The Secret Boyfriend

So let’s get a little into PR and cosplay. You’d think ‘Oh this is just a hobby, surly no one can take this seriously enough to take drastic PR tactics to improve their image.’  Well then you’d be wrong. Now let start by stating not all cosplayers are this way, most treat it as a hobby, but there are many cosplayers out there who use their cosplay as a business or present their cosplay as a public figure. We call these pseudo-celebrities and most of them the average person has never heard of.

Most cosplayers will use a fake name for their cosplay pages or create an alter ego for their cosplay self. One of the most drastic PR tactics some cosplayers will use is the ‘Secret Boyfriend’ tactic. This is when a cosplayer has a boyfriend in their real life but does not disclose so when relating to their cosplay life. Many will have their real life boyfriend attend conventions with them but when time comes to chat with a fan they pretend they are single and the real life boyfriend disappears for a bit.

An Anonymous Takopop Contributor from ‘KOTAKU” published an article disclosing the relationship of a ‘secret boyfriend’. In his article Anon states “Let's be honest folks, celebrities don't date fans. Cosplayers don't date fanboys. I could go into some deep rant 'Barney Stinson style' about the rules of the universe, but that is just the way it is. A guy going to a cosplayer's Facebook page and commenting about how sexy she is and oogling at her boobs is the same as going to a strip club and throwing money on the stage. It is just an illusion. If that stripper revealed she has a boyfriend or a husband and five kids, would she still be attractive? ”

Spot the Bag Boy

Even if these cosplayers are pseudo-celebrities they still have to deal with fan boy problems. No matter your level of fame there will always be those people who play into the illusion, believing its reality. So if they believe that the best way to deal with this is through social suppression of their relationship, or they believe that suppression is key to their feed their fame, then that is their choice to make. 

How To Get Rich Quick with Video Games

Watching Twitch TV and YouTube streamers like Pewdiepie, itsHafu, and Totalbiscuit can be a fascinating adventure on your computer or game console. Although many people look at these streamers and think "Why is this entertaining? You're just watching someone else play a video game instead of playing the game yourself.",but you can't help but continue to watch them as they yelp at jump scares, defeat difficult bosses, and complete objectives you only dreamt of completing.

One reason watching YouTube and Twitch TV streamers have become so popular is due to

the fact that these people are able to complete games that the viewer would not necessarily be able to complete on their own. For example, the game Five Nights at Freddy’s is an incredibly scary game that I would never be able to play, because I’d get too scared. That is why I turn to YouTubers like Markiplier and Pewdiepie, they are able to not only move throughout the game but give comic relief when necessary and build tension for the audience to experience.

It creates a different experience of gaming for a person when they actually have control of the game vs. watching another person play. While watching a friend of mine play Amnesia I would easily bark commands at him which felt like they would be easy to fulfill. But when he told me to switch places and physically play I found it difficult to bring myself to move or complete small actions because I was no longer detached from the game, thus making the game that much scarier.

Another reason so many gamers now watch streamers is because they can compete at a higher skill level than most of their fans. Twitch TV’s theOddone is a professional League of Legends player who streams his live games. He is a part of a multi-championship title holding team (TeamSoloMid) so he holds credibility within the gaming community; because of this many League of Legends players will watch his stream to improve their own skills.

Players are able to see his plays first hand while he describes why he did what he did and the different ways the play could have played out. From this players are able to implement his strategies into their own games to improve their skill and chances of winning.

Now I’m sure you’re asking yourself two things, what does this have to do with Elder Scrolls and how can I get rich quick with video games? Easy! When you have a Twitch TV account viewers of your stream can subscribe to you for $5 a month and donate any amount of money to you.

Streamers stream all kinds of video games, including console games like Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. If a player does not have the time or skill to complete all of the objectives within the game they can simply watch another streamer do it. This also allows players to see how life choices within the game play out for them in various quests that require you to choose a side.

Now how do you get rich quick? Simple, make a Twitch TV account and get your webcam going.

Now I’m not saying any of this because I’m sexist. I am saying this because the Internet has proven to BE sexist, and this is the scientific result of how different genders make their money as streamers.

If you are a guy BE FUNNY! Everyone knows guys are funnier than girls, it must be in their DNA or maybe guys are just easier to laugh at. If you are a chick, wear the most revealing low cut shirt you own. Everyone knows girls are not as good as guys at video games so you have to compensate it with cleavage.

So, what did we learn from this blog? REVIEW: You need the 3 C’s. If you’re a guy: Complete, Compete, and Comedy. If you’re a girl: Complete, Compete, and Cleavage. That’s it! Now go out into the world and get some donations.

How Cosplayers Truly Perceive Their 'Heroes'

The most well-known cosplayers are those who star in SyFy’s Heroes of Cosplay. The show gives those who are not a part of the cosplay community, but are into fandom, a window into what the world of cosplay looks like. The show has greatly increased awareness of cosplay and debunked some of the myths people believed about the immaturity of the practice and revealed the talent and craftsmanship that go into some of the costumes. Which is great for the community!

However, as lovely and friendshipy the show portrays the world of cosplay to an outsider, many of the cosplayers within the community see through the ‘BS’ of the show and have experience  the negative repercussions the show has caused. The primary issue being the elitist attitude. All negative issues within the cosplay community that derived from the Heros of Cosplay airing relate to the Elitist Attitude that has been growing for years. Whether the cosplayers on that show specifically portray an elitist attitude, like Monica Minx, or they attempt to portray an inclusive attitude, like YaYa Han, the truth of favoritism and elitist nature emerge.

The most talked about two episodes are the last two of season 1 at Wizard World New Orleans. These episodes were split over two days at the convention, seeing as there were two different contests on different days. OR SO WE THOUGHT.

In the episodes, which we are told are over the course of two days, the judges who are judging the different contest change clothes(which takes them over 1 hour), the cosplay “heroes” also change clothes seeing as some of them are in both competitions. Mind you the audience is still in their seats throughout the whole contest of 6 + hours. The at home audience is completely convinced this is a two day event. It wasn’t until shortly after Wizard World that we discovered attendee testimonials describing the horrible experiences they had at the convention, particularly at the contest. The contest was during one day and having an original time slot of 2 hours (normal) but ended up lasting 6 + hours.

The testimonials and personal experiences of the Wizard World New Orleans cosplayers are too long and in depth for the sake of this blog but I encourage everyone to read them.

At the end of the competition the heroes won all but one of the prizes and the ‘Judges’, who were some of the heroes themselves, conveniently created a new award on the spot for a group of heroes. Basically this is a deliberate act of favoritism. Yes, I understand these heroes are good, but there was a lot of costumes which were clearly better crafted, yet the ‘heroes’ still took all the prizes.

All in all the show has opened the general public’s eyes to the true fun-loving nature of cosplay, but it has also created a seed of hate which has bloomed and separated a part of the community. 

Shifting into MMO

As players explored the vast world of Skyrim and discovered the secrets hidden in its nooks and crannies, they became engrossed in the minute details of the world and mechanics. But players couldn’t help but feel like a second element of game play was missing. As fun as bashing in the skulls of bandits and dragons is with your NPC companion it would be more fun to do with your friends. This sparked the idea of taking the world of Elder Scrolls and transforming it into an MMORPG.

For those players, like myself, who love Skyrim but have little to no experience with MMORPG’s have had a difficult time adjusting to the new style of game play. The changes are small little things like the mechanics and normal MMO glitches, but they add up to become so annoying I was unable to become immersed into the world like I normally am. When I played there was a point where you had to jump into a pool of light to transfer you to Tamriel. Normally on a console you just physically jump into the light, with an MMORPG you have to click a specific button to do so rather than the action its self.

This small but unnatural change in mechanics resulted in a lot of deaths. I also noticed when playing the game I couldn’t fully engage in the environment. If I were to sneak in specific areas or too close to an object the game would glitch and I would fall through the map causing my character to die after 3 minutes of falling, resulting in many rage-quits. Many of my friends who do play MMORPG’s told me this is completely normal for relatively new MMORPG’s and it would never deter them from playing.

There is also no heroic narrative in the MMORPG. What made the single player games so exciting and addictive is that the single player became the hero among heroes and The player is now faced with countless other people who are now going to be the best of the best and as GAMESPOT, a credible gaming news source, states “the one true hero crown is threatened”.

The Elder Scrolls Online did an excellent job of capturing the world of Tamriel, the continent which holds all the countries Elder Scrolls takes place in. In this regard they did not disappoint any Elder Scrolls fans. But the change in view has irked some players. Many who have played the traditional Elder Scrolls games has played in the first person view. In MMORPG’s the only option is a 3^rd person view which is not hard to get used to, but not having the option to switch views does remind you that your character is just that, a character.

Elder Scrolls Online will never be as beautiful or immersive as Skyrim, but it can be linked to the way players approach their game. Rather than fighting to become the best hero players can work together to advance their faction and have a sense of being part of something larger could be the thing that attracts the Skyrim fans and makes Elder Scrolls Online a stable in the Elder Scrolls universe rather than a side story project. 

Game Immersiveness through Virtual Reality

The concept of Virtual Reality (VR) has been around since the birth of Atari. Players and developers alike have been searching for the technology that will allow the player to become fully immersed into an environment that does not exist within our own reality.

From the release of the Virtual Boy to the newly debuted PlaystationProject Morpheus, many attempts have been made to engross the player into a game. The Oculus Rift is the most wide spread Virtual Reality device that has come the closest to meeting the expectations of gamers when yearning to experience Virtual Reality. That enhances the game play and environment is that the environment around the screen (your home or play space and outside noise) has been removed. When these elements are removed the player is unable to break free from the gaming environment.

When I play a horror game in my home on a monitor I am able to jump back when I get scared and notice my surroundings, thus reminding myself that the game environment is not real. But when you remove the ability to remind yourself of your true environment you allow yourself to become immersed. While playing the Oculus Rift when I got scared I would jump back, but have a second instinctive scare because I was not able to break the environment of the game and for a moment believed it was real.

So how will this technology increase the game play of Skyrim? One of the elements of Virtual Reality that has not fully allowed the player to immerse themselves is the graphics. For most games they are bubbly and unrealistic. However, Skyrim has the leading graphics of its time. Even without the advantage of the Oculus Rift players would look at the smallest details, like the grains in tree stumps and say “That’s so realistic!”

If the Oculus Rift or Morpheus could intertwine the graphics of a PS4/Xbox One with their immersive technology while including the game to register body movements, like the Omni, them they will succeed in creating a true Virtual Reality.

My bet is on the Omni for creating the full VR experience. I cannot wait to involve my whole body with the mechanics of a game, especially Skyrim. I want to run around and become out of breath when playing. I want to physically swing my sword at my enemies. I want to become the character that I am portraying in the game.

Many joke that the Omni will solve America’s obesity crisis, because one thing many of us are not willing to give up is our video games. The Omni is to become what the Wii was meant to be, but couldn’t hold up too. There will be no way to cheat around physically moving your body to interact in the game, unlike the Wii and Kinect technology.

It is not until the players actions are fully registered and react fluidly with the players body’s motions that Virtual Reality will allow the player to become fully immersed. The player needs to believe that they truly are having the wind run through their hair or are about to be eaten by a dragon and have the initial body reactions that we humans express to properly experience Virtual Reality. 

Escape into Cosplay

Why is cosplay so appealing? Why do so many humans find it so freeing to take on another persona for a short period of time? One explanation for its appeal can be attributed to escapism; the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.

Now this does not mean that all cosplayers are unhappy with their lives or constantly feel that they are oppressed within their realities. This could not be farther from the truth. Cosplayers, like every other human being, have the urge to try new adventures in another persons shoes, they have just found their release from reality by dressing as fictional characters.  

We can see a parallel of escapism in cosplay through Gordon Calleja's Digital Games and Escapism. 

Calleja discusses the nature of escapism and how it plays a role in our everyday lives. As humans we look for temporary relief from the mundane tasks. Many find this relief in video games or sports as explained in Calleja's article. 

In an interview with cosplayers Zinny Cat and Amanda about some misconceptions of cosplay they express their opinions as to why cosplay is so vastly popular.

Cosplay gives someone the chance to escape their day to day lives and live in a world where a persons fandom becomes reality and is shared across countless other fans supporting their love and craft. Cosplay creates cross country and international friendships that would otherwise not manifest. 

The Possibilities with Open World

Going through the chronological timeline of open world concept games we can evaluate how game play has changed to what it is today. Grand Theft Auto 3 spring boarded the sandbox/ open world element. It made games fun through arcade styled violence, while presenting the game in a new way. Rather than being violent for violence sake, things like story and characters are more elaborate and less like after thoughts to a game.

With the generation of Xbox 360’s and Playstation 3’s more open world games flooded the virtual gaming world circuit. Fallout 3 was one of the first true 3d open world games. Rather than feeling giddy by doing violent acts in the game that were not necessary to the game plot players find more joy in improving their character through weapon, armor, and stats. Gamers now enjoy games through living in another’s shoes and making life choices. Becoming lost in a virtual world and investing into a character has become equally as fun as becoming a merciless killer.  

That is not to say that we all don’t push the limits and go on random homicidal streaks to see how many guards or cops we can get chasing us. Occasionally in Skyrim I enjoy saving my game then pillaging through the town to see how many innocent citizens I can kill before the guards catch me or someone else kills me.

Gordon Calleja from University of Copenhagen and I believe it is the feeling of escapism, the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, by becoming another person and entering a different world for a short period of time we find release.

Skyrim was the first game to make the open world concept truly beautiful. The whole game was surrounded by the concept rather than adding as an afterthought to the story. The player must truly explore the land to discover the secrets it holds.  The player never feels stuck or forced to complete a task within the game, not even during the main quest.

In Skyrim you have many choices that can describe who “you” are as your character. There are many different paths a player can take. Simple ones like choosing to help a female citizen who is secretly running from foreign government officials or turning her in to them because technically she committed treason. To difficult choices that can change the governmental workings of a nation, like siding with the Imperials or Stormcloaks. The player is never forced into being one type of person or preset character they can mold the game to be what they desire to be and express themselves through their character.

The Power of Fangirls

Fan culture can cause amazing movements within the pop culture industry. If it were not for their dedication and involvement with spreading their personal favorite shows, characters, and other fandoms many media would not become as well known and widely mainstream as they are today.

Henry Jenkins explains in his book Spreadable Media “Spreadable Media examines the nature of audience engagement, the environment of participation, the way appraisal creates value, and the transnational flows at the heart of these phenomena. It delineates the elements that make content more spreadable and highlights emerging media business models built for a world of participatory circulation.”

Free! or ‘swimming anime’ started out as a one minute commercial during Anime Mirai, a film festival in Japan that showcases recently graduated students and new workers in different anime studios. The participants are to create a short film to showcase their animation and artistic skills.

One particular animation by a worker at Kyoto Animation and Animation Do resonated with all the little Yaoi fangirls of Tumblr. Fans wanted to see more from this animation so much that they started a petition on Tumblr to have this short film become a full animated series. Once the petition proved to be growing in success fans started to create character profiles for the characters of the short film, giving them names, personalities, even defining some relationships between the characters. The following for these textual poachers became so large that the writers of what was soon to be known as Free! took some of these character profiles and implemented them into the animation.

Henry Jenkins explains the success of media, like Free!, on its spreadability. Spreadability is defined as the ways content can travel through social media. Spreadability does not just apply to t.v. shows and fandoms, it can be utilized for understanding how people spread their ideas and the implications these activities have for business, politics and everyday life.

This means the control of which media takes off is within the hands of the fans rather than the marketing team. If a fandom can gain enough proactive fans that spread their fandom across social media then it is more likely to gain a larger following, thus becoming more main stream. Without media spreading to other potential fans it cannot grow in popularity.

Just remember "If it doesn't spread, it's dead".