So. PAX. Kind of a big deal. And really fucking awesome. But we already knew that. But... seeing all the D-toiders again, and many for the first time, and having to tell no less than 10 million of them that I was no longer active filled me with shame... and disgust... and a mysterious lust for cupcakes. So here I am, writing, musing.

Since PAX this year had a ton of new, never-before-seen, content, quite unlike my first foray into the world of cons in '07, and since everyone is making a list of their top PAX picks, I see no reason why I shouldn't do the same. Because you should always do what everyone else does.

1. TOR-
The Old Republic is sexy. I thought the audio design was absolutely fantastic, and having multiple people able to engage in relevant conversations in which important choices are made is really stretching my brain. I have absolutely no idea how exactly they are planning on making that work. I am curious to see just how much impact our decisions will have, whether or not there will be duplications of important NPC companions, how choices will affect one player and not the other, or everyone, etc. And just how much player companions can influence decisions, etc. etc. My head is screaming with questions. There's just so much to see. Additionally, I picked up a free steam copy of KOTOR. Might keep me busy for a few days, and it's been at least a year since I've played it so it might be time for another run through one of my favorite games ever. I cannot describe how much I loved the bounty hunter. If I could be whatever Yoda's race is, and fire missiles, lasers and use a jetpack I would have multiple game and/or nerdgasms.

2. No More Heroes 2-
FUCK YES

3. Borderlands-
I am still a bit skeptical, because I tend to prefer my games with some solid story. Still, having 4-player co-op and knowing at least 5 people who would love to explore Pandora with some acid shotguns is definitely exciting. The only question left in my mind is "360 or PC?"

4. Wet-
Looks sexy, plays incredibly well and it's just plain awesome. The only thing I am worried about is the expansion of introduced game elements. Sure having the screen go red randomly and slicing 50 enemies to pieces in a matter of seconds is awesome, but will it get old? I was worried about this for Fallout 3, but I've dumped over 1,000 hours into the D.C. wastelands and I am still not bored. We'll see.

5. Mass Effect 2-
Really looking forward to this. I love the original and I love the improvements. Just want a solid release date. Preferably in the next week. I can dream...

6. Bayonetta-
Awesome. Like Devil May Cry but sexier. For obvious, if a little played out reasons.

7. Jump Gate Evolution-
I had a few issues with some the controls, which I found a little frustrating , but I got them down after some extensive fiddling. It looks like what I hoped EVE was. My fear, again, is that I will fall out of love with it as quickly as I fell in. I didn't get to see much of the MMO, just killed a few low-level enemies, but even that was pretty enjoyable. And it looks really slick- especially for an MMO. We'll see how it tuns out, but I think it will be quite good.

That's all for now. I'll try to start posting more interesting things in the next few fays as I head back to my own computer in college and start the pax-inspired game playing frenzy that will inevitably ensue.

For my first community blog post... ever, as well as a part of this month's Monthly Musing Feature, I will attempt to explain what a gaming snob is, and why we (yes I include myself in this group) are the way we are.

The other day, me and a few of my chums were taking a pleasant stroll across the school yard when I decided to begin a debate on the flaws of Fallout 2. I started by stating that it a dreadfully slow, archaic combat system, although, I had to concede the point that the game is nearly a decade old at this point and that I might be a bit biased. Shortly after that, another of my dear pals walked up and began raving about the Forge system in Halo 3. I launched a salvo after salvo of verbal assaults on the title, complaining about everything from the idiots who play it (not everyone of course, just 99% of XBL users) to its uninspired, hackneyed story. When I stopped to take a breath, Shayne said that I needed to let stuff go and just enjoy the game for what it was. He called me a gaming snob.

It took me a few fully understand what that meant. What was a gaming snob? What makes me one? How did I become one?

My first challenge was to define a gaming snob. The best definition I have come up with so far is that a gaming snob is a fanboy. We do not attach ourselves to systems however, we simply separate ourselves from the mainstream; from the “casuals”. Games like the Guitar Hero series, and Grand Theft Auto, simply aren't “hardcore” enough for us. We attach ourselves to a mix of obscure and middle-of-the-road titles such as Killer7 and KOTOR respectively. We are well versed in the history of gaming and happenings in the industry. We view ourselves as enlightened and above the mainstream, we seek depth in our games, we seek meaning and for some arbitrary reason only obscure titles can deliver that.



Once I had defined the term I realized that, indeed, Shayne was right, and I was guilty of gaming snobbery. As many of you will know from reading a few of my forum posts I consistently rail against Halo, I did not enjoy much of the Final Fantasy series, I was not crazy about Rock Band or Guitar Hero; the list goes on and on. For whatever reason I have subconsciously deemed these games to have no value, either artistic or entertainment, whatsoever. I may try and hide behind arguments for games like Halo, but I can really think of no defense for hating Guitar Hero. I love the music, I don't mind most rhythm games, but I believe the fact that Guitar Hero is overwhelmingly popular has triggered an automatic response of hatred for it.

I still cannot say exactly how or why I am a gaming snob, but I can state it seems to be rooted in a need for attention. I have noticed in myself, and indeed in most other gaming snobs, that we are traditionally shy people that wish we could be more outgoing, and when the subject turns to games we see a chance to voice an opinion that counters the majority in a hope of gaining attention and approval from those who are casual or “intermediate”, as BFeld13 put it in his blog. Why we crave attention specifically I cannot say, and I believe that point to be somewhat irrelevant, what matters is that the gaming public recognizes that there are those who simply wish to tell everyone what they think.

I understand that, given my argument that gaming snobs simply seek attention that this posting is, in and of itself a ploy for attention. I suppose on some level that's probably true, but my primary motivation for writing this is to help people understand us snobs. We aren't trying to be assholes, we simply seek recognition and I hope you can forgive us.