Genese Davis's Blog, page 15
January 20, 2014
MMORPG.com: Holiday Gaming Traditions
For every holiday there seems to be all kinds of celebrations happening. Friends and family create some pretty awesome under-the-sun-traditions, like having barbeques and family reunions, or going to carnivals, baseball games, and festivals, with those spellbinding firework shows to top it all off.
For those of us who live thousands of miles away from family and friends, our holidays aren’t always booked so thoroughly. Thankfully, MMOs offer a way to create new holiday traditions with our blood brothers and of course with our guild brothers, too, who inevitably become family.
The closeness MMO families share still surprises some people. Maybe because it’s too difficult to describe how it feels to have fellow players rally around each other, supporting one another when we need it most. Or maybe because it’s a magical connection never meant to be explained.
Last year, on July 4th we got to conjure some of this magic for one of our raiders. The story goes like this: Our beloved raider, Rak, loved to talk about Independence Day. Every year, even as early as January he’d start chatting about all that he had planned for July 4th and we’d of course begin teasing him accordingly. He’d clear his throat and say, “I know, I know, but I gotta tell you… This year is gonna be even bigger than last year.” He’d explain to anyone who would listen how he and his brother had made it a tradition to take turns flying across the US on the 4th to see each other at least once a year.
They’d do all the traditional stuff including grilling out the tastiest food, catching the local festivals, and seeing a ball game and fireworks show. For months we’d listen to his excitement as July got closer and closer. A few weeks before the trip, Rak found out his brother had to cancel. For the next few raid nights, Rak was pretty quiet. So our raid group concocted a plan, and on July 4th we went to work. We filled his email with friendly notes, jokes, holiday pics, and I’m pretty sure a papier-mâché penguin even made it to his doorstep, too.
He logged into vent cheery and chatty, and when he appeared in game, we swarmed his avatar and performed an on-the-spot parade, well, more like a really sloppy conga line. It wasn’t much, but it was the least we could do.
They’ll be times when holidays come and go without even a glimpse of those childhood traditions. But I wouldn’t want to miss a single second of the gaming holiday stories that we’re creating instead.
Over to you! I’d love to hear your holiday gaming traditions.
Published at MMORPG.com
January 13, 2014
MMORPG.com: Collectible MMO Statues
Every once in a while, we find ourselves in a “dream house” discussion where friends ask about location, square footage, and customizations. Most recently when asked, it wasn’t that epic library room from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast that I imagined, nor was it an amazing pool or hot tub. This time, all I could picture was the perfect gaming room equipped with every type of console, tons of computers, comfy gaming chairs, and every wall showcased hundreds and hundreds of video game collectables on floating shelves and in glass cases.
Video games have become more than entertainment to me, they’ve become almost scholarly in the way that they impact and improve my life. Developers create epic storylines with these memorable characters whose backgrounds come alive in ways we can relate to and share. Video games leave an impression, a legacy.
In the Transcending MMOs with Transmedia column, I touched on how much the character Arthas has meant to me. As that rose petal fell into Arthas’ hand during the Warcraft 3 expansion cinematic, the whole scene looked picturesque. And in the next moment, his actions riveted me. Thinking of the juxtaposition between that rose petal and what comes next still gives me chills.
When characters really impact our lives it’s awesome to have options to commemorate them like with a collectible statue. I’ve been slowly building up my collection of video game characters, even though my place is limited with its too few shelves and display space. But last week was extra special. Last week, Arthas came in and I had to make room.
This got me thinking about all the other MMO characters that impact our lives. Do they have collectibles? I’ve searched and found a few from MMOs like Final Fantasy and Guild Wars 2, but nowhere near the amount I thought I would. Which MMO characters have really impacted you and which would you like to see come to life in a glorious statue? Have you found a developer that offers great quality collectibles? I’d like to know more about what’s out there and the best places to look! 
Published at MMORPG.COM
January 12, 2014
IGR Woman of the Year: Genese Davis
“As we continue preparations for 2014, I couldn’t help but reminisce on the fantastic year we’ve had. That’s where our first annual Woman of the Year award recipient comes in.
Woman of the Year: Genese Davis
If you’ve been reading iGR for the past few months, you’ll probably recall a three-part interview that we published featuring acclaimed author Genese Davis. Some time had passed since I’d last corresponded with Davis, but when I began to think about iGR’s Woman of the Year, I couldn’t help but drift in her magnetic direction. As they say, cream always rises to the top. Genese constantly advocates the positive aspects of the games industry. She speaks about the constructive aspects of being a gamer at conventions and trade shows across the country. She’s even funneled her passion for gaming into a successful gamer lit novel called The Holder’s Dominion. We reached out to Genese in advance to notify her that she’d been selected as 2013 Woman of the Year, Davis had this to say:
“I am both honored and overjoyed to receive this award from I Game Responsibly. IGR has been a beacon of inspiration and positive representation in the gaming industry and it’s been my pleasure and privilege to work with such a wonderful organization. It was clear from the very first interactions with IGR that we share many of the same goals. We want to show the ingenuity and enhancement games can bring to our lives. Whether it is engaging story, stunning visuals, or intuitive gameplay, games enable us to find the hero within, discover hope, and collaborate in our passion. With all my heart, I give my sincerest thanks to IGR for this award.”
Genese is the type of gamer that you point to when someone doesn’t understand the merit of the gaming industry. Her upbeat and encouraging attitude make her one of the most unforgettable people I’ve met since becoming involved in gaming; and that’s why she’s iGR’s 2013 Woman of the Year.”
September 26, 2013
Deluvian Games
Deluvian Games is a video game developer found in the gamer lit novel, The Holder’s Dominion.
As a leading video game developer creating premium video games for players all over the world, Deluvian Games has proven itself a highly acclaimed developer for next-generation video games. The company’s widely popular MMO, Edannair, won this year’s IEN People’s Choice Award for Game of the Year.
Arrowhead Mountains: one of the largest vistas found in Edannair. Artwork by Fabio Barretta Zungrone.
Visit the Delvian Games Official Webpage: www.DeluvianGames.com
The Holder’s Dominion:
After her father’s death on a mountain rescue mission, Kaylie Ames watched her family shatter. She fled Tacoma for college in faraway Austin, figuring that even the worst campus drama would be a relief. But when her old friend Elliott turns up on his knees in the grocery store aisle, raving about something called a morphis, Kaylie feels compelled to enter Elliott’s unfamiliar world.
Guided by Elliott and his friends, Kaylie signs on to the massively popular online game Edannair. There she discovers a world of beautiful vistas and magical creatures, where people from all over the globe step into the roles of warriors on fantastical quests. But a real-world evil threatens the players: the mysterious Holder, leader of the elite team known as Sarkmarr, is coercing his followers into traumatic offline dares known as “morphis assignments.” To save her friends, Kaylie must infiltrate Sarkmarr and survive the Holder’s tests. Will she find the courage there to hold her real-world family together?
About the author:
Genese Davis is an American author, host, columnist, and video game personality. Davis is a thought-leader in video game culture and its social development. Through her passion for the art community, she demonstrates how team-based video games like MMORPGs affect our lives and the new place video games have in fiction and other forms of media. Davis lives in Irvine, California, where she advocates for her other passion, animal rescue. Stay in touch! Website | Facebook | Twitter
The Holder’s Dominion team created transmedia websites to extend the experience of the novel beyond the final page. Visionaries like , Candace Jordan, and extended Holder’s Dominion through book trailers, character videos, websites, and social media.
September 7, 2013
Genese Davis at WorldCon
WorldCon features Genese Davis
This past weekend I had the extraordinary opportunity to speak at WorldCon alongside literary and pop culture icons. We discussed important topics that ranged from how to edit your novel and handle the business side of writing to cosplay and video game media.
I’m incredibly thankful to WorldCon for the invitation, and to all the volunteers and program organizers who made this convention possible. I’d also like to thank the amazing attendees who made it to San Antonio this year. I met so many of you and cannot wait to see you in 2014 for the London WorldCon!
Check out this year’s recap video!
In addition to scheduling back-to-back panels, WorldCon organized an autograph session for myself, Don Webb, and Gardner Dozois, as well as nightly events where writers, readers, and fans of all our favorite genres could get together. Here are a few pictures. (To view the rest visit Flickr.com/GeneseDavis)
Click to view slideshow.
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August 28, 2013
World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon)
I’m excited to see all of you attending WorldCon in San Antonio, TX, this weekend! I’ll be a speaker and moderator on several panels, as well as signing autographs. I’ll also be featured in the “Stroll with the Stars” event on Sunday. Below is the current schedule with more to come soon!
About WorldCon:
The Worldcon℠, or World Science Fiction Convention, is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The five day long event has been held each year since 1939 with the exception of four years during World War II. Locations have included the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, England, Scotland, Germany, and The Netherlands. Science fiction and fantasy fans travel from all over the world to attend, including Japan, Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Norway, Finland, Croatia, New Zealand, and Russia.
The Hugo Awards are presented at a highlighted ceremony. The awards themselves are nominated and voted upon by the members of the Worldcon.
Other highlights of the Worldcon Program have included Nobel Prize winners, astronauts, scientists, writers, editors, publishers, artists, and fans.
This year’s WorldCon will be in San Antonio, Texas, deeming it Lone Star Con!
Next year WorldCon will be in London, England
July 27, 2013
Genese Davis, Panelist at San Diego Comic-Con 2013
Genese Davis, panelist at the San Diego Comic-Con 2013
Last week’s San Diego Comic-Con soared through its five-day convention with massive celebrations for comic books, artists, movies, and video games. The international convention has grown substantially over the years into a rich environment that shares the creative ingenuity of every art medium.
This year I had the exciting opportunity to speak on a panel hosted by Patrick Scott Patterson titled Video Gaming IS Pop Culture. My co-panel rock stars included Warren Davis, David Eddings, Rachel Lara, and Paul Dean.
Warren Davis, David Eddings, Genese Davis, Patrick Scott Patterson, Rachel Lara, Paul Dean, San Diego Comic Con Panel 2013
We discussed various topics regarding video game history, where video games are now, and where the industry might be headed. Here are some highlights:
Warren Davis described the development environment during the conception of Q*bert and how different the restrictions were then and therefore so was the developer’s thought process. He mentioned how developers constantly had to think about how to fit everything into a small amount of memory and how their nemesis always seemed to be 64-bit computing. Today, the video game industry resembles the film industry more and more where elements like story, character development and visual effects are common focuses.
The panel also mentioned the increasing number of gamers seeking out video game nostalgic experiences. For example, Nintendo nostalgia inspired film director Rob McCallum’s NES Club documentary to explore the NES past and present influence. And how the increasing number of barcades, video game lounges, and LAN party could have a connection.
Patrick Scott Patterson then took the conversation toward today’s current players and asked what does the term gamer mean now. That particular question is very near and dear to my heart and one of the reasons I created TheGamerInYou.com. While more people play video games than ever before, there are still significant misconceptions about gaming. Yet, the average gamer is in their thirties and up to 70% of all Americans play video games in one form or another. Whether it’s an RPG or an FPS, an action adventure or a strategic puzzle, video games cater to almost every interest.
Genese Davis, panelist at San Diego Comic-Con, 2013, with Patrick Scott Patterson, David Eddings, Rachel Lara, Warren Davis, and Paul Dean
Another panel topic extrapolated on one of my column’s, Paying for the Game. To read the full report visit my column, Video Gaming IS Pop Culture, at MMORPG.com.
I’d like to thank Patrick Scott Patterson and each of my co-panelists. It was a delight speaking alongside you on this Comic-Con panel. This convention truly is a magical place where comic books, movies, TV shows, video games, novels, and artwork receive an annual magnificent showcase. I’d also like to thank my crew for all their help in the small press area at my author booth. Chatting with Holder’s Dominion readers and meeting new fans was truly special. It is such an honor getting to see this gaming novel be a thrilling form of entertainment and a bridge connecting family and friends.
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To see more Comic-Con pics, click here.
Did you get a chance to visit Comic-Con? Tell us your convention stories!
P.S. Let’s connect! Find me at GeneseDavis.com and on Facebook and Twitter. Until then remember: Write at night, game hard, and lark your life.
Don’t forget to watch Pixel Vision’s first episode (by Pixel Legends) where I host The Gamer In You discussion below:
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June 26, 2013
Genese Davis at E3
This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo at the LA Convention Center showcased some amazing video games! E3 generates exciting video game news that often becomes the catalyst for weeklong discussions. That’s always a highlight for me when attending these events. While my group and I scoped out the convention center, the following questions started stirring up conversation: Is the aspect of an MMO displayed at conventions indicative of the focus of the developer? And can we speculate the success of that game based on that focus?
This topic began when we marveled at how much work goes into planning out an event of this magnitude. Many of the same members of my group have exhibited at Wondercon and Comic-Con with me, and understand the pressure to prep, set up, and present. It’s pretty draining to say the least, and so we are always in awe of the work developers put in to their displays at conventions like E3.
How do MMO developers decide what aspect of their game they’ll showcase at an expo? Do the developers only show what’s ready to show? Find out more in my latest column: “MMOs at Expos” at MMORPG.com
And for more pictures, visit Flickr.com/GeneseDavis
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May 17, 2013
Gamer Fiction – The Holder’s Dominion
—Bill Murphy, managing editor, MMORPG.com and RTSGuru.com
Check out Genese Davis’s inaugural column Gamer Fiction – The Holder’s Dominion at MMORPG.com and then leave your thoughts in the comments.
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Genese Davis
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May 16, 2013
GAMING NEWS: MMORPG Columns by Genese Davis
Every week, Holder’s Dominion author Genese Davis opines about MMO gaming, the issues the genre faces, and the power of shaping online worlds. Check out her columns here: MMORPG.com
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