If you haven’t noticed, there wasn’t an issue of The Weekly Banter last week. In fact, none of the other Video Game City columns had been posted mainly because we were all in recovery. We pulled off our first successful Feature Presentation and are already planning a new one for July. What does that mean for this column? Well nothing much aside from the fact that I have had extra time to think of some topics. The biggest topic of this week is In fact directly related to Video Game City. So grab a pack of potato chips and have a seat because you have been dropped directly into a new issue of The Weekly Banter.

    Video Game City started out very small, and while the site still isn’t huge, it has grown a great deal since it first began. Our library of reviews has increased ten fold and the diversity of our editors will shock even the pickiest of web site critics. The biggest addition to the site came in the form of editor’s columns. It was a great way to explore the minds of our editor’s. Many of them already have a column running. From the mysterious mind of Chad Phillips in The Gamer’s SoapBox, to our newest column written by Amber Maynard. They all have their influences and the columns themselves had a beginning. PopCorn To PowerCords which is hands down our most popular column to date has captured many viewers with its humorous and often very true insight into how a movie to game translation could be successful. Brandon Parker was the author and he was one of the very first people employed for the site. His ideas were brilliantly sewn into a weekly article that had no match, and to this day, none of the columns have been surpassed in popularity. Unfortunately, with the recent departure of Brandon Parker the PopCorn To PowerCords column had been put to rest indefinitely. Early thoughts included the revival of the column with a different author, but the idea may have put a strain on the reputation of the quality of the original issues. The topics ranged from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to 8 Mile and the innovative ideas presented would have the most dedicated developer fall to their knees in praise. Every story has its beginning and PopCorn To PowerCords was Video Game City’s true beginning. We salute Brandon Parker and we salute PopCorn To PowerCords, the beginning of a generation.

    Online Games have the tendency to become very addictive. It has been said that hundreds of Americans have lost their jobs due to this genre of gaming. Most of the blame has been pointed at EverQuest, the immensely popular massive online role playing game, but it is not the only suspect. I can think of many games that have turned helpless gamers into monsters of the internet realm. Now this is not always a bad thing. Video games have always been one sided and computer AI was not always the best companion for a gamer looking for a deep gameplay experience. It is best to look at online games as a massive experiment in innovating communication. To be quite honest, an online game is basically a giant chatroom. Hundreds of players come together and converse, talking about not only the game, but their own lives as well. Now blowing each others heads off also comes into the mix but that’s the icing on the cake. Not only is communication a big pro, but knowledge also plays an important role in why online games can be a benefit to the world. A game like EverQuest throws you into a civilization complete with its own set of history and important figures. It is almost like living in your own fantasy novel. Some gamers go so far as to memorize spells, history books and other items that can be found in the game. So much as to boggle a new player who simply wants to know where he can find a stick. The point of this discussion is to put to rest all the complaints that online games “always” ruin people’s lives. Yes, online games can affect the life of a person in negative ways if they play too much, but to most of the gamers, it is simple and welcome extension to their already epic way of life. It not only presents entertainment, but it provides a deep sense of communication and knowledge that no person can deny.

    Our final topic of the week has been debated quite a bit in the last few months. Due to the recent war in Iraq fought between the Americans and Saddam Hussein, increased pressure has been placed on developers with their decisions regarding war based video games. Recent games including Splinter Cell and America’s Army have come under fire for exploiting the violence of military operations. It is very clear that the developers have defended their positions considering that both of these games are currently available. No matter what your position on the war is, it must be made clear that the concepts of these games were devised before the war was even in consideration. The main conflict is found in the release dates of these games. Splinter Cell for the Playstation 2 and GameCube was released smack down in the middle of the war and while not a lot of fuss was made about it, there were surely people against it. My personal opinion is that the decisions to release games about war during a war is not the best option. Splinter Cell is a tough topic though because it depicts a secret agent fighting terrorists but it does not take place during a war. While you may agree or disagree with my stance, you must understand that everyone has their own opinions and that the decisions of game publishers also count. I wish the best of luck and safety to all those who are in Iraq and that they come home safely. I also wish that game developers keep doing what they do because they are the imagination of our generation.

    Tune in next weeks issue for a new format and some brand new topics that will be discussed. If you feel that there is a topic that needs to be discussed then e-mail me at lifeforce @vgcity.com and I will take it into consideration. See you all next week.