E3 and a List

I knew a list would make it's way into this month of posting eventually but who knew it would come as early as day two?

With E3 a week away I've got video games on the mind. Two years ago I first came across G4's coverage of the event and got a live look at the show for the first time ever. I've never been able to go to E3, despite now being a freggin journalist (on paper), but I've been following the convention since the days of video game magazines. It used to require waiting until more than a month later when the magazines went to publication that we got the short blurbs about the next year in gaming. Then came the internet... well it was there but it wasn't as big. This meant that I could find out up to hour news and information from the show. Screenshots, previews and videos would flood the web every day. The stories would come too and it sounded like a blast. Of course all we had was pictures and words.

Then I gained access to G4 on Ashes' cable and everything changed. G4 and the X-play crew are live for all five days of E3. It was live at the event, the whole thing was there and I could be there vicariously through their coverage. It was pretty awesome and I was excited about seeing the next year of gaming at the same time as everybody in the press and nearby public. Last year I watched it religiously again and I will in a week. The timing is very unfortunate as it clashes with the world cup. Thankfully G4 repeats their coverage throughout the night. I'll be able to keep up with both the tournament and the game show with ease due to this convenient scheduling, or rather a major lack of programming on G4.

So in anticipation of E3 I bring to you another list. I like video games and I like lists. So hear is the combination of those two things. I bring to you...

THE 5 MOST ADDICTIVE GAMES OF THE LAST 10 YEARS

Dishonorable Mentions - Only get mentions because I didn't get addicted to them, but I recognize how others can get addicted to them.

• Wii Sports
• World of Warcraft
• Farmville
• DS Pokey-mans

5. Katamari Damacy - Katamari and all of the sequels count here. The first time I popped this insane Japanese gem into my PS2 I was hooked. Wacky music made each level exciting. The uniquely Japanese art style was charming and fun which meant the game didn't take itself too seriously. Speaking of not taking itself too seriously was one of the best characters in any video game, the King of the Cosmos. Just had to keep playing the levels and getting a bigger Katamari! WOO TANGENT!

4. Europa Universalis III - The greatest strategy game of all time and a big improvement for the series. I constantly come back to this game because it's so fun. Every time I play it's like I'm writing my own story while I play.

3. The Sims 1/2/3 - It's the ultimate time waster. This game is really about doing the same mundane shit as in life but occasionally throwing in some aliens, murder, robots, sex scandals and crazy inventions. I hate it, but I keep throwing Sims back on my computer and playing for a day or two before deleting it. Now that it's on Ashes' computer I won't have to put it on mine thankfully.

2. Rock Band & Guitar Hero - Every incarnation of these two series' gets thrown together because as a whole they've wasted so much time. Blasted off for a few years and I couldn't put them down. Always chasing a better score or a perfect play through. Hard to pick it up and not play for hours, which sadly happened too much.

1. Football Manager - Every incarnation of this game I play a billion hours and I always will. The game is the deepest sports game I've ever played. Tens of thousands of players and thousands of teams spread across leagues from every country in the world.

Memorabilia of Another Kind

I think that I've elaborated earlier on how much I fucken LOVE video game figures and such. I've made a passing reference to it anyway. There's something about video game merchandise that gives it an x-factor making it just SO much cooler. There are toys, and then there are video game toys. Seeing a character that you're so used to playing on the screen suddenly before you in a tangible, solid form brings out the kid in any gamer. It's the pinnacle of geekdom. The cream of the crop of crap you don't need.

This stuff isn't necessary. It just isn't. It's a big money sink, I'll admit it right here. Nobody needs to own these things. But this is America, damnit, and we have an innate desire to throw our money at these sort of things. And if you're going to throw the money around, why not pick up a figurine of Teddy/Kuma from Persona 4?
Some of this stuff doesn't come cheap. You want a life size replica of Judge Gabranth's helmet from FFXII? $1000!

America is finally catching on to the idea of the Limited Edition game release. Limited Editions are something that has been very common in Japan for as many years as gaming has been around. These packages came with the game and a bunch of extras and were available only at the initial release. Often included were artbooks, soundtracks, clothing, and even figurines. For whatever reason the American companies never thought that gamers here would go for that sort of thing. They assumed they would never pay more for a game. That way of thinking has, thankfully, left us behind. In the last few years many major game releases have included a special Limited Edition package with tons of sweet swag. Personally I loved getting Fallout 3 with a metal lunchbox and Vault Boy bobblehead. I mustn't forget Atlus. They release almost every game with extras. I picked up Devil Summoner 2 and got a Jack Frost plush!

It's the big time games from both sides of the pacific that get this treatment. The very eastern Final Fantasy series to the all American shoot-em-up Halo, from Assassin's Creed to Super Mario. The idea of creating memorabilia to accompany games never really took off for American games until recently. Then again, American games weren't really blockbusters until these last few years. There were missed opportunities in the past. Video games were seen as toys, entertainment for children. Why weren't more toys made to go hand-in-hand with games? Sure there were those G.I. Joe/Street Fighter II hybrids, but those were awful and didn't have much appeal. The American's had to steal the idea of targeting the older gamers with highly detailed figurines and "hip" accessories in order to actually produce anything.

Some of the cooler stuff is just not available to the general public. Sadly there are a lot of extras made available only to industry insiders. Until I started selling games I never realized that game distributors had so many trinkets to hand out. Buttons for Fable II, lanyards for Gears of War II, magnets for Animal Crossing, keychains for the DSi, sweatbands for the 360 are just some of the things I've managed to snag. Nothing too significant, to be sure, but cool little collectibles. Game reviewers, however, have it made. As a sort of bribery the publishing companies give these people free games and exclusive swag. I need to try and become a game journalist and get some of this swag! Not bloody likely, I know.

It's a cool little diversion/hobby/thing to collect, and I've got my small bit. A giant Vaan, a Tidus, the FF4 cast, a small Yoshi, a Jack Frost plush, and a chainsaw maniac from RE4. I'm looking to pick up some of the Persona 4 cast and a few more Final Fantasy figs. I can't resist.