Richie

BreakmanX.com had been a solo gig for a few years before I signed on.
Somehow, during my sophomore year of high school, I ended up in the
not-short-bus-special class of Information Technology. What a haven
that was, like a stop on the Underground Railroad on my trip through
the seven circles of hell. Break was there, an I.T. OG who decided to
take me under his wing during my first PC build. Friendship ensued, and
then came his idea: A web-based radio show about games. What?
We’re mere students, living in the middle of No and Where, with no
radio experience between us. I thought he was fucking crazy – he has
yet to disprove this – but the show went on. Five years, eight
Show hosts, three E3’s, two ISP’s and a move to Lawrence later, and
we’ve pretty much got it figured out.

My gaming origins? I was a Nintendo kid, born and bred to hate Sega kids and their six buttons.
Who needs six, anyway? I played the Mario’s and the Final Fantasy’s,
the Metroid’s and even the Super Scope shooters, loving every minute of
it. From the age I could read the ‘A’ and ‘B’ on the NES controller,
games were there. The fanboyism lasted through the N64, when cartridges
finally died and so did my reluctance to touch anything with ‘Sony’ on
it. Sega dropped out and Microsoft jumped in, but the brands almost
seemed to fade into the background. Then, at one point I realized, this isn’t going to stop.
Games are a part of me now; it’s not a form of acne that goes away in
your 20’s, and it’s not a phase. I embraced this openly, and with it
came some wisdom. I don’t call myself a Wiitard or an Xbot. I’m a gamer.

This brings me to my General Theory of Gaming. Consoles, as electronic
devices, regardless of brand or history, are a means to an end. You
don’t buy consoles so they’ll look good in your living room; you buy
consoles to play games, right? Thus, to play the games you want to, you have to pay the deposit,
a console. Deciding if you’re willing to put down the deposit to play
certain games is a personal and subjective choice, based on your taste
and your budget. This kind of disregard towards brand insures no
fanboyism, probably the biggest disservice you can do to yourself as a
gamer. Unless you enjoy being stubborn and biased, there’s no reason to
deny yourself all the gaming industry has to offer you based on brand
name.

The industry is a big thing these days, too. As a
gamer, you’re part of a market, constantly bombarded with ads, images,
tag lines, and word of mouth. You’ve got the money, and they want it.
Thinking for yourself has never been more important as a gamer as it is
now. Keep that salt shaker with you always, and use it liberally.

My favorite games/genres? Anything from, Square, Enix, or Squeenix.
First-person shooters have been a favorite since Goldeneye and Perfect
Dark, then becoming a disciple of Unreal Tournament up to 2004 before
dropping out in favor of the Battlefield series. Max Payne deserves
mention as the best piece of storytelling I’ve ever experienced, not to
mention obscene noir fun. Light gun? Yes, please. The Megaman X series
holds a special place in my heart, and I’m never one to turn down a
good 2D experience, old or new. And then there’s my racing fetish. The
appeal is hard to explain in words; there’s something about pouring
myself into a car and track, putting my all into one goal, that
satisfies me like nothing else.