GameBrain: Maybe you’ll think of me…

It’s been an interesting eight months writing this column. I’ve seen Video Games Live, reviewed one of my favorite games of all time and took up countless pages with my signature sardonic griping.

You’ll have to bear with me a little more than usual for this is the last column of the year. I have a couple of different topics to cover, plus a few words about my experience writing for the Western Herald.

In my last act of Game Brain punditry, I recommend that you stay out of Pittsburg. That is, the Pittsburg as envisioned in Fallout 3’s downloadable content pack The Pitt. Understand that it’s not such a bad little add-on. It just needs some tender love and care.

By tender love and care, I mean those perfidious programmers at Bethesda Softworks need to patch The Pitt ASAP. There was a problem with the content not working at all when The Pitt was first released. They fixed that, but there are quite a few bugs remaining. So far, I’ve experienced freezing, corrupted game saves and level geometry that can trap a Wasteland Wanderer for eternity.

So I’d give Bethesda a few more weeks to get things straightened out before you download The Pitt. Keep checking video game Web sites for updates.

Speaking of updates, have you heard the news about Bioshock 2? Unsurprisingly, it will be following almost the same path as the original: you play as a gun-toting, Plasmid-slinging do-gooder trying to save the Little Sisters from their evil overlord. This time around, you play as a Big Daddy, the lumbering palookas in diving suits you battled in Bioshock.

Other than a few new twists, Bioshock 2 will be following in the footsteps of its predecessor. No, really: you get to explore Rapture (again) and fight more-or-less the same bad guys. I’m disappointed, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Sequels don’t often stray too far from the original (and successful) source material. Will I still buy it? Yes, if only because of my strong connection to Bioshock.

I encourage you to do some digging on the Internet for Onlive, a newly-announced video game service that delivers high-end PC gaming to lower end machines over the Internet. Streaming games seemed like an inevitable next step for the game industry, but this project may be ahead of its time. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not this will be a successful business plan or pie in the sky.

Now that I’ve gotten the news out of the way, I can get philosophical about this here column. I’m happy to announce that Game Brain has been picked up for another season. That’s right, kids; you’ll be getting a brand-new Western Herald next fall, but ’ol Game Brain will be right here in the Weekend Scene.

Of course, this column wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Western Herald’s editorial staff. Former Arts Editor Danielle Defilippo gave me the green light to write Game Brain and even pushed me into writing a little bit more journalistically. That was realized when I covered Video Games Live earlier this year and interviewed co-founder and video game composer playboy Tommy Tallarico.

We can’t forget about current and future Western Herald Arts Editor Chris Kato. Chris has been great with his encouragement and support, especially during the Video Games Live business. He has graciously saved me a spot in next fall’s Weekend Scene, which he will again be overseeing as Arts editor.

It may seem glamorous, getting paid to write a video game column. I can’t deny that it’s been a lot of fun; at the same time, it’s been a lot of work. Besides my full-time studies at Western, I’ve worked part-time as a copy editor for the Herald. Game Brain was usually written during lunch breaks or between classes. As a result, I never had a lot of time for in-depth reporting and research.

I’ve always looked up to the columnists and writers on The Escapist (escapistmagazine.com) for their articles on video games and the industry. I love seeing Game Brain in print, but the Web holds a lot of promise for writing as well. That’s why I started the Game Brain blog at gamebrainonline.blogspot.com. For the past month, my friend John (Tashdango Blue) and brother Kevin (Wrecklaimer) having been working to bring you an online experience similar to this column, only with interactivity of the Internet.

The Game Brain blog will be where my video game commentary calls home for these next few months. Things have been kind of sleepy, thanks to writing the print column. But with my summer internship and sabbatical with my Nintendo 64, hopefully I can come up with some new perspectives on gaming. I will be plenty busy with my work in South Carolina, but there’s always time for video games, right?

Well, it’s been fun. I can honestly say that I’ve treasured everyone’s contributions to the column. Whether you’ve sent me an e-mail or left a comment on the Western Herald’s Web site, I love to hear from people. If you ever want to contribute to the Game Brain effort, my e-mail and blog are only a click away. If you want to write articles, do web design, or even report on cool sites and links, there’s always room for one more.

Until next time, play smart, play safe and have fun. Grab a beer and a controller (or mouse and keyboard) and relax.

Brian Diefenbach, a copy editor and columnist for the Western Herald, is a junior majoring in imaging. He can be reached via e-mail at brian.a.diefenbach@wmich.edu. For more Game Brain, visit gamebrainonline.blogspot.com.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=5778

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Apr 15 2009. Filed under Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com