Multiplayer like in the same room? laaaame.

Does anyone else here remember playing multiplayer with people in the same room?

I mean within smacking distance from your friend that keeps killing you, and not with the kid screaming about your mom over a microphone.

I remember getting the new Mario, Mortal Kombat, Bomber Man and King of the Monsters games and I couldn’t wait to have my friends over and play these games together all night.

I still suffer from post traumatic stress because of all night Golden Eye 64 battles... so many bodies....

These were games that were design to be played with friends sitting in one room... you know to encourage social interaction...eww right?

I remember one of the most fun moments I've ever had in a game, was playing Gears of War with a friend. We sat in my small bed room and played that game from start to finish. But the best part was when we just kept getting killed at a super intense part, but we just couldn't stop laughing. It was a great time. I don't think it would have been as fun over headsets in different areas. No Sir!

Look I’m not saying that online play now isn’t fun, hell I’ve had some great matches in Mass Effect 3 and Defiance, but I wish that I could have this same event in one room, with one T.V. with four of my friends.

Life is getting too digital too impersonal nowadays. Rather than being told I suck by some random kid online, I’d rather a friend sitting beside me. Call me old fashioned I guess.

Did I just get a bit philosophical there?

Good god I am old.

We Don't Need No Stinking Manuals!

So last week I hinted at a touchy subject for me, and that’s manuals.

They used to be this ancient manuscript written on high gloss paper. Within its pages these relics held the codex of infinite knowledge... for the included game anyway...

During the older generation of games (Nintendo-early Play station 3 era) these keepers of truth, would contain so much more than just control instructions. Each page would have information on the game you were about to jump into. 

This would be a world history, character biographies, hints and some stunning artwork to boot!

If you’re lucky enough to get a manual now, it mostly consists of about 3 pages. Most of it just legal information with one page dedicated to the controller layout.

Nowadays game companies tend to release manuals digitally on the game disc vs. physically in the game’s package. Companies claim they are doing this to be “environmentally friendly.” This could be true, and I wouldn’t even be mad about it...if the game wasn’t still full price.

Now I know it isn’t that big of a deal, but for me this is just another sign of the golden age slipping away.

As a collector (and a child at heart) I always enjoyed reading the games history, looking at its world map and reading about characters I would encounter. All this would be me so excited to jump in and play.

Pretty sure I learned how to read just because of these manuals...