After the last post I wrote about online passes, I feel that it’s necessary to clarify my position on used games, because a lot of feedback I got through comments and other avenues has given me the impression I failed in communicating my point.

I have absolutely zero problem with used games or renting games. I have a GameFly account myself and have purchased several secondhand games through them, not to mention the large amount of used games I bought during my years of working at GameStop. The right of first sale doctrine gives you the right to sell a game when you’re done with it. People who buy and sell used games are doing nothing wrong. My only issue is when people think that publishers owe them anything when they buy used games.

The gaming community is throwing a bit of a hissy fit about the rise of “Online Passes,” one time use codes packed in with new games that essentially lock out part of the game for those who buy it used. They act like it’s game companies ripping off customers and it’s an injustice we shouldn’t stand for. I think those people are dumb and game companies have absolutely every right to implement such things.

(Before I get started though, a short note: I like to keep things pretty lighthearted here at PK Bloggin’!, and for good reason: I feel the internet is an entirely too negative place. Writing this article made me angry because I think the whole thing is just so intellectually bankrupt. Still, I wanted to say my piece. Hearing what I have to say IS why you’re here, isn’t it?)

I had a post in mind that I wanted to write tonight, but I’m changing it because I just found out that Ben Paddon is ending his GameJournos (AKA GJAIF, or “Game Journalists are Incompetent Fuckwits”) blog after two years, and that saddens me.

I don’t remember when I first heard about GameJournos but I know I’ve been following it loyally since I first discovered it. Despite my desires to enter the field, I’ve felt for a while that the majority of the game journalism universe is fundamentally broken (luckily I’ve made several friends and written for places that buck this trend!), and Ben Paddon has been there pointing out when game journalists screw up.

(Note: I originally published this article on Bits ‘n’ Bytes Gaming on February 17, 2011.)

Back in my hometown in California, I had a job at GameStop. It was one of the good ones, though, with a helpful staff, a fun manager, and good customers. My good friend Tim and I used to even hang out there when we weren’t working and just talk games. He even introduced a concept to me that I thought was awesome and worth sharing: The “Unicorn Game”.

The Unicorn Game isn’t a game with literal unicorns, mind you. What the Unicorn Game is, according to the wise master Tim, is a game that is so rare and sought after but rarely seen. You know, like a mythical creature.

I was introduced to this concept by Tim who was telling me about his Unicorn Game, Valkyrie Profile for the PlayStation. He had been looking for it for years, but everywhere he looked it was far too expensive and usually incomplete. eBay was even more ridiculous, with most auctions weighing in at over $100.

I posted this on Twitter earlier but I wanted to have it cataloged for all times. When our latest game rental arrived from GameFly today and I opened it up, I was greeted by this Geico ad. I have to say, it’s really cool to see such a big company go out of their way to focus their ads on the demographic they’re hitting.

A couple of weeks ago Destructoid posted a leaked survey that Disney had sent out to get input on Disney Epic Mickey 2. Those surveyed were asked to choose between several cover designs and game subtitles, but the most interesting part of the survey was the information that the game would not only be released for Wii, but for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as well.

I’m not a console fanboy (I have my preferences but I own and enjoy all three systems) but it was disappointing to see such an important Wii exclusive game have its sequel go multiplatform.

Of course it’s good that the game is being made available to a wider audience (not that I think there were many, if any people who wanted to play Disney Epic Mickey and didn’t have a Wii), but it’s a shame that Disney felt that the series couldn’t prosper as a Wii (or Wii U) exclusive.

So Activision is holding a Call of Duty convention this September, a festival to the cultural phenomenon that is Call of Duty. Call of Duty XP, as they’re calling it, is an opportunity for douchebags I MEAN CALL OF DUTY FANS to get together and… I dunno, talk about Call of Duty, I guess. They get to play Modern Warfare 3 early, and they’re building a life-size replica of one of the multiplayer maps, but whatever else they’re going to do is beyond me.

This got me thinking, though: how rad would it be if other companies jumped on the bandwagon and started holding their own conventions? These are just a few of my ideas on how they’d go down.

(Note: I originally published this article on Bits ‘n’ Bytes Gaming on May 17, 2011.)

Are you geeky enough to put your nerd cred on the line?

Social media and an increasingly competitive gaming atmosphere have swirled together to make talking smack and one-upping your friends an effortless endeavor. Thanks to Xbox Software Development Engineer in Test Laura Massey, you now have a chance to prove who among your friends is the biggest nerd with Nerd Trivia, her new Twitter game.

Is it lazy for me to just post a link to my article at BnB? I’m doing it anyway. I am very sick and I don’t want to format the article twice, upload pictures twice, and all that.

http://bnbgaming.com/2011/03/15/pax-east-2011-the-rundown/

Once I’m better I have some PK Bloggin’! exclusive posts I’ve been meaning to write. For now I need to fight off the PAX Pox.

I am going to try, most likely in vain, to use mere mortal words to describe Nintendo’s E3 press conference today.

Ahem.

It was freakin’ awesome.