Origin of The Nerd (Part I: Video Games)

No, I'm not talking about the origin of the word "nerd" or even the origin of nerds as we know them. I'm going to do a three part series about how I got into the things I talk about most on this blog: Video Games, Comic Books, and Movies/TV Shows. I don't often write about myself, so this will be an interesting exercise. And maybe I'll connect with some readers who have had similar experiences, would like to get into new things, or want to talk about how they themselves got into the given subject.

I will, however, post the definition I most identify with when I think of nerd:

"A nerd is a person, typically described as being overly intellectual, obsessive, or socially impaired. They may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, obscure, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical or relating to topics of fiction or fantasy, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally, many nerds are described as being shy, quirky, and unattractive, and may have difficulty participating in, or even following, sports. "Nerd" is a derogatory, stereotypical term, but as with other pejoratives, it has been reclaimed and redefined by some as a term of pride and group identity."
-Wikipedia (emphasis mine)

For this first installment, I want to talk about how I got into video games. Check it after the break.

Hunting Game(s): Wii U and Vita Update

The next generation of gaming consoles is here! Or it will be this November, anyway.

The Wii U has officially been priced and given a December 18th, 2012 release date. The "basic" model is $299.99, while the black, 32 GB model is $249.99.

Ouch. I imagine the price is about what it needs to be, considering the controller has almost as many capabilities as a portable gaming device (I think), but I still feel strongly that Nintendo is going the wrong way with this. One of the best things about the Wii was that the price was so much lower than the 360 and PS3 at launch.

I'm REALLY hoping that this won't actually be indicative of next gen prices, though I suppose they have to scale somewhat. Launch prices for last gen:

At Launch (base/cheapest models)
Wii: $249.99
X-Box 360: $299
PS3: $499

The Wii U is (about) 1/5th more expensive than the Wii, meaning:

Projected Launch (Prices Rounded)
Wii U: $300
New X-Box: $360
New Playstation: $600

And that's if they scale evenly, which there's no reason to say they would. Considering the specs of the Wii U, I imagine the other consoles will blow it out of the water, encouraging them to, potentially, charge more. Let's hope not.

The Wii U looks interesting, but it out of my price range for quite some time. If any other news pops up that is pertinent, I'll post it, for now, though, I'm moving on to a small Vita Update:

I downloaded Final Fantasy 7 onto my Vita last night, yay! I haven't been checking the store lately and noticed last night that it updated with PSOne games. I'd picked up FF7 when it was on sale earlier in the Summer and so was able to re-download it last night straight from the store.

Finally on my Vita!

There didn't seem to be too many other PSOne games on the store, and even less interesting ones, but I'm happy I was able to get FF7 without having to transfer it from my MIA PS3.

I'll let folks know how its going when I have some time to play.

For next week, I'm going to do a bit of a switch up: Monday's Extra! Extra! will be about books/comic books based on Video Games and Wednesday's Hunting Game(s) will be feature my top 5 games with amazing stories.

See you tomorrow with some movie/tv news!