Posts Tagged ‘Famitsu’

It is possible I am getting too old for this, but lets just pretend I went in with the wrong expectations. Introduced to me by new friend Matt, Famitsu Vol.1 was a chiptunes event held in my adopted hometown of Osaka. It was an interesting night but one filled with uncomfortable social encounters.

Walking in to the event I was caught off guard. Held at Club Drop in Namba, I was surprised to be greeted by a small well lit bar rather than the darkened hall I expected. Casting an eye down the bar first thing I noticed (with some dismay) was the plastic glasses that I would be drinking from for the rest of the night, the second thing I noticed was the clientele. Most of the patrons sat along the small bar clutching DSs self-consciously close to their face, warding off any would be personal interactions by remain locked to their personal electronic world.

It struck me as odd for an event that thrust like-minded individuals together to see so many of them completely oblivious to each other’s existence. As a life long gamer I understand the stigma associate with the hobby, the idea that all of us are socially inept loners who struggle with normal interactions, but I had never witnessed this phenomenon so acutely demonstrated. Arguably of course these portable gamers were being social, playing over Wi-Fi as they were this was not a solitary activity, but the general lack of communication left the experience seeming joyless to me as an onlooker (though I may just have been jealous I didn’t bring my DS).

Even if the portable players at the bar had wanted to talk it soon became apparent that they would struggle to over the blare of noise coming from the adjacent room. Glancing through the doors I was greeted by something more akin to my initial expectations for the event, a large darkened room where speech was made near impossible by the 8-bit electronica pumping out of speakers at volumes it was never intended to be played at.

Moving around this new room it became increasingly apparent that the event was intended as a meeting place for gamers rather than as a music venue, or at the very least it had been misappropriated as such. Around thirty people occupied the deafening room, most of who had their attention directed squarely at the five small televisions that sat in a circle in the centre of the room. Every generation of console was represented in this huddle with games littered across each of the squat tables the televisions rested on. Players massed around each system, orderly waiting their turn.

This was where I played Mario Kart 64... Admittedly a flash would have helped.

This was more social. While it may not have been quite the experience I had anticipated, it began to feel more familiar, like a really noisy arcade. People were yelling over the music and, while the wide gap left for people to dance in remained empty, within the huddle of gamers there was mingling and socializing.

Plonking myself down in front of Street Fighter 4 I picked up a pad. My rival sat confidently with his own Hori arcade stick. Having seen off numerous other opponents he had every reason for the self-assured grin that rested on his face as the drunken foreigner sat down next to him. His confidence was not misplaced, but I at least retained some small amount of dignity holding him to a three round to two victory. As I stood to leave my opponent offered me a warm smile and handshake that made me feel instantly more connect with the event. Fellow visitors insular nature that had seemed insurmountable and cold on arrival began to thaw, as this gaming camaraderie began to emerge.

Joining a group of three playing Mario Kart 64 I anticipated more of a challenge. With the small group evidently already friends I feared being ostracised, but they welcomed me openly, even pausing the game to remind me of the controls in broken English. We played a few games together, and as I slowly improved some member of our foursome dropped out to be replaced by other lingerers from around the room until I sat as the lone survivor of the earlier four. Realising how long I had been sat cross-legged in front of the old television, I stood and allowed another player to eagerly take my place.

It was a strange community, but one that was considerable more hospitable than impressions suggested, at least once the uncomfortable first hurdle had been crossed. Approaching people directly almost without exception lead to a self-conscious silence, but with the mediator of a controller and a TV something changed and relationships were easily established.

Beneath all of my dialogues (successful or not) there lay the pounding chiptune undercurrent. Now I like chiptunes but my exposure is limited, possibly due to 8-bit consoles low penetration in the UK. The result is an appreciation of the chiptune genre that comes from a love of gaming history rather than nostalgia. Problematically the historian in me seemed to struggle in a club setting where there was no escaping the (to be brutally honest) often-grating music.

Trying to listen to the distorted sounds coming from the speakers I began to wonder if my lack of interest was simply because I was lacking a point of reference. Frequently when listening to music I need an entry point, something I recognise to access and fully enjoy what I am hearing. Everything on offer at Club Drop, bar a few brief refrains, was alien to me. Tracks blended one into another seemingly without end, producing a sound similar to a harpsichord with angry bees inside. I tried to dance, alone, in the empty space to this cacophony of bleeps and white noise but found myself unable to match any of the oscillating beats.

Hidden behind their cloth I can't decide if the DJs were being cool or hiding from their audiences indifference.

Eventually I surrendered in my attempts to dance, moving back to the bar to look at the smattering of coz-players who had joined the party. Each looked a varying degree of embraced by their situation as few who had made effort. My previous encounters with coz-players had seen them congregated in large groups; here, isolated from the safety of numbers, they looked uncomfortable. Approaching a few of these costumed individuals I tried to tell them how good they looked. Each person I spoke to shrank from me with alarming speed, a speed I suspect was as much connected to their own discomfort as it was my size and whiteness. Settling for the quick ‘arigato’ each offered I retreated to the bar to save all involved further discomfort.

Back to the bar I assessed my situation. Slowly the club was filling. A few members of the ensemble stood on the dance floor trying (and failing) to pick out some form of beat from the DJs who were separated from their mostly indifferent audience by a white sheet with pixel art projected upon it. My options were simple, to stay and play games all night, paying too much for alcohol in plastic cups, or return home and play the same games with cheap alcohol from a glass. Despite the social nature some had shown I decided a dignified retreat was preferable to further stilted conversations and trying to teach people how to play Left 4 Dead.

I don’t know what I had expected going in to Club Drop, but what I found was a microcosm of an quiet community who, while shy, were welcoming to new comers. While the music may have not delivered what I had hoped, it provided an excuse to bring these individuals with a shared interest together. With any luck the next event in October will grow in size and the focus will shift towards a social meeting place for fans of gaming, with the music relegated to a more ambient level to set the mood, at least until every one is drunk.

No sooner said than done, the site is back on track and so is the DoFuss Show as Darren and I return once again with our own inimitable brand of game coverage.

With summer upon us, and the traditional lull in game releases, this episode is a tad shorter than usual. This ended up being a fact that I was grateful for as Skype spent the entire recording disconnecting us at every opportunity, leading to an editing process akin to solving a M.C Escher jigsaw puzzle. I would have been happier about this situation had it not been for the fact that as I toiled to put ever piece of the show in place I knew Darren was on holiday, sunning himself and sipping his girly drink of choice.

Much like editing the show, this gives me a headache.

Bitterness aside this show is an interesting one as we roll into a self indulgent Devon and Wells section, before hitting up the nominal number of games we have been playing. We then flow into the usual news segment (where we focus on our lack of Star Craft 2 knowledge, Zynga and some Capcom announcements) before a feature that focuses on my (fairly) recent, and social awkward, trip to the Famitsu Vol.1 chip-tune event here in Osaka.

Enjoy the show, and now DoFuss is back in full production check back soon for a complete write up of the Famitsu event later in the week. As always if you have any feedback/suggestions/questions please contact us or leave a comment on the show post.

The DoFuss Show – The Patchwork Quilt of Podcasts [ 42:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s a surprise Sony don’t get behind more high profile Western games in Japan, especially ones this graphically impressive.

Let me be clear that four eights are not a bad score but when placed in the context of these other scores you have to wonder why Sony didn’t put more behind this game in their home territory. Perhaps it’s just them admitting that first person shooters will never appeal to the mass audience in Japan. Or maybe they don’t want to draw attention away from the Final Fantasy XIII trial addition that was released this week.

The first line of Uniqlo gaming shirts are already out it appears. A very reasonable 1500 yen (that’s about 5 quid with the current exchange rate); plus discounts for multiple purchases. I bought three of this first run despite a current lack of funds.

Much to my surprise they are not (for the most part) merely prints. A large percentage are stitched or patches. Very nice. Any way after my failure to find the rest of the line any where on the web I decided to pick up Famitsu and publish their pictures on the site. I know the quality isn’t fantastic but for the most part you can make out the upcoming designs.

For those who are interested I bought the Pac-man and Resident Evil shirts that I pictured in my last post, and the X-Rally flag shirt. (Incidentally the RE shirt is listed in Famitsu by the western title of Resident Evil, the shirt itself however has the Biohazard logo).