IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

Opinion: Jaded Empire

Posted February 8, 2010 by Chris Buffa

[Editor's note: This was written a few days before the Super Bowl]

After waking up in the morning, I sloppily grope for my iPhone and thumb through a few news stories. Today was no different, aside from feeling the ill effects of three hours sleep, the result of a lengthy Xbox Live binge. Among the headlines, only one connected with me, Joe Posnanski’s Sports Illustrated article, LXXXVIII reasons why Super Bowl XLIV hype is totally out of control, a piece I suggest every journalist reads.

In it, Posnanski tackles the Super Bowl, his 13th, and raises an important point: repeated trips to the big game may kill the magic that rookie reporters experience, to the point that everything becomes routine. What thrilled him years ago (meeting players and coaches from the NFL at press conferences) doesn’t inspire him like it used to. As a result, he vows to treat this week with the same sense of wonder that he used to feel, and decides to comment on 88 stories to kick-start his excitement.

E3 madness

Reading this, of course, put my career in perspective. At 31, I no longer view the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with the same amazement. Instead of drooling at the opportunity to play the newest video games, I obsess over meetings, pushing through thousands of sweaty people and staying up all night writing stories. Everything has that “here we go again” vibe.

The same can be said of press junkets. Five years ago, I practically exploded when companies invited me to sporting events and exotic locations (the Ice Hotel in Canada, anywhere in Las Vegas), but years of crisscrossing the country and asking the same questions lessened the impact. It’s to the point that you have to do something ridiculously bizarre (send me to Russia, like THQ did last fall) to make me act like a frenzied teenager.

Don’t get me wrong. I still thoroughly enjoy writing about video games, leading a team, attending events and wrapping my hands around a controller, but I’ve reached a point where I reminisce about the old days. However, public relations people left, GameDaily lost its San Francisco office in 2006 and I don’t recognize a lot of the journalists; they’ve become younger, I’ve grown older. I’ve met some folks who pledged their lives to doing this full time, but I’m not sure if I want to be 56 and writing about video games. For now, though, I’m too young to worry about that.

What I do know, is that there are a lot of excellent games that have already come out this year or debut in the next few weeks, and I love being in the middle of that and writing about it. So, in similar fashion to Joe Posnanski, I decided to write a bunch of thoughts about BioShock and BioShock 2 that won’t cause 2K Games to blacklist me. I chose BioShock 2 because it’s one of the few games that make me feel like I did at 23; the same can be said of Mass Effect 2, another outstanding adventure. Similar to Posnanski’s bullet points, there’s plenty to be excited about.

1. BioShock should’ve been a great American novel before it was a video game. 

2. This is one of those few video game franchises that would make an excellent movie.

3. I wish I were still in college to deconstruct BioShock and its sequel in English class.

4. I can’t believe I’m out of college seven years.

5. When “freed,” Little Sisters crawl back into those holes. Why do they do that?

6. Where do those holes lead? Sort of reminds me of Newt from the film Aliens, the way she uses the air ducts to move around.

7. Vita Chambers are a necessary evil. On one hand, they make these games too easy. On the other hand, I’m a busy guy.

8. The ability to save anywhere is a privilege, not a right.

9. I love the scene (the one 2K released months ago) where the Big Sister punches holes through the glass and Rapture floods. What a terrifying (yet excellent) moment.

10. Electro Bolt is without question my favorite plasmid.

11. Rapture is one of the most imaginative and feature rich places I’ve ever seen or read about. It’s an actual character.

12. The new hacking mini game seems easy at first, but doing it under pressure takes skill and lots of patience.

13. Big Sister and Big Daddy porn… someone do that.

14. Despite playing as a Big Daddy, I feel almost as vulnerable as the dude from the first game.

15. Drilling someone in the face never gets old.

16. Would love to see Rapture before its residents went nuts.

17. On that note, pick up as many audio logs as possible. They add depth to the story.

18. There are lots of unique enemies in BioShock 2. There’s always a new challenge to overcome and different ways to strategize. 

19. The best games are the ones you feel compelled to beat, not because you’re on deadline, but because you can’t go on without experiencing the conclusion.

20. I’m incapable of being mean to Little Sisters.   

Chris Buffa is the Editor-in-Chief of Modojo. You'll find him on his iPhone playing Tiny Wings, trying in vain to beat his sister's high score.