Big Picture: MEMORIUM

Hiroshi Yamauchi, 1927 - 2013

The Escapist : The Big Picture : Memorium

End Of An Epoch

Hiroshi Yamauchi, the former president of Nintendo, has passed away at the age of 85. Video-Games have lost their Walt Disney.

The importance of this man to the gaming industry cannot be overstated. He was the one who decided to change his family company's direction away from traditional toys and playing cards toward electronics and ultimately video games. He made the decision to branch out into American and European markets. This was the man who tapped then-unknown Shigeru Miyamoto to create what would become Donkey Kong.

This was the man who willed home video gaming back into existence as a viable worldwide business when it was all but dead. It's neither exaggeration nor hyperbole to suggest that the entirety of modern video-gaming - everything from the first Game & Watch titles and every single thing that came after - was built on the foundation he laid. More incredible still, he remained in charge of the company all the way into 2002 and had an active role in all major company decisions well into the GameCube era. It's impossible to imagine what this industry would've looked like without him... or if it would even have existed at all.

Gomeifuku wo inorimasu, Yamauchi-sama.

Little Video Game Books Vol. 2

Hello internet!

Earlier this year, I created a series of prints where I combined Little Golden Books with what I felt were a few video games that were instant classics. You can read more about those by clicking HERE.  The response was excellent, and because I had so much fun creating them, I went ahead and made a few more!

This generation of consoles has lasted much longer than any of the previous ones and with that, we've had some incredible gaming experiences. More so than I can remember with any other console generation. As I said before, I wanted this series to look back at games that have had a huge impact on not only me, but on the industry as a whole. I felt Red Dead Redemption, Half-Life 2 and Mass Effect were a worthy follow-up to my previous series. I hope you guys and gals dig 'em!

I love video games, I love Little Golden Books... and I loved combining them into the artwork you see below.

"Don't be too eager to grow up. It ain't as much fun as it looks."

To purchase a print, click HERE

"So, wake up, Mister Freeman. Wake up and... Smell the ashes." 

To purchase a print, click HERE

"I'm sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you- I'm too busy playing with my toys."

To purchase a print, click HERE

             

You can order all 3 prints together! Click HERE

I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed making them!

REMINDER!

This is happening TODAY. Come on out and say hi :)

Call of Duty: Ghosts (Single-Player Trailer)

As near as can be discerned from this reveal trailer, the story of "CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS" goes like this: Astronauts with machine guns take over a satellite-based weapon and use it to bomb America into "I Am Legend"-level ruin in advance of a ground invasion; which is opposed by a team of heroes - and their trusty dog - who've all adopted the signature look of a previous COD game's popular masked-hero "Ghost."

Okay. I'm paying attention now.





One of my ongoing issues with previous COD titles has been the disconnect between their sensibilities (dumb as a bag of hammers and cartoonishly militaristic in the vein of Michael Bay) and their narrative/presentation (winkingly "realistic" and sombre in the vein of John Philip Sousa.) This one appears to have addressed these concerns rather adequately: If you're going to be dumb (spoiler: This is going to be dumb) you might as well be Astronauts With Machine Guns dumb.

TGO Returns To YouTube

Okay, so, firstly: Most recent episode was a Top Ten of Generation 7 Countdown. Did you watch it? Watch it.

Secondly: I've decided to start putting old(er) episodes back up on YouTube, promotionally. The show is still going to live on Blip, and new episodes will make their debut there. But after a month or so, they'll hit YT for the sake of promotion and also because I know some folks have issues accessing the Blip player.

Episodes 78 through 86 went up today, find links after the jump. Also, don't forget: I'll be appearing in person this Saturday (9/14) at ACAM/FunSpot in New Hampshire from noon to 3pm to sell and sign copies of "Brick-By-Brick," so if you're in the New England area please feel free to swing by - if you've never been to ACAM, it's pretty incredible.

Here are the nine episodes that went up today, in case you missed any:

EPISODE 78: "PRESS-PLAYED"
"Dorito-Gate" episode, plus a recap of the show up to that point and introduction of Mr. Phibb.

EPISODE 79: "IN PRAISE OF CLONES"
Different types of "originality" in game design, return of PyroThinker and CryoThinker.

EPISODE 80: "COLLECT CALLING"
Classic Compilations that don't exist, but should. Introduction of Dr. Beardo.

EPISODE 81: "LET THIS BE THE END"
The need for a One Console Future, argued. Return of NecroThinker.

EPISODE 82: "NEVER GROW OLD"
David Cage and Warren Spector's controversial DICE 2013 DICE lectures, disputed.

EPISODE 83: "THE NEXT CRASH"
The near-inevitability of a second Game Industry Crash. Also: NecroThinker vs. RoboThinker, debut of PlasmaThinker.

EPISODE 84: "STARVING ARTISTS"
A polite swipe at self-styled auteur developers. OmegaThinker defeats RoboThinker.

EPISODE 85: "REFL3CTIONS"
E3 2013 and the XBoxOne, recapped for posterity. RetroThinker arrested.

EPISODE 86: "STOP TALKING TO ME ABOUT LUDONARRATIVE DISSONANCE"
Title kind of says it all. OverThinker and Ivan under house arrest.

(NOTE: Due to the way YouTube's uploads work, the "play all" option will not play all episodes in order.)

EPISODE 87: "Top Ten Games of Generation 7"

And now here we are. It's the end of a generation, which means it's time for a Completely Meaningless Top Ten List!