legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

A video game tag? Huzzuh.

So there was this “Like for an answer” tag on Facebook, that I attempted to do, but I am significantly less popular on Facebook than I am on here, and that’s saying something because I’m not even remotely popular on here. I figured that this would be a fun way for my followers to learn about the types of games that I like, or what aspects of games that I like.

1. Very first video game -

My first video game was Super Metroid. But I remember having a Gameboy Color with Pokemon Yellow and some Yugioh game on it, too. I remember playing Crash Bandicoot, and Rugrats: Search for Reptar, and Pokemon Stadium.

2. Your favorite character -

Eiko from Final Fantasy IX, Wheatley (Portal 2)

3. A game that is underrated -

Alice: Madness Returns, Splatterhouse, Little Nightmares, Song of the Deep.

4. Your guilty pleasure game -

I really like simulation games. So, Stardew Valley, Sims, Dream Daddy, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, Sim City, Theme Hospital. You get the idea.

5. Game character you feel most like -

Kairi from Kingdom Hearts, because I’m mostly useless. ;]

6. Most annoying character -

Kairi from Kingdom Hearts, again because she’s mostly useless.

7. Favorite game couple - 

Dom and Maria (Gears of War), Squall and Rinoa (Final Fantasy VIII), and even though it’s not necessarily cannon, ‘Big Boss’ (In quotations to not release spoilers) and Quiet. (MGS: Phantom Pain.) They loved each other and you know it.

8. Best Soundtrack -

Final Fantasy IX is what comes to mind, but Cuphead has a nice soundtrack, too. OH! And Lollipop Chainsaw.

9. Saddest Scene - 

Dom and Maria’s reunion. (Gears of War 2), Lee’s death in The Telltale Walking Dead series, Ysera’s death in WoW: Legion.

10. Best Gameplay -

This is a thing that is kind of forever changing for me. But if we want to to go by hours played: I have over 200 logged hours on one save in Stardew Valley.

11. Gaming system of choice -

Gimme that PS2.

12. A game everyone should play -

Kingdom Hearts.

13. A game you’ve played more than five times -

Final Fantasy IX and Bioshock.

14. Current or most recent video game wallpaper - 

15. Game with the best cutscenes -

Bioshock.

16. Favorite antagonist -

Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)

17. Favorite Protagonist -

Juliet Sterling (Lollipop Chainsaw)

18. Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in - 

Madain Sari, Final Fantasy IX.

19. Favorite genre - 

RPGs, and horror survival.

20. Best Story -

Bioshock and Dot Hack.

21. A sequel that disappointed you -

Bioshock 2.

22. Best art style -

Cuphead.

23. Favorite classic title -

Super Metroid, and Secret of Mana.

24. A game on your list to play -

Death Stranding (When it comes out)

25. Best voice acting -

Bioshock Infinite.

26. Most epic scene -

Most World of Warcraft trailers.

27. Favorite game developer -

Atlus.

28. A game you were surprised you liked -

Assassins Creed: Syndicate.

29. Favorite game of all time -

Final Fantasy IX, Bioshock, Catherine.

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

Dreeeeeeeeeeeeam Daaaaaaaddy.... ~

I’m sure you all heard about this magnificent game, filled with the hottest and most daddliest dads around, right? Cue, our dream daddies. 

Our goal in this game is to meet and create relationships with dads, while also being a father to your own teenage daughter. I could’ve been my own dream daddy. Mwhahaha. 

My favorite dads are definitely Craig and Matt. My least favorite... Brian.

This game has it all. A good story, multiple endings, meaning multiple playthroughs, hot dads, cute kids... What could go wrong?

THE FANBASE. THE MUTHAFRIGFRAG FANBASE. .. Sometimes I really hate the internet.

This game released on Steam July 20th, it hasn’t been a month yet and the fanbase is already becoming toxic. 

There’s this person that we know online as Ohnips, who created fanart on Dream Daddy, which genderbent the dads to females, calling them Dream Milfs. I thought this was adorable! 

^That’s the picture by Ohnips. Look at how beautiful they are! And look how precious the art style is. LOOK AT IT!

Well, not everyone looked at it and thought, “That’s super cute,” In fact, people on Tumblr started harassing Ohnips about the artwork, saying genderbending was transphobic, and anyone who draws genderbending, or refers to genderbending is transphobic. Here’s the kicker... The people complaining that it’s transphobic? Aren’t even trans. 

I have a huge problem with this. My issue is that the trans community has been silent on the issue of genderbending when it comes to geek culture. This could be because they don’t find it to be offending, so why are straight people trying to convince trans people that this artwork is offending? Why can’t the people who are offended explain why it’s offending? 

I could understand if in the original game, there were characters who are trans, and that was taken away in the artwork somehow. But that’s not the case. It’s not hinted towards at all. 

I have been in the geek world for a long time. I live, eat and breathe all things geeky, and up until this game came out, I’d never heard anything along the lines of genderbending being transphobic. And I figured, given the fact that I cosplay as a genderbent Dandy from Space Dandy, if it was transphobic, someone would have pointed it out by now, right? 

So, I think we have an issue of Tumblr Feminists speaking out, thinking that they are doing good, and aren’t. In fact, sending death threats for your cause won’t make anyone treat your opinion with any seriousness. And if you can’t educate people on why it’s offensive, it looks like you’re just bitching to bitch, and that’s not a good image, either.

I also have a problem with the fact that Ohnips is clearly being harassed for their artwork, and clearly being sent death threats, yet social media has done nothing in regards to it, when they should be. Show the people who use these forums that harassment and death threats will not be tolerated. 

Ohnips does not deserve this behavior, and they deserve an apology. Not just from people who have harassed them, but also from heads of these social media platforms for not protecting them.

I’m going to end this with, again, I really hate the internet sometimes. I wish people would keep their hateful opinions to themselves. This situation will likely taint the Dream Daddy fandom, and it’s sad, because Dream Daddy is such a good game. 

Please, give this game a chance. It’s really heartwarming, and so much different than other dating simulators. And please, stand up for people who are being harassed for something as simple as artwork. The geeky culture has always been all inclusive, and I think it’s important that we remind everyone that they belong with us, regardless of who they are. 

What do you guys think? Is genderbending transphobic? Do you consider Ohnips photo to be inappropriate? I’m curious because I can’t imagine how this would be offensive in the slightest. 

And thanks again for the support!

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

Vid-Con and Anita Sarkeesian: My Opinion on Females Online, Harassment, and Feminism.

By now you’ve probably heard about the fiasco at Vid-Con regarding the panel Females Online, that included Anita Sarkeesian as a panelist. If you haven’t, let me give you some background.

Anita Sarkeesian is a “feminist,” who created Feminist Frequency. She, among others, had a panel at the convention Vid-Con. This panel was titled “Females Online,” and was ‘meant’ to talk and bring attention to the harassment that many females face when it comes to online play, online posting and the like. 

This is not what this panel ended up being, and I am fuming. 

This panel ended up being a way for Anita and her friends to publicly bash others, under the protection of Vid-Con staff. 

A lot of people who aren’t fans of Anita and her friends showed up to the panel, and through the videos posted, we see that they were polite. I assume that they showed up to listen to what she had to say. Which I wholeheartedly agree with! I myself am not a fan of this woman, but I still watch her videos on occasion and watch videos that other people post regarding her, because while I’m not a fan of her, I can’t knowledgeably speak about her without knowing her opinions and what she’s all about. Knowledge is power, and you should always be knowledgeable about your opposition, correct?

One specific person, in particular, was called out by Anita, for no reason. This person is Sargon. Anita specifically said, “When you search me online, you see posts from shitheads like this guy (*points out Sargon*)” Sargon, during this panel had said absolutely nothing to provoke this response. 

There were then people who were asked to leave the panel when it came around to asking questions, solely because it seems that Anita did not have answers to the harder questions (”Do you actually believe the things you’ve said the last couple of years?”) or Anita felt that these questions were hostile, and a form of harassment.

You see why I’m upset, right?

I’m sure that Anita, herself, is probably an alright person. But she has a lot of unpopular opinions. I understand that. I, myself, have a lot of unpopular opinions. But unfortunately her unpopular opinions have time and time again been based on emotion rather than cold, hard fact. It’s as if she’s never played games, actually. 

She once proposed something along the lines of “8 things game Devs can do to make games less shitty for females.” In this, she brings up that there are few female protagonists in popular video games, in fact it’s something that she still mentions time and time again. She must be forgetting some of the greats! There is actually an abundance of strong females in gaming, you just have to look for them. Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite, Evie Frye from Assassins Creed: Syndicate, Sylvanas Windrunner and Jaina Proudmore  from World of Warcraft are all examples that come to mind. 

She often talks about the mistreatment of females in video games, as well. Calling out games in the Grand Theft Auto franchise as a female killing simulator. I’m not a fan of GTA, myself. However, I know enough about GTA to know that even in the newest installment of the franchise, you’re not limited to killing females. You can kill everyone. Do I wish that Rockstar could make profit off of something other than the prostitution of women, drugs and violence? Absolutely! In fact, it disgusts me that GTA in it’s entirety is as popular as it is. 

She’s also spoken out about the sexuality in the God of War franchise. The main character, Kratos, comes face to face with a lot of topless women (which is not uncommon for Old-timey Greece, and not uncommon in Greek Mythology!) And also takes part in a number of of sexual encounters. The most popular of these is in God of War III, when Kratos is seduced by Aphrodite. Aphrodite being the Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. This is consensual sex between two adults. Regardless with how you feel about it, it’s not out of character for Aphrodite to be ‘reduced’ to seducing Kratos, given what she is the Goddess of. 

The thing is -- The gaming community is HUGE. You shouldn’t speak out on something that a community loves without doing research, or without expecting some form of backlash if you have an unpopular opinion. 

I’m not denying that she’s experienced harassment. Because she definitely has! I remember when Gamergate was a popular topic and Anita Sarkeesian, Felicia Day and others where harassed to no end because of their opinions on the gaming community and how females within it are treated. I’ve been harassed online, myself. 

But, Anita was not harassed at Vid-Con. She was not put in harms way at Vid-Con. 

People. Having. An. Opposing. Viewpoint. Is. Not. Harassment.

Lets say it again for the people in back.

People. Having. An. Opposing. Viewpoint. Is. Not. Harassment.

I am a supporter of feminism. But real feminism. Not this current, “I’m not going to shave my legs because it gives men power!” and “I’m going to free-bleed for justice!” Garbage. You cannot just pick and choose feminism. Either you want it or not. It doesn’t work the way that Anita seems to think that it does. You can’t harass a man sitting in your panel at a convention for listening, and then claim you’re being harassed when you’re asked questions you don’t want to answer, and then hide behind staff. And yes, She did harass Sargon. She called him a “Shithead,” and a “Garbage human being,” For sitting in her panel.

You shouldn’t claim that there aren’t enough females in animation and production of games, and claim it’s sexist, and it’s a reason we need feminism. Maybe the reason why there aren’t many females in animation and production of games is because it’s simply not something that many females have interests in. And that, is not a reason to talk down on an entire community, or an entire game studio or game studios. 

I am a supporter of feminism. 

I am a supporter of feminism because females are paid less in a place of work than their male co-workers, and African American women are paid less than white women. Mexican women are paid less than African American women. I am a supporter of feminism, because people like Brock Turner who raped a girl, and laughed in court get less time in jail than someone selling marijuana. I am a supporter of feminism because men who sleep around are called players and females who sleep around are called whores. I am a supporter of feminism because when men stream games, people focus on gameplay. When a female streams a game, people focus on her looks. I am a supporter of feminism because when I go to work, men assume that I know nothing about games, and would rather speak to my male coworker. I am a supporter of feminism because women in the gaming community, be it streaming, making games or journalism should be taken just as seriously as men, and their opinions. I am a supporter of feminism because Anita Sarkeesian harassed a man at Vid-Con, all while crying about how she’s been harassed in the past. 

I think people like Anita give feminism a bad name. She gives gaming journalism a bad name. I think she gives female gamers a bad name. 

She is not an ally to females. She is not an ally to the gaming community. 

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

Let’s talk about something weighing pretty heavily on my mind lately...

I’ve seen a lot lately about the ‘racism’ in video games, and the ‘sexism’ in video games. And as a gamer myself, I’m ready to talk about this. 

Because I included the picture of Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, let’s go into racism in video games first. Not all video games, are just video games. A lot of them revert back to history in order to play on an interesting story line. Wolfenstein isn’t the first, and it’s not going to be the last. Among these games, we also have to include Assassins Creed, Metal Gear, Civilization... The list goes on. 

When you have games that revert back to history, it’s important that the creators make the game as historically accurate as possible, regarding the main story line, or specific characters. I actually love games that play on parts of history. It’s a big reason why I love Assassins Creed. But some people aren’t okay with that. In fact, over the weekend and week of the E3 Press Conferences, Bethesda got a lot of flack from the alternative right saying that Wolfenstein: The New Colossus is racist towards white people. That it’s a ‘white killing simulator,’ and similar things. To which I immediately said:

WHAT THE FUCK, PEOPLE--

This game is set in America, 1961. And you’re killing NAZIS. The alternative right is bitching because you’re killing nazis. 

History shows that the majority of Nazis are white. So historically speaking, why in the ever blue frigfrag are they complaining? It blows my mind. Part of what makes the Wolfenstein games amazing is because we’re killing bad people. We’re working to make a virtual world a better place, because let’s be honest, making the real world better makes US the bad guys. Crying, insignificant snowflakes, right? I just can’t. Because Nazis are white in this game, makes it more accurate and a better, more interesting game overall. And it makes it a learning experience. Just because I want to kill white Nazis in a video game doesn’t mean I hate white people. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to go on a murdering streak and kill as many white people as I can. I mean, hell, I don’t even own a gun. I’m actually very for gun control. Not banning. But control. This game, even does this story line well, because it doesn’t try to give the idea that all white people are Nazis. There are white characters in the game that aren’t. Which is great! 

Another historical game that was given flack for a completely different reason was Battlefield 1. Battlefield 1 is a war game taking place during the first world war. It’s comparable to Call of Duty. But better. Offering less wall-jumping, and no jet packs. What this game got flack for was the lack of female playable characters. 

The game was called sexist by the feminists of the world who obviously forgot that while American females were allowed to be in the military during the first world war, they didn’t fight. They were mostly drafted into civilian work to replace the men who fought in the war. Many women were also nurses. These women never saw front lines, never touched a gun. They were in support roles. 

So, if the company that created Battlefield 1 wanted to keep up with history, they wouldn’t include female soldiers right? Apparently keeping up with history = sexism. Yes, history is sexist. The present times continue to be sexist. But we cannot call games focused on historical accuracy sexist. That’s a little more than ridiculous.

Not that this is an issue now, because it was announced at E3 that female characters will be added to Battlefield 1. I sincerely hope you guys are happy.

I’m not anti-feminist. I’m surely not racist. But I appreciate history. I appreciate history in video games. And it upsets me that people become suddenly irate because they aren’t included in a part of that history or the history being covered isn’t something a group of people like. Get over it. It’s history, it cannot be changed. But you know what can? The future.

These games can teach people history so it doesn’t repeat. 

What are your thoughts? Do you think these people are being just as ridiculous as I do? Do you think history and video games should just be separate? I actually want to know everyones thoughts and opinions on this.

Next up will be a blog on the E3 Press Conferences. Covering the good, the bad, and the cringe. Stay with me, it’ll be up soon. Still collecting my thoughts.

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

First of three in a series of illustrations on Super Metroid!

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

This is the pilot for Infinity Train that I was talking about in my last post, btw. It’s pretty amazing. Watch it. Seriously. I love it.

And if you need more of a reason to watch it, Ashley Johnson plays Tulip. You know, Ashley Johnson... Ellie from The Last of Us? Yeah. 

Watch this, and make your friends watch it, and make your parents, and your kids and everyone watch it. This show debuted on Cartoon Network last month at 6AM. Let’s give this pilot as many watches as possible, to show Cartoon Network we support change, and we support this show, and seeing it as a regular show on Cartoon Network.

We need this. They need this. We want more shows like this.

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

OMG STEVEN FRICKIN UNIVERSE GUIZ.

When I had cable I really only caught episodes and thought it was cool enough, but never really kept up with it. Who can blame me when Cartoon Network has hours upon hours upon hours of Teen Titans Go planned, right? So here’s the deal... I decided to take the plunge and watch the episodes on Hulu. I’m on Season 2, Episode 14 and let me tell you...

I AM IN LOVE.

This show is just so heartwarming, and diverse, and funny, and, and and and.

It’s just different from what we see in normal cartoons. Rebecca Sugar is a GENIUS. GENIUS I TELL YOU.

The art style is super lovable, and the characters are equally such. Garnet is definitely my favorite right now. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC?

It’s so catchy. I find the songs regularly going through my head. I’m so happy I gave this cartoon a chance. I don’t even mind the feels train that this show randomly gives me a ticket to. 

I think more cartoons need to be this way. Break away from the randomness of Uncle Grandpa, Teen Titans Go,Amazing World of Gumball and Clarence, and really get into what makes cartoons great. For example... People loved original Teen Titans because it was dark, while still remaining lighthearted at times. There was character development, and continuity. The same can also be said for Young Justice. 

When speaking about the more random cartoons, I almost feel like Cartoon Network hates cartoons with a real storyline. Take for example this: On any given day, we can see timeslot after timeslot of TTG, we can say this is one of their most popular cartoons... But why?

The truth is, it isn’t actually all that popular. It’s just on all the time and gets large amount of views because of that. Steven Universe has maybe a couple timeslots, over the many more we see of TTG. While the show Infinity Train debuted at 6AM. A majority of people who even know what Infinity Train is, know it from Youtube. Who uses Youtube mostly? Teenagers and young adults. Who’s usually asleep at 6AM? Teenagers and young adults. WHY?

BTW -- If you haven’t watched the pilot episode of Infinity Train, do it. It’s absolutely amazing. 

Do we have any SU fans out there? What about Infinity Train? What are your thoughts on Cartoon Networks habits as a channel? Let me know! Always interested.

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

Let’s talk Circle of Life.

We’ve all seen Kotaku’s article about Gamestops Circle of Life program. I’ve been holding off on posting this, as I didn’t really want to put out there where I work, though by context clues, I’m sure you all have figured it out. Surprise, I work for Gamestop. 

I wanted to kind of clear the air with some things on our Circle of Life program. First off, Circle of Life has been around for a long time, it just wasn’t until recently that our managers kept track of our percentages like they do now. Depending on the district manager you have, you may not even be at risk of losing your job. However, your manager may cut your hours, hoping that you’ll quit behind that. 

Our percentages, are actually pretty realistic. In fact, at my store, our goals are usually 25-30% on all things (Reserves, Pro-card, trade, and preowned sales, GPG and PRP.) 

That isn’t unfair or unrealistic. In fact, when putting forth effort, even on a slow day, you should be able to do a lot more than that. On a slow day, I can finish at a 75% overall score on my Circle of Life. And that’s not me trying to brag. I’m just saying it’s not unattainable. Most district managers want us to be between 50 and 100% weekly.

Let me explain why this is so attainable:

Reserves - Reserves aren’t that hard to get. Learn your product. Learn about what’s coming out. It’s not always about our Five to Drive. Are you interested in a game? Dude, sell it. A reserve on some niche game is better than no preorders. You do you, booboo. We are hitting that time of year when preorders should be super easy to get, with NBA and Madden now being preorderable. This year is also big for gaming. With the Switch being launched, and this year being so big for gaming, especially PS4 gaming... This should be easy. Not too mention, that we get very few of the new games in stock. Even just putting $5.00 down on a game makes it so it’s a guarantee that we’ll get that game. And if they don’t pick it up, fine. Make sure you’re informed of all the cool things that come with preordering. For example, how many of you knew that if someone puts $5.00 down on the new Red Dead Redemption that we will personally call all of those people when a collectors edition or deluxe edition of that game comes out? We KNOW Rockstar does great deluxe edition and collectors editions, and surely, our customers know that, too. 

Trades - You are literally getting numbers for doing your job. Even if a customer is coming in with trade, looking for cash, you will still get the numbers. Just do transactions where a customer is looking to do trade. Yes, we have slow trade days, but with so many games coming out, we hold a lot of trade deals, and this should be easy.

Pro Card - I’ll give it to you, this one is kind of hard. I’m going to offer you a bit of advice. Look for people who are buying majority preowned merchandise. By buying preowned, they actually lower the price of the Pro-Card subscription fee. If you can lower it to even half the price, a lot of people will jump for that. Remember to include in your sales pitch that they get coupons for signing up. Another thing to look out for are people who have enough points to renew for free. I’ve noticed 90% of our customers have no idea what the points even do so they are willing to give them up to keep their subscription. Something else to remember is in order to get Pro-card subscriptions you don’t always need to sign them up for a Pro-card! Signing them up for a basic card is step one. Sure, they may not ever get the discount on preowned games and accessories, but they still get the points, and it kind of loops back to, not many people know what the points are even for, or even take the time to use them. Which means that they just stockpile. Guess what? They will have 15,000 points before they and we know it, and bam, free subscription! Win-win, right? 

Preowned games - I get that on occasion we will get customers that don’t want a preowned game. But unless the game is brand new, they have no choice but to get preowned. We still have plenty of customers who buy Xbox360 and PS3 games. The only NEW games under those systems that we really keep in stock are Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto 5. With Xbox1, and PS4 it does get a little trickier, but even those games, if they are older, we don’t have them NEW. Ultimately, our sales of preowned games should be well over new, considering we only have new games when it’s a NEW GAME, and not every person is going to want the new Resident Evil, or Horizon Zero Dawn, or Halo Wars. 

GPGs - Our Game Play Guarantees... Stop playing these off like insurance, or scratch protection. My Store Leader avidly tells us to sell these as guarantees. Because ultimately, that’s what they are. Sure, our customers know that they have a month if anything goes bad with the games, but our GPGs start working after that first month is over. What our customers may not know is that if you play the game a lot, over time the data starts to separate from the disc. This means that the game basically becomes corrupted and thus unplayable. It’s nothing to do with us, and it’s nothing to do with them. It’s just the way that the games are made. Nobody wants to have to buy their favorite game over again if this happens. It’s much easier to come in and show us a sticker, and get a new one over the counter! That covers the games that are on bluray. Let’s talk about Xbox360. Those games aren’t on bluray, and need I remind you of those pesky circle rings that often end up on 360 games because of the system? Same idea. Our GPGs cover that. Not every person will want these. But a lot of moms with kids will buy them. Ultimately, it’s about knowing your customers. 

PRP - Product Replacement. These are the same guarantee you’d buy on a microwave or a refrigerator. And honestly, these are the easiest thing to get. If I sell two consoles, I am literally at 200% for the day. There is absolutely no reason why this should be failing unless you are not selling consoles or handhelds. 

My Store Leader made a valid point a couple weeks ago. That we tend to focus too much on the numbers, while not really listening and paying attention to our customers. She told me to stop checking my numbers so often during the day, and to only check at close. I started doing this, and watched my numbers get higher and higher. I think the main reason why Kotaku put out that article is because we give the impression that we don’t care about our customers as much as we care about our numbers. Both are important, yes, but at the end of the day, if we don’t have customers, we don’t have a job.

We know our goals and we know Kotaku was point blank talking out of their butts and speaking with disgruntled ex-employees. It’s important for us to take responsibility for ourselves and our company. Our Circle of Life isn’t the problem. It could be overhauled and made to be better. For example -- We shouldn’t be punished if we run into a customer with three months left on their card and they don’t want to renew right then. I understand that, but ultimately, our Circle of Life does a lot of good. So many retailers have similar programs in place. Kohls has their credit card, and Hot Topic has the HT+1 cards, for example. This is how our District Leaders can watch us, and make sure we are doing our jobs to the best of our abilities. Getting a write up for bad numbers isn’t an end in the road. A good Store Leader will tell you how to fix the problem at hand, and it’s up to you to take that advice. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force them to drink, so to speak. 

So I’ll end this with... Don’t get discouraged. We work in retail, we will grow accustomed to getting “No,” as an answer. But the times we get “Yes,” as an answer make it worth it. The times we see a customer leave happy with their new games and consoles makes it worth it. Seeing a customer go on and on about how they are so hyped for the new games coming out makes it worth it. At the end of the day, we are gamers, and we are the ones who can best understand other gamers.

Power to the gamers, and Power To The Players. 

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

STARDEW VALLEY IS GETTING A PHYSICAL COPY!

GUYSGUYSGUYSGUYSGUYS

Stardew Valley is getting a physical copy, I repeat Stardew Valley is getting a physical copy!

There is only a collectors edition coming out, but it’s actually going to be decently priced. It’s going to come with the game (of course), the soundtrack, a poster of Pelican Town, and a miniature version of Kari Fryes guidebook. 

I am hyped. This is one of my favorite games right now. And I love that Kari’s guidebook is going to be included in this. She made it originally as a fanmade item, and it gained for much publicity and attention that the creator is giving her credit. I am dying to get my hands on this. 

Heads up with this -- The Switch is also getting a digital version coming in the Summer. The Switch version will be the first version (apparently) to host the new multiplayer mode. Which is pretty nifty. 

How many Stardew fans do we have out there? I’ve heard it’s super, super popular. 

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

Guess who worked the launch for the Nintendo Switch? And a PSA.

That’s right. I did. And good God, it was stressful. It was my first real launch and, as the others I’ve worked have been super tiny.

I personally, am not sold by the Switch yet, for the same reasons in a past post but I hope that everyone who picked up a Switch really enjoys it. I also hope that anyone waiting for extra Switch consoles, gets a console. 

And please, please, please, for the love of God, just be patient. Please do not buy an over priced console from Ebay because you are just DYING to get your hands on the console. When you buy these over priced consoles, it turns into a vicious cycle.

-Companies get allotted amount of preorders.

-People preorder multiple copies of an already limited product, in order to resell it for hundreds of dollars more. 

-People who really truly want the console cannot preorder it because our allotted preorders are used up due to greed.

-You pay hundreds more dollars.

-Failwhale.

The cycle just keeps going if you keep giving those greedballs money. I personally don’t care what company you buy your gaming merchandise from, be it Gamestop, Walmart, Best Buy or Amazon... Just don’t keep funding these Ebay sellers. You’re jipping yourselves and others out of a good thing. 

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He ain’t ever lied.

WHY IS THERE NO HUMMINGBIRD POKEMON?

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Here’s a dip into my life.

So, as you all have noticed, I haven’t blogged in awhile. Let me explain to y’all why. I have been working two jobs, because everyday I’m Hus-Hus-Hus-Hustlin’. At one of the jobs, I finally got the transfer that I’ve been begging for. It’s really nifty how a change in environment can fix all the issues you’ve had with a job since day one. 

I am also battling so many health issues. The weather here is trash. I thought I moved away from the snow, but apparently not. I just moved to a place that is insanely bi-polar about the weather. Last week, we had snow. It was 70 degrees today. This weekend we are expecting an ice storm. The change in weather is wrecking my sinuses, and my joints. So between that and my normal issues, yikes.

The boyfriend and I are also getting ready to move to a different town. It’s not super far away, but it’s closer to work for me, and the girl who’s going to be our roommate is pretty much my sister. So I’m pretty excited.

After we get settled in, I’m hoping to be able to start streaming games from my PS4 to Twitch again. When I have that figured out, I’ll let y’all know. I’d love for you guys to come and hang out with me. ^_^;;

So there’s the dip into my semi-uneventful life. I’m excited to see where my life leads me, and I’m so excited for this year in gaming. I’m sorry I don’t post as often as I’d like to. Sometimes it’s incredibly hard. I’ll try my best to do better.

I hope you all had the best of the holidays and that the new year is treating you well! 

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The Games I currently have Preordered:

In case you’re wondering, these are the games I currently have preordered.

-Dongonroppa (PS4)

-Crash Bandicoot Remake (PS4)

-Zero Time Dilemma Remake Pack (PS4)

-Marvel VS. Capcom Infinite (PS4)

-Days Gone (PS4)

Would have preordered Deformers, but thanks to working at a certain gamestore, I’m getting it for free. Huzzuh. What games are you guys looking forward to?

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AGDQ

Alright guys, it’s that time of year again. If you’re into watching Twitch streams, you should definitely look into watching AGDQ, that’s at https://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick . 

These people are really awesome. They play through all of our favorite games and use the money that they raise to help a charity. This year that charity is The Prevent Cancer Foundation. This charity is the only foundation in the U.S. that is focused on just cancer prevention and early detection.

So you see, it goes for a good cause. So go support it, have some laughs, and feel really nostalgic. 

[legendarylyxdeslicspowerups-blog]

We’ve got a strike on our hands!

Alright guys, incase you didn’t hear, there’s a strike in our gaming world. I’m still a little confused on what’s going on, but this is what I gather.

The acting world has this union, and some voice actors are in it. There are certain companies that, I guess, aren’t treating some voice actors fairly. What I understand is that some voice actors feel that they aren’t being paid enough (As far as royalties with game sales) and they feel that their recording sessions should only be two hours long, while still getting paid for four hours of work to prevent vocal damage. 

The gaming companies that are being boycotted are:

- Activision Publishing Inc.

- Blindlight LLC.

- Corps of Discovery Films.

- Disney Character Voices Inc.

- Electronic Arts Productions Inc.

- Formosa Interactive LLC.

- Insomniac Games Inc.

- Interactive Associates Inc.

- Take 2 Interactive Software.

- Voiceworks Productions Inc.

- WB Games Inc.

So pretty much any games that these companies come out with, or have part in the making of games, might not be able to get the voice actors we know and love. Or, voice actors already casted to a part in upcoming games may lead to games being pushed back indefinitely, due to no voices. 

These games could be sequels. Sequels to Arkham, GTA, Red Dead, Starwars, Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot (The remake,) and the like. 

> Here’s what I think: Gaming has changed a lot in the last few decades. And apparently their unionized agreement hasn’t changed since 1994. That’s a pretty big deal. Considering gaming in 1994 was semi low budget and not many games had voices yet. And if they did it was a rotation of different grunts. 

> Voices are unique. Everyone has a different voice, and I understand why the actors want to protect that. But I feel like they are being a little bit greedy. I remember watching an interview where a voice actor for anime, Vic Mignogna, was talking about how voicing Broly from DBZ kills his voice. He screams into a microphone for 15-20 minutes, and then take a 10-15 minute break, and gets back to it. Money isn’t going to fix your voice if you over strain it, but taking breaks while recording can prevent strain. I think it’s ridiculous that voice actors are asking to be paid for four hours when they are only doing two hours of work. If I went to work, and only worked two hours, but got paid for four, that would be timecard fraud and I would be fired.

> I understand that voice actors want to be paid more for their work in general. I can agree with this. They should be paid for their time, plus every copy of a game bought because their name is on it. And they worked on it. In a world where almost all big video games have voices, we rely on them a lot. But here’s the thing. Devs, coders and those types of people don’t get paid residual money, either. And they definitely do more work than voice actors. Without the Devs and the Coders, we have no games at all. So I definitely think that voice actors aren’t the only ones who should be angry.

> Apparently only 25% of companies actually use unionized voice actors, so maybe this won’t be a big deal. This whole situation sucks though, for the people who just want to work, and are being forced to strike because SAG is making them.

> It’s crappy for us, as gamers, that we have to deal with this. It isn’t out fault that the behind the scenes of the gaming development world isn’t the best place to be. Yet, we are going to be punished by having to wait for games that we are excited for because the voices come from unionized voice actors who are by choice striking, or being forced to strike. However, we can help fix this problem. 

> Stop illegally downloading games. I know, I know. It’s so much easier to torrent a game, and not have to pay for it. BUT, there’s someone, somewhere -- who suffers. Be it the voice actors who in time may not get paid for their work, or a Dev who somewhere down the road might not get paid, or that company might not make it’s quote so that’s less money that can be spent on a new game. You know what I mean? In the end, we are shooting ourselves in the foot by torrenting games. 

> This opens roles to new voice actors. Ones who are just getting out there, and aren’t unionized. And this doesn’t mean that upcoming games won’t have voices. The bigger gaming companies can CHOOSE to hire non-unionized voice actors. So new names. Unfortunately, those people may not be as experienced. They may not be as good. For example, Can you imagine Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain without Keifer Sutherland? Or Beyond: Two Souls without Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe? Exactly.

> Personally, I think a better compromise needs to come out. But one that not only benefits the voice actors but one that also benefits the Devs and Coders. I think it’s pretty awful that none of them get paid residuals, but I think they should be getting paid the residuals that they are worth. We can have video games without voices. We can’t have video games without the Devs and Coders. 

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Excuse me while I cry. This is amazing. 

This Fan-made Pokemon Sun and Moon Commercial is better than any official one

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Animation from  AGADINMAR, reblogged from retrogaming, actual blog post by me. 

Let’s talk about Nintendo, the past, the switch, and beyond. 

First off, the Switch: We know that the switch is essentially a multi part console. The unit that has the LCD screen, and the dock. The screen is the main part of the console, while the dock is mostly used for TV and power charging, etc. The switch DOESN’T play 3DS or Wii U games, however bridges home and portable. So you won’t need two copies of every Nintendo game anymore, take Mario Kart for the 3DS and Wii U, for example. The games will be cartridges, though. 

Funnily enough, while NBA and Skyrim were shown on the trailer, it’s unofficial as to whether or not either game will actually be on the Switch. However, Ubisoft and Square Enix have both said they are developing games for the Switch. Which leads me to, the Switch will support Unreal Engine 4. The switch will also support all Amiibos. 

The console is on track to release March of next year, And is essentially two consoles in one. A handheld and an at home console. 

After thinking heavily on the switch, I have some questions:

1. How is the battery? How long is the battery good for? I ask this because it’s great to have a console that can be mobile, but you need that battery power to support that. I love my 3DS XL when it comes to mobile gaming because the battery lasts forever. But then on the lower end of things, my Wii U, for example, the gamepad doesn’t stay charged for long at all. Because the Switch is a console, Nintendo needs to keep in mind that it will burn through the battery faster. I also wonder how long the full lifespan of the battery within the console is. Does it start running out within a year or two? Think of it like your smartphone. The first year or so you have it, it may charge and keep a charge for a long time. I remember my Galaxy S3 used to hold charge for literally days. But I’ve had it a little over a year and it’s at half-life after 30 minutes on Facebook. Will the Switch be like this? Will they offer a guarantee on the batteries? Will they be easy to replace?

2.  I’m curious about how extensive that third party will actually be. Nintendo is known for rehashing games that are already out, be it revamping them, or remaking them. In the trailer for the Switch, we seen a lot of really cool games. Skyrim, NBA, Legend of Zelda.. But the thing is, Bethesda hasn’t actually said whether or not Skyrim Remastered would be on the Switch. We know that Ubisoft is making games for the Switch, so we can assume Just Dance, and Assassins Creed, right? But then we look to Activison... Will Call of Duty be on the Switch? Or will we be left with the newly coming Skylanders Imaginators? Nintendo is known for childlike games, and childlike nostalgia. I can’t imagine that we will get too many insanely violent games. I say that, but Watchdogs was on the Wii U.

3. Cost. What will the cost of the console be? What about the games? I question the cost of console, because when they mix a home and portable console, Nintendo is making the 3DS obsolete. Will the Switch be more expensive to cover that? And will the games be as cheap as 3DS games because they are cartridges? Or will they be the price of a PS4 or Xbox One game?

All in all for diehard Nintendo fans, I’m sure this looks awesome. But to be honest, for the first time ever, I’m actually pretty disappointed in Nintendo. I’m disappointed because time and time again, Nintendo without fail will make their own consoles and handhelds obsolete. Time and time again, I wonder whether or not the money spent is really worth it, because Nintendo will come out with something new within a few years. I have a Wii U, and a 3DS XL. On my 3DS, the games I have are: Pokemon Y, Final Fantasy Theatre Rhythm: Curtain Call, Harvest Moon, Adventure Time: Explore The Dungeon Because I Don’t Know, and Animal Crossing. And on my Wii U, I have Mario Kart, and Splatoon. I was able to even these out because the 3DS was back compatible to DS games, and the Wii U was back compatible to Wii games. But the Switch isn’t back compatible with anything, as far as we know. This means all new games, along with our all new console. Nintendo, in my opinion, needs to focus on the software put out for consoles, instead of trying to come out with new hardware. A little bit might take them a long way.

Another issue that I have with Nintendo is that they don’t listen to their customers. Had their front runner games for the Wii U been Smash, Mario Kart, Splatoon, Pokken Tournament (Or even a new stadium)... They could have made more money. Instead they rehashed Legend of Zelda, trashed Mario Party and tried to shove Amiibo friendly games down our throats. What have most Nintendo fans been saying they want from Nintendo for a long time? A new Pokemon Snap (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZING ON THE WII U, BTW.), A new Pokemon Stadium, Metroid, Zelda Wii U...

The Wii U isn’t a bad system. It just lacks quality. The 3DS isn’t a bad system. It’s just lacking quality. Nintendo isn’t a bad company. The people are just more interested in QUANTITY over QUALITY.

I’m trying so hard not to bash Nintendo. Because at the end, I love Nintendo. I will always love Nintendo. But Nintendo has really made me angry. Other companies have made me angry (Be thankful this blog wasn’t around when Konami made asses of themselves by abusing Kojima.), but it’s not anger like I have for Nintendo. The difference between Nintendo and other companies is that Konami will succeed regardless. Ubisoft will still sell games even though they micro-transaction fans out the ass. Bethesda can put out a shitty game one year (Looking at you, Evil Within.)  but make up for it with an Elder Scrolls game that will cause millions to immediately drop their pants and jack it in the streets. Nintendo CAN succeed, but doesn’t. And it’s not because they don’t have the tools, because really, they do.

When Iwata died, I was sad. I mourned over a man I never knew. Nintendo has been such a huge part of my life. Nintendo was always that company that reminded me of the good times. What got me into gaming. Kind of like a nostalgic grandparent. But Grandma and Grandpa Nintendo, I’ve noticed are starting to get sick, like all old people do. They are no longer nostalgic, and “remember the good old days,”  They are starting to forget. Alzheimer’s, perhaps. 

So to end this, I hope you all have fun with the Switch. I will be keeping my eye on it, but as of right now, I think this will be the first time I don’t buy the new Nintendo console. I can’t bring myself to keep enabling the “Better way to play,” and “New way to play” philosophy that Nintendo continues to push, which ultimately leads to their downfall.