Have you ever wanted to work in video games? Well that's what the guys at GameBizCo Inc. do. Literally.
Join the cast of Another Videogame Webcomic as we peek behind the curtain to see what exactly goes into bringing your favorite video games to the small screen. It may be a job in video games, but it's still a job.
Tours of Duty: GameX
Having just returned from doing two conventions on two consecutive weekends (
San Diego Comic Con and
Otakon in Baltimore, Maryland), I’ve been thinking a lot about gaming conventions. Now, I want to say that I’ve been to a gaming convention, but that’s not true. Or at least not a good one. E3 is probably the Mecca for most gamers as well as PAX (and probably even the newly minted PAX East) but I’ve never had the time and/or opportunity to attend one of those. Instead, I exhibited at a little show called GameX.
“Little” being the operative word there.
I think my fellow exhibitors at GameX 09 (although the 09 is probably redundant since it is the one and only) would agree that GameX was the epitome of “fake it ‘till you make it.” The organizers promised one show and delivered quite another, to the point where everything felt like a facade hiding a grotesque underbelly. But I was young and naive. I dismissed warning signs as reading too much into insignificant coincidences. Mistaking disorganization for good fortune, it wasn’t until halfway through the second day when I realized that things were probably not going to turn for the better. (My breaking point may have been doing a “comics” panel that was essentially a 20 minute dissertation on “the life and times of Phil Chan: The Phil Chan story” in a hallway that was converted into the “theater” with about three rows of folding chairs with about 7 people filling those rows.)
As unfulfilling an experience as GameX was, it wasn’t a total loss. One of my fellow GameX exhibitors dubbed the show “our Vietnam” with an accompanying gang sign to remind each other of our shared ordeal. I’ve often tried to describe our experiences at GameX to other people, but it’s really something that could only be experienced to get the full extent. (Though here, I’m not trying nearly as hard to convey the experience because I know it would be wholly inadequate...)
I’m sure the organizers didn’t set out to make a crappy show. I mean, unless you were sadistic you wouldn’t, right? And in my past couple weeks of travel, I’ve had some time to read the Penny Arcade 11 1/2 anniversary book wherein Robert Khoo details the events leading up to the very first PAX. To give you the gist of it (since I think it’s an interesting coffee table book that’s totally worth picking up) the first year’s PAX was teetering on the edge of huge success and huge failure. It really could have gone either way, but they caught a lot of lucky breaks that made the show a success and paved the path for what it is today. I feel like, while it was a valiant effort to a point, GameX is a show that broke the other way.
But maybe that’s just from my side of the table. At Otakon, I was talking about GameX to someone and a passerby overheard our conversation. He made it a point to stop, come back and tell us how great of a show it was and how much fun he had. So maybe if GameX instilled such a positive experience in him, maybe the show wasn’t all that bad?
We’ll probably never know what future iterations of GameX could have been. Out of morbid curiousity, I checked the URL for GameX and there was no website to be found. And doing a quick Google search, there aren’t many references to the show save for a defunct Facebook page and fan-taken some photos. If you look closely at the background of some of the pictures of the Jedi lightsaber exhibition (yes, there was even a Jedi lightsaber exhibition) you can probably see me and/or the Digital Pimp booth. And if you look really closely, you can see my spirit breaking and yearning for a good gaming convention...
Player Two
After the resurgence of multiplayer co-op, GameBizCo Inc. hired Player Two to be the Goose to someone else's Maverick. His workload isn't quite as heavy as most of the other people working at GameBizCo Inc. and as a result, he spends a lot of time in the break room or playing computer solitaire.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction
Player One
Player One is top dog at GameBizCo Inc. Nearly every game, from Pong to Mario Bros to Grand Theft Auto, requires Player One's expertise. His cocksure and sometimes inappropriate attitude is an annoyance to his coworkers but seeing as every game needs a first player, they make due.
First Appearance: Bonus Stage! Here comes Player One!
Damsel I. Distress
Whether it be a castle, a dungeon or mystical island, Damsel always needs to be saved... and she hates it. Damsel longs for the day when she's given the role of a strong female lead character who doesn't have huge breasts with hyper accurate physics.
First Appearance: LittleBIGPlanet
Final Boss
Underneath the huge brute that is Final Boss lies a timid creature who wouldn't hurt a fly. He puts on his "angry face" when throwing barrels down ramps or breathing fire but deep down he feels sorry for doing so. He's been known to throw a game or two in the player's favor.
First Appearance: World Record
John Minion
John Minion, or Min for short, is the hardest working employee at GameBizCo Inc. Playing everything from Goombas to no name thugs, Min gets beat up on a daily basis but loves every minute of it. He always wanted to work in the gaming industry and was originally hired as an intern. After years of getting coffee, his big break came when someone called in sick... and the rest is history.
First Appearance: Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Middle Manager
Middle Manager works in the Human Resources department. He runs staff meetings and interviews prospective employees. The other 90% of his time is spent playing Freecell on his computer.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction
