A Ready Player One 80's Mix from Melponeme_k on 8tracks Radio.

I can't believe I didn't cross post this when I created this playlist last year on 8tracks.

Despite the tech industry totally misunderstanding the point of Ready Player One and wanting to turn us all into VR vegetables, I liked this book.  It contains a lot of touchstones from my childhood that I remember from the late 70s - early to mid 80s.  It was a great time back then and video games were considered very advanced.

I believe I received my Atari 2600 sometime in early 1982, not really sure but I did have Pac-man.  Since history websites state that Pac-Man was released for the 2600 in March 82, it had to have been around that time.  Maybe I got it for Easter that year.  Even though the price for the console had come down, it was still considered pricey at about $150 which would equal about $380 dollars now.  Not only that the price of the cartridges were about $30 ($75 today)  to $50 ($125 today) dollars a piece.

Truthfully I remember liking the games a lot.  But it never really turned into an obsession.  After the Atari craze, the game system was taken off the main TV set and attached to a rinky dinky black and white TV set in our basement rec room.  Then fell into oblivion.  My family never purchased the next latest and greatest video machine.  The next video set I owned was Playstation in the early 2000s  and subsequently Playstation 2.  I got into WOW over the consoles and never felt the need to get an extra machine.  Truthfully first person shooters never interested me.  They make me nervous.

But that time in Spring to end of 1982 was fun for a kid.  I remember hanging out with friends and fighting over who would play the next round.  I had Pac-Man, Pong, Missile Command, Asteroids, Centipede, Casino, Atlantis, Barnstorming, Demon Attack, Frogger, Night Drive, Adventure, ET (What an awful game), Raiders of the Lost Ark and of course Pitfall.  I think I had a few more titles but the ones listed are the ones I remember the most.  It is Pitfall that was the most popular.  Because we played so often, the game noises and 8 bit soundtrack became psychologically disturbing. So we would mute the sound and listen to the radio.  For the rest of my life I will always associate Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf with Pitfall.   

That song is in my playlist along with other songs from late 70s to mid 80s that remind me of the early era of video games.  Most of the music listed in the book didn't resonate with me.  But on this playlist, it takes me way back, way, way back.

Remember when Pepperidge Farm Remembered?

When WOW was still white hot and The Guild was all the rage in MMORPG circles?



Remember the Team Zaboo vs. Team Fawkes shipping wars?  Well I do.  I seem to be drawn to shipping wars.

Truthfully I haven't been playing many games lately.  I've been pulled into the MOOCs 8th circle of hell in which I spend my time watching video lectures, debate Greek myths in class forums and write 2 to 3 paragraph essays.  All of this voluntarily, mind you.  It doesn't leave a lot of time for MMORPG busy work.

I do have time card time for WOW and I still log in from time to time.  I've been meaning to finish the new legendary quest line for LOTRO.  But...life just doesn't give enough time.  Sigh.

But I remember when...when I spent too much time in games.  It was fun and it was frustrating, I'm not sure if I would do it all again.  But it was strange and amazing time when these games were almost mainstream.

Second Life Music Videos

It has been a long time since my last post.

What have I been doing?  Well I've gotten back into Warcraft a bit.  My thoughts on that later.  I'm still in and out of LOTRO, Rift and Elder Scrolls Online.  I've even dabbled in the Candy Crush mobile world (horrible time suck and phone power suck).  But I have to admit, I no longer have the fire, the resolve or the desire to play these games long term anymore.  They require too much from me, more than I can give now.  It just reminds me that I'm a heck of a lot older than I was when I first got into WOW and I no longer have the extra time I did when I was younger.

But I'm still regularly in Second Life.  Quite simply because the game only gives what you put into it and no more is required.  There is no grind, no leveling or other elements that turn it into a kind of half-ass job.  To me, it serves as a micro-vacation in that I can go "places" to sight see and relax.

Even though I have been in SL for so many years, it still strikes me as being extremely futuristic.  It transports players into worlds that are one of kind, made by other average Joe/Jane players.  It is sometimes unprofessional and messy but it still has fire.  Something that is missing from regular MMORPGS nowadays (although I'm holding out hope for Camelot Unchained).

NWN has linked to an SL music video recently.  It looks amazing and yes, SL can look amazing.  The old 2007 screen captures used in the media are just poor news reporting.

This is the SL, that regular SL players know and live:



Another vid with typical female SL avatar looks popular right now.

Shadow of the Argonath - Chance Thomas

Although I really liked the "Rise of Isengard" expansion last fall, one of the main disappointments I had with it was that it did not have a new music score.  I believe one of the main reasons why I fell in love with LOTRO so much was the beautiful score composed by Chance Thomas.  His music captured the spirit of Middle Earth wonderfully.

Since ROI, I noticed that I was not the only one who wanted a new score.  The forums had a few posts regarding the absence of new music.  It seems Turbine took this into account and commissioned Chance Thomas to write new music for Riders of Rohan.

ROR will be released on Sept 5 and Turbine is in the midst of drumming up excitement by releasing snippets of Thomas' new score.  It sounds as gorgeous as the original score for the game.  I can't wait to hear more of it.  Turbine has also dropped hints that they may rerelease the old soundtracks along with the new one for sale.

Run Devil Run - Girls Generation

In Second Life, I mostly hang around the Japanese and Korean sims and stores.  They have a very twee sensibility that appeals to me.

While making my rounds for the Poupee Hunt 2011, I visited a store called Pink Ribbon 21.  I noticed some t-shirts called "Girls Generation" with various pretty model types.  It intrigued me, so I did an internet search on them.  At first I thought they were some kind of TV show, but it turns out they are a girl pop band in Korea.

They are pretty good, if a bit over-processed.

I've included a youtube vid of their version of "Run, Devil, Run".  There is a little war on the page concerning who sang it first and who sang it better between Girls Generation fans and Kesha fans.  Whatever

I just love discovering new cultural icons through SL.

Don't Trust A Rogue

It is time for another WoW video complete with corny Blood Elves.  The ongoing joke is that no one likes this character class.  But I know everyone in the game probably has a Blood Elf in their alt closet.

Tom Bombadil's Theme - Lonely Mountain Band

A fanvid and fan cover of one of my favorite songs in LOTRO.  I have this playing in my game house.

MyANIMATION - Melanie Kidd

MyANIMATION from Melanie Kidd on Vimeo.

I enjoy Melanie Kidd's blog on SL, Grid Expectations, and her Flickr page.  She always has beautiful photos and interesting posts about SL fashion.  Kidd also has a store in SL called Mela's which sells hair, shapes and more.

This video was created by Melanie to show off the great dance animations available through the store MyANIMATION.