Sugar Gamers

Many of us remember a time before the reality show pandemic.  A time when shows had to be written and somehow Ren & Stimpy was an acceptable show for children.  Lately, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has been the haven for 90’s TV enthusiasts like us.  They’ve brought back a few classics, some neverending anime and even created some awesome new cult hits like Robot Chicken and Metalacolpyse.  

However, watching King of the Hill always makes me hunger for the good ‘ol Beavis and Butthead days.  I know I’m a little bit late on this story but in case you haven’t heard because you’ve given up on watching MTV like me, B&B are back with new episodes!  The dynamic duo of all things delinquent and unsavory will once again grace my television screen!  I can’t wait to see them in HD.  MTV is also spearheading a new animated series called Good Vibes based on a chubby young man who has just moved to California, I intend to give it a shot.

As for MTV’s older, and far more depressing sibling VH1, the lazy day favorite Pop Up Video will be making a triumphant return as well.  Something tells me with the upgraded technology we have these days, Pop UP Video could become a serious sensation all over again.

Here’s hoping these channels continue to tweak their lineups with more original content.  I would say it’s gonna take some patience, the MTV/VH1 comeback is gonna be a lot harder than Brittany Spears’s.  There’s a lot more damage to come back from.     

One of our favorite Sugar Gamers makes her debut on our Pixeldom show, keep an eye out for her, she’ll be sticking around.

Did you know that even the undead can be douchebags?  I mean they smell, they try to eat your brain and have no regard for public property.  And according to the star of the upcoming WB Games title Lollipop Chainsaw, Juliet Starling, it takes a lot of shampoo lathering to get those pesky zombie chunks out of her hair after a day of shredding.

Juliet may be cute as a button but she’s a bit complicated.  A cheerleader and zombie hunter, Juliet’s jewel encrusted day planner gets pretty full.  Now, before you go and make your Buffy comparisons I’d like to point out the one very big difference.  Buffy did not bedazzle and spray paint her stakes in pink, nor did her weapons ever radiate the adorable rainbow effect that Juliet’s signature chainsaw is known for.  

The best way to this mighty little blonde’s heart is a strawberry lollipop.  Don’t worry, she gets more than enough cardio to burn off the calories, she wants you to know that.  Despite the unbelievable plot I happen to think cheerleaders would make excellent zombie exterminators.  For one, they tend to have very tight cores and excellent dexterity.  Also, when facing the abysmal appearance of the undead it is important to keep an upbeat attitude.  Cheerleaders are also capable of loud yelling which will come in handy should they be eaten alive at least their screams will let their pals will know they’re goners.   

WB teamed up with Grasshopper Manfacture and Kadokawa Games for Lollipop Chainsaw which will be out sometime next year.  In the meantime, make sure to follow Miss Starling on Twitter (@JulietStarling) and stay tuned here for any updates. 

You know the drill by now.  Pixeldom puts me on live with a couple guests and I torpedo the show into utter chaos.  Here’s some highlights from the last show.

Introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy and Alcee Hastings, Senate Bill 968 truly demonstrates how out of touch these two are with the digital generation.  According to the ECA (Entertainment Consumers Association) if the bill is passed it would mean the following:

 ”-It would empower the government to block American access to sites accused of copyright violations. That’s accused, not convicted of such.”

”-You like to post or watch videos of you singing karaoke or covering a song with your guitar?  Forget it, because that could be punishable by up to 5 years in prison if your ‘performance’ is unlicensed.”

“-Linking to accused material could get you in trouble.”

“-As a video game player, forget posting videos of your speed runs or live streaming your playing, because that’d be illegal if this passes.”

After further research, the ECA’s depiction is very accurate and does the best job of interpreting the bill.  The internet is how our generation expresses their freedom of speech and this bill appears not to take that into account.  Mega sites like Google and Youtube would suffer severely as well as the users themselves.

Many are asking what exactly this bill hopes to accomplish.  It would appear that it is an attempt to protect copyrighted properties and corporate interests via the internet.  Don’t get me wrong, corporations have a right to protect their businesses, but not at the price of basic rights.  I would suggest introducing legislation that creates a standard for copyrighting material online.  I would at least recommend further editing, as is, this bill will create quite a commotion.  There’s already heavy opposition from both sides of the political spectrum, lovely to see our congress in agreement on something.

The internet is a multi-generational standard of life.  Our internet rights are crucial and any legislation that is passed will effect our lives in a serious way.  Agree with me or not, but I urge you to at least have a conversation about what this legislation means and take a stance on it.    

‘Tis the season for blood, guts and gory glory so drop by OneSolution (4408 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60630) on Saturday, October 29th for “MK Mayhem,” a Mortal Kombat tournament and costume party.

We have exclusive prizes courtesy of Netherealm Studio and a couple of mystery prizes for the winners.

 There will be tourneys for both Xbox360 and PS3, we will also feature a character auction tourney and costume contest.  There will be a 5$ buy-in for the tournament that will come with a Venom of your choice.  Expect to see a ton of Sugar Gamers and the Pixeldom crew.  Costumes are heavily recommended, there will be drinks and a DJ.  Here is the facebook link for those of you interested in RSVPing:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125364910904197

Ryan Smith is the very same writer who featured Sugar Gamers in his “Play Girls” article in the Red Eye.  Check out his latest article here:http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/ct-red-indie-gamers-20111016,0,5796871.story  We decided to have Ryan on our Sugar Cast to talk about his own adventures in gameland including a recent escapade in Vegas.

OneSolution’s maiden voyage tournbament was “Hardcore Horde,” a Gears of War 3 Horde tournament hosted by yours truly.

We had the DJ, the booze and one monster projector setup for amazing gameplay.  OneSolution (my1solution.com) was packed to the brim with gaming fans including Sugar Gamers.

 Tournament winners Donald and Amanda will be the first to have their picture mounted on OneSolution’s “Wall of Winning.”

   Congratulations you two, you won by a landslide, excellent teamwork!  Feel a little bummed you missed out?  Buck up, October 29th at OneSolution (4408 N Milwaukee Ave.) is “MK Mayehm” a Mortal Kombat tourney and costume party.  Stay tuned for details.   

Oh no….they put ‘ol Bonks on air again….

PC or Apple, Steve Jobs was a household name.  At only 56, cancer took Jobs away from us this past week.  I think the most ironic frustration for us nerds is that despite everything we’ve accomplished with technology, medical mischief makers like cancer still have a tight grip on human life.

His geek pedigree was strong.  In high school he would bum around Hewlett-Packard where he ran into another geek extraordinaire, Steve Wozniak.  He worked as a game designer for Atari and then at the ripe old age of 21, Apple Computers was born.

We have watched the Apple empire expand through the decades and change form in the new millennium.  Everyone was has questions about what direction Apple will take without Jobs but I happen to believe that he is woven into the very fabric of the company so figuring out where to go next shouldn’t be hard.        

Ladies, there’s no reason to get up in arms over a diet beverage that Dr. Pepper has marketed as “Not for Women.”  Truth is the men folk need their manly diet drinks, it makes them feel masculine about watching their figure.  We like fit men right?

 Oh f**k it, FLAME ON!  This commercial not only demonstrates the same moronic ideals that prohibit the video game industry from marketing to violent video game loving females like me properly but dares to assume that men in this country are really that neutered.  ”Enjoying the film ladies?  Of course not.”  Listen here you just above fugly No List actor, don’t you dare tell me what I’m enjoying.  

Alright meow, powering down.  Dr. Pepper is not a company of sexist jackasses, however, they may have suffered a slight brain fart in the marketing department, or did they?  There is medical evidence out there to support that men really need to step back from the sugary soda drinks and I can commend efforts to make anyone healthier, but the “no girls allowed” approach was clearly an attention whoring stunt that definitely worked.  Enjoy the profits and hate mail.  

Video games have become a hot button issue at PTA meeting everywhere as well as congress.  The main focus being the “M” rated titles.  We can only hope that after the recent supreme court decision against the violent video game bill, this misguided media storm will die down.  I’d like to remind everyone that gaming is a multi-faceted entity that can positively affect anyone.

These past few weeks have been monumental for the pro-gaming camp.  To start, a dedicated group of gamers were able to map out in detail the molecular structure of a an enzyme found in a specific type of AIDS virus.  Even better, it only took them ten days.

 This accomplishment gives scientists another piece of the puzzle towards curing the virus.

On September 16th, the White House launched its “Digital Promise” program.

 The promise will update the education system with technological tools proven to be effective, including game technology to keep students engaged.  President Obama was quoted saying, “There’s no silver bullet when it comes to education, but technology can be powerful too, and Digital Promise will help us make the most of it.” 

I want to encourage the gaming community to capitalize on these amazing milestones and educate others about the positive effects our culture creates.  If you’re truly passionate about educating the public on a greater scale then you’ll want to talk to the Video Game Voters Network.

 The VGVN is now implementing a campus ambassador program and is looking for candidates.  If you have the time and the passion I strongly recommend you take at look their site for more details: http://videogamevoters.org/.  

Brush up on your horde skills for a chance to win a GOW3 controller, tags or other great prizes at OneSolution (4408 N Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60630) on October 15th.  There’s an enormous projector setup you’ll be playing on with an amazing surround sound system hooked up.  

Teams of 2 will compete on a map and will have have ten specified waves to score the most points.  Teams will use the projector setup one at a time in the back so no one will know the other team scores until the tourney is over.  Meanwhile hang out up front with drinks and more video gaming and music.  Keep an eye out for our pals from Pixeldom who will be covering the event and of course Sugar Gamers.

You can register by stopping into the store or calling 773-321-0197 (ask for Bonks).  After the tourney we’ll go into total after party mode with live DJ and drinks.  You can also check out the Facebook event page to see who’s showing up  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215551795174646.  See you guys there.