The year is 2006.  After the successful purchase of a DS Lite, I’m well on my way to becoming a Nintendo fangirl – something of a surprise, since prior to the DS the last Nintendo product I’d owned was the original console.  The Wii seems like the console of The Future: more family/party oriented (not just for hardcore gamers), more innovative, more intuitive.  Cheaper. Backwards compatibility, Virtual Console.  I got one shortly after launch, though it wasn’t easy.

Now fast-forward to the future (Hey, is that a backward Super Mario theme I hear?).  My Wii is a very modern-looking bookend without the books.  I haven’t bought a new game for it since Wii Fit, which I haven’t played since my trainer and I had a falling-out.  I don’t think I’ve bought anything on Virtual Console (well, I do still have the original console, so I had trouble justifying a double purchase), though I do occasionally take advantage of the backward compatibility by popping in a Gamecube disc of old Sega Genesis Sonic games (pause for breath).

I’m not sure if it’s that the Wii is really not that interesting, or whether it’s just a symptom of a shift in my own gaming habits.  I don’t often go out and buy new games anymore, period, regardless of format.  If something is available on multiple consoles, I tend to go for 360 first.  If  I’m looking for something quick and easy, I go for the iPad.  And I don’t have as many parties at my house with bunches of friends, which, honestly, was how the Wii was mostly used in the first place.  Such is the life of a boring adult, I suppose.

So when I first heard that a new Wii console would be coming out in the next year or so, I barely cared at all.  I don’t use my old Wii; why would I want a new one?  But then Tuesday morning Twitter was abuzz with updates from the Nintendo presentation at E3.  I tuned in because I was interested in seeing the live orchestra performing the Zelda medley; I stayed for the rest.  And saw the presentation trailer for the new Wii console: Wii U.

Oooh.  Pretty.

There’s lots to be excited about with Wii U.  It doesn’t just seem like the next generation in Wii; it utilizes the screen technology to such an extent that it seems less like the next generation of Wii, and more like an entirely new console.  In fact, in practice I could see where it could have much more in common with the DS than with the original Wii; more about using two screens than pointing and waving the Wiimote.  Perhaps it should have been called DS for Wii to get the party emphasis across (see? I can do silly Wii puns too, Nintendo).

What’s in a Name?

Actually, the name of the new Wii console, as well as the trailer promoting it, tellingly downplays the “party” atmosphere.  Whereas the first Wii promotions were all about pulling in the entire family, from toddlers to grandparents, the “U” in Wii U is literally supposed to mean You, the Hardcore Gamer.

Non-gamer family members want to watch something on TV?  No problem! It’s an instant portable game – well, portable to the couch, anyway.  Whether you’re drawing, playing an RPG, drawing squiggly lines on a personalized character, it’s all at your fingertips.  Most of the concepts shown in the video feature only one or two people – a far cry from the party gimmicks that the Wii has become known for.  Now, will the actual games reflect this?  Hard to say – but it’s clear Nintendo wants this to be a contender for all gamers, not the “baby” console.

More Than Just a Console?

In recent years, Nintendo has often been compared to Apple in aesthetics, and that’s certainly not going to stop now.  Not only is the new controller very reminiscent of an iPad (well, mated with a Game Gear, maybe), the smaller “tabletop” game function is more similar to an App than a console game.  There’s also apparently an ability to video chat that visually will remind most of Facetime (or every scene of “the future” ever). In many ways the Wii U reminds me not specifically of Apple or any other brand, but just the direction we’re all taking with our electronics: appliances that have more than one specific function.  In a household that might have a TV/computer/media center, with a tablet that serves as a laptop/e-reader/hand-held game, it makes sense to have a video game console with as many configurations and possibilities as possible.

At the same time, the Wii U doesn’t truly pretend to be anything other than a box with which to play video games; it’s just that it promises many different ways to play video games.

Timey-Wimey?

The Nintendo E3 presentation more than piqued my interest; it’s given a strong case for why it should not be perceived as simply Wii 2.0, but rather something totally new and different from both its predecessor and every other console out at the moment.  It seems like it’s the console of The Future: more innovative, more intuitive.  Able to be enjoyed with friends, or alone.  And have I mentioned the backwards compatibility and…?

Whoa.  Just got a headrush from the deja-vu.  And that’s what’s still giving me pause, what will stop me from rushing out and buying it at launch.  Maybe it really is the console of The Future; maybe it’s another console that doesn’t quite fit me.  None of the games mentioned have made me particularly excited yet, though I am curious about the new Super Smash Bros. that was vaguely hinted at.

Thus, I wait.  Not just for the concept of a console that really gets me excited, but for game feedback that does as well.  After all, it’s a game I really like (Rock Band) that’s kept the Xbox 360 in relatively constant rotation over the years between flings with other games; otherwise I might have two dusty white, modern bookends.

I admit it, though: I’m rooting for both Nintendo and Wii U.

What about you?  Are you excited about Nintendo’s new console?  What else from E3 has got you amped up?

… okay, maybe you’re not asking, but I’m going to tell you anyway.

My name is M, aka Michelle Clough, and I am the new resident anime/manga girl for Geek’s Dream Girl. How I stumbled into this hallowed and worthy position is a tale of great import and substance, involving dramatic acts of applying and sample writing, but suffice to say that I’m very, VERY happy to be here.

I’ve been a geek for as long as I can remember. While my classmates were running around on baseball fields and horse tracks, I was running around my basement solving crime with the Ninja Turtles, blocking out epic He-Man action figure fanfilms, and sighing girlishly over Mr. Spock. Then along came video games, and any hope of being a non-geek vanished in a poof of smoke; companies like Nintendo and Squaresoft sucked me in and refused to let go.

Like many geek girls, school came easily to me, but I had trouble fitting in with my peers. As luck would have it, however, I met a group of senior geeks in my first year of junior high school. We immediately bonded over our love of video games and spent lunch hour after lunch hour in the hall, chatting about all things nerdy. It was during one such lunch hour that one of them asked me a question that would shape my future career as a geek and a writer.

“Have you ever seen any anime?”

By this point, I’d heard vaguely about anime and manga as more “mature” cartoons and comics from Japan, but I’d never had the chance to see any myself. My friends, taking pity on me, took me into the art classroom and popped in a well-worn tape of Ranma 1/2. And thus, I was sold.

There was something about anime that immediately captivated me. Perhaps it was the idea of using animation to tell stories for adults that traditional live-action couldn’t manage. Perhaps it was the unusual and distinctive art style. Or maybe it was just the sheer indulgence in Japanese culture, a window into another country and another way of thinking. Whatever it was, I was hooked.

Once I got to university, I lost no time in finding the UBC Anime Club and joining it. After a year, I found it wasn’t enough just to go to club… I wanted to be part of it. After a year as Director of Communications (i.e. Keeper of the Mailing List and Printer of Amusing Posters), I became President of the UBC Anime Club for three years. I’d still be there if UBC hadn’t thrown me out the door, shoving my English Lit/Classical Studies degree in my hand as I went.

Not satisfied with domestic geekery, I packed up my manga, copied my anime collection to my computer, and high-tailed it to Japan to work as a junior high English teacher. The time I spent in Japan was amazing, both from a cultural “broaden your horizons” point of view and from a sheer indulgence in geeky stuff. You name it, I did it: watching anime on local TV, buying my weight in doujinshi (fan comics), belting out anime opening songs at karaoke and attending almost every convention that blew through Tokyo. I came back after two years with a slimmer bank account, a giant collection, and a fond if foolish wish to find a career somewhat related to anime and manga.

Almost six months later, unemployed and dissatisfied, I found myself drifting around V-Con and bumped into the old secretary of the UBC Anime Club. She introduced me to the then-head of Anime Evolution, the Vancouver anime convention. When I mentioned my job hunt, he brightened up and said, “Hey, what about Ocean? The company that did the dub for Ranma and Inu Yasha? I heard they’re hiring. Would that interest you?”

Does Sailor Moon wear a short skirt? YES YES YES!

Long story short, I found myself living the anime geek dream; writing scripts for English dubbed anime. I’ve worked on several series such as My-Otome, The Story of Saiunkoku… and of course, a little series known as Death Note (confession: there may or may not have been dancing around my appartment and squeeing when I landed that job). I’ve also done a bit of subtitling and branched out into some live action titles, such as the Japanese version of Spiderman (which is currently being streamed at www.marvel.com! /shameless plug).

When I’m not watching (or writing) anime or reading manga, I can be found doing one of the following:

• playing World of Warcraft
• indulging in internet fandom (i.e. reading fanfic, checking out TV Tropes, perusing Livejournal, etc)
• playing World of Warcraft
• enjoying some XBox 360 and Wii games
• playing World of Warcraft
• enjoying a fun round of board games and roleplaying with my friends; we’ve been running a Shadowrun campaign off and on for a year or two now.
• playing that MMORPG, what was its name again…?
• watching Firefly, Star Trek, random period dramas, and… oh yes, anime!

While the industry has slowed down a lot due to the economic crash and other factors, I’m still always looking forward to my next anime project… when I’m not having stars-in-the-eyes dreams of working in video games, that is! In the meantime, I am super excited to be able to work with Geek’s Dream Girl and share (or inflict) my anime and manga knowledge with everyone, as well as learning a lot from my fellow geeks and writers!

Looking forward to meeting and talking with you all soon!

However, by the time I had those consoles, most kids my age had moved on to Nintendo64 and Playstation.  I played a few Playstation games (most notably the Final Fantasy ones) but the next console I owned was a PS2, in 2002.  When I was in college, I seemed like the retro dork with my Nintendo… but really, I had never stopped playing it.

Now, as an adult, I can afford to keep up a little better.  I have a 360, and a Wii, and a DS Lite, somewhere.  However, while the 360 has been a worthy console due to Rock Band, the truth is… aside from Rock Band, I haven’t really, really loved any other new-console game.  And I’m beginning to wonder if my tastes aren’t simply, well, simple.

I can still get completely engaged in DS games like Professor Layton, but Gears of War was lost on me.  Some games hold my interest for brief periods of time, but unlike, say, Sonic 3, I never get the urge to go pop in Oblivion and have a whirl.  Some of the games that I have liked the most on 360?  Games purchased through XBox Live – Boom Boom Rocket and Braid.   As for the Wii, I do enjoy Wii Fit, and some of the games are great for parties, but for one-on-one playing the novelty wears quickly.

I don’t completely have the attention span of a gnat – as I’ve mentioned before, I loved the Kingdom Hearts series, and I will eventually try out Final Fantasy XIII.  Maybe it’s that World of Warcraft takes all my long-term gaming attention?

So here’s what I’m thinking: either the new consoles and new games are leaving me behind – which makes me feel old but isn’t the end of the world – or I simply have gaps in my gaming education (notice I essentially made the jump in controllers from the fairly simple PS2 to the 360) that predispose me to certain kinds of games. Maybe I’m just not trying out the right games on these new consoles.  And that’s where I turn to you: what would you recommend to a girl whose tastes are decidedly old-school?

See, I grew up in Orlando.  I’ve been going to Disney World since I was three years old.  It was a rite of passage for many teens to work there, and most rewards or field trips involved trips to Disney.  Most people in Orlando have a love/hate relationship with WDW, but for me, it’s mostly love.  Add that to the typical immersion of a young girl into all things Disney, and my penchants for trivia and history, and well, I’m hooked.  I have a strong opinion about just about everything Disney, from merchandising to Imagineering decisions to, um, corporate leaders.

Thus, you can imagine how excited I really am when I say I absolutely cannot wait for Epic Mickey.

What is Epic Mickey, you ask?  It was first hinted at, months and months ago, as a game featuring a sort of post-apocalyptic Disney World.  Images of a crumbling Spaceship Earth (the EPCOT ball to most) had minds reeling.

Now we know a little bit more:  It’s a single-player game, designed only for the Wii.  It’s apparently mostly platform, part RPG.   The post-apocalyptic world is actually the Cartoon Wasteland, a sort of world for ideas that were rejected or simply forgotten… and, thanks to an evil force, it’s… not quite right.

Gameplay promises to be relatively novel and free-form for a platform; since you use paint and paint thinner to navigate the levels, there’s several ways to paint your way out of corners, as it were.  There’s also a morality system: you can be a Scrapper, aggressive and frightening to other characters, or a Hero, who creates more than she destroys.

Most exciting is the artistic direction the game seems to be taking.  Disney is normally pretty stingy about using Mickey, and as a result, Mickey has kind of faded into a symbol with very little personality.  Epic Mickey is intended to be the start of a relaunch of Mickey; he promises to be a little more feral, a little less polished, and hopefully more relevant.

I’ve also read that the storyline for the game will make the minds of Disney and animation buffs explode with joy.  Hardly any of the characters are modern; most will harken back to cartoons that hardly any of us have seen.  Oh, and did I mention a major character is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit?  Many might know of him as the precursor to Mickey.  I might know that bit of trivia, but I guarantee that there will be other characters that I haven’t even heard of.

I haven’t heard as much about how many WDW elements will actually make it into the game and how many were just concept art, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.  Many of the original Disney rides weren’t based on a film at all, or have very distinct personalities from their source material.  Pirates of the Caribbean, Small World, Haunted Mansion, the Carousel of Progress, Skyway… these all have potential in the right hands.

Epic Mickey isn’t supposed to come out until September of this year.  That’s a long time to wait (I’m hoping Cataclysm for WoW will be released and distract me in the meantime).  Still, you can bet that as more info is released in the meantime, I’ll be gobbling it up, eagerly waiting.

I’m relaunching the Getting Hot for GenCon movement as Fit For GenCon.  Dante of StupidRanger.com and I are working on developing a website where geeks can get together and support each other as we work toward our fitness goals – whether that’s losing weight if you’re a squishy geek or gaining muscle if you’re a scrawny geek.

If you’re interested in getting an email when the site launches, please sign up:

(Don’t see a form above? It’s a Javascript form – could be your browser, your adblocker… or maybe it’s just not your day.)

You can also sign up if you’re a fitness or nutrition profession who’d like to help us out with advice (in return for some link love).   We’ll let you know when the site is ready for beta testing, and then when it’s ready for everyone!

For now, please use the Twitter hashtag #fit4gencon whenever you talk about working toward your GenCon 2010 goals!

Let’s face it.  There are a lot of fat geeks out there.

I’m one of them.

So what are we going to do about it?

My Story

I’m sure there’s a couple people thinking, “Holy shit, I’ve made ‘No Fat Chicks’ jokes around E and she’s a fat chick? OMG!“  It’s okay, folks.   Some people don’t like curves (or rolls, or whatever you want to call ‘em).  I can’t fault you for what you are and aren’t attracted to, so breathe and chill.  I still love ya.

I’ve battled with my weight for most of my life.  I went on my first diet when I was in 5th grade.  (I remember being upset because my weight was in the 100s while my classmates were still in double digits.)  Either way, I’ve been there done that when it comes to diets.

My two main issues?  I’m lazy and I’m an emotional eater.  So when I’m upset, I don’t think “Let me make a delicious fruit salad.“   I think pizza.  Pepperoni pizza.  And maybe some boneless spicy Asian wings.  Nom nom nom.

Many folks don’t know the whole story, but let’s just say that my old job was making me miserable.   Because I absolutely LOVE to teach, I was miserable that it was making me miserable.  Couple this with being on a medication that makes weight gain easy, and I’ve ballooned quite a bit in the past year.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m still one sexy geek girl!   Sexy is a state of mind, and when I’m in that state of mind, nobody can stop me!  Luckily, my wonderful boyfriend DaveTheGame thinks I’m sexy even when I’m having a not-so-sexy feeling day.

I’ve decided to harness the power of geeks everywhere so we can motivate each other to lose those extra pounds and get fit!   I tossed the hashtag around on Twitter about a week ago and people are starting to pick up on it.

Are you ready for this?

The Getting Hot for GenCon Club

The first rule of #gettinghotforgencon Club is that you MUST talk about #gettinghotforgencon Club.

If you’re on Twitter, whenever you tweet about your fitness or eating habits, add the hashtag #gettinghotforgencon.

Join the Twibe too!  There’s power in numbers, friends!

Then, whenever you see someone posting about how they are #gettinghotforgencon, you can send them some support and encouragement.  Pretty nifty, right?

I’ve added tickers to my sidebar ———->

You can get your own tickers by visiting TickerFactory.   You can set up your ticker to show your actual weight or just how many pounds you have lost and want to lose before GenCon Indy.

You can set up a Fitness tracker if you’d rather log the amount of minutes you spend working out rather than your weight.   (This is great for those with the scrawny geek physique who want to build muscle!)

If you’re joining our cause (even if you’re not attending GenCon!), please post a comment below.   I’m going to start a Getting Hot For GenCon page on my site where I’ll log my Wii Fit time and weigh-ins.   If you do the same, go ahead and post a link in the comments below and we can all network together!

Let’s do this, geek friends!!

Then, just days past the three-year warranty, my 360 has three quadrants glowing a sinister red and I’m left sobbing Why have you forsaken me? with the knowledge that my 360 actually hates me more, because it waited for that warranty out of spite.

So now I’m faced with an indeterminate amount of time without 360 games and without Netflix (thus severing my link to The Future).

What’s a girl to do?

I’ve come up with a few things on my own:

• Get Fit – for real: Yes, my Wii Fit is still functional and working, but I also have a treadmill that I need to hit in all earnest.  And now I can’t  make up some number of calories that I must be burning by drumming on Rock Band.
• Interact with human beings: I’ve been thinking about attempting to find a local place that does trivia nights.  Would be nice to find a use for all the random facts in my brain.  Somewhere, knowing that Welcome to Dead House was the first Goosebumps book has got to be an asset.
• Catch up on reading: Okay, so I’m pretty much always reading books as it is, but in the last few days I’ve been busting a gut (treadmill) laughing at dooce.com, as I managed to be completely unaware of this site.  I’m pretty sure I’m not reading All Those Blogs That Every Person Knows About, and I wouldn’t mind some recommendations.
• Go Outside:  You know, on second thought, I might defer that for a month or so.  I don’t need Vitamin D, right?

So what about you?  What do you do when your main source of entertainment openly mocks you?  What should I be doing, watching, reading?

D&D Related

• Dante at StupidRanger reviews the 4e Dungeon Master’s Guide.
• Shelly Mazzanoble of Wizards of the Coast (and Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress fame) is a Dungeon Master.  May the gods help us all.
• John at Gnome Stew had a totally awesome post entitled: What Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog Can Teach You About GMing.
• Dave at Critical Hits would like some tips from GenCon veterans about True Dungeon.  (Note to my GeekBoy – you’d better get over there and comment, dear!)
• Happy blogiversary to Yax and Expy of DungeonMastering.  By the way, YOU (yes, you!) should be sure you’ve voted for DungeonMastering in the ENnies!  When you’re done, check out Things You Ought To Know About Your DM.  (My advice – know his favorite cookie variety and bring them!)
• Propagandroid at The Gamer Dome is working on an index to the 4e PHB, since the existing one, well… sucks.

General Geekery

• Felicia Day of The Guild and Dr. Horrible fame was interviewed at ComicCon by Mahalo Daily.  She’s going to be on an episode of House!  I’m so excited.  Now, if we can just get her on an episode of Big Bang Theory, my life would be complete.
• GeekNews (and GDG Commenter Alan!) pointed out a great tool to see your website as colorblind people do.
• GeekSugar had the neatest little thing – The Hang On Outlet.  It holds the plugs of things you don’t want plugged in, but also don’t want dangling around everywhere.
• Geekologie presents: Geeky Stained Glass and 25 Gesture Rock-Paper-Scissors.   Warning:  The latter will cause you to kill way too much time.
• Get fit and get a piece of Internet History!  Hawty McBloggy points the way to get a Wii Fit that is signed by the Wii Fit Girl!!  Get it now on ebay – before August 1st!
• Phil at ChattyDM just finished a four part series on RPG Blogging.   Trask at Living Dice was nice enough to tack on a 5th installment about SEO.

That’s it for the feedin’ this week!  Hope you’re full of geeky goodness!

D&D Related

• Happy 100th PostDay to GnomeStew!  This blog is really excellent, so if you’re not subscribed to their feed, you are a total loser.  For a taste of the awesome, read about how NPCs are filthy liars.
• The more of Dante of StupidRanger‘s posts I read, the more I realize that he is The Man!  Check out Better Character Development Courtesy of Bruce Willis.  Don’t forget to go to the Stupid Ranger crew’s GenCon events and cheer on StupidRanger as she competes for Queen of the Geeks!
• After reading this post by Dave of Critical Hits, I’m very sad I won’t be at GenCon to take advantage of drunk RPG bloggers.   Then I read this one and realized that I will probably never be awesome enough to DM. Too much pressure!!
• Congrats to Yax at DungeonMastering for being nominated for an Ennie!  Sadly, I will never be uber 1337 enough to get an Ennie, unless my profile writing services get hundreds of geek boys into the arms of geek girls… in which case, maybe I do deserve an award of some sort!
• Chris Sims at Wizards of the Coast gives some insight into the Ecology of the Dragonborn.  Am I the only one who has no desire to play a dragonborn or tiefling?
• The Propagandroid at The Gamer Dome got his hands on a bunch of Against the Giants minis.  Check out his review.
• Phil at Chatty DM asks: What’s your dice fetish? Mine is penguins.

Random Geekery

• A hilarious post at LivingDice about a Gamer’s Pre-Nup.  I thank the various gods that when I marry, it’ll be to a gamer, so we won’t have to worry much about that!
• Hawty McBloggy always finds the best stuff.  Check out the Wii Fit Boy, but warning, it’s YouTube safe but potentially NSFW.   If you require eye cleansing after seeing it, just search YouTube for WiiFit Girl videos and you’ll be all set.  Oh, and why play Guitar Hero when you can play Saxophone Hero?  (They really should make Big Band Hero with sax, trumpet, bass…)
• Geekologie offers a new way to accessorize for a dinner party.
• This XKCD comic totally reminded me of my jetlag problem.
• Courtesy of Neatorama:  The new iPhone? Yep, it blends!  (Warning: Video will make Mac fans very squeamish.)  Maybe you’d rather have a cursed iPhone with a burning hot screen? (Courtesy of Geekologie.)
• Shamus of TwentySided examines the World of Warcraft.  Then OMG!SHOCKING!, receives backlash from diehard WoWCrack addicts.  (BTW, Shamus, I totally agree with all your gripes.  I never did understand eye-less Murlocs or headless boars.)

Video questionably unsafe for work. (QUFW?)

First off is a plug for my buddy Yax at DungeonMastering, who is running not one, but TWO contests! If you’re not subscribed to his feed, you’re missing out!

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Monte Cook wrote about the awesomeness of the new DM screen by Alliance Distributors. Someone in his comments posted a link to the pictures of it, here at Gamer Bling!

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D&D Nerd has a good post for newbies about creating a magical D&D character. I dunno, I’ve never been big on casters. Always been a rogue type myself.

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I found this comic linked from Neatorama, and it is totally the best summary of pixel bonding EVER.

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The Propagandroid has launched the Gamer Dome Wiki! Check it out!

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Did you know the great bloggers of the past are watching over us? So comforting.

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Phil of ChattyDM wrote a great guest post on Critical-Hits about how the Wii Fit yells at him for being a fat, fat Mii. (It’s ok, Phil, we still think you’re sexy!) By the way, Phil’s contest is going on for a few more days!

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The sequel to THE GAMERS is coming out at GenCon! Someone buy it for me!!!

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Walt of Gnome Stew asks your opinions of playing in drag. I guess it helps if you play a lesbian character. *coughs and glances at LokyCat*

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That’s it for this week’s feeding! Git outside n’play now!

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