Living a second year in Korea: Love stories in Hongdae, North Korea and trips to Japan

I know quite a few teachers and other foreigners in Korea that go through a busy phase in the summer and fall time.It's that time when the weather starts changing and with it comes final exams and many, many events to go to and visit on the weekend.

Last year, I didn't take advantage of going to as many events as I wanted to. I was still new to this whole living in Korea thing and some days, having the energy to survive a day in school and make it home was more than a challenge. At the time, I was worried that the travel bug and the side of me that loved doing stuff was slowly dying or simply not interested in exploring what Korea had to offer. I thought I was in imminent danger of becoming  the hermit that lived to go home and spend his entire days playing video games and surfing the internet away from other people.

My new favorite tea shop in Seoul

A lot of teachers I know often spend their first year exploring and going on vacations to other countries nearby Korea. Every weekend is another adventure and every holiday is a chance of living it up in another place. By the time the second year comes by, most people are burnt out of traveling, having explored all their options. The desire to travel and explore dies. The honeymoon phase of seeing all the nooks and crannies of a country disappears.



"You don't live your second and third year," someone once told me. "Rather you coast them."

I wish I could find the guy who told me that and show him my schedule for the next couple of months, just to prove to him how wrong he was about this second year foreigner living in Korea.

Well, not really, since I don't like to gloat and want to be nice to everyone. Still though, the last few months have been incredible in terms of going places and seeing things. Every weekend since the beginning of June has been filled with some kind of interesting place to visit and cool thing to see. The only time I ever stayed at my home during the weekend was due to a lack of money or being simply too busy with something else to venture out.

I'm getting to know Seoul better. For all the hofs, clubs and restaurants that are always talked about, there's a charming underside to Seoul that I absolutely love. One of my favorite spots in Seoul is the Hongdae area, home to Hongik University and one of the most varied and interesting nightlife areas that I have visited in Korea.

Being near a famous university know for art, there are lots of coffee shops and cafes with interiors resembling  different artistic styles. Its not entirely uncommon to run into a coffee shop with an Andy Warhol esque interior to only go across the street to a cafe filled with art deco tables and chairs.

A wedding proposal in process with a guy in a bear suit. Only in Hongdae.

The nightlife in Hongdae is just as interesting. The streets are packed with people walking around and contributing the happy atmosphere. On every corner there's usually an outdoor show or public performance happening. There has never been a time that I went to Hongdae and wasn't entertained. I've seen everything from giant dogs to girls fist fighting in the streets. If I could, I would jump at the chance to live in Hongdae. Its that exciting, crazy city life atmosphere that would leave you with a million interesting stories to tell.

On the work side of things, this month has my school finishing their final exams towards the beginning of the month and their summer vacation beginning shortly afterwards. It's also the month I have two exciting events to look forward to: my trip to the DMZ and my summer vacation to Japan.

I've been wanting to go to the DMZ since last year, however time and money has always been a factor in turning down opportunities to visit. I never had a specific time to visit this year, but felt that it would be best to go when the opportunity best presented itself. A few weeks ago a friend offered the chance for me to visit both areas of the tour for a cheaper price than most travel packages. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity. If there was ever an "this is it!" moment, well, this was it.

My first time watching live bands perform in Seoul.

Towards the end of the month I should also be making my way to Japan for a week to visit old friends and spend some time in sunny and beautiful Osaka. I've previously spent a great deal of time in Tokyo, so exploring somewhere new is a very exciting prospect for me. Japan was my country of many 'firsts' for me. The first time being abroad, the first time job hunting for a career job and the first time spending a significant amount of time on my own without help. I have a certain draw to Japan that I continue to hold near and dear to my heart. The USA will always be my home and Korea will always be special to me, but Japan is in a category all on its own, and I can't wait to reunite with her again.

My schedule is looking busy and expensive, but I honestly could not be more excited. My second year has been one exciting adventure after the other and I'm looking forward to many more.

Sophomore slump? Never heard of it.

Interview with Jenny Wilborn of Korean Students Speak

"I'll make this world a better place."

Jenny Wilborn is a highschool teacher living and teaching in the rural village of Chungnam.  The village is small, with no recognizable hang outs such as coffee shops or grocery stores.  She has taught at the same high school for two years, through the Fullbright Program, teaching high students English and grammar skills.  

Her job, like many English teachers in Korea, consists of daily lessons and exercises designed to teach and test student's English abilities.

These exercises however, go beyond the simple worksheets and power points used in the classroom.

Jenny is the creator of KSS, Korean Students Speak, a method of teaching involving the use of Tumblr and simple messages from students written in English to express their thoughts and emotions, most of which are never heard in the classroom.

“I got the idea from a photo journalist Adrian Fisk and his project 'I speak China',” says Wilborn.  “He traveled around China and gave people a big white piece of paper and pen.  He asked them to write what they feel, creating some really inspiring messages.”

Inspired by the honesty and simplicity of the project, Wilborn pitched the idea during a 2011 Fullbright Fall Conference.  After liking and finally accepting her idea, the project began and by spring the following year, KSS was up and running.

"I want to free."

“I was inspired by the project and my own students in the area I live in.  It was known for gang violence and many of the students here were told that they would most likely not go anywhere and would most likely end up working in a factory, making the use and study of English to them completely unnecessary,” says Wilborn.

Once the project began, there was never a specific goal or anticipation for it to grow into what it currently is today.  The project had very simple goals and objectives, all of which involved inspiring students to use English in the classroom.

“From the beginning, it was seen as an opportunity for students first, and the audience second,” says Willborn.  “I would always ask myself the question of how you inspire kids to learn English when they don't care.”

Willborn soon saw how this could be more than a simple method for teaching English, but also as an method to talk with other people from across the world, letting them take a look into their lives in a way not normally seen from the other parts of the world.

“I was happy to see students using this as an opportunity to speak to the world,” says Willborn.  “I was surprised by how some students reacted and how they were proud of their work.”

"Bad math does not equal bad brain."

Students began to become proud of the work and messages they produced.  Soon it was becoming a common sight to see students show their messages to their family and post their photos on facebook.

As more classes were beginning to participate and more students began looking forward to participating in the project Jenny began to notice that her students were not the only ones writing messages for the world to see.  English teachers and students across Korea were following the Tumblr and beginning to submit messages from their own students.

KSS was spreading, with students from all grade levels beginning to participate.

“I liked the fact that despite the different grade levels and occasional grammar mistakes, the messages can still be understood around the world,” says Willborn.  “For some students, English can sometimes seem fruitless.  KSS provides an opportunity to be more than what they think it is.”

KSS currently receives numerous posts from students located all across Korea, ranging from Seoul to Jeju and grade levels consisting of grade one elementary to grade 3 high school students.

The growing popularity and the increasing number of teachers interested in using KSS in the classroom has led to Wilborn and other teachers from Fullbright to create a manual giving advice and ideas for others teachers to use in the classroom.  Wilborn still maintains the Tumblr by herself, looking over and organizing the submitted photos.

"Academic Background not everything in our lives."

Willborn hopes to see KSS continue, gaining new students and teachers as well as followers from around the world who wish to have a detailed look at the thoughts, struggles and dreams of these students.

“Every message I read gets a strong reaction from me.  It's always like the first time I'm seeing them,” says Wilborn.

Many of the messages from students are often variations of the same theme, with the most popular being on exhaustion, studying and the issue of Dokdo Island.

“Most of the signs follow those common themes, but there are always a few that always stand out from the rest. The ones that make me stop and think for any number of reasons,” says Wilborn

“I've seen some which have students making funny faces, one student holding a pole saying 'This is Sparta' and one girl that just wanted to talk about her turtle.  I've seen some serious ones too, one I remember the most was a sign held up by a student with the words 'I want to suicide'.”

Wilborn hopes that everyone who views and participates in KSS can take something away from it, be it a teacher, student or follower of the Tumblr.  She also hopes that both English and Korean teachers will continue to use and be willing to adopt KSS into their classrooms.

“I've heard stories that KSS has brought the shiest kids to participate and be proud of their work. It really shows teachers what they want to say in English and what they actually know.  KSS is not meant to critique the Korean education system, but to say something to the world. It allows them to push aside scores and adopt lessons that empower students.”

"I really want to unify Korea." 

Looking at the Tumblr page, among the numerous messages of being tired and the strong dislike of studying are messages of hope and encouragement.  Messages that exclaim 'I love everyone' and 'You can do it. Stay strong.' are reminders that despite the strong importance put on studying and academics, many of these students still find the time to dream and remain optimistic to themselves and each other.

“I love how so many students still have a positive outlook,” says Wilborn. “KSS has taught me that when given the chance, these students will surprise you.” 

E3 from Abroad: Conference Wrap Up: Nintendo

Despite not having a conference like in previous years, Nintendo decided to do something different this year, by holding a Nintendo Direct stream in place of a conference. The Nintendo Directs have been some of the best highlights from Nintendo for revealing new titles and surprises for the 3DS and Wii U. Speculations began running rampant before the live stream even began. What would the new surprises be? Would Nintendo finally unveil the new Mario Kart and Smash Brothers they were talking about? How would they stand out against the upcoming Xbone and PS4 launches?

While the E3 Nintendo Direct had very little surprises contained within its hour long presentation, the titles that were shown for both 3DS and Wii U were titles that have been anticipated by Nintendo fans since the console's announcement. Titles such as a new Mario World, Mario Kart 8 and two Super Smash Brothers titles for both the 3DS and Wii U provided a strong selection of first part titles for both consoles. Nintendo also showed some solid third part support from developer Platinum Games with two upcoming titles, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101, along with JRPG X and titles from Ubisoft including anticipated upcoming titles Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed IV and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

While the Mario World title didn't really impress me that much, the four player co op experience was beginning to wear a little thin on me, Mario Kart 8 looked impressive with its gravity defying loops and twists that looked more like an F Zero track than previous Mario Karts. The Wind Waker HD remake looks beautiful, taking the already beautiful and detailed cell shaded look from the original and bringing to HD clarity and and adding some useful touch screen options.



The two Nintendo titles that grabbed my attention, and always grab my attention during each new generation, were the two new Smash Brothers titles for both the 3DS and Wii U. The 3DS title slightly cell shaded visuals with stages from hamdheld titles such as Nintendogs and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The Wii U version however, featured visuals more in common with the Wii version and announced thee new characters: Villager from Animal Crossing, Mega Man and Wii Fit Trainer. All of them were unexpected surprises and looked interesting to play as. With every new Smash Brothers, I end up rabidly following every new piece of information I can get my hands on until the game's release. Now with two Smash titles to follow, my mind will be thinking of Final Destination and wave dashing until their 2014 releases. The Smash Brothers series has been the reason I've bought a Nintendo console for two generations and based on the early footage, this trend may end up continuing.

Nintendo also showed a short montage of third party titles on the Wii U with short glimpses of titles like Batman: Arkham Origins, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs. While it was nice to see some notable titles coming to Wii U, it would have been even better to see some gameplay. It's obvious that in terms of raw power, the Wii U can't stand up against the PS4 and Xbox One, so graphically titles won't look as good. However especially with games like Watch Dogs,  I wanted to see how well the game looked and played on the Wii U. I wanted to see the functions of the touch screen and more than anything, I wanted to see how it looked and played compared to their big siblings' console of choice.

Monolith Soft's new title was an open world mech/creature/world traveling JRPG. Featuring lush and huge open worlds with mech based combat, this JRPG simply known as 'X' looks like with will be the big budget JRPG that the console needs. When you factor in the fact that the X logo looks an awful lot like the Xenogears logo,my speculation will continue to run wild until the game's release. I have yet to play Xenoblade Chronicles, but X still looks like an awesome blend of futuristic mech battles and traditional JRPG gameplay. Like with many other titles, 2014 is too far away to wait for.

Platinum Game's offerings look manic, colorful and fantastic. The melee based action in the hack and slash game Bayonetta 2 looks like everything that made the first game so fast paced and over the top with more color, two player co op and a new look for Bayonetta. Gone is her long flowing hair, now replaced with a short pixie cut. Honestly, its nit picky to look at this early, but I must admit that I'm digging her new look. I
was also a fan of the previous game's fast paced gameplay reminiscent of the Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden series and if this game can contain the frantic action of before, this will most likely be another excellent game that dodges the sophomore slump.

Platinum's other game, The Wonderful 101 was a title I have been following since it was first announced. Looking like a colorful mix of Viewtiful Joe meets Pikmin, you control a selection of costume based heroes as they battle foes by transforming and combining into massive swords, guns and fists to take down city sized foes. Like Bayonetta 2 and past Platinum titles, the Wonderful 101  looks to be a action packed, colorful game that manages to stand out in the crowd of realistic, subdued colored action titles.

'Colorful' and 'standing out from the crowd' seem to stand out in my mind whenever I mention the Wii U and 3DS. While each console brings with it a new Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda, etc. it hardly comes across as a surprise anymore that these characters will make their way on a Nintendo console in some shape or from. Yet despite appearing generation after generation and more or less sticking with the same general gameplay, each new take on these titles offers something that even the most jaded fan can play and enjoy, that Nintendo charm.

I've used this term before to describe Nintendo games and consoles and while it may be a bit too simplified and vaguely fanboyish to be an entirely accurate term, it is impossible to deny the charm the oozes from both first and third party Nintendo based games.

Each of these titles stands out as a colorful and visually appealing game that may not push pixels like its more powerful cousins, but instead relies on their simplicity and fun factor to be fun. Mario Kart doesn't concern itself with 64 player online multiplayer but rather focuses on delivering a fun experience with a small group of friends. Zelda doesn't concern itself with DLC quests or additional digital trinkets to buy, but rather focuses on making a complete game that is ready to play at launch, no missing bits or online codes necessary.

Games on the 3DS and Wii U seem to be the opposite of what most other mainstream games offer on other consoles. Color and variety over realism and the me too mentality. A idea of playing with close friends over playing with strangers online. While a few games actually do feature online modes and DLC, they never seem to be the bullet points on the back of the package, but rather supplements that are entirely optional that serve to compliment the game, not hold it back.

I probably sound like a raging Nintendo fanboy here, and in some ways I can see how, but truth be told, I have always had a strong admiration for Nintendo. They have continuously stuck to their guns and followed the beat of their own drum. While they never achieved the level of success their competitors achieved in terms of sales and popularity, their decisions to focus on a singular idea and stick with it has always led them to success in the end. While I admit playing my 360, PS3 and PC more than my Wii, the titles I did play on there were undoubtedly a different and refreshing experience than I have experienced on another console. While not all of the games had been modern classics, quite a few titles have remained in my mind and still serve to exist as some of the best gaming experiences from the previous generation.

When I look at the Wii U and see its slumping sales, I understand that the lack of hardware, its once again under powered architecture and its severe lack of third party support can cause some frustration for gamers who dropped their hard earned dough on it. However, after this E3 presentation I can say that I am pretty optimistic for the future of the console. Were there any big surprises? Not really, but what was shown was a strong line up that made me eager to eventually own this console. A future of solid first party titles (Zelda, Mario Kart and Smash Brothers) and some cool looking third party games.

Will this be enough to survive against the Xbone and PS4? I can't really say, however I can say that the Wii U seems to once again, a different experience with titles that focus less on pushing technology and more on pushing fun and charming experiences.

Once again, Nintendo isn't competing with anyone but themselves. They are the child in the corner playing with his own cool toys while the other children fight for attention in the center of the room.

E3 from Abroad: Conference Wrap Up: Sony

By now, you've probably heard all sorts of hyperbolic statements of Sony winning E3 and Sony laying waste to its competition, primarily Microsoft and their Xbox One. Memes were born, GIFs were created and message boards across the internet exploded with the joyous cries from not only the Sony fans, but from video game fans of all different backgrounds and consoles of choice. Claims of a victory for the fans, triumphing over the ever increasing rules and regulations for playing games on new consoles. Here was Sony, claiming that things would be the way they always were before and games would be free to keep, trade or share as much as you want.

The interesting thing in all of this is that while Sony won the hearts of fans and gamers alike, they didn't really do anything. They won the battle of rights of use by staying the same as they always have. Not to say that their game selection and the actual technology behind the system isn't impressive, but it goes to show that a company that actually listens the need and wants of their customers, especially in the gaming industry will go far. Loyalty goes a long way in the industry and when you have a legacy that has lasted four console generations, you're bound to have some strong and passionate fans.

As for the presentation (in the interest of time)...

Sony's presentation had a remarkably strong selection of games on display. Glimpses at upcoming titles on PS3 such as Beyond: Two Souls and The Last of Us still served to show Sony's support behind the current gen console. However what sadly didn't really surprise me was the lack of any new Vita titles for the handheld or really, any kind of announcement at all. Spokesman Jack Tretton discussed how important the Vita was to the Sony family, quickly announced a new (but not really) title for it, The Walking Dead and that was it. Call me old fashioned, but when a company fails to mention any major announcements for a console tat only launched last year, I take that as a sign. A very bad sign that development for the Vita is going nowhere and as of right now, remains dead in the water.

As for the titles shown for PS4, there was an incredible mix of games we already knew about and quite a few major reveals from major publishers like Square Enix and Santa Monica Studios. Sony showed off an impressive array of third and first party support from major marque titles such as Killzone: Shadow Fall and inFamous: Second Sun along with new titles such as racing game Drive Club and a Victorian/steampunk third person shooter called The Order 1886 made by God of War developers, Santa Monica Studios.

There was a strong third party presence from publishers as well. Ubisoft showed off footage from Watch Dogs and Assassins Creed IV, both of which will have exclusive features only on PS4. Avalanch showed a short CGI reveal for an upcoming Mad Max game and even Bungie had a gameplay demo for their big budget/MMOFPS Destiny.

The most pleasant surprise for me was the announcement of two games from Square Enix that have long been speculated and talked about but never really shown until now. Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III were officially announced with no specific release dates, but short glimpses of gameplay along with them. FFXV originally began as Final Fantasy XIII Versus, set in the same universe as the other XIII titles but at the end of the preview, was revealed to now exist as FFXV. KHIII showed an older looking Sora battling a swarming mass of Heartltess enemies and some short dialog scenes.

FFXV looks fantastic. A seemingly modern setting, possibly Tokyo with contemporary looking outfits and characters battling some strange otherworldly force. It appears to be much more action packed than previous titles, but as someone who has gradually lost interest in the series post FFXII, this could be the new breath of fresh air that the franchise needs. While there was very little shown for KHIII, the fact that it simply exists and not as  another spin off to further complicate the already complicated lore, is a welcome sight to see.

Sony also had a strong indie and F2P selection to show off as well. Titles such as Transistor (from the creator of Bastion) Octodad and many others show that the PS4 will be a welcome home for indie titles that for the most part could only previously be found on PC. Free to play titles such as DC Universe Online. PlanetSide 2, Warframe and Blacklight: Retribution will be available to play for the first time for console gamers. With the larger hard drive included with the PS4 (500 gb) it should hopefully bring a larger selection of PC titles to the unwashed console masses and finally start bridging the gap between console and PC titles.

Finally, the moment of the show and the one that has caused the most discussion among gamers was the announcement of the PS4's DRM policies. In a display that seemed designed from the ground up to counter the Xbox One, Sony announced that their console would require not online all the time or 24 hour check in system. Your games would be just that, yours to do and play them as you choose to with no restrictions on used game sales or who you could trade them with as well as the console itself being region free. It was this announcement that got the largest round of applause from the audience as a whole and as many claim, was the moment that won them E3.

If there is one flaw with the PS4, its the issue of backwards compatibility. I know that quite a few people don't really care about this feature but for me, someone who has a large selection of games, doesn't trade them in and enjoys replaying older titles often, losing the ability to do this is kind of a annoyance. Hopefully the streaming service that they hinted at in February will have a large and diverse selection of titles to play so some of the rarer ones don't slip between the cracks forever, only to be lost to the price gouging collectors and Ebayers.

Combined with a strong selection of titles, the continued support of the PS Plus subscription and the freedom to do what you want with your games, the PS4 looks to be the kind of system I want, taking the strengths of the current generation and then adding to them to make it even better. While some would argue that Microsoft is doing a better job at providing a entirely new way to play and experience games that pushes forward further than the PS4, it can also be argued that this innovation comes at a heavy price.

Does the ability to play and watch TV at once worth the cost of loosing the ability to play used games? Does the ability to share your library with ten of your closest friends even matter if your console is region locked?

PS4 may just be a more powerful version of the PS3 for some, but in my case this is exactly what I want.

No gimmicks, no restrictions, just unlimited access to the games and franchises I love to play with who I want and when I want to.

E3 from Abroad: Conference Wrap Up: EA and Ubisoft

To start this out and get it out of the way, it has to be said.

I don't hate EA.

I constantly hear how they are the most hated company in the industry and how they are the cancer that is slowly stifling the creativity and innovative ideas in the industry. In some ways, this is true. EA is one of the kings of producing franchises that always seems to scream "me too" and appeal to the unwashed masses.

In another way, EA has put out many games that I have enjoyed over the years. While I haven't played a sports game since middle school (and back then they were always the Sega 2K games) and racing games like Need for Speed for the most part leave me feeling indifferent, there have been titles from EA I have enjoyed. Mirror's Edge, The Dead Space series (1 and 2), Shadow of the Damned and yes, Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3 have all had extended playtime from me.

That being said, there's quite a bit I don't like about EA. Again, I don't like the me too, focus group features that make it in to some games. For example, co-op in Dead Space 3 and multiplayer for Dead Space 2 were entirely unnecessary and seemed to exist just for the sake of having a feature that the publisher could bast about. I am also not a fan of their Origin service, an extremely restrictive and uncompromising distribution and game client that is pretty much a requirement for PC gamers wanting to play EA games. Let's not even get into the season pass and activation codes for games otherwise I'll never get to my point.

EA

For their E3 presentation this year, four games caught my eye. Titanfall, which I previously talked about in the Microsoft wrap up still looks like a ton of fun (no pun intended) with nimble and fast paced soldier on mech action. In many ways, this looks like the forward and radical thinking that most would have wanted from the Call of Duty games in order to prevent themselves from becoming stagnant. Coming from the guys who were responsible for the COD series up to Modern Warfare 2, I have really high expectations for this game.

Battlefield 4 looked awesome as well. Large maps, impressive visuals and a 64 player count makes this more like the game that Battlefield 3 should have been and in some ways, that makes me feel conflicted. Looking back, I can't help but feel that BF3 was a beta for EA, a way to test the Frostbite engine and have a placeholder title to compete against COD a few years before the next gen jump. That being said, BF4 still looks fantastic and a lot of fun. Even the single player, which I was initially cold towards looks more interesting as time goes on. Does it appear to be a linear corridor shooter? Yes, but it looks like to be a well made and intense corridor shooter and for me, that's just fine.

The last two announcements were both barely under a minute each but had me excitedly pondering the possibilities. Both a new Mirror's Edge and Star Wars Battlefront were announced. Again, barely any gameplay was shown but the promise of a new, open world Mirror's Edge and a Frostbite powered Star Wars Battlefront has me extremely excited. They are more likely at least a few years off but that won't stop me from getting excited now.

Ubisoft

Out of all the big, bad major publishers, Ubi Soft is one that for the most part is doing it right (expect for their U play and DRM). They produce the games casual audiences and gamers alike both enjoy and regardless of their audience, both audiences receive well made games with a strong emphasis on quality gameplay rather than a check list of things that games like. I can't count the number of Ubi titles I have enjoyed in the last two console generations and judging from their presentation this year, more interesting games are on the way.

First off, Watch Dogs. Nothing but good things have been coming from that game and the more details I hear, I get excited for this game. A large and detailed open world Chicago and the ability to manipulate the world around you rather than just driving fast or shooting your way out of situations (although you can still do that). It looks like a big leap forward for open world games and the fact that both current and next gen gamers get to play is a great thing. Really looking forward to this one.

Rayman Legends continues to look fantastic and just as fun and fast paced as its previous title, Rayman Origins. The bright and cartoon-like visuals give each character and environment an incredibly fluid sense of motion and pacing that most 2d platformers lack. I sincerely wished the New Mario series embraced a similar art style, as it looks so much better than the somewhat generic look of the New Mario Bros series.

Finally, the last game that caught my attention was the announcement of a new Tom Clancy game called The Division. Set in a world where a virus has quickly ravaged the US and martial law is in effect, players can team up into clans and make their way around the city seamlessly jumping from interaction with NPCs and real players. Its an interesting form of gameplay and an interesting setting that doesn't involve the overdone zombie apocalypse scenario we are all used to.

Overall, the conferences from EA and Ubisoft were what I expected. Some interesting glimpses mixed in with expected titles. While not every game interested me, there were quite a few that did. It goes without saying that any conferences with Mirror's Edge, Star Wars Battlefront and Rayman can't be too bad. 

E3 from Abroad: Conference Wrap Up: Microsoft

So much action. So much drama. So much excitement. This year's E3 has been one of the most exciting in recent memory. From big announcements, company wide goof ups and one of the biggest one sided thrashing I have ever seen from a company before, E3 2013 was one for the history books and helped to bring in all the excitement that a next generation  of games should.

Despite Nintendo not holding their own conference this year, Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft and EA held their own regular conferences with new games and some surprising announcements for new consoles. There's a lot on my mind to talk about, and as a gamer still intensely interested in what the industry can produce. So let's go in order, starting with...

Microsoft aka M$

Microsoft and the Xbox One already had the burden of heavy criticism from the gaming community for its strong anti consumer policies and stronger focus on a complete multimedia experience rather than a focus primarily on games. Combined with privacy concerns with their Kinect device and sense of vagueness surrounding many of their more controversial choices, most of which involved the use of registering your games, their promise to focus "just on games" for E3 was a wise choice.

Their conference started out strong with a preview of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the confirmation that it would appear on a next generation console. Shortly afterwards, the one game people have been clamoring for from Rare made a short appearance. Killer Instinct was coming back and was going to be an exclusive on Xbox One. The conference was off to a strong start.

As for the rest of the conference, it was what I expected. There were quite a few games that grabbed my attention, however quite a few I admittedly already knew about. Max and the Curse of Brotherhood looked like a cute and cartoony Limbo-esque platformer. Short glimpses at titles like Quantum Break and D4 looked interesting and showed that Microsoft was trying hard not to make this a shooter and sports heavy console. Later on in the show, the late glimpses at Dead Rising 3 (which is allegedly a Xbox One exclusive), Crimson Dragon and The Witcher 3 also looked great to me. Even shooter games which allegedly the gaming community is burnt out on looked interesting. Take away my "hardcore" gaming card if you have to, but I still enjoy FPS's to an extent. I'm looking forward to playing Battlefield 4 both single and multiplayer and despite some issues I had with the previous game, a short glimpse at Halo 5 was welcome. I still like Halo. I still play the games primarily for the single player experience over multiplayer. If you're still reading by now, I'm sure your head just exploded.

The game that really stood out in my mind though was Titanfall. At first it looked like a typical COD style FPS. However once they showed that you could enter GIANT FREAKING MECHS and battle both soldiers and mechs my interest shot to eleven. As a life long fan of nearly anything mecha, a smooth playing FPS in which humans and mechs battle it out  brings back fond memories of PC game SHOGO and the mecha anime I watched as a kid, while Titanforce may scream COD rip off to many, to me it looked like the game I wanted since I was a little boy playing with his Transformers toys.

So overall, the conference to me wasn't that bad. It didn't exceed expectations. There were some surprises, the appearance of an Insomniac game was unexpected and well, I really didn't expect Killer Instinct to come back, but everything else was standard "Xbox audience" games, and to me that's ok. I never really fell into the camp of playing games only because they show off how "hardcore" you are. I follow the simple rule of playing what I like and enjoy. That's it. It's worked incredibly well for me so far.

So while I didn't have major issues with the Microsoft conference overall, I won't be buying an Xbox One anytime soon. It still comes back to their strong anti consumer policies and being restricted to how you play. For me, honestly, it would most likely not even affect me severely. I live in a location with fast internet and would most likely always have it connected. However, their discrimination on used games, the 24 hour certification policy and tying games to your account seems like more trouble than its worth. When a majority of games are available on other consoles that don't require you to jump through hoops to play, why even bother?

I would miss out on a few exclusives, but I'm not a teenager anymore. I've come to the point where I can live without playing a game for a great deal of time, if at all. Life and other things tend to get in the way of gaming and I'm ok with that. If anything, I can pick up the console a few years later when the price drops or an enticing bundle comes around.

There's a lot of hate on the Xbox One from pretty much everyone in the gaming community. I cannot recall the last time I saw people so viciously against a company. In some ways, this comes across as typical internet reaction where subtlety goes out the window in exchange for loud and obnoxious hate. In another way, I'm kind of happy to see this. It shows that consumers won't take these draconian policies lying down and are more than willing to voice their opinion when it comes to playing games and how much control they have over the product they buy and supposedly own.

However, I can't help but wonder if its too late for Microsoft to go back on some of their policies. To do some sort of damage control and try to regain some favor with the legions of gamers they have shunned.

I also can't help but wonder if their intended audience even cares or is aware that these policies exist. Does that fraternity brother who games with his bros even care that someone can't borrow his game as long as he can play what he likes? Does the middle age dad with an NFL pass who watches UFC on the weekends care that his Kinect will always be on and watching him? It seems like Microsoft is betting heavily that their target audience won't mind and in a way, that's a sad sign that the gamers who were there since the original Xbox (the real Xbox One) aren't the targeted audience.

If this is the case, the term "entertainment machine" is truly appropriate. Entertainment is all encompassing with games only being one part of that. Microsoft has to be aware of the backlash from the community, and the fact that they continue to stick to their guns proves that they are completely behind their ideas and if a majority of so called "hardcore" games buy a PS4 instead, it doesn't matter. Their core audience, the casual consumer will continue to support the brand they know well. Judging from the number of 360's in living rooms now, maybe they're right.

Either way, to me  Xbox One's policies are its biggest hurdles for me. even if their conference was stellar and had something for every kind of gamer under the sun, it would have made little difference. The ones who are aware and the ones who care know how restrictive and awful DRM is still wouldn't be swayed. When your entire console is built around this concept and two of your competitors offer less restrictions ( and arguably better game selections) once again, why bother?

The answer? They won't but Microsoft is banking on the fact that many will.Whether those will be enough to score a victory for them this generation will be the real spectacle to watch. It's all become a battle of gamers vs casuals. A fight that slowly started to form last generation and thanks to Microsoft should reach a fever point in the coming months prior to launch.

E3 from Abroad: Mom, the ultimate gamer

It's that time of year for gamers of all types to gather around and watch what the industry has to present to the ever demanding public. Despite there being several large gaming related events where big announcements are made, E3 still carries a significant amount of weight in terms of publishers and developers going full force with their biggest announcements.

It used to be that E3 held the biggest surprises in terms of new games and announcements, but as the years have progressed it seems like the biggest surprise announcements now come from independent announcements such as Nintendo Direct or other events like GDC and PAX.

E3 now exists to show off more of what we previously knew about, but in greater detail, clearing up the questions we had about each game and giving us a solid idea on things like its release date and intended platform of choice. It's more of a opening day event for new games to show their stuff rather than a sneak preview at a previously unknown act.

E3 still means a lot to me for many reason. It was the first press event I covered back in 2011. It was the first event that at a young age, I dreamed of one day going to. It's also the event that helps to keep in touch with my family miles away from home, specifically, with my mother.

My mother had always been there when it came to gaming. Despite spending a little more time than I should have during my high school years, she realized how much it meant to me and how much enjoyment it brought to me during those times.

I didn't exactly enjoy my high school experience. I didn't hate going to high school, but compared to what my friends were experiencing at the time, my experience wasn't as interesting, eventful or memorable as others. I wasn't the smartest kid, almost failing several of my classes, nor was I the most popular, often getting forgotten by students and teachers alike. I didn't go out on the weekends, sneaking away to do the things kids my age shouldn't do. Rather I would spend my time away from academic life playing games, learning about games and the developers behind them and dreaming that maybe one day, I would finally make it out of my high school and find the freedom and choice to pursue the things I wanted to do.

During this time, I enjoyed the time I spent in, enjoying the privacy and quiet escape from academic and social pressures. My mother always seemed to have an interest in what I was doing, the things I was interested in and the goals that I wanted to achieve. She was the best person I could possibly have during that time when it came to talking about the things I loved. Most people would vent their opinions and thoughts to their friends or message boards, I chose to talk to my mom. She listened, she offered her opinion, she occasionally read the same issues of EGM and Nintendo Power that I read. She would watch me play through games, taking a break from her job and life to watch me make my way through Eternal Darkness or explore City 17 in Half Life 2. The fact that she could even tell what those games were and who made them, already made her knowledgeable than most mothers. I was certain that on more than once occasion she was able to help a naive parent make a video game related purchase that would otherwise go unassisted at Best Buy.

Through my mother, I had found that nerdy friend that we all want to have. Oddly enough, she couldn't actually play many of the games I was talking about despite my continual efforts to find her a game she could enjoy. She couldn't accelerate from the starting line in Need for Speed, move the two analog sticks to aim and shoot in Halo, or figure out how to get out of a car in GTA.

She was able to play three games somewhat. In Mario Kart: Double Dash she would always be neglected to the back, tasked with the job of throwing shells and keeping other drivers off my back. In Soul Calibur she was capable of occasionally winning through button mashing. She also became pretty good with Puyo Pop, beating me more than I would like to admit. She was never looking to get better and actually play the games, she just wanted to learn more about them. She was interested in the industry itself. It's trends and the legacy it created. Just like me, she always wanted to learn more.

Somehow, someway, it had gotten her attention and became a hobby for her to follow. At first I thought this was just an act of kindness to show her interest in her son's life. I have realized that years later, its not only a way to connect with her me, but its own interest as well. She may not admit it, but in many ways, she a true gamer, more so than most people I know who play games on a daily basis.

E3 is still a moment for us to get together and commentate on all of hits and misses from each publisher. I have realized as I have become older that for many people, people connect with their parents in different ways. Most parents I know talk to their kids about politics and sports. They talk about the things that need to be said, the check ins on each other's life and wellness.  I can honestly say that I don't really know anyone else who has an hour long conversation with their mother about the Wii U or anything gaming related, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So while most gamers will be live streaming E3 and discussing afterwards on their forum, message board, soapbox of choice, I'll be logging onto Facetime and chatting with my mom while we watch E3 together. To us, its our Super Bowl, our World Cup. Its our mother son bonding time that still unites us together years, miles and ages later.