Willis defends the Wii U

The following is a comment i left after the video entitled “Wii U is the new Virtual Boy” from Game Theory on Youtube defending this much maligned console. Enjoy.


 

    I've owned my Wii U for several months now. I bought it despite doomsday videos on YouTube because it's a GAME system. Nintendo isnt focused on system functionality that has nothing to do with playing games. Things like sharing on social media are an afterthought for nintendo, not a selling point. The Wii U is the last gaming console left in a market crowded with underpowered, weak imitations of gaming PCs. The X bone and PS4 are doing everything in their power to make themselves obsolete as fast as they possibly can.  

    That being said, it does have its faults. The game theorists are correct in that there weren't many launch titles for the Wii U, but the launch lineups for the X bone and PS4 were similarly dismal. On the other hand, the Wii U has more first party titles, ALL exclusive to the new system, and being rolled out with a surprising degree of regularity (somewhere in the neighborhood of one new A list title per month for 2014).

    Another thing often overlooked by Nintendo naysayers is the shocking amount of indie game support given by Nintendo... often releasing fantastic independent games for the Nintendo E-shop that don't come from developers like EA and their ilk (bit-trip runner 2, Nintendo Remix, Trine 2, Edge, Rush) These games are challenging and rewarding in a way that the other consoles simply don't match.

    Nintendo is a place where gamers can be challenged and rewarded in ways that dont revolve around framerate and graphic textures (though the HD releases they've been coming out with are beautiful, and if you say otherwise you're wrong.) Look at titles such as DK Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D Land, Rayman Legends (which was initially a Nintendo exclusive and STILL works best on that console) and The Wonderful 101. The games look amazing and still manage to stay true to the "look" of Nintendo, but there are an astonishing number of games developed by up and coming developers that manage to produce a new and challenging experience with 8-bit gameplay.

     I've been a longtime fan of Game Theory and i love the way they think about games in general, but they're simply wrong here. The Wii U and Nintendo are fighting for console gaming across the board while Sony and Microsoft slide apathetically into the land of sub-par gaming PCs. This is Nintendo's year. With the release of Super Mario 3D World, DKC Tropical Freeze, Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Rayman Legends, and the upcoming titles like Mariokart 8, Smash Brothers U, Zelda U, Hyrule Warriors (which looks amazing), Bayonetta 2, Shovel Knight, Armillo: The Parallel Universe Mystery, and X (again...one that looks unbelievable) alongside 3rd party ports that feature the Wii U's "gimmick" in astounding new ways (Ubisoft has a great reputation for it's games and has FULLY supported the Wii U since launch, so its not unreasonable that they would get creative with the gamepad for their Wii U port of Watch Dogs).  I expect to see a lot of very quiet Nintendo detractors pretending they didn't make videos like these in the coming months.

    I am a longtime fan of The Game Theorists and look forward to more of the fantastic content they provide. Despite my ranting against them on this particular topic, please subscribe to their channel for incredibly well thought out and astonishingly well edited videos on their YouTube Channel and wherever else they are found. Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from any and all of you.


- G Willis writes and hosts for How It Stacks on the Geek IO Podcast Network. For more thoughts on games, TV, movies and the like. Check out "How it Stacks" and all of the other shows and blogs at www.geek-io.com.

Pensacon Day One: One man's journey

Pensacon Day One: One man’s journey

By: G. Willis

 

          I’d like to tell you the tale of a man we came to know as Ed.

                                                            Hi, Ed. Everyone, say hi to Ed.

                                                            Hi, Ed. Everyone, say hi to Ed.

          Ed is a mighty man--bare of scalp and sharp of suit, who was given a mighty task. He was to host some of the biggest panels of the con, and it was not a responsibility he took lightly. However, this would not be an interesting tale if the mighty Ed faced no bumps along his path

          And thus our story begins.

          We entered the ballroom, which was arranged as you might expect--a small stage, some microphones, some speakers, and occasionally a few stools or chairs for the guests. The audience was seated in rows in a semi-circle around the stage.

          The dull hum of the crowd quickly calmed as our hero took the stage.

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          Ed had a tough job. He came in eager and was entertaining, but struggled with his knowledge of the guests at times, occasionally eliciting a groan from an otherwise polite and respectful audience.

          Our hero, forced to fill time while waiting for the panel guests, regaled us with a list of as many of the next day’s panels as he can. After 10 minutes of his assurances that “tomorrow is going to be great, you guys,” he finally announced John Morton (Dak. Luke Skywalker’s gunner on Hoth. Ep V The Empire Strikes Back), Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett, heretofore referred to as “Baby Fett.” I’m pretty sure he’s ok with it. Episode 2: Attack of the Clones) and Peter Mayhew (Wookiees are known to pull people’s arms out of their sockets when they’re not recognized for their astounding work.)

                                                          It's ok if you didnt remember his name. Just l…

                                                          It's ok if you didnt remember his name. Just let the wookiee win


          Everyone involved had a role to play and they played it well. John Morton had a very collegiate quality. He was good with the crowd and did a splendid job keeping the conversation moving. He paired this with a self awareness that came off as endearing. He repeatedly questioned why he was there, which he used for super fun time hilarity throughout the panel.


                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                                   pictured: “super fun time hilarity”

          Baby Fett was energetic and good with the crowd. He was quick with a joke and a story, which led the audience from laughter to silence (and from silence to audible groans).  He had a very “short-round” quality about him, practically hopping around repeating, “Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?” He handled the crowd well, but there was a desperation to the things he said that kept getting funnier as the panel progressed.

 

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                            “I can’t say no to a dollar” -Daniel Logan

          Peter Mayhew’s arrival was met with a quiet respect from the crowd as he came in slowly and carefully using a walker, having partially recovered from a recent double knee replacement. His thoughts were the most informative of the three and he handled the crowd well. He was very quick with a joke and kept the audience laughing and interested throughout the panel.

          The crowd hung on his every word as he told stories and answered questions about his experience with the films. He told a story about filming a scene for The Empire Strikes Back that involved stopping on the side of the road in Norway in the snow and a “too clean” Wookie that resulted, predictably, in a soggy Wookie.

 

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                           Dibs on the band/breakfast cereal name

          We also discover that Peter Mayhew’s usual attire on the set of Return of the Jedi was a pink leotard, shorts and sunglasses, which is much funnier if you picture it worn over the Chewie costume.

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                              "You want me to wear what now?"

          Oh, Baby Fett, you bottomless well of unintentional comedy. How could I ever forget you? When asked about your most memorable autograph, you regaled us with a story. A story that takes place in a bathroom.

                                                                  “Ummm….I’m not sur…

                                                                  “Ummm….I’m not sure I like where this is going”

          Our tale begins with young Mr. Fett pissing in a men’s room at a convention in Mexico. Our hero, having no knowledge of the language and in a strange convention center bathroom, is approached by a fan.

                                                                 Not this fan, but I…

                                                                 Not this fan, but I'm sure it was someone just like him

          The fan asked for an autograph, to which Baby Fett replied, “You hold this, I’ll hold that.”

          There’s a general confusion that stems from Baby Fett’s desperation mixed with his excitability, humor, and obvious love of entertaining that leaves him toeing the line between being funny and sad.

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                       No, wrong Baby Fett.  That kid is just awesome

          Speaking of sadness, our next stop was a quick run through a few of the celebrity rooms. (I should clarify--this setting was crowd dependent). The light attendance of the first day combined with travel issues that plagued the guests coming in for the Con led to an awkward room. What began as a fluorescent hell with a handful of people shamefully hiding their phones as they looked up IMDB pages, standing around a room full of actors doing award-worthy performances of people who wanted to be there, eventually turned into a lively room filled with autographs, pictures, and fantastic conversation by the beginning of the second day.

          The artists we spoke with were wonderful. We spent a great deal of time speaking with Steve Scott, who I’ll be talking about more on my day 3 article, along with several other notable artists and guests over the weekend, all of which will be coming soon to the Geek-IO website.

          We left the first day feeling slightly deflated, but the following morning would change our opinions from the moment we jumped from a moving car.

 

Seriously, it was just like Die Hard.

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This is Willis for How it Stacks and the Geek-IO network. You can reach me at [email protected] Stay with us throughout the week for further Pensacon Coverage. Come do social media stuff to us on Facebook. Find out more at www.geek-io.com/howitstacks








 

 

Pensacon 2014: The birth of greatness

 

by JD

When I first heard about Pensacon I will admit I was very skeptical. I’ve been to “Cons” before that were very much in their beginning stages or rather dying stages (depending on your outlook) and it has always been a very deflating experience. I was at New Orleans Comic Con way back when and it was depressing. It since then has grown into a juggernaut of an event bringing in such talent as Stan Lee and Matt Smith. I mention my early experiences and skepticism because I want you to understand where I’m coming from.

Well, regardless of my cynicism, I was going to Pensacon because I wanted to see if it had potential or if it was going to be a “one off” event that again had the world laughing at another failed attempt to do something outside the box in a community that does not love that style of thinking.

I arrived on day one and was trying to take everything in all at once (big mistake) so I could formulate my opinion early and just enjoy the weekend. My first impression was a little underwhelmed. Imagine a team that makes it all the way to the big game. They will spend the first quarter or half even, testing the waters or finding their comfort zone. This is what it felt like… For those who didn’t get the reference think of Luke Skywalker when he first started his Jedi training on the Falcon.

I was so wrong! I let my skepticism cloud what I was really seeing.

This wasn’t just some con thrown together by a bunch of people who just decided to do an event and make some money; Pensacon was done with the a strategy that George S Patton would be proud of! Each and every bit of it, from advertising at various events around the US, to strategic billboard placement! That was just the beginning; once social media got involved it was game on as the word of Twitter and Facebook helped propel this event to something I wasn't even prepared for…

    

When I came back for day two, I stood in awe of what was before me. Thousands of people were all over the place! Cosplayers, fans, nerds, geeks, passers by who just had to see what the hype was about. Celebrities making jokes with their beloved fans, and me standing there realizing that I was at the forefront of an event that gave people something to be excited about, a place where people could dress up like Batman and be cheered for it! A place where people forgot about all of their troubles and just wanted to have a great time.

    It became apparent very quickly that this wasn't a “one and done” event. This was something that was only going to get bigger. I sat in on several panels and they all had one underlying theme; Connecting with, and showing gratitude for their fans. Some panels offered advice on how to go after your passions and dreams, others where just “thank you” panels which as a fan is very important to hear.

    I could easily sit here and go over numbers and talk about the details but I wouldn't be doing the people who were part of this event justice. From the people who showed up as fans, to the vendors, the staff, and the celebrity guests this event was much more than that…

 

Pensacon is about people. It's about growing up and loving something and finally getting a chance to show that love. It's about having a place to go and be yourself. It's about connecting with people you had no idea you had something in common with.

 

It’s about you, the fan.

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