Is Gaming Really a New Sport? by Eli English

 

I remember when I was 12-13, and played wrestling and fighting games with friends. I rarely ever won a match and we all took it far too seriously, but it was fun. Video broadcasting sites such as Stickam and Justin.tv (now better known as Twitch.TV) weren't too big, but Let's Plays were starting to come out pretty frequently. Now it's possible to make a living off of playing video games thanks to sites like YouTube and blip.tv, which allow content creators and streamers to earn money through various means.

But, the major question is this: can playing video games professionally be considered a new sport? The answer to this question is (depending on your view) a resounding "yes."

The first proof to show for this is that South Korean Kim Dong-hwan, a professional StarCraft 2 player, has received a special U.S. visa. The visa in question is usually reserved for professional athletes. The visa in question "applies to you if you are coming to the U.S. temporarily to perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete, individually or as part of a group or team, at an internationally recognized level of performance." According to this, Dong-hwan is, at least in the eyes of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a professional athlete. 

The second bit of proof to prove this comes from YouTube and Twitch.TV. If you look around, you'll easily find that people who do live performances of League of Legends and Starcraft 2 matches will gain huge amounts of viewers. My first viewing at 1:06 AM has 3 streams of non-professional League of Legends players holding 22,000+ viewers, 6,600+ viewers and 5,000+ viewers. YouTube players who play League of Legends can range from 100 subscribers to 500,000+ subscribers as well.

The third and last bit of proof comes from an article in the LA Times which reported a final match championship in a game of League of Legends. The match was hosted in a packed Staples Center with more then 13,000 people watching the game. The combined prize money for the 3 StarCraft 2 world championship series is a breathtaking $1.6 million.

Professional gaming is not without it's cons, sadly. 

Dong-hwan has been traveling back and forth between the United States and South Korea under a visa waiver to compete in live matches according to his manager, Andrew Tomlinson. Live matches would be broadcasted to thousands of viewers in person while professional commentators would narrate these matches for millions of online viewers across multiple streaming sites (mainly Twitch.tv). Last fall, Kim was told that because he had been coming in and out of the country so frequently, he would be unable to come back without an official visa (the same one mentioned at the start of the article).

Marcus Graham, a senior manager at the streaming site Twitch.tv commented on why this is a big problem. "It would be very similar to an athlete who would be unable to compete for a year," Graham says. "He's at the peak of his professional gaming career."

Kim proceeded to apply for a student visa, but his application was denied. Later, Twitch and Blizzard Entertainment, the company that made StarCraft 2, helped Kim get his visa by writing recommendation letters to the Citizenship and Immigration services.

Graham continued to comment on the issue with "[Competitive gamers like Kim] are the best of the best. They compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars every year; they do spend 10 to 12 hours every day practicing."

Dong-hwan will be back in the U.S. next Monday, but Kim Phan, a senior manager at Blizzard Entertainment, says there are "a handful" of other gamers who are still without a visa to enter the United States. "Gaming is their full-time job, so the inability to go to a tournament, to travel and compete is preventing them from doing their job," says Graham of Twitch. "Visas have single-handedly been one of the biggest killers of players' careers. These problems have been plaguing us even as early as 2002."

Despite the problems that Graham stated, many broadcasters, esport athletes and their fans still have faith that they'll begin to see more esport events with less problems in the coming years.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you like the fact that professional gaming is now an official sport? Or are you displeased with the news that professional gaming is slowly turning as normal as baseball in the United States?

Happy Holidays

     Hello everyone!  After working so hard to bring you geeky/nerdy/thoughtful updates nearly every week these last three months, the Ace of Geeks staff needs a well-earned break. We are taking this week off to be with our families/minions, but we will see you all next week. In the meantime, enjoy your Holidays and time off. I hope you got time off. Blink twice if they aren't giving you time off. I'll come with my Ninja clan and break you out. I am not detecting any blinking, so I guess you're good. Be well, take care, and don't explode from Holiday treats.

- Jarys

      Greetings! It is I, the other cohost of the Ace of Geeks Podcast! We're not at the phone right now, but please leave a message after the Holidays.

HOOOOLLLLLLLIIIIDDDDAAAAAAAYYYYSSSSS......

Seriously though, wishing you and yours a happy Whatever-You-Celebrate, and we'll be back with geeky goodness in the new year. It's been a great year for us, and we really hope you've been enjoying the glut of new content we've produced.

- Mike

Episode 83: Merry Krampus, Everybody!

It's almost Christmas, Mike and Jarys have just exchanged presents...and now it's time for Krampus to visit! No, that's not slang for what it sounds like. We'll also try to review the Hobbit, but find it difficult because Mike slept through half of it. Finally, we wrap up the seasons of Once Upon a Time and Almost Human, discuss metaphors in literature, and show how difficult it can be to get your writing staff to help with a holiday gift guide.

Episode 83!

Ace Attorney: Why Aren't You Playing These Games Right Now? by Mike Fatum

Last week, the newest game in the Ace Attorney series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies: Too Many Colons launched as a downloadable title on the Nintendo 3DS. In my particular household, this literally caused my wife and I to drop everything. If we had kids, I would have hired a babysitter. Amongst a certain subset of gaming fandom, the Ace Attorney series, once described to me as "the best book I ever played", inspires a sort of crazy-eyed excitement normally only reserved for the drop of a new Bioshock or Halo. But why? What are these games, and should you be playing them? Right now? Yes. Seriously, go download this game immediately.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney came to North America on the Nintendo DS in 2005. It was actually a remake of a Gameboy Advance game that had never been released to the US called Gyakuten Saiban, or Turnabout Trial. The games follow the adventures of a heroic defense attorney who defends his clients against murder charges in a series of increasingly complicated cases and with a cast of increasingly weird people. Your opponent is always a devilishly clever and charming Prosecutor - sometimes the very popular Miles Edgeworth, but most of the time the Prosecutor's position changes as much as the teaching post of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

I don't know if we can say "perfect." Payne is in this picture.

The first three games in the series star Phoenix Wright, the titular character of most of the games. The fourth, the first created entirely for the DS platform, stars young rookie Apollo Justice. This newest game stars them both, which was a bold move that has proven really interesting. There are also two Prosecutor-centric games staring Miles Edgeworth, one of which sadly has never been released in the US.

The games all follow a similar pattern. You watch a brief, animated cutscene showing the murder in question, and sometimes even telling you who did it. (Moreso in the opening tutorial cases.) Then Phoenix or Apollo finds out about the case, takes on their new client, and begins their investigation. You'll scour the crime scene for clues, talk to witnesses for information, and finally, take the battle to the courtroom.

The courtroom is where these games really shine. You have to use the evidence you've collected to pick apart the arguments and statements made by the witnesses and the prosecution. Sometimes they're just misguided, other times they're openly corrupt, but there's always contradictions to be torn apart with a stunning "TAKE THAT!" The feelings you get when you have your opponent on the ropes can only be summed up by the music that plays in the first game when that happens (an acapella version for your listening pleaure):



So - why am I telling you to buy these games right this minute?

First of all, the series is genuinely funny and heartfelt. While the games are written for a Japanese audience, the localization team goes out of their way to replace the Japanese puns and references for an English speaking crowd, leaving you chuckling out loud more than you'd expect. And while the witnesses all tend to be caricatures, the prosecutors and defense team are all always fully realized, three dimensional characters that make you genuinely care about them. In one particularly harrowing case from the third game, you find out just much you, the player, care for one of your sidekicks - the hard way.

Secondly, the game is smart, with a difficulty curve that hits just right. In the first few cases, you'll be screaming at your DS for Phoenix or Apollo to solve the simplest clue ever and crack this case. By the final case, you'll be beating your head against a wall trying to untangle the web and save your client. But every time, the joy you feel at finally hitting the right contradiction and proving your client innocent is like nothing else. This is a game that excels in teaching you the right tools, and then making you feel smart for figuring out how to use them. In a world of hand-holding tutorials, it balances just the right amount of newbie-helping before throwing you to the wolves and saying, "You figure it out."

While each game in the series can be played on its own, there's a continuing story through all five main series games that makes having played all of them worth your while. "But Mike," I hear you say, "How will I do that? I don't even own a DS!" Hear me, oh listeners, and be happy - the first three Phoenix Wright games are on the ios app store right now. That's right, you could be playing the games as we speak.

So why aren't you?

The Clementine Mandate: Why The Walking Dead: Season 2 is Important. By Ben Worley.

TellTale’s The Walking Dead is a good game. A great game, even. It’s won countless awards and been Game of the Year for news outlets all around. From the unusually specific “Best Digitally Distributed Game” to the generally praiseworthy “Best Writing”, The Walking Dead has a gallery of trophies behind it. It’s a good game and you should play it. There’s no question nor article there. This is about why The Walking Dead is an important game and you should invest in it.

Video Games are an emerging art form. They are a mad experiment and anything is possible. You can be a plumber who channels the power of big-balled raccoons to fight a dragon. You can be an outlaw exploring a strange planet full of free guns. But you’re probably going to be an underdog hero fighting a great evil in progressively difficult scenarios until you’re inevitably triumphant. Also, you’re probably a White Guy. Most of the time. Ya know.

Make no mistake, video games are amazing and, in my mind, one of the greatest forms of self-expression, when done properly. A huge problem overshadowing the industry is that there are known patterns that will sell. Everyone wants to be the Next Big Thing and no one wants to lose their investment. To this end, companies tend to stick to the true and tested formula. This isn’t something that can truly be begrudged in any sincere sense. The effects of it, however, are increasingly symptomatic of art form unwilling to be artistic. Even slightest deviations, like acknowledging women exist in a game, can be so uncomfortable that journalists will literally go out of their way to actively hide this information.

So when I say that The Walking Dead is an important game that you should buy, I am not just recommending that you set aside time to enjoy a fun, quality game. I am asking you to take part in one of the most effective cannon volleys yet made against the stranglehold conventionality is gaining over a precious form.

Let’s break down some of the most important aspects of the Second Season and why needs to be the best selling game of December 2013 (A tall order, I know).

Morality: Mature Complexity in Story Telling

The concepts of good and evil are relatively new to games. Ever since this, however, game companies have sort have settled on this good/evil binary. Fable made the most sense, contextually, when players could decide if they were the hero or villain of a story. But that’s it. Mass Effect’s main thrust was how much control players had over the story. It’s a great series and I strongly recommend anyone play it, but it’s also true that most of the morality was “Hero” or “Hero that’s pissed Starbucks burned her coffee”. Nothing summarized this as effectively as the controversial finale to the series which, while having different thematic implications, all resulted in the same cutscene. For goodness’s sake, the original morality system of Bioshock was almost exclusively “Do you like to brutally murder little girls that are victims of circumstance?” All phenomenal games, but none pushing the envelope except in rare cases (Does this unit have a soul?).

The Walking Dead’s first season changed this. The morality wasn’t as simple as “Good versus Evil”. You truly live in a world so overwhelmed in abstracts that “Does Good and Evil even exist anymore?” would barely merit a scene. Instead the game places you in the metaphorical role of a parent caring for their child in a world surrounded by symbols of terrible things that could happen. You are tasked, many times, with deciding what sort of example you’d want to set for your own children. More importantly, you are tasked with explaining why. Clementine, your ward in the first game and the playable character in the second, is deeply inquisitive in the most innocent of ways. When you make decisions, you have to justify yourself to her. Deciding whether a teammate “lives or dies” is a common question in games. What isn’t common is having to explain to Clementine that you just killed a good and decent person because he was a burden to the team. Or, conversely, that you let an incompetent person continue to harm Clementine’s friends “because he’s nice”.

Through deeper complex moral systems, as well as scenes where we contemplate why we are making these choices, we reach a new evolution in gaming. A moral system that goes beyond the aesthetic encourages us to look at ourselves and determine who we are. It helps us to connect with our own worldviews on a deeper level. It stays with you. This is what art truly is: A means of communicating indirectly in order to invoke direct connections with one another and ourselves.

There’s a time and a place for binary moral decisions. They are always thrilling and interesting. Complex decisions, however, as a means of causing introspection? That’s a new form of digital life and it should be encouraged and protected.

For Clementine: Representation Matters

More than just the design of the game, the characters and stories in it are something well worth supporting. Art influences public views. It permeates and colors our views of the world. Even at an early age, it affects our self-image and the limits we give ourselves. And video games, dominated in representation by White Men, are only marginally accurate as to the vast diversity of people out there. This is a problem. It’s a problem when one of the only games to consistently have a playable, fleshed out People of Color is Grand Theft Auto, a series about crime sprees. It’s a problem when Nintendo has approximately two recurring female characters in their main roster, both of whom exist primarily to be saved. It’s a problem when masculinity is glorified and femininity equated with weakness that needs saving. And despite steps taken by a wide variety of developers (shout outs to Mass Effect and Saints Row), these issues still warrant addressing.

Enter The Walking Dead: Season 2.  Enter a game about a Woman of Color (her exact race not specified) who is designed to invoke empathy and compassion. It is necessity that one not only empathize with her, but that they actively identify as her. Feel as she does and guide her/yourself to safety.

When Clementine first premiered, she was part of the TellTale gamble mostly because the gamer stigma towards the dreaded Escort Mission. But gamers have embraced her. Massively so, we are told. And to that end, she is being given her own series. If successful, this can send a powerful message to developers and publishers that they don’t need to be scared of who they put in games. They can put in People of Color, women, children, and anyone else they want as a character. As long as the game is good, it will work. As long as the character is compelling, they will be loved. This message needs to get out there. It needs to be circulated. And what better way than with the success of a game that, even divorced from this, is good enough to warrant support?

We Deserve Good Art

Large name developers will, with few exceptions, make games that either reiterate the norm or test said norm in controlled, small situations. A Triple-A title that is truly divergent from expectations is few and far between. It’s understandable, but you deserve better. We deserve better. Innovation and experimentation. Evolution and representation. TellTale is in a unique position to do just the sort of mad science that might just make larger companies sit up and take notice. And with the game’s quality almost assured by developers with a stellar track record, let’s make sure that’s exactly what happens.

Ace of Geeks Holiday Gift Giving Guide -By Jarys

[EDIT: The price of the Firefly board game has been corrected]
     Now, the title above says Gift Giving guide, but this is really more of a source of inspiration. I cannot include every incredible thing that has come out this year and a true guide would include some great all time gifts as well. That is not this list, this list is small, but brave. Like a Hobbit. Ok, yeah I saw the Desolation of Smaug last night. I'm not comparing everything to hobbits, I am not obsessed. See how I ran rings around rings around your argument?

     Which reminds me, real friends and loved ones don't gift cursed artifacts, corrupting lost technology,  addictive magical rings, or any other dangerous plot McGuffins for the holidays. It's just not polite. What your gift is really saying is "Do I like you? Or do I want you to go on an adventure for an indeterminate mount of time and possibly die? Either way, good luck". If you must give an important plot Mcguffin as a gift something more appropriate would be the weapon of one's parents, who have since died fighting the good fight. Or the incredibly cutting edge technology that will give the user the opportunity to transcend their lot in life is always a winner. I also recommend acceptance into an education institution that will help the recipient to achieve their inner potential. Just be sure you know what their inner potential really is. Harry Potter would not have done as well in Britain's premier bowling high school. Don't be that person.

     Instead, let's focus on some geeky, mundane gifts. For this, I asked the Ace of Geeks staff what they would suggest for some nerdy holiday gift giving. After an hour of explaining the need for clarity (one staff member began texting/IMing me "GAMING COMPUTER" over and over) we finally were able to come up with some clear examples. Here is what they suggested, and my comments.

1. Cameron suggests: CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY ($25 for the main box $15 for each expansion) this ingenious party game has taken my friend circles by storm. I may have helped. In this easily set up card game, people take turns reading a phrase to finish or question to answer on a black card. Others randomly submit a white card and the first player (Card Czar) reads each out loud and judges them harshly. The winning white card wins the black card, and the position of Card Czar shifts to the next player. If this game reminds you of Apples to Apples, it is essentially the same, except that the cards are shocking, foul, mind blowing, and full of nerdy references. It's Apples to Apples for Nerdy and Dirty Adults....as I often say. Play the game no more than once a week so as not to burn out.....the humor is too pure. Much recommend.

2. Lauren suggests: Alpha Maile Dice Bags. ($40) You protect your character in mail, plate, leathers, and magics, but how do you protect your dice? Mere cloth is is beneath the dignity of the polygraphite polyhedral chaos engines that determine your character's fate. For maximum protection, Alpha Maile offers chain and scale mail dice bags.In looking over their online catalogue, I was actually quite taken aback at the prices they are asking for. I'd say these are a steal, but rogues don't wear armor this heavy. Now, there are obvious drawbacks to having a metallic dice bag, the eight is multiples of cloth for the same size bag and the metal must be kept responsibly. However, the weight of one of these dice bags (a friend made one like this) is not a burden and who keeps their things in a damp dark place?
Gollum, that's who.

3.Stephanie suggests: the Tardis Teapot ($44.38) Now, what I love about this gift is the juxtaposition. This useful item combines the Tardis of Doctor Who with a teapot, two concepts which have nothing to do with one another. Nope, these two things have no common origins, no common themes, and one has never been mentioned in the other. Completely different elements brought together in once form with satisfying function. That is if you enjoy tea. And I'm not going to argue that not enjoying tea would make you any less a person. Aren't Dalek's a kind of people? Not that you would have to be a Dalek not to enjoy tea. That would be crazy. What am I saying? Oh yeah, this teapot allows you to enjoy previously boiled tea while pondering exactly how much tea would be required to fill the infinite space of the Tardis. Goes well with this mug.

4. Colin suggests: This Gamebooze Flask ($20) Ok, let's take the last gift and up the ante. Do you remember that one object you owned in the nineties that you took with you everywhere, required a specially sized pocket, and attracted the concern of your loved ones due to your excessive use? Well now you can get everything you loved about the Gameboy video game system and seamlessly transfer it to this nifty flask. Despite my sass, I do like this product, the artistry is incredible and it's guaranteed to attraction interested attention and start conversations. If you are a social drinker, such an item can only speed along the process of making friends, debating controversial issues, almost coming to blows, and then buying each other's drinks as a sign of fellowship. Just promise that you'll put the flask down when you think you can play games on it.

5. Cameron suggests: The Lucifer graphic novels. ($12 per tradeback) I could not agree with Cameron heartily enough, even if I were a bowl of hearty chowder. This incredibly well written and lovingly drawn comic was inspired by the Sandman universe, where it is set, though Neil Gaiman did not write it. The books center on the modern character development of the Bible's "Lucifer", as he comes to enjoy life after giving up control of Hell. He explores the Sandman universe, humanity, religion, and takes on responsibility and comes to redevelop his relationship with Yahweh, his maker. I discovered and enjoyed the series in college and can attest that it will appeal to friends who enjoy religion, history of mythology, the Sandman comics, or the lucifer archetype in general. There are eleven tradebacks.

6. Lauren suggests: the ongoing Saga graphic novel ($15) My gods. I just. I can't. How do I....?
Saga is one of my favorite comics I have ever read and it's only on its second tradeback. Written by the intelligent Brian K. Vaughn and drawn by the deft Fiona Stamples, Saga has reinvigorated the Space Opera genre with ingenious narrative and breath taking panels. I want to make more jokes here but I might be too much of a fan not to take this comic seriously (lying). The story is revolves around the flight of two lovers, Alana and Marko from two warring cultures as they attempt to escape their past and the consequences of their love.  Fantastic technology meets advanced magic in a world were robots seem as organic and self possessed as any other species. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was created by my favorite comics writer.

7. Stephanie suggests: this glowing D20 ($23) It's an age old calamity: you are playing a table top roleplaying game that requires a twenty-sided die, you make an important roll to see whether your character succeeds in their effort to overcome dramatically appropriate opposition, you are rewarded with the highest possible result you could get, and the appropriate flashing lights to celebrate your CRITICAL success FAILS to manifest! Well, suffer no longer, adventurers, for there now exists a piece of equipment whose magical properties can bequeath to you the celebration you DESERVE. This large die flashes jubilantly when its twentieth face is upright, letting the GM and the whole table know how much you RAWK. From my own experiences with this die, I suggest you store it somewhere upside down.

8. Colin suggests; these dangling Sonic Screwdriver earrings. ($20) These stainless steel dangle earrings are modeled after the Eleventh Doctors's sonic screwdriver. Should you happen upon a an adventure in space and time, you MIGHT find these useful for technological solutions. And there's a spare for a friend. Do be warned, they do not work on wood, however. This would make a lovely gift for the fancy whovian in your life.If you order them now, you should get them in timey-wimey for Christmas. I cannot, unfortunately, give a recommendation for these hanging helpers, as I don't know anyone who would wear them and they are not quite my style. But I can tell you that they look masterful. Well...not MASTERful. I wouldn't suggest.....ack, nevermind.

9. Cameron (and Colin) suggest: Lightsaber chopsticks ($15) Our final Thinkgeek product (you can send your gratuitous gifts to REDACTED), these are not as clumsy as a spork, but elegant eating implements for a more civilized age If you have ever wanted to bring your love of asian style together with Space Opera weapons, this is your chance. Why such a great price, you ask? Well, these finger sabers are not actually destructive magnetically sealed plasma projectors, allowing you to use them without cauterizing you fingers.They also are silent, so any lightsaber noises will have to come from you, via the mechanisms of your (in all likelihood) chewing mouth. I cannot promise that any medical remuneration will be granted to those whose lightsaber noises offend their dining partners to the point where the chopsticks need to be extracted from the user.

10. I suggest The Firefly Board Game ($50) I just had to insert myself here, as I was delighted to discover this game at the much-loved Black Diamond Games in Concord, CA.This game allows up to four players to simulate owning a Firefly class spacecraft, picking a crew, and trading around the verse, all in one to two hours. There are Alliance and Reavers to dodge, double dealing employers to one up, and other fun to be had. There are two expansions out already, one of which allows you to act as thieves and bounty hunters, preying on other players. This game looks really fun and I can't wait to play it. (hint hint.......HINTHINTHINTHINTHINT). This game offers everything I would want from a firefly board game, as I am a big fan of tactics through simulation. It's about Gorram time!

     So, whether you celebrate the Solstice or Saturnalia, I hope this list helps to provide the push you need to get out there and become an avatar of the Gift Giving god, Generus! Roll your willpower to hold on to your sense of self while containing the divine power of the ultimate presenter of presents.

Episode 82 - You Strike Like a Nun!

Mike and Jarys bring the podcast to you live from a grocery store in the mission! The Ace of Geeks Podcast is joined by Ken Smith and Ryan Galiotto to break down the mysteries of life, like: Discovering the sadness of knowing things your father doesn't, Babylon 5, Settlers of Catan, the Big Bang Theory, Kinky Coffee Shops, Shakey-cam, and the new 52. Enjoy the hilarity and the eighties easy listening tunes in the background!

                                                                   Episode 82!