What is this... Violence and Video Games?

     Violence? Video games? Surely those two aren't connected... are they? Short answer: NO. Long answer: maybe. Allow me to explain...

     To start off, we're going to derail the train before it even gets out of the station. What a great way to start, right? Before we get to the problem everyone blames, we need to look at the problems everyone tends to forget...

How Do We Define A Violent Video Game?

     With the Sandy Hook shooting on everyone's minds recently, I feel the need to bring up an old argument and drive it home again. However, before I go on a rant about violence in video games, I want to throw a related issue out there. There is no doubt that there are countless violent video games out on the market, but there's only one problem: what is a violent video game? How do we define what a violent video game is? "Well, it's a game with violence in it, of course." Yes, but where do we draw the line? Consider, for instance, The Legend of Zelda. The player assumes the identity of Link, a young boy who gallivants around the land of Hyrule slicing away at enemies with his sword in order to defeat the evil Ganondorf and save Princess Zelda. Is that not violence? "But he's trying to save the Princess!" But it's still violence, is it not? Again, I ask: where do we draw the line?

I'm going to carve your heart out of your chest and consume it... What? That's exactly what happens!

Guest Post: "8 Bits For How Much?"

     A fellow gamer, and personal friend of mine, sent me a rant he wrote and asked if I'd post it. "Why, of course I will!" So, without further ado, Goongala's Grumbles first "guest post"...

     2013 is here and, unfortunately, the idea of buying new games scares me. Although I can confidently say I spent some money last year with no regrets on titles such as Guild Wars 2 and Halo 4, I find myself disappointed with other full priced purchases such as Gears of War 3, Assassin’s Creed 3, Black Op’s 2, and Mass Effect 3. Generally, I don’t mind paying top dollar for a fun game at it’s launch rather than waiting half a year for it to go down a few bucks, but when the brand name games fail you, it makes you rethink your spending habits. Recently, I got my first Super Nintendo (SNES) and a few games I always loved, but never owned, for cheap, and thought to myself, “Ah ha! This year I’ll buy retro instead!” Excitedly, I went to online shops and eBay. It was there that the horror began…

What are these... Resolutions?

     So! It's the beginning of the year again, and you know what that means... "I will get in shape and go outside for long walks and-" WHOA THERE! I try to make reasonable resolutions. I'm in shape... round is a shape. And going outside? HA! Do you know how pasty white I am? The sun would roast me alive!

     Instead, my resolutions will be mostly simple. Hopefully I don't fail like last year...

Reflections of 2012... I AM DISAPPOINT.

     So, the year has past, and as I sit here behind my computer, I find myself depressed. To be honest, 2012 wasn't all that great a year for me. Sure, there were good things, but they were constantly overshadowed by the bad. Here's what I mean...