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Sep. 10th, 2013 12:26 amSo, I've been realy enjoying MK9 and SSF4...which is not really all that surprising for those who knew me in the 90s. What is surprising, is that I gave up on gaming in the late 90s, and only really started back up after I began working at Nintendo.
For most of the mid 80s to early 90s I played games. Tons of games. I had an Atari 2600, a pong clone, and, eventually, an NES. By the mid 90s, I had added to that list with a SNES, Genesis, Sega Saturn and Playstation. By the end of my run, we'd added a CD-i, 3DO, and a Dreamcast.
I had a bit of an addiction going, most of which was due to my gender issues (I can't BE a woman, I can PLAY a woman!). It had gotten to be a serious problem in 1995, when I flunked out of college to play Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat 2 all day and all night.
As I began my transition and became the woman I wanted to be, games kind of fell off the radar. The last system I purchased was a Dreamcast (I did purchase a PS2, but more for the PS1 backwards compatibility after my PS1 died). I didn't need the games anymore, I was the woman I wanted to be. I played games on and off from 2000-2008. No new systems. Mostly old games.
It wasn't until I got hired at Nintendo that I began to get back into gaming. After I realized that Nintendo wasn't going to let me go after the Christmas rush (I ended my "Three Weeks at Best" assignment four years into it), I purchased a Nintendo DSi and a Wii to familiarize myself with the hardware. And the gamer in me reawoke. But differently, this time. I was now the woman I wanted to be...gaming stopped being a need to portray a woman, but a fun outlet. And now, with my gaming system, Saria, I'm branching out and away from Nintendo Only systems. MK9 and SSF4 are Must Plays on top of the Legend of Zelda quest and Game & Wario.
On top of that, my hormone structure is now VERY different. I have the testosterone count of a boy just going into puberty, versus the testosterone count of a kid in the thick of it all. And testosterone REALLY messes with your head (which you don't know till you're off it). It makes you competitive and anger easily. My male alter ego competed in game tourneys back in the day. He also didn't like losing. At all. And occasionally became so angry he could become violent. Like I said, I had a bit of a problem with games.
Now, though, when I play, there's less of a feeling of "I MUST BEAT THIS GAME TO DOMINATE IT" and more "I MUST BEAT THIS GAME CAUSE THE ENDING IS AWESOME." Less "I MUST PLAY TO PROVE MYSELF" and more "I PAY TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE." I don't play tourneys anymore, and don't feel I need to. When I play VS mode, I don't try to destroy my opponent, but to extend the game out. In other words, I've lost the Killer Instinct (ha!), but gained a new appreciation.
The story mode of MK9 is really what keeps me playing it. It's engaging and wants me to see more. And I lose. I lose a lot. Cause I'm relearning the new fighting mechanic. But I don't throw the controller. I don't throttle the cords and throw consoles out the window (my SNES has some seious battlescars). I lose and I think "Ha, that's funny" and put it away for later. Although I still curse like a sailor playing them....
I gotta say. I love gaming a lot more with a lot less testosterone in my system. Enough to see about getting into the deep end of the pool. Thanks for waking the gamer back up in me, Nintendo. Now let's go play some games.
For most of the mid 80s to early 90s I played games. Tons of games. I had an Atari 2600, a pong clone, and, eventually, an NES. By the mid 90s, I had added to that list with a SNES, Genesis, Sega Saturn and Playstation. By the end of my run, we'd added a CD-i, 3DO, and a Dreamcast.
I had a bit of an addiction going, most of which was due to my gender issues (I can't BE a woman, I can PLAY a woman!). It had gotten to be a serious problem in 1995, when I flunked out of college to play Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat 2 all day and all night.
As I began my transition and became the woman I wanted to be, games kind of fell off the radar. The last system I purchased was a Dreamcast (I did purchase a PS2, but more for the PS1 backwards compatibility after my PS1 died). I didn't need the games anymore, I was the woman I wanted to be. I played games on and off from 2000-2008. No new systems. Mostly old games.
It wasn't until I got hired at Nintendo that I began to get back into gaming. After I realized that Nintendo wasn't going to let me go after the Christmas rush (I ended my "Three Weeks at Best" assignment four years into it), I purchased a Nintendo DSi and a Wii to familiarize myself with the hardware. And the gamer in me reawoke. But differently, this time. I was now the woman I wanted to be...gaming stopped being a need to portray a woman, but a fun outlet. And now, with my gaming system, Saria, I'm branching out and away from Nintendo Only systems. MK9 and SSF4 are Must Plays on top of the Legend of Zelda quest and Game & Wario.
On top of that, my hormone structure is now VERY different. I have the testosterone count of a boy just going into puberty, versus the testosterone count of a kid in the thick of it all. And testosterone REALLY messes with your head (which you don't know till you're off it). It makes you competitive and anger easily. My male alter ego competed in game tourneys back in the day. He also didn't like losing. At all. And occasionally became so angry he could become violent. Like I said, I had a bit of a problem with games.
Now, though, when I play, there's less of a feeling of "I MUST BEAT THIS GAME TO DOMINATE IT" and more "I MUST BEAT THIS GAME CAUSE THE ENDING IS AWESOME." Less "I MUST PLAY TO PROVE MYSELF" and more "I PAY TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE." I don't play tourneys anymore, and don't feel I need to. When I play VS mode, I don't try to destroy my opponent, but to extend the game out. In other words, I've lost the Killer Instinct (ha!), but gained a new appreciation.
The story mode of MK9 is really what keeps me playing it. It's engaging and wants me to see more. And I lose. I lose a lot. Cause I'm relearning the new fighting mechanic. But I don't throw the controller. I don't throttle the cords and throw consoles out the window (my SNES has some seious battlescars). I lose and I think "Ha, that's funny" and put it away for later. Although I still curse like a sailor playing them....
I gotta say. I love gaming a lot more with a lot less testosterone in my system. Enough to see about getting into the deep end of the pool. Thanks for waking the gamer back up in me, Nintendo. Now let's go play some games.
