Is Being a Nerd a Hobby or Lifestyle?

It's that magical time of the year, E3, where countless video game news becomes known to the general public.  A few years ago, I would have been glued to my computer screen, gleefully watching the announcements in real time.  Now, I have a 9 to 5 job and the best I can manage is to read news articles or (better yet!) watch my Twitter feed for others reactions.  This has left me feeling pretty bummed.  It's no surprise that I kinda, sorta, really hate my job and missing out on E3 is just the icing on the cake.  I know what you're thinking, why am I not catching up or watching coverage after work.  Well, I have run into and interesting situation that I hope to further discuss today.

Picture this, I come home after a long day of being nagged on the phone by people I will probably never meet in real life.  I'm tried.  I kick off my flats, feed my dog, and settle on the couch to check Facebook.  Some nights I then proceed to make dinner.  Other nights I help my husband cook.  We finish making our meal and settle on the couch again to catch up on whatever series we are watching.  We either are sucked into shows to the rest of the night or then try to get things related to our hobbies done, but keep in mind, we are both very tired.  Some nights I need to clean.  Mounds of laundry, begging to be folded are calling to me as I type this very sentence.  There is vacuuming and dishes and scrubbing and sweeping.  There is a pup that needs play time.  There is my tired mind that just wants to sit down, turn off, and watch youtube for a few hours.  I've been musing over why a lot of my nerdy hobbies have fallen to the side.  Am I getting lazy?  Yes, yes I am.  Am I sick of being a nerd? No, never...it's just....

I feel like I don't have the time to be a nerd anymore.

When I first had this thought I then thought I was being ridiculous! I should always have time to be who I am!  I am a nerd!  But then, as my over active mind usually does, I had another thought.  Is being a nerd my hobby or is it my lifestyle?  I can say that right now I am not doing the normal nerdy activities I usually would be doing. Does that make me stop being a nerd?  Have I lost touch with my roots if I'd rather read "Gone Girl" right now instead of the Game of Thrones books?

In my defense I think Flynn and Martin might be cousins

Do I need to cash in my nerd card if I've dedicated the last year of my life to my wedding instead of writing the next great American novel?

I continued this panic for sometime.  Maybe it was time to close up shop, start watching the Bachelorette like so many of my coworkers, and get some highlights.  Luckily, I'm getting better at calming my personal panic.  Yes, the last year of my life I have put many of my normal passions in the backseat.  Writing, reading, my crafts, they are all hobbies, but they are all part of who I am. Being a nerd, just like those activities, isn't something I do just for fun. Well, yes, I do research and learn nerdy things because I think it's fun, but it goes so much deeper than that.  Being a nerd is a culture.  It is being a part of a community of likeminded individuals.  It is a form of express.  It is a passion.  I am a nerd not because it passes the time, I am a nerd because it gives me a place where I belong.  My focus has been elsewhere but I am happy to settle back into my routine.  A year or so of routine change will take a while to adjust.  Also, I have a life beyond being a nerd.  Being a nerd is just one patch that makes up me.  It's a big patch, I am happy to say!

What do you think?  Are you a nerd because it's a hobby?  Do you see it as a lifestyle?  Or is it something more?  Let me know!

It's good to be back!

Tootles!

Wreck-It Ralph

First off, I've reached over 3000 views! It's amazing how that managed to happen despite my absence. It just goes to show that I have some dedicated fans that never fail to make me smile! Thanks to you all poppets (yeah I'm in one of "those" moods) for sticking with me despite my lazy fingers.

Now....

ON TO WRECK-IT RALPH!

. . . .

I really struggled with what to say for this review because of my mixed personality. From the side of a reviewer I could see some flaws in this film (many steaming from it's trailer that aimed the plot of the movie in a far different direction than where is actually went), but from the view of a fangirl with both a passion for video games and cute, sugary concoctions (I promise I'll elaborate on that later) I was sucked into this game like all of us  zombified gamers have been known to do when a new Diablo game drops (Minus, perhaps the nerd rage at errors).

No disrespect meant, my man.
I freak out when my Amateur Surgeon 2 App does't work on my Iphone  

With all that said, I'm going to try my best to address both of my opinions, both as a reviewer and a gamer in hopes that I can reach some logical conclusion about how this movie ultimately made me feel and what you can expect it to do for you.

Let's start with the flaws of this movie to get all the negative energy out of the way. Well, maybe it's not fair for me to say this is going to be a negative critisim. Perhaps we are looking for the word frustrated. Having watched the trailer for this movie, I though Wreck-it Ralph was going to be about Ralph, a video game villain wanting more out of life (in true Disney fashion) and deciding to go to the game Heroes Duty (Every pun IS intended) and proving he can save the day. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Well that is exactly what this movie does, for about 10 minutes of it's runtime.

No, Ralph quickly overcomes the challenges of Heroes Duty (which really makes me question it's true difficulty for a game advertised to be a Super Meat Boy style grinder....my pun intended) and accidentally ends up in the almost sickeningly sweet racer game, Sugar Rush. It is in this game that we spend the majority of the movie. This is where my conflict comes in. I'm sure plenty of hardcore gamers went to this game expecting a solid tribute to video game nostalgia and were met with wacky worlds of original creation. Don't get me wrong, Sugar Rush certainly gave me the feel of Snowboard Kids if it was dipped in bubblegum and sprinkles. Still, I worried that some of the guys out there would be turned off by it's candy coated sentiment. I honestly would love to hear my male fan base's opinion on this setting choice. Ralph's main companion through the movie is an overly adorable little girl/glitch name Vanellope.

Okay...with all that said....my inner fangirl needs to come out and say this very clearly. This movie isn't perfect. It has a pretty predictable story and we all know exactly how it's going to end, but you know what? I LOVED it. Call me a girly girl if you need, but I adored Sugar Rush and would play it in a heart beat if it was a real game and/or if I had any skills in racer games. I loved Vanellope even when she could be a little annoying with her banter. I genuinely felt for her, a humble little glitch looking to belong, much like Ralph.

I also appreciated the subtle nods to the greats of games. I won't spoil them all for you (But please post all the cameos you noticed!) but it tickled me pink how much love and knowledge of games went into the background of this film. I'm sure that Sugar Rush was the better setting vs. Heroes Duty because parents would find it nonthreatening (less video game violence) and this movie would appeal to girls just as much as it does to boys.

If there is one thing I can really appreciate about this movie is that it could possible turn more girls on to video games. And in a society where more of us girls are slowly working over to the dark side, I couldn't be happier.

So over all, if you are looking to have simple, sugary fun this movie with hug your at your gamer core, if you are looking for a lot of deep substance with a fresh plot or non-stop video game intensity, this movie might not be your cup of tea.

Now for a change of pace, something ridiculously girly/warped to balance me out ^_^

(Would you love me any other way?)

Tootles Darlings!

Xo

An Intro to an Impressionable Young Lady

I feel that some introductions are necessary before we dive in. First off, welcome to Beside the Controller! For those of you new to the site, this is a blog dedicated to a rarely covered view of video games- beside the person playing them. I have been a fan of games my entire life, but have never had a knack for playing them. I’m a naturally uptight person and the pressure of having to make quick decisions and a lack of hand-eye coordination has never made gaming bow well for me! Instead, I actually have more enjoyment watching others play videogames then playing them myself. OH CRAP- LOOK OUT! It’s flashback/story time!

Once upon a time I was a little girl with an older sister who rarely gave up the controller. I was okay with this and contently sat beside her, watching as stories like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Yoshi’s Island seeped into my impressionable brain. Soon I found myself sitting beside my Father, spewing out all the advice I could gather from the walkthrough manuals we had purchased for our Nintendo 64 games! Fast forward to present day and I still will sit happily beside whoever wants to play. I often have people shoving controllers in my face, certain that I have to be secretly upset to not get my turn. I politely push the controllers aside, pat them on the head, and warn them they forgot to pause and Glados is about to shoot them into deep space (sorry, currently watching a LOT of Portal 2…and though I haven’t seen her do that yet, I wouldn’t be surprised).

So hear is my perspective on the games I love so much! I will have little to say about actual controls and my views on game play may be limited. Being a game-watcher (we’re going to make that word now, spell check!) I focus mainly on storyline and a game’s atmosphere. If a game can make me perch forward on the couch in suspense or hide under a pillow from looming danger, it’s doing a good job!



All in all, I have a lot to say about videogames and I hope to keep you entertained. So sit back, put the controller aside, and let the games roll in!



Now deploying smooth jazz in 3 – 2 – 1 ….GO!