Assignment 1-5 Video Games 1980-Present

Video Games 1980-Present

  Video Games 80's

           Video games were around before the 80's, they just weren't that good or graphically impressive. The first real counsel that started the vast movement was the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). The NES was launched in

the U.S in 1985, taking the video game industry to new heights they never thought was possible. With such games as Mario, Zelda, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bomber Man, Contra, Super Mario Bros. 3, Tetris and Metroid, made the NES a must have for gamers everywhere, marking their stamp on video games for the next 30 years plus.

            The next biggest counsel to hit the market was the Sega Genesis. This was a must have counsel of its time. The Sega Genesis released in the U.S in 1989. The Genesis was the first counsel to be a mega hit in the European and U.S market. The Genesis brought many must have games and characters into the lives of millions; Sonic the Hedge Hog, Mortal Kombat, Earth Worm Jim and the other Sonic games 2 and 3. This was just the beginning of video games.    

Video Games 90's

            The 90's marked the next big wave of gaming. With a new decade came new counsels. In 1993 the Super Nintendo was released. This was a must have counsel of its

time. With such titles as Super Mario world, Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2, Super Mario Kart,  Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid, Nintendo made its mark once again in gaming history as one of the best gaming counsels ever made.

            Nintendo did it again in 1996 with the release of the Nintendo 64. This is the system that started making video games what they are today with its 3D gaming, not just a 2D one way image. You were able to have Mario in Super Mario 64 run around and jump with a 360 degree view, the first of its kind. Nintendo kept making the hits with Banjo-Kazooie, Bomber Man 64, Mario Tennis, Mario Party, Star Fox 64, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64 and you cannot forget Golden Eye 007. These titles are still some of the best games to have ever been made.

            Sega released their next big counsel in 1999, the Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast had a handful of hit titles; Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead 2 and Soul Caliber. Dreamcast was one of the first systems to bring hit

arcade games into the living room and they were one of the first counsels to hook up online with a phone cord. The big boy hit the market in 1994 in Japan, Sony PlayStation. The PlayStation didn't really dominate until the release of the PS2 in 2000.

        Game 2000-Present

            This next generation of games and counsels are what really defined and changed the gaming industry forever. First is the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2). The PS2 is still the best-selling counsel of all time, with over 150 million units sold as of 2011. The PS2 was a blockbuster of a counsel which every gamer had to have. In 2001 its competitor was made by Microsoft, The Xbox.

Xbox had a huge success right out of the gate because of one of the greatest gaming franchises ever made, Halo. Halo pumped life into the Xbox and made it a must have system.

            The real war of counsels came with the second generation of the Xbox and PlayStation; The Xbox 360 and PS3. Gamers were now broken into two different groups, the Xbox fan boys and PlayStation fan boys. If you have ever been involved in a conversation of the comparison of the Xbox 360 and PS3, you know it may become a very heated conversation. Both counsels have its hits and reasons why one is better than

the other, that's why they are the hardcore gamers choice in counsels. There is the Wii in all of this, but that was more of a focus for children, yet they do have Mario still.

            Now as of 2013, both Xbox and PlayStation have reveled their next counsels and specs; the Xbox One and the PS4. The battle continues for the dominate counsel. In my opinion, Xbox 360 took round one in the first major battle, in this second round, I'm putting my money on PS4; really, I'm putting my money on the PS4, this is the one I am buying when it releases. I was a huge, huge Xbox fan boy for the last ten years, I think it's time for a change and the PS4 looks like it is going to dominate this round in the counsel wars. 

Assignment 1-4-6

Summary 

I believe the best theories has to be the rituals and heroes. I believe Apple has won the fight in these to areas. Apple had the one and only Steve Jobs, the brains and master mind behind Apple from the beginning. Steve has become the hero of millions of people world wide and will continue to even after his death. Apple even won in the rituals department, they have MacWorld and WWDC. These are annual rituals which thousands and thousands flock to every year. 

My thoughts of pop-culture have changed slightly, I had a good grasp of what pop-culture was from movies, music, iconic figures such as Bugs Bunny, Star Wars and Batman. I love the classic pop-culture, maybe because it brings back childhood memories. 

I had a great time in this class, reading and learning about other pop-cultures that I was not familiar with. Thank you all for your awesome comments on my blog! 

Assignment 5-1 Formulas

In the World of Warcraft

            World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience or also known as a MMO -RPG (Massive Multiplayer Online - Role Playing Game). Players create and take on  the roles of Warcraft heroes as the alliance or as the evil side, the horde. As the player  explores, adventures, and quests across the  world of Azeroth. Being a MMO-RPG,  World of Warcraft allows thousands of players to interact within the same world. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in PVP (player vs. player) battles, players will form friendships, create guilds, and compete with enemies for power.

Formula for a Successful World

            World of Warcraft created the formula for a successful MMO-RPG. They are the first of their kind and has dominated the MMO world for the past ten years. Others have come and gone, trying to be the next World of Warcraft, but they have failed. World of Warcraft has had over twelve million subscribers with in the past decade. Their subscription fee is fifteen dollars a month, add that up and you can tell why they are one of the most successful MMO-RPG PC games of all time. With the financial backing to keep them going, World of Warcraft has made expansion after expansion giving their game and the world of Azeroth new life for their massive fan base. World of Warcraft continues to this day to dominate the competition and I see them doing so until they pull the plug on their own game, at least until their new game comes out in 2016, Titan.

Try World of Warcraft FREE, Click Here. 

 The Call of Duty

            Ever want to be a hero on a battlefield? but not really get shot at? Well the Call of Duty franchise is just that. Call of Duty brings the live action of war into your living room with just a controller in hand. War is not to be taken lightly in no means, but the culture of the world is infused with war, so Call of Duty cashed in on just that. There have been hundreds of war games that are FPS (first person shooter) but for some reason Call of Duty got it right. From my experience, I believe the reason for their success comes from the flawless controls, meaning the feeling of the controller in hand and the reaction time of movement is one of the best out there. Other games may feel choppy or laggy, so you just don't want to play.

Formula or Ritual?

            Every year Call of Duty releases a new game; around November sometime. This may be a huge reason why people flock to the series because they can count on a new game from them every year, or it might be a ritual for the company and players to have a point in their life in which they have something to look towards. I'm not to proud to say that I am one of those people that stand in line at midnight for my fix of Call of Duty. I have to be one of the first online and start leveling my characters prestige level as fast as possible.

            Since I do this, people usually have a stereotypical name for people like me; nerd or a no life, this is not true (well maybe the nerd part). Even worse is when your fellow gamers online start calling you a no life because you may be better than them or you are a higher level. this does not mean you are a no life, yet you may have more time than them or may even be better at the game; more kills = more points = leveling faster. I don't care what people call me, I love what I do and it's my source of having fun, not going out and getting drunk. I stay at home where my family knows where I am and I am there if they need me.  

Assignment 1-4-5 Written Analysis 4

Technological Success

            No secret when people think of top of the line products, and most desirable, they think of Apple. Apple had proven time and time again that they are the most sought out after product of today's market and the market for the past ten years. From Apples elegant and flawless design to the glamorous retail packaging, Apple products have it all. Steve Jobs would sit down with his design team just to make sure when  designing the packaging their product was shipping in, it was the best and had the most satisfaction when opening a new Apple product for the first time. Apple has always had three main steps for success; Product < Design < Satisfaction. As long as a company backs their product and creates a product that people may want again and again, there is no stopping that company from dominating its region of expertise.

            Google and the Android OS have been catching up in the race for product elegance and design. Since the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S4, Android has grown in popularity with its new OS design and a phone that is worth buying. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the iPhones number one competitor. Not only is Apple leading in the phone market , but in the tablet market as well. The iPad is the number one selling tablet of all time. Android OS has no specific tablet that is remarkable, but they are on many different tablets. There tablets come from Samsung, Amazon Kindle, Google Nexus 7 and many others. if you would combine all of the tablet sales from all of those companies, they would not come close to the success of the iPad.

            All of these specs about the iPhone and the iPad comes down to this, Apple is doing something right, they figured out what people want and how they want it. Apple has figured out the perfect formula for success and they keep improving that formula yearly.  

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Beginning 

In 1983, the creators of TMNT, Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, were working together at a seafood restaurant dreaming of their perfect comic book. Their dream became a reality in 1984 when they published The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

 The TMNT wouldn’t become a household name until 1990 when they made the first TMNT movie. The movie grossed over $201.9 million and the TMNT 2 would gross over $78.657 million.

Their Story 

The TMNT are a wonderful example of the model citizen, they stand for what is right and will not follow evil. In this case evil has a name, “The Shredder" . Shredder makes who ever follows him obey his every command. The time the TMNT came out, they were a great example of its time period, they would break-dance, skateboard, eat pizza and play pranks and goof around. The co-creator described them as fun heroes with an attitude. 

Why the TMNT are Popular 

The rise of the TMNT success came around the time when Ronald Reagan was president and the fall of the Berlin Wall. With Americas concern about nuclear war and its consequences, the turtles boosted to the top because their back-story was that they were transformed by nuclear waste, they were radioactive.

Another part of their popularity came of their toy line timing. At the end of the 80’s the most popular toys were the He-Mans and G.I. Joes. When the TMNT came out, they had a fresh new look and story line. They were not a global defense of the universe or fighting evil worldwide, they were four turtles from the sewer that spoke the language of the everyday American kid, derived from southern California, radical, gnarly, dude!  

The Importance 

In a time where America was at the conclusion of the cold war. The TMNT formed a sigh of relief by poking fun of the related perils of a nuclear war. America knows the damage and consequences of a nuclear war, but the TMNT formed a self-defense against the thought of that, a sense of humor. They will always be there for our entertainment or even a comical relief, they are what we need them to be, they are

  

     The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

                           TMNT 80's Intro 

Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

             I feel that the Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity really does not apply to the products of Apple or Android, yet by the creators of these world-changing products.  We would look at heroes of Apple that everyone knows, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. These two men started Apple on April 1, 1976, they had no idea how huge Apple would become.  Just two friends building computers in their garage became American heroes in their division of expertise. Many people would look up to Steve Jobs as their hero for what he has accomplished with the business and technical side of Apple, building the company to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Others looked to Steve Wozniak as a technical wizard for his genius designs and products before their time, they even call Steve Wozniak "The Great and Powerful Woz". 

Android was developed and created by Android Inc. The founders were Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White, Google was the financial backing for the development of the Android. To be honest, nobody knows the names of the men who created the Android, I had to Google it. Everybody knows Google and that they are the owners of the Android OS. So can people really look at the creators of Android as heroes? or do they look at the creators of Google as the heroes? 

 

My Favorite... Metallica "One"

Meeting the Band

       Metallica is one of the most influential bands of all time. With their fast speed and unbelievable instrumentals, Metallica has secured themselves in history as the best metal band ever. Metallica did not really gain commercial success until their fifth album, The Black Album. The song that I picked came before their success and commercialism; from the album “And Justice for All” I chose “ONE”.

The Song

            The song “One” was released on the album “...And Justice for All” on August 25, 1988, I was going to be four years old that coming September. The song “One” has this sense about it of being alone in the world, no one understanding you and you cannot communicate with anyone. The song talks about how war is unpleasant and to tell everyone that war is not pretty and is not as fun as you see in the movies, war is ugly, not to be taken lightly. As the song progresses it talks about a soldier that has been badly hurt in the war. The soldier’s arms and legs were blown off in combat by a landmine, and his site, speech and all of his senses are gone. He is just a body with no limbs laying there with only his thoughts, if he is awake, dreaming, alive or dead. This song may be interpreted in many different ways, about isolation as humans or separation from the world. Many people may think the song targets war in general, how bad war is and how war is not the answer, showing the realism of what war can do.

What “One” Means to Me

            When I was growing up during my teen years, I felt alone and not heard by my Mom. My mom remarried when I was around ten years old, my Dad died when I was three years old. My Mom was so wrapped up in her new husband that she did not listen to what I had to say or my opinion. The only way that I found my own peace was in my own world I created with music. I started learning guitar when I was eleven years old and that is when I found Metallica. I was amazed at the power, speed and passion these four guys pumped into their songs, I was home.           

            I started listening and studying these guys, I ate, breathed and slept Metallica. Each song I learned on guitar put another piece of my world I was making together. When I finally obtained the CD “...And Justice for All”, I found it, I found the album that had the anger outlet I was looking for. This was one of their heaviest, fastest in your face metal albums they had, I loved it. On this album was “One” track four, seven minutes and twenty seven seconds of peace and harmony. Told the story of a person trapped, isolated in his world, the same way I felt; but I had all my body parts.

The “Stereotypes”

            Metallica was and is sometimes still labeled as a demonic metal band and they have nothing but bad messages. (Oh! Did I mention my Mom made me go to a private Christian school where Metallica was the devil? Or even any type of music was bad if it wasn’t gospel). If the people who think that Metallica or any metal music is bad just sit down and listen to the lyrics, they would find the lyrics are not bad, they are just anothoer way to vent rather than in violent ways.  

Me

            If it wasn’t for Metallica, Van Halen, Alice n Chains or any other great bands, I don’t know where I would be right now or even had the friends I have made through the years. I have been playing guitar for eighteen years this October, time has flown by, and I have met many great people and musicians in that time, very talented people. I thank God for my talent, it was my escape goat.   

           

One Lyrics

I can't remember anything

Can't tell if this is true or dream

Deep down inside I feel to scream

This terrible silence stops me

Now that the war is through with me

I'm waking up, I cannot see

That there is not much left of me

Nothing is real but pain now

Hold my breath as I wish for death

Oh please God, wake me

Back in the womb it's much too real

In pumps life that I must feel

But can't look forward to reveal

Look to the time when I'll live

Fed through the tube that sticks in me

Just like a wartime novelty

Tied to machines that make me be

Cut this life off from me

Hold my breath as I wish for death

Oh please God, wake me

Now the world is gone, I'm just one

Oh God help me

Hold my breath as I wish for death

Oh please God, help me

Darkness imprisoning me

All that I see

Absolute horror

I cannot live

I cannot die

Trapped in myself

Body my holding cell

Landmine has taken my sight

Taken my speech

Taken my hearing

Taken my arms

Taken my legs

Taken my soul

Left me with life in hell

References

Song Meanings (2013). Metallica, One. From http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/10241/

Sing365 (2013) Metallica And Justice for All. From http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Metallica-And-Justice-For-All-Album/D73CD94520FB03424825688E000A85A1