I respect a certain Rowan Kaiser. He’s pumped out some brilliant feature pieces on a variety of topics, I love reading his column on Joystiq, for instance, and he’s one of those writers whose work I enjoy regardless if I agree with his point.

In this case, Rowan and I are at odds on a certain wonderful racing game, Burnout Paradise.  Before continuing, check out his article on the contemporary design issues in Burnout Paradise on Gameranx.  Absorb it, and then come back here.  Ready?  Good.

First, a disclaimer, and a huge one at that: I never played Burnout Takedown, the game that seemed to have stolen Rowan’s heart and locked it away.  Frankly, Rowan’s comparisons between Takedown and Paradise smells like a story about lost love he couldn’t get over.  While “contemporary design” choices are a flaw in his eyes, I think the perspective of “crotchety old racing genre archetypes” are a flawed one he takes up in his article (up until this point, I think Rowan was okay with me.  We’ll see where he is after this).

See, Rowan’s point about Paradise’s open-world design and the fact that there are eight end points for races doesn’t sit well with me.  In my lengthy time with the game, I found myself learning the roads and areas of Paradise City by heart.  It never bothered me where a race ended, because the GPS in my brain would work out the kinks in calculating my best route.  Plus, playing online with friends turned into a game of “hey, I know this sweet spot where there’s a challenge we should play.”

I’d venture that the city is just large enough to get lost in it, but small enough to learn it.  Maps be damned, Criterion wants Paradise City to be your second home, and that’s where the game is immensely satisfying.  Sure, driving to a garage gets old, but it’s those moments between trips to your garage when you discover the city.  These little “home bases” were an excuse to drive around the large areas and explore.

The “level” structure of previous racing games is tired, and wholly boring and uninteresting.  Rather, the excitement of knowing the short-cuts in your second virtual home and beating that “white sports car” is even more thrilling in Paradise.  Racing games should evolve past courses, unlocks, and levels.  Paradise, to me, paves the way from “you win because you’re fast” to “you win because you’re fast and you fucking own this city.”  Paradise manages to keep the muscle in “muscle car” and smash in a little “smart car” to boot.

I see why Rowan wasn’t a fan of Paradise, of course.  But to me, the fact that Criterion managed to mash together the positive aspects of both open-world games and thrilling racing games makes it my favorite racing game of all time.  Yeah, all time.  F’realz!

Now, while that sounds absurd to some, let’s not forget the outstanding support Criterion gave this game after its launch.  The amount of DLC was fairly staggering to me (there’s a DeLorean from Back to the Future, guys!).  There’s the chaotic Showtime mode, which seems to be the evolution of the Crash mode (am I right on that?).  Anyways, the variety in challenges to accomplish and “stuff to do” was pretty incredible.

Couple that with the open-world layout, and Burnout Paradise stole so much time from my life that whenever I get the itch to play, I hesitate.  Because I know I’ll get hooked all over again.

“Oh, I skip comments sections entirely.”

That’s usually the reply I get when I tell someone about a scathing, mean-spirited, or otherwise hilarious comment I receive on any article I post to the web.  It’s something I can empathize with, but not something I personally follow.

The fact is, I cherish every opportunity I get to even have a commenter.  Whether their words come off as “jerkish” (an iTunes reviewer once described my voice as the reason they want to shove sharp objects in their ears), the best approach I can take is to find the pieces in their criticism that help me grow as a professional, and then move on.

Sure, there’s a lot of pride to be swallowed there, but any day I do something that isn’t 100% up to par (especially in regards to standards set by my amazing colleagues) is a day where my heart sits in my stomach.  I well up with anxiety over the idea that, go figure, I’m not capable of perfection at my craft.  I’m willing to bet other writers are in the same boat.

Commenters, even “stay tough” folks like me feel the sting of your seemingly careless critiques.  That should be known.

Now, I know I’m skipping around on this topic (I’m going to do that a lot).  I’ve talked with some readers and fellow sports nerds/gamers and such over the years, and there are some that I no longer think of as readers, but as peers.  As friends.  Even finding a joking bond with one person online through your work is worth hundreds of “omg ur gay never write anything again” types of throw-away comments.

But if there’s one thing any reader should know, it’s this:

Bylines are important. Don’t miss them.

I peruse the web a lot.  When I see my colleagues slave over an article they believe in and it’s met with “[OUTLET NAME] has gotten worse,” I fear that personal touch is missing.  Whether a comment is positive or negative, I can assure you that the person feeling the weight of it is the individual writer that is honored to have their byline listed at the top (or bottom) of the article.  Yeah, yeah, there’s plenty to be said about how a writer represents an outlet, but I’d argue that the reverse isn’t automatically true.  That’s also not the topic at hand here.

Writers are individuals.  My work will always look and feel different than Alexander Sliwinski’s (who, by the way, is amazing and works pretty damn hard).  I may have the honor of working alongside him, and we follow a lot of the same “code” and make similar decisions in our work since we’re on the same team, but we’re two different writers.  Our bylines are separate for that purpose.

Sure, some folks make a pretty big deal over the notion that a lack of anonymity on the Internet could clear away some of the trolling, negative people that pound away at comment sections.  However, I’m proposing that, should those people approach writers on an individual basis instead of speaking in a blind, sweeping fashion about an outlet (btw, pretty much any sweeping statement about an entire news outlet is flat-out incorrect to begin with, just my two cents), I honestly think there are more opportunities for upbuilding conversation.

A personal address via Twitter or email could go a long way in aiding commenters and writers alike in demonstrating empathy for any concerns over one’s work.  Sure, hate-filled garbage could still be thrown around, but just the acknowledgement of the writer as an individual goes a long way to finding common ground.

And that’s the root of it all: common ground.  The “relationship” (sarcastic air-quotes there) between a reader and writer is fascinating to me, and it’s handled so strangely.  Often, a writer will feel the pains of not being able to jump into a comment section to justify their intent in their work due to the matter of just how professional that kind of behavior is.  This can leave comment sections as a haven for hatred with no sense of “defense.”  That’s hardly fair.

Even if those flinging mud (again, often anonymously) via comments could potentially be convinced that they’re misunderstanding something, some writers will never feel they can approach the conversation in an appropriate way.  One of the two parties here is forced to swallow the lump of mixed emotions like a thousand bitter pills, hoping they don’t choke to death on their crumbling mess of self-confidence.

That last sentence might not make much sense, but I’m keeping it.

Anyways, here’s my bottom line on this, again, conveniently skipping around:

1. ALWAYS practice empathy.
2. NEVER practice cynicism.
3. Don’t mistake cynicism for skepticism. Those are not the same things.

I’ll never make everyone happy as a writer.  Whether you’re happy or not in your comments, I’m going to read it, and it will make me stronger.  And if you choose to take that as me being “holier than thou,” then that’s the point where you can fuck straight off.  Hey, I’m human, I’m bound to hit that point eventually.

Note: Let’s just say that I’ve had a few drinks tonight. Bear with me.

Whew. A “few” more Twitter followers later, and I’m realizing something after I’ve announced that I’ve accepted a relatively small role at Joystiq: there are a lot of people that would die to write for a site like this.

I can’t pretend that I’m the only person in the world that loves video games pretty damn hard.  I look at the Twitter bios of people that started following me due to my new position, and SO many of them basically say that they want to have the job I have.

My heart goes out to them.  Guys, I’m pulling for you, you don’t even realize it!  Really, I feel completely blessed.  I’ve been producing content about games for years on a free and sometime-freelance basis.  You folks know how it is.  We know there’s just something different about games.  And we’re addicted to it.  Maybe it’s the fact that we’re basically living in a point in history in which games are becoming a commonly-accepted form of high art (just look at the history of photography!).

I don’t know, maybe I’m thinking too hard about how I just beat ICO today.  Great game.

But if there’s something I can tell to people that are dying to “make it,” I want to say this: FUCK what other people are doing.  Don’t dream to be “a games journalist.”  Be “THE” games journalist.  Shoot high, and try to imagine things differently than others do.  If you want to do what others do, do it better.  Be better.  Learn some stuff you don’t know (I don’t know!  Remember when I said that I’ve had some drinks?  I don’t make sense right now!).

…..

Look, guys, really: I’m just a guy that’s got a pretty small spot at a pretty wonderful site.  I’m thrilled.  And I’m just telling you what I did.  Dare to think differently about games, and it will pay off.

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words and warm wishes.  I can’t wait to get started at Joystiq, and I hope to be a part of your daily routine in reading about games!  Feel free to hit me on Twitter (@mikesuszek) if you want to chat or podcast!

Oh, and Speaking of podcasts, subscribe to moderngameplayer.com!  It’s the best thing ever!

…Because I’m not *totally* jobless now.

Starting sometime soon (This weekend?  Maybe?), I’ll be a weekend editor at Joystiq. I’m pumped!  Thanks to my friends for their support through all the times I complained about not having a “big people job.”

By now, many have heard the news about Hip Hop Gamer, a lovable member of the gaming community who upholds the highest standards of journalistic integrity (yes, I realize what I’m linking to here, but it’s the original source documenting the controversy), joining the EGM family.

Now, it’s exciting to see people reach out for opportunities and get them.  A few of us take the high road and point this out, instead of reacting in the same way as you see in the NeoGAF thread linked above.

I wish I were like Mr. Skerritt, whose general kindness in this destitute, much-maligned land of the Internet is like a shining beacon of hope for the gaming community.  Easily one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter.

But for those that don’t know me (hi!), I’m a journalism degree-holding, dreams-of-doing-important-and-utterly-different-things fellow that doesn’t have a paid writing gig, applies all over the place, and writes on a freelance basis on occasion (as of late, reviewing sports games for Joystiq).

What the acquisition of Hip Hop Gamer means to me is that quality content is bogus (because yes, I don’t hold good ol’ Gerard in very high regard).  Why pay attention to something I bust my rear end over when people simply want to be entertained?  And that’s what “HHG” does well, he entertains.  Not unlike the Angry Video Game Nerd or Yahtzee’s Zero Punctuation series.

So, I realized I made a wrong turn, oh, at college.  I did it wrong.  I mean, look at this post alone, and you’ll see how my grammar and general lack of editing speaks volumes about the amount of f**ks I give (warning: it’s critically low).  I learned broadcasting and writing skills, ethics and integrity, some semblance of AP Style that many will outright cast away in the gaming press.

Anyways, I’ll keep pissing and moaning on Twitter, but I ultimately realized that we’re in a new media landscape, so that means the skills you need to succeed are different than you may believe.  If you’re desperate for work, I’ve come up with ten amazing ways to get that games writing job you’ve always dreamed of!**

1. Death threats.

Nothing says, “give me your jobs!” better than by, well, making threats.  Call up prospective employers or send them a ransom note that details ways you plan on messing up their lives if you don’t get full-time work with benefits immediately.

2. Web cam whoring.

Now, I’m sure there’s a more “appropriate” term for the services some fine ladies and gents provide on the Internet, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.  You can keep your clothes on.  Everyone knows the story of the lady that went from licking a game console to starring in web videos for a rather large gaming outlet, to providing the preview for one of gaming’s biggest releases without disclosure of her role in the game itself (whoops!).

What I’m suggesting is taking that a step further. Ladies and gents, show your love for gaming in live streams.  Charge by the minute if you need to.  Keep your clothes on (of course), but give everyone the substance they’re looking for in gaming.

3. Blatantly offer 10/10 reviews for money.

Yeah, people not “in the know” in gaming joke about how reviewers are on publishers’ dollars for beaming, Metacritic-tilting reviews.  All kidding aside, I’d wager about 99.9% of these accusations are unfounded bullcrap.

So, be that .1%.  There’s a lot of money in exclusive, pre-embargo, high-score hype.  Playing dirty doesn’t make you friends, unless you like having dead presidents for friends (I’m talking about money).

4. Write horrible reviews for critically-acclaimed games.

Can’t get that money in step 3?  Start a blog, get some ads on it (thanks, Google!), and then pump out 4/10 or lower-scored reviews for games that the Internet adores.  A little bit of sharing via other accounts and while your hundreds-deep comment section will loathe you, you’ll get tiny bits of ad dollars flowing in from all those precious clicks I keep hearing about.  Better yet, if you can sneak these reviews onto established sites for freelance dollars, you have your guaranteed money right there!

5. Steal content.

Didn’t write it?  Who cares!  Who actually checks these things anyways?  And while you’re at it, don’t attribute any of your work to the original sources.

Take the “marketing for dummies on Reddit” approach, except to the same extent people on Reddit do it: the all-too-amazing “repost.”  Re-posting something that isn’t the original content or source leads to less work for more upvotes (the attention-currency of Reddit, you nimrod.  Did you not read the dummies link?).

6. Be beautiful, and then show it off.

Similar to #2.  It’s no secret: sexy people make money being sexy.  Don’t get down on yourself if your self-esteem is at an all-time low, too.  If anything, take a cue from TLC’s What Not To Wear; if you dress smart (in addition to diet and exercise if need be), you will be the fine POA walking down the city block that everyone is staring at.

The next step here is, what else, showing off your goods!  No, not nudity, but what we in the business call “almost nudity.”  Cosplay!  Sexy cosplay!  And hell, if you keep at it and do it well, you might become an “official” cosplayer for a game, and your Twitter following will erupt!

Speaking of WNTW on TLC, always keep this quote from Stacy London (love her!) in mind: “You have to let go of who you were to allow yourself to become who you are.”  What does that mean?  How the hell am I supposed to know!

7. Write awful top ten lists.

Everyone complains about these “top #” lists, but that doesn’t stop people from clicking on “top boobs in gaming,” which an embarrassing number of sites seemed to have done already.  But just like #4, this is all about creating clickable content.

It’s important to consider the “awful” aspect of this.  Blowing smoke up the ass of a good-but-not-top-ten newer game like Final Fantasy XIII-2 while trashing iconic old games like Chrono Trigger will net you a million Internet points in form of clicks, comments, and ad bucks.

8. Write disparagingly about others.

Take a cue from this page.  If you choose your targets wisely, such as people that are well-respected and likable, you’ll make a name for yourself.  And if you do it well (such a linking to posts about them in a really snarky way, as you’ll also see on this page), you might even get a job as “that cranky gamer guy” or something.

9. Fabricate stories entirely.

What’s that?  You have “reliable sources” that say series A is going multiplatform? That people are losing jobs at developer B, or that game C is canceled?

Make it all up.  But do so with finesse.  It only took one Google search to find a list of ways to shake people to their core with whatever BS you’re pumping out.

You know how the Internet works by now: If you do it right, other publications will pick up your stories, possibly cite your article, and suddenly you’re an INSIDER.  Use social media and email tip lines to your advantage in spreading the “news.”  Especially Twitter, as everyone retweets stuff while rarely clicking the original link to begin with.

10. Move to San Francisco.

Cause that where all the games are, right?

Once you’re there, just show up at any publisher or writing outlet, ready to rock an interview with all your “hard hitting” questions.

** The aforementioned list is entirely satirical and the remarks made about others is intended to be in a light-spirited manner.  Any suggestion otherwise is brutally incorrect.  I apologize for any offense taken, and I strongly encourage you to rise above the awful things I insinuate in this post.

*** If this doesn’t work for me, then you know this list is pointless anyways.

It wasn’t long ago that I wrote about social media and its potential benefits and uses.  Neat, right?  Well, I can be equally cranked and negative about social media too.  Yes, the old codger in me sometimes thinks social media is ruining society.

Consider this: Twitter is the worst thing ever.  If you follow me, you’ll know I tweet a hell of a lot.  I have a few followers (700-some right now, 600-some tomorrow).  And boy, the way a lot of us use Twitter socially is pretty terrible.

Have you ever been in, or seen a Twitter argument?  The worst ones lead to intense clicks on the “unfollow” and “block” buttons.  People piss each other off, and have done so for the better part of two decades via digital text (my math might be off on how long we’re actually talking, who knows!).

So what’s wrong?  People fight, right?  What’s wrong with Twitter, and why it’s so terrible for us is the concept of following others.

You could make the same case for the ability to hide others on your news feed on Facebook, but using Twitter means you have a choice in whose posts you can view.  That aspect of choice isn’t uncommon in mass media messages, which you could argue Twitter allows people to participate in.  Those with thousands of followers can tap out a few thoughts and those followers will receive them.

But how do people use the follow/unfollow function?  Who do you follow?  More importantly, who do you unfollow?

Let’s say you’re a diehard Patriots fan.  Do you follow Buffalo Bills beat writers?  I doubt it, and it’s not your “fault” that you don’t, it’s simply not something you’re interested in.  But let’s get back to the more personal conversations and Twitter fights.

See, I believe the worst thing about Twitter is that we find it easy to encourage ourselves to follow those whose opinions already match our own.  We don’t typically use these things to “broaden our horizons,” as it were.  It kind of relates back to the concept of having a confirmation bias, where we naturally seek information that satisfies our already-held opinions.

Do you find yourself unfollowing those you disagree with?  Perhaps you’re a massive RPG gaming nerd and writer, and can’t stand the idea that someone would cloud your Twitter feed with sports talk (we’re all cut from the same cloth, folks, get over it).  This is something I see nearly every damn day, and hell, I bet the unfollowers are missing out on more potentially great interactions than they believe.

Sometimes, I think we need to force ourselves to follow those we disagree with.  Take in opinions we normally wouldn’t.  Maybe it’s me, but that’s a way of “bettering” ourselves.  And while it’s not fair to place the blame on Twitter directly, I do think this is a reason why Twitter kind of sucks.

Oh, and stop following phony celebrities.  Those are their agents tweeting most of the time.  Look it up!

I wanted to start this off with a terrible sentence (see the title of the post), but I think it makes sense.

And bear with me, as I’ll be all over the place, and don’t care enough to go back and get my thoughts to make sense.  That’s why the previous sentence will look awful for as long as it exists.

I get a fair amount of this from people:

“I had to hide your posts from my [Facebook] news feed because you tweet too much about games.”

“From what I can tell, all Mike Suszek does is play games and watch sports.”

“You tweet too much.”

“No, really, you tweet too much.”

I can’t argue with any of these things, which I’ve legitimately heard from people, but I do question if we’re assuming the “purpose” of social media with such absolute certainty that we’re limiting its potential.

In fact, ask yourself this: What are you sick of seeing on Twitter and Facebook?  Is it any of the following:

Vague status updates with a veiled, pained meaning behind them? (Ex: “Hurt. How could you do this?”)

Parents that flood your news feed with constant talk about their children? (Ex: “Jeremiah eating carrots!” “Jeremiah’s first trip to the zoo!” “Jeremiah sleeping!” “It’s a boy! We won’t say the name yet… we’re thinking it will start with a J!”)

People that actually do tweet/post about where they are and what they are doing? (Ex: “I’m at Panera (Milwaukee, WI) 4sq.com/hsHFH1” “Getting a bacon turkey bravo at Panera. Sooooo goood!!!”)

Folks that hashtag the hell out of everything? (Ex: “Preview event goodness. #Microsoft #E3 #Halo4 #games #omg”)

The honest truth is that all bets are off.  Do what you want with your social media, but I can’t help but think about the ways in which *I* use it myself.  If I had to guess, my tweets (I’m at over 16,800 now… yikes!) go something like this:

• Weird/oddball jokes: 1%
• Foursquare/GetGlue check-ins: .01%
• Stuff going on in my life: 2%
• Promoting things I create, or others created: 3%
• Stuff generally about sports: 30%
• Stuff generally about video games: 63.09%

For that being an off-hand guess, I bet I’m pretty close.  See, my main Twitter account (@mikesuszek) is a place I go to connect with people on different topics usually.  It’s hard for me to do little more than smirk at the comments I get about how I tweet, such as the ones above.  In a sense, I’m using social media in some of the best ways possible, right?

Social media, better

Well, that’s where we consider the potential of social media.  Social tools, from the common (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc.) to the uncommon (independent Ning networks, some message boards, etc.) all have different traits.  Different ways to spread messages.  To “share” content.

Oh, and yes, Reddit is basically a social network, as are message boards, and arguably wikis.  Basically, the web has become a “social” place, a place where interaction with other users is de facto.  In fact, people get offended when comments are disabled on YouTube videos (have you seen commenters… can you blame anyone for doing that, REALLY?).

Part 2, I guess: Let’s cross that bridge from personal to professional use of social media.

Now, I look at corporate use of social media and kind of shake my head.  It’s funny, really, because traditional business values leak through.  A fair amount of the time, it’s all about “using what’s hot right now.”  Jobs in social media and web marketing work are all over the place, and many of them include something along these lines in the job description: “preferred applicant will keep [company] up-to-date on the latest social media trends.”

Hell, I’d love to get myself one of those jobs, but that’s kind of the problem, isn’t it?

What happened to creating?

Maybe it’s just me (nothing new there), but a “traditional business value” is one of avoiding “re-inventing the wheel.”  That is, we tell ourselves that “Twitter exists and is the big thing right now, so let’s pound away at our multiple Twitter accounts until the next big things comes about.”

Meanwhile, the more systematic, development types are at work creating these new social networks.  Social media workers at these corporations will play catch-up, and the wheel keeps turning.

No, companies don’t need to re-create Twitter or Facebook.  That’s foolish, and entirely short-sighted.  What they need to do is implement new and exciting social tactics.  They need to integrate current and FRESH tools.  Set new trends.  Stay ahead of the curve.

With the arguably fragile state our economy is in (what do I know about that stuff? I just admitted I tweet about games pretty much 60% of the time), I get why the promotional focus of brands is on the top social tools.  It’s like watching game developers flock to the popular platforms: a higher install base means more potential eyes, which means more potential buy-ins and click-thrus and other hyphenated terms.

I don’t know.  There’s no doubt that these very same ideas I’m talking about are nothing new.  I can’t think of examples, but not every company in the world, or person on Twitter acts the same.  I guess that’s the beauty of it; anything is possible in the world of social media.  Use it and redefine it as you wish.  I’d certainly like to see something new, such as a podcast that actually uses social media as a means of gathering content for each episode (what, did you honestly think I wouldn’t eventually start promoting my own work on here?  Be real.)

With WrestleMania 28 starting in a few hours, I quickly threw together this form so you can lay down your predictions on what happens during the event.

If there are enough participants, I may consider tacking on a prize for the winner.  Don’t count on it though (cause I’m cheap!).

Enter using this Google Spreadsheets form here, which I’m attempting to embed below!

THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS POST. I’m speaking broadly about the series. READ ON!

Full disclosure: I haven’t beaten Mass Effect 3 yet.  I’m getting there.

I’m told by some that it doesn’t matter now, as BioWare will change the ending of the game.  In all honesty, the recent news sounds to me like pre-planned DLC that could serve as an “epilogue” of sorts to the main story.  It’s pure fan service for those that found themselves upset at the ending or the game as a whole.

That’s where I’m jumping in.  Not the ending, though I’ll discuss that in a second.  It’s the fans.

It’s gamers.

It’s “narrative.”

It’s the problem.

Before we go further, I’m stating outright that it’s okay to dislike the game, the ending, the plot, or any of that stuff.  It’s great to be a part of a larger discussion.  Your opinions are welcome, as they should always be.

Yes, even if that means signing a petition to have the ending of a game changed.  That’s within your rights, no matter how much of a distaste I have for it personally.  More power to you as a consumer.

Here’s the problem.  It’s all for the wrong reasons.

From what I gather, the thousands of players that signed the petition to “retake Mass Effect” due to the ending that didn’t please them were upset about how they didn’t feel their choices in the series had enough weight in the outcome of the game.

Remember: I haven’t finished the game, so this is pure speculation. I don’t think that’s a spoiler, just the analysis of what’s going on here.

Anyways, your choices shouldn’t matter.  Because that’s what this series is about.

Commander Shepard is one man.  You are him.  You are not omniscient in this Mass Effect trilogy.  So “seeing everything” and “getting answers” to everything is not in your power.  Because you are human.

What is brilliant about this series are the HUGE amounts of story archetypes it plays on so well.  You could create intriguing discussions out of the game’s use of racial issues, balance of power, existentialism, imperialism, deceit, and so on.

In this case, we consider player agency, as Leigh Alexander of Gamasutra so brilliant brings up today.  Hell, I feel like Leigh beat me to the punch on a lot of her points, so READ HER POST.

As a single human Spectre, the first two games in the series shows Commander Shepard single-handedly deciding the fates of characters like Shiala (who I wrote extensively about at BitMob), Morinth and her mother Samara, the Rachni race, and more.  Players can lose out to the Reapers at any time, though booting up a save file kills the meaning of that.  You can hand advanced technology to Cerberus, though they might have obtained it anyways.

“But your choices don’t matter,” you might exclaim.

Exactly. They shouldn’t.

Much in the way of No More Heroes’ brilliant twists, or in the way Final Fantasy XIII is secretly one of the best the series has seen, we are approached with something more powerful below the surface of the game’s elements.  My point here is that I’m not AT ALL convinced enough people are interested in reaching out for this low-hanging, yet delectable “story fruit.”

You are Shepard.  Shepard is human.  Mass Effect 3 is Shepard losing control of his surroundings because he is imperfect.  The story here is bottle-necking the fact that the Reapers are damn near impossible to stop.  That’s the point of the Reapers.  They are a cyclical part of nature (remember Final Fantasy X?).

Hell, I honestly hope everyone loses at the end of this game, but again, I haven’t finished it yet.  But any sense of BioWare stripping players of their agency in the game could be amongst the most powerful stories told in all of video games.

And it is depressing to know that so many are opting to disregard that notion because it may upset the way they enjoy games.  That this form of escapism (which I hold to be the driving force of why many play games) always trumps the need to think.  That the plot analysis of games like Limbo or Alan Wake is disregarded as “pretentious.”

Seriously, fuck everyone that disregards real plot analysis as pretentious.

The depressing world I live in is one where it is demanded that I submit.  I’m demanded to agree that yes, it’s okay to play games for these reasons.  I have to agree we all have our opinions.  That’s fine.

HOWEVER, I should be allowed to state that some players are the non-thinking, passive types that cling too closely to their mindless fun.  I should be allowed to point out that some folks are blindly missing the point of some deeper experiences, and perhaps their judgment on these experiences are completely misguided.

Like I should talk, though.  I review sports games for fuck’s sake!

Who is your Shepard? Paragon or Renegade?  Whatever, they’re all imperfect, just like their decisions.

…Because I want to write for real people.  Here’s an idea on a formula for content analytics that makes more sense to me.