Drinking from my glass of Milk, I catch up my Twitter feed. The lovely Ashley Davis says the Monthly Musings are back, and with a topic that anyone can write about it. Yeah, sure, anyone can write about, but, It’s difficult. REALLY DIFFICULT.

What I mean is, you can talk about videogames as an escape from your life, but, it could take two very different ways. In one hand, you can end up talking like a fanboy on how awesome it’s that game, the one who clear your mind and let you feel that awesome sensation of temporally freedom. On the other hand, we can start talking and sharing our deep feelings, those who are locked inside our hearts, and those who we don’t share with anyone, being afraid of looking pathetic at the eyes of the rest just because we thought the entire world hate us with passion.

Personally, I really don’t know if there’s a correct way to write this. I can compare my life experiences and comparing to videogames, if just and only videogames can serve as an escape, how much our friends are involved, etc. I don’t even know how to title this. But let’s do the exercise, maybe it can help. After all, like my favorite robotic friend used to say: “Thank you for helping us help you help us all”.

It’s about the game or the person. I don’t even know where to start.



It’s funny; I had a “nice” childhood, mainly because my family treats me like a King. Yeah, I don’t even have too many friends (not even online) but I always get what I want (at least on the physical things aspect). The lack of friends was nothing compared to the awesomeness of a Nintendo 64. I spent hours and hours playing Mario games. Luckily, some neighbors also had a N64 so we played sometimes. Yes, it was luck. Back there I was happy, no concerns and worries at all. My parents never had a fight (till today) and even if there was a problem with family members, money, health, whatever, they never told me anything, just to keep me happy. It was a permanent escape. One that I don’t even wanted, and/or wasn’t aware at all.



It wasn’t till I reached my puberty and middle school, when I realized about problems and things that were changing. The Gamecube wasn’t very attractive to most people and everyone, EVERYONE had a PS2 (you know, piracy over here it’s terrible with all the Unlocking on that system). Also, just at that point in my life, I was discovering Arcade games. Everybody had tough years, this were one of the worst; I’m not afraid to say that during all these years I never had a girlfriend, but god damn it, I won a lot of good friends. All thanks to Dance Dance Revolution. The shy Danzflor went away, It became a dancing machine (now you know the origin of my nickname) At first everyone laughed at me, but when they saw me dancing (you know, free styling) I gain they respect. Thanks to that I escaped from all the school problems, and every one of us might have had the same problems back then I guess (Grades, Annoying classmates, girls and a big etc.).

But then, I realized while playing these rhythm games, that is not only the game your way to escape from the absurd reality, friends play a crucial role in this. I still got those friends, and I still making friends today thanks to that. Because, you all know it, it’s better to play with some friends. Laugh with them, Yell at them, drink with them. That’s something that services like LIVE and PSN are minimizing these days. I’m not saying they are evil and should be eliminated, no. I just miss the days when everyone had to bring their controller and party. Probably that’s the main reason why we have so many annoying kids yelling at us when we play Modern Warfare. They are so stressed in their life, so they have to yell a stranger and call him “fag” for no apparent reason. All those problems, and all day glued to the console because their parents don’t do their job make them do that. In a way, videogames are helping them (but at what cost? My poor ears)



Now days, when I feel a little stressed from University, a just launch Steam and I play some Team Fortress 2, and I don’t even care if I’m losing or winning, I’m having fun. All those games that help me to runaway, have the common factor that every game should accomplish: entertain you, one way or another. More than the game itself, probably after all it’s just the person and videogames as one. As I expose before, there are some specific games that changed my way of seeing and living my life, but when you are having fun, you can escape from anything that it’s going on around you.

To conclude this, we are all different, and different games makes us what we are today, after all, that’s why we are here, why you’re reading this. Videogames related things make us feel like awesome, we feel joy, we feel pride. Destructoid plays an important role It’s like we want to hug some developer so hard for make such a great game, and here it applies the same concept, when we want to hug Niero so badly for creating our second home. It’s a escape to read gaming news, and not the bad ones we saw every day.

At the end of the day, thanks to this thing I realized something. It helps me. I don’t write exactly how bad my life was at some point or how a single game changed my life (DDR was just on of them). Games are fun, were invented for that. The Videogame Universe is our escape, from a good or a bad reality. That’s why we are here. And no matter how’s your mood, just plug your pc or console and save the world. Again. It's going to help you at the same time.

Yes, I’m feeling better now.

[Chell header image taken from Chibi-Beckett's deviantART. Thanks to Chibi-con for help with some corrections]

It's hard to believe that I arrive hear near 2008 (according to my Forum account), and this is just the obligatory (but that we all want to do) Happy-B-Day Blog. As you know I barely blog something (a lot of gaming projects on the way, in spanish. Yeah) but i'm always reading the forums, making insignifficant comments on the blogs and news, but the tie past and now Dtoid it's my official news source. I love the irony of Jim Sterling, I love the professional JOURNALISM and I would marry Hamza, Niero, Chad and Anthony... at the same time.

This place have something UNIQUE, a charm that no other website would EVAR beat, and that's it his community, his Original Content, his Editors, His... FUCKING EVERYTHING.

And that's why I love this site. Again.

Gracias a Niero y a todos los miembros del Staff de Destructoid, por hacer de mi vida mas feliz cada dia . =D

Kudos for Dtoid.

And for all of those who are saying that Dtoid and Niero are getting old: They are like Wine, the more old, The Better they get ;)

Fireworks FUCK YEAH! (I was going to upload a photo of myself having a beer, but this internet connection it's danm slow)

Greetings Dtoiders! This is Danzflor showing up after a really LONG time, it's like 2.40 AM here in Chile and I just want to blog about something (actually, about nothing), and the New year it's a perfect excuse, I know I'm not around here on the c-blogs, neither the IRC (I miss that damn thing) but, as a lot of friends of mine aroudn here, maybe never blog something, but i'm always reading the blogs, commenting the news and have a good time with my favorite news source on the internets.

Now I'm on vacation time! (it's summer here) so I'm going to do the things the right way, do you remember about an spanish podcast? well, this year WE ARE GOING TO DO IT, I will not let that opportunity to just pass :)

Also, i'm pretending to blog a lot in order to improve my english =D, and a lot of other projects. By the way, some auto promotion, I'm getting a great feedback over here in my country with a new project I few months ago begin with a group of friends called "DomiNacion" and the people seem to love it, if you have time and understand english, check it out.

That it's the same reason because I REALLY want to do something around here, I'm probably going to uploaded to ScrewAttack.

so guys, that's all for now, this year i'm going to try to be a real member of this community (even if a I barely know some of you) and do my best, THIS IS MY YEAR, so i have to do MY BEST :)

I hope you're having a great time right now, and I'll see you soon.

This is the Drunk Danzflor, signing off ;)

Oh, I just forgot, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Destructoid, keep being awesome ;)[img][/img]

If you follow Destructoid on Twitter, you probably has noticed the "Destructoid + Salsa Music + Google Translate = Despingation"

Words can't describe the high level of awesomeness of this Joke for the Moment, I Just love it and I was Impressed of the nearly accurate Google translation, some minor flaws and that "Destructoid" was translated as "VidaExtra" or ExtraLife, something funny considering the fact that VidaExtra it's a real spanish gaming site (not a good one, but, meh), and despite of that, the translation was pretty good.

And thanks for the music, it makes me fell like I was at home (kind of)

But the point of the this blog entry is this:

Some friends on Facebook, Twitter and MSN told me: "Hey dude, don't you know? Dtoid has an Spanish section" or "Yay! now we have Dtoid in Spanish!". They not visit the site often, but It was surprinsing for me to saw that reactions.

Niero comment on one of my older entries that Despingation was and idea he had for an old gaming spanish site, but he gets to distracted with Dtoid.

So, the question, there's any chance of get an Spanish Dtoid (I mena, dedicated translation or even originals) or something like that? I know that maybe Spanish isn't a Worldwide lenguaje or even a powerful market (or stuff like that) But it would be awesome to have an option like that and, by the way, get more people to visit the site.

That's all for me this week. Later.

.

In my attempt to blog daily, I bring to you some music! YAY! Because Dtoid Likes Music (not for nothing we have dTunes) so every tuesday we're going to have some stuff, In what I have been working (mixing) and what I found on the interwebs.

You should probably ask, why not just simple put your toughts on the dTunes Blog? It's because my musical taste it's very different from normal rock and other "normal" music styles. You will see.

First! Let Put some Mash Up I've doing just for the lulz.

The First is from Dance Dance Revolution! Listening to my library I notices that these two song sound very similar (maybe because both are from the same artist? duh) so I to arrange some BPMs and some cuts and This is the Result

Joga - Dam Dariram (DDR 4th Mix)
Joga - Bye Bye Baby Balloon (DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution 6th Mix)



(sorry about the image crappy quality :P)

The Second tune is one that I wanted to do a long ago. Every time on Youtube always pop some Smash Bros. Brawl Song Version Mix with the original one, but looking for one I've never find a decent (or at least one video) for this one. So this is the result.

02 Theme Song. Brawl Version vs Original N64 Version.



I believe the result was pretty kick ass :)

And finally some of the Music I like to listen, this one is from Renard, a canadian producer who has a lot of free time and he's always launching EP's on his site and some free stuff, like a Stepmania based called Mungyodance (I love that game *.*), you can check all his stuff on his Youtube page. Now here is one of my favorite tunes (also a Boss Song in his game)



So, that is for today, hope you like this stuff. Tomorrow... well I have no clue was going to happen tomorrow, but, since I want to blog daily, something must happen, see you tomorrow! ^^

Hi guys, long time no blog, i've been busy, like a lot, but starting from today I'm back and Fully Charged, so, I'm trying to blog daily, let's see if that works.

Well, today I'm here to show something that it's concerning me about it and it got me worried.

I'm studying Journalism and I'm doing a research about Videogames, especifically about a recently approved law by our lovely ignorant politicians who still believes that Videogames will kill us all, that would cause a lot of changes on the videogames sales to the children here in my Country Chile. It happens everywhere and finally arrives to my country.

There some more points but these two are the most important.

First, they want to modify the ESRB charts to just 3 classifications, Everyone, 13+ and 18+ and they want to put that on the front covers of the games, to look like this. Yes, they want to do this in all games (50% front/back cover warning), I consider this... really... creepy, they are looking at the games, just like cigarrettes, here's an example:

This Is What they do with the Cigarretes here and in some places:



And turn violent videogames into this:



And also they want to put a "special" parental control on every sold console.
And all of these is happening due to violent acts happening around to world, but the facts say other thing. Documents like this show how the victimization levels are going down (according to the USA Justice Office).

I Support the fact of controlling sales of violent games to children, but things like that are ridiculous, Chile and Latinoamerica aren't an important market for videogames developers and things like this just make our situation worst. Even more if your recall what happening in Venezuela.

Also I'm watching "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!" SE 07. EP 03. where they talk about this situation and a lot of friends agree with that.

So, blame the game, the politicians, the parents, what do we do? I would love to know your opinion about this =)

I Know, this is a repeptitive issue nowdays but for me it's really important to know what The destructoid community has to say about it (and also it's going to help me a lot)

So, that is for today, I see you tomorrow with some music in my new pixelated world :3