Changing culture, one gamerscore at a time.

I'm going to miss that eyeball.

Neversoft gave up the Tony Hawk gaming franchise this week, and I’ve got to be honest, I feel a sad, lonely feeling in the gamer part of the miscellaneous viscera that represents my guts. It’s a real shame to see a franchise so full of wonderfully original and obscure music, easy-going gameplay, and good visuals go to waste simply because the series was so run down by the last couple of releases. Remember the helicopters? The way you’d never be able to run anywhere? The days before they panicked about not being original and put cars in the levels? Oh, it’s going to be missed. I couldn’t give a monkeys about Skate 2 now I know the daddy of the genre has given up and died. Though we both know I’ll be shamelessly checking out the demo.

In other news today, not much, unless you count pointlessly egotistical releases in the press like the supposedly impressive sales figures of FIFA ’09. Fie on you, FIFA, and your pointlessly repetitive gameplay. I just don’t understand the appeal of sports games. You’re playing the same game, over, and over, and over again. I was listing some genres I would absolutely despise reviewing while updating my freelance profile at IGN, and I realised how much I truly do detest the idea of playing football on a games console. In real life, it’s a laugh. We play, we take the mickey out of eachother, and everyone learns to work as a team. All I’ve seen with Pro Evolution Soccer players is the same I see with people addicted to COD 4; mindless aggression towards anyone who doesn’t instantly fall to their knees at the supposed ‘pinnacle’ of video games.

In other news, I managed to not only stay on the IGN roster, I’ve also finished talks with a certain website to begin producing a weekly column along with some news blogging, which is a good start to the job drive for 2009. Now all I need is for the developers and their respective PR departments to be just as nice, and it’s all gravy. If your emails from me have directed you here, feel free to contact me for work opportunities, as I’m always open to new ideas.