CSSU Game Night III: English Intruder

I’m a “gamer”. What is with that word? “GaMeRrRrRrRrR”? It’s like a cracked-headed buzz word to me. Pop culture jargon. I wasn’t called a “GaMeR” when I was ten.

(Note, I am using Myspace Upper/Lower Case variation to accentuate my opinion of the word ‘gamer’ as obnoxious.)

Whatever. ‘Gamer’ also clearly puts forth what I am, among other things, so it stands as a functional word. But, playing video games wasn’t always the coolest thing to do, didn’t always have energy drinks with slick and shiny CG’d logos shoving ads down our throats, and this “new and upcoming” adult demographic that was probably always there I’m going off on a not-student-related tangent.

So I went to the CSSU Game Night last Friday. (CSSU = Computer Science Student Union*) Note the Portal-y image. And also note, the above rant really had nothing to do with it either. I was just mad.

A couple of large screens, tournaments, candy bars on the cheap, free pizza (especially if you’re polite and decide to take four slices for yourself). All. Night. Long. I think. I left at 11:30, so I wouldn’t know.

But yes, the event goes very late into the night, or early into the morning. I believe Game Nights are held at the end of each semester. This one was mah thirrrd. Reoccurring tournaments/games-there-to-play include Street Fighter 2 (this time, it was the new HD version for PS3, with graphics redone by UDON, these  guys), Super Smash Bros Melee/Brawl, Team Fortress 2, Starcraft, and Halo. Left 4 Dead was there as well. I don’t know if they were tournaments, but usually there’s also Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Video games, all night long. Aaahh. I don’t know a whole lot of people in the alternative universe of Computer Science, and I usually manage to get knocked over by someone if I try to stand back and watch the FPS hardcores play, so I stuck with my friends from the Game Design and Development Club. Yes. I am a shy loser. Get used to it.

I, however, played a board game for most of the time I was there. Yes, Game Night also includes board games. No, not generic Monopoly and… uhh… whatever else there is. The bets way I can describe them is as being more involved, needing more brain power, and pushing towards role-playing. I would say “like Dungeons & Dragons”, buuuttt…. I have yet to try that.

I played this. Munchkin. Pillage, fight monsters, and “backstab your friends”. It was more like, pick up card, read instructions, raise eyebrows. That and the occasional forced gender-bending, Floating Noses, French-kissing demons, and possible invocations of Satan. I enjoyed it. 

Other things to be noted from my time there are Dragonball Z: Burst Limit’s (XBox 360) story mode and the “IT’S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAND” scene**, and the tortuous-looking ‘Co-op Tetris***’. I didn’t get to investigate exactly how this game came into being (i.e., who made it) but it’s basically Tetris, played by, I think it was SIX people, with three keyboards. The playing field is a million times wider, and six blocks fall simultaneously; each person dealing with one, you get the picture.

So that’s it. I am tempted to think every course-related student union has its own end-of-the-semester party thing going on, but I’m not sure. If you know of any, tell me. I’d like to meet more… English… cop-outs I mean majors. Cough.

 - Liesl

 

 

 

*Not to be confused with the Canadian Studies Student Union, lolololololololol

** I personally think “What’s with your face?” takes the cake here.

*** Correct me if the name is wrong.

Wow! Three asterisk-y footnotes.

2 comments on “CSSU Game Night III: English Intruder

Comments are closed.

  1. Hi,
    I’m wondering how and where I can let U of T students know about some naturopathic health seminars in Kensington Market. How can i list events here and the student newspaper or …. suggestions?

  2. Hi Kathleen,

    The only thing I know is this:
    http://www.thevarsity.ca/advertise

    Also, I think you can probably drop off some fliers at student residence lobbies, although sometimes you might need to get the resident’s permission to do so.

    As for advertising HERE…I’m not sure if it can be done, since it is after all a student blog.

    Good luck!