Active Time Event

Inventio Per Fabula

Active Time EVent

  • Virtual Identity and Best Intentions

    Sometimes, it’s the thought that counts. Other times, it’s probably for the best to leave well enough the fuck alone Here I am, at the end of the day, attempting to get something posted before midnight, not necessarily coming in totally prepared with a bunch of gameplay under my belt to reference, nor am I… Read more

  • Not All Remakes Are Created Equal

    In spite of historically valued declarations on the matter, and the founding notions that formed the nations relevant to their genesis, men are in fact, not created equal, when more seriously considered by the unfortunate circumstances that surround our society. In a far less serious but relevant matter, the same can be said about video… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Zooming Out

    On rougher days, don’t be afraid to stand firm with strong boundaries, for the sake of your own mental health and well being. If people aren’t getting the message, don’t be afraid to hang your sign up and “close down”(emotionally) a little early that day This week has been a rough one, not going to… Read more

  • The MetaNarrative Hallway- Player Interpretation Beyond Fallacy

    Intention is often beyond reason, much like this article, which is not unlike The Narrative Hallway, and something you will understand only in part enough to create your own by the end of reading this. Endlessly finite, to borrow from similar interior design methodology of traversal relevant to the topic at hand With the current… Read more

  • The Rogue Prince and Existential Self-Reflection

    I’m always of the mind one should have a higher calling than money, and a more virtuous pursuit than finance, but when one is constantly harangued to do nothing but chase a paycheck, the take away of aspiring to be anything but mercenary about life is hard to argue against. The irony of course, ends… Read more

  • Quick Posit: Don’t Overthink Prince of Persia

    The vibe continues to deteriorate I’m always saying it’s all about perspective The title of my post is more of a functional reminder to myself then anything else, as I’m struggling to keep a motivated mentality amidst a large heap of bullshit doing its damnedest to keep me completely drained of energy, so small victories… Read more

  • Cynics Think Alike; Gamers Rarely Differ

    Every new day I read a fresh headline, reminds me of the petulant misery the human race is capable of. I would just greatly prefer if the human collective would spend just a teensy-tinsy bit more time actually giving a shit about rationality over desire for a brief moment The weekends are usually when there… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Uncomfortable Doesn’t Mean Not Good

    Sometimes, we are not always given the best of options. When all else fails, “Chuck it in the fuck it bucket” is always an ideal last resort In the fairest of realities, we would always have at least one good option, and be able to sleep soundly with our decisions. Sadly, we do not live… Read more

  • The Tao Of Gaming: How To Play

    I want to say I probably think about games more than I play them, which makes sense, when you factor in the notion I not only write about them, but have held jobs and worked gigs that require me to do research on them, interview people within the industry, talk shop with other industry vets,… Read more

  • Doing Diddy (Kong) Justice

    In the realm of video game related writing, I’m never quite sure if my heart is in the right place or not. What occurs in my head every time I sit down to write For anyone that follows Active Time Event on a regular basis, even those rare breeds that have been doing so since… Read more

  • Death Of The Dev: China Forcing Censorship On Wuchang-A Grim Omen For The Future Of The Chinese Gaming Industry

    See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil In a hilariously unfortunate circumstance involving a well timed critique I posted last night, entitled “Death of the Dev”, news recently broke about a patch for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, that relates to massive amounts of censorship for the title being patched into the game, and what… Read more

  • Death Of The Dev: Leave My Single Player Alone

    I’m realizing as I type this that my sense of decorum tends to waver whenever I’m in a less than mood, but I suppose that is likely not uncommon in any vocational standard, job or otherwise. I’m guessing money and or accountability is usually what keeps people on the straight and narrow, though I’d argue… Read more

  • Money Can Be Exchanged For Goods And Horse Armor

    In spite of the terror reality relentlessly rains down upon me, my flirtations with gaming persists unabated. Well…slightly abated, as I have recently detailed, though I remain an admirably audacious individual non the less. Audaciously admonishable to others, mind you….quality is always perspective, though I do prefer the moments when I’m the biggest terror relentlessly… Read more

  • Red Dead? Redemption, Too!

    When all else fails (including you), act like the accident involved was meant to happen. Punctuation goes a long way in reframing the narrative I’ve been running into a problem recently, one that’s been kind of hidden in plain sight for anyone who follows the site regularly, and is paying close enough attention to look… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Adjusting Ratios

    Sun Tzu wrote: “Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.” Excellent advice: until you become the very enemyyou are fighing. Which leads me to my words of wisdom today, which could be applied in a number of ways, as “adjusting ratios” is imbued with a sense of… Read more

  • The Experience Machine, Video Games, And Hedonism

    So many buttons, and so much time with which to push them… The inverse can be just as regretable, so it really is a pick your own poison scenario, I find. I’m currently at a loss for words, on some non-literal level anyways, as to what was worth speaking about today in the world of… Read more

  • Quick Posit: Morality is Virtually Arbitrary

    Most morality does not differ very much from “this will make me happy” in the moment, not unlike choosing a starter I think video games help to reinforce the notion that morality is virtually arbitrary. Much like picking your favorite Pokémon, you can split hairs all the live long day as to why one choice… Read more

  • Rare Replay: Missing the Boat

    Even despite our best efforts of wanting to enjoy the day, that does not stop someone from peeing on the proverbial rug of contentment, thusly ruining what might have been an enjoyable afternoon in the process… Or literal rug, obviously, though it does bring up the notion of irony that after said rug, proverbial or… Read more

  • Nintendo Indie World Showcase Rocking The Right Vibes

    The want to stay informed vs the want to retain whatever sanity I have left by not checking the news headlines…the struggle is real. Basically my reaction whenever I check the news these days Thankfully, the gaming news is far more palatable on the regular, with less probability of wanting to gouge my eyes out… Read more

  • “Making Games Is Hard”, Doom Devs Jest As They Watch A Speedrunner Rip And Tear Through The Dark Ages

    Sometimes, it’s about the little things in life that truly matter.. Like deposing the equivalent of gods with led based weaponry, for example As much as I regularly seem to gravitate towards giving my all to entertain and inform, I too must rest my weary head and take it easy from time to time. I’ve… Read more

  • Soulslike Players Complaining About Easier Difficulty Options: Touch Grass

    One must find enjoyment where one can, though if your idea of an enjoyable dish in the dinning room of life is a bit spicier than others, do not force peppers into your shared preferred dish of choice when cooking for the entire crowd. Spending time with family is a great example of just how… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Hitting the Target

    In how we conduct ourselves everyday, it’s important to remember a seriously underrated point of interest: it’s not about whether you hit your target, but how true your aim was that mattered. Thor in Infinity War is a terrible example of what I’m speaking about. My visual gag is of course a hilarious way to… Read more

  • The Exhaustion Chronicles: Video Games I Slept On This Week

    As I sit here with bloodshot eyes and a sore body, knowing I still have one more overnight shift left to do before my work week is over, mulling over ideas in an attempt to fulfill my self-imposed status quo of writing about games everyday, I catch myself from nodding off right before my head… Read more

  • Moral Negation In Video Games

    *DISCLAIMER: I’m prefacing this article with a reality check that anything discussed hereafter represents a thought experiment involving philosophical deconstructionism, and the metaphysics involved with players as autonomous agents reacting within a simulated environment, and not a serious concern over ethical implications with either the gamer, or developer in question. Thank you for understanding.* In… Read more

  • Today’s Video Game Indie Scene Is Yesterday’s Mainstream-A Deconstruction Of Artistic Endeavor

    Art is a subjective thing: just ask the person who bought and consumed an art piece entitled “Comedian”, which is in fact, a banana duct taped to a wall that he purchased for several million dollars. I mean, it’s one banana, Michael. What could it cost, 6.2 million dollars? Which segways us wonderfully into my… Read more

  • Nintendo Direct Partners Showcase Failed to Generate FOMO On The Switch 2 Front For Me

    I’ll admit, I don’t think my head was in the right place when I started watching the latest Nintendo Direct, even still, I don’t think I expected to feel quite as out of place as one of the heads floating around in the “Chillin by the Fire” game that was shown. Truly terrifying I recently… Read more

  • Quick Posit: It Would Be So Ironic If Nintendo Helped To Standardize Mouse Controls For Consoles

    If anyone could do it, it would be Nintendo…right? Just a bite sized but oh so delicious thought to serve up for your pleasure today, and one I thought was definitely worth sharing, even if I didn’t have a more elaborate article idea servicing the notion. An idea that gestates within my noggin, and one… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Iteration Salvation

    Winning or losing: they both contribute in understanding what works, and iterating upon it Sometimes, it takes a lot of effort, do overs, and what feels like an absolute eternity of retries to get something exactly the way you want it. Spite is a perfectly valid reason for getting out of bed in the morning:… Read more

  • Super meat Boy 3D: “Responsiveness And Momentum Are Key”

    In the land of video games, it’s important to remember that death is only the beginning… Good rule of thumb to keep in mind with mummies, as well… And to that point, much like the black magic eternal that helps to keep mummies coming back for more, Super Meat Boy may finally be back with… Read more

  • Old Street Fighter II Design Docs Prove Why Chun-Li is the GOAT

    I meant Chun-Li being *the* GOAT (greatest of all time), not an actual goat…. As I’ve previously mentioned here on Active Time Event, as much as I enjoy keeping apprised of the relevant news items of the day in staying on top of what matters in the realm of gaming, I also enjoy using the… Read more

  • Hoping The Duo Expeditions Update For Elden Ring: Nightreign Will Be My Hakuna Matata Moment

    “Our” trio is down to two Rejoice, Nightfarers! A severely demanded for u yupdate that many players from the Elden Ring community have been clamoring for, and one that is both long overdue and yet at the same time, surprisingly quick in it’s implementation, comes in the form of patch 1.02, aka, the Duos Expedition… Read more

  • to a T is A-OKAY, IMO

    In spite of our best efforts, creative endeavors don’t always turn out the way we would have hoped, as recreating miracles can be an impossible feat. That doesn’t stop some from trying, however. Luckily, that isn’t always the case, and we, the collective, are treated to something a bit more colorful and creative as a… Read more

  • Microsoft Blinks In Its Consumer Game Of Chicken: Holiday Games No Longer Priced At $80

    Nintendo’s face looking at the retail price of Mario Kart World at time of press release, when Microsoft comments games don’t need to have an $80 price tag In a strangely non-cynical moment of consumer time, Microsoft has changed their tune on the price of sequel Outer Worlds 2, a follow up to the popular… Read more

  • Quick Posit: Wondering If A Downsizing Of The Video Game Industry Is Inevitable At This Point

    Another great looking game I look forward to downloading and not finding the time to play Like most of my quick posits, this one acts as more of a conversation starter than a fully fledged article, as sometimes my schedule doesn’t allow for time to cook up a more elaborate write up, but I simultaneously… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: “Hinging” On Our Expectations Realistically

    Sometimes, our expectations are out of line with the reality of the situation, and how things are likely to turn out. Other times, we’re able to make some fair judgment calls based on reliable past experiencesWhich is why today’s words of wisdom, words that build off of my notion of Appreciating the Spectrum(s), involve managing… Read more

  • Ubisoft CEO Comes To Terms With Shocking Realization Gamers Prefer Quality In Their Video Games

    Quality prepackaged with video games at launch: truly a novel sentimentality that makes one perk their head right up in intense curiosity Investor exchanges between the bottom line money men and the head honchos of publishers are always a fun time, in coming to terms with the stark notion of how the people running the… Read more

  • The Metaphysicality of “Fingerfeeling”, and how it affected the Crash trilogy Remake

    A game helped defined by the lack of 30 milliseconds of button pressing In my many travels through the virtual realm, I often have to ponder about a great number of realities that affect the entirety of the interplay between player and avatar on a regular basis, and what kind of disruption it can mean… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Appreciating the Spectrum(s)

    Beyond the black and white, there exists the grey… Ironically not pictured: a grey (alien) Which is why my words of wisdom today involve “Appreciating the Spectrum(s)”, as I think it’s vital in understanding reality at large, something I was reminded of in my investigation into the cosmic unknown. More often then not, people fail… Read more

  • System Shock: The Metaphysical Interpolation of “Fingerfeeling” Game Design

    Did you get through the title without going crossed eyed or nodding off briefly? Points for trying if you’re still reading this if either or neither case may be, the fact you remain invested in the notion of breaking down what “fingerfeeling” means is what counts. It’s not what you may initially think, I swear… Read more

  • To Do List: Save The Media Dimension While Deconstructing It Through The Lens Of Hegelian Philosophy- Check

    It’s Hegel Time The effort of creation is a difficult, messy process, and has a tendency to produce crazy results when things get out of hand…but hey, as long as you have an audience for it, anything truly bizarre, no matter how insane, can work, right? Has probably already topped the NYT best sellers list,… Read more

  • Steam: The real treasure was spending money on games along the way

    Having too much of something isn’t always a net positive. Too many Spiderman’s boil the soup? Or at least, that is the common wisdom on the matter… (no, not the Spiderman thing), the “too much of a good thing is a bad thing” thing. So says gaming marketing analyst Chris Zukowski, who Gamesradar initially reported… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Sharing in “The Lack”

    Sometimes, it can feel like we are losing control of our own mind, or similarly, that some terrifyingly vital part of reality that makes it all work is just…missing. Not seen here: a terrifyingly vital part of reality missing: I.E. safety Which is why today’s words of wisdom are Sharing in “The Lack”, which is… Read more

  • Gex, Hegel, and the Master/Slave Dichotomy

    In my “first ever” madly paradoxical non-literal preview/review of Gex 1, one of three titles included in the recently released Gex Trilogy Remastered, as always, I designated no score to the title, much like I didn’t go out of my way to comment or scrutinize about every little detail involving the game, as is my… Read more

  • Gex: A Trip Down Memory Lane

    Watching behind the scenes supplemental material of the voice of Gex, Dana Gould, discussing that the writing, jokes, tones, and general riffing of the international gecko of mystery is a good reminder that sometimes, the entire reason someone did something is because they thought it was funny. Mind boggling that with such a simple motivation,… Read more

  • Writing About Writing About Video Games (feat. Postmodernism)

    Sometimes, success can not only be a confusing moment, but a messy one. Just ask the man who invented the reverse bear trap for a good example of what I mean Depending on my mood when I sit down and write, the fingers start frantically tapping, and the words just seemingly fly onto the screen.… Read more

  • Video Game Philosophy: Nostalgia Is A Mad Beast

    Memory can be a cruel mistress, leading us to believe we had something so beautiful, only to stare blankly into the cold face of reality upon a wayward return with the hopeful zest everything would be as we left it, and we are both amazingly correct and terrifyingly wrong at the same time. Not all… Read more

  • To Do List: Video Game Binge Activate

    Time keeps on slipping… …into itself? That’s why today’s post is more of a bite sized tidbit, as it were, best laid plans and all that sometimes leaves one up the creek and without a paddle in the temporal department. I thoroughly suggest to anyone reading this that if you wish to get a new… Read more

  • Blue Shells and Banana Peels

    This article is more of a drive-by-posting of sorts, but there’s always time for a spot of good news. To wit; it looks as if Nintendo confirmed the team behind Super Mario Odyssey is developing Donkey Kong Bananza. Looks like the next Donkey Kong is going to be “feature length”, as it were This much… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Feeling vs Thinking

    Sometimes, it’s hard not to viscerally react to the harsh disappointments of the everyday. And sometimes that will require a tetanus shot Which relates to my notion involving feeling vs thinking, which is a distinction most don’t give more consideration too. Within my own Cartesian machinations involving the metaphysics of virtual reality, it’s important to… Read more

  • Gooners Helping To Keep The Gaming Industry Alive With The Power Of Their Horniness

    Support artists; be horny In a surprising thought process concluding with levity this week, I recently heard about the Street Fighter 6 Swimsuit costumes coming to the game, in what’s sure to be a popular move with a lot of the player base. Obviously, these are all going to be optional costumes for a number… Read more

  • Smash Bros. Creator Sakurai: AI Is The Way To Survive

    Kiby’s papa spitting hotfire about the need for change In what remains a tragic habituality within my world, I possess a vast reservoir of energy and will to write, and nearly no temporal moments to spare on executing on my imaginative fervor. I will leave you with a notion related to one of my last… Read more

  • QUICK Posit: Gaming Devs Should Get the Final Say On AI

    The right to utilize AI in creation should belong to the ones with their jobs on the line, in the name of workers rights, not as a replacement In a moment where I do not have much time to spare, and likely an idea that is deserving of a much larger article, I was bemoaning… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Resetting to Default

    Sometimes, life can be a lot to handle. We can’t just punch all of our problems away, like Chris Redfield does with boulders he doesn’t like. That’s why on today’s words of wisdom, I wanted to posit the notion of resetting to default, and what that entails. You could think of it as some kind… Read more

  • I Can’t Believe People Care About Donkey Kong Lore

    It’s obvious Nintendo isn’t monkeying around with the story elements of Donkey Kong Bananza…well, like literally they are, but…you get what I’m saying That is indeed the state of things in our collective primate world, but what is one to do but the best they can in the face of such wild insanity? To that… Read more

  • Dropping $450 On A Switch 2 To Play Mario Kart Still Feels Too Steep

    They say no news is good news…this adage doesn’t seem as relevantly applicable when discussing post launch hype for a game console, however. Don’t let the cheery mustache lead you astray: definitely seems like there have been some bumps in the road post launch I wrote about similar feelings involving how underwhelming the Switch 2… Read more

  • Quick Posit: I’ve Given Up On Nightreign

    The stark contrast between the pain of dying and the hurt of feeling dead inside The notion of writing about the experience, at least. I haven’t given up on the game, mind you, as I still enjoy the Elden Ring pedigree far too much to let such a unique experience fall to the wayside, but… Read more

  • Placating PlayStation

    Sometimes, traveling off of the beaten path can be a tricky endeavor, as the trail to travel lacks the guide book that can help one safely navigate the terrain, even if this safe navigation one seeks ends up being about something as silly as writing about video games. I say that in relation to the… Read more

  • Quick Posit: The Price Of Bad Press?

    Not much time to write today, which means this has to be a drive by posting of sorts, as I briefly sift through all of the gaming nonsense and comment on something quickly before I move on This leaves me with the thought of the $80 price tag talking point for video games that keeps… Read more

  • Hell Needs Mood Lighting, Too

    With enough practice, one can even master the domain of hell. I’m not sure if this same logic is why Doom games have a “take it easy on me” break in period in earlier levels, but the warm up rounds of mindfully restrained sense of posturing make the burning sensation of hellfire a lot more… Read more

  • To Do List: Conquer Hell, Check

    They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, and that looking into them, you get a true sense for what kind of majestic sense of beauty they maintain their household with. Other times however, you don’t even have to ring the doorbell to conclusively know that no one is home This is relevant… Read more

  • Looking Forward To Hating Death Stranding 2

    Will Death Stranding 2 make it as easy to hate as the first game? Like attempting to balance on a ladder over a precipice, DS2 succeeding where DS1 failed is a shaky proposal at best. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not champing at the bit to unabashedly jump down DS2’s throat with reckless abandon and… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Framework Thinking

    It’s important to think outside the box and experiment with what works. Even if the trial and error can be downright torturous That’s why today’s words of wisdom have more to do with thinking than self-care, as a healthy brain needs to be constantly challenged in order to continue to grow. With that in mind,… Read more

  • Will 007 First Light Finally dissipate The Long Shadow Cast By Goldeneye?

    The amount of heavy lifting Goldeneye 64 did for the Bond name is a Rare feat The gameplay trailer showcased for 007 First Light at Sony’s State of Play revealed a confident showing from IO Interactive, the developers behind the Hitman series, who are letting the gaming world know loud and clear that much like… Read more

  • disappointed in the post launch hype of the Switch 2

    Seems as if Mario Kart World is stalling at the starting line ever so slightly… Normally when a console launches, I’m lucky enough to be there day one, as at the very least, an individual launch title usually propels me to plop hundreds of bucks down for some shiny new hardware in the name of… Read more

  • Silent Hill f: Scared to let my guard down that the series makes a comeback

    The notion of Silent Hill returning to it’s former glory is more horrifying than what the trailer showcases…surprisingly Game series come and go, popularity waxes and wanes with the times, and what was popular yesterday is forgotten tomorrow. This cold hard reality that is the song and dance of the everyday in gaming spells gloom… Read more

  • Refreshing to see MGS3 hasn’t lost its charm in the Remake

    Konami is obviously not afraid to monkey around with this remake Silly puns aside, among the many trailers showed at Sony’s State of Play yesterday, a yearly event that showcases what PlayStation fans can look forward to in the next year coming to Sony’s platform, the new Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta trailer was shown,… Read more

  • This is what the skill to get a platinum trophy in Elden Ring looks like

    You might not be all that surprised by the difference in time investment, honestly A very similar looking screen greeted me before the end of the tutorial when I booted up Elden Ring: Nightreign, which I guess should come as no surprise to me, as it’s a bit of a tradition to die before the… Read more

  • (Revisting) The Greasy Reality of Mario Kart

    These days, I feel quite off when I’m not framing my gaming articles through the lens of philosophy. Almost as if my mention of philosophy in tandem with gaming has become not unlike Marvel editors’ desire to inject doom where no doom previously existed To that point (somehow), here on ATE, self-identity is a big… Read more

  • Words of Wisdom: Mastering Disadvantage

    Sometimes, it can feel like a struggle to gain the upper hand. This becomes especially difficult when one no longer has any hands I recently wrote about “What is Playing?”, and I used the phrase “proponent of salvaging some value from any given situation”, and while it can feel impossible to keep a level head… Read more

  • Encyclopedia Muranica: What is Playing?

    The old saying is you should never judge a book by it’s cover. Educated guesses are probably okay though, right? Related to the point, I’ve definitely become more of a proponent of salvaging some value from any given situation: I think normally due to the notion that the every day ends up being a ghastly… Read more

  • Doom: Going To Hell For Mental Health Reasons

    Try as I might, I am not always able to clear my head to get a full fledged article out in the time I have allotted to me in a given night, a reality I’ve had to deal with recently. Between a full time job, taking care of my cat, chores around the apartment, exhausted… Read more

  • Will FromSoftware Stick To Their Guns and Keep Nightreign Multiplayer Oriented?

    Not much time to go indepth on an entire subject with a full length article today due to a busy schedule, but I figured I would take a moment to wonder aloud about whether or not FromtSoftware will in fact, stick to their guns and keep Elden Ring: Nightreign multiplayer oriented? From reading write ups… Read more

  • Looking forward to more pain in Nightreign

    A new Elden Ring game is upon us. What launch day servers will look like when players start logging in After spending a significant amount of time with Doom: The Dark Ages in the past two weeks, and having thoroughly enjoyed what was on offer, warts and all, I am about ready to move on… Read more

  • Doom: The Dark Ages-Metaphysics of Hell

    The Doom series has gone to great lengths to establish itself as a staple; not just for the shooter genre, but for video games as a whole. With frenetic, over the top action that has few competitors within the same realm of intensity, Doom as en entity never seems to slow its roll, as each… Read more

  • Algorithms: Perpetuating Cycles of Violence

    (Spoilers for The Last of Us ahead) In many of my recent posts about Doom, I have included several different quotes involving Hell. Today I include one from Churchill: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” The man obviously had Doom speedrunning in mind Speaking of which, I was delighted when I finished Doom: The… Read more

  • Wisdom’s Genesis: The End of the Beginning

    Sic Parvis Magna…greatness from small beginnings. A phrase I became familiar with through my love of the Uncharted series, and one I regularly think about in my own absurdist quest of self-discovery, and one that’s taken me from my own humble origins that started all the way back in September 2012 on the original version… Read more

  • Doom: The Dark Ages: One Hell of A Compromise

    All hell has broken loose…again. I’m of course referring to the recent launch of DOOM: The Dark Ages, which has felt like a longtime coming, with Eternal having launched back in March 202 we0, back during the start of the pandemic. It was a shitty time, to say the least Dark times indeed, though we… Read more

  • Encyclopedia Muranica: The Absent Rain Theorem

    Sometimes, you’ve got to look at the absence of what’s not there for the deepest, relative value you care about, and the lack observed thereafter will help put into perspective what matters most. For example, not pictured: Fry After a feverishly hectic week long romp of raging through Raccoon City, I’m more or less at… Read more