The Rumble Pack Posts

A preview of things to come…

Much like the thousands of zombies we’ve been slaughtering in Left 4 Dead the past month, my blog just keeps coming back from the dead.* During the weeks that followed my end-of-semester deadlines, I was so preoccupied with catching up with friends, playing games, and slowly whittling down my Netflix queue (500+ films? How is that possible!?) that I completely neglected my writing. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have written a number of blog entries that I never bothered to publish, often because I just didn’t think anyone would care to read about my fabulous paper grading adventures and snow shoveling prowess.

“E-Sak”-ed

However, after Electronic Gaming Monthly‘s demise and the mass gutting of 1up.com, I held off on the punditry because I wanted to have a bit more perspective on the matter. After all, I had been subscribing to EGM since middle school – I believe the issue with the Soul Reaver cover story was my first. As an industry institution, the magazine’s editorial staff convinced me to buy a Dreamcast and subsequently abandon my schoolyard loyalty to all things Nintendo, and while I’m certainly open to other sectors of journalism, the Ziff Davis publications were also what initially inspired me to consider this career track in the first place. I think any posts immediately following that traumatic day would have amounted to little more than insults aimed at UGO execs and “print is dead” rants.

Didn’t take guff from nobody

However, following 1up site director Sam Kennedy’s lengthy explanatory essay, I’m no longer sure where to direct my contempt. The UGO higher-ups seemingly don’t appreciate the incredible contributions that 1up guys like James Mielke and Shane Bettenhausen made over the years, but the beloved site was apparently heading in the same direction even without corporate intervention (I have no reason to question this information given Sam’s integrity over the years). Regardless, it’s just depressing that the only magazine with the chutzpah to reference Kenji Eno on the cover is no longer in print. I’ll still be visiting 1up on a daily basis, if only for the slick new Retronauts blog and one of the few grading rubrics that makes sense, but I hope that those who lost their jobs find work quickly.

The gang’s all here to mourn the passing of an industry giant (a site, not a person). Other topics of discussion include Skate 2, Chrono Trigger DS, and presidential zombie tobogganing. Dig in for a full serving of the pack.

The New Year always brings about talk of change. Some may hate that concept, others welcome it, and still more believe that it means absolutely nothing. I personally wanted to make 2009 a year of amazing changes, so two weeks ago I sat down to write out a few goals for myself. Among the more common desires of “wanting to hit the gym more” and “seeing my loved ones more often” were a few more lofty. Chief among them: make strides to get a job that I’m really interested in. As you might have guessed, in my case, that means breaking into the game industry.

I just finished reading Chris Kohler (of wired.com’s GameLife blog)’s book, Power Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. In it, he details not only the importance of the Japanese video game industry, but gives a peek into the events that shaped his personal life, from his first gaming memories up through his one-on-one interview with Shigeru Miyamoto. In the end, he shares his realization that video games can be a bridge across the cultural divide, a door that, once opened, can lead to a deeply held sense of respect for another country. For me, Kohler’s story is both biographical and fictional – it represents everything that led me to the land of the rising sun as well as everything I still want to accomplish. It’s inspiring to say the least.

Tom, Nick, Kaz, and Tony talk to Justin while he’s trapped inside a cave inside a closet…under four hundred pillows. Topics of discussion: Prince of Persia, Persona 3: FES, Gears of War 2. Will the current economic crisis force drastic moves from Sony? Also, the final selections for our GOTY list, free of charge.

After a week-long hiatus, the last show of 2008 finally appears. Tom, Tony, Kaz, and Justin celebrate by discussing their favorite games. Later on, we discuss secret fast food items that were mysteriously placed back on the menu immediately after recording. Coincidence?

Nicolo, Justin, Kaz, and Tony are all present for this week’s episode. Tony talks about indie games this week, while Nicolo leaps into Mirror’s Edge. Everyone weighs in on PlayStation Home, which leads to a debate about innovation. Plenty of kind words for EA in that regard. We wrap everything up with this week’s picks. We’re getting close to making all 25 GOTY selections. Is your favorite game on the list?

Justin, Tony, Kaz, and Nicolo talk about Left 4 Dead, Mirror’s Edge and assorted games. The crew then cracks into the subject of games journalism – where it is right now and what has to change? Followed by the second round of GOTY picks.

Due to unusually long editing times, the latest show will be out tomorrow.

-The Management.