The weekend that was gaming fun

Friday started off as a great day. Work was fine, we had laughs, ribs, etc. It was the usual end of the week fun.

However, I did not expect the events that happened a mere 12 hours earlier to happen, nor did I expect so many people to side with me. Gaming enthusiasts and even gaming web celebrities saw my side.

It was 9:45 PM Colorado time on Thursday night. I was winding down myself to prepare for bed and was watching TV with my wife. Nothing interesting was on. It dawned on me that XBox One was launching on the east coast in a mere 15 minutes. As I scroll through the guide on my TV, I saw that Spike was doing an XBox One launch event. I decided to turn it on to kill time.

During my watch of it, which, by the way was for a console I have no intention of buying, I saw it was hosted by what a lot of people know as the "Face of games", Geoff Keighley. Despite all the "Doritos Pope" memes I had seen and knowing his reputation, I still respect him. He has grear potential to get the proper message across about the medium we all love and obsess over.

5 minutes in, I see him present the singer Macklemore. Not my cup of tea on music,  but I digress. Then, I see him on stage with Microsoft PR getting ready to hand out the first 10 consoles.

After seeing that, mixed with his co-host trying to be like Jenny McCarthy on New Year's Eve interviewing "random" consumers about what they were excited for, I had enough.

I turned it off and went to have a cigarette. After I finished, I went on Twitter and said that I didn't appreciate the way Keighley and Spike were sending the wrong message about our medium.  Basically that they were catering to the MTV crowd, or that 18 - 34 demographic,  and they already have those people buying consoles (Whether one or all three) and that they needed to try and send a more diverse message that games can be in the same league of movies, music and books as an art form.

Now let me state that I know launch events, E3, and ComicCon are always going to have flare and PR pizzazz. I was referencing that they're doing this on their website all the time and also on the show they have on Spike TV. That's not what needs to be done. 

Once I tweeted this (In 160 characters), Keighley replied with a basic "Fuck you" and I got flamed by his legions of followers.  There were some who agreed with me, but overall, I had a lot of hate towards me that night. All I was doing was making a point that everyone missed. 

I also pointed out the irony that he tweets me back with "There are different ways to celebrate our art" while dancing with Mackelmore and Microsoft PR was hypocrisy at its finest. Yet, I still got flamed. It was quite an eventful 10 hours on Twitter for me.

After work on Friday, I was excited to get Super Mario 3d world,  and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I was also excited knowing that nwr.com was hosting its annual child's play marathon the next day. An event I had partaked in for 3 years straight. I was excited to donate money to children who needed it.

On Saturday,  I woke up and jumped right on the telethon chat and Twitter and expressed to Jonny Metts that I would really love to tell this story. He stated he wanted to hear it.

I listened to the telethon, and was having a blast. About 45 minutes in, I decided it was time to make a lot of children happy.  I donated $2500 and became a figurative "Star" in the NWR community. I just did it cause I'm a father and I want other kids to be as happy as mine are.

In the next segment, I decide to call in to the telethon and speak with the guys about the Wii U report card and tell them about my incident with Mr. Keighley. It seemed that the community in the chat and the Twitter community contributing seemed to side with me. Jonny defended him and justifiably so, he knows him better than I, but it seems he saw my point of view as well. I won't speak for James, or Gui, though James made me laugh on why I wasted my time watching in the first place.  Well made point, James. Done in the way only you can do it.

Let me remind, I am a writer, and a huge gamer. I would love to turn either or both of these into a job. I am also an HSP, which means that it is so much easier to express my thoughts in writing than in oration. On paper and online I have a loud voice. In person, I am as quiet as a ninja (Except with my family). Something I need to work on.

The rest of the telethon was awesome. I was so entertained for the whole 10 hours, never bored and because of my contributions to the community, the charity, my feelings on Geoff Keighley,  and the fun I had in chat, I made lots of new friends on Twitter and maybe some Nintendo networks, including some NWR staff. I couldn't have had a better day than I did.

I've always wanted to get into the gaming business cause I love games, and I love to write. Combining those would just be a dream for me. I've spent 10 years going on the programming side cause of my MS in computer science, but I think I love writing more. It just speaks more from my soul.

My friends Helen and Audi have always been my biggest inspirations, and they both have always told me to never hold back. Well, I won't and I haven't.

I just want to thank Jonny Metts, and the entire NWR staff and community for giving me some of my 15 minutes of fame.

And to Geoff Keighley - I still think you are sending the wrong message of our art, and feel this needs to be changed. I find it funny that John Davidson, the man in gaming "journalism" I respect the most said the same thing about you in 2006 on 1-Up Yours. If he said it, then it's obvious something you're doing must change. I say that with respect cause I feel you can still do it, if you drop the Doritos and back side kissing you do with PR.

With that, I am out.

Tim "Smeatbass" Hudson