THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
In the end, it’s back to basics
By Andrew Wyzan | May 11, 2011It's a good time to be a gamer.
Andrew Wyzan
THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
Gamers, beware: Monopoly’s not just a game
By Andrew Wyzan | Apr. 13, 2011All is not well in the Mushroom Kingdom. There is a boogeyman in the gaming industry — an unspoken Cthulhu-like horror that threatens to derail all the progress the industry has made over the years should it fully awaken from its slumber.
THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
Catching up on recent gaming news
By Andrew Wyzan | Mar. 30, 2011I often use this column as a platform to rant about recent gaming news, and for that I am truly sorry. This is why you never should give a weekly column to a person who shouts his opinions at the TV. That being said, there has been a surplus of news in the gaming industry lately, and it’s important to be up-to-date on the often ridiculous headlines journalists use. Here’s some of the most interesting industry news:
THE AVENUE
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FOOD
Healthy snacks for late-night studying
By Andrew Wyzan | Mar. 23, 2011March is usually the month when students push themselves to get through the swath of exams and papers that come just shortly after that glorious, now-faint week of Spring Break. And, as such, it’s very easy to be tempted to munch on snacks through the ever-common all-nighter.
THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
SAT prompt on reality TV nonsensical on paper but positive in the end
By Andrew Wyzan | Mar. 23, 2011The most recent form of the SAT, the grueling trial of passage that every high school student most go through to prove his or her worth to society, recently featured as its essay prompt the ethics and benefits of reality TV.
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LIFESTYLE
What to know about the Nintendo 3DS
By Andrew Wyzan | Mar. 23, 2011Like an election year, the year of a new console generation is full of long lines, media-driven chaos and eventual disappointment. This Sunday, Nintendo will release the Nintendo 3DS, the successor to the system that sold more units than any other console in history. The hype machine has been in full swing in the industry thanks to the system’s much-ballyhooed 3D capabilities. Sony’s announcement of the NGP, a PSP with two touch screens and more tools than a Swiss army knife, and the rise of mobile gaming might make it hard to decide if you want to update your DS. So, here are the important things to know about the new system:
THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
Pokemon still urges gamers to catch ‘em all
By Andrew Wyzan | Mar. 16, 2011Although it’s no longer the cultural phenomenon it once was, Pokemon is still part of, and really never left, the video game world.
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LIFESTYLE
On vacation, rejuvenate your game collection
By Andrew Wyzan | Mar. 2, 2011By the time you have read this column, I will have left Gainesville, curled up on my couch back home and put myself into a video game coma. Instead of catching up on new releases during my time off, as I assume many will do, I like playing my favorite games during breaks. I feel as if I’m returning to a time of innocence before papers, projects and deadlines consumed my life. In my opinion, new releases — even the ones your friends rave about — are way too expensive to risk buying. However, if you do happen to have $60 burning a hole in your wallet and want to try something new, here are two new games you should play during your week of freedom.
THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
Sales show computer gaming still has long half-life
By Andrew Wyzan | Feb. 23, 2011I’ve been hearing about how computer gaming is either dead or has been dying since 2001. And with arguably the smallest audience in the already niche video game industry, I admit it’s kind of shocking that computer games are still around. Even more shocking is that computer gaming had its best year since “Quake” and “Doom” created the first-person shooter.
THE AVENUE
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LIFESTYLE
“Guitar Hero” franchise takes its Last Waltz
By Andrew Wyzan | Feb. 16, 2011My first experience with the “Guitar Hero” franchise was in summer 2007 in my neighbor’s garage. With a full drum kit in one corner and a Marshall stack beside it, there wasn’t a better atmosphere to begin my imaginary rock star life. On a small outdated television, I became entranced by the rainbow of notes speeding toward me, seemingly leaping off the onscreen fret board. The clicking of the strum bar was like a subtle bass groove to “Mother.” When I reached “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” I ignored my cramping left hand and played all through the night.
