our imaginations in an active way.

She shoved me in front of you during a lull and I remember your kind, expectant expression. I managed to stammer out a thank you and something about how honored I was to meet a man who inspired so many and especially me or some other bullshit as my palms became sweaty and my booth buddy held her stomach and stood behind you, laughing herself toward a hernia. You were totally cool, amused, gracious and said you were touched by my honesty. You teased me enough to make me blush, much to my booth buddy's delight. You signed a rulebook I had with me and urged me to always explore, investigate and take the adventurous route with everything I do. To have fun.

We spoke a bit longer as the first flush of fangirl geekdom simmered to reasonable human levels. We talked about the con, working the booths and what you had planned next. You had a great laugh. I remember thinking you could totally do Santa Claus duty, which then lead to odd thoughts of D&D adventuring Santa (wouldn't his Sack be a Bag of Holding, technically?)

All of my gaming culture started with the local boys in the neighborhood and two games: Top Secret and D&D/AD&D. I played them for years and by the time I found other worlds to explore, I appreciated the foundation D&D had given me. I knew nothing else in my gaming life would ever feel as true or compare to that innocent time of discovery and play with Rangers, vorpal swords, liches, taverns, loot and traps. I learned to be afraid of a deck of cards and always look up when entering any dungeon. D&D helped me develop my imagination, sense of play and adventure, and honed my ability to think through consequences to actions; all skills and joys that have been valuable through my entire life.

Thank you. Roll the dice, play and have fun on your next grand adventure. You are still admired and will always be missed by this fangirl.

[6 Comments]

Hello Again.

I don't want to dwell and blah blah blah, but I want to explain where I've been why I faded out. There is a difference between saying you are ok, healed and moving on and actually being those things.

I lied to a lot of people and mostly myself when I said that I was back to myself months back. The loss of my father was and is a huge emotional blow to my mother, my family and me. I will never be fully healed. We were too close for me to say that. Holidays and special moments of tradition that we shared I honor alone or differently and as this is a year of firsts for all that it's been a bitch. I know this is the way of life, to every season turn turn, we all gotta go sometime, and my favorite "at least he lived a long life." Blah, blah, blah. Knowing that he lived fairly long or this was inevitable doesn't make it feel better when you love someone deeply and they pass on, at least in my book. Still, it is what it is.

But I can and do persist. I support the others who feel the loss. And now I truly smile, laugh and go on. I swagger. I have a voice again and enough time has passed to allow a point of view not borne out of sadness or trying to mask it. I have thoughts to share and hopefully you will want to hear some of them and share your thoughts back with me.

So my posts from here on out will be as moved. And they won't all be about gaming though, I maintain for me at a predominantly gaming oriented site I'm hardly about to go on about super personal stuff (like this) unless it is relevant and relates to gaming or an interest. I don't intend to get too far off of likely common interests we may share (assorted geekdoms, movies, film, humor etc.,). Finances in my current world are tight ( I suspect I'm not the only one) thus all my gaming machines are generations behind the curve. Yet, I am a gaming woman through and through so I must work with what I've got because I have got to play. I can't NOT talk about gaming -- it really is a great passion. I play when I can and swagger challenge others, shamelessly. Heck, I have a bevy stories to share about my gaming industry past. Tales of hotel parties, software and console launches, state of games, industries, "creative game positioning," E3, hotels, drunken party stunts, industry evolution... and how I grew up among all of it. Really, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Even some of the truly miserable parts.

I'll try not to sound like an old curmudgeon about it all either because frankly people, I'm many things but not that. I'm me, cool and just a bit older. Probably like you.

Anyway, hello again or nice to meet you. I hope you are well, happy and gaming like demon.

I'm Maxxie. And God (or deities - however you believe) know...I love to play.

[4 Comments]

Tabula Rasa?

Anyone? Anyone? Server? For some reason I'm feeling pulled to play and so my game is en route. Anyone Beta - was it worth it? Let me know!

Thanks for looking!

M-

[0 Comments]

Your Attention Please:

1) I have recently acquired a PC that is fairly robust has video card AND runs XP. (Stats to be updated once confirmed this is a made for me PC) I've been Mac girl for about 5 years (I "borrow" friends PCs when I visit to play some stuff). Needless to say, I'm a bit giddy and my brain is locked-up on what to get to play. So what PC games should I run and get please? I'll try anything twice. Anyone?

2) Videos and articles about Mass Effect makes me feel funny inside. The good funny. Is this natural?

Thanks for looking!

M-

[2 Comments]

Apocalyptic Sign #38 That I'm An Older Gamer

I suddenly love playing Brain Age. I LOVE it! I love the quirky little tests, the concept that I'm improving my brain functions, the idea my brain is getting "younger" more agile (marketing sucker, I know...). I just learned how to play Sudoku and love the challenge in that too.

7 years ago? I'd have scoffed at myself and thought, 'What do you expect? She's over thirty.' 14 years ago (ouch) and I'd have politely felt the need to explain/lecture why these aren't really true videogames, but the stuff game companies have to put out to keep the "games-will-destroy-our-children" generations at bay. This is made for alternatives, as a game to play with your grandmother to humor her and generally for those who can't hack the speed, maturity and pace of real videogames. And as this older self walked away probably either pissed or embarrassed, my younger self might have quietly muttered "Wussy" or "Lazy" or "Wimp." Did I really think Brain Age qualifies as gaming credentials...oh...please! "Go back to Ecco The Dolphin or something, would ya?"

Isn't wonderful that now with time, wisdom and experience I no longer have the arrogance of the young (but the arrogance of the wiser! Aha!!) regarding what is or isn't cool? Further, I don't need to define or limit myself in any sort of box? I can choose to play Gears of War 2 AND still improve my brain (BTW Speaking of GOW2, where is My fantasy/dream threesome? Really, could some game designer please, PLEASE objectify some men for me to enjoy? I don't mean whining foppish men like that Paladin in Baldur's Gate 2 either, give me someone hot! Fellas, are you reading? Anwser me this if you can - don't most men like being objectified to some degree? There's got to be some sort of thrill there for you to play too, right? Sorry digression!).

Anyway knowing this...why do I still keep hearing "Wussy" delivered in a quick smart ass cough, echoing in the back of my mind?

::sighs to self and grunts irritated while bemused strangers in coffee shop blink in reaction:: Shut UP!

Thanks for looking!

M-

[2 Comments]

Last Night or This Morning...

I played a game. On the Wii in particular it's my first time messing around with it. First game I've played, really played since my last post. It felt...very good. So far, I suck at Wii Golf....for now. But I can bowl a lot better than I remembered, I pitch a mean fast and screw ball in baseball, and my forehand in Tennis? When perfected will be something to be reckoned with.

I won't lie. I still hurt and feel ragged inside. But I'm meant to persist and soI do...I'm coming around. It's just slow going, perhaps.

[3 Comments]

Healing Time

I owe a bunch of individual responses but I'm slow on everythign right now, so at minimum I want to say thank you to all of you for your thoughts. I am so honored (and surprised) that you think enough of me to share them. I know that might read like sunshine blowing (), but I mean it, I really am. They are really appreciated and the goodwill does help.

Tomorrow are services for my father with honors (he's war a veteran) and then I think now after all the planning, obit writing, and the rest of the things that come with these events the grieving and healing can truly come into motion.

Last night I picked up an old game I've loved since the first time I ever turned it on (The Longest Journey) and began to play because I just couldn't sleep. I let the puzzles and story take me away for a while. It's the first game I've touched in...I don't know when. But it's as enjoyable as I remembered, it is good, it is a breather for me right now. I'll be quiet overall a bit longer here, but I'll be around and back to my gaming swagger again I just feel...a lot right now and I don't want to spill it all over here and get all messy. And I can't quite cock my head believably confident at the moment and I don't have the energy yet to fake it - if this makes sense to anyone. Imagine if we played poker right now, my eyes would give the truth away and I'd be broke and you'd be rich....so, no poker for me. I just need a little more time and I'm taking it.

I hope you are doing well. If you went to the LAN event in Chicago I really hope that kicked ass too. In fact, feel free to tell me about it in comments I am considering attending maybe next year (finances willing), if you think it's worth it? .

Thanks for looking.

M-

[2 Comments]

Today...

On this beautiful, sunny, morning my dad passed away.

[19 Comments]

My Time Keeps On Slipping...

Long time no read!

Things have been hard in my section of the world (I know things are hard for everyone - this isn't a pity plea, just an update). Parent slipped into coma first part of this month. Came out of it with complications the second part - Is now fighing for life. I must say my gaming inclinations and ambitions - my gaming swagger - have paused. Even as an escape I can't quite get there - something new for me, to be sure. But I'm still here, I still intend to post more updates at some point and continue to share my love of games with other game passionate people. No matter what's going to happen, I'll return more frequently - I'm a gamer girl at heart. I just can't in good conscious clutter this blog with my current day-to-day reality since it's such a stressful, sad place. All of my gaming metaphors would liken to the bleeps and blorts of the machines hooked up to my parent, to some game in my head and I just don't want that association to last. I want this little e-place to be energetic, positive, fun and games - reflecting some of the facets of one of my deepest passions. But I'm here, I'm lurking when I can and I'm thinking well of all of you.

If you have positive thoughts to spare I don't need them as much as my mom and dad right now. And thoughts for them would be a thought for me.

Thanks for Looking.

M-

[3 Comments]

Scooby Part 2

Vacation went fine but returned to very ill parent. Still in ICU and fighting. Been hard to think or concentrate on much else. Hope things for you are better. I'm still here. Just not here.

[4 Comments]

Scooby-Scooby Doo...Where The Heck Are Ya?

In short this is why I suddenly went dark:

I had an illness relapse which I recovered from just in time to deal with some deadlines for my other non gaming life and to be support for one of my parents while the other who is already suffering from a long term illness fell extremely ill. Dad spent some time in the ICU unit of our friendly neighborhood hospital scaring my family and making us wonder if he was going to be making his grand exit or not (Dad has been a bit of a houdini the last few years but that only works for so long). There has been a great deal of stress. Dad is recovering now, still very, very ill but for the moment will be around to call me a smart alec when I earn the quip for my impertinence and for that, I am extremely grateful. I continue to help care for him and help support my mom who is his main caretaker. At present, I'm feeling as healthy as lack of restful sleep and allergies will allow, but I am about to leave for a week or so to attend a wedding for family across the country, so I hope to relax a bit since I'm only attending not in the actual wedding party.

This is why I have not been lurking or posting as of late. I wish it were for more exciting, positive reasons. Like I won the lotto. Or won a trip to Egypt or Greece. Or Square- Enix called me out of the blue to offer a job and every game they make for free for the rest of my life (A girl can dream, can't she?) I know, this is all personal stuff - what does any of this have to do with gaming? Precious little except... At a peak moment of my stress, I traded in Ninetendo DS game Lost in Blue 2 (apparently I wasn't the only one!) and on an impulse bought Pokemon Pearl Version. I have ALWAYS resisted Pokemon games cause I just missed the boat on that whole Pikachu thing... until this one. Wow. This is actually a cute, fun rpg perfect for bedside ICU vigils and waiting for test results. I do heartily recommend it; it offers a variety of activities that keep me from getting bored and can fit whatever mood I happen to be in at the moment. So yes I will have to say, unbelievably, and especially at my really stressful and tense moments while just...waiting, I believe the darn Pokemon game actually saved my sanity. Who would have thought? Incidentally, I also picked up Brain Age though I have been more interested in Pokemon and have yet to play it. I'm sure my brain is as old as methuselah

Regarding this trip, though I tend to be quiet and look stoic (cause I'm desperately focusing on my book...DS...anything) I'm a very nervous flier, so maybe my fear of certain aspects of plane rides will get me on the Brain Age game. But Pokemon is DEFINITELY going with me. Oh! If anyone has a friend code to share and is playing the Diamond or Pearl versions feel free to PM me if you like (or leave in messages but I realize you might be shy) and any time I might get in a hotel that allows me wireless access with my DS, I'll get in and look for you - I don't expect to have consistent access but I'll be on in between wedding visits, sightseeing and family stuff. I'll be on Eastern time.

I hope life is treating you well and you are not facing any of the sort of stresses I have been as of late. I love my family very much and my parents especially. If the situation didn't stress me out so much, I probably wouldn't have mentioned it here since I really prefer to keep my discussion on game stuff and games stuff as it relates to my life/ some aspects of my personal life. But I must say that I wish this sort of situation with my parents for no one. I'm looking forward to the joy and life affirmations a good wedding can offer when two are truly in love and the bride and groom do seem to be. More reasons to smile. I'll continue my posting when I get back home. Take care of you in the meantime and play something fun, ok?

Thanks for looking!

M-

[2 Comments]

A Somewhat Frivolous Post....

I feel much better...that was a nasty cold.

I know this because not only am I feeling like posting/communicating again, I actually picked up my DS and started playing...and didn't fizz out on what I was playing or why 5 minutes later!

Going to rest up and will likely lurk around tomorrow once free from my responsibliities to respond to posts (because I think it's polite and neighborly - not that I presume anyone is waiting for me. I hate to be untimely about such things, but please note this only applies to me!)

Hope you are doing well!

M-

[1 Comments]

My Gaming Pedigree (3): Part two of two parts

This turned out to be a long post so to make it more palatable it's broken in two parts. This is part two...sorry for disorganized posting cold medicine is wearing off.

I was just getting into another Monkey Island game at my friends house, when something happened to me and a work friend.. I was at a party (a house party with some work friends at someone's home I'd never been to before). Some guys at the party hassled us a bit, unprovoked but we ignored them and decided to split early. As we went back to our cars everyone got into one car except this one friend who got into my car with me. Gentleman, totally punk and gentleman. As we were locking up we were mugged by the same group of guys from the party who hassled us (the rest of the "friends" took off scared). He was pulled out of the car by about 5-6 guys and they kicked, punched and beat the crap out of him, stole his watch, his wallet. There was blood...everywhere. They yanked me out of the car on to the ground. I was in in skirt and blouse and they all surrounded me. I remember the runs in my stockings, oddly. I remember thinking this sucks there is nothing, nothing I can do about anything any of them might decide to do with me except to fight and scream as loud as I can manage. That was my worst moment but I didn't cry, apparently I just looked really pissed off. Finally, one of them grabbed me, pulled me up and made me give him my wallet before they all left taunting and laughing. I remember after...bawling and checking on my friend. I pulled my friend into the car and drove still highly upset. Just 7 blocks away I nearly ran over one of the police officers at one of those drunk driver speed trap spots and he was really pissed (pulling gun and all) until he saw my friend's bloodied face and my shaken condition.

What does this have to do with games and me? A lot. I have been fortunate that I have not lived a life full of certain types of violence and this experience at the time just completely crushed me. Now, I'm older, I've healed from this and I know that this experience as bad as it was, could have been a HELL of a lot worse. Some of you may have experienced much worse and for that I really am sorry. But for me, like that sunset or sunrise at the beach or running the bases I had never experienced anything like this personally. This was new for me, an awful, awful new. I found in the weeks and months that followed I was very affected by this experience. I didn't like to go to places where I didn't know all the people going to be there. When most of my friends were clubbing, I was coming up with excuses not to go. Where I was a very outgoing person I became very introverted. I had this desire to reach people,, but was afraid of the risks. One of the risks caused a nice guy who was being a total gentleman to have reconstructive surgery on his nose among other problems. I became a little less trusting and more willing to hang back and warm up to new crowds of people. That's probably a good thing. But the bad part was that I didn't feel comfortable around people for a time. So what did I do? Did I hide? Not exactly, but perhaps in a sense...for a time.

I went to Radio Shack and I bought a computer and modem. I discovered Compuserve and other such places. I developed my computer skills. I discovered bulletin boards and chat rooms. (I don't mean the kinky stuff necessarily... just that people hung out and I felt comfortable talking in this way). It was at the time just what I needed, just what I could handle until I healed and found some perspective. I didn't become a shut in. I didn't stop functioning or lose myself. In a few weeks I returned to doing stuff I loved to do socially and went to parties and hung out - but only with friends I knew, or to places I researched. And for a time I was pretty slow about making new friends, very careful about my environment and who might be a part of it or attracted to it.

But, I played a HELL of a lot of games. Please, please someone tell me they played the Tex Murphy series games too cause I could NOT get enough of them...or the Gabriel Knight series (Excellent, excellent weaving of fact and fantasy in these games). Of course I was all over the King's Quest series ( they got a little sappy at one point but still fun) Oh and forgot to mention Betrayal at Krondor older game but ran well on my piece of crap computer and was based on a series of book I had read. Then...one night a friend slipped me a few floppies with a giggle and said how high can you score? And I was introduced to Larry "Polyester is the only choice for clothing" Laffer in Leisure Suit Larry and the Land of the Lounge Lizards. I am blushing as I type this, as I confess how much I loved this game and that I scored a perfect score. What does this say about me? I'll let you figure that out... But I had certainly never played a graphical game like that before and it was a fun, punny, funny, somewhat tongue-in-cheek little distraction. Amazing when you think of the types of games you can find in that genre now.

And for my aggression, for my need to excise my demons, the game that probably helped me to do that the most during that time period was Doom. I was dangerous with this game, playing hours and became quite competent. It was cathartic, empowering as demons were dispatched with rifles and chain saws. Especially later when I had to go to court to testify and face one of the guys they caught from that night. Doom was down right therapeutic. (Much more than Wolfenstein). To this day, it never fails to make me smile.

My perception at that time, computer games were a different form of enjoyment for me than video games. Someone pretty special to me introduced me to probably one of my favorite computer games of all time that sort of bridge my perceptions of them both to be on the same team, but we'll get into that later. In the meantime, while all of this has been/was happening my video game passions were reaching all new levels. One day playing games with my nephew my sister comes into the room with a newspaper ad asking for people who like to play games to apply for a job. As she was probably more concerned that I was bringing my nephew "The Genius" (her son's) GPA down by 1/2 a point (I have always teased her about her motives on this point she swears she meant it positively for me! ). I applied and got the job. I was working for videogame company and all I had to do was talk with people about something I loved. Getting paid for something I loved, that is part of the dream isn't it?

So that is where I'll pick up next - when I started working at this company it was during it's ascension and let me tell you - working for a videogame company that is making money and popular is awesome as working for a company when everything is going bad and profits dry up, which really, really sucks. And then of course there is working for a videogame company when said company is called on carpet to account for their game content to Congress...or better yet manning the lines when people called to express their views about such games as Night Trap and having discussions with people from religious groups, women's groups and...well it was crazy..

So yes my next post will be all about my Sega years. Some of the most fun most times if not most frustrating times I had. It's funny I don't plan these posts i write and what comes out comes out, so I didn't really intend to share so much of myself but I'm going to leave this post here unedited save for spelling, hopefully because this is all a part of the reasons why I love games so much.

Whew, this was a long one! I blame the cough meds...If you read all this really, thanks for looking!

[1 Comments]

Gaming Pedigree (3) Part One of Two

So I've been thinkin' about the third part of my self-introduction, especially since I seem to have found the right cocktail of drugstore cold medicine to keep my head cold symptoms at bay. Still, can't seem to get my router to work which would probably make me more upset except my cold medicine is keeping me in a fuzzy mellow place so that's a good thing. Again, I do not claim that all my game release memories are 100% accurate, but this is how I remember everything going down. For any of you sequential folks, you can find my first couple introduction posts:

Anyhow, where did I leave off? Oh yeah, computer games and a certain video game company. Let's talk about computer games first. I'm going to backtrack a few years to bring me up to speed, some games that were probably older I wasn't introduced to till later so...there . I would love to be able to relate that I was one of those clever people who were hot in the computer scene before comps were cool for all but I really think I got into them toward the end of that phase and a little before the beginning of everyone and their grandmother heading to Radio Shack, getting a computer and modem to see what the Internet was all about. Timing is everything regarding these sort of things.

My initial computer exposure (beyond Commodore and school programs) happened largely through friends who's parents either purchased them for work or status. Computers offered a different herd of games. Remember that time when having a black screen and green text was the height of hotness? Text and interactive fiction games were all the rage? No? How about the movie Wargames that came out when the Cold War was still arctic? Now, what was the message of that movie....besides war being a game no one wins...no...not the one about talented hackers getting away with nearly killing the planet...no....not about intelligent AI and lazy humans being a bad mix... Ah Yes! That other message... computers games are cool!

A friend of mine (same one who had the Commodore I might add) turned me on to Zork (and later all the sequels), Oubliette and Mystery Mansion. I found l liked the challenge of the text games and the humor at times, but hated the lack of visuals for mapping. I know half the fun for some people is making maps on graph paper but I never was into that part (though I did it). Give me the puzzles and syntax stuff to workout and I could be happy. A possible exception to this might have been Colossal Cave but I never got to finish it as my friend's computer died just as I started it and his parents were P.O.. I realize because of this exposure in my life, I have a love of text and interactive fiction games (interactive books come on gotta love that! I believe Hotel Dusk can directly nod to these games, btw.). Zork was cool, but it was Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy that really won me over for text games. (At least until some years later when I got my own computer and started checking out what MUDS were about...) But there are other games I'll skip for sake of *some* brevity that were fun and kept showing the growth of the medium.

A few more years down the line more colors and graphics added and everything evolves a few notches, if not improves. New computers and improved processing technological leaps that amazed my grandmother given her childhood without electricity. Another friend, who's parents were...indulgent let's say had a family computer that was top of the line for it's time. She turned me on to graphic computer games on par or sexier than my video game system or arcade. But to get a computer to play them was expensive, let alone buying the games themselves. Still, I recall falling in love with a LucasArts game called Loom where music and tones were a vital part of play. This same friend also turned me on to The Secret of Monkey Island I was knocked out about the way the text and graphics the midi music it all came together to create this experience. It was amazing. You remember when Sierra was into making games with an adventure bent to them, deeper story, logical puzzles with relevance to game and intent? That's not to speak ill of anything they make now - it was a different company, different people, different generation and time. And again...things were new games were innovative. Many of the genres that are established now as well as the technology hadn't existed before. I think most of you reading this get the idea but in case you don't...

Can you remember the first time you saw the ocean, perhaps? Stood in the sand with your toes sinking slightly. Maybe some seagulls squawking around you and you watched those odd little holes that appear when the tide rushes back and forth on the surf (That you later found out are made by clams or sand crabs). Can you recall that scent of salt, maybe seaweed perhaps accented by the sweetness of Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion or the slight creamy scent of some sort of sun block? What about the first time you watched a sunrise or sunset over the ocean. Did you notice the way the colors roll and mute, or shimmer like music notes in a song, how vibrant as they reflect against the clouds? Did you catch that special color of blue that only seems to display in the twilight hours? Or maybe you don't live near the ocean, but you remember the first time you hit a ball with a bat and ran the bases all the way home. These things have and continue (fate willing) to exist before you experienced them, but when you discovered it for yourself and felt (hopefully) that exhilaration....it's something special. The sun sets and rises all the time, but no two are the same. People hit baseballs, softballs, beer cans and rocks with sticks or bats but when you did it yourself even if you do it again and again there's something different about each experience, personal and unique.

Well this is a bit how I feel about games, their evolution and how we enjoy them. It's why we can play the same game and get something totally different out of the experience. And in all that, that first time for each experience is even more special because it's something new for you, it expands your view about it. I guess it's all about perspectives, right?

So ends this digression . Back to the reminiscing. Well..almost.

There's more, but it seeemed good idea that I break this one up a bit... So part 2 is the following post. Take a break then read on!

M-

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