But can you also counter accusations of advertorialising?
I just don't care for having long winded highly charged debates on things anymore. If a discussion is going to be more trouble then it's worth I literally don't even read a reply to a post that quotes me. Fuck it, move on, keep on trucking and enjoy the internet.
People hates things I like, I hate things other people like.
No big deal - although you really do suck when you hate things I like. 
For me, retreating from a mainline games message board of a big site meant freedom and the complete absence of annoying assholes and trolling.
I'm sort of in the same boat as GG. I'm too damn old to care if anyone likes what I like anymore and I'm so tired of insufferable trolls on the Internet whose sole purpose is to ruffle some jimmies. I respect everyone's opinions on games on this site. Though I may not love everything that you guys love, I do love reading your opinions and impressions, I certainly love reading what you have to say about them. I certainly don't always comment but do read everything.
As far as being more involved with news, I admit I've been slack lately. I can't post any news article because of work. Plus, a lot of times, when I have a chance to comment, it seems like somebody has already expressed my opinion and it's silly to repeat. Work and life just get in the way.
I believe this thread is the most offensive example of postmodernism this site has ever seen.
I listened to Foolz' podcast a day or two ago, while I was busy with something else. Being as such, I couldn't make too much sense out of any of his eloquent ramblings. Yes, in an urge to become ever less offensive, societey as a whole has become incredibly politcally correct. But then he seemed to argue that passion in itself, as being overtly politcal correct, was a bad thing, as it clouds how we perceive the world and keeps us from going to the essence of things. So, having only listened with half an ear, I don't know what point he was trying to make.
Personally I don't think passion wanes with experience, but rather due to a lack of time. I'm still very passionate about gaming, but I lack the time to write walls of text like I could when I was younger, without a job or family. It's the ratrace that numbs us, not our ever advancing age. And that's why this place is so great. We're all still passionate about gaming to a certain degree, but we all realize that it's less time consuming to agree to disagree and just not be bothered with it too much.
If I then go back to what I think Foolz was trying to express, I can say that society in general would rather debate about matters on a superficial level because it's the easiest option, it requires the least effort. It's a fleeting way of communicating with eachother (one could even say next to eachother) that fits modern day's 140 character limit. People don't care about the deeper issues because they don't want to invest the time on them to have a meaningfull discussion, to truely argue with eachother and actually listen to what it is the other has to say, even be open to the possibility of having their own views changed. So one could also argue that it's a lack of passion that keeps us from going to the essence of things.
edit: perhaps I completely missed the point, but I lack the time to re-evaluate it again. Perhaps I am yet again debating Foolz' point, dispite me agreeing with it.
I tell you what. I am passionate about Sammy Sosa's Softball Slam. And Soul Calibur. And Doom. Played the latter two this week for cartharsis, and they hold up.
I dig the simplicity of them.
gamingeek said:For me, retreating from a mainline games message board of a big site meant freedom and the complete absence of annoying assholes and trolling.
Say what you will....that last year on Gamespot with some of the GG blogs you did was some of the most hilarious and fun times I ever had on forums. What was that review they did, Fire Emblem? When you made the blog about having shit all over your face or something? Hahaha....then just the way they took it all so seriously there made it even funnier. Good times.
As for the topic. Well I definitely know what you guys are talking about. I tend to be incredibly passionate about things I believe in and like and sometimes I worry that I come off as an overly aggressive asshole. Especially these days as has been said, everything is sooooo politically correct its like people are ready to hang you if you say something OFFENSIVE. My girlfriend used to tell me I was too negative and I'd say no, I'm not negative at all...I'm just a realist. Everything's not always sunshine and roses and I point it out when its not, which some people can't handle because they like having blinders on all the time. But I digress.
Just know fellas if I ever seem too in your face I'm really just trying to show said passion. And it will probably be drenched in a bit of comedy and sarcasm as well.
You never ever come off as an asshole. All your posts a thoughful. Incuding the Alexis Texas ones. Don't Mess With Texas.
edgecrusher said:Just know fellas if I ever seem too in your face I'm really just trying to show said passion. And it will probably be drenched .
I bet you say that to all the cute girls.
Suffocate in these!
One day I'll share the story of the looks I got when I was purchasing this game. It's only 5:54 where I am, so not right now, but one day.
Returning to the store where I bought it to pick up Trackmania Turbo today, we'll see if there's any reaction...
aspro said:You never ever come off as an asshole. All your posts a thoughful. Incuding the Alexis Texas ones. Don't Mess With Texas.
I'd like to mess with Texas.
SupremeAC said:I bet you say that to all the cute girls.
Indeed.
edgecrusher said:Say what you will....that last year on Gamespot with some of the GG blogs you did was some of the most hilarious and fun times I ever had on forums. What was that review they did, Fire Emblem? When you made the blog about having shit all over your face or something? Hahaha....then just the way they took it all so seriously there made it even funnier. Good times.
Man Gamespots content was fucked up then. Their reviews were just so bizaare you couldn't help but point out the contradictions. Then they actually read and delete my personal blog?!
Insane shit.
Here's a thought though, one I have had before but never floated:
How about a controversy week? One week where you post some stance on an issue or game that is controversial, even if you don't really feel that strong about it.
I fear it could lead to some blazing arguments though and fall out.
I leave that up to you. Call it "Gaminggeek's COME AT ME BRA Weekly.
Sounds better coming from you. 
Other than my passion for Euro/American Truck Simulator I don;t think I have anything controversial.
gamingeek said:Sounds better coming from you.
Let's start with Tennis, should women earn as much as men?
IMO only if they do the same amount of work. Men play 5 sets a lot of the time and women play 3 and get paid the same? How is that fair? How is that equality?
A newspaper yesterday totted up the monery earned per minute and women actually earn more than men, let alone this demand for equal pay.
I think they should be payed the same (per set), that would be fair.
I think they should be paid based on how far the tennis ball has travelled over the full length of the match. You serve straight into the net? Sorry, only half the pay of a succesfull serve. Long rally? higher pay. Ideally they should get paid per burned callory, but that's harder to meassure. Distance travelled is easily calculated from the captured video data. It's only fair.
You mocking me bro?
I also think male and female atheletes should be paid more if they are willing to wear more revealing costumes.
I don't know if any of you listened to Foolz' introductory statement on the latest gameunder podcast.
He talked about our our site, reflecting greater society, has become sanitized and as a result it weaker because of it.
Sanitized in the sense that conflict (the expression of passion) is to be avoided. This is doubly detrimental where, as he points out, this is a place that is entirely formed on, and continued, due to extremely focussed passion. I mean, if we were not so dedicated to gaming, why would be here to start with and stick around?
I mean, I realized what he had said was true, without reflecting on it a while ago. I chalked it up to me becoming older, perhaps more mature, and not needing to follow-up every thing with a flame-war, "ah let it go" was my general attitude. The whole Agnates situation was a wake up call. I mean, no matter how clearly I tried to express myself, no matter how nice I was, I was just going to continually be misunderstood and lose sleep over it. So after a point, I became numb to any interaction and struck it up to experience.
But the room for passion, I feel still exists here, which is why our most popular contributors are folks like archie, vader, leo, edge and geek, because, dammit, they insist on being so god damn passionate about their games. And if we bother to turn up here, day after day, shouldn't we all? Because we are.
And if we disagree, we disagree , and we can disagree in a civil manner.
With MS's actions over the last week, I think we all see that whatever we have is changing, radically and rapidly, along with NX in the mix. So my ask is of you, as will I, be vocal, be passionate and *ugh* let it all hang out.
And to avoid the "this is a blog" police.
What do you gusys think?