MikeySheff

I have a background in game design, specifically narrative and content creation. Looking to surround myself with a diverse group of writers with unique perspectives.

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    Latest Articles

    Latest Topics

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    Can we fix our political system?...Or is this going to be the norm?

    Should it be ok to let adults who are running our country behave like this? Spending more time trying to slander and demonize the other, rather than talking about the important issues facing our country, and by extension our planet. Debates are supposed to be where we get to see what the candidates stand for and how they plan to improve our situation. Instead we watched a season of the Real World ‘DC’. People seem to be voting for their choice, not because they are the most qualified, but because the other is just far worse. ‘The lesser of two evils’ is a phrase that has worked its way into our political discourse, and the American populace is suffering because off it. How did we get here? How did we let evil be a part of the conversation in the first place?

    • A way to fix the bias present in this topic might be to look at the debates from this election in comparison to debates from past elections. How does debates beind turned into a joke reflect on the political system or government as a whole? – MichelleAjodah 8 years ago
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    Kurt Russell: The Most Underated Action Star of Our Time

    Kurt Russell made quite a few movies in his career, a bunch in the 1980's, but there are four in particular that made him a legend in the action star game; Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), and Tango & Cash (1989). He could have received a star on the Walk of Fame for those four movies alone, yet he seems to be low on the list, if on the list at all, of the most revered actions stars of our time. When people speak about their favorite action stars you hear the usual Bruce, Steven, Jean, Wesley, Arnold, Sly, etc. But anyone who has seen or was around for the above mentioned movies knows Kurt should be up thee with the rest. Even Sly Stallone recognized it when he cast Russell in the Expendables. So why is Kurt left off the list of greatest action stars of our time? Or am I mistaken in how highly regarded he is as an action hero?

    • I think this is a really interesting topic! Kurt Russell is amazing. One thing you might want to talk about is the "cult following" that Kurt Russell has vs. main stream popularity of other actors. Might give some insight into the Kurt Russell as an underrated action star. – SeanGadus 8 years ago
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    • Agreed! The 4 movies alone that you mention make Kurt more than worthy (and long overdue) for a star. His natural delivery, brilliant comedic timing, and perennial good looks make him a bankable star at any time. I'll go out of my way to watch any movie he is in. – Talos63 8 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    The greatest attribute that top games share is the ability for the user to customize their character or game world in some way. Immersion is one of the most integral principles regarding video games. The best way to immerse a player is to give them something to get emotionally attached to, i.e., the character or the hero’s journey.

    In the early days of gaming, it was solely adventure/RPG games that allowed for customization of your character. In the mid to late 90’s is when you started to see a shift in the industry from dynamic environments with static characters, to more static environments with customizable characters. For example Mario, Sonic, and Lara are legends of the game world, but they look the same throughout, so the story and environments are what drive those games. Then you have MMO’s like WoW and Neverwinter that allow the user to not only use a class to their liking but further customize that character’s look. The same goes for games like Fallout.

    Even shooter games are more than ever allowing customizable characters, and not just the look. Games like ‘The Division’, allow the player to obtain gear that is suited for their playstyle.

    Emotionally Investing in Games and Their Characters

    Writing is a skill, and like all skills it can definitely be taught. What can’t be taught is the creativity. The best writers, no matter the genre or type of writing, are the most creative in their specialty. That creativity is what separates bestsellers from the rest. Though you can’t, in my opinion, teach creativity, you can certainly teach how to appreciate it and what makes something creative.

    Can you Teach Someone how to Become a Writer?

    There are a lot of excellent points you bring up, on both sides of the argument. The paragraph where you wrote about older games being stagnant due to the lack of additional content was most thought-provoking. It brought to light why having DLC is so important in games these days, for without it, most games, especially online multiplayers, would be played for a couple of months at most.

    With that said, it is rather obvious that some companies are going overboard with the concept of DLC. I remember when games like Halo and Gears of War, would only charge for early access, first thirty days or so, then release the maps to the general public later. Someone mentioned in an earlier post how this segregates the community because only those with DLC have access to certain maps, areas, or items.

    The price of games have already went up from $49.99 to $59.99, and DLC is following suit. First and second generation console games had DLC that was $20 most, and that covered everything. Now for some games, that covers the first DLC, while others have DLC for $50 and up. So now for a player to enjoy the full experience, they essentially have to buy the game twice.

    One point to remember with all of this, is that a lot of this falls on the publisher. Games, especially good ones, cost a lot of money to make, and developers don’t see as much of the profit as you might think. Like all problems regarding what customers deem “too expensive” product, the companies need to do some serious introspection. I agree with DLC, but not on the current track it is on.

    From Expansion Packs to DLC: The Evolution of Additional Video Game Content