E3 News Roundup

BEST OF E3

By Marla Desat

The annual video game extravaganza that is E3 has come and gone. Let's get right to my favourite announcements and reveals!

LARA CROFT RETURNS

Lara Croft is back in Rise of the Tomb Raider, doing what anyone would after downright traumatic events of Tomb Raider - speaking to a therapist. It so rare to see a positive portrayal of therapy in a trailer for a video game, and I like that the developers are giving Croft more of a personality by acknowledging the effect of her experiences and exploring how she deals with trauma. 

NINTENDO IS MAKING A SQUID-BASED, FAMILY-FRIENDLY THIRD PERSON SHOOTER

Photo Credit: Nintendo

Splatoon!  is a shooter where two teams of four compete to cover the level in their own colour of ink. Oh, and the players can turn into squids that can swim through the ink. I can't get enough of this ridiculous, cartoony shooter for the Wii U.  

MAGICKA 2 ANNOUNCED WITH LIVE-ACTION TRAILER

Photo Credit: Paradox Interactive

Magicka is one of my favourite co-op games of all time. Up to four people can play together, learning keyboard combinations to cast an increasing arsenal of spells and frantically hoping to avoid friendly fire from the other wizards. The announcement trailer made me laugh out loud, and I can't wait to pelt my friends with healing rocks again in Magicka 2. 

CLASSIC ADVENTURE GAME GRIM FANDANGO TO BE REMASTERED

Grim Fandango is one of those computer games that give me a huge spike of nostalgia. The adventure game is a humorous noir inspired by Aztec mythology and set in the Land of the Dead.Grim Fandango Remastered is going to get a new life, so to speak, on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, and may come to other platforms. 

JOURNEY ART DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED NEW UNDERSEA GAME

Photo Credit: Giant Squid Studios

Abzû is an gorgeous underwater exploration game for PlayStation 4 from Matt Nava, the art director for the beautiful adventure game Journey that won several Game of the Year awards in 2012. Abzû is the first game from Nava's new studio, Giant Squid. Austin Wintory, who was nominated for a Grammy Award for Journey's soundtrack, will compose the soundtrack for Abzû. 

BIOWARE TEASES NEW MASS EFFECT IN DEVELOPMENT

The teaser trailer for a fourth entry in the Mass Effect series of games from BioWare isn't much more than a tease. We see a destroyed world, and hear the roar of Krogan, but at this point in development, EA is staying tight-lipped. All we know right now is that the next Mass Effect will happen in a new region of space, with new planets and new characters.

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Plus Size Problem: An Open Letter to Geek Fashion

AN OPEN LETTER TO GEEK FASHION
By Courtney Lockhart

Dear Nerd Wear Companies,

I want to start by saying thank you. You are wonderful, creative people who have put your talents to good use.  You make us ladies able to rock our fandoms in beautiful creative ways.  I have found myself truly inspired by you to take the time for me and dress in ways that make myself feel awesome.  I love you.  So please try not to see what I’m about to say as an attack. This is a friend, coming to another friend, to try to make the relationship better. 

You hurt my feelings.

I know you didn’t mean to, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.  It’s not the first time either. It happens quite a bit actually. I found something you made and fell in love with it. I really wanted it in my wardrobe and wanted to show of your wears to the world.  But you didn’t make it in my size.  Or you made it in something you call my size, but is actually much smaller.

Most retailers 3X is a size 24

I’ve talked to you about it before. Usually you blame the manufacturer. Or tell me it’s available in that size in the unisex style. Or tell me that you did have one of them in that size but someone already bought it and you’re not sure if you’re getting any more.  You agree it’s dumb, you apologize and sympathize but  considering not much seems to change, I wonder if you really get what your actions are saying to me.

When you tell me the manufacturer just doesn’t make that size, that means that when you chose them to make your product, one of two things happened. One: You didn’t think to ask the question, or  Two: You asked about it, but didn’t consider limiting your offerings in that way was to be a big enough problem to not give them your business.  That makes me feel like I’m not very important to you.

When you tell me it’s available in unisex, it means that you thought about the big guys, but not the big girls. I know there are lots of  ladies who like unisex shirts and that’s great, but with very few exceptions, straight cut t-shirts make me feel awful.  They hide the curves I like and amplify the ones I don’t.  Despite having the same design, they are not the same product. It’s like asking for a ballet flat and being offered a sneaker. Both will cover my feet but one makes me feel better about myself and the other will simply do the job. It makes me feel like I don’t deserve to be pretty.  

When you make the item in my size, but in a small quantity, to be honest, this one perplexes me the most. You know that we are out there, that we want  to spend our money, and in a lot of cases you charge up more than the regular sized folks. So if you get three dollars more per shirt than a size small, why wouldn’t you stock just as many 2X shirts as you do XS?  It makes me feel unwanted. 

So, friend to friend, can we fix this?  

Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.

How I Met Board Games: A Love Story

HOW I MET BOARDGAMES: A LOVE STORY
By Angela Hartwick

It was a beautiful summer day in the summer of 2009. I had just started dating the man I’d later marry and we’d been invited by a few of his friends to play boardgames. I had no idea what to expect. 

The group decided on the game Shadows Over Camelot. I listened to long hyper-detailed instructions on how to play and nodded a lot hoping to project confidence. As an English major who took an entire course on Arthurian Legend the game intrigued me. It’s a (mostly) cooperative game in which we are Knights of the Round Table tackling various quests for Camelot, such as searching for the Holy Grail. The catch is there are forces of evil, including a potential traitor in your midst, working to bring down Camelot. A few hours later everyone had laughed, strategized, accused fellow knights of betrayal, and the good guys had saved the day (to the chagrin of my new boyfriend who had secretly been plotting our demise).

In the last five years gaming has become a primary hobby. Our main floor closet contains more games than it does shoes and coats combined- and there are five of us. Boardgames are fun to play but here are a few specific reasons why they are oh-so-loveable.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION 

I have a myriad of hobbies. Fitness, Scouts, art, and raising the minions - but playing boardgames is the one I find most intellectually stimulating. My gaming friends are mostly older. We finished University a decade ago, which for the most part means lectures and assignments meant to exercise our minds are no longer part of our every day. Strategy games keep us nimble the same way crossword puzzles and Sudoku do. 

VARIETY

Tabletop games are so versatile. Game mechanics can require managing resources, making optimal decisions, and building allegiances. Often times there is a luck factor thrown in as a fun variable. There are “transition” games, great for introducing to friends who seem nervous about tabletop games, such as Dominion, Colosseum, and the Resistance, and there are more elaborate and time-consuming games such as Arkham Horror and Eclipse. The possibilities are endless regarding game themes, play time, difficulty level, and mechanics.

CROSS GENDER AND AGE

For the Capital Geek Girls Ottawa Comiccon workshop Jordan and Courtney sought feedback from us writers on a myriad of topics related to being a geek girl. One of the questions they asked was which aspects of geekdom we think are particularly girl-friendly, and boardgames was at the top of my list. I think this may be because our perception of board gamers was developed when watching cheesy 80s Parker Brothers commercials which I think without fault included a mom, dad, boy, and girl. There are games that are sexist and I’m sure there are sexist players but to my knowledge it isn’t an identified issue in the board gaming culture community as it is in, say, Magic: the Gathering or comic book culture. As for age, I’ve made friends with retired folk, college-aged kids, and even bonded with my two oldest kiddos from tabletop gaming.

SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS SLAYER
A magical thing happens when you break out a game: social awkwardness diminishes. It’s like kryptonite to anxiety that can occur when meeting new people. Generally no one is the centre of attention while playing a game and, in my experience, having something to focus on doesn’t allow for neurotic over analysis. I’ve played games with complete strangers and have met some of my closest friends though a shared love for boardgames. 

In sum, tabletop games offer the chance to socialize, strategize, and immerse oneself in various thematic situations all from the comfort of most tables ever made...but if given the chance, this is the table dreams are made of:

Found on Geek Chic

Angela is a 30-something year old mom of three kids - a baby, a school-aged kid and a teenager – and a furbaby, living in Orleans with her geek soul mate husband. She studied English Literature and Social Work but took an unexpected turn somewhere and ended up working as a policy analyst for the feds. Hobbies include reading, playing boardgames and Magic: the Gathering, cooking healthy foods, blogging, and discussing favourite tv shows and movies. She is the proud organizer of the Ottawa Geek Social Club, which strives to provide meetup opportunities that reflect the many facets of geekdom and beyond! www.ogsc.ca.

Geek Girl Review: Roller Derby Saved My Soul

ONCE MORE AROUND THE TRACK: NANCY KENNY'S ROLLER DERBY SAVED MY SOUL THROUGH THE EYES OF A RETIRED DERBY PLAYER
By Katie Bonnar

60 minutes: the exact length of a roller derby bout and, coincidently, the running time of Nancy Kenny’s phenomenal fringe show, Roller Derby Saved My Soul. Capital Geek Girls has mentioned this show before and Assistant Editor Courtney and I were lucky enough to be able to attend the one-off fundraising performance here in Ottawa before Kenny headed off across the country to Canadian fringes far and wide for performances and to film her documentary on Canadian fringe festivals.

As a retired derby player, I had two prevailing thoughts going into the performance: how can roller derby translate in a theatre space? And, will non-derby audiences “get” it? The short answers to both are through clever staging and YES.

Using very pared down set, the story moves through several environments without fuss. A simplified track is taped out on the floor and a bench is placed in the centre with her few props. Scenes switch fluidly from Amy’s apartment to the track and even out to the bar for celebratory drinks. Kenny’s script fills in the scenery and ensures the focus stays on the performance. Through an elaborate superhero-esque montage, Kenny suits up in her roller derby equipment fairly early on in the performance, leaving her to perform the bulk of the hour-long show in full roller derby gear- even skates!

Nancy Kenny’s time spent on skates and around roller derby women definitely shows. Her protagonist, Amy, embodies one of the two most common personas in roller derby, the timid superhero-wannabe. While Amy’s sister June, also played by Kenny, is alpha female through and through. Having been away from the game for over two years, I could finally see what Kenny was highlighting. Roller derby is a highly-charged and dramatic environment – fertile ground for humorous commentary and her witty script delivers regardless of your knowledge of the sport. Rink rash, when explained in gory detail, is remarkable and amusing to all, while the inlines vs quad skates argument bubbles up briefly and gives the initiated a chance to knowingly smirk. That each girl assumes a derby name, which must be unique and registered with a worldwide roster is, let’s be honest, teetering on the ridiculous. Though I did check, and my name is still registered.

Kenny goes about this mild roasting of roller derby with respect and admiration. She has chosen to single out the very best parts of the game and leave them as the focus. While roller derby may completely absorb your time, leaving little for friends and family, there is a strong sisterhood formed over hours on and off the track that develops and, for better or worse, replaces many non-derby friends. And, to her credit, Kenny makes it very clear: roller derby is filled with body diversity. There is room for every shape and size on the track – something few other competitive sports can proudly boast. She also touches upon the emotionally-charged aspects of an all-female team and how that can, in many circumstances, become a safe place for experimentation and personal expression.

Roller Derby Saved My Soul plays touching and clever homage to a sport that reaches beyond the physical game. It is a passion, a family and for so many women like Amy, their doorway to becoming the superhero that’s always been lurking inside, waiting for her chance to shine.

Kenny will be performing at eight different fringe festivals across Canada this summer: London, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver. Highly recommended for non-derby and derby aficionados alike.

Katie Bonnar is a modern renaissance woman, which is reflected in her interests. She is a seriously devoted fan of music, art, photography, arm chair economics, fashion, culture, language and My Little Pony. She's an early adopter and, while obsessed with the visually stunning and well-designed, she's also on a quest to minimise the ephemera in her life. You can find her on Twitter at @iamkatiebonnar

Guest Post: Hollaback! Ottawa and #YesAllWomen

#YESALLWOMEN

by Julie S. Lalonde

2014 has proven to be a really important year for folks dedicated to ending violence against women in Ottawa. Unfortunately, it’s taken a series of tragedies for much needed conversations to happen. From the threats of rape thrown at the University of Ottawa student president  to the arrest of a much-sought-after “serial rapist” haunting women across the city, residents have had to face the facts that Ottawa’s reputation of being a safe city really depends on who you ask.

 The reality of gender based violence came to a head with a recent horrific shooting in California. When it became clear that the shooter was motivated, in large part, by his misogyny, feminists took to social media to remind folks that #NotAllMen commit violence against women but #YesAllWomen are affected by it.

As an organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence in public space, we were moved by the amount of stories on the #YesAllWomen hashtag that related specifically to street harassment.  For many women and queer-folks, street harassment is a rite of passage; a daily reminder of their gender and gender presentation.

Yet the most common negative response we get to our work is the idea that we should just relax because it’s not harassment; it’s a compliment! Those men who are making you feel uncomfortable in public space are just trying to brighten your day, honey! 

Street harassment isn’t about “flattery”. We know that because we’ve read far too many stories of women who’ve refused someone’s “compliment” only to be told “Fine, bitch. You weren’t that hot anyway”.  

Not to mention the amount of street harassers who skip trying to be play nice and head straight for the insults, the homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, etc. 

Street harassment is about maintaining the status quo. It’s a reminder to women and queer folks that public space doesn’t belong to them and that by leaving the house, they’re “asking” for scrutiny. 

Sadly, the reminder that “This space is not for you” isn’t unique to streets. 

This past May, we attended our first ever ComicCon where we hosted two panels on the issue of harassment at Cons and in particular, the notion that Cosplay =/= Consent.

Both our panels were well attended and more importantly, generated lots of important conversations about the reality of harassment in Geek spaces and the fallacy that all geeks are in this thing together. We wish Geek spaces were this amazing kumbaya environment but our presence at the Con and the very existence of the Capital Geek Girls is proof that sadly, that isn’t the case. 

As #YesAllWomen trended around the world, people got a tiny glimpse into the ugliness of misogyny. It was an important, albeit rare, opportunity to shed light in dark places. But unless we insist on continuing the dialogue in every space of our lives, these conversations will be relegated to the occasional headline. We can’t let that happen. There’s too much at stake. 

Julie S. Lalonde is the director of Hollaback! Ottawa, the local chapter of an international movement dedicated to ending street harassment. 

Great Geek Girls: Meet Hollaback! Ottawa

ALL ABOUT HOLLABACK! OTTAWA

By Marie Victoria Roberston

If you were at Ottawa Comic Con this past May, hopefully you had time to attend Hollaback! Ottawa’s excellent panel, “Cosplay =/= Consent.” The panel opened up a discussion on the grim reality of harassment at conventions and how con-goers can help put a stop to it. 

Hollaback! Ottawa’s work is not limited to conventions. Hollaback! Ottawa is the local chapter of an international movement dedicated to ending street harassment. They define street harassment as gender-based violence in public space. Julie Lalonde, the founder of Hollaback! Ottawa, was already dedicated to doing anti-sexual violence work in Ottawa when she decided Ottawa needed a Hollaback! chapter of its own. As the only organization in Ottawa dedicated solely to ending gender-based harassment, Hollaback! has been able to address issues that otherwise go unchallenged. Hollaback! was able to call out Ottawa Police's victim blaming statements in the fall regarding the 'serial rapist' and was able to have really productive conversations about cosplay and consent at Ottawa Comic Con.

In the geek world, it’s hard to think of your favourite fandoms and conventions as having problems with harassment. We get understandably defensive. In the same vein, it’s hard to think of your home city as having problems with street harassment. Because we here in Ottawa pride ourselves on being ‘quiet’ and ‘boring’, says Julie, we have a hard time believing harassment happens here—at least until it happens to us. Nearly all of my friends have had slurs or crude sexual comments directed at them at least once. I’ve personally been hollered at from passing cars too many times to count. 

Julie tells of an unfortunate experience that happened to her in summer of 2011: while riding on the bus toward downtown, she was physically and sexually assaulted by another passenger. As if it weren’t bad enough that a stranger felt entitled to violate a woman on the bus, not a single passenger was willing or able to help out. No one alerted the driver, no one stood up to say “Come on, stop” or “I’m calling the police”. This kind of inaction is problematic and can even be deadly. 

The good news is that taking action does make a difference! In the 3 years Hollaback! Ottawa has been active, some positive changes have been made: the Ottawa Police responded positively to concerns about victim-blaming in fall of 2013 and have since changed the way they communicate about assaults in the city. And of course, a success for the local geek community was getting Ottawa Comic Con to begin a dialogue and address harassment at conventions. 

Another one of Hollaback! Ottawa’s major successes happened with OC Transpo. Last February, Hollaback! approached OC Transpo to discuss the issue of harassment on public transit and was met with hostility. Harassment, OC Transpo claimed, was not a problem on transit and at the time, they refused to even talk about it. Hollaback! persisted and, a little over a year later, got OC Transpo to begin advertising their safety measures and promote safety messaging.  

In addition to their appearance at Ottawa Comic Con, Hollaback! Ottawa hosted a Chalk Walk on Sunday, June 8th at 3pm with a meet-up at Confederation Park. They will also be working to organize a series of events in the lead-up to Ottawa’s municipal election in October 2014. Anyone looking to attend events or get involved is encouraged to join Hollaback! Ottawa’s mailing list (via ottawa@ihollaback.org), follow them on social media (on Twitter @HollabackOttawa and on Facebook), and above all, let everyone know about the organization and how they can help stop gender-based harassment!

The greatest allies we have in ending harassment are each other. Whether at Comic Con or on Rideau street, we have a duty to speak up and keep each other safe. As Julie says, “Be an effective bystander. If you see someone in trouble or looking really uncomfortable: Direct, delegate or distract. We have a plethora of great resources on how to be a great bystander that are free for folks to check out. Whether it's on the #95, waiting for a cab on a Saturday night or at a house party, bystanders are crucial to ending all forms of gender based violence.” 

Marie Victoria Robertson is a published speculative fiction writer and playwright, as well as the board president of Jer’s Vision: Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative (www.jersvision.org). When all the other girls wanted to marry Johnny Depp, she wanted to run away with Worf on the Enterprise. She enjoys giant robots, time-travel paradoxes, and forcing her son to watch Futurama.

Courtney’s Cosplay Confessions: 25 Days Later

WRAPPING UP: POST CON CONCLUSIONS
by Courtney Lockhart

I haven’t fielded the question “So how did it go?” this many times since I got married. To be honest, my answers to both  were very similar: It was awesome, and I was exhausted after it was over.

FINISHING TOUCHES

I had taken the week before Comiccon off work to get things done around the house and deal with any last minute issues that arose. I also had hair and spa appointments to put the last few touches on my whole look. A lot of the other cosplayers here have stressed the importance of a good wig to complete your look. I didn’t feel that was really necessary in this case as my hair was already pretty close to Gwen’s, however that did mean I have committed to a summer of 35 degree weather  with bangs and layered hair.  I don’t regret it, yet.  It also lead to some interesting conversations with stylists and aestheticians. Everyone has a story as to why they want to look a certain way, I like to think mine was one of the more unique ones.

I SHIP IT

Every Gwen needs a Jack

About a month before the con fellow CGG editor Jordan  had told me  she had a surprise for me that would be revealed at Comiccon. I was very curious to see what she came up with. Usually I’m pretty good at guessing these things, but in this case I was completely stumped.  The answer came on the Friday when I was waiting for Jordan in the lobby of the CBC building downtown, and Captain Jack Harkness walked up instead.

As we walked around my understanding of the appeal of group cosplay grew. Having someone there with you to be supportive, check when you have to tuck in the wires on your earpiece, provide another clue to your identity or just have fun with is a huge de-stressor.  It was a great way to start the weekend and I don’t think I have said thank you quite enough yet. 

THOSE WHO MIND DON’T MATTER, AND THOSE 
THAT MATTER DON’T MIND

Feeling Cheeky at the Doctor Who Society of Canada Booth

My biggest anxiety going into this was  the potential reactions I would get.  I braced myself to get a bit of flack.  But that didn’t happen.

In fact I didn’t get much attention at all.  I was completely and utterly accepted to the point that people just carried on and didn’t bat an eye at the bigger lady in faux-leather. Which was really cool in a different way than I had been expecting.

So will I cosplay again? Possibly. If I have the time, money and a burning inspiration. But if I don’t, It won’t be because I’m scared. That part of it  has ended and to borrow a phrase from the show that started it all:

The end is where we start from. 





Courtney Lockhart lives in the west end of Ottawa with her husband and step-cat.  She is polishing her skills to pursue one of her dream careers as either a costume drama character, Torchwood operative or executive assistant to a billionaire vigilante. You can follow her daily mission to DFTBA on Twitter @corastacy.