Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Future of Augmented Reality


This past June 23, we at Augmented Reality had out first year anniversary. I say “had” instead of “celebrated” because we had no particular party, private or public, and we didn’t make any special videos or articles made in order to commemorate the event. In fact, we haven’t posted many articles at all lately, and for that I have nothing to say other than we’re sorry. 

A lot has happened in the personal lives of my contributors and I the past few months. Some of them are minor, some of them are major, and some of them had more impact on us than they really should have. One of those types of changes occurred around February, during my last semester of college at UTEP, when my friend and fellow contributor Alicia left her apartment to move into the spare room of my house. A good amount of my personal time has been spent adjusting to the changes that can only come from sharing a home with someone. Naturally, the fact that I was working on graduating from university added to my work load, but one thing that was most impactful for me was the fact I’d lost my job as a file clerk at a local grade school; a job that I’d held on to for four years. 

A lot of time that would have gone into the blog has been put into the adjustments that we’ve had to make. Alicia and I are both the main editors of this blog and in the past few months we’ve both had to put aside our responsibilities a lot in order to…make life happen. In addition to that we’ve taken on a new contributor, John Browning, the “BlackWing Magician,” and we’ve been hard at work producing his directorial project “Yu Gi Oh: The Blood of Raizel.” The production of the film has been an emotional mixed bag for all involved. There have been good times and trying times on set for both the crew and any members of the cast we’ve brought in from El Paso’s numerous other organizations. 

Thankfully, the film is as of now complete life is slowing down, and everyone in the AugReal crew are optimistic about one another and their ability to continue forward working as a team. As for me, well, I’ve graduated UTEP with my Creative Writing and Communication degree, and while I’m still between jobs I’ve made a significant amount of income doing some freelance online communications work.

When I think about the future of the blog, however, all I can think about is how much more we can all accomplish. I want Augmented Reality to do its best to provide the latest information on all of El Paso’s great events, conventions and local business. I want Augmented Reality to produce unique and original content for the web, and I want Augmented Reality to be the go-to place for all the greatest information related to fandom this great city of El Paso can offer. In order to do that, I have to be the person who is willing to change. The past few weeks I’ve been figuring out to do that, and I’ve busied myself with making apologies, negotiating new deals with some associates, and planning a feature for the blog that, well…I don’t want to spoil the surprise. 

So, for all of you that are looking forward to some sort of affirmation from Augmented Reality on its first anniversary, here it is: the next few months re going to be filled with all new material, brand new content, and brilliant new ideas that are going to be like nothing we’ve ever produced before. We are already hard at work on some unique and original ideas, and with the addition of new member John Browning’s directorial skills, we will be bringing out some great original content. We’re still very closely associated with many local conventions, shops, and event-makers in the city, and we’ll continue to provide a unique look at all the truly unique and interesting events that El Paso has to offer.

Here’s to the future of Augmented Reality.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Marginal Gaming - Women Written Wrong

 In his latest article for 8bitfix, Mike Cervantes explores just what went wrong with the Tomb Raider & Hitman Absolution trailers and the "Tropes Vs. Women" controversy. What are we all getting wrong when it comes to portraying female characters in games?

Check it out on 8bitfix.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Thumb Wars - June 2012

It's time for some thumb wars. There are lots of great video game tournaments going on this month.

First up is a Super Smash Bros. tourney at the Doris van Doreen Library on Redd Road on Thurs. June 14th at 3pm. There will be tournaments for both Melee and Brawl. It's free, it's fun and it's educational if you decide to stay and read afterwards. So, dust off that 'cube controller and check it out.

Next up is the Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 tournament at 1 More Level, 1580 George Deiter on Saturday, June 20th at 7-m. One More Level had a good turnout for their last Super Street Fighter IV tournament, but there should be loads more competition at this one. Be sure to BYOC and get those teams all steamed up, because anyone who wins this one is gonna be looked upon as a Marvel.
Finally, don't forget that there are Fighting Game nights every Monday at Tortuga Bar and Sports Lounge, 126 Shadow Mountain, every Tuesday night beginning at 7pm. Warm up for any of these tournaments in a friendly environment where it's okay to drink. Isn't life grand? It is if you're 21 and over....

So, be sure to check out any of these events and stay tuned to Augmented Reality for any updates about future game tournaments.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Marginal Gaming - In The Next Installment

 Mike Cervantes' latest article for 8bitfix tackles the pros and cons of episodic gaming. Was the attempt to make Sonic 4 an episodic series the reason for its downfall?

Check it out on the 8bitfix website.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Good vs. Evil 2012: Light up the Night


The legacy continues with Good vs. Evil 2012:  Light up the Night!  Who will be victorious in the battle of the century, Paladin Alexander Anderson, or Alucard?

Special thanks to those who participated in our production at FAL-Con 2012!  We hope you all enjoy the show!!

(c) 2012, Retro-Cam Productions, all rights reserved.

"War of the Independents" Comic signing at Asylum Comics


Who's that standing next to The Tick on that comic cover? That's right! It's El Paso's very own superhero El Valiente. Join El Valiente writer Ray Ramos this Wednesday, June 13th at Asylum Comics, 5360 N. Mesa. He will be signing issues of this comic "War of the Independents" issue 3. Join him and the rest of the Adversary Comix crew as they celebrate this milestone in El Paso Superhero history. Pick up your copy this Wednesday!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Aspect Ratio - FAL-Con 2012 (Day 1)

This week on Aspect Ratio, Ruben Rascon covers day one of FAL-Con 2012 and interviews several guests, including this year's 1st Place winner of the first annual FAL-Con Idol.

(c) 2012, Retro-Cam Productions, all rights reserved.