A Bit of A Wait: Cataclysm Launch

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 1/8 Bits

What the fuck, Blizzard? When is Cataclysm going to be released? An even better question: When are you going to TELL us when Cataclysm is going to be released? I don't even care that it's not out yet, I just wanna know when it will be. :] Thanks!

A Bit of Sex: Video Game Condoms

I was lurking around the forums on one of my favorite sites when I ran across THIS gem! Video Game Themed condoms! In little packages that look like the cartridges for old gaming platforms before disks came out. Donkey Schlong!? Sextris? I can't think of something that I would want more than these! They all come in a box shaped like an old gameboy! Ahhh, it brings back all kinds of nostalgia.

Not only is the packaging clever, and the campaign witty--but it promotes safe sex! I commend the creator, Ben Marsh for his innovation and hilarity.

A bit of Woot!: Videogamers Meeting in Real Life

So, recently, a bunch of my friends from Kentucky that I play WoW with came up, and we've had so much fun. This, however, isn't the first time that I've met people from the internet. Not only have we been partying every night, we have also played a whole bunch of Drunk RockBand, and L4D2. I'm really glad that I was given the opportunity to meet them.

I think that this is truly a testament that gaming does not push people away from being social, in fact, I think it proves that people can be brought together by videogames. I never would have met the Kentucky boys if it hadn't been for World of Warcraft, and similarly, I never would have had one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life. True Story.

A Bit of Scifi: Earthworm Jim

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER!? 7/8 Bits!

I remember sitting in my grandmother's living room and playing this game, and thinking what a little badass I was. This was the first game that I played that had even the slightest connotations towards adult humor, and I thought it was awesome. In fact, pretty much everyone from my generation that you talk to has the same feeling about Earthworm Jim, it was funny, naughty, and ultimately a great time to play.

Earthworm Jim was originally released for Genesis, and Mega Drive; but I got the later version that was for Super Nintendo. Apparently it has been released for Wii, and Nintendo DS later; but for all intensive purposes (IE, the parameters of my blog) I'm gonna stick to talking about what I know.

Now, with a title like Earthworm Jim, one would wonder how a lowly, normal earthworm could grow to be such an awesome muscly super-hero-y type, guy. Well, it all starts out with Psy-Crow stealing a "Ultra-high-tech-indestructible-super-space-cyber-suit" invented by Dr. Monkey-For-A-Head for Queen Slug-for-a-Butt (you can obviously see why this had my 5 year old self laughing my ass off). Long story short, someone drops the collar of the suit, and it just happens to go around Jim's head. He turns into the aforementioned super-muscly worm hero that everyone knows and loves.

A Bit of Disgust: "You Stuck My Flashdrive In Your Vagina"

I recently found this when perusing Craigslist.org (a hobby of mine in boredom), and had to nominate it for best of. I mean, REALLY?! Who the hell does this.

My personal favorite is when he says that he's an understanding person, obviously implying that not only does he want his flashdrive back, but he also wants to go out on another date with this nerdy-vagina'd mcguyver style thief!

I feel like the people who read my blog with have an understanding and appreciation of the hilarity of this, not only because it is ridiculous, but also because it involves the stealing of a flashdrive which I know that I'D be pretty damn angry about.

Either way, enjoy the laughs.

A Bit of Acting: Gaia Online

So, this is me about to admit just how nerdy I really am. Not only do I play video games such as FPSs, RPGs, MMOs, etc, but I also roleplay. That's right, I roleplay. I mean, I'm not talking LARPing, or dressing up like an ogre and running around with a battleaxe (Though, I was tempted to dress as a Troll for Blizzcon), but literate roleplaying.

I'm talking about on forums, where multiple people play the same characters everyday. For example, my main character (Stella DesJardins) has going to this same place (The Two Doors Down) for two years, because that is how long I have been posting in the forums there for.

A Bit of Twitter: Boots' Partner in Crime

Apparently my OTHER classmate has decided that he wanted to do the pokemon thing too.

Here's his link.

I think he's writing from the perspective of Boots' partner.

A Bit of the Past: Card Games

Does anyone still play with Pokemon Cards? I mean, I remember when I was a wee lass in 6th grade, and I would go to the local comic book store and play in the Pokeleague on Sundays trying to beat other kids at a card game with fictional animals which would probably never be helpful to me in the long run. But that's the whole point, isn't it?

Sometimes kids need to do something that isn't productive, that lets them take a bit of time OUT from their regular lives to pretend and exist in another realm if you will.

Do people still play? I mean, even people my age that got into it when I did. Does ANYONE play with the actual cards, or are playing card games a thing of the past? I feel like there are a million and one pokemon games for DS, and Gamecube, or whatever the hell kids are playing on these days, but that no one actually takes the time to play the cards and learn the characters.

It's kind of like kindles versus real books; I'd so much rather read the book and have it in my hands than have to scroll down an electronic screen. Why get rid of pokemon cards, or magic cards, or any other kind of cards just because you can play it virtually. Where have the tactility of life gone?

A Bit of GANGSTADOM: Nerdcore

How many bits, Mercer? 8/8 Bits.

Due to the fact that my musical tastes have a tendency to sway from this way to that, when I found nerdcore, I have never been more overjoyed. It's like Star Wars and Tupac had a baby that just happened to be gloriously attractive. Oh goodness. To have a rap group that raps about computers, Star Wars, and science as well as using synthesizers has been my dream, and, amazingly it seems to have happened!

A Bit of Real Life: Boots Catchem, A Pokemon Twitter Account

For a class that I am in my friend recently made a Twitter pretending like she had woken up and was stuck in Pokeland.

I think the concept is pretty neat, and knowing her, it's gonna be really fascinating to follow along with.

Here's a link.

And, if any of you have suggestions for where to find a good 8-Bit Avatar maker, let me know.

A Bit of LOLWTFBBQ: The LOLCat Bible Project

I recently stumbled upon this on 4chan (shameshame). Although I have survived through the onslaught of LOLCats, and LOLrus, and all that other jazz, this is BY FAR the most astonishing thing that I have seen.

I have no idea WHO would have decided who rewrite the whole bible in LOLCat pidgin speak, but whoever did is awesome in my eyes. I mean, I'm not one of those girls who runs around being all like "OMG, DID U C THERESA 2DAY? SHE WUZ TOTES SER SUPA SECKSIE!", in fact, that makes me shudder.

However, this LOLCat Bible literally had me laughing my ass off for several minutes as I read the book of Job, and Genesis, etc. 

Apparently they've been doing this since around 2007, I would suggest checking it out if you ever need a laugh.

A Bit of Blah: Gaming Papers

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that people who write papers like this have got quite a fascinating idea, however, I feel like things like this would take so much more time than the amount of knowledge that it will ultimately pass onwards. The link for the original piece that this is based on is underneath on the description for the clip.

A Bit of A Treasure: 95 Old School Games You Can Play Online!

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 8/8 BITS!

As I was making my way meandering around the internet during a particularly boring day (my car broke down, so I have nowhere to go; and I recently finished Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters), I found this wonderful, wonderful nugget of a site entitled 95 Old School Games You Can Play Online!

A Bit of Blah: Gaming Misconceptions

1. Only Men Play Video Games

This is so false that it hurts. Not only are there some fucking GORGEOUS women that play videogames out there, but they would probably be able to kick your ass in a heartbeat if you even suggested a face-off. There are whole girl gaming guilds on World of Warcraft, and whole Girl Gaming Teams for competitive gaming. True, gaming is still a male dominated space, but not for long. What's most unfortunate about this whole misconception, is that there are men who will admit that girls play videogames, but will instantly assume (and I have evidence of this) that girls will only play Rockband, or Wii Fit, etc.

A Bit of Favoritism: Chrono Trigger

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 8/8 Bits

I am going to preface this by saying, if you have never played Chrono Trigger, go to an emulator site right fucking now, download it, play it, and then come back. This is possibly my most favorite game on the face of the planet (other than Monkey Island, World of Warcraft, and Grim Fandango), and it was ultimately what got me into the genre of the RPG as a video game.

One of the key principles of this game, which I thought was really neat (other than the Active-Time Battle System, which was also used in Final Fantasy Games), is the idea of time travel. Players are able to play across 7 eras in the game world, meeting new party members, and fighting battles that would be otherwise unavailable. What's especially cool is that the actions the player takes in the past effect the outcome of the future. There are 13 unique endings, which I think is extremely forward and well thought out for a Super Nintendo Game.

A Bit of Lameness: Pretend Girl Gamers

I don't know how many of you out there are girl gamers, but I do know that a significant amount of my readers, if not the body of them in entirety play games. That means, that you must have, in some time during the expanse of your gaming, have experienced "Pretend Girl Gamers". By this, I don't mean transvestites, or anything of the sort. I mean, those girls who, in order to get attention from Gamer guys, pretend that they play video games. I'm talking about the type of girl who will say CoD, and not know what it stands for, or, even better, will talk on Steam, or Vent merely because they want people to know that they're a female.

A Bit of Real Life: The Guild

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 8/8 Bits

I was scanning through my netflix instant view list the other day when I ran upon a little gem called "The Guild". Thinking "Ho Hum, another nerdy TV show" I flicked it on to watch while I ran instances in WoW. Instantly, I was smitten. The adorable lead actress Felicia Day (also seen in Doctor Horrible's Singalong Blog as Penny), AKA Codex, starts the show by speaking into her V-Log regarding the unlikely appearance of one of her Guild Members (Zaboo) on her front door step professing his undying love for her.

A Bit of Film: Dorkness Rising

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 8/8 Bits

So, I'll admit, I used to play dungeons and dragons (who wouldn't have seen that one coming). I used to meet up with friends twice a week, and run campaigns--it's obviously what led to my obsession with World of Warcraft. I graduated highschool, and couldn't find anyone who wanted me to Dungeon Master (DM) for them, so I started playing "real" videogames.

A Bit of Frustration: Game Pirating

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 0/8 Bits.

Alright, so call me old fashioned, but nothing irritates me more than going onto a computer and finding all pirated music, games, and software. With sites like what.cd, software like limewire, and the introduction of torrents to our information age, pirating is getting easier, and it pisses me off.

A Bit of Surprise: The Evolution of Frogger

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 6/8 BITS

Everyone, at least once in their life has played some form or another of the game Frogger. Whether it was in an arcade, or in your home there has been a version of this game for every single platform, pretty much. In this post, I'll be going through the history of Frogger, and documenting the year by year growth of our unsquished green friend.

A Bit of Boredom Relief: IPhone Games

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 5/8 BITS

I have had an Iphone since the First generation version came out. I remember watching the television commercials that played in between Nip/Tuck, and thinking "Oh Wow, I want one of those." I begged and begged my father, until he came to the mall with me, the day after Thanksgiving, and bought me one.

A Bit of Stupidity (or Awesomeness): LEEROY JENKINS!

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 8/8 Bits.

Any of you gamers who have never heard of Leeroy Jenkins, or do not know what a facepull is, as seriously missing out.

A Bit of Education: Lost University

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 5/8

Now, despite the fact that I absolutely adore ABC's Lost, there is only SO far that the obsession can go. From expensive Box Sets to Lost themed bands like Sonic Weapon Fence from Chicago, and The Oceanic Six, Lost has truly gone off the charts with the insanity.

A Bit of Prejudice: Girl Gaming

Girl gaming prejudice is something that I have had to experience for most of the past 8 years, or longer. My boyfriend says it most eloquently as "If a girl says she's a gamer in-game, guys will either suck up to her, or shun her. A girl-gamer to an 18 year old boy is like an instant aphrodisiac." My question is: Why?

A Bit of Obsession: World of Warcraft

HOW MANY BITS, MERCER? 8/8 BITS!

I have a serious problem that seems to occur about as regularly as doctor's appointments do for hypochondriacs. Not only do I have ONE character that I have devoted a solid 3 months to leveling (explained later in post), but I also have 8 others on that realm (a server) and several on another realm. Not only has my life been consumed by this game, but so has that of my boyfriend, one of my bestfriends, and a plethora of friends that I have made through other blogging sites.