video game culture

I Spent Real Money in Pokemon Go

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I generally avoid free-to-play games. Call me old school, but I much prefer the idea of paying for “all” of a game upfront, versus playing a game that nickel and dimes me over the long haul. In particular, I hate when free-to-play games that are so focused on milking money from you that its commerce system detracts from the game itself.

Pokemon Go, while being a free-to-play game with in-app purchases, has been much more palatable. I’ve put in dozens of hours into the game and had a blast without putting in a cent. If I wanted to, I could adjust my play style a bit and continue to play the free way. However, I recently pulled out the credit card and bought a few gold coins.

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Trying to Obtain the Perfect Pokemon in Pokemon Go

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When I first started playing Pokemon Go, my primary goal was to get a Raichu. Raichu is my favourite, and I figured I would be happy as soon as I got one. Then I started playing the game and quickly realized that CP is an important stat. Fine. I’ll aim to get a Raichu with a good CP, whatever that is.

But as I started to learn more about the inner workings of pokemon, settling with any old Raichu wasn’t good enough. In this post, we look at the other factors that determine the quality of a pokemon and why getting the “perfect” version of one is so hard.

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Pokemon Go and the Use of Tracking Apps Like Pokevision

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During my first few days of playing Pokemon Go, and impressive bird-like shadow appeared in my Nearby section. Wanting to strike before it disappeared, I rushed out of my home, trying my best to catch it. Unfortunately, I never actually encountered it. Using the old Nearby system, I wandered in circles with no meaningful way of tracking my progress. As it turned out, the game was actually glitched during that time where the steps weren’t decreasing in count as you got closer. I’ve done many embarrassing things in my day, but aimlessly walking around a kids playground as parents curiously watched me was up there.

After this incident, I started using Pokevision. Unlike the Nearby system or the crowdsourced solutions that were popular early on, Pokevision taps directly into the game’s API to show the exact locations of nearby pokemon, as well as how long they’ll be there. Whether you view it as cheating or as a valuable tool for catching them all, it’s certainly a game-changer.

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Playing Pokemon Go at Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in Toronto

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Pokemon Go Jack Layton Ferry TerminalJack Layton Ferry Terminal in Toronto shuttles 25,000 people per day to-and-from Toronto Island. Over the past few weeks, it’s also been the hottest place for Pokemon Go players to congregate and catch them all. What makes it so appealing is that there are four overlapping PokeStops that are constantly equipped with lures. Furthermore, its geographic location by the water makes it a prime spot for land and water-based pokemon.

The ferry terminal has been so hot that it’s appeared on the local news. Unfortunately, the news isn’t all good. Due to the increased traffic and players getting in the way of people that actually need to use the ferry, the city has asked for the PokeStops to be moved or removed entirely. Before Niantic shuts this down, Steff and I made the pilgrimage to Toronto’s pokemon Valhalla.

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So I Bought a Gaming Monitor

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Toshiba TVAfter my PlayStation TV died within months of buying it, I replaced it with a standard Toshiba set. It was basically the smaller version of the TV we use in our living room. For the most part, the TV worked as expected, save for one very specific quirk: its input lag relative to the input lag on monitors used in fighting game tournaments.

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The Cineplex World Gaming Street Fighter V Finals

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Street Fighter V KingstonBeing the king of Kingston is great, but on May 29th, 2016, I had the chance to become the Canadian Street Fighter V champion. It was a whirlwind weekend that that actually left me sick by the end of it, but it was so worth it.

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Watch Me Compete at The Cineplex WorldGaming Street Fighter V Canadian Championships

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Street Fighter V KingstonToday’s the big day! Months of practice and two tournaments later, I’ll now be competing against some of the best Street Fighter V players in the country. With bragging rights and a $10,000 grand prize on the line, I’m going to do everything I can to claim that title!

If you’re unable to make it out to Scotiabank Theatre to watch the event live, you can stream it at twitch.tv/worldgaming. The event starts at 2PM EST, so you’ve got a bit of time to plan your day around watching some of Canada’s finest throw down. Hope you can cheer me on from wherever you are!


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My First Day of Being a Street Fighter V Sensei

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A few days ago, I went to my friend’s house to teach him how to play Street Fighter V. I had no expectations of him turning into Daigo overnight, but I really wanted to use this opportunity to open his mind to how the game is played at a high level and how he too could someday reach that plateau. While it didn’t exactly go according to plan, I think the mission was accomplished.

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The Training Plan for the WorldGaming Street Fighter V Canadian Championships

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Street Fighter V KingstonWinning the WorldGaming regional qualifiers in Kingston will forever be a highlight in my gaming career. However, in just a few weeks, I have the opportunity to build on that success when I compete at the Canadian championships on May 29th. It’s still trippy to me to think that I’m competing in the national championships of anything. Putting that into perspective, it’s an honour to be in this position and a testament to all I’ve done to get to this point. Having said that, I can’t get complacent now. With a shot at becoming a Canadian champion along with a ridiculous prize pool up for the taking, I need to be more focused than ever.

What does my road map to the finals look like? I’ll share as much as I can, without showing too much of my hand for any rivals that might be snooping around.

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Attempting to Be a Street Fighter V Sensei

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I have a friend who is a huge fan of competitive Street Fighter. He watches all of the streams, knows the names of the pro players and has a general understanding of how the game works. His love for the scene has permeated beyond viewing other people play it, as he bought his first fightstick to get in on the action.

However, his actual abilities in the game to-date are limited. Aside from playing casual Street Fighter II as a kid and Street Fighter IV more recently, his overall skill-level is essentially ground zero.

So far, his journey into the FGC has been a brutal one. After suffering a number of defeats playing Street Fighter V online, his interest in playing the game has dropped dramatically. In an attempt to keep his interest alive, I’ve invited him to my house for a one-day training session in the dojo.

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