I was going to spotlight this earlier – almost a month ago – but, y’know, a Quadruple Bypass kinda gets in the way of the best laid plans. Anyway, it’s a little out of date but Seattle’s premiere ultra-cool news daily, The Stranger, did a little daily write up of the Penny-Arcade Expo and in their Sunday coverage, they devoted most of it . . . to me!

From Sam Machkovech’s article:

“Continuing the Expo’s call-to-arms mentality, Andrew “GamerDad” Bub held court at the Politics In Gaming panel. Certainly, this was preaching to the choir at its finest, though his points were meant for an audience less hardcore than this one.

“The vast majority of gamers are thinking, ‘survive, survive, survive,'” Bub says. “I’m not thinking about murder. I’m thinking about not letting my game end.” Insisting that “gaming is about doing,” Bub encouraged the crowd to do their part against lawmakers who badmouth the games industry: “Put aside the controller. Hell, it’s wireless nowadays. Get out, educate yourself and vote.”

He also pointed to the ECA, a lobby working to end the recent wave of anti-games legislation. Granted, he also was adamant, citing the First Amendment, that “no law will ever be passed that bans games,” so…why bother? Perhaps the point isn’t about the laws but about the reputation. Having been interviewed for a TV station’s PAX coverage, Bub tuned in last night to find a 30-second snippet with brief footage of Rock Band and Jenga–no use of the phrase “Penny Arcade,” no interview quotes about the changing face of gaming.

“They’re reaching out to the old crowd that still watches late-night news,” Bub says. “With those people, [to change the industry’s reputation,] you have to be earnest. Play with them.”

This is from the 12:20 mark. There’s another bit where I’m mentioned, but it’s more to make fun of a couple idiots in a bathroom (NSFW)

I’d like to point out that this is a review of a speech I pretty much made up a few days before the event. I was supposed to be on a panel with the Entertainment Consumer Association’s President Hal Halpin, but he had to back out because of a scheduling snafu. I used the opportunity to preach and teach about Politics, pander to a crowd of gamers, and launch the very blog you’re reading now.

Click here to read the whole article at The Stranger’s website.

Tags: Misc