Introducing...
Sergio Ortiz.
Video gamer, tabletopper, and writer. I started off gaming at a young age, beginning with platformers and racers at the age of two and slowly climbing the ladder up through shooters, adventure games, role-playing games and, ultimately, to strategy. I've played on PCs, Macs, nearly all the Nintendo consoles, Sega Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox, PS3 and 360. As an enthusiast, I've found that games offer far more immersive experiences than other artistic mediums and, as a writer, I find the work that goes into the building of a game and its narrative utterly fascinating.
As far as my game tastes go, I tend to be drawn towards role-playing games and shooters more than other genres, but that is not to say I do not appreciate the others. I can recall many a night spent commanding the armies of Rome or struggling to forever destroy the eternal evil of Dracula instead of studying. Like many gamers, I have always wanted to share my experiences and thoughts on games and, like many have, whiled away hours discussing the minutia of my favorite games with friends. I feel that the fruits of these discussions and thoughts are worthwhile to share and comment upon, hence the creation of the Tensmen.
Beyond expressing my fervent interest and love for games, my aim here is to bring you, the readers and listeners, intelligent discourse on the nature of our hobby. What we want to bring you, and what I hope I can aid in, is the production of editorial and journalistic content about the games and elements of games that matter most. I want to explore the evolution of our favorite genres, the literary analysis of the greatest games, the intricacies behind art design and the blood, sweat and tears it takes to make a game from scratch. In essence, I want to bring you, the gamers, into the world of game design and development, a journey that I hope will be just as new and exciting for you as it was for me.
Introducing... Part Two: The Chamber of Secrets
Sean Yates,
He loves video games. He loves talking about them, thinking about them, and playing them. They have made him laugh, they’ve made him cry, they’ve made him rage so hard he broke his sound card and headset it one fell swoop (which resulted in more crying). He’s also tired of writing in the third person.
If you put a gun to my head and demanded the reason I decided to participate in this website, I would point to English class. Extracting complicated ideas from the texts fascinated me, but too often the medium failed to hold my attention. This means I may have a tendency to wax philosophical, which hopefully will show through in a positive way in my writing.
If there was still time, I would also beg you to put down the gun, or at least point it at Ari.
I do my best to enjoy all games. RPGs, RTSs and FPSs vie for my attention with equal verve. Beyond that I really enjoy hearing about all sorts of gaming experiences. If I could have my wish then the most significant impact of my writing here would be to improve the quality of discourse surrounding video games in whatever way possible. That said, I also enjoy pwning nubz, by which I mean participating in video games at a less intellectual level and will direct you to the best opportunities to join me when I find them.
And In This Corner...
Connor Noda.
Oh, hello there. Welcome to my humble abode on our website. I built this home away from home with my own imaginary blood, sweat and tears. So, would you like to have a look around? I’ve been gaming pretty much all my life and tend to like most types of games, from complex RPGs, MMOs and RTSs, to your run of the mill stabby murdery games.
I grew up playing multiplayer games for the N64, such as Mario Kart, Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies, I almost never played single player classics like Super Mario. I believe that this led me to be the big fan of multiplayer games that I am today. I’d happily drop a single player game (so long as I can save at whatever obnoxiously inconvenient time I’m at) to go play some shooty games with my friends. However, to properly impress me, a game cannot simply have a good storyline and 16 million people playing it, it has to feel natural. I should be able to pick up the game, and within 10 minutes understand the basic layout of the commands and controls. Which is why, as of this writing, Modern Warfare 2, a game that has been largely cast aside by the community, is still my all time favorite game.
While I like nothing more than to sit and play video games for hours on end, I also like discussing and reviewing them. And so I will be doing this for you, although mostly games multiplayer and replayability aspects. I hope you enjoy my writings and our podcasts.
Lord of Games: Return of the King...
Brian Humbarger
It always bothers me when I tell people that I play videogames and am met with a response or facial expression to the tune of “Oh, you’re one of those people…” What the hell is that supposed to mean? Video games have this stigma of being a lesser medium, a way for the young and lazy to waste time. I actually take offense to that. Sure, there are bad video games, and there are video games whose main purpose is to entertain. But these two things can be said about any artistic medium. I think that, given the right catalyst, video games and other interactive media can attain popular, artistic, even academic legitimacy. I firmly believe that this catalyst is intelligent discourse about video games. If gamers discuss the development and ideas in a game as seriously as its developers, others will take notice. I am a gamer, and proud to admit it.
The first thing you should know about me is that I can get a little carried away when talking about games (see above paragraph). Games are my passion. They always have been, and probably always will. I started on the chess board, and have expanded onto card games, German style board games, Go, and a wide variety of athletics. I have spent summers learning game theory to discover what makes players and games tick. In terms of videogames, I can’t get enough of platformers, first-person shooters (either single- or multiplayer), turn-based strategy games, and more classic videogames (defined as quality videogames at least 5 years old). In general, I am a fan of either highly innovative or brilliant rock-solid gameplay.
Lately, I’ve been trying my hand at making games, which surprisingly haven’t been too bad. My first developed game is called Lucid and can be found on www.gamecreation.org (yay for shameless plugs!). It’s pretty tiny and not even close to where I wanted it to be, but I got a feel for the other side of game development. I can appreciate the work put into even the not-so-great games, and stand in awe of the work, creativity, and direction found in the best.
Anyway, I hope to bring some thoughtful musings in the future. One day I hope to see games like Bioshock or Half Life be assigned and interpreted in English classes across the nation. Until that happy day, I will be busy writing articles, playing games, making games, and finding time to eat, sleep, and go about daily life in between.
Episode V: The Editor Strikes Back
Good evening, my good sirs. And ladies. And people of lowly social stations.
I am Ari Hamilton, the editor of this endeavor, Sheet 10. However, just because my role is to ensure the linguistic and grammatical integrity of our articles and posts doesn’t mean that I won’t be taking an active role in the content as well. I’m an avid strategy gamer, both real-time and turn-based, but over the years my tastes have expanded. Shooters, RPGs and flight sims among others are all welcome in my games library. As does the occasional surprise, such as World of Zoo.
There are two key reasons why I’ve kept up gaming over the years. First, as an interactive experience: the stories that deserve to be placed alongside Pulitzer Prize winners and the characters who are almost as powerful and beautiful as Anderson Silva. Almost. Second, as a social experience: a weekend spent at a LAN party or a week rampaging through a co-op campaign are both productive uses of my time.
I try to appreciate every aspect of a game. Gameplay and plot are just two parts of a greater entity which includes artistic direction, level design, AI developments and the soundtrack. In fact, some of my favorite albums are game soundtracks. As I mentioned earlier, strategy games have a special place in my heart, and I look forward to a coming year of incredible releases.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Or at least what the cynical, grammar-inclined among you are thinking. “Gee, this Ari person sure uses a lot of sentence fragments for an editor.” Well, now I’ll tell you what I’m thinking in response to that: Gee, I’m sure glad I got all that creative liberty out of my system, because I’m looking forward to a good long while of editing articles along proper, English guidelines. And possibly even discovering some even more epic gaming experiences along the way.
A Tale of Two Games
Duncan S. Spore
A humble gamer from Manhattan Beach, I have always been partial to PC games. I grew out of Turn Based Strategy, starting with Civilization 2, turned to RTS and then shooters, with the Battlefield series, when I grew older. Now I am an all around gamer, from strategy games to shooters and beyond. To me being a gamer means spending your nights staying up late with your friends and playing round after round of Company of Heroes, Dawn of War II and other wonderful titles.
Though I am not the most professional gamer, I have spent a lot of time with games and figuring out how they work. The best games, to me, are the ones that not only make you think, but entertain you enough that you don't want to put the controller down. So much so, that you need to beat this last boss before you can go to bed.The time that people put into these games is a great determinate of their worth.
A good game is also determined by what new things they can bring to the table with the interface and technology available to developers. Not only is a new idea in the publisher's bag of tricks something that will entertain the masses, it builds on almost half a centuries worth of gaming and makes new games interesting.
I would say that all around I am not that biased. A good game is a good game.
Sheet 10 is a great way to explain to the masses about current news, what games are coming up, and how games fair in our minds, a group of intelligent, life long gamers.
All We Know is, He's Called...
Maximilian.
Part reviewer, part editor and complete shut-in. I’ve been playing video games since I could hold a controller and use a keyboard and mouse. I grew up on the N64, the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn, but I live on the PC. I’m primarily an RPG and FPS player, but I’ll play anything if it looks interesting. I am a huge Paradox Interactive fan, I love the Total War franchise and I have a soft spot for GSC Game World.
I am an avid tabletop war gaming fan and dedicated RPG player. I love finding and playing new games and systems, and I intend to share some of my experiences in my articles.
I’m not a professional gamer or reviewer. I’m just someone who has far too much free time and far too little interest in going outside. I hope my articles and reviews, at the very least, will get you to look into games that you would not have otherwise been interested in.
Jamie Hogan.
Like everyone else on the Sheet 10 staff, I have been playing video games for my entire life, and I intend on continuing for the rest of it. From the earliest days of playing games like “Lemmings” on the computer, I have been obsessed.
To me, games are more than a form of entertainment; they are a part of me. They mean more to me than any other art form. (Yes, I said art form) A book has never given you an adrenaline rush, and you have never yelled at a painting. You have never watched a movie for fourteen hours straight; yet, these are all things I do regularly with video games.
Every time I was on the bus with my lacrosse team, while everyone else had their iPods playing death metal or heavy rap, I was blasting the Halo soundtrack, and any apprehension I was feeling about the game to come instantly melted into cold, calculated confidence.
Unlike most of the other members of the staff, I play most of my games on a console, so it will be my job to bring you the news and reviews of every Xbox 360 and PS3 game I can get my hands on. Maybe a Wii title or two as well if there is no way to avoid it.
I play almost any type of game: FPS, RTS, RPG, racing, fighting, you name it. However, shooters are where my true passion lies. I know I seem like the cliché Xbox Live player who will go into a seizure if nothing explodes for ten whole seconds, but I like to think that I’m a bit more sophisticated than that. My favorite games of all time are hands down the Halo series, not just for the multiplayer (though I have spent countless hours playing it) but the whole story and feel of the game. The music, the characters, the plot; to me it comes together in a way no other game has. Not to say I am completely immune to the rage that comes with Xbox live; I still spend most of my time yelling at my TV when I play online.
To me, a good game does not have to be the one with the most hype, or the best graphics; it is the one I enjoy the most playing. Whether it is something I picked up from the bargain bin at Gamestop, found at a swap meet, played in-browser online or looked forward to for two years, a good game is a good game, and I will try my best to make sure you, my loyal readers, only get the best.
Through the Interwebs Comes….
Alex Williamson.
Hello, fellow gamers. My name is Alex Williamson and I have been actively pursuing my passion for video games since I was just a little kid. My humble career started with games like Empire Earth and Codename Panzers, and has stretched across Call of Duty and Company of Heroes, to League of Legends and many other great games.
To me, video games represent an amazing opportunity to connect with friends around the country and share a common experience that forms a lasting bond. When the time came to go off to college, I really wasn't all that concerned about separating from my friends because I always knew that they were just a click away thanks to IMs and Skype. Though we might be busy pursuing college degrees, we always have time to pull all-nighters playing video games.
Hello, fellow gamers. My name is Alex Williamson and I have been actively pursuing my passion for video games since I was just a little kid. My humble career started with games like Empire Earth and Codename Panzers, and has stretched across Call of Duty and Company of Heroes, to League of Legends and many other great games.
To me, video games represent an amazing opportunity to connect with friends around the country and share a common experience that forms a lasting bond. When the time came to go off to college, I really wasn't all that concerned about separating from my friends because I always knew that they were just a click away thanks to IMs and Skype. Though we might be busy pursuing college degrees, we always have time to pull all-nighters playing video games.
This blog is itself a testament to the fact that video games do not foster a hermit-like lifestyle involving living in your parent's basement, but rather a social network in which you can stay in contact with old friends and make new ones across the world. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you, the readers, on the latest games to hit the shelves, as well as on how video games impact our lives.
Play on, fellow gamers.
