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Thursday, Aug 13, 2009

Have you ever noticed that the toys you played with as a child or the films you enjoyed watching may have some kind of association to what kinds of films, television shows and even video games you enjoy now? This weekend I noticed after watching the G.I.Joe film that there was a connection to what I enjoy today. G.I. Joe played a significant role in my childhood. I was in love with SnakeEyes back then (hate to admit that) but I thought he was mysterious and a misunderstood hero. I couldn't help but sigh each time I saw him on the screen this last weeekend. Completely enjoyed his childhood memories they have in the film. Just really connected with that portion of the film because of him.

I figured out that G.I. Joe was a root that caused me to get big into the Command & Conquer series in the late 90s. I loved that original game with so much passion, I knew most multiplayer mode strategies like the helicopter rush, nod bike rush and the terms used such as No HT. There was a huge community on the Mplayer multiplayer service; naturally I learned a lot of what I knew from those who played the game competitively. There's more of a rich history about the discrimination I faced as a female gamer at that time, but I will save that story for another day.

This weekend I created a silly video where I interview myself. I dressed up as a blonde host and interviewed my real self. Figured that if there is anything you all should consider is this... when you love something so much, consider the reasons behind that passion. There might be more to it than you may think. Being passionate about certain game genres comes from somewhere, and it is highly likely something to do with your past.

Posted by JodyR, 12:03pm
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Ok, that video was.... BRILLIANT! Great job! Also interesting about looking at the past to try and understand what you like today....
Posted Aug 13, 2009 12:43 pm PT
We know you better now...
And knowing is half the battle
Posted Aug 13, 2009 12:45 pm PT
Now that I think of it the games I play were somewhat influenced by my childhood, mostly from Marvel Comics. Games like the Spiderman series, MvC, and X-Men Legends came from my love of those characters from when I was a child. And the my choice of the Wii were mostly influenced by my memories of the N64. Great blog!
Posted Aug 13, 2009 12:50 pm PT
I saw it. Good video, Jody.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 12:59 pm PT
Pete's Dragon...

Man I liked that movie. I still listen to that song "I'll be your candle on the water..."
Posted Aug 13, 2009 1:01 pm PT
Makes sense. When I was a kid in the 70's my friends and I were always pretending to be fighting Nazis and of course I'm still doing a lot of that in videogames. Also enjoyed classic horror movies as a kid and now that's one of my favorite videogame genres.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 1:13 pm PT
Since I was three I pretty much didn't play with any toys, just video games. I used to play army with one of my friends but I don't know if that is what made me like or dislike anything.

That was a great video. I used to love Pete's Dragon when I was younger, I would watch it all the time. Forgot about it until now.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 2:14 pm PT
Posted Aug 13, 2009 2:23 pm PT
that was a pretty nifty video, Jody!
Posted Aug 13, 2009 2:45 pm PT
Yeah , I've been pretty much playing video-games ever since I could walk (b4 I turned 3 years old as the tale goes) .. but perhaps me watching Titanic rly eaaaarly on made me have a thing for epic stories with sad endings .. along with some Charles Dickens's Novels .. so I guess it's no surprise my all-time favorite game is Final Fantasy X ..
Posted Aug 13, 2009 2:46 pm PT
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Posted Aug 13, 2009 2:57 pm PT
That definately an interest thought, reasons behind a passion come from your past...you've given something to think about...

Also, I didn't catch the blonde hosts name. If she doesn't have one may I suggest Davina?
Posted Aug 13, 2009 2:58 pm PT
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Posted Aug 13, 2009 3:12 pm PT
nice vid and your not loony yet... just kiding
Posted Aug 13, 2009 3:55 pm PT
Absolutely. I remember watching "dragon Warrior" anime when it was aired on early saturday mornings... it drasticly shaped my desires to play RPGs. To enjoy that fantasy world.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 3:57 pm PT
Great video, and you do have a point about a person's past influencing what they enjoy in the present and the future.

Speaking of G.I. Joe you haven't lived until you've seen those fan dubbed PSAs.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 4:21 pm PT
I can see how some of the things I played with affected my choice in games. At least in the beginning of my gaming career.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 4:27 pm PT
Talonfire: I heard Kevin and Shaun laughing at a few the other day.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 4:28 pm PT
[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]
Posted Aug 13, 2009 4:34 pm PT
I can definitely see ties between what I enjoyed in the past and today, I actually haven't changed much which makes me happy.

Great video, who's the blonde again? Are you two related?
Posted Aug 13, 2009 5:19 pm PT
[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]
Posted Aug 13, 2009 5:47 pm PT
Yea most stuff I liked when I first started playing video games have stuck with me to this day. I loved the James Bond Goldeneye game for N64, and now am a huge fan of the movies and most of the games.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 6:01 pm PT
There's only one reason why I loved the Transformers movie so much. I u sed to play with them all the time as a kid!
Posted Aug 13, 2009 6:42 pm PT
Great video, and good points about the nostalgia we have for things from our childhood.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 7:17 pm PT
Why am I so passionate about games? Hmm. Probably because in video games I'm popular. Out here, in the real world, I tend to be a shy bugger.
Posted Aug 13, 2009 8:02 pm PT
Fun video! Dress up is fun. And of course I liked your thoughts about your gaming roots! I had some fun experiences with gaming as a child that really rooted my enjoyment of it. My mom and I used to play Goof Troop on the SNES in co-op. It was so much fun and we really bonded over it, and that's the first game I really remember playing. I don't remember the game at all, but I do strongly remember the time I spent with my mom!
Posted Aug 13, 2009 10:43 pm PT
JPL read my mind !
Posted Aug 14, 2009 8:07 am PT
Great video Jody.
Posted Aug 14, 2009 9:11 am PT
That's a pretty cool thought, and a great insight into what makes you who you are. Liked the vid
Posted Aug 14, 2009 9:23 am PT
Yeah, I'm noticing that we have a Pete's Dragon chain going on... I have it on VHS, man.

My childhood was spent, depending on the age I was at, with the earliest being Barney when I was way small was my fave, the next being Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I was about five, then Hercules when I was around eight, Pokemon around nine, Robotech the Macross Saga when I was around that time, I think Cartoon Network had really just started up, then Cowboy Bebop when I was twelve, and The Lord of the Rings from the age of 12-14.
Posted Aug 14, 2009 11:35 am PT
JustPlainLucas: The latest Transformers film was pretty cool. I thought it wouldn't be as good as the first. SkylinePigeon: Sounds like your mom was a gamer! No wonder why you're here.
Posted Aug 14, 2009 1:38 pm PT
Wow, that video really surprised me. I was not expecting Jody to be that attractive. I mean, she's attractive by normal standards, not just a girl that plays video games standards. Nice work!
Posted Aug 14, 2009 5:30 pm PT
I came here, to the US, from Pakistan when I was 5 years old. My family (Mom, brother, and sister) came here because my dad was living here in Houston, TX. When we met him, he had a Sega Genesis and we used to play Sonic all the time (we never beat it though). I love Sonic because of those great moments in my past.
Posted Aug 14, 2009 7:48 pm PT
For me it is music that influences the games I play. I love musical scores that are long winded and full of 'adventure' hence my favourite types of games are the ones where there's rich of activities and plenty of aimless wandering.

And naturally the in-game scores are very important to me.
Posted Aug 15, 2009 3:50 am PT
I love Snake Eyes. He was the highlight of the GI Joe cartoons in the eighties. Remember when he breakdanced?
Posted Aug 15, 2009 4:24 am PT
Great blog & video. Funny facial expressions from the "blonde you" but all so serious part of the interview from you.
Posted Aug 15, 2009 5:38 am PT
brilliant
Posted Aug 15, 2009 9:57 am PT
@fkbwii: I recall getting into Sega Genesis when I was younger too. Seems that it was a nice change away from the Mario Bros series and it definitely had a more outrageous/exciting vibe to the game. I find it odd that I am not into Sonic these days though. Maybe I just need to give it a try! I did that w/latest Zelda games. Didnt play new ones for years and recently got the latest Zelda one on DS a few weeks ago; absolutely love it!
Posted Aug 15, 2009 2:46 pm PT
@Travo_basic: Gosh, when you said he breakdanced there was a hit of a visual clip in my memory. Can't strain to remember exactly the memory of him doing it though. Know of any video clips with him breakdancing?
Posted Aug 15, 2009 2:48 pm PT
It was a five part story, where he was on the run with Shipwreck. How do I remember all of this? I'll try to find the video.
EDIT: I found it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHcMThH4Dcs
Enjoy.
Posted Aug 15, 2009 2:50 pm PT
I agree with our roots determining what kind of games we like.
I was quite the bookworm in my younger days, loved fantasy, adventure and history(!) books.
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series remains one of my favorite book series of all times. Is it then any wonder I loved Master of Orion when it first came out? History got me playing Civilization and Age of Empires. Mel Gibson in Mad Max made me buy Fallout, the original one. I still pick up Fallout 2 to play it nearly a decade later.
Interests in one area of life does transfer into which games one like.
Posted Aug 16, 2009 12:37 pm PT
Good video, is the blonde one your twin?
Posted Aug 17, 2009 1:59 pm PT
@Travo_basic: Lol. Great stuff
Posted Aug 17, 2009 3:13 pm PT
Wow, it's surprising how much hair color can change looks. You looked great as both the blond and your real self. Anyway, that was a great vid.

Snake Eyes was always my fav G.I. Joe. He's what got me interested in being a Ninja. Scarlett was my second fav. She was a lady who kicked Cobra butt. What's not to like? I also liked the old G. I. Joe Marvel Comics. Now, I'm collecting the graphic novels of the comics. I just hope they do a good job on the G. I. Joe games.

I've always been passionate about my art. Then, when I started to play video games and noticed that there were artists in the credits, I realized there were actually people who got paid to make art for video games. Now, I want to be an artist for video games. I'm, hopefully, going to get a degree in game art.
Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:18 am PT
When I was a kid I was into G. I. Joe, Power Rangers (nothing is as good as the original), and I read lots of books, mostly Sci-fi and Fantasy. Some of my fondest memories are of my mom reading to me The Lord of the Rings. I taught my self to read, so I could read it to myself. So, It's not very surprising that one of my fav video game genres is RPGs. I also like FPSs (especially ones like Halo, Half-Life, and Red Faction).
Posted Aug 18, 2009 6:27 am PT
@starduke: My dad loved the lotr books. He used to read me some parts but when I watched the cartoon I started getting more fear of the evil hobbet.. at the time I thought was just a demon or monster. lol
Posted Aug 19, 2009 3:06 pm PT
@JodyR
The cartoon LOTR? Do you mean the one with this song...

Frodo, of the nine fingers...
and the ring of doom...
Why does he have nine fingers...
and where is the ring of doom?

And this song...

Doom,
the cracks of Doom,
the chambers of fire,
the fires of Doom.

And...

Where there's a whip...
there's a way...

I liked the LOTR animated movie, and the songs were the best part. Frodo did look pretty demented, as did all the hobbits. It was bad animation, really.
I wish they had had more songs in the Peter Jackson LOTR. Tolkien had a lot of good songs in the book that they could've at least put in the extended version.
Posted Aug 20, 2009 5:40 am PT
That video is good! Really good!
Posted Aug 20, 2009 4:31 pm PT
awesome
Posted Aug 23, 2009 4:26 pm PT
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