Web Series: Online Gamer

A few years ago, a video skit called "Online Gamer" worked its way up the Youtube popularity list. In it, a typical "FPS" player joins his girlfriend and another couple for a double-date board game night. Those of us who know the stereotype of Aaron (the Online Gamer) quickly latch onto the hilarity that ensues when the hardcore mentality clashes with civil, adult Monopoly--wait, Monopoly can get pretty cutthroat, too. Either way, it's a funny situation.


Today, that video skit has earned over ten million views and spawned two seasons of "webisodes."

Although I lost touch with the show in the end of 2011, I still remember laughing and smiling throughout Aaron's escapades and antics. His character became more and more exaggerated (as did his co-stars), but it certainly fit the satirical nature of the show. As a geek, I loved watching the stereotypes of different gamers smash into each other throughout Los Angeles. It's a shame that I didn't see the production company's Kickstarter page, which asked for funding for a third season.

"David, why are you writing about this?"

Fine, fine. I'll get to the point. After being more resilient about commenting on Youtube videos that I enjoy, I found myself reading the responses from other commenters. Therein lays the issue: trolls. The unavoidable ogres of the interwebs.

Reckless Tortuga's Online Gamer Kickstarter clearly stated that their $25,000 goal would be able to fund 8 higher-quality episodes; further stretch goals would be able to fund more episodes. The ogres haven't responded in kind.

See, when a project like this begins (especially in Los Angeles), it's the labor of love of a blooming production company. Thanks to Youtube and other social media platforms (I wish were around when I was performing), actors/directors/producers are in a much more advantageous position to create their own work. All of the major players in Online Gamer have active IMDB pages, demonstrating that they actively pursue performance work. As with anything in this country/world, when a hobby or passion becomes popular and desired, we try to turn it into income. Isn't that our goal: to get paid to do what we love?

I'm probably just falling into the trap of the trolls, but come on, guys. These artists made something that did really well. They likely did it initially for absolutely no money--to try to make a name for themselves. You demand better quality and longer episodes, but that takes money: location fees, wages for people involved (as they get more successful, they're less likely to continue a pro-bono project), post-production costs, website management, etc. It's insulting to any entertainer to demand free entertainment. It reminds me of an internet "meme" that was circulating:

Guys and girls, if you want high quality entertainment, you have to be willing to invest in it. I've been a part of a TV pilot, so I know how much time, effort, and money goes into a project like that. It's not easy or quick. The time that Reckless Tortuga puts in is extensive--and I don't even know them personally.

Two things to take away from this experience:

1. Support the arts. When something starts out low budget and independent, it's from people that love what they do and want to make a living doing it. Don't be passive viewers; get involved.
2. Tastes can change. If a show moves beyond or loses your interest, then it's time to say goodbye to it. I've experienced this with several bands over the years. Change is the only constant in this world. Sometimes it's in your favor, but most times, it's not. Provide constructive feedback and move on.

This is something that I'd like to work on with my students: how to provide constructive feedback in a negative review. This world severely lacks class and dignity.

So, bravo, Reckless Tortuga! You have created a pretty amazing webseries that has gained a fanbase. Keep doing what you love and listen to those that support you constructively. Otherwise, tune everything out.

Involvement in the Community

This post is inspired by a blog over at Sarcastic Robot Games about interactive media.

A few years ago, I was a pretty regular contributor to the World of Warcraft blog, World of Matticus. I had remembered my reluctance to build my own blog, so I started guesting for Matt. It progressed from there.

As opposed to my initial attempts at blogging, being over at WoM really inspired me to keep writing. See, Matt's blog was already getting thousands of hits each day. By extension, my guest posts would get hundreds--eventually, thousands--of views, too. I was spending time moderating the comment section of each post and interacting with my readers. As the view and comment counts climbed, I began actively seeking out new content to bring to my readers. When I left World of Matticus, I had a small following that joined me at my now-defunct spinoff: Healer by Nature. Unfortunately, that blog didn't last long because I fell out of love with the game.

DISCLAIMER: I don't do this because I want to be popular. I don't do this because I want to get RAWRAWESOMEPAGEVIEWS.

I do this because I enjoy the conversation. I like to debate and constructively argue. My girlfriend teases me about it.

Anyways, the Sarcastic Robot post really made me think about my own involvement in the community. Believe it or not, I think I had an epiphany in the process. I really believe that my struggle with blogging is mostly caused by my lack of interaction with the greater community. When I was with Matticus, I was bouncing off of other bloggers' posts. I stayed up on the gaming news and really worked to make sure that I was bringing fully-realized content into my posts. I participated more in forums and on Twitter. It was invigorating!

Then, two things happened. First, I started teaching. Those of you that are in my shoes know how draining that is--especially if you're a "first-year." Second, I found that I wanted to write content that I wanted to write about, when I wanted to write about it. So, with the high hopes of continuing my blogging on my own, I inadvertently disconnected from the community. Hugely, that was my first big blogging downfall.

So, Jonathan, thank you. What you wrote was awesome. I hope that your blog (and my reaction to it) re-engages me in the community/communities that I've always been a part of.

Read Jonathan's blog. Follow it. Bookmark it. Then, for every blog, Youtube channel, or ANYTHING! that you follow, actively engage with it. Even the new stuff. Support those people. I swear on my soul that it means the world.

ON THAT NOTE!

I hate self-promotion and simply prefer word-of-mouth, but I think that I need to break my own rule. Share this. Favorite this. Tweet this. Comment on this. I want to talk with you guys and girls. I want to share ideas. I'm not here to pontificate endlessly. I'm here to interact and discuss!

Question for bloggers: How do you strive to stay connected and interact with the community?

A Creative Writing Experiment

His breath reeked of stale alcohol and the smoke from too many cigarettes, the odor oozing out of his mouth onto his pock-marked tank top. He donned a sleeveless flannel like a suit of armor, though he often fended off debt collectors and flies instead of gilded soldier and dragons. His body wavered, as if his frame sought to escape the poisonous fumes it created.

In his grasp, a petunia struggled to stay alive. Its petals shivered as palm sweat creeped across its stem. Dirty roots dangled from underneath the man's fist, a crude reminder that he was anything but gentle.

His muscles snapped to attention as her approaching aroma overtook his own stench in his nostrils. Each footstep resonated in his ears, bringing him ever closer to the confrontation he feared would define him.  A fresh coat of palm sweat smothered the gasping plant, as her sad eyes met his hopeful eyes.

I'm working on teaching students how to write by showing and not telling. This was a free-write in class guided by three questions:

1.) Who is around the corner?

2.) What is he carrying?

3.) What does he want?

As this is my first time teaching creative writing, I'm trying to increase my own skills. I'm posting this as an example, hopefully garnering feedback from other, more talented writers. Any constructive feedback is good!

Reader (Gamer) Desire to Influence Writing (Gaming)

I was originally drawn to this topic through both blog and podcast BookRiot.com. I've become an avid listener and reader of the site. In the "aftermath" of Roth's third installment in the Divergent series, readers felt cheated or let down. Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky expounded upon the pros and cons of the a reader's influence on the writer, and I was certainly intrigued.

Fast forward to today. Blizzcon--Blizzard Entertainment's yearly, self-inclusive convention--opened up a huge can of worms within the gaming community: namely the expected outcry of millions of fans about Blizzard's lore and game decisions. In short, Blizzard's choice to focus entirely on male protagonists and antagonists hinders the much-needed push to diversify the sex and gender of the gaming industry. At least one blogger in the WoW community (among many others) thinks this is a step backwards. As one Twitter user put it:

The argument of "it was a different time that's why we can't have women" doesn't wash when we're talking about A MADE UP TIME.

— Dysmorphia (@dys_morphia) November 16, 2013

I've read Big Bear Butt for a while; his loving tendency to rant and write always inspires me to blog. His input has certainly called up some heated conversations, including his own. In particular, I was drawn to this quote:

Nobody, and I do mean NOBODY has the right to tell ANY author or creator what they should do to change their own creative efforts because clearly you know better.

This is where it gets interesting to me. I'm going to look at both sides. To avoid prolixity, I'm sticking with the pronoun "her."

Defending Big Bear, he's absolutely right that a writer and creator's outlet is no business but her own. The success of any true artist is generally attributed to the originality of her work. Creativity is a very personal and individual process, much as this blog is for me. I should feel free to write how and what I desire. He's also right that consumers can speak with their wallet. If Dysmorphia and Restokin are unhappy or disapprove of Blizzard's choices, they're welcome to explore other options--certainly the beauty of our multi-faceted society. Veronica Roth's fans might simply put the book down if Allegiant doesn't meet expectations. It reminds me of an old adage: if an activity causes you pain, don't do it. 

As for Restokin and Dysmorphia, they follow in the long-honored tradition of discontent and expression. When Charles Dickens began his writing career, his novels were published as episodic entries in periodicals. Although mostly utilizing the "cliffhanger" convention that television often entertains, Dickens was able to incorporate reader and colleague feedback between installments. In effect, he was able to adjust his writing based on the response of his audience and contemporaries. For Resto and Dys, it's more about the unified relationship between creator and consumer. If Blizzard hopes to stay in business, they allege, they should be more mindful of the diversity of their targeted demographic.

Frankly, I'm in the middle. A writer should have creative license to craft their world as she sees fit. Blizzard grew to its current size because of the story and gameplay that they wanted to share with the community, just as Veronica Roth's creativity birthed the current fanbase for her work. However, Blizzard has always been responsive to consumer feedback. They've always listened to constructive criticism regarding gameplay; why should lore be any different? Dickens did it, film companies always do it, and Blizzard should do it, too. 

Thus, Big Bear's assertion that no one has the right to critique or petition an author is rather misguided. A reader or gamer has as much right to petition an author as the author has the right to accept or reject the criticism. Consequently, while Resto and Dys justifiably can push to alter Blizzard's intentions, I think it's rather tough to assume that Blizzard (or any creator) can fully appease every niche in their audience. If Blizzard decides to stay the course, then Resto and Dys have the rationale to potentially end their ties to the game. Sad, but all good things must come to an end, right?

So Much Geeking to Do!

I find myself perpetually deadlocked in an internal battle. Thankfully, I'm almost positive I'm not alone.

DC or Marvel? Of course, I'm referencing the innumerable titles available at my local comic shop and not the decades-old debate pitting the Justice League against the Avengers or the X-Men (whichever incarnation pleases you).

Alas, this is not the only conflict raging inside me. PC or Console? MMORPG or classic pen-and-paper? To Magic or not to Magic? See where I'm going with this?

I'm quickly finding that I can't ultimately prioritize my geek preferences. As a working adult, especially in education, I lack the time and finances to scratch every "geek itch." When I'm not grading, planning, attending meetings, researching, or diving into the latest in professional development, I can never decide which hobby to indulge. New games and subcultures consistently capture my attention. It certainly doesn't help that each trip to my local game store introduces me to some new board game, mini, or tabletop experience.

I've been playing World of Warcraft since 2006. Unbelieveable! I've been playing that game consistently for seven years. I won't bore you with the logistics of my tenure on Azeroth, but I will say that I've always loved the social aspect of online gaming. This dates back to my 2003-2005 trek through the galaxy in Star Wars Galaxies. Every time I consider leaving the game for good, I feel as though I'd be abandoning friendships developed over the past seven years.

My comic book collection is steadily (and scarily) growing. Back in my younger days, I devoured Spiderman (the Maximum Carnage days), X-Men, and Superman (Reign of the Superman) titles. At some point, I grew self-conscious of my comic books and gave them up. At least two decades later, I picked up some DC comics during the Identity/Infinity Crisis arc. The itch continued into recent years when I delved into various Batman titles in the New 52! line. I would love to get into some of the other DC titles like Justice League or Green Lantern, but I can only afford my four: Batman, Batman & Robin, Superman Unchained, and (yes) Hawkeye.

Beyond that, there's Pathfinder, board games, Magic the Gathering, cosplay, and...of course... my own writing. I certainly feel like I'll never have the time or money to enjoy them all.

Is it possible to choose? How do I choose where to focus my energy without feeling like I'm missing out?

Have any of you had this issue? What did you do?

Pound of Dice!

Just in the mail today! A pound of random dice from Chessex. They essentially put a mish-mash of extra dice together, plus one complete matching set of polyhedral dice. The set I got was solid white with green engravings. Not my favorite, but they're pretty cool.

I'm looking forward to starting a small Pathfinder (like Dungeons & Dragons) group together with some friends. Just trying to get the scheduling worked out.

Anybody else play Pathfinder or D&D? How did you get started?

Twitter's Rampant Grammar Criminals

I'm certainly not perfect when it comes to my grammar in social situations. I'm not a grammatical saint or anything: I sometimes place a preposition at the end of a sentence. What can I say? I'm from the Midwest! It's a fault we all carry with us.

I came across this article on USA Today about a survey that Grammarly conducted about celebrity grammar issues on Twitter. Looking through the article, I have to admit that I wasn't surprised that someone like Pauly D (of Jersey Shore fame--link contains some cursing) is one of the worst "grammar criminals" on the web. On average, the former Jersey Shore star has roughly 55 errors for every 100 words. I certainly take issue with the level of intelligence of a lot of pop culture, but I'll save that for another post.

Who was the most grammatically correct celebrity? Beyonce, according to the site.

Of course, this could certainly spawn a much larger discussion about the impact of social media (and the immediacy of technology), but I wanted to post this question:

Do celebrities in pop culture have a responsibility to be comprehensive role models, or should they purely be viewed as sources of entertainment?

Comment below. I'm curious what you think!