I\u2019m a \u201cgamer\u201d. What is with that word? \u201cGaMeRrRrRrRrR\u201d? It\u2019s like a cracked-headed buzz word to me. Pop culture jargon. I wasn\u2019t called a \u201cGaMeR\u201d when I was ten.<\/p>\n
(Note, I am using Myspace Upper\/Lower Case variation to accentuate my opinion of the word \u2018gamer\u2019 as obnoxious.)<\/p>\n
Whatever. \u2018Gamer\u2019 also clearly puts forth what I am, among other things, so it stands as a functional word. But, playing video games wasn\u2019t always the coolest thing to do, didn\u2019t always have energy drinks with slick and shiny CG\u2019d logos shoving ads down our throats, and this \u201cnew and upcoming\u201d adult demographic that was probably always there I\u2019m going off on a not-student-related tangent.<\/p>\n
So I went to the CSSU Game Night<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n A couple of large screens, tournaments, candy bars on the cheap, free pizza (especially if you\u2019re polite and decide to take four slices for yourself). All. Night. Long. I think. I left at 11:30, so I wouldn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, these\u00a0 guys<\/a>), Super<\/a> Smash<\/a> Bros<\/a> Melee<\/a>\/Brawl<\/a>, Team Fortress 2<\/a>, Starcraft<\/a>, and Halo<\/a>. Left 4 Dead <\/a>was there as well. I don\u2019t know if they were tournaments, but usually there\u2019s also Rock Band<\/a> and Guitar Hero<\/a>. Video games, all night long. Aaahh.\u00a0I don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2026 uhh\u2026 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 \u201clike Dungeons & Dragons\u201d, buuuttt\u2026. I have yet to try that.<\/p>\n I played this. Munchkin<\/a>. Pillage, fight monsters, and \u201cbackstab your friends\u201d. 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other things to be noted from my time there are Dragonball Z: Burst Limit\u2019s<\/a> (XBox 360) story mode and the \u201cIT\u2019S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAND<\/a>\u201d scene**, and the tortuous-looking \u2018Co-op Tetris***\u2019. I didn\u2019t get to investigate exactly how this game came into being (i.e., who made it) but it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n So that\u2019s it. I am tempted to think every course-related student union has its own end-of-the-semester party thing going on, but I\u2019m not sure. If you know of any, tell me. I\u2019d like to meet more\u2026 English\u2026 cop-outs I mean majors. Cough.<\/p>\n \u00a0- Liesl<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n *Not to be confused with the Canadian Studies Student Union, lolololololololol<\/p>\n ** I personally think \u201cWhat\u2019s with your face?\u201d takes the cake here.<\/p>\n *** Correct me if the name is wrong.<\/p>\n Wow! Three asterisk-y footnotes.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"