Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Category: Geek Culture Page 2 of 4

Happy Star Wars Day 2020

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On May 4, 2020

In Geek Culture, Star Wars

Star Wars Day 2020Today is the biggest holiday of the month. I always wondered why the 25th wasn’t “Star Wars Day” since that is the anniversary of the release of A New Hope. However the clever and aptly named “May the 4th” is sufficient credence. I will begin my Star Wars re-watch of the 11 movies today (in chronological order). Also happening today is the epic conclusion of Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars series and the release of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight episode documentary about the making of The Mandalorian (only available on Disney+). The year is off to a horrible start so Star Wars Day 2020 is the perfect opportunity to forget about it for a while.

Of Course There’s Merchandise

To be fair, the deals on all things Star Wars is what I look forward to the most on Star Wars Day. The Star Wars website already has a post of the available deals. Here are a few of the notable deals (some of which started a few days ago):

  • Best Buy – a percent is not mentioned, just a general sale on entertainment, toys and collectibles
  • Target – the new go-to spot for Star Wars merchandise. 20% off (except LEGO)
  • Her Universe – Ashley Eckstein’s (aka Ahsoka Tano) fashion line for girls. 30% off
  • GameStop – Up to 50% off merchandise including The Mandalorian Funko Pops!

The most disappointing “deal” this year is LEGO. They are not offering any sale on Star Wars LEGO items, instead they are giving away a Death Star II kit but you have to spend $75 in order to receive it. I’m also mildly disappointed, though not terribly surprised, that the Disney Store doesn’t have any specials.

If anyone spots other deals for Star Wars Day 2020 that are not listed in the StarWars.com post please feel free to leave a comment with a link to said deal. I’m especially interested in apparel and books.

/MT4thBWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

I Still Respect the Trek

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On April 8, 2020

In Geek Canon, Geek Culture

April 5th is “First Contact Day”; for those of you unfamiliar with geek canon, First Contact Day is a Star Trek holiday. It’s the day Earth launches its first warp-capable rocket, in 2063. So the actual First Contact Day is still 43 years away. So now you’re probably wondering why I’m talking about Star Trek. I am an avid Star Wars fan after all. Despite my loyalty to “a galaxy far far away”, I still respect the Trek.

How Do I Respect the Trek?

I remember my dad introducing me to Star Wars but I can honestly say, I don’t know how or when I was introduced to Star Trek. If I had to wager a guess I probably stumbled upon an episode of The Original Series or The Next Generation while watching TV. It probably wasn’t until I met my good friend Nathan (around middle school) that I began to appreciate Star Trek more. He is the proverbial “Trekkie”. I hadn’t seen any of the movies in the theater until he and I met. After which I’m pretty sure I saw several movies starting with Star Trek Generations.

He and I were roommates in college where we often binged on Deep Space Nine. Ultimately DS9 became among my favorite of the Star Trek television series. The recent Picard series is now a close second. I own all the movies and I love the music, though I’m not as inclined to listen to it as often as I listen to a Star Wars soundtrack. I enjoy the action and adventure of Star Wars however its more about the science that I enjoy in Star Trek. Lightsabers are not scientifically possible however warp drive and even teleportation have more real life credence. I also happen to share a birthday with the late Leonard Nimoy (RIP).

While I will often wear a Jedi robe and wield a Force FX Lightsaber, just for fun, I still enjoy celebrating Star Trek. First Contact Day is one one example. I often try to squeeze in a few Trek movies, but I almost always watch First Contact (for obvious reasons).

#LLAP

“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams

RTotD: A Star Trek Interlude

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On January 6, 2020

In Geek Culture, Random Cogitations

We are in a Star Wars lull now. We are between movies and television series. Amid this well deserved break, what is a Star Wars geek to do? We do have the Clone Wars finale season coming up in February so watching the other seasons is an option. There is also Rebels and Resistance I could catch up on. However, much sooner than Season 7 of The Clone Wars is the new Star Trek series Picard premiering on January 23rd. It has almost perfect timing.

I know what you are probably thinking. It’s blasphemous that a Star Wars fanboy, such as myself, would condone Star Trek. The fact of the matter is, I enjoy Star Trek. A lot. I am, and always will be, a bigger Star Wars fan, but Trek still holds a special place in my heart. I did not watch a lot of the original series, but I did watch quite a bit of The Next Generation. Deep Space 9 will always be one of my favorites; I spent my formative Purdue years watching it.

I tried to watch Enterprise but I lost interest. I haven’t watched Discovery yet, but I’ll get to it eventually. However, a Picard series? Yes, I am very interested in a Picard series. I’m not going to play the “which Captain is better” game but Sir Patrick Stewart is such a wonderful actor. I’m very excited to see him reprise one of his most iconic roles.

In fact, a Star Trek movie marathon might be in order. Engage!

/LLAP

The things that go through my mind when I’m alone with nothing but my thoughts for entertainment is dangerous. Some might even say eccentric. Consider this your warning about today’s Random Thought of the Day

 

Star Wars Is More Than A Movie

By

On January 3, 2020

In Geek Culture, Movies, Star Wars

This Is Not A Review

I’m not going to write a review for The Rise of Skywalker. My loyalty to the franchise creates a bias which doesn’t provide you with accurate incentive. The only suggestion I have is to ignore everything you read on Facebook and Twitter. As with any movie you need to try to go in with open eyes and open expectations. I know that’s hard to do with so much toxicity from myopic fans and critics. Also, as with any Star Wars film, I think this movie falls under the “critic proof” classification. It wasn’t made to win an academy award.

It wouldn’t matter to me if this movie only made a million dollars or if it makes a billion dollars; I love it. It’s an extremely satisfying end to a sublime saga. Regardless of the box office tally, the critics and the dissenting fans, Star Wars is more than a movie to me.

Star Wars Goes Beyond The Movies

There are fans that just watch the movies and there are fans that indulge beyond the movies; I am the latter. I was about 8 years old the first time I saw Star Wars, and I don’t think my parents quite realized what they had started when those yellow words first appeared on the screen. These films not only fuel my fascination with how movies are made but also my love for science fiction and fantasy.

Star Wars is also a unifying bond between family and strangers (assuming we can all agree to disagree on controversial subjects). When I attended the Star Wars Celebration last April, I felt welcome in a sea of strangers. However, we were all there for a common purpose, to celebrate the franchise we all love. In fact I would go so far as to say I was more comfortable among 10,000 strangers than I am among 30 members of my own family. It’s an indescribable sense of community.

It’s Relatable, Like Sports and Politics

I’m trying to put into words why my enjoyment of Star Wars goes beyond the movies. I’m struggling to explain it in more relatable terms. It’s like talking about sports. You cannot control the outcome of any sporting event (as a spectator), but you can regale about the past or imagine possible futures. Also, the more knowledge there is between folks the greater the enjoyment and a more interactive dialog.

I’ve played many of the games (video games and board games). I’ve watched many of the other series and I’ve read many of the books (novels and comics). There is so much to enjoy about this franchise than what you see in the theaters. Perhaps this is the reason I can find so much enjoyment even in the movies other folks like to disparage. Perhaps this is why I enjoy involving my family, including my daughter, who is just beginning to experience it herself. The amount of official canon outside the films is almost endless (I’m excluding fan-fiction and fan theories).

The divisiveness of the fanbase now is practically a microcosm of our country’s political state. We are too busy trying to tell the other side what is wrong with their point of view. Nobody seems interested in digging deeper into the details to find there might actually be common ground and facts to support it.

I invite anyone who has canonical issues with any of the movies to reach out to me, especially if your knowledge is limited to just the films. I’d love to have an open and honest dialog about it and see if we can’t come to some kind of mutual appreciation. I’m not going to try to change your mind, but I do hope you will see why I love Star Wars to the most minute of details.

/MTFBWY

Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi.

Blizzard Friends and Family

By

On December 5, 2019

In Gaming, Geek Culture, World of Warcraft

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Blizzard Entertainment and the 15th anniversary for World of Warcraft. I have been playing video games since the first Nintendo. Of course Internet didn’t exist back then but we managed to still make it a friends and family activity. As technology evolved so did the world of gaming. Consoles added online, multiplayer modes. PC games added multiplayer mode, which initially became popular in First Person Shooters. I spent many nights in college playing multiplayer Half Life.

Then the MMORPG was born. In my youth, an RPG required a few friends, paper, pencils, dice and some incredible imagination. Then Blizzard created World of Warcraft, which was an evolution from their Warcraft series of games (my favorite being Warcraft III). WoW united us all by breaking down borders, cultural and political divides. I realize that last item isn’t always true, but if you find the right kind of people, everyone can agree to leave that topic alone.

Now the world is so different.

Online Friends Are Real Friends

I know I’ve talked about this before. You can have friends you haven’t met in person. Twenty years ago the only friends you had are the ones you met in school or at work. Oftentimes people outside the gaming subculture tend to think having “online friends” seems absurd. How can you be friends with someone you’ve never met face-to-face? Our physical locations cannot limit the things we have in common with people.

A friend of mine (a gaming friend) once said “friends are the family you get to choose”. This is true. I’ve had disagreements with friends just as I do with family. I also get along with my friends just as I do with family. While I have not met all my online friends in person, I have met a few. In fact some have even been to my house and I’ve even had one live with me for a year. I hope to meet more of them one day. Today I am just as good of friends with people I’ve never physically met as I was with friends I had in high school.

Blizzard has created a huge community. Larger than any community I’ve ever known. I’m grateful for the friendships this game has given me.

duke-nukem-sm If zombies attack the world, everyone will run and hide. Except for us gamers, of course. We’ve been waiting for this all our lives!

 

Lamentations of a ThinkGeek

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On August 22, 2019

In Biggs On, Geek Culture

In 1999 a brilliant company was formed; ThinkGeek. An online retailer that sold products catered toward the geek culture. I have more merchandise than I can recall from ThinkGeek. I’ve been a loyal patron for many years. In 2015 we were shocked to discover that ThinkGeek had been sold. For a mere $140 million ThinkGeek became the property of GameStop. Initially I was skeptical about it, and I still am (more on that later). Then, just a few months ago, the unthinkable happened.

So Long Timmy, and Thanks for All the Fish

In June of this year GameStop announced they would be shutting down the ThinkGeek online store, permanently. It was a sad day, indeed. The upside to this news is that there will still be an online ThinkGeek location, it’s just become a section of the GameStop website. I have quickly perused the new ThinkGeek section of the website and, overall, there seems to be a lot of familiar merchandise. It’s somewhat refreshing.

The bigger picture, however, is the fact that GameStop’s earnings are down. Perhaps the acquisition of ThinkGeek is supposed to help bolster their bottom line. If that does not succeed then they are going to be in some financial trouble. GameStop already has a reputation for their “pennies on the dollar” trade in program. Most people take their games there if they are desperate to get rid of them, with the knowledge that they won’t get a lot of return on their investment. If GameStop fails, then ThinkGeek goes down with the [mother]ship.

It’s A Niche Market

My biggest lamentation of losing ThinkGeek is its unique merchandise. There are very few, if any, competitors out there that sell similar merchandise. Jinx and Blizzard’s Battle.net store come close but they don’t have the diversity of products ThinkGeek had. They were selling to a very specific sub-culture and, while niche markets are typically a seller’s unicorn, clearly they were still not moving product fast enough. A union with GameStop makes sense, from that perspective, because it exposes the products to a much larger audience.

So the greatest travesty would be if GameStop goes under next. ThinkGeek, and all its fantastic products, will be gone. I have not found another retailer that sells products similar in nature to the things I was buying from ThinkGeek. I honestly hope another retailer emerges or, if anyone knows one that already exists, please leave a comment. Until then I guess I will be a more frequent GameStop customer.

/cheers

“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams

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