This is where I dump my yaoi: January 2014

Yeah... I tend to throw myself into strange ventures such as this one. So, I decided to just rate the game trailers that come out, as many as I can, and totally arbitrarily. I'm NOT a movie/trailer critic. But it's kinda fun, so, I'll just go for it. Here are my arbitrary points that I grade:

1: The graphics. What is a game without graphics? Lines of code, that's what. BOOOOORING! Unless you're into that stuff. I kinda am. Did I just call myself boring? *shame*.

2: Music. Again, what is a game without music? Flat graphics. Music is important.

3: Pacing. Now, I don't mean narative pacing, I mean the pacing of the music and what is happening on screen together. Do they "hit the note" or don't they? And how well? Stuff like that.

4: Narrative. With or without VO, you should get some idea of what it's all about. You should "get it" even if not a single word is spoken.

5: Captivation. Is the trailer intresting? Fun to watch?`Boring? Does it make you more or less interested in the game? That sort of things.

6: Interest. This and Captivation kinda goes hand in hand, but I'm trying to consider my intrerest in the game pre-seeing the trailer.

7: Other. This is ust an arbitrary line (and some points) to dole out if there was something else noteworthy in the trailers. Character designs, points for nostalgia, special VO-actor... whatever I find interesting.

Be forewarned, my grading-span tend to run in the 7-10 gambit, rather than 1-10. Which means these are going to be rather high, for now. Hopefully, the more i work with this, the better I become at using all the points. And yes, I am 4 weeks behind. Actually, I'm 13 YEARS behind, But we'll see if i get to those lost years. I will try.

So, without further ado... Let's start at the bottom, shall we? (And remember, I'm rating the TRAILERS, not the GAMES)

Worst Trailer of the Week: Mincraft PS3 Launch Trailer (YouTube link.)

Here's why:

Minecraft PS3 Launch Trailer
	Points	Note
Graphics	4	Retro graphics only actually work in nostalgic games…
Music	7	Kinda liked the music. It was 8-bit-y
Pacing	5	Slow, but short enough not to bore me to pieces.
Narrative	1	If I had NEVER heard about Minecraft before, I wouldn’t have gotten it at all….
Captivation	3	It was pretty… 8-bit-pretty… ehum…
Interest of game	0	I will NEVER play this game. EVER.
Other	7	Just for being so damn popular. And I don’t get it…
Average	3,8

The yaoi perspective: There is none. This is Minecraft. Everyting is 8-bit, and about building stuff. No yaoi here. Nowhere. The yaoi fangirl is sad =(

Next up. the 3 best trailers of the week, starting with:

3d Best Trailer of the Week: Dr. Luigi (YouTube link)

Here's why:

Dr. Luigi Trailer
	Points	Note
Graphics	6	Wii graphics.
Music	6	Ear-worm-y, peppy, nostalgic but meh.
Pacing	5	Eh…. Don’t know
Narrative	5	Tetris copies don’t really rely on narration
Captivation	6	It is, a little, on the nostalgic level
Interest of game	7	I could play this
Other	10	NOSTALGIA!!!!
Average	6,4

The yaoi perspective: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY CHILDHOOD ICONS! Damn yaoi.....

2nd Best Trailer of the Week: Elsword – Ara Haan Sakra Devanam Trailer (gs link)

Here's why:

Elsword – Ara Haan Sakura Devanam Trailer
	Points	Note
Graphics	6	Ok. Bit grainy and shaky.
Music	7	Dig, not epic
Pacing	10	Oh, heck, it was perfect. Hit every note.
Narrative	7	Ok
Captivation	7	Yeah. Made it.
Interest of game	7	Manga + RPG + MMO = Nice
Other
Total mean	7,3

The yaoi perspective: A little too cutesy for me to gain any sort of yaoi material. Sorry...

And the Best Trailer of Week 1 2014 is.....: Deep down - Prologue Trailer (YouTube link)

Here's why:

Deep Down Prologue Trailer
	Points	Note
Graphics	7	Ingame graphics (?)
Music	6	Nice, not much more (Reminded me of N.U.)
Pacing	8	Hit the right notes, s.t.s, not perfect
Narrative	8	Extra points for having a narrator who spoke “to me”
Captivation	8	Yes, I didn’t get bored, so…
Interest of game	7	Had some interest before, didn’t lesser with this.
Other	9	Dungeon Crawler =)
Total mean	7,5

The yaoi perspective: I now to little about this game, as of yet, but knowing my dungeon crawlers, there will probably be a couple of bishounen and biseinen here to warrant some fanfiction. There always is....

Some Honorary mentions: Check out Europa Universalis - Conquest of paradise trailer for this weeks best music, Mecha Naruto trailer for best graphics and Atelier Escha & Logy for this weeks white-haired pretty boy =). And don't forget to give me a holler/some critique/whatever in the message box, so I know you've been here!

Will be back in a couple of days, playing catch-up with the trailers for week 2. And maybe for January 2000....

Logix

Yeah... I update so often, don't I?

Have some yaoi and be happy. It's New Years Day for fuck's sake.....

Most days, Alex liked his apartment. It was tucked into a corner, he had windows in three directions and all rooms. Comfortable and fashionable rooms, fit for a young man of his fame. Only… empty. Empty and lonely. And he hated it for its emptiness. Why, oh why, had he decided to stay home this winter holiday instead of going with his cousin to his aunt and uncle’s home? What stupidity had come over him?

Alex had no real desire to do anything. Even going online felt utterly pointless. No. Real, live IRL people. That’s what he needed. Only, the places people go were so far away. It would take him at least 5 minutes to walk down to the bar. Sighing as if the world was about to end, he changed, put on his boots and jacket, grabbed his phone and keys and walked the 250 meter to the local bar.

Once there, he was greeted with cheers and smiles. Smiling back, he made his way to the bar, sat down in a tucked-away corner and asked for a glass of whiskey. The bartender smiled a little. Alex was well known here, and the bartender knew that whiskey was the drink of choice when Alex was feeling bad, wanted people around, but didn’t want interaction. Maybe that wasn’t so strange, Alex must have lots of people pestering him for some Q&A every day.

The cheerful talking and laughter only underscored Alex’ loneliness. Four hours, three glasses of whiskey and a few scraps of musical ideas later, Alex gave up and left. He felt worse than when he had come, but at least he had jotted down some things for work. It was just past midnight, rather dark and empty, so to gain some time, he cut across the skating rink. He shouldn’t have. He slipped, fell and hit his head and twisted his ankle. Head blazing with pain he gave in.

“Fuck it”, he said out loud. “I’ll just lie here ‘til the others come back in two weeks.”

Having said that, though, he felt a little less miserable, so he tried to sit up. His foot throbbed painfully, and his head said no! don’t do that! Every movement made him nauseous and he was seeing double. He closed his eyes to clear his head.

“HEY!”

Alex eyes snapped open. A man stood over him.

“You’re awake”, the man said with half a smile. “It’s kinda stupid to sleep on the ice, you know.”

Still seeing double, Alex blinked and thought.

“I didn’t mean to”, he muttered.

“No kidding”, said the man. “I know that you lot can be an eccentric bunch, but this… Are you all right?”

The man stretched out a hand, expecting Alex to take it.

“One”, Alex said trying to sit up by himself, but his head was still protesting. “What do you mean ‘you lot’ and two, why do I recognize you? All three of you?”

“Double vision, is it”, the man asked, crouching down beside Alex and helping him sit. “Maybe O should call an ambulance after all.”

Alex grimaced. He was mortally afraid of anything having to do with hospitals.

“I’m fine. You didn’t answer my questions.”

“You’re not fine. You probably have a concussion. Can you stand?”

He helped Alex up. Getting to his feet, Alex felt the pain in his foot again, and faltered. His helper held on to him.

“Your foot”, he asked.

Alex nodded.

“Must have twisted it”, he muttered. “Could you answer my questions?”

“If you at least let me help you home and call someone who can sit with you. You shouldn’t sleep if you have a concussion.”

“No one to call, they’re out of town.”

“Then I’ll stay with you. Someone has to.”

“Yeah, thanks, but you have a life of your own. Do yourself a favor and don’t get dragged into mine.”

“Too late. Whereto?”

Resigning to the kindness this man obviously harbored, or maybe it was just Alex wanting it to be kindness, he pointed.

“Over there.”

They started to walk toward the apartment complex. For Alex, every step was sheer pain, in his foot or in his head. He tried not to use the foot too much. It was slow walk, but soon he felt like he had run a marathon.

“I meant musicians”, the stranger said suddenly.

“What?”

“When I said that you lot could be eccentric. I meant musicians. Alex Gabriels.”

“You know my name. But then, everybody do.”

“Most people know my name, as well. You said you recognize me. I peg your inability to place me down to you being drunk and having a concussion. I’m Kevin Reesi.”

Alex grimaced. Of course, he though, Stupid me.

“How drunk were you anyway”, Kevin asked.

“Not nearly as drunk as I wanted to be”, Alex replied bitterly.

“Maybe you’d been more careful if you’d been that drunk”, mused Kevin.

Alex fished his keys out from a pocked. He was trembling and sweating from pain now, and could barely unlock the door. The fingerprint and iris scan felt like it took forever. Once inside, he collapsed on the nearest chair in the kitchen.

Kevin hung his coat at the rack, took of his winter shoes and looked around. So this is how the richest man in the world under 25 lived. Fashionable, but rather impersonal. Almost like a page in a catalogue. Rather strange, actually. In all interviews Alex seemed like a very personable guy, who made everything his own. Apparently not so with the place he lived. And the rumors seemed like they could be true. Alex didn’t have a girlfriend, there was no such thing as a woman’s touch in this apartment.

He went into the kitchen and helped Alex take of his boots and jacket. About time, too, Alex foot was swelling.

“Do you have any kind of medical supplies”, he asked.

“Maybe. In the bathroom.”

Kevin walked across the entrance hall to the bathroom.

“I thought you were a teacher”, Alex shot after him.

“And I was under the impression that you were a rather clever guy. Apparently, we don’t know much about each other.”

“You’re not a teacher?”

“No, I’m a professor.”

“Semantics”, muttered Alex as Kevin came back with gauze, tape and scissors.

“Perhaps”, he said pleasantly. “Do you need help taking of your pants?”

Alex’ head wasn’t clear enough for him to blush. He just undid the buttons, stood on his other foot and took them of, then he sat down again. Kevin crouched down and took his foot. Alex grimaced.

“I know it hurts”, Kevin said. “And it will keep hurting all night.”

“Too bad”, said Alex lazily. “So, professor. Why are you doing this, exactly?”

Kevin concentrated on the job at hand for a moment. Why was he doing this, exactly? Because Alex was famous and he wanted a brush with such fame? Because of the goodness of his heart? No, neither was true. The first absolutely not, and the latter only partly true. The true truth, however, eluded him. For now.

“I’m not sure. Because you needed help and refused hospital care.”

Alex smirked.

“A sane person had just called an ambulance. Probably from the path, and then moved on without caring.”

“That last part doesn’t sound very sane.”

“Maybe not. But that’s what human beings do. They don’t care. Especially not about me.”

It sounded less bitter and more resigned. Famous he might be, but Alex was not without his scars, Kevin realized. After a long moment’s silence, he asked:

“How’s your head?”

Alex shrugged.

“I’ll live”, he muttered. “You don’t have to stay, you know.”

“Don’t start. You’ll just lose the argument.”

“Whatever. Can I put my pants back on?”

“You should put on some pajama pants or something. More comfortable.”

“Yeah, maybe. Can we watch TV?”

“Sure. As long as you don’t fall asleep.”

Alex got up on one unsteady foot. Kevin grabbed his arm as he was about to fall.

“That’s why you’re here, right”, said Alex with a genuinely warm smile. That smile brightened his whole being. If I’m not careful, Kevin thought, I’ll fall in love with his guy.

“Exactly”, he said.

“So you’re really going to stay here, with me, all night?”

“Yes. All night. And you will hate me for it in the morning”

Kevin didn’t know it then, but that was just the first of very many nights.

Happy 2014....