What early childhood game does the hubs remember? - (Mark C.)

Apparently, My husband and Mark C. are in cahoots to take over my blog.  Evidence: January 1 the blog was suggested by Mark.  January 2 the blog was suggested by my husband AND was about him.  Today's post was suggested by Mark and is about the hubs yet again.  I suppose this is what I should have expected when I assigned him the duty of crafting my writing challenge list.  

In order to take back what is rightfully mine I will interview my husband for this post and wildly misrepresent his answers for my gain.  Giddy-up:

When did you first play video games?
Good question.  I don’t know.  Though I’m sure it was under the influence of my brother.  
 
What is one of your earliest video game memories?
I guess playing Centipede on Atari 2600.

Hmm, interesting...never heard of it.  When did you know you were an avid video gamer?

When I was willing to purchase a Nintendo 64 on launch day just to have it, even though I didn’t have enough money saved up to buy a game as well.  Thanks for spotting me, mom.  (I love this story...isn't he the cutest?!?)

Was your family supportive of your interests?

My brother was certainly supportive.  There were a few years where I was old enough to play games with him and he was still in the house.  My mom was surprisingly supportive.  She bought into the hand-eye coordination, using your brain thing.  I vividly remember a short conversation we had.

                Me: Can I watch tv?

                Mom: No

                Me: Can I play video games?

                Mom: Yes.

Do you harbor any repressed feelings regarding video games and childhood?

How should I know?  They’d be repressed, right?

 
Fine, good point.  Now, I know the answer to this, well maybe I don't actually, but for the people at home...please tell us, do you still own any of your childhood games/systems? (eye roll...here we go)

Question:  When does childhood end?

Systems:  All of them except the DS I recently traded in.  NES, SNES, N64, GC, Wii, original Gameboy, GB pocket, GB color, GB Advance, GB Advance SP, 3DS, Virtual Boy, Super Scope 6 (counting as a system because it is hardware), Playstation, Playstation 2.

Games:  It’s philosophical.  For current-generation games, I have no problem trading them in, and for a couple reasons.  They are readily available.  If I wanted to relive an xbox game from a few years ago, I can get it in the bargain bin at GameStop.  Also, saved games are on my hard drive now, not a cartridge.  I would have a more difficult time getting rid of my Secret of Mana cartridge with a save at the end of the game.  I have dozens of NES, SNES and Gameboy games laying around.

Do you own any other video game paraphernalia?
No. (Thank God.)  Nintendo boxers. (Which I bought him.)

How will you introduce gaming to our young ones?
Hmm.  Carefully.  As with any media, you have be aware of what your kids see.  Plus, I know it can be a slippery slope and a time-waster if not treated correctly.

Ok, so I have to admit that, in actuality, I quoted my husband nearly verbatim.  He had interesting nuggets to share  I didn't really answer Mark's question though.  Oops :)

Lay eggs, much?

The voyeur is trying something new.  I am actually blogging while I watch.  Revolutionary, I know.

As I type, my husband is playing Modern Warfare 3 with both the TV audio and his headphones on.  I have been told that, yes, he is also listening to the game through the headphones and that, yes, he knows how silly this must seem. 

I like watching the game more than Battlefield 3, but probably only because I am familiar with the Call of Duty family of games.  Can I refer to a series of games as a family?  Or is that too domestic of me?  I will try to turn down the estrogen just a bit.  This is a very manly moment after all.

I will try to talk to my husband anyway:

So, honey, why are you listening to the game in this seemingly redundant way?
well, so...so, you...you can hear the game some.  I don't want you to be completely left out.  And, then uh, plus, uh I can turn it on as loud as...as I want.  <geeked out grin>

Is it difficult for you to talk to me and play at the same time?
<shakes head, lifts one headphone off ear a tiny bit>
I'll probably turn it down some.  (does not turn it down.  I step away.)

Hmm, I have just returned to the video game viewing room and it seems my husband is now playing Skyrim.  In the time that it took me to clear my dinner dishes (leftover barbeque chicken, raw broccoli with ranch dressing and cheetos...do I know how to rock the five food groups or what?) he has switched over to roll playing game mode.  The headphones are neatly holstered and his feet are up on the couch.  Roll playing games such as Skyrim do not require the intense video game playing position.  Did he dim the lights??

Furthermore, what is a Skyrim any way?  It sounds like a step below the mile high club. 

So, as I have intimated, there is a lot of video gaming going on 'round here.  'Tis the season.  Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Arkham City, and Skyrim have all graced our console this week with the new Saints Row on its way, stay tuned.  I can't say that I mind especially after that stupid game my stupid Ravens just played.

Don't get me wrong, I am no hater.  I am still a true fan.  But, if a cheeseburger makes me throw up I have the right to call it a stupid cheeseburger no matter how faithful I am to cheeseburgers.  Can I get an amen? 

Dude looks like a lady

A few posts back I stated that my husband often played video games as a girl.  No, he does not dress in drag and wield a controller.  Yes, he often chooses to play through a video game as a female character.  For awhile I was curious and a bit concerned.  What did it mean?  What did it say about him?  About us?

In short, more important questions have come to consume my mind (like, "how do I discipline my two year old?" and "should I paint my toenails purple or turquoise?") so it has been awhile since I bothered to reconsider this spousal quirk.  But, since it came up in an earlier entry, I thought it was high time I got the cold, hard facts on cross-gaming.  Here is the transcript of my interview with my husband (don't worry I plan to keep my day job):

In games where you have the choice, will you always choose to play as a female?
No, but I often will.  

Why? 
Basically, it comes down to what you want to look at for hours on end.  The female characters are hot.  And I get to dress her however I want.

Oh.  Do you want to dress me however you want?
I like when you wear skirts.


I am wearing a skirt right now.  Do you like it?
If you were a video game character I would play as you.

Because you like looking at my butt in a skirt?
Something like that.

Ok, ok, back to being serious. Would you consider yourself a male lesbian?
This was your serious question? 

I am trying to get at the hidden truth behind cross-gaming.
I am a man.  I like to look at women.  That's it.  Simple.

Yes, yes, men are simple.  
Is the game play any different as a chick?
No, unless it has something to do with being that specific character.  In Borderlands, for example, I played through the game as all four characters, only one of whom was a girl.  They all had different abilities which changed the experience. In Mass Effect, I played as a female character, but I could choose to hit on women to further the story cause hitting on guys, even as a girl is...

Uh huh.  I see.  Cool.  I'm gonna go get a beer.  Do you want a beer?
That's it?

Yeah, that's it.  You're not video game gay.  I get it.  I'm satisfied.