Interning at MTV Wasn’t Just Fun and Games

Last year I wrote a story about my time interning with one of my favorite publishers, MTV Games. Yes, the former publishers of Rock Band. To keep this simple, let’s just say that in the last couple of months they’re not the publishers anymore. Also, rivals, Guitar Hero, have shut their doors in publishing more versions of their franchise, as well.

The story I originally published came under dispute after my time with them came to an end. I was called while on vacation to immediately take down my article. So, now, in hopes that it’s alright, since the team has been dispersed, I’m going to post the original story, unedited below.

The time frame for my internship was from January until April, 2010. – Tony

Games Journalists Don’t Know More Than You

The suit sitting next to me just picked his nose for the third time in 20 minutes…

But that isn’t what really bothers me. In fact, I’m not even too troubled by the fact that he insists on wiping the mucus six inches from my leg. What really bothers me is the distraction he represents. This ill-mannered businessman has drawn my attention from Bejeweled Blitz 2, The Freelancer’s Podcast nibbling at my ears, and the crossword I have tucked underneath my leg.

Something happened as I looked up at his disgusting forefinger and simultaneously imagined how much money it would take for me to lick it.

I asked myself: Am I disconnected?

The Gaming Guilt We Face

There’s a time for everything. When I’m grungy, I shower. When I get the shakes, I drink. When my stomach grumbles, I eat. And when I damn well feel like it, I game — most of the time. It’s this last one that I have some trouble with. For me, gaming can lead to looming guilt, set in motion by a few different scenarios.

Does Nintendo’s Future Hold Achievements?

Goals, productivity, tangible entertainment; this is the mix I shoot for in my everyday tasks. So when I embarked back into the world of gaming culture a few years back, it should come as no surprise that I happily embraced the new trend of games doling out rewards in the form of achievements and trophies.

“Wow, I can play videogames and still feel a sense of purpose through my gaming experiences,” I thought.

My plunge back into gaming started with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2, and eventually led to the PS3. I found that the intensity that I attack everything else with spread into gaming as well. But within this new world of gaming I noticed it was mainly that one feature — namely unlockable achievements and trophies — that engrossed me from the first “achievement unlocked” ping that popped up onto my screen. By contrast, it’s been some years since I first waggled the white Wii controller furiously into the air, and the urge to do so is rare, simply because it lacks this new addiction.

Gears of War 3’s Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts

I’ve been mainlining Gears 2 since it came out and have seen some amazing things along the way that have not only surprised me, but made me laugh, cry (on the inside), and gloat.

Things that have made me think long and hard about the upcoming Epic release: Gears 3.

I’ve become a Gears connoisseur. I’ve played incessantly, making Gears 2 basically the only online multiplayer game I’ve focused on and harnessed my skills at (until MW2 of course). Sure, I’ve taken part in others, but it’s Gears I always come back to. In the last year I’ve critiqued with friends and players alike about the online experience, both good and bad; evoking what I consider to be the best and worst aspects of the Gears multiplayer and what should and should not be included in Gears of War 3’s multiplayer.

Online Racism on XBL and PSN

 

I’m a white guy. A white guy who grew up in a town that had KKK rallies in the Gazebo and had David Duke speak at the local library when he was a kid.

I grew up embarrassed of my town and like to think the era I grew up in was filled with more racism than present day. I say this because of my confidence in society and its way of educating the public over time. A society that has learned and can learn from its mistakes.

Yes, I know that there is and always will be racism in our society, but as an adult, I’ve felt good about feeling that it’s getting better. Hell, we’ve voted in our first black president, right?

Video Games Don’t Put Human Heads in the Freezer

My journalism professor is concerned about the violence in modern day video games, but to be honest, he doesn’t know much about gaming. He spoke specifically about the commercials being shown during his Sunday football games.

“There’s one where there’s a zombie’s head being sawed off (L4D2) and then another simulating a bloody war against terrorists (MW2),” he said.

He referenced feeling uncomfortable while watching with his young nephew, saying it was being shown in the middle of the afternoon and demonstrated “mature content not suitable for kids.”

Modern Warfare 2: Toilet Campers! Camp This!

By definition, camping is the tactic of waiting for enemies to come to the player or useful objects to appear rather than actively seeking them out. By my definition, camping is a strategy that is on the verge of ruining one of the best FPS shooters I’ve ever played: Modern Warfare 2.

I do need to separate the differences between what camping is versus legitimate stealth play. When I talk about playing stealthily, I’m referring to a proper form of play style that requires precision and skill. Posting up in a snipe position and quickly scattering about the map to stay undetected is very different than camp mode. It requires experience and knowledge of the maps at hand. The problem is that the straight-up camp mentality is now a norm in a normally action-packed game. This refers to the players who enter my matches and run to the most desolate and starkly lit corners of rooms in hope to solely wait for myself and others to simply walk by. A non-strategy-strategy, if you will. It’s a disgusting-talentless-trait that sucks any and all life out of the match immediately.