NYC GIRL GAMER MEETUP SPONSORED BY GIRL GAMER VOGUE TODAY!

We are proud to announce our first sponsored NYC Female Gamers Meetup! We encourage everyone to join. THIS IS NOT A WOMEN-ONLY EVENT. Come drink, network, eat, and play with gamers from all over NYC. Founder Jennifer Vargas will speak about things to look forward to on Girl Gamer Vogue this year!

For more info and to RSVP visit the website below:
http://www.meetup.com/NYC-Female-Gamers-Meetup/

If you miss the event, no sweat! We will hold the same event next month so be sure to Join the meetup to get updates!

Game Over: Death in Adventure Games

          In platforming/adventure games the hero becomes your physical extension into the world of the game. You feel bodily tension every time you press that button to jump over a hole or shoot at an enemy, therefore, each death becomes a small manifestation of your failure to complete a systematic process. Like missing a shot at basketball, these type of games give you the opportunity to quickly grab the ball and try again, which makes each death frustrating, but generally not going to ruin your day. Things like checkpoints and frequent auto-saves in modern games help as well. These type of games, like many, allow the player to become better with time and practice, moving through Merleau-Ponty's acquisition of skill arc, from novice to maximum grip (where the player is so advanced that they try to test and redefine the limits of the system with their skills.) The amount of disappointment felt when dying as a player moves through these states of skill acquisition can vary greatly from mild annoyance, to a feeling of complete failure.  Even the most experienced players frustration of failure is never avoidable. "Strong emotional states interfere with absorbing and reacting to new information. In a game, strong emotion like panic leads to 'choking', the failure to perform a task that you have perfected. For the gamer, emotional and physical discipline quite literally go hand in hand: get too caught up in a game and you risk swapping precision technique for frantic button mashing." (Shinkle 911)

          Death in video games comes in many forms, from falling prey to a mighty dragon, accidentally walking into a hole, or being killed by some anonymous soldier controlled by a guy in Norway. Death in videogames is something all gamers have to inevitably face almost each and every time they pick up a controller. From funny, to mundane, to frustrating as all hell, these small deaths can make us react in many different ways.

          More often than not when you start playing a game the most fundamental concept is to kill or be killed by the enemy. Whether it's stomping a Goomba or shooting a zombie, you are ready to attack without a second thought. Games let you become the ultimately justified hero who has all the reason in the world to kill the bad guys and save the princess. Sure you might know the rules and the game mechanics, but the stakes can vary greatly when it comes to your untimely videogame demise. In a series of articles, I will take a look at some of the different experiences of dying in platformer/adventure games, first person shooters, and in RPGs. (Keep in mind that this analysis is based on my own experience and a group of fellow gamers I have surveyed about their experiences with death in these different styles of games.)

The interruption of death takes the player out of that deeply immersed and physical state of being. The stunting affect of a death or especially a “game over” can vary greatly depending on the game's execution. Unlike newer games where you are immediately re-started at the latest checkpoint with no further reminder of your failure, many old platform games offered a limited amount of lives and getting a game over meant sitting through a graphic/cut scene with it rubbing your failure in your face. The frustration of staring into the face of failure, like watching baby Mario be taken away in Yoshi's Island, compared to immediately restarting a super fast-paced and short level like in Super Meat Boy, are incredibly different experiences.

          When playing one of these games, most players would agree that the physicality of the flow of moving through a board is very important in completing a challenge. When I asked participants in my game over survey how they felt about these different types of consequences, there were varying responses, but there was always a difference in reaction to the different styles of game deaths. One participant noted, "If I die quickly over and over, I will be more likely to keep trying. But if I invest a moderate/long amount of time and fail repeatedly, I would quit after less attempts." Another commented that the severity of older style game over screens had more of an effect on them, " [They make me feel] disappointed, mostly in myself. I feel like seeing 'game over' is a commentary on my video game playing ability." Although some commented that the pause in play gave them time they needed to cool down, "I feel that a longer game over screen gives me more time to compose myself for a retry. I usually take this time to think about whether or not I want to continue or approach the level differently. I feel rushed with the faster reloads, much like in an arcade setting." Many players also commented on the aggravation of dying because of ”cheap kills," due to game glitches or ill-conceived programming, opposed to a more deserved death from a fair, but challenging level. The idea of an unworthy death can of course stem from player error as well. One's image as an unbeatable hero is no doubt hindered when a player accidentally walks into a hole or fails at a simple task. This kind of loss can undoubtedly be frustrating, especially when a long game over screen rears it ugly head. Luckily, most platform/adventure style games give you the kind of immersion that keeps you playing for a long while before throwing in the towel. 

          In order to be successful, the player must lull themselves into a state of immersion. When it comes to this type of game we are a slave to the system. There is no time to think about the consequences of our actions, and really no need to do so. Although we like to think of ourselves as the controllers of gamic worlds, in truth they are usually controlling us, helping us perfect a specific skill set to be more in sync with the machine,

 "Gaming is a pure process made knowable in the machinic resonance of diagetic machine acts; gaming is a subjective algorhythm, a code intervention exerted from both within gameplay and without gameplay in the form of nondiagetic operator act; gaming is a ritualistic dromomen of players transported to an imaginary place of gameplay." (Galloway 37)

This brings into question the true veneer of the control that games give to the player and how death disrupts it. We are being told what to do, and obeying the constructs of the systems whether we like it or not. The amount of control over a game we have (aside from choosing whether or not to play) is always incredibly minimal, but we have minimal control of only one thing: our deaths.

For next time, I will continue by discussing death in first person shooters...

Shinkle, Eugenie. "Video Games, Emotion, and the Six Senses." Media Culture and Society. University of Westminster, London, 2008.

Galloway, Alexander. Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture." UP Minnesota, 2006.

Heather Hale (aka Videogame Girlfriend) is a freelance writer for Girl Gamer Vogue, Gamasutra, and Medium Difficulty. Check out her website here.

Interview - Relive Your Childhood 8 Bit and Up

I had the opportunity to interview Joe Tartaglia from 8-bit and Up on 35 Saint Marks Place in New York City. A precious retro gaming hub, 8-bit is a roomy local game store that only a fortunate batch of adventurers and retro gamers know about, yet many others have not learned about this prized jewel hovering right above their heads.

Joe was looking for an investment after his wife passed away since no annuity or retirement was made accessible to him. With kids, he made an effort to try the food industry but fell short. With little knowledge about stocks and bonds, Joe centered on something he did recognize. With a background in computer programming, Joe acquainted with video game hardware/software, repairs, and video games; after all, Joe is a computer nerd. Experiencing the birth of the personal computer, Joe got to own the first IBM PC and Apple 2 computer, “I have always had a soft spot for old computers like the Amiga and there were games for them but they were more computer games than consoles.”

His primary and beloved game of all time is Tetris for the MS DOS.

"When it first hit the US it ran on Microsoft Dos and I was working as a consultant for Chase doing programming. There were about 70 of us writing, and someone got a copy and it started to get passed around. I saw screens playing Tetris all over the office. So I installed it on my machine, and I had a blast but needed to work. I was struggling to keep myself focused."

With his compassion set on opening a video game store, Joe hoped to have a store that presented so much more than your regular chain.

"The thing that makes me so happy is when people come in. We have the games organized by history, so Atari is at the beginning of the store and as they are coming up the stairs they are screaming ‘OMG, this is my childhood! I haven’t seen this since I was five years old!’ I hear it every day. These customers are familiar to going to GameStop, which is so generic and sterile so the products really have much variety. They don’t carry games before 2 years ago. People are then so accustomed to going to these places and seeing just stuff from the last couple of years and that’s it. So when they come here, they see all this craziness like Nintendo Power Magazine, rare games, and things you don’t often see. Sometimes they are running around on their phones saying ‘OMG, you won’t believe what I found!’ and it makes me feel so good. I’d like to see more people come in."

In New York City, the chance to see local family own shops are on the turn down as chain stores, high rises, and higher rent make it roughly unfeasible for mom and pop shops to stay alive. The foremost dissimilarity in local game stores and chains are the customer service and bond you just can’t get anywhere else.

 "When I go shopping I don’t go to Home Depot but to a local hardware store because the service in corporate stores is horrible. Home Depot will have an aisle of… let’s say screw or nails, and you go in there and they will not have the simplest thing you need. I can’t believe it. This is 50 yards long, and they don’t have it. So they order anything, they don’t know what they are doing, and there isn’t anyone that could or would help you. I go to a local hardware store that was taken over by two boys in their 20’s, now they are 60. When you go in there they know everything and can help with you anything. They got stuff in there that you won’t be able to find. He will see me and say ‘I see what you doing. You’re fixing a faucet. Take this because when you take it out it’s going to break.’ And he is right and it does happen. That kind of service you can’t get at a Best Buy or GameStop. They just sell so many different things, and the workers are not well train to do that. They might transfer someone from TV department to video game department."

Chain stores can have locations that are nearer to subways which are considered key locations of retail are “higher profile,” local game stores don’t have that kind of lavishness.

"We can never get those locations as an independent store. We wound up here on the second floor of Saint Mark’s and even though it would be better on the ground floor, it’s just too expensive down there so we improvise."

Indeed they do. Offering repairs on consoles, video games, phones, laptops, and computers they can repair consoles NES up to the PS3 or Xbox360. Joe states he is content to fix disks and CDs to the degree of the customers well being.

"I feel comfortable with the idea of selling used consoles and offering if it stops working to repair it. Sometimes, however, I feel terrible repairing disks after someone bought it from someone in such a bad shape. I tell them to go back and get a refund since I’m going to charge them for the repairs because it’s so bad."

Such hospitality and customer service would in no way be seen at a chain store. What’s vital to declare here is the extent to which a chain gaming store employee could present a customer when it comes to customer service. The worth of a game whether good or bad remains the same price even if a game is worth more than the chain store is offering therefore the customer loses. Similarly, if a customer sells a game that is in deprived shape he gets the same value if it was in a good shape, and therefore the customer that buys it loses as well. Having a closer rapport and closer contact with a costumer helps both the customer and the business and builds a long lasting relationship. Such relationship is harder to find with bigger chains.

Besides selling video games, 8 Bit also sells anything related to video games.

"We have strategy game guides, old magazine like Nintendo Power, which you can’t get anymore. We have action figures and our latest thing is our 8 Bit Digital Art and video game jewelry from LDH Designs. They have been selling very well. Our customers love them. We also sell video game buttons that one of my employees sells."

In addition selling, there is an additional more imperative side to the video game business: the buying side.

"Buying games and things is equally as important as selling. If you don’t buy anything you’re not going to be able to sell. This is probably the most fun part of the business that game stores overlook. We buy most of our retro stuff from our customers. We do get some stuff online. We work very hard to buy good stuff and we work hard to get people to bring stuff here to sell… we hear how people who throw out stuff like a SNES in the garbage. You’d hate to see that, so we make a concretive effort to buy some crazy things. Sometimes it’s not video games, like decorations and jewelry of video games. Certain things we have to turn away because they are irrelevant or make no sense. We will go off the beaten track to buy unusual items and we try to give more than pawnshops and more than GameStop."

In the past, Walmart, Best Buy, and GameStop have tried to buy retro games. The issue is that there needs to be someone who knows about buying in order to buy smartly. Being careful about what you buy by looking at what you’re buying, knowing it’s worth, and knowing how to pay for it are critical components and traits needed to buy effectively. The conditions of products are a critical component in buying that if not inspected could become worthless. Most chipped disks will eventually spread making the game useless; however, scratches can be repaired.

What’s most vital is the choice to not buy.

"There are times that you have to walk away. We had someone walk in with a bag full of Game & Watches and Japan only versions in the original box with beautiful conditions. The customer knew what they were worth and I had to let him go, because I simply couldn’t afford to buy them from him. He understood."

Making the choices in buying could ruin or save a business like this. Joe does say at 8 Bit and Up, they are liberal with their trading-in value. As a local game store, they have the capability to discuss unlike chain stores that are controlled when it comes to trading-in.

"Some people you see they are down on their luck and they are selling cause they need money to pay rent or get dinner. Some kids come in with their savings for a game. In a small store, you can be flexible with prices. Chain stores can’t do that. With trade in we try to be fair but sometimes people aren’t happy with what we buy it for. We tell them they have lots of options like Amazon, EBay, and even GameStop. There are times though that it’s in terrible condition and they expect us to buy it. We try to be as fair as we possibly can but remain being logical. There are some chain stores that won’t take certain things. If you go to GameStop, if you don’t have a controller or a cable they won’t take a console. I’ll take it and just mark down the trade-in value and add the cable and controller. Being empathetic goes a long way."

And that my fellow gamers, is the beauty about local game stores; you’re not being treated as a number, but as a customer on a first name basis.

8 Bit and Up use to be situated on the Upper East Side but moved down to the village two years ago. Joe admits getting people to come up to the second floor is tricky and “people misunderstand that yes we do sell lots of old school games, but we do carry the latest game that have come out. We may not look as pretty as the big buck stores, but we carry and do things that they can’t.” In spite of, 8 Bit has its dedicated fans whom range those with a history and passion for video games some owning an Atari, N64, and PS1. Joe says his fans are especially educated with the whole spectrum of video games. 8 Bit carries a large variety of consoles and games such as Odyssey 2, Atari 2600, ColecoVision, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Neo Geo, Virtual Boy, Jaguar games, 3DOs, and Madox Odyssey.

The rarest game Joe states he has is Stadium Events; a game that was released by Bandai in 1987 then shortly after bought by Nintendo. After rebranding it, Nintendo had tried to pull the games back and destroy them, however, only 200 got out into circulation and only 22 known copies are left. One of them is in Joe’s inventory. As of recently, young kids are buying retro games in abundance.

"We do get a lot of young kids, whom come with these games, but there is a generation of kids we are seeing wanting this game and they are not getting from their parents but from the internet. They come in buying Atari and I’ll ask them do they have an Xbox? No. They have NES or SNES or Dreamcast and I ask their parents and they say they get it from The Angry Video Game Nerd or other websites. They find these old games are fascinating as collectables."

Joe also mentions he gets a few collectors as customers whom are trying to complete a compilation of a particular console either to revive their childhood or collect them. 8 bit carries a variety of retro games; however, they do not carry limited edition or collector’s edition games. As Joe states:

"A lot of people don’t realize that big companies choke our supply of those special items because the big guys get special deals on those publications. Some special game is only available at Walmart because those companies can afford it. We can’t get that special downloadable sword from a game. We can’t afford that special opportunity that those games have."

Joe strongly disagrees with people who think that working at a video game store is easy. Not only is a great deal of the job knowing about video games, but most of the time it’s providing the best customer service, organization, and cleaning among other things.

"People think ‘Oh video Games! You must make a fortune!’ Truth be told, it’s harder than it looks. We aren’t millionaires. People think we are but we’re not. They don’t understand because they see all these game and they think we’re rich. I’m here 60-70 hours a week because I can’t afford to pay anyone else."

As well as selling at their location, Joe attends Comic Con in New York City. “Comic Con is better than the holidays for us. Since we don’t have TV ads or such advertisement it’s harder to get business. At Comic Con, the business comes to us.” Joe also makes it a habit to hold events from time to time.

"We do Sunday night tournaments more or less for free. They play fighting game sometimes after 5 until whenever. We run formal tournaments a couple times a month. We just did an event with NYU- a fundraiser for kids with cancer. They played Super Smash Bros Brawl. We worked with a local police department, with an officer who works with kids who get into trouble. He buys them prizes for good behavior, we donate the space, and he get 25 kids playing games together. We also had people shoot documentaries, web series, TV-shows, indie films, and stream tournaments on the web. We had Greg T in our old location and it was fun. It was a Guitar Hero Challenge for Halloween when it was a big thing. We had a hell of time. Monster was giving out free drinks."

Usually the small guy can offer enhanced service and extraordinary items you can’t get anywhere else. There is a reason for both businesses. I myself understand the significance of a local family game store. Having grown up on the Lower East Side watching as many local fabric shops, bakeries, and food spots close down to the grind of the city’s rent is disheartening. These shops know everything about you as a customer from when you’re a little munchkin.

"NYC is one of the few places left in the world where you can actually get that. When you go to Kansas City or Cincinnati, everything is a strip mall or some sort of chain restaurant. You want to eat restaurant food you’d go to Olive Garden. There is very little individuality. There are some places like in Chicago and LA that may have local game store but it’s not like here."

So don’t give into the hype of conglomerates, shop at local game stores and help support these pieces of city riches.


Narz is founder and owner of Girl Gamer Vogue. Be sure to attend Girl Gamer Vogue and 8 Bit and Up Video Game Event on August 3^rd at 7pm.  For more information and to get free tickets go to our website.

Two TVs and a Zelda Poster

 Written by Corky

It's Sunday afternoon on a sunny summer day. You enter the bedroom, eyes squinting at the sunlight squeezing between the blinds. There’s a twin bed neatly made in the center of the room. As your eyes adjust, you notice two TVs and a Zelda poster enveloping the otherwise bare walls. Clearly, a gamer’s bedroom. 

            Oswald is a Zelda fan, not Ocarina of Time, but every other. He started of as a Mario fan as most people have, then had yearlong obsession with The Goonies. He had skills, no one around him could get as far ahead, and he new all the tricks. The reason he was so much better than everyone else around him, was that he had… resistance, I you will. He could get through several levels in one sitting. While others quickly gave up, he carried on. “ I wanted to see what happened at the end, “ he says. He wanted to know where  “ all those little kids he rescued would go”. These were the days before memory cards, sticks, hard drives, online gaming, cloud storage and all the other gaming aids. You had to win right then and there, or else... 

“ You had to go ALL THE WAY BACK to the beginning!” Oswald says with a bewildered expression, looking far into the cemented wall of the room and though immersed into a distant past. Then he smiles snidely and says: “Well, when I got tired, sometimes I would pause the game, turn off the TV, and leave The Goonies on hanging out inside the Nintendo for days”. I laugh and he adds shaking his head from side to side: “Then someone would come to clean while I was out and unplug all the damn cables”. I laugh even louder, because I’ve been in similar situations when my memory cards are full and I am too nostalgic to erase their content. Except in my case it was I who was silly enough to forget and unplugged the cords myself to rearrange my consoles.

I look up toward his computer desk; a Mario plush figure rests comfortably against a desk lamp, feet stretched onto the computer’s keyboard. Oswald is standing by the small TV puling out remote controls and pressing buttons on what looks like a converter, or an old cassette player. He explains, he bought the small apparatus from electronics’ store and it serves to plug in the wires from different gaming consoles in their respective socket. This way when he wants to switch systems he does not have to unplug every wire form the back of the TV and connect the one he needs a that moment; instead, he simply presses the respective button. “I stand up and walk over to look. There are five buttons. They are labeled: Game Cube, Play Station, Nintendo 64, and ________ Game.” I ask what the last is for and he answers: “Well, for my birthday I’m going to get the Wii or the NDS 3D”, then on Christmas he says he will get which ever he did not get on his birthday. Either way he’ll need that extra connection.  Given his enthusiasm I believe he will make good use of it and hey, he is turning 65 this October, so he may even get both things at once!

Although he remains faithful to Mario in despite the format, he always makes mention of how far technology has come. He says: “the first time I saw a computer I walked into a small room full of buttons and lights looking for this revolutionary technology, I didn’t know I was actually inside the computer, it was a big as a room”.

SOCOM - The Game that Transformed Into a Movement

   It’s been a while since I played SOCOM but I recently found my game manual that brought back memories of the time I was such a devoted gamer. So dedicated in fact that we created our own blog where we kept track of our scores and levels of a game that embodied what we felt a game should be. This was where the revolution of gaming began and in it a camaraderie between headsets and remote controls; soldiers in our own right to shoot for that satisfaction to complete missions and get on with our next tactics, and that was the beauty of it. What most of us felt was worth putting our time in because it was never a waste of time, especially after our blog got so many hits our server went down while all the hype for this game in particular continued to sky-rocket to an altitude none of us were prepared for. SOCOM fever spread through adolescents at a rate that consumed as well as generated an energy so powerful it was addicting and thus coined SoCrack.com

               This blog was set to generate and inform other SOCOM fans of current and upcoming models of our beloved game. Granted, perhaps we took it too far with our love for this game but it has been proven that no other game has held up to the standards to what SOCOM offered us in its prime. SoCrack was a way for gamers to express their winnings, losings and learn other forms to play and perfect their craft as the third-person tactical shooter. Many came through with stories relating to their experience and ideas on how this game can be even better. This was the vortex that led us to dive deeper and in an effort to keep up we continuously produced more and more SOCOM players and fans. But after SOCOM 1 and 2, we realized Sony could not top what this introduced to many gamers who felt games were too easy and predictable after playing for so long and being one of them, SOCOM was the first to actually hold my interest for as long as it did.

               Eventually, after the server for SoCrack crashed and the peak of SOCOM began to dwindle, so did our enthusiasm and I sobered up as well, giving in my title as co-founder of the site. However, just the other day I found that SoCrack is now managed by other SOCOM fans who are encouraging the remake to SOCOM 1 and 2 stating our original mission where “we are going to be that ‘unified voice’ that get's Sony's attention and shows them that we, the community, want the PS2 SOCOM experience back.” That experience that brings me back to my gamer side, where I am not just another teenager playing the latest Sony game installment, but G-Scope, a man with an army of brothers ready to shoot and destroy enemies and lead us to victory. If Sony delivers another game with this experience enough to engage a new generation of gamers, I would not think twice to hunt for my PS2 and relapse into the socrack virtual shooting phenomenon.

Check it out for yourself at SoCrack.com

G-Scope is a freelance video game writer and founder of SoCrack.com. 

               

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance - Upgraded Instrument Same Enchanting Music

Written by Narz.

I fell in love with Kingdom Hearts’ battle system, story, characters and graphics, but what really stirred me to the core was its awesome music; never have I been so moved to shed a tear to a tune. Yoko Shimura , composer and writer for first three Kingdom Hearts games says, “When I create, music, my approach is to put things together to see hot is feel, and then go with what works. That’s my style.” In the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts, its theme song, “Hikari”, was the pre-intro movie to the English version but not its theme song. However, it didn’t change the fact that it was a magnificently compelling piece that did so much more than just open the game.

Opening with a subtle but beautiful serenade as the lyrics begins with “thinking of you, wherever you are” and ends with “there are many worlds, but they share the same sky- one sky, one destiny” that stimulated a reflective sensation as it brought me back to a the warm fuzzy feeling when you watched a Disney classic like Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella.  As the orchestra exploded in cymbals, violins, and drums it instilled a meaning that you are on a mission to do something fun, exciting, and liberating as the scenes of all the worlds are shown before you. The violins gave a profound rendition of the harsh trials and as the melody marched along until its climax to a high unison octane that exploded in cymbals until it suddenly stopped and transitioned into “Dearly beloved.”This in turn begins with the same notes that “Hikari” ended as the cellos and violins play croon to the sound of ocean waves until the piano solo began softly as if hypnotizing you to forget to press the start button and become lost in the moment. Never did you play a game that stimulates the beginning of a mysterious adventure so fantastic by simply using music.

When first opening the game, “Simple and Clean” written and performed by Hikaru Utada was a techno pop tune played with the opening credits that threw you into the world of the characters foreshadowing the events that would transpire in the entire game. The music represented the characters’ persona so much so that it seemed to complement their clothing styles and mental state of mind. Just the beginning of the tune, as you hear the heartbeat to the percussions until it explodes in a fast pace melody was so exhilarating to hear that it stamped a profound experience in gaming for me.

Listening to the music of the new additions in the series, Dream Drop Distance and Birth by Sleep, Square has not lessened on the depth they portray in their music accompanying their games. With songs attributed to another Square Enix games called The World Ends with You, it is a relief to know that the urge to produce exhilarating music hasn’t been changed but added to. With the new additions we get more bop to our beats. Most of the songs are originally composed by Takeharu Ishimoto who remixed them for Dream Drop Distance. The interesting aspect of these songs is the introduction of lyrics to the music which at first seems to defy the laws that made KH spectacular, but ingeniously the vocals almost uplift the music to newer heights. The punk and magical tune of “Calling-Kingdom Remix”, gives an almost eerie mysterious connotation to the KH series that is highly embraced. Had I been told the next installment would include vocals into the music, I would laugh and outright demand it to be removed, but after hearing the songs it seems almost too artistic.

“Twister- Kingdom Mix” is another track from The World End with You remixed for KH. The melody is such a hip hop country amass trip that I started bopping to the female rapping and was quite stunned to the psychedelic “Beatles” like interlude that was followed by an imaginative guitar solo with more female rapping. It reminded me of something I’d hear from Cowboy Bebop and with that I was sold! By the end of the song, I was almost converted but it wasn’t until I heard “Someday- Kingdom Remix” where I was given a heartwarming euphoric serene feeling and let go to become a fan.  The song reminded me of my favorite Asian band Asobi Sekusu mixed with the same serene meaningful music connotations “Dearly Beloved” and “Simple and Clean” gave. With that, I accepted the innovative transformation Kingdom Hearts became and remain a devoted fan of its music.

   

If you’re a fan of Kingdom Hearts, are you content with the new additions? What’s your take on the old ones versus the new?Let us know on our facebook or twitter.
Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance set to release July 31st, 2012.

E3 Highlights and Coverage - What to Look Forward to in 2012-2013

Written By Narz.

If you aren’t at E3 nor seen the live stream, do not worry because we got you covered. Here are the highlights of each conference. Check it out!

Microsoft

Halo 4 Trailer- Die hard Halo fans, you don't want to miss this trailer! Set to release December 2012.
   

Call of Duty Black Ops II E3 2012 Gameplay- Straight from the E3 floor get prepared to be blown away, literally! Set for release November 13th 2012.    

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Trailer- Check out the trailer Blacklist and get hyped! Set to come out Spring 2013.


 Xbox Smart Glass Presentation- The future is now! Microsoft gives you a sneak peek at Smart Glass, the newest tech that will combine all you tablets, TVs, and cellphones for an augmented video game experience. Don't believe me? Check the video out!  

Ubisoft

Assasin’s Creed III Gameplay- Go back in time to the revolutionary war and partake in George Washington's cavalry as an assassin. If that's not enough Sony is collaborating with a joint game: Assassin Creed III Liberation for the PS Vita were both games can be synced for an even bigger game! Set to release October 30th.

 Watch Dogs Gameplay- In what is being considered the most talked about game from Ubisoft's lineup, Watch Dogs is proving that better graphics aren't just going to cut it. Watch the gameplay and see what the hub bub is all about. Has yet to be assigned a release date.
 

Far Cry 3 Trailer- Get ready to dive into insanity in this trailer exclusive from E3. Set to release September 4th 2012.    

Sony

Book of Spells Gameplay- The way you read books has undergone an upgrade. Combining the ingenious writing and work of J.K. Rowling comes a game that takes Harry Potter's magic classroom into your living room.

God of War: Ascension Gameplay- I don't need to say much as the gameplay makes a speech about itself. Nothing less from the creators! Set to be released March 12th 2012!

Little Big Planet Karting Official Trailer- If you loved the Little Big Planet series, get ready for a whole new world! Create your own obstacle course, versus mode, and your own karts from scratch! With the same elements that made the series so great, comes a racing game that mimics everything Little and Big. Start your engines! Set to release October 30, 2012!

Beyond: Two Souls Trailer- Juno's Ellen Paige stars as the game's protagonist in this crazy beyond death game. Don't let me ruin it for you, check out the trailer! Set for late 2012 early 2013.    

Last of Us Gameplay- Sony's most anticipated game shocked us from the roots to our brains! Nolan North and Ellen Paige star in this game as the main protagonists. Shocking the audience with it's cunning and cinematic dynamics, you'll be hooked after watching this gameplay! Set to release late 2012 early 2013.


 Stay with us for more highlights and updates from E3!

The Charm of Chiptunes

Written by Heather Hale

I can't count the number of times I have kicked back on my subway ride to work or school and listen to old videogame music (namely the Chrono Trigger soundtrack, but I digress...). Listening to the soundtracks of our favorite games brings us back to the fun and adventure we experienced while playing, bringing the same kind of nostalgia to those songs as the first song you slow danced to, or other songs that marked a memorable event in your life. Although simplistic, 8-bit musicians back in the day used their limited means to create unforgettable songs packed with character where today's videogame music cannot match.

             The first time I ever heard Nintendo sounds being used in a song was Beck's song Girl back in the day, and rumors of an entire Nintendo music album circulated, that I don't think ever came to fruition. Then, a few years back, my sister introduced me to the emerging chiptunes music scene. This was particularly exciting for me because I was about to move to New York, where many of the events take place. The first show I ever attended was the Babycastles/Showpaper Gallery in Midtown and it was one of the coolest events I have ever been to. Watching throngs of nerds gathered around homemade arcade cabinets to the sound of reinvented Nintendo anthems I felt as if I'd finally found a good niche in the big city. A generally laid back and friendly crowd, I felt comfortable enough to dance the night away on the small dance floor as I saw Knife City perform for the first time.

            The thing about the Chiptunes music scene is that it's one of those super specific, probably wouldn't have happened any other time than now sort of things. It's a great way for every kid who once held a Gameboy as if it were their most cherished possession, to relive their childhood gaming fun through music as an adult (+ alcohol which is always good). The idea of legitimate musicians taking the same challenge as the videogame designers of Yore, and limiting their scope to try to create the most inventive music possible, using a plastic hand-held device once home to their old Pokémon game is an admirable mission in my mind. The result is a surprising wide scope of genres and sounds, from the addictively dancey Bit Shifter to the weirdly trancey sounds of Starscream; the Chiptunes movement has produced a thriving fanbase that feeds off their need for nostalgia with a new twist.

The holy Mecca event for Chiptunes Fans is being held next weekend at the Gramercy Theater in NYC. Check out the website for more details:  Blip Festival.

Video GameGirlfriend (aka Heather) is a freelance video game writer and gamer. Check out more of Heather's article at videogamegirlfriend.tumblr.com.