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Hey Interwebs! It has been a long time since I've posted (seems to be a pattern). I have two main reasons for checking in. First, I'm sorry to have neglected the blog for so long. Between Real Life (ick), Work (double ick), my new hobbies of Warmachine and Twitch (more on this later), moving, and all sorts of other stuff, I haven't really had the time to update things.
Second and more importantly, I'd like to discuss a little thing a friend of mine got me into a little thing called Twitch. For the 5 of you still living under the rock, Twitch is a way to broadcast your games in a fashion similar to (and exportable to!) Youtube. With the proper equipment, you can send yourself playing games over the web, and interact with people as they watch you. I know I'm over simplifying things, but I'm sure you know most of it by now...or could just take a look for yourself (twitch.tv).
So right now, all of my game systems are hooked up into a video capture device and whenever I feel the need to play a game, I hit a little broadcast button on my PC and send my game over the series of tubes to your homes. It is really quite simple once everything is setup, but knowing how to set things up can be a little daunting. Fortunately, the Intertubes are full of info on how to do it!
I've been doing this for around 6 weeks now, and figured it would be time to write something about the experience. First off, let me say that i am not the social media butterfly. I JUST started on Twitter (mainly to support Twitch), and I barely keep up with message boards (because they are generally blocked at work). That said, I think I have been doing pretty well for myself. So far, I have 19 total followers, many of which are friends in RL. A few are not, however, and that is the truly interesting part! People have randomly stumbled onto my streams of KOF '95, Mister Mosquito, and Dark Souls, and said "Wow, this guy doesn't totally suck!" Even more odd...people keep coming back.
With the large amount of entertainment available everywhere else, there are still people in this world who think I am interesting enough to hang out with for a bit while I try and beat Eggs of Steel. Just as mindbogglingly crazy, I've made friends...not just viewers.
Most importantly, (at least I think so anyway) is the fact that I get to spend some quality time with parts of my collection that I otherwise would not have grabbed, and with friends and family members who I usually wouldn't sit down to games with. I beat Dark souls on my stream, a game I figured I'd never have even come close to finishing. I played Nintendo with my special needs brother and cousin. I kicked ass on the bug toss in Lion King. My family piles into my room to play Quiplash with family in another state over the channel Monday nights! I got attacked by a Wasp in the basement....and all of it is recorded!
I now have a catalog of glitches and special moments that I can look back on like a gaming scrapbook. It's been pretty cool to see myself evolve in skill (presentation and games) even just over the course of the the month. Even more special is the fact that I probably wouldn't be playing half as much if I didn't start streaming my games, both with and without the family.
I hope to keep it up and see what the next few months can bring along. Hopefully, I'll also be streaming more of our Community Playthrough games too (Dark Souls 3 may push Y's off the gaming shelf though....). I highly encourage anyone interested to just take the plunge and go for it. It's a blast, even if it seems slow at first. Just find a game you want to play and eventually people will come watch.
Speaking of which, if you ever want to hang out and see what I mean, you can find me at Twitch.tv/neomagicwarrior every Monday through Wednsday and most Thursdays from at least 7 till 9pm EST. Come hang out, as I always enjoy the company! Till next time (which I hope to be sooner than this)!
Edit: having trouble embedding the videos in the post right now....hang tight! or check out youtube.com/moustacheman90 to see them now!
 Photo from Playbuzz.com, not actually me. But I'd play it.
It is often argued that the video game industry has both 'grown up' and yet still needs to do so. I'm not going to bring up any such topics specifically (as that would defeat the point I'm making) and I'm not implying some of these subjects aren't worth discussion and exploration. I will sadly say that when I read about our industry nowadays, much of the sense of awe, fun, and playfulness of just the very existence of video games genuinely feels thin or absent altogether.
I miss the reviews from older game magazines. Nintendo Power, EGM, Game Players, Game Pro, and their contemporaries oozed enthusiasm, passion, and a positive lightheartedness sorely missed in gaming today. I still rifle through our stacks of these on occasion and it really helps re-center my love of the hobby. There are stabs of appropriate criticism of course, but the tenor, the joy of video games bounces off the pages.
Continue reading Slackur's Gaming Cycle: Reviews From The Stationary Bike
[img width=576 height=432]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/RFGen%20Blog/Typewriter0474mbwws_zpsdvbzzhy8.jpg[/img]
Over the past two years, I've been fortunate enough to work with some great writers/people who have contributed greatly to the success of our site's front page. It's a job that takes time and effort, and only pays with the occasional "nice article" and subsequent warm fuzzy. With any job, there is turnover, people's job and family situations change, people begin or continue personal projects, and sometimes even burnout can set it. As a volunteer position, it is typically the easier thing to let go of, so leaving is completely understandable and has always been on great terms. I am very appreciative of those who have helped out in the past and only wish them the best of luck; your articles are still welcome here should any of you get the itch to write one.
With some recent turnover, I've been struggling a bit to provide content to our readership (though we still haven't missed a deadline) and have been putting much more free time than what I have into making sure our front page is a beacon that draws in potential members. As a result, I am putting out a call to writers for anyone who might be interested in joining our staff. Right now, I am looking to add one or two writers to take on one article each per month. Though this may not sound like a lot, I can assure you that coming up with a topic each month and creating a good product is a little more time consuming and taxing than one might think. Our staff adheres to a strict (but flexible when needed) schedule and articles must be turned in on time so that they can be reviewed and set back to fix if there are any issues. Writers must also stick to site guidelines in terms of content; though are forums and personal blogs are pretty much a free-for-all, our front page is a direct reflection of our site and as so, strives to be informative and family-oriented.
Continue reading A Call For Writers
[img width=320 height=317]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EJzahJoMIqI/VsaR9F4kjuI/AAAAAAAAAYs/JTMNyKsIcz8/s320/Asteroids%2Bbox.jpg[/img] Image shamelessly stolen from GameFaqs.
As with many Atari 2600 games during the console's heyday, sadly,
this Asteroids artwork looks way cooler than the actual gameplay. Also,
is it just me, or does that ship look suspiciously like a Hoth snowspeeder?
The name Atari doesn't have a lot of currency today, but between 1977, after the launch of Atari's Video Computer System (aka the Atari 2600), and it's downfall in 1983, the Atari name had a lot of clout and recognition in the entertainment industry. This is due, in part, to Atari's home video game console and its dominance of the home video game market, but a large part of their fame was the popularity, and ubiquity, of Atari's arcade games. By now, most everyone knows that Atari's Pong was a sensation in 1972, and in the years that followed, they scored several hits with other titles like Night Driver, Breakout, Lunar Lander, Tempest, Centipede, and of course, Asteroids. Were it not for the glut of bad console games and consumer burnout in late 1982 and early 1983, Atari would likely have been held in much higher regard than they have been in recent years. Alas, twas not to be.
Continue reading Asteroids, 1991
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We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.
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