I have written about Nintendo a few times on this blog. This post is going to be another one. I will narrow it in a bit, though and focus more on the games than the company.
For the last five months I have been playing Animal Crossing for the 3DS. If you don't know anything about it, try watching some videos of it on Youtube. Watching other people play it through a web browser doesn't exactly do the game justice, but it will give you some idea as to the gameplay and objectives of the game. The remainder of this post will assume that you have watched those videos or played the game for yourself.
Nintendo games carry with them a sense of magic. Mario is most commonly known for carrying that magic, but the truth is that pretty much every game Nintendo makes carries it to some degree or another. It's a company that works so hard on the game, budget doesn't really matter, nor does the timeline. They just pour time and money into it until they are in love with it. That love ultimately carries over into the player's heart. Animal Crossing is a product of that love both from the creators and from the players. It is a game that is so distinctly "Nintendo" that if any other company attempted to copy it, they would just look stupid.
Other games have attempted it in differentiated form, and have even profited from a decent go at it (I think of Harvest Moon, Farmville and Second Life). But those games don't carry the same love affair with their players that Animal Crossing does, and there is good reason for it.
If the game could be compared to anything in reality, it would be compared with a long walk. Picture your favorite season, the perfect weather, an afternoon with no appointments and the rest of the weekend off of work. It is a world where there are no consequential obligations, mandatory jobs or stressful decisions to make (unless you're freaking out about how to decorate your room). In Animal Crossing, the act of bug catching or fishing is mandated only by your desire to actually do so, because if not for that, the game would never make you do it. You can do anything you want in Animal Crossing, or anything you don't want.
Gaming convention would argue that a player needs an objective or an incentive. Animal Crossing SORT OF has those, but not really. Certainly not as they're traditionally presented. Like a long walk, you play the game simply to enjoy it; to take in the world and relax. Like the walk you used to take to your best friend's house, its predictably familiar, but every trip will carry something just a little different. But even if it doesn't, its still just a pleasant walk to make for the sake of it.
Animal Crossing is a reminder that life, in the grand scheme of things, is simple. It is a reminder that human needs are simple, that goals, desires and dreams are not just common, but perfectly alright to have. And that no matter how big we want to be, we all still want to have what our characters in Animal Crossing have: A place to live, a few things to get around to, and a surrounding of friends to share them with.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Mainstream Gaming
The discussion of journalism as it relates to video games goes back as far as the early days of Nintendo Power. A recent article at Kotaku contributed very well to recent arguments that gaming journalism needs better writers who speak to the "people" (that is, normal people who wouldn't be interested in reading about games anyways).
If video games can be talked about to a common man, and be discussed by a common man, then they will have reached the pinnacle of a truly mainstream audience. They will be as relevant as books, movies and popular music. I agree with her sentiments entirely, as well as the articles she references, but there is a greater problem that the wider gaming audience is missing that is keeping gaming from becoming truly mainstream.
That problem is consistency. It is haste. It is ubiquity. It is complication. There is no "one" platform that a neanderthal can point at and say "video game." No, there is a bevy of boxes and systems. A capitalist free-for-all of whatchamacallits and doodads that all play games competently in their own unique way.
The problem is there isn't one game system. There are fifty. And all of those game systems have different buttons, different games, different costs and different barriers to entry. This wide conglomerate of devices that make up the gaming industry makes the everyday consumer's eyes glaze over. It is only the gaming elite that understand that Mario is ONLY on a Nintendo. Fewer still within the elite understand that the Wii U actually has a backwards compatible library known as the Virtual Console where you can play the original Super Mario Bros. It is a game that is twenty years old and arguably single-handedly responsible for the creation of the market as we know it today, but only a fraction of a percent of the worlds population knows it can still be played on a modern console.
The amount of devices available today is bewildering. Working a retail job at Best Buy full time plus coming home and reading tech articles for an hour isn't enough to keep up with the movement of technology as it relates to the consumer. That's part and parcel of the modern age. Change is good. Competition is good. But neither are helpful when you're trying to alter a nation's culture.
Books became wildly popular because they accomplished two things: They were widely accessible and they were consistent. Once the printing press was invented and education became more accessible to common folk, there was a ravishing thirst for literature. Books were still expensive, but they were freely accessible, especially thanks to Benjamin Franklins creation of the library. Imagine what the book industry in America would have looked like if there was no consistent language. Imagine an early America where you could only read Pride and Prejudice in Spanish. "To read The Secret Garden, young man, you ought to learn French." Would Moby Dick be heralded as a classic if you could only read it in Russian? Here's the best part: Now after these books are released, lets come up with four brand new languages that people have to learn in order to keep reading; any book that we publish henceforth will no longer use French, Spanish or Russian. They'll be written in Turkish, Georgian and Irish. In the year of 1954, The Lord of the Rings will be published as a Turkish exclusive.
Books became mainstream in America because they were all printed in English. Movies became popular because they were easily accessible and could be experienced at any theater. The same is true of music. In any generation of the modern age, there was never more than one standardized format for listening to music. The entire world transitioned from vinyl to cassette. There weren't five different formats to enjoy music on. The same thing happened when CD's replaced cassettes.
This market observation is consistent with movie media as well. The whole world went from VHS to DVD. Then from DVD to Blu-Ray. (There are still some people making that transition) but notice there aren't 3 different brands split down the middle, fighting for the consumer wallet-share. In certain times, there were formats that fought hard to become the standard, but once the standard was picked, the others drifted away into oblivion.
The problem is technology and the constant movement toward "bigger and better." Instead of staying stationary and creatively working around barriers. The creative side can be seen historically toward the end of a console's lifecycle, and the games reflecting in dynamo developers creative methods of pushing aged hardware to it's gum clenching limits. After that brief re-taste of a golden age gone by, the old hardware is set aside to make room for the bleeding edge. It is at this stage, when the old begins to get pushed out, that the biggest sales in the console generation occur. The innocent and unknowing consumer sees the bargain happening at his local retailer. After hearing for years about this great entertainment box, decides to finally fork over the cash and jump in on the fun. Then as he sits down in front of the tv that night, he turns on his Xbox 360 only to see advertisements for the Xbox One, only one of many of the latest and greatest game systems. Now he feels pretty stupid.
Such was the case of the Nintendo DS, the Wii, and the Playstation 2. Radically popular consumer devices that are still used today. Yet once the consumer picked them up, they were no longer relevant to the watercooler conversations, and thus get written off as a fad investment by the majority user.
For games to be mainstream, a platform must be mainstream. For this great pass time to be accepted in popular discussion, it must be widely accepted in a single, consistent, unchanging form. An example would be the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One. But instead of a new generation of consoles coming out in ten years, the market must hold itself still and offer no new, updated products. Time alone will allow the platform to mature to a point where every living room has one; when that happens, the product will have completely matured and the ecosystem it provides will be completely populated. By providing a consistent, unchanging platform, a consistent experience can be delivered to the end user. THAT is what the average consumer needs in order to make gaming a part of their lives.
When the average consumer makes an investment in something, they don't consider that they will need to upgrade the device or service in a few years time. They see a need, provide for the need and then close the case. An example would be a common item like a refrigerator or an oven. Go sell an oven or a fridge to someone and ask them what they need the item to do for them.
"Sir, I see you're shopping for fridges."
"You're an astute, observational young man. Why, yes I am."
"Sir, I perceive that you have particular needs that you need this fridge to provide."
"Most definitely, young man. It must be a fridge of fridges."
"And this great fridge which the world will knock on your door to marvel at. What should it do?"
"I need it to keep my food cold."
"How long will you keep this fridge that you're purchasing today?"
"I'll keep it until it breaks."
A videogame system in the eyes of the average consumer is not different from a fridge, an oven, a bed, or even a television. Once it has been purchased and plugged into the living room, its simply another part of the house. It is not something they look forward to or anticipate using, its simply something they will occasionally use and tell their friends they own. If that user, then, is to be a part of the wider conversation of gaming, and is to pick up that newspaper advertising the latest gaming headline, that game system needs to be relevant for the next five, ten and fifteen years. Otherwise he won't know what on earth anyone is talking about.
Ultimately a mature console cycle creates a massive used-game market, which negatively impacts margins on games and hinders the purchase of newer games. The answer to that issue is to make digital sales a priority. Thus, maximizing profit for creators and allowing greater access of titles to the user. If it ends up holding true that this is the last generation of living-room game consoles, the efforts of Sony and Microsoft to offer online memberships for game libraries makes a lot more sense, as it allows more control to content providers and ensures profitability for creators over the long term. Its not unlike a cable provider.
The only alternative to a consistent hardware platform is a unified software that is adopted across multiple manufacturers (SteamOS) but thats not necessarily the best solution. SteamOS provides a flexible, long-term living room solution for gaming, but the nature of PC development will insist on cutting edge hardware on the side of the end user, which means they will eventually need to upgrade. Of course, upon upgrading, all of thier old games will still work, which does eliminate many barriers. Unfortunately, its a less than desirable solution in a situation where its reasonable to expect more. As great an idea as SteamOS is (and I am in full support of it) it will not be able to contribute to a national culture that accepts gaming as a pass time of the everyday consumer. If Valve decides to put a long-term cap on how powerful the hardware is allowed to be in any given SteamBox, then my argument against SteamOS will not stand. But I doubt that's going to happen.
If console manufacturers are interested in this vision becoming a reality, the strategy will need to be implemented in this coming generation (Wii U, PS4, Xbox One). Sony and Microsoft already provide a subscription games service, so they are well on their way. Nintendo has been making progress by providing digital copies of games before the retail version is available. Eventually a subscription service from Nintendo may be appropriate as well, but their software offerings and excellent eShop format may end up serving them just fine. Despite the strength of the PS4 out of the gate, Sony is the company I would be worrying about long-term. Because they removed the Playstation Eye from the console package, consumers will have to adapt to a complicated controller that may hinder them from picking a game up quickly. If I had to pick the best companies suited for this long-term play, I would choose Nintendo first, then Microsoft.
Nintendo's Wii U is best suited for this strategy because of the casual nature of the controllers. The Gamepad doubles as a tablet and the secondary controllers mimic the everyday tv remote. The Wiimote is perfectly functional for casual play, while the gamepad lends itself to deeper, more complicated control schemes, while offering a second screen experience built-in. The software library certainly doesn't hurt them either. Using the eShop to advertise classic game experiences like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros and Wii Sports will provide nostalgia and familiarity, which can provide an entry-level gaming experience for the everyman. The eShop also doubles as an effective digital billboard, where new games are readily provided and the latest news from Nintendo can be watched via Nintendo Direct (which is a genius strategy, I don't care what anyone says). Again, for the Wii U to be truly mainstream, it has to be in everyone's living room. That can only happen by not releasing another console in five years; a temptation Nintendo will have a tough time fighting.
Microsoft's all in one strategy is unappealing for gamers, who understand different devices and their functions. But the average consumer can gain a lot from having everything in a single box. The ability to connect a cable box to the experience is a big win. Music and movie services are also more easily understood on the Xbox, and the casual gamer can play using Kinect, which is easy to understand and great for parties. Long-term, the Xbox will have an easier time fighting the upgrade cycle. The perverse amount of RAM and the flexibility of the system (plus the massive hard drive) will give Microsoft some nice leverage ten years down the line. But again, ten years isn't enough time. Fifteen years, even twenty years may be necessary.
Do console upgrades need to stop entirely for the rest of time? No. But they do need to be slowed significantly. Long enough for familiarity to set in. Long enough for everyone in the world to have the opportunity to own one for themselves. Of course, none of this HAS to happen either. Over the course of a decade, its difficult to say just how much profits will be affected by used-game sales (a priority on digital will not completely solve the problem) and maintaining consumer interest for such a vast period of time will be a huge obstacle to overcome. But if it is decided that these console cycles are long enough and technological relevance is too important to the industry, gaming will only continue to be a hobby enjoyed my hundreds of millions of gamers. Not billions of everyday people.
If video games can be talked about to a common man, and be discussed by a common man, then they will have reached the pinnacle of a truly mainstream audience. They will be as relevant as books, movies and popular music. I agree with her sentiments entirely, as well as the articles she references, but there is a greater problem that the wider gaming audience is missing that is keeping gaming from becoming truly mainstream.
That problem is consistency. It is haste. It is ubiquity. It is complication. There is no "one" platform that a neanderthal can point at and say "video game." No, there is a bevy of boxes and systems. A capitalist free-for-all of whatchamacallits and doodads that all play games competently in their own unique way.
The problem is there isn't one game system. There are fifty. And all of those game systems have different buttons, different games, different costs and different barriers to entry. This wide conglomerate of devices that make up the gaming industry makes the everyday consumer's eyes glaze over. It is only the gaming elite that understand that Mario is ONLY on a Nintendo. Fewer still within the elite understand that the Wii U actually has a backwards compatible library known as the Virtual Console where you can play the original Super Mario Bros. It is a game that is twenty years old and arguably single-handedly responsible for the creation of the market as we know it today, but only a fraction of a percent of the worlds population knows it can still be played on a modern console.
The amount of devices available today is bewildering. Working a retail job at Best Buy full time plus coming home and reading tech articles for an hour isn't enough to keep up with the movement of technology as it relates to the consumer. That's part and parcel of the modern age. Change is good. Competition is good. But neither are helpful when you're trying to alter a nation's culture.
Books became wildly popular because they accomplished two things: They were widely accessible and they were consistent. Once the printing press was invented and education became more accessible to common folk, there was a ravishing thirst for literature. Books were still expensive, but they were freely accessible, especially thanks to Benjamin Franklins creation of the library. Imagine what the book industry in America would have looked like if there was no consistent language. Imagine an early America where you could only read Pride and Prejudice in Spanish. "To read The Secret Garden, young man, you ought to learn French." Would Moby Dick be heralded as a classic if you could only read it in Russian? Here's the best part: Now after these books are released, lets come up with four brand new languages that people have to learn in order to keep reading; any book that we publish henceforth will no longer use French, Spanish or Russian. They'll be written in Turkish, Georgian and Irish. In the year of 1954, The Lord of the Rings will be published as a Turkish exclusive.
Books became mainstream in America because they were all printed in English. Movies became popular because they were easily accessible and could be experienced at any theater. The same is true of music. In any generation of the modern age, there was never more than one standardized format for listening to music. The entire world transitioned from vinyl to cassette. There weren't five different formats to enjoy music on. The same thing happened when CD's replaced cassettes.
This market observation is consistent with movie media as well. The whole world went from VHS to DVD. Then from DVD to Blu-Ray. (There are still some people making that transition) but notice there aren't 3 different brands split down the middle, fighting for the consumer wallet-share. In certain times, there were formats that fought hard to become the standard, but once the standard was picked, the others drifted away into oblivion.
The problem is technology and the constant movement toward "bigger and better." Instead of staying stationary and creatively working around barriers. The creative side can be seen historically toward the end of a console's lifecycle, and the games reflecting in dynamo developers creative methods of pushing aged hardware to it's gum clenching limits. After that brief re-taste of a golden age gone by, the old hardware is set aside to make room for the bleeding edge. It is at this stage, when the old begins to get pushed out, that the biggest sales in the console generation occur. The innocent and unknowing consumer sees the bargain happening at his local retailer. After hearing for years about this great entertainment box, decides to finally fork over the cash and jump in on the fun. Then as he sits down in front of the tv that night, he turns on his Xbox 360 only to see advertisements for the Xbox One, only one of many of the latest and greatest game systems. Now he feels pretty stupid.
Such was the case of the Nintendo DS, the Wii, and the Playstation 2. Radically popular consumer devices that are still used today. Yet once the consumer picked them up, they were no longer relevant to the watercooler conversations, and thus get written off as a fad investment by the majority user.
For games to be mainstream, a platform must be mainstream. For this great pass time to be accepted in popular discussion, it must be widely accepted in a single, consistent, unchanging form. An example would be the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One. But instead of a new generation of consoles coming out in ten years, the market must hold itself still and offer no new, updated products. Time alone will allow the platform to mature to a point where every living room has one; when that happens, the product will have completely matured and the ecosystem it provides will be completely populated. By providing a consistent, unchanging platform, a consistent experience can be delivered to the end user. THAT is what the average consumer needs in order to make gaming a part of their lives.
When the average consumer makes an investment in something, they don't consider that they will need to upgrade the device or service in a few years time. They see a need, provide for the need and then close the case. An example would be a common item like a refrigerator or an oven. Go sell an oven or a fridge to someone and ask them what they need the item to do for them.
"Sir, I see you're shopping for fridges."
"You're an astute, observational young man. Why, yes I am."
"Sir, I perceive that you have particular needs that you need this fridge to provide."
"Most definitely, young man. It must be a fridge of fridges."
"And this great fridge which the world will knock on your door to marvel at. What should it do?"
"I need it to keep my food cold."
"How long will you keep this fridge that you're purchasing today?"
"I'll keep it until it breaks."
A videogame system in the eyes of the average consumer is not different from a fridge, an oven, a bed, or even a television. Once it has been purchased and plugged into the living room, its simply another part of the house. It is not something they look forward to or anticipate using, its simply something they will occasionally use and tell their friends they own. If that user, then, is to be a part of the wider conversation of gaming, and is to pick up that newspaper advertising the latest gaming headline, that game system needs to be relevant for the next five, ten and fifteen years. Otherwise he won't know what on earth anyone is talking about.
Ultimately a mature console cycle creates a massive used-game market, which negatively impacts margins on games and hinders the purchase of newer games. The answer to that issue is to make digital sales a priority. Thus, maximizing profit for creators and allowing greater access of titles to the user. If it ends up holding true that this is the last generation of living-room game consoles, the efforts of Sony and Microsoft to offer online memberships for game libraries makes a lot more sense, as it allows more control to content providers and ensures profitability for creators over the long term. Its not unlike a cable provider.
The only alternative to a consistent hardware platform is a unified software that is adopted across multiple manufacturers (SteamOS) but thats not necessarily the best solution. SteamOS provides a flexible, long-term living room solution for gaming, but the nature of PC development will insist on cutting edge hardware on the side of the end user, which means they will eventually need to upgrade. Of course, upon upgrading, all of thier old games will still work, which does eliminate many barriers. Unfortunately, its a less than desirable solution in a situation where its reasonable to expect more. As great an idea as SteamOS is (and I am in full support of it) it will not be able to contribute to a national culture that accepts gaming as a pass time of the everyday consumer. If Valve decides to put a long-term cap on how powerful the hardware is allowed to be in any given SteamBox, then my argument against SteamOS will not stand. But I doubt that's going to happen.
If console manufacturers are interested in this vision becoming a reality, the strategy will need to be implemented in this coming generation (Wii U, PS4, Xbox One). Sony and Microsoft already provide a subscription games service, so they are well on their way. Nintendo has been making progress by providing digital copies of games before the retail version is available. Eventually a subscription service from Nintendo may be appropriate as well, but their software offerings and excellent eShop format may end up serving them just fine. Despite the strength of the PS4 out of the gate, Sony is the company I would be worrying about long-term. Because they removed the Playstation Eye from the console package, consumers will have to adapt to a complicated controller that may hinder them from picking a game up quickly. If I had to pick the best companies suited for this long-term play, I would choose Nintendo first, then Microsoft.
Nintendo's Wii U is best suited for this strategy because of the casual nature of the controllers. The Gamepad doubles as a tablet and the secondary controllers mimic the everyday tv remote. The Wiimote is perfectly functional for casual play, while the gamepad lends itself to deeper, more complicated control schemes, while offering a second screen experience built-in. The software library certainly doesn't hurt them either. Using the eShop to advertise classic game experiences like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros and Wii Sports will provide nostalgia and familiarity, which can provide an entry-level gaming experience for the everyman. The eShop also doubles as an effective digital billboard, where new games are readily provided and the latest news from Nintendo can be watched via Nintendo Direct (which is a genius strategy, I don't care what anyone says). Again, for the Wii U to be truly mainstream, it has to be in everyone's living room. That can only happen by not releasing another console in five years; a temptation Nintendo will have a tough time fighting.
Microsoft's all in one strategy is unappealing for gamers, who understand different devices and their functions. But the average consumer can gain a lot from having everything in a single box. The ability to connect a cable box to the experience is a big win. Music and movie services are also more easily understood on the Xbox, and the casual gamer can play using Kinect, which is easy to understand and great for parties. Long-term, the Xbox will have an easier time fighting the upgrade cycle. The perverse amount of RAM and the flexibility of the system (plus the massive hard drive) will give Microsoft some nice leverage ten years down the line. But again, ten years isn't enough time. Fifteen years, even twenty years may be necessary.
Do console upgrades need to stop entirely for the rest of time? No. But they do need to be slowed significantly. Long enough for familiarity to set in. Long enough for everyone in the world to have the opportunity to own one for themselves. Of course, none of this HAS to happen either. Over the course of a decade, its difficult to say just how much profits will be affected by used-game sales (a priority on digital will not completely solve the problem) and maintaining consumer interest for such a vast period of time will be a huge obstacle to overcome. But if it is decided that these console cycles are long enough and technological relevance is too important to the industry, gaming will only continue to be a hobby enjoyed my hundreds of millions of gamers. Not billions of everyday people.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Insecurity
I found an article on Yahoo.com (which is undergoing some fantastic changes these days) that really kicked me in the tooth. Since the site is set for my homepage I will typically rummage through headlines to see what's on in the world. When I came across one said article just before going to bed, I was too moved to not write about it. The link is provided here.
http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/6-signs-partner-secretly-unhappy-224700244.html
I can imagine that it caught my interest because no matter how confident I am that my loving wife loves me, there are too many dramas on tv for me to blindly believe I am producing the happiest wife in existence. So I looked it up and discovered more about myself than any other particular person. Specifically the note that the accumulation of stuff is a sign that one is insecure.
The thought isn't new to modern psychology, nor to any mature adult in the age we live. But the idea is rarely beholden in the mirror. I realized in reading this article that my constant thoughts about technology aren't different at all from the desire that some have to collect furniture, or stamps or to go drinking, or to smoke pot. As common as all of these activities are, what is more common still is the ultimate goal of each activity: escapism.
In fact, the vast majority of addictions are a means of escapism, which is a HOT word in the world of gaming. Relation? hmmmm...
Recently I was wondering why I still think about games as much as I did in my childhood. Alone in my thoughts, I was coming to the conclusion that I simply hadn't matured as much as I would have liked, even after all those years in college of not having games readily available to me. But upon reading this article, I'm convinced it has to do mostly with insecurity. If I don't feel accomplished in my life, I think about what games I want to play. Conversely, if I succeed or even excel at something, games are the last thing on my mind; not just in the moment, but oftentimes for several days following. Yesterday I sold my very first house as a real estate agent. When I went to pick up my 3DS today out of habit, I put it down less than five minutes later because I couldn't maintain an interest in it. After several passing conversations at work today and coming to grips with the importance of the job hunt I am undergoing (moving to Texas next week, desperately need job.) All I wanted to do was come home and play games.
As I think more and more about it, videogames were a fair-weather hobby for me growing up. It wasn't until my teens, when I was pulled out of school and began to struggle with loneliness, that it turned into a passionate hobby. As I saw life passing me by and my relationship with my father began to dwindle, games became a bigger and bigger part of it.
Then when I went to college and got saved, videogames went back to being a passive interest again. I did have computer games that I would play, and there were still gaming magazines that I read, but I never put those things above going out and having fun with friends, which is something I find myself doing these days. Video games are very much an escape, as well as a hiding place.
It points to a passionate need for God. Not only in my life, but everyone's. We all have "hobbies" that we have to keep in check, but for some of us its more than a hobby; its a security.
As for the source of my insecurity now, I'm willing to bet it has more to do with money, jobs and income than anything else. Being away from my close friends and family certainly isn't helping anything either. And with my beautiful wife having a baby on the way, the pressure is greater than ever. Part of me wants to hide in a fantasy world, but now that I realize where those desires come from, I just want to be a stronger man. For my wife and for my baby.
http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/6-signs-partner-secretly-unhappy-224700244.html
I can imagine that it caught my interest because no matter how confident I am that my loving wife loves me, there are too many dramas on tv for me to blindly believe I am producing the happiest wife in existence. So I looked it up and discovered more about myself than any other particular person. Specifically the note that the accumulation of stuff is a sign that one is insecure.
The thought isn't new to modern psychology, nor to any mature adult in the age we live. But the idea is rarely beholden in the mirror. I realized in reading this article that my constant thoughts about technology aren't different at all from the desire that some have to collect furniture, or stamps or to go drinking, or to smoke pot. As common as all of these activities are, what is more common still is the ultimate goal of each activity: escapism.
In fact, the vast majority of addictions are a means of escapism, which is a HOT word in the world of gaming. Relation? hmmmm...
Recently I was wondering why I still think about games as much as I did in my childhood. Alone in my thoughts, I was coming to the conclusion that I simply hadn't matured as much as I would have liked, even after all those years in college of not having games readily available to me. But upon reading this article, I'm convinced it has to do mostly with insecurity. If I don't feel accomplished in my life, I think about what games I want to play. Conversely, if I succeed or even excel at something, games are the last thing on my mind; not just in the moment, but oftentimes for several days following. Yesterday I sold my very first house as a real estate agent. When I went to pick up my 3DS today out of habit, I put it down less than five minutes later because I couldn't maintain an interest in it. After several passing conversations at work today and coming to grips with the importance of the job hunt I am undergoing (moving to Texas next week, desperately need job.) All I wanted to do was come home and play games.
As I think more and more about it, videogames were a fair-weather hobby for me growing up. It wasn't until my teens, when I was pulled out of school and began to struggle with loneliness, that it turned into a passionate hobby. As I saw life passing me by and my relationship with my father began to dwindle, games became a bigger and bigger part of it.
Then when I went to college and got saved, videogames went back to being a passive interest again. I did have computer games that I would play, and there were still gaming magazines that I read, but I never put those things above going out and having fun with friends, which is something I find myself doing these days. Video games are very much an escape, as well as a hiding place.
It points to a passionate need for God. Not only in my life, but everyone's. We all have "hobbies" that we have to keep in check, but for some of us its more than a hobby; its a security.
As for the source of my insecurity now, I'm willing to bet it has more to do with money, jobs and income than anything else. Being away from my close friends and family certainly isn't helping anything either. And with my beautiful wife having a baby on the way, the pressure is greater than ever. Part of me wants to hide in a fantasy world, but now that I realize where those desires come from, I just want to be a stronger man. For my wife and for my baby.
Keeping In Touch
I have been a busy bee the last few months. Particularly in the last 30 days, I have had projects and tidbits to do from sunup to sundown. So, like everyone in society, I put off calling loved ones and spending time with friends to get work done. Doing so is sometimes necessary, to be sure. To say otherwise, I would risk sounding like a bum who has never seen a full time job. But its something all us full-time job people see now and then. This time though, it made me do some thinking.
After attending Josh Whitcomb's wedding down in Cincinatti (which was a lovely event. Maybe the best I have seen). I was slapped in the face at just how important friends and family are. This post isn't something thats going to give you a friendly reminder about spending time with loved ones. I want this to be a charge. You seriously need to INVEST in the people you love.
Seeing Josh and Andrew (together we made up the groom's side of the party), two very close, very dear friends of mine reminded me how much I missed them. And if I had not seen them I don't think I would have known how big of a hole was in my life.
Those two men are irreplaceable friends. I have never and will never have friends like them. Having not seen them for over a year (two years in the case of Andrew) and doing an awful job at keeping in touch with them, I was blown away at how familiar being around them felt. It was like we set our friendship down, moved to different states, left it alone for two years, and then picked it back up where we left off. Nothing was lost and nothing was spoiled. It was like the Twinkie of relationships.
But by not being near them, I picked up some really dumb things. Particularly time-wasters that most of us are guilty of like the internet and tv. But I did those things because I didn't have my buddies near me, and thats where my inspiration to write this came from. My wife is my best friend, solemnly replacing two other men who I call "brother" (Josh and Tim Cunningham) which is whats supposed to happen. But that doens't mean I can put those guys away, and the great divide known as "distance" has beaten our ambition to keep in touch into an apathetic bowl of soup. The crazy thing is, if you're reading this, you're probably not spending enough time with friends or family.
I know there is a time and a place for all things, and distance is something that makes ANYTHING difficult, relationships especially. But actually reflect on your own life and think of anything you can do to make that distance a little smaller, even if that means playing word-with-friends with your grandma. The greatest thing to come out of the 21st century will be developing a method of consistently keeping in touch with loved ones. But that method might just be taking an hour out of your day to pick up a phone.
After attending Josh Whitcomb's wedding down in Cincinatti (which was a lovely event. Maybe the best I have seen). I was slapped in the face at just how important friends and family are. This post isn't something thats going to give you a friendly reminder about spending time with loved ones. I want this to be a charge. You seriously need to INVEST in the people you love.
Seeing Josh and Andrew (together we made up the groom's side of the party), two very close, very dear friends of mine reminded me how much I missed them. And if I had not seen them I don't think I would have known how big of a hole was in my life.
Those two men are irreplaceable friends. I have never and will never have friends like them. Having not seen them for over a year (two years in the case of Andrew) and doing an awful job at keeping in touch with them, I was blown away at how familiar being around them felt. It was like we set our friendship down, moved to different states, left it alone for two years, and then picked it back up where we left off. Nothing was lost and nothing was spoiled. It was like the Twinkie of relationships.
But by not being near them, I picked up some really dumb things. Particularly time-wasters that most of us are guilty of like the internet and tv. But I did those things because I didn't have my buddies near me, and thats where my inspiration to write this came from. My wife is my best friend, solemnly replacing two other men who I call "brother" (Josh and Tim Cunningham) which is whats supposed to happen. But that doens't mean I can put those guys away, and the great divide known as "distance" has beaten our ambition to keep in touch into an apathetic bowl of soup. The crazy thing is, if you're reading this, you're probably not spending enough time with friends or family.
I know there is a time and a place for all things, and distance is something that makes ANYTHING difficult, relationships especially. But actually reflect on your own life and think of anything you can do to make that distance a little smaller, even if that means playing word-with-friends with your grandma. The greatest thing to come out of the 21st century will be developing a method of consistently keeping in touch with loved ones. But that method might just be taking an hour out of your day to pick up a phone.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Four Burners
I recently heard on a radio show a very interesting lesson. According to the host, it has its roots in Australia, but the little snippet of wisdom is applicable to really any nation or culture.
The host didn't know how to put it concisely and I haven't figured out how either, but here it is: Life is like a stove-top. You've got four burners (maybe five...but usually four) and your time must be split up between those four burners. You can have four things cooking at any given time, but no more.
That's about as concise as I can get with it, but its still not complete thought, really. I want to talk about all that this little saying really means and just how true it is.
When you're cooking in your kitchen at home, you've got four burners on your stove to cook with. If you have six different dishes you need to make (lets pretend all of those dishes need to be fried or boiled) you're only going to make four of them at any given time. The other two dishes that aren't on that stove will not cook. They're going to stay raw, get cold, or even spoil. You need to finish one or two of your four dishes before you can add in the extra two which have been set aside. Which dish do you cook first? Which takes longer? Which is more important? Which is more pressing?
The perfection of the lesson is that it is inherently implicit of something that is just as true of life as cooking itself, and that is "Time." The amount of time something stays on a burner is vital, and so is the amount of time that you have in your life.
There are so many things that can be done in a given day, and there are so many things to actually focus on. There are many people who thrive on having a full task list. I'm not one of those people, as I tend to get overwhelmed if I have more than five significant things to do in a day. But those tasks don't really count as things you would have on a burner. Those barely fit in to the picture that this little saying paints. If the hum-drum errands had to fit in this picture, they would be represented by a short trip to get something out of the fridge, or perhaps dicing something while the four burners sizzle their respective dishes.
In fact, the saying could be rephrased like this: "There are four things that you can actually focus on and be good at in your life."
Here's another way to phrase it, "There are four things you can choose to spend your life with, and what you choose will be your legacy."
And another for good measure: "Pick four things to love, and forget everything else."
It's an incredibly heavy and sobering picture. It's a reality that has been lingering in my day to day thoughts, continuously pressing against my forehead like a stern mother. I have 24 hours in a day and 6-8 of those are spent sleeping. And there are a LOT of dishes I would like to cook in my life. But I can only ever be cooking four at a time. (Maybe five if I'm really skilled.)
Let me share what this means in my own life. I want to love my wife above all others. She is having a baby (a fact that is simply too exciting for words. I can't wait to be a daddy...I'm scared out of my mind though.) When baby is born I will be nurturing and raising my child. So my wife is one burner, my children are another burner.
I go to work every day for eight hours. There's a burner.
So I have one burner left. One burner to balance church, my extended family, my dearest friends, the errands of life, reading all the books I want to read, playing the games I want to play, learning the things I want to learn. Every moment of my free time or personal time is on that one burner, which translates to...on average? about 3 hours a day. But my baby also hasn't been born yet, so I expect that to go down to about an hour in a few months.
I don't have a perfect grip on life and schedules change, of course. There are some days when I have the entire day to myself. There are some days when I can actually put two burners together (spend time with wife+friends+church) or (Take the whole family camping. Thats two dishes cooking on one burner) but mostly, all the extra stuff in life is on one burner. If I am to be truly knowledgeable about something, or truly a master of a specific craft (like writing, for example) then I need to spend more time cooking that dish on that one burner. And chances are, that one burner is going to be the thing that people identify me with. Because that one burner is most likely going to be my hobby, my passion, the consumation of my thought life and the thing I quietly look forward to when I'm doing something otherwise boring (of course I'm going to think about my family too, I'm just trying to drive home the point.) and the thing that I talk about when people say "What have you been up to lately?"
If you're an average joe like me, You've only got one burner too. So...whatcha cooking?
The host didn't know how to put it concisely and I haven't figured out how either, but here it is: Life is like a stove-top. You've got four burners (maybe five...but usually four) and your time must be split up between those four burners. You can have four things cooking at any given time, but no more.
That's about as concise as I can get with it, but its still not complete thought, really. I want to talk about all that this little saying really means and just how true it is.
When you're cooking in your kitchen at home, you've got four burners on your stove to cook with. If you have six different dishes you need to make (lets pretend all of those dishes need to be fried or boiled) you're only going to make four of them at any given time. The other two dishes that aren't on that stove will not cook. They're going to stay raw, get cold, or even spoil. You need to finish one or two of your four dishes before you can add in the extra two which have been set aside. Which dish do you cook first? Which takes longer? Which is more important? Which is more pressing?
The perfection of the lesson is that it is inherently implicit of something that is just as true of life as cooking itself, and that is "Time." The amount of time something stays on a burner is vital, and so is the amount of time that you have in your life.
There are so many things that can be done in a given day, and there are so many things to actually focus on. There are many people who thrive on having a full task list. I'm not one of those people, as I tend to get overwhelmed if I have more than five significant things to do in a day. But those tasks don't really count as things you would have on a burner. Those barely fit in to the picture that this little saying paints. If the hum-drum errands had to fit in this picture, they would be represented by a short trip to get something out of the fridge, or perhaps dicing something while the four burners sizzle their respective dishes.
In fact, the saying could be rephrased like this: "There are four things that you can actually focus on and be good at in your life."
Here's another way to phrase it, "There are four things you can choose to spend your life with, and what you choose will be your legacy."
And another for good measure: "Pick four things to love, and forget everything else."
It's an incredibly heavy and sobering picture. It's a reality that has been lingering in my day to day thoughts, continuously pressing against my forehead like a stern mother. I have 24 hours in a day and 6-8 of those are spent sleeping. And there are a LOT of dishes I would like to cook in my life. But I can only ever be cooking four at a time. (Maybe five if I'm really skilled.)
Let me share what this means in my own life. I want to love my wife above all others. She is having a baby (a fact that is simply too exciting for words. I can't wait to be a daddy...I'm scared out of my mind though.) When baby is born I will be nurturing and raising my child. So my wife is one burner, my children are another burner.
I go to work every day for eight hours. There's a burner.
So I have one burner left. One burner to balance church, my extended family, my dearest friends, the errands of life, reading all the books I want to read, playing the games I want to play, learning the things I want to learn. Every moment of my free time or personal time is on that one burner, which translates to...on average? about 3 hours a day. But my baby also hasn't been born yet, so I expect that to go down to about an hour in a few months.
I don't have a perfect grip on life and schedules change, of course. There are some days when I have the entire day to myself. There are some days when I can actually put two burners together (spend time with wife+friends+church) or (Take the whole family camping. Thats two dishes cooking on one burner) but mostly, all the extra stuff in life is on one burner. If I am to be truly knowledgeable about something, or truly a master of a specific craft (like writing, for example) then I need to spend more time cooking that dish on that one burner. And chances are, that one burner is going to be the thing that people identify me with. Because that one burner is most likely going to be my hobby, my passion, the consumation of my thought life and the thing I quietly look forward to when I'm doing something otherwise boring (of course I'm going to think about my family too, I'm just trying to drive home the point.) and the thing that I talk about when people say "What have you been up to lately?"
If you're an average joe like me, You've only got one burner too. So...whatcha cooking?
Friday, July 19, 2013
Mornings
This post is going to look more like a diary entry than an educated rant.
I was painting an apartment through this morning and early afternoon. It's a task I perform now and again for our landlord, who graciously deducts a bit from our rent as payment and goodwill. It has allowed us to keep a healthy and respectful relationship with the man who could kick us out on a whim and has served as a nice supplement to income. Besides that, I like doing it.
The apartment that I'm currently painting for him is the...maybe the 6th one I've done for him. Considering how small the complex is, thats actually a huge number. The funny thing is, the first time I painted an apartment for him, I had never done any painting before in my life. He gave me a quick lesson, offered some advice upon my calling him for Q&A and then inspected it with me there once I was done. The first couple of times he gave me some advice on what to do next time, general tips for speedy work and other such words of wisdom.
Now that I have become more comfortable with the task, I can actually think about OTHER things while I am painting. It has become something that I can be relatively at ease about (though I wouldn't call myself even an amatuer by any stretch). So today I was thinking. Why do I read the news so much?
Ever since I moved to Pennsylvania, I have been reading the news everyday. Quite a bit of my reading is tech news (my favorite) but it is almost always supplemented by business news, U.S. News and politics. I will read basically anything on the internet that classifies itself as "news". And this is something that I have only been doing since I have been married in the state of PA. Until today I hadn't really thought about WHY.
Listening to the podcasts that I do, Car Talk, What the Tech, A Life Well Wasted, The Game Informer Show, The Motley Fool, 60 Minutes, Truth for Life and Focus on the Family, I noticed that I often dream while I am listening to these shows. When I'm listening to cartalk, I carefully soak in the facts that are communicated to the callers about what could be wrong with their cars and how nice it will be when I finally know how to fix them myself. In What the Tech, I carefully listen about the occasional conversation that takes place about programming languages and operating systems. Listening to Game Informer, I wonder about how hard it would be to actually make a simple game, like something that would look like it came from the original Nintendo or even the old Atari systems. Then when I listen to general radio shows like 60 Minutes I think about how fun it would be to have my own podcast and interview people. That would rock.
But mostly when I am at home and I have nothing pressing to be doing I will just read the news. and today I finally realized it: It's because I don't have a constructive hobby. Back when I first got married I wanted to the be best man that I could be for my wife: I wanted to get up extra early every morning so I could get an early start on the day and get loads of stuff done before she even had a chance to wake up. But the fact was that all I could do was write. I could work on my book, write poetry, maybe do some blog work. The thing is, our apartment is so small that when I type on the keyboard (something I am exceptionally loud at...and proud of.) It would wake her up. In addition to the waking, it is a sound that also annoys the snot out of her. So unless I was willing to sit outside or go to some coffee shop (we aren't close enough to one to justify it...and I ain't sitting in the grass with a laptop. That's lame.) doing any kind of writing on the computer is out of the question. At the time I was writing some letters to friends and loved ones, but in this age it is both uncommon and inconsistent to receive a timely reply. So it's not something I could do every morning.
I think at one point, I decided I would just get up early, have some ME time and goof around on the internet. Aside from facebook and youtube, basically the only other thing you can do on the net that doesn't involve typing is reading the news. And so i developed the terrible addiction of being a news junkie. My wife pointed this out to me just a few weeks back. But it actually soaked in today.
If I actually took my mornings and focused; if I woke up with the purpose of doing something constructive, I'm willing to bet this bad habit could be broken very easily. Hopefully when we get to Texas, Amber and I will be able to get a two bedroom apartment, where I can close the door of the second bedroom and get some writing done without disturbing her. Or maybe I could learn to program, or record and edit sound, or write games? For those who are willing to wake up in the morning, there is a whole world of opportunity to be seized before 10 A.M.
I was painting an apartment through this morning and early afternoon. It's a task I perform now and again for our landlord, who graciously deducts a bit from our rent as payment and goodwill. It has allowed us to keep a healthy and respectful relationship with the man who could kick us out on a whim and has served as a nice supplement to income. Besides that, I like doing it.
The apartment that I'm currently painting for him is the...maybe the 6th one I've done for him. Considering how small the complex is, thats actually a huge number. The funny thing is, the first time I painted an apartment for him, I had never done any painting before in my life. He gave me a quick lesson, offered some advice upon my calling him for Q&A and then inspected it with me there once I was done. The first couple of times he gave me some advice on what to do next time, general tips for speedy work and other such words of wisdom.
Now that I have become more comfortable with the task, I can actually think about OTHER things while I am painting. It has become something that I can be relatively at ease about (though I wouldn't call myself even an amatuer by any stretch). So today I was thinking. Why do I read the news so much?
Ever since I moved to Pennsylvania, I have been reading the news everyday. Quite a bit of my reading is tech news (my favorite) but it is almost always supplemented by business news, U.S. News and politics. I will read basically anything on the internet that classifies itself as "news". And this is something that I have only been doing since I have been married in the state of PA. Until today I hadn't really thought about WHY.
Listening to the podcasts that I do, Car Talk, What the Tech, A Life Well Wasted, The Game Informer Show, The Motley Fool, 60 Minutes, Truth for Life and Focus on the Family, I noticed that I often dream while I am listening to these shows. When I'm listening to cartalk, I carefully soak in the facts that are communicated to the callers about what could be wrong with their cars and how nice it will be when I finally know how to fix them myself. In What the Tech, I carefully listen about the occasional conversation that takes place about programming languages and operating systems. Listening to Game Informer, I wonder about how hard it would be to actually make a simple game, like something that would look like it came from the original Nintendo or even the old Atari systems. Then when I listen to general radio shows like 60 Minutes I think about how fun it would be to have my own podcast and interview people. That would rock.
But mostly when I am at home and I have nothing pressing to be doing I will just read the news. and today I finally realized it: It's because I don't have a constructive hobby. Back when I first got married I wanted to the be best man that I could be for my wife: I wanted to get up extra early every morning so I could get an early start on the day and get loads of stuff done before she even had a chance to wake up. But the fact was that all I could do was write. I could work on my book, write poetry, maybe do some blog work. The thing is, our apartment is so small that when I type on the keyboard (something I am exceptionally loud at...and proud of.) It would wake her up. In addition to the waking, it is a sound that also annoys the snot out of her. So unless I was willing to sit outside or go to some coffee shop (we aren't close enough to one to justify it...and I ain't sitting in the grass with a laptop. That's lame.) doing any kind of writing on the computer is out of the question. At the time I was writing some letters to friends and loved ones, but in this age it is both uncommon and inconsistent to receive a timely reply. So it's not something I could do every morning.
I think at one point, I decided I would just get up early, have some ME time and goof around on the internet. Aside from facebook and youtube, basically the only other thing you can do on the net that doesn't involve typing is reading the news. And so i developed the terrible addiction of being a news junkie. My wife pointed this out to me just a few weeks back. But it actually soaked in today.
If I actually took my mornings and focused; if I woke up with the purpose of doing something constructive, I'm willing to bet this bad habit could be broken very easily. Hopefully when we get to Texas, Amber and I will be able to get a two bedroom apartment, where I can close the door of the second bedroom and get some writing done without disturbing her. Or maybe I could learn to program, or record and edit sound, or write games? For those who are willing to wake up in the morning, there is a whole world of opportunity to be seized before 10 A.M.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The Trucker's Blessing
Just a few nights ago I was lieing in my bed, mildly depressed at my current state. I sometimes get frustrated because, having earned a bachelor's degree in business management, I argue that I should have a better job than I have.
I enjoy my job and I am sometimes proud of what I do. But when I spend my time working alongside highschoolers, I wonder just how far my degree got me. Now, the guys that I work with who are attending highschool are exceptional young men. They are smart, witty and relatively hard workers...I take that back. They're just smart and witty. But they're highschoolers, so you can't expect them to have a great work ethic. I at least have to hand it to them just for HAVING jobs; I didn't get a job until I was out of college.
So I guess I deserve what I'm going through in a way. But sometimes I just wonder what all the studying was for. So I was depressed and preparing myself for a night's rest. Oftentimes when I go to bed after a hard day's work the bible verse pops into my mind, "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet." Yet another example of the Bible having absolute truth. There are few things sweeter than resting my head on that pillow at night.
But then the very next day I had the opportunity to talk to my wife's grandmother, who we all affectionately call "Granny." and who I love very dearly. She told me she was seeing me grow in both spiritual and practical maturity. I could hear in her voice that she was proud of me, even though I was working an entry-level job; and she reminded me multiple times in that conversation that God places us in these places for a reason. He doesn't just stick us somewhere and forget about us. That was so relieveing to be reminded of.
Then another blessing came to me that night as the store was closing. I got called to the front of the store to answer a question that the team-members at customer service couldn't answer...again. When they simply attempted to explain the situation over the head-set I knew it was going to be a headache.
A customer had Sirius/XM in his big-rig truck and his old head-unit was broken. Intelligently, he had the geek-squad protection so he was just bringing it in for a swap-out. The tricky part was, no one was sure what to replace is WITH. So I took the time to help them along and talk with them and explain stuff. It all worked out in the end, but while we were working stuff out we started talking.
The customer, who had been driving his truck for 20 years, insisted that he needed Sirius radio for the metro opera and classical stations. In all my years I have NEVER heard of a trucker that listens to opera. To add to it, the man had an immaculate comb-over and a gentlemen's tone in his voice. It was puzzling, to be short.
Then I asked him how he got into this pompy music.
"Oh, I went to Juilliard" He says to me.
"That legendary school of music?" Says I.
The very same. A trucker went to one of the world's most recognized music schools. I ended the conversation there, finished up and then went on my way. But as I walked away, I began to ponder just what this man was. He seemed to be in the exact same boat I was in, except he was at least 60 years old. With every step I was more tempted to turn around and learn more. Then, by Divine Work, he called out to me and said he needed one more thing. "Oh, its over here" I said, and we began to walk across the store to retrieve the product.
Then I caved and asked him "So, whats your story? What did you do after you graduated?"
Turns out the man went straight into the opera. He told me stories of how he travelled the world, living out his music career in the greatest concert halls in the world, singing all the great operas. Then, twenty years into his career, he suddenly was struck with an incurable lung disease. He was forced to quit within a 2-year period.
"Then, I was forced to get into my second job. And that was driving."
I don't entirely understand the situation, and I can't be the one to make the final judgment. But when you graduate from a college like THAT, and you have a 20 year career like THAT, then SURELY you can get a job teaching. Or something. But instead the man chose to drive a truck. A good job. A hard job. An honest and honorable job. But that man was still over-qualified for it.
Yet despite his career absolutely tumbling and having to resort for the remainder of his life to a job that would never give him rest or particularly good pay, the man was happy.
You could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, sense it in his calm, easy walk. The man was content in his life. He drove his truck, listened to the music he so loved and then came home to his wife. It was a pattern he had, and he was content to do it.
If a man like that can be content. If a man like that can be happy. I have absolutely no room to be disappointed by my circumstances.
I enjoy my job and I am sometimes proud of what I do. But when I spend my time working alongside highschoolers, I wonder just how far my degree got me. Now, the guys that I work with who are attending highschool are exceptional young men. They are smart, witty and relatively hard workers...I take that back. They're just smart and witty. But they're highschoolers, so you can't expect them to have a great work ethic. I at least have to hand it to them just for HAVING jobs; I didn't get a job until I was out of college.
So I guess I deserve what I'm going through in a way. But sometimes I just wonder what all the studying was for. So I was depressed and preparing myself for a night's rest. Oftentimes when I go to bed after a hard day's work the bible verse pops into my mind, "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet." Yet another example of the Bible having absolute truth. There are few things sweeter than resting my head on that pillow at night.
But then the very next day I had the opportunity to talk to my wife's grandmother, who we all affectionately call "Granny." and who I love very dearly. She told me she was seeing me grow in both spiritual and practical maturity. I could hear in her voice that she was proud of me, even though I was working an entry-level job; and she reminded me multiple times in that conversation that God places us in these places for a reason. He doesn't just stick us somewhere and forget about us. That was so relieveing to be reminded of.
Then another blessing came to me that night as the store was closing. I got called to the front of the store to answer a question that the team-members at customer service couldn't answer...again. When they simply attempted to explain the situation over the head-set I knew it was going to be a headache.
A customer had Sirius/XM in his big-rig truck and his old head-unit was broken. Intelligently, he had the geek-squad protection so he was just bringing it in for a swap-out. The tricky part was, no one was sure what to replace is WITH. So I took the time to help them along and talk with them and explain stuff. It all worked out in the end, but while we were working stuff out we started talking.
The customer, who had been driving his truck for 20 years, insisted that he needed Sirius radio for the metro opera and classical stations. In all my years I have NEVER heard of a trucker that listens to opera. To add to it, the man had an immaculate comb-over and a gentlemen's tone in his voice. It was puzzling, to be short.
Then I asked him how he got into this pompy music.
"Oh, I went to Juilliard" He says to me.
"That legendary school of music?" Says I.
The very same. A trucker went to one of the world's most recognized music schools. I ended the conversation there, finished up and then went on my way. But as I walked away, I began to ponder just what this man was. He seemed to be in the exact same boat I was in, except he was at least 60 years old. With every step I was more tempted to turn around and learn more. Then, by Divine Work, he called out to me and said he needed one more thing. "Oh, its over here" I said, and we began to walk across the store to retrieve the product.
Then I caved and asked him "So, whats your story? What did you do after you graduated?"
Turns out the man went straight into the opera. He told me stories of how he travelled the world, living out his music career in the greatest concert halls in the world, singing all the great operas. Then, twenty years into his career, he suddenly was struck with an incurable lung disease. He was forced to quit within a 2-year period.
"Then, I was forced to get into my second job. And that was driving."
I don't entirely understand the situation, and I can't be the one to make the final judgment. But when you graduate from a college like THAT, and you have a 20 year career like THAT, then SURELY you can get a job teaching. Or something. But instead the man chose to drive a truck. A good job. A hard job. An honest and honorable job. But that man was still over-qualified for it.
Yet despite his career absolutely tumbling and having to resort for the remainder of his life to a job that would never give him rest or particularly good pay, the man was happy.
You could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, sense it in his calm, easy walk. The man was content in his life. He drove his truck, listened to the music he so loved and then came home to his wife. It was a pattern he had, and he was content to do it.
If a man like that can be content. If a man like that can be happy. I have absolutely no room to be disappointed by my circumstances.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Fighting the System
Through my teens and through College I always got high on the idea of being an individual and seperating myself from the norm. I mean, whats NOT cool about being completely independent, completely seperated from any description? It earned me a reputation among my peers, whether good or bad (it really depends on who you talk to).
Now that I'm out of the social stress and awkwardness of being around people 24/7 I find myself continuing to "fight the system" in unique ways. Sometimes I do it at work, like drinking from cans instead of bottles. Or by recommending a product that is considerably cheaper, but identical quality to customers just because I like the underdogs (it doesn't help profits and it doesn't help a customers self-confidence. Which is why people buy expensive things.)
I even "fight the system" in my purchases. That's one of the reasons I got a Windows Phone. I was bored of the iPhone, but more importantly, I wanted to have something no one else had. I wanted to support the underdog and watch them rise to power! I wanted to turn heads with my completely unique operating system!
Nerd.
I was tired of Apple dominating smartphones and I wasn't about to root for Android, which was a broken mess enjoyed by the masses cause they just didn't know any better (I know, I know. Thats just what I was thinking at the time. Settle down.) So I went with Windows Phone and the underdog Lumia 900. A great phone in many respects.
But then I got burned. Not realizing that Microsoft would have a crappy strategy with the Windows 8 platform, I bought in. Then I find out the system had barely any apps to speak of. There were hardly any games worth picking up, and the ones that were actually good cost 5 dollars. PFT! for a CELL phone game!? Then the software update came that wasn't even compatible with my phone, making my sexy piece of hardware outdated in a six-month period.
Lately I was thinking about getting the Raspberry Pi as a desktop platform for my work. I don't need a massive processor, and I don't need all the bells and whistles of a $300-400 laptop. I would just buy a 19 inch screen, all the cords I needed and have a functional computer for 160 bucks. Plus I'm pissed at Microsoft for screwing me over with my phone and I can't afford a Mac.
But then it hit me: Why am I doing this? Like, what am I ACTUALLY proving? I'm reminded of basically every rebellion in history. Here's how it usually goes: a bunch of people get upset at the big guy, they do things to upset him or to disrupt his influence, and then they get squashed like little bugs and people write about them later. Or the rebels lose interest and quit, in which case people just forget about them.
You can fight the powers in the business world. But it Ain't gonna do much. It's true in politics too. Now we should still do whats right when a government is trying to take over our lives. But technology and consumer products can't take over your life (not in a literal sense anyways).
By fighting the system in the world of consumer electronics, and consumer products in general for that matter, the only person you are hurting is yourself. I could get that little Raspberry Pi and not have to fork over the money on an overpriced laptop, but then I wouldn't be able to multi-task in my web browser or watch youtube videos. I also wouldn't have access to Office. Which is a pretty big deal if I'm trying to put in applications. By fighting the system when I got my Windows Phone, I gave up a really useful PDA and all the coolest apps on the market. I also gave up great customer service and long-term OS updates. I was proud of myself for the first couple of weeks, but after reality sank in I realized I was just acting stupid. And in that stupidity I wasted hard earned money and gave myself a compromised product.
Don't fight the system. Popular products are popular for a reason.
Now that I'm out of the social stress and awkwardness of being around people 24/7 I find myself continuing to "fight the system" in unique ways. Sometimes I do it at work, like drinking from cans instead of bottles. Or by recommending a product that is considerably cheaper, but identical quality to customers just because I like the underdogs (it doesn't help profits and it doesn't help a customers self-confidence. Which is why people buy expensive things.)
I even "fight the system" in my purchases. That's one of the reasons I got a Windows Phone. I was bored of the iPhone, but more importantly, I wanted to have something no one else had. I wanted to support the underdog and watch them rise to power! I wanted to turn heads with my completely unique operating system!
Nerd.
I was tired of Apple dominating smartphones and I wasn't about to root for Android, which was a broken mess enjoyed by the masses cause they just didn't know any better (I know, I know. Thats just what I was thinking at the time. Settle down.) So I went with Windows Phone and the underdog Lumia 900. A great phone in many respects.
But then I got burned. Not realizing that Microsoft would have a crappy strategy with the Windows 8 platform, I bought in. Then I find out the system had barely any apps to speak of. There were hardly any games worth picking up, and the ones that were actually good cost 5 dollars. PFT! for a CELL phone game!? Then the software update came that wasn't even compatible with my phone, making my sexy piece of hardware outdated in a six-month period.
Lately I was thinking about getting the Raspberry Pi as a desktop platform for my work. I don't need a massive processor, and I don't need all the bells and whistles of a $300-400 laptop. I would just buy a 19 inch screen, all the cords I needed and have a functional computer for 160 bucks. Plus I'm pissed at Microsoft for screwing me over with my phone and I can't afford a Mac.
But then it hit me: Why am I doing this? Like, what am I ACTUALLY proving? I'm reminded of basically every rebellion in history. Here's how it usually goes: a bunch of people get upset at the big guy, they do things to upset him or to disrupt his influence, and then they get squashed like little bugs and people write about them later. Or the rebels lose interest and quit, in which case people just forget about them.
You can fight the powers in the business world. But it Ain't gonna do much. It's true in politics too. Now we should still do whats right when a government is trying to take over our lives. But technology and consumer products can't take over your life (not in a literal sense anyways).
By fighting the system in the world of consumer electronics, and consumer products in general for that matter, the only person you are hurting is yourself. I could get that little Raspberry Pi and not have to fork over the money on an overpriced laptop, but then I wouldn't be able to multi-task in my web browser or watch youtube videos. I also wouldn't have access to Office. Which is a pretty big deal if I'm trying to put in applications. By fighting the system when I got my Windows Phone, I gave up a really useful PDA and all the coolest apps on the market. I also gave up great customer service and long-term OS updates. I was proud of myself for the first couple of weeks, but after reality sank in I realized I was just acting stupid. And in that stupidity I wasted hard earned money and gave myself a compromised product.
Don't fight the system. Popular products are popular for a reason.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Nintendo, oh Nintendo
I don't care what anyone wants to say, Nintendo is like a crazy jester that was backed into a cliff-side by all the sane citizens of the village. As he stands on the edge of this cliff, quietly wondering what he is going to do, he plays the same horn and tells the same jokes, hoping the townsfolk will accept him for who he is. The townspeople, bewildered, have compassion in their hearts for this jester. They want to nurture him, feed him, educate him and make them a part of their happy village, but every time they approach the jester, he backs away like a scared little lamb. They chased him to this cliffside as they desperately tried to reason with him, but now it looks like he wants to jump and nobody is sure what they should do about it.
Thats Nintendo. That Jester is Nintendo.
Tooting the same horn, trying the same cheap tricks, showing the same stoic confidence they always have while keeping that happy-go-lucky attitude with all their press releases. This is a company that refuses to pick up and move even when its obvious that the meteor is GOING to strike the town you've been living in. The WHOLE world is changing right now.
Europe is going bankrupt, Microsoft is re-hashing ALL of its products, Apple's stock price is in freefall for seemingly NO reason, the entire stock market is artificially inflated, the President of the United States is forcing a healthcare plan on a society that wants nothing to do with it. The Canadian Loony is worth more than the American Dollar, Japan's manufacturing bubble is popping, South Korea is about to get a bomb dropped on its butt.
EVERYTHING is changing right now. EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is adapting and moving and strategizing, fighting desperately to stay alive and keep things moving.
Everyone EXCEPT Nintendo.
For the last 25 years, this company has relied on Mario, a console every 5 years, a handheld every 5 years and a fanbase that refuses to let them die. That's IT.
Lets get one thing straight here. The fanbase Nintendo found with the Wii is a fanbase they will NEVER get back. I've personally talked to the mothers and fathers who owned a Wii. They are now obsessed with iPads and smartphones and all the cute 99 cent games they can find on there. In another 5 years there will be something else for them to obsess about, but it ain't gonna be a Wii or anything else Nintendo makes, unless they truly change.
I am going to sound a little crazy in this post. But hopefully you'll at least consider what I'm talking about.
Nintendo is actually competing with the biggest, most powerful, most influential companies in the world. These companies are putting strategies in place that make any single persons interaction with computers or technology an interaction with that company.
Microsoft got into the console business for the very reason that is happening today. Bill Gates envisioned a day where there would be a tv in every living room and a computer connected to it that fed content to the viewer. Thats what the Xbox does now and when they reveal the Durango in a month, thats what its going to do. In addition to that, there is Windows Phone for your pocket and then Smartglass to make it a tv remote. Windows 8 for laptops, and the Surface for taking to the office or to class. Pretty much anything you would call "technology" is a business Microsoft is now in.
Apple TV? The iPad? the iPhone? The Mac? All a single ecosystem
Samsung TV's? The Galaxy phones? The Galaxy Tabs? Samsung washers and dryers now communicate with their smartphones.
Google is doing the same thing. Sony is (poorly) doing the same thing. LG is trying to play middle ground by partnering with Google and just making good products in literally EVERY category.
But Nintendo, who makes ONE thing, is sitting in a corner doing the same thing they have always been doing. A console every five years. A handheld every five years. Make a Mario game. Are we seeing a pattern here?
Then again, amidst all the chaos right now, the only companies that AREN'T panicking are Apple and Nintendo. Nintendo is like the Apple of videogames, come to think of it. Both are innovative, bull headed, consistently stick to their own agendas regardless of what everyone else does, and both have massive cash reserves. Both are hated by many, faithfully loved by a few and survivors through dark times despite everything...and everyone else is panicking and second guessing themselves. Microsoft speaks for itself, and Samsung's great leader insists that the company must be in a "perpetually state of panic."
Corporate America and the financial gurus that manage it insist that if a company isn't growing, its dying. That if a market is penetrated it can only shrink and become unprofitable and so the day traders of the world look to the big boys for their ROI's. If you listen to the radio and tv shows and investor shows, tech companies come up more often than oil, because its a massive, lucrative business. Its a money-hungry power struggle in the world of tech and the big companies who have made it this far are fighting tooth and nail to win the approval of the customer and the investor, but mostly the investor. Because the customer doesn't do the hiring in corporate America. The investor does.
Nintendo and Apple, despite being massive financial successes in their time, and having to hear the cries and complaints of their customers and of investors in what they are doing wrong or right, just quietly smile, retreat to their offices after a hard day at the press event and go back to doing whatever the heck they want. And they always, ALWAYS make money doing it. Maybe they aren't as successful as company A or company B, but they're certainly never for want of their piece of the pie.
Nintendo, as a company, is the father and mother of video games. No matter what anyone else does, they know what they're doing, why they're doing it and what needs to happen next. Everyone else is going to panic and invest in market A or B in order to diversify "risk" but Nintendo is happy to do what it has been doing for the last 25 years.
I was reading a blog on IGN earlier today. The writer innocently wrote about the games he goes back to time and again every year. The games he just can't get enough of and can't wait for more of. He talked about why he liked them or challenges he created for himself on them. It was such a refreshing thing to read. Not just because of the description of simple, innocent joy that gaming can be, but because it brought me back to earth. I've spent my whole post-college career looking at profits of company A or B, while telling myself when I go to work "its not about the money. Its about the customer" and then I come home and criticize company A or B for not meeting financial goals.
Sure they've got jobs to do, but this whole stock exchange thing is only 100 years old. Men should do what they enjoy, find a single thing to be good at and do it for the rest of their lives. As an obscure song taught me just before I became married, "Decide what to be and go be it."
Oh, by the way. That blog I was reading? Almost every game that the writer mentioned was made by Nintendo. Much to my surprise, the comments that followed, the majority of the 900 of them (just a few hours after his post) were agreements from his readers, that they too kept going back to Nintendo games.
The father and mother of video games, despite being surpassed in sales and "market share" and "mind share" and competitors winning the love of the common "mature gamer" and "hardcore gamer," Nintendo still made the games that these gamers came back to after so many years. It was inspiring.
Maybe the whole world just needs to be more like Nintendo.
Disruptors
2013 is already almost half over. That thought is depressing
in a way, because as I get older and stay busy, days seem to pass faster and
faster. Its a fact that old people warned me about since I was little, so I
guess I saw it coming. Its still overwhelming though.
Nonetheless its never too late to make a list. In the last
couple of weeks I have been keeping my eye on some companies that are really
rocking the boat of convention. In a way, they're actually going back to old
principles. Lets get to it.
Company #1: Freedompop
Freedompop is an upstart that took their sweet time getting
started. I don't know the whole story, but reports of them getting their
service out seem to go back over a year, and they only just recently got their
service rolled out. Nonetheless, its a huge deal. This is an internet company
that is using a similar strategy to Clear, who provides hotspots at home and on
the go for a flat rate every month. Freedompop one-ups that strategy by
offering mobile hot-spots for sale (not lease) and just for owning that hotspot
you get 500mb of data every month. JUST for owning the thing, which costs you
NOTHING. If you get a hotspot meant for home use, you get 1gb of data per month.
It gets interesting from there because afterwards they charge
(although very affordably) by the megabyte. I can't blame them because they're
a business, and I can't argue with them because the rate they charge is still
cheaper than Verizon or AT&T. But this solution is PERFECT for the
grandparents that only use the internet for email. Its PERFECT for the student
thats broke every month just paying for food and rent. Its PERFECT for the
family that wants to take a vacation once a year but doesn't want to fork out a
couple hundred bucks for some "convenient" internet solution.
I love it most of all because its one step closer to a more
afforable internet. Not that its horribly expensive now but...I'm a cheapskate.
Company #2: T-Mobile
Not all that different from Freedompop, but this is still a
big deal. In an effort to be fiercely competitive, T-Mobile is targeting the
"affordable" smartphone market. I pay over $150 a month to AT&T
for the cell phones my wife and I use. Of course we are in a two year contract
as well, so if we are displeased with the service, we can basically just shut
up and deal with it.
T-Mobile is offering unlimited data with no contract. Want
the latest phone? Pay for it in monthly, no interest payments. WHAT!? That
strategy is basically what I'm doing with AT&T. But if I do the same thing
I'm doing at AT&T and take it over to T-Mobile, I will suddenly be paying
$50 less per month AND have unlimited data.
How could I NOT be in love with that? People need to jump on
this bandwagon (and I will too as soon as my stupid contract is up).
Oh and by the way, they also have the latest and greatest
phones from Samsung, Apple and Windows. Yeah, thats a win.
Company #3: Raspberry Pi
Though technically not a company, it is a movement. Produced
by Cambridge University and manufactured by Sony (if my research is to be believed)
the Raspberry Pi is a little computer that costs $25. $35 if you want the
internet capability (and who doesn't?)
This is huge for a couple of reasons. The guys making this
thing only had education on their minds when they made it. I think that is
noble and wonderful; but this is also a world where people do things with
things that weren't intended to be done. Which is awesome.
The Raspberry Pi is intended for education, but it can just
as easily be a computer for poor, a productivity suite for a small business
owner, a spare computer for the kids to use. It is also a hobbyists' dream. Its
a cute little device with a cute name that can be used for a million different
things.
Personally, I want to use it to learn how to program and as a
no-distractions computer for writing. Even buying all the stuff needed for the
computer brand new, I can spend $150 getting this little guy up and running.
Since I have a Best Buy discount, I'll spend $80. Imagine if I already owned a
mouse and keyboard, with a monitor? Its a $50 computer, people!
Mark my words: We are going to hear a lot about this little
computer in the coming years. This is the beginning of a movement.
There are other disruptors in the world. Aereo, Roku, Amazon
with their Kindle. I might get to all of these companies and products in a
later post, but I just had to get these three off my chest. I'm too excited.
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