video game culture

The Value of Classic Atari Games in Modern Times

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I have a soft spot in my heart for Atari games. My earliest gaming memories are of me as a toddler, playing Defender on a hand-me-down Atari 2600. Though it wouldn’t be long before Nintendo took a firm grip of my soul, my nostalgia for that console and its games never let go.

A few days ago, I bought the Atari Flashback Classics collection on the Nintendo Switch. Containing 150 titles released in the arcade, Atari 2600, and Atari 5200, I got it for on sale for a measly $25 CAD (roughly $20 USD). Granted, it’s far from a definitive collection when it comes to selection, but to get ports of so many foundational games of the medium’s history for dirt cheap feels…unsettling.

This reality though isn’t that surprising. While old Nintendo consoles and games are highly sought after and sell for high prices, Atari’s products haven’t retained their value in the same way. If anything, it’s only getting worse as time goes on.

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Why You Should Start Streaming Today

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Lacking the proper equipment? Scared that no one will watch? Just not in the mood today? It’s incredibly easy to psych yourself out of streaming long before you even give the medium a try.

Streaming isn’t for everyone. But how will you know if you don’t give it a shot? You might be missing out on a new and fulfilling hobby if you let your anxieties keep you on the sidelines. Let’s see what we can do to push those to the side and finally make progress on establishing your channel!

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Letting The Last of Us 2 Hype Train Pass By

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The hottest game in the world right now is The Last of Us 2. Continuing the story of Ellie from the original, the sequel has received as much critical acclaim as the original. For the time being, I’m going to sit this one out.

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Content Efficiency: Get the Most Out of Your Content By Turning One Piece Into Many

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When In Third Person expanded into the world of video many moons ago, I did so with an eye on efficiency. The first video I ever uploaded to the In Third Person YouTube channel effectively turned into two pieces of content when I wrote a post about it on WordPress. Doing so gave me the opportunity to add supplemental video content to my written work while also establishing a presence on a new platform for others to discover me. If you want to count auto posts from my blog to Twitter, then that one video turns into three.

As I’ve expanded my presence in other mediums and platforms, the concept of efficiency has become even more important. While the workload is already too much for me to handle, I’m still able to crank out a lot by being as economical as I can with the pieces I make.

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Notes and Observations from the PlayStation 5 Reveal

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Who else was surprised that Sony named their new console the PlayStation 5?

Kidding! Though we didn’t need Nostradamus to predict that, Sony did reveal a lot of new info regarding their latest console during their recent event. This assortment of notes is by no means comprehensive or in chronological order, but I thought were worth sharing anyway.

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Early Observations and Lessons Learned from Giving Control of My Twitch Stream to Viewers Through Channel Points

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“Ew… No.”

There I stood, alone in my soul, but in front of everyone at the Stardew Valley spring dance. After weeks of courting, the love of my life Haley viciously rejects my proposal to be her dance partner. In my silence, I could hear that a viewer had triggered the air horn. Usually meant as a noise of celebration, its presence only amplified the awkwardness.

Distraught in real life, I fall off my chair and into the fetal position. Unbeknownst to me, someone in the chat cashed in their Channel Points to activate the new Snorlax Cam. Normally, this is used to take a peek at my giant Snorlax bean bag chair when he’s not clearly in view. This time, it was being used to zoom in on me at my most vulnerable.

This was…not part of the plan. And that might be for the better?

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I Had to Grow Up Before I Could Play Dungeons & Dragons

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Fog is setting in. Knifey McStab, Charlotte, and Marla have their hands full against a horde of zombies. Having retreated in a previous turn, I wan’t close enough to help my allies by stabbing a zombie with my rapier. Digging deep into my repertoire, I grabbed some tinder off the dry ground and use magic to create four makeshift torches. Before ending my turn, I launch them towards the heat of battle, allowing my party to finish the fight with a clear view of our opposition. As icing on the cake, I kick on the Auto-Tune to sing the song that a bard would when lighting the battlefield for their comrades.

This past weekend, I had an amazing time playing and streaming Dungeons & Dragons for the first time. Thank you Jason, Kris, Rachel, Mat, and Jon for sharing this experience with me. Though it’s literally taken us years to set this session up, my journey to get here goes way further back.

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The Devaluing of Puzzle Games

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Once upon a time, Tetris on the NES was sold as a full-priced game. Even back then, its feature set was lacking, as it didn’t have local multiplayer. All you could do was chase for a high score. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the world from buying it in the millions.

Imagine asking players to spend full price on a Tetris game now? No way! Even with the VR support and numerous gameplay modes that it offers, Tetris Effect didn’t launch as a full-priced game. That still didn’t stop many from being critical of its value proposition, specifically its distinct lack of multiplayer. Tetris 99 isn’t full-priced if you buy the standalone edition, nor is Puyo Puyo Tetris, which is essentially two full puzzle games in one. Even I complained about Treasure Stack, a game that I bought on sale for $5 CAD, because its value proposition felt thin.

Taking a step back, it’s been interesting to see how one of my favourite genres has been devalued over time.

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Snorlax, Street Fighter, Space, and Seclusion in This Set of Spray Paint Art!

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Spray painting season continued with my first live stream. Despite the lo-fi streaming setup, the broadcast seemed to work well enough and I loved being able to share this creative process with you.

For those who didn’t watch the stream, here’s what I ended up painting!

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Spray Paint Art of Snorlax, Street Fighter, and More!

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My first ever spray paint art live stream! On this day, we painted a scene from Street Fighter, my favourite Pokemon Snorlax, a pink planet, and a waterfall! Watch me go through the process of messing up and trying to figure out the best way to fix my mistakes as I go!

Click through for the full stream, highlights, and shoutouts!

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