Kinect-ing with my couch

Well, it's been a while since I posted here, and I think it's time for a rant that is long overdue: why the Microsoft Kinect and Sony Move make me want to toss my gaming systems out the window.

This year's E3 saw a lot of excitement over these new motion-sensing gaming systems. Though the Wii - a system that proudly touted its motion-sensing features - was released almost four years ago, critics and gamers alike are saying this new technology blows the Wii out of the water.

"Simply jump in" invites the Xbox Kinect's website amid images of smiling people in awkward poses. "Easy to use and instantly fun, Kinect (formerly known as 'Project Natal') gets everyone off the couch."

This is the exact opposite of what I want from my gaming experience, and I think a lot of people feel this way. I love just plopping down on my couch or computer chair, kicking off my socks and zoning out to some (occasional) button-mashing. It's relaxing, and it's a great way to escape and take a break from real life.

Don't get me wrong; sometimes it is pretty fun to pop in the Wii Sports CD and go "bowling" or play "tennis" with some friends. You won't catch me doing it alone, though, because half the fun of playing these games is watching your friends make total asses of themselves. Virtual bowling alone in an empty house.... now that's a depressing notion.

I just don't think that motion-sensing games are as fun or exciting as critics and corporations hope they will be. I flailed my way through Zelda: Twilight Princess with no rhyme or reason to my actions, because flicking my wrist back and forth was the only way to use my sword. Given the choice between the A button and wrist-flicking (which eventually led to a mild case of carpal tunnel), I'd pick the A button every time.

I was pretty disappointed when I found out that Zelda: Skyward Sword would be similar to TP but would be entirely dependent on the Wii's Motion Plus capabilities. Check out this review from Digital Trends:

Back stage at Nintendo’s E3 booth, with the Wii Motion Plus controller resuming its normal poise, Zelda: Skyward Sword shows its true colors. The Wii remote and nunchuk act as a sword and shield, respectively. One-to-one motion mapping means that each of your sword gestures in real life translates precisely to Link’s on screen. Start a swing by your side and stop with the tip pointing dead ahead, and Link starts a swing by his side then stops with the tip pointing dead ahead. You’re not triggering pre-animated sword gestures as you did with Twilight Princess, you’re crafting them as you go, in real time.

That does sound kind of neat... for the first five minutes of gameplay. I think that this gimmick will get old very quickly, leading to more frustration than fun.

In short, it seems absurd to expect the majority of gamers to enjoy thrashing around their living rooms, dodging invisible punches and swinging their arms to slay on-screen monsters. As excited as I was for Skyward Sword, I can't see myself getting through the first dungeon, even if it is "revolutionary".

Gold Spammers and the like

So this post is not about a fancy new game or technology but it is something I feel needs to be addressed. And that is gold spammers, account hackers, and paid leveling services.

I for one have never used any of these services but the amount of companies and people out there now is getting a little ridiculous. I cannot be logged into WoW for five minutes without getting a whisper about buying gold or a special promotion where I have won an exclusive mount/pet/beta key all I have to do is log onto a key logging website masked as a blizzard page, an in-game mail, or seeing a dozen spams in trade for gold sales. The newest form of whisper I get is the spammer pretending like they know me and then saying "we only have 350k gold left we will give it to you for a special discount price."

My response, " I have never nor will I ever purchase gold, so stop wasting my time on a game I pay good money to play." If I am in a good mood it will remain PG but after getting a dozen whispers in an hour, my ignore list full and hitting the report spam button more than any healing spell, it gets a little tiring.

This practice is not only occurring in WoW, on Xbox live I have also received messages asking if I would like to pay to prestige in Modern Warfare 2 and level in other games.

I wish that Blizzard and other gaming companies could put an end to the constant badgering of their consumers. If this continues I do not see why I would continue to pay $15 per month to constantly be harassed and hackers try and steal my account.

Social Stigmas

Going off of a question I receive a lot in game, "Are you really a girl or a dude?" I always answer honestly and proudly and say I am a girl. However in real life there are very few people that know my secret love affair with gaming. After some internal reflection I have come to the conclusion that I hide this from most people because I grew up with my parents looking negatively at 'gamers' so I accepted the stigmas they placed on them as truth.

Many of the social stigmas associated with gamers and female gamers simply are not true, especially in today's diverse society in Canada and the United States.

Here is a list of some of the stigmas I would like to see done away with.

1. Gaming is for males and therefore females are not as capable or carry the same degree of skill as their male counterpart would.

2. Gamers are:

• Lazy
• Anti-social
• Overweight/Obese/Unfit/Out of shape
• Nerds

South Park's Make Love Not Warcraft (Season 10, Episode 8) makes light of a lot of the stereotypes placed on gamers in today's North American society.  I actually love this episode just because of how extreme it really is, but it annoys me when people view this episode and think that is how EVERY gamer really is.

3. Gaming is just a waste of time.
In my opinion gaming is a form of entertainment the same as watching a football game on television, going to the cinema or a round of mini golf. It is personal preference how you want to spend your spare time and which method gives you the most enjoyment for the amount of money or time you have to spend.

4. Gamer's will spend their entire life living in their parents basement, eating pizza pops and drinking soda, and never have a significant other.

5. Gamer's only like to game and spend their entire life doing that.

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I fell in love with video games with Super Mario Brothers for the Super Nintendo, which I beat numerous times and was better than my brother at. I get good grades and graduated from University, while at University I continued playing video games, mostly World of Warcraft. It did not consume my life, I was able to balance, school, relationships, having my own apartment and work.

I can play my avatars just as well as a lot of the males out there and was able to be a strong guild leader. While I love games, I also love to read and write and play sports outdoors.

I find it sad in the 21st Century that there are so many negative stigmas associated with gaming. Real life has them and for a girl, you cannot even escape them in the game sometimes.

So in the end do what you love to do, and try and ignore the stigmas so that hopefully one day, when our children are growing up they will not have to face this type of stereotyping.

Join the party, grab some friends and get out there and game!