Buying Games and Never Playing Them

It’s an ailment for some gamers: Games go on sale for ridiculously low prices, gamers throw money at the screen and then said game(s) spend eternity gathering dust. Even games with fantastic reviews like the Bioshock series that deserve at least several hours of play are left neglected by people like me.

For PC gamers (computer/laptop gamers), Steam is a vital gaming platform. Every winter and summer, Steam has a gigantic sale that has fantastic deals on many popular and obscure titles. In the Steam Summer Sale, I found a fantastic deal on the previously mentioned Bioshock series. For $15 I could have the Bioshock trilogy, when normally the games added up were equal to $70. 

Gabe Newell depicted as a radiant lord with the sales he creates

Insta-bought. Not even any regret until the school year started about two months later and I still hadn’t even touched the games. Let’s not even talk about the Steam Winter Sale.

 I’m not the only one, as reported by Martin Gaston and calculated by Ars Technica: 37% of Steam games haven’t been played a single time. A huge percentage made even bigger when you consider 781 million games have been bought and registered to millions of user and that was just in April 2014. There is quite a difference between owning a game and playing it, evidently.

There are many limitations and generalizations to this stat though. It is calculated by the top 20 games played on Steam and applies it to the rest of Steam games. Some people set their profiles to private and mess with the random sampling used to calculate. But, with a margin of error of 0.33% and tweaks from Steam developers, Ars Technica seems to be nearly correct on its estimates.

While it’s nice to know I’m not alone in abandoning games, I’m still not sure why people don’t play the games they buy. For me, time isn’t an excuse, because I had most of summer break, some weekends and most of winter break to play even one hour of Bioshock, Bioshock 2 or Bioshock Infinite. Naturally, homework, other games and the occasional book always seem to detract me from playing any of the three fantastic games.

I think it’s akin to a collector’s mentality where it is necessary to keep something like a limited edition toy in its packaging or box instead of fulfilling its duty as a toy. It’s silly, of course.

So I do solemnly declare that on this night, I will do my utmost to never feel bored when “I have nothing to play” and three games to play with great reviews! I shall play them as they deserve to be played and enjoy them as they should be enjoyed! I will revel in the art, characters and plot of each dusty game in my Steam Library! Huzzah!

Or I can spend more time casually playing terrible Dota 2. 

cute pink ball of DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

Meet Kirby!

"Hiiii!"

At 8 inches tall, pink and spherical, he's pretty darn adorable! He was my favorite character out of all the Nintendo games back when I still had a Game Boy and he still has a special place in my heart after all these years. Back in those days, I would always have my Game Boy with me and a Pokémon game or Kirby and the Amazing Mirror.

In this game you play as Kirby, an inhabitant of Dream Land, when a sudden disturbance in Mirror World, somewhere above Dream Land, calls him to action. As he arrives at Mirror World, Kirby is split into four different-colored Kirby’s by what seems to be Kirby’s mysterious rival and ally, Meta Knight. As he recovers from being split into four, “Meta Knight” divides Mirror World’s corrupted wish-granting mirror into eight fragments that Kirby must find and restore.

At first glance, Kirby seems ill-equipped for the job. After all, he can’t exactly fight with those stubby arms and legs. But, as it turns out, Kirby can SWALLOW HIS ENEMIES WHOLE.

"Help!"

Yup, Kirby’s stomach is the graveyard of hundreds of those who dared to oppose him. Let that sink in for a while.

Anyways, he gains some of the powers of his fallen foe. These abilities range from Fire and Sword to Tiny and Sleep. Dozens of powers are at Kirby’s disposal just by SWALLOWING HIS ENEMIES WHOLE. With these powers he defeats mini-bosses, bosses and eventually Dark Meta Knight, Nightmare and Dark Mind

Four color variations of Kirby

I haven’t played that game in years since I lost the Game Boy that had Kirby and the Amazing Mirror in it. But I still remember Kirby quite clearly because he’s in the game I carry around with me now in my 3DS: Super Smash Bros. For 3DS.

Of course, it’s not the same as its predecessor. In this game, characters from many games meet and fight. There’s no story and Kirby isn’t very popular in this game. While I remember Kirby, many more remember Mario and Link.

But the nostalgia I feel when I press the Y button and tilt my analog stick up is satisfying because there is Kirby with his Sword ability. And when I tilt sideways, there’s his Hammer. Downwards, there’s his Stone ability.

Quite an oversized hammer

Even better? Kirby still has the Copy ability, his innate skill to SWALLOW HIS ENEMIES WHOLE and gain their abilities. Minus the stomach-graveyard part, because then he’d win every fight. And the abilities he gains are different, but sometimes very similar, from his games.

It’s like I’m a kid again, discovering the many insane abilities that Kirby can attain in most of the games he’s been in. Inhale Link and Kirby can shoot arrows. Inhale Mario and Kirby can shoot fireballs. Inhale a more-than-7-and-a-half feet tall warlock with the Triforce of Power and Kirby can do the Warlock Punch. It’s amazing what an 8-inches tall, pink ball can do.

Kirby next to Ganondorf, warlock of incredible power. Definitely not to scale

It also helps that the creator of Kirby is the director of all Kirby games and Super Smash Bros. games. Thanks Sakurai! Have a cup of Kirby!

Parental Pressure

      Late at night, my father stumbled into my room, questionably over the legal drinking limit. He staggered over to me and bent over as to give me a kiss goodnight on my forehead. And then he noticed I was awake and paused.

“Hey, son.”

“Hey, Ba.”

     I suddenly had a feeling of dread.

     And he went on to tell me about how old he was getting. How wonderful doctors were for helping him for the past few decades. How great doctors were for giving him a new chance at life, he said as he gestured towards his leg. How he needed a doctor to care for him especially when he grew old. How I could become a great doctor, all I had to do was study for it.  

     Even in his possibly drunken state, my father could still remember how proud he was of me.

*sigh*

     At some time in our lives (and probably all the time for Asian students), our parents wanted us to be doctors. A high salary and the chance to benefit society sounds like a good future to anybody.

     As a kid, I wanted to satisfy my dad, so I aspired to become a doctor. And so did more than half the class. I gave up on it in middle school and now I’m undecided.

     Yet my dad asks me about it all the time. “What would you like to be when you grow up?” he would say and I would stand there silently, unable to lie or to disappoint.

     This kind of pressure from parents with high expectations to succeed over everyone else in such a competitive job is ridiculous. The shame of disappointing your parents by not becoming a doctor versus becoming a doctor and not being happy. It’s a hard decision for anyone, considering you’d be unhappy either way. Unless you actually want to be a doctor, in which case, you have one less competitor.

     It’s unfair to expect anyone to make this decision. What’s more important: the happiness of the people that raised you or your own happiness? My own father named me Victor because he wanted me to become his own version of success and victory: a doctor. At the same time, my father already gave me something to worry about: how to tell him I wouldn’t be getting a PhD.

     We all become individuals at some point. We leave our parents and we go out into the world to fulfill our purposes in life. After all, at some point, your parents will put you down as a child and never pick you up again. When it happens, it’s not necessarily a bad thing but maybe the beginning of a great thing. Maybe you’ll become a parent yourself and finally understand why your own parents wanted you to become a doctor when you were younger. 

I have a question for Mrs. Mathews as a mother: Would you want your son to become a doctor if it meant he had a secure future or would you prefer it if he had his dream job? 

The Agnostic that Loves God

     An agnostic is a person that remains neutral in the existence of God or some deity. They cannot prove or disprove that God exists so they are neither an atheist nor a believer in God. It’s a little contradictory, therefore, than to call myself an agnostic that loves God. Make no mistake, I don’t believe in God or any deity.

     But billions of people believe and have believed in their own versions of God and, in the name of this god, they do great things and commit terrible acts. We can see this today in certain charity organizations and the Taliban, examples of the different interpretation of God’s will. When I say I love God, I think of the former and I also think of people who are going through a hard time. Often, these people pray to God and hope for a miracle.

     It’s this faith that makes me love God. This faith that people believe in with such fervor, that causes them to help each other indiscriminately (at least most of the time). This faith that someone a lot bigger than all of this cares for you and everyone, not only in your life but your afterlife. This faith that inspires many to lead better lives and saves quite a few. It’s this faith that gives hope to the hopeless, a way out for those trapped, a reason to keep going. That’s why I love God.

     However, it’s this same faith in a god that causes religious wars and terrorism. It strikes fear into people by threatening an eternity of pain in the afterlife. Countless have died in history and today because of a god that might actually be malevolent or not all-powerful. A famous argument by the Ancient Greek Epicurus against God goes like this:

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent.

Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent.

Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God?”

     This argument, combined with the faith I see in the stricken, created a minor religious crisis in me last year and it developed into what I believe today: God may or may not exist and it’s okay if he does or doesn't. What matters is what happens in our lives. If people make good decisions because of God, then I say let this notion continue, so that they may live a good life.

    Maybe it’s inaccurate to say that I, the agnostic, love God. I think it’s better to say that I love the faith people put in Him and the good lives they lead because of it. So long as the uncertainty of God’s existence exists, people will continue to do good things and that’s why I love God. 

"Draw with Me" Theories

Before we dive into outlandish theories, please spend ten minutes watching this video: Draw with Me. It is divided into three parts: Draw with Me, Draw with Me 2 (2:55) and Drawn with Me: I Love You (3:19). It is absolutely vital to watch all three to understand and appreciate the plot and the following fan theories.

Draw with Me is one of my favorite animations by a non-corporation. Between the thought-provoking plot and cute visuals, there’s a lot to love in this mini-series. But I wanted to focus on the story in this post, because there are many uncertainties that I wanted to share my thoughts on.

The premise of Draw with Me is that a boy and a girl are separated by a glass that repairs itself after being broken (1:52) and that the only way the two can communicate are through whimsical drawings and writing backwards. Attempts to go over the glass or by speaking fail and they must resort to drawing (3:00).

Onto some major theories: Near the end of the first part, Lilian (the girl, right-handed) gives a present to Zefyr (the boy, left-handed) (2:53). The present is an arm and if you look at Lilian’s left arm for the rest of the animation, you can see it is never again clearly depicted. She is either wearing a cloak or a shirt that doesn’t necessarily have a left arm in it. Meanwhile, Zefyr reappears with a functional left arm in the third part. While this can be attributed to natural healing, Lilian is never again shown with her left arm. Somehow, Lilian was able to give her left arm to Zefyr so that he may draw again.  Being a world of anthropomorphic animals, we can't rule out that technology had advanced far enough in their time to be able to reattach an arm.

I think the biggest question, however, is “How are they able to talk to each other again in the third part?” or “Is the glass still there?” I like to think that Lilian and Zefyr both built half of a home on each side of the glass, thus blocking out any outside noise, which had prevented them from being able to hear each other previously. Whoever created the glass must have approved of this, but not of a tall enough house that either Lilian or Zefyr could climb over. There are not many people powerful enough to create an unbreakable glass and enforce it unless a government is involved. A government that was able to separate the two species with some new technology, such as unbreakable glass.

The one segment that eludes explanation for me, however, is how Zefyr is able to write “I love you” on Lilian’s drawing near the end (10:16). Added with Zefyr’s statement “If we had love back then without the friggin’ glass,” (10:21) it implies that the glass isn't there anymore, possibly that their oppressive government had been overthrown and the glass removed.

With reference to real life, is this an allegory for the Berlin Wall and some forbidden love between two people from opposite sides of the Wall? Initially, I thought so. But a passing comment from a person and their relationship with their long distance friend made me realize that Draw with Me was an allegory for long distance relationships.

Typically, these types of couples communicate through Skype or some other type of video chat, to be able to see each other but frustratingly be unable to touch. The unbreakable glass is the glass of a computer screen. The pains Lilian and Zefyr go through to continue their relationship is reflected in  the pains of long distance couples. 

But hey, it’s just a theory. A fan theory! Endless theories exist about what could’ve happened and what might happen to our two lovers. Do or did they really have a government? What if the two species has ended a war recently and wanted to end all contact between the two by agreeing to create a glass wall? Did the two species later realize their mistake and break down the glass? Who knows? It’s up to you to decide what you believe.



Don't forget, you can still order your special edition Draw with Me shower curtains today! That's right, today!As you revitalize yourself in the shower, inspire yourself at the same time with these lovely curtains! So order now, while supplies last!
You must be 18 years or older to order. Curtain rod, shower curtain liner and hooks not included. Shipping and handling fee are included.

Messenger of Fear

It was three years ago when I became the Messenger of Fear. Before I became one of them, I had been drifting through electives, searching for one that seemed right. Alas, nothing appealed to me so I settled for the “Wheel” option for another year. What a waste it would have been. I’m glad that I raised my hand that day, that one day in Metal Shop.

It was near the beginning of the year when we were still on our first projects that M.C. Glathery diverged from our normal procedure and made an announcement. An elective for this period had been empty for the last few weeks and needed filling, would anyone like to volunteer?

I thought of my prototype box in that moment. I saw the badly drawn lines and the poorly cut corners. I imagined this box in my room, gathering dust for weeks afterwards. I made my decision. I raised my hand.

I am the Messenger of Fear. When it is time for my duty, I bring the target to either their doom or their prosperity.  In the name of justice, I bring in every target I am asked. For their actions, they must receive punishment or prosperity. It is only right.

Behind my desk, I can already see the targets’ fates from my employer’s face. If she is smiling, they prosper. If she frowns, they are punished. Mostly she frowns. The doomed must repent, I remind myself, and the blessed must continue their duty.

When I step through the threshold, I receive only stares and the downcast look from those who know they are doomed. I instill fear among the innocent and the one target. The steps from threshold to teacher are some of the longest I've walked. Even a Messenger wonders who the target is, whether they are blessed or doomed and if they deserve it.

When I pass through the threshold again, I am leaving with a target behind me. Sometimes they ask questions I cannot answer. Trouble? I don’t know. I am but a Messenger. Most of the time, they trail behind me because they have realized their deed. They await justice and I bring it to them. Or rather, I bring the doomed to justice.

This has been an autobiographical parody of the book of the same name by Michael Grant (shameless promotion, go read the book). In reality, I was an Office Monitor that delivered passes from a counselor to a student, whether it was for something good or bad they had done. It was my elective in seventh and eighth grade and I really enjoyed it. When I looked back on it after reading Messenger of Fear, I found that a greatly exaggerated Office Monitor and a Messenger of Fear really aren't that different.

Seeing things differently lends a new perspective of things, a different perception of what is being observed. I could call Batman a Messenger of Fear based on the fear he instills in his enemies and the justice he brings to them. Therefore, I can call myself Batman.

Now if you excuse me, Alfred, my humble butler, has duties to attend to and can no longer type my blog post. Signing out, Bruce Wa Batman

Clear Skies are Overrated

Some of the most breathtaking sights one can see are framed in the sky, behemoths that float effortlessly and pass fleetingly. They come in different shapes and varieties and colors. For the low, low cost of nothing at all, you too can witness the beautiful sight of clouds.

Beauty, or rather beautiful things, is often associated with humans, most notably women. But beautiful things exist beyond just humans and don’t require makeup or plastic surgery. I find that simply looking up at the clouds is the simplest, yet most rewarding experience.

After a tiring day or before going to school, anytime at all really, one can relax by watching the clouds for just a minute. You can look for patterns or even turn around and watch another patch of a boundless sky. Even better, one can come back to the same cloud watching spot an hour later on a windy day and find different clouds.

One day, when I was walking home on a lonely street of smog and vehicles, I decided, out of the blue, to look up and I found myself staring at the sky. I was awestruck by the intensity of red in the clouds that converged on a single point, the eye of the storm where the sun shone with all its brilliance in the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. Drivers passing by saw a boy looking west, his mouth slightly open and he seemed to shiver as he stood, not from the cold but from witnessing something so magnificent.

As sudden as the awe had come, it passed and thoughts of being late again for dinner crept back into my mind. I took one last long look before staring at the sidewalk again, letting my feet guide me to home. A cyclist passed by me and she called out to me, a stranger, “Look up, dude!” It was as if the clouds had beckoned me back and the sunset wanted me to watch it, for just a minute longer. She told me a joke before she rode off into the sunset and I didn’t feel quite as alone anymore.

To this day, I still watch clouds to find a sunset rivaling the one I had seen that day. I found magnificence and beauty in a sunset that was easy to find. All I had to do was look up.