I'm not particularly good at any video game genre, unless Tetris can be considered a genre all on its own. Naturally I have my shining moments, but these tend to occur at times when there is no one around to respond positively when I shout, "Did you see that?" except for, of course, my cat, who never pays attention anyway and doesn't like it when I shout.
My problem has always been playing games with or in front of other people, and this is especially true for shooters. I've recognized this to be yet another downside of paranoia, a condition from which I frequently suffer. This mental disorder knows no bounds for me. I can be just as paranoid about people in other cars hearing or seeing me sing along to the radio as I am when walking down an alley past what appears to be a gang. I compare myself to an ever-ready feline – even the slightest stray from the norm sends me clutching to the ceiling. It's the only acrobatic upside of believing that everyone is trying to kill you.
My inability to relax in even intimate public settings throws off my dexterity and makes me twitchy to the point that gaming superbly is near impossible. It's the reason I hesitate to demo games at video game expos; I fear that important people or fans will witness me fail and deem me a horrible gamer unworthy of journalistic commentary, and this loss of credibility will get me fired from every outlet and I won't be able to pay rent next month.
This kind of thought process is so common to me, it's become comfortable. I'm comfortable being in a state of discomfort.
I moved in with two roommates recently because living alone in Southern California was beginning to wear on me, likely because of all the gangs. My new roomies don't do a lot of video gaming, but they both occasionally reflect on their more fancy-free (read: "unemployed") days when they were obsessed with a certain game called PixelJunk Monsters. This game wasn't on my radar. In fact, I'd never even heard of it – and I pride myself on above-average game knowledge.
"What's PixelJunk Monsters?" I asked them. They exchanged a glance, and exhaled with frustration. "Only the greatest game ever made," one of them responded. I assured them if it were truly the greatest game ever made, I would have heard of it. "And to think we let you live here," said the other one, shaking his head in disappointment. Only part of me was paranoid that they weren't joking.
Days later, while cleaning up a corner of this bachelor pad that contained an inflatable Anaheim Ducks goalie, a windbreaker that the boys weren't sure had been peed on or not, and a naked three-foot-tall plastic doll nicknamed "Olivia," I found a surprisingly large stack of papers from 2008. Pages and pages of printed out pictures and text, covered with scribbles and notes – they were PixelJunk Monsters cheat sheets.
Ah, it was a tower defense game! I couldn't believe it: the amount of planning and strategizing done by two grown men for some animated PlayStation arcade title. You'd think they'd be doing something more adult, like betting away their rent money in a fantasy baseball league.
Out of every game genre, tower defense is the most unfamiliar to me. I don't have a particular reason for avoiding these types of games; they've just never reached out and grabbed me. Looking further into this genre felt like I was discovering underground music that maybe wasn't known for topping mainstream charts, but seemed appealing in its own unique way. I'm confident people will say that same thing one day about my band, The Ally McBeal Surprise.
I've noticed that one of my roommates, Shawn, plays tower defense games constantly, even on his iPhone, and the one he particularly loves is called Dungeon Defenders on the PlayStation Network. One night, I watched him play this game for literally hours, watching him go back and forth from each of his characters trying to level them up equally while quickly prepping his turrets and weapons before the next wave of enemies burst through the doors to invade his humble dungeon. As I watched, I came to a haunting realization:
Tower defense games are a metaphor for how humans mentally protect themselves from the world and other humans that inhabit it.
Note the process: Shawn's character, Henry, a squire, finds himself in a dungeon. He knows everything about his dungeon – the location of the stairs, the treasure chests, the points of entry, and most importantly, where the "Eternia Crystal" is. This Crystal, in the center of the room, is of great importance to Henry. Shawn had no interest in watching the informative cutscenes since he wanted to get right to the killin', so it's unclear whether this Crystal possesses evil, holds a deep, dark secret, or is just worth a whole lot of Dungeon Dollars.
Henry collects Mana and purchases several types of towers, turrets, and large spinning death traps in preparation for the forthcoming swarm of goblins and nasty creatures with pointy swords/bad attitudes. Henry has no idea how many enemies will be bursting through the doors or how strong they will be. Henry simply must prepare as efficiently as possible with the small amount of Mana at his disposal.
When time runs out or Shawn hits "go" or something, I wasn't really paying attention, the first wave of enemies attack his dungeon. Batten down the hatches, Henry! Towers fight back, while Henry runs around frantically booping monsters on the head with his sword until they disappear into sweet points. Finally, WAVE CLEARED appears on the screen, and relief is exhaled by all. A fine battle. Now to prepare for the next one.
It's funny to me that no matter how strong Henry becomes, regardless of his weapon upgrades or reaching the Level cap, he is always a squire or, "knight-in-training." It appears that he never develops into a real knight or a king or something. He simply keeps fighting the good fight without any promise that a job promotion is in his future.
I think I have a lot in common with Henry. Not only do I similarly seem to keep plugging along in life, lionhearted and persistent in my professional endeavors until something fabulous alters my path, but moreso I relate to his incessant tower building. I, too, put up defenses all the time, but not in the form of flaming arrow turrets outside my bedroom door. Though, rooming with two boys makes me think that wouldn't be an entirely unhilarious idea.
My brain is my dungeon. I'm strongly familiar with just about every corner of my mind, except for the uncharted territories as a result from cheating my way through calculus. I know how I feel about people, I know my secrets, and I know I'm not as cool as people think I am. Or, maybe I'm exactly as cool as people think I am, because I've finally learned the difference between cool and what people perceive to be cool. Cool in my 1990's middle school isn't considered cool now, so it's each individual's mental battle to endlessly reevaluate what they personally think is cool to coincide with the ebb and flow of coolness according to society. This is why I hate fashion.
Everyone is playing a real life tower defense game at all times because, to some extent, every single person is full of shit. Very few people present themselves as they really are, but rather present themselves as how they want to be perceived – and that's when we start building defense towers.
Say you're a self-taught Photoshop master interviewing with a company that's looking for an "experienced graphic designer." You meet four out of the ten listed job requirements, but you're not going to let that stop you. Time to build your towers. Questions from the interviewer are going to come from all different directions and you have no clue how strong they'll be.
Attack: "Are you proficient in Adobe InDesign and Illustrator as well?" he asks.
Defense: "I definitely know my way around the interface of Adobe programs, yes."
I've never touched either of those programs, but how hard can they be?
Attack: "We all work on PCs here, so I hope you're not a Mac guy."
Defense: "Great, I've worked in Windows since I was five."
And by that I mean I haven't touched Windows since I was five.
And the final attack on your big secret, your "Eternia Crystal":
Attack: "Where did you say you went to college for design?"
Defense: "Actually, it's funny. I come from a family of self-taught designers and programmers. Even my dad found that university classes teach the basics really well, but it's more important to just keep working in the program every day to develop your own techniques, that are usually more efficient. It's worked out really well for me. Like father, like son."
In other words, I've never stepped foot inside a college. Please still hire me.
Your secrets were successfully kept, you defended your image against attacks, and hopefully, you're now an employed graphic designer.
If you don't have insecurities, you're either not human or oblivious/in denial. Being insecure about yourself usually just means you hold others' opinions very highly – which, in a roundabout way, is how you demonstrate respect for those around you. This respect may or may not be misplaced, but it's present nonetheless. How we deal with insecurities is the same way Henry deals with intruding goblins. We prepare for encounters with people around us and throw up specific barriers to protect our secrets. This is how we control the way people perceive us, and how cool we are. This is how we "defend our dungeon."
Hell, even adjusting my Facebook privacy settings is a tower defense game, but that's really getting into a whole different argument.
I realize this is an over-analysis of tower defense games; I'm sure you'll next expect me to compare MMOs to alcoholism or Xbox avatars to self-admiration. Nearly every video game I've played has told me something about myself, whether it shines a spotlight on my preferred style of killing or how I treat virtual animal companions. I suppose tower defense games are just another example of this, if not a dramatic one. I'm not a great psychologist, I'm not a terrific gamer, I'm really just a girl who is trying to be cool.
I can't, for the life of me, wear normal jewelry. Everything hanging, dangling, or strapped on me must have character. For example, I have an expensive Coach purse in my closet somewhere that I won't use until the $10 purse with the Pac-Man pins I'm currently using falls apart. I've even worn my Gears of War earrings to black tie events, which probably sparked conversations that were far more entertaining than if I'd worn plain, boring diamonds. Unless they were diamond Gears of War earrings…
There is no shortage of video game—and geek-themed jewelry and accessories across the Netterwebs–-heck, it can be downright overwhelming. So! In an effort to make your life easier, I've rounded up some of my favorite earrings, necklaces, and more from creative up-and-coming designers. Affordable AND adorable–-seriously, what more do you want from me?!
(pictured)
Etsy.com has plenty to offer in terms of nerd jewelry, but Jess from OhMyGeekness has impressed me the most. Check out this mini Han Solo in Carbonite necklace (pictured above). It's detailed, sturdy, and only $15. I can't tell you the number of high-fives I've received from fellow Star Wars fans since I've started wearing this, so if you love Han Solo and high-fiving, this necklace is for you.
Also from OhMyGeekness is this mini NES cartridge necklace that I wore to E3. There are different games to choose from—like the golden Zelda cartridge—but I went with Super Mario Bros. 3 because of it being the greatest game of all time. For such a tiny charm, the detail is really impressive. Perfect for the old-school NES fans out there.
Buy jewelry and accessories from OhMyGeekness at Etsy.
I saw these at Fry's Electronics one day and completely fell in love with them. Hailing from Seattle, WA, Transistor Sister has turned old computer parts into fashionable jewelry. These are my favorite—they're ceramic circuit boards with platinum leads and black film resistors, adorned with hand-crafted silver hooks and black coils. If you or someone you love is a computer geek, I just found you the perfect birthday present.
Visit the Transistor Sister online store.
My friend Lindsey is the mastermind behind the YOUtiliry Belt, and I have to admit… when I first saw a picture of this product, I thought, "Isn't that a fanny pack?" Well, it's NOT. It's way cooler. Lindsey gave me two of them to try: one black pouch and one red pouch, complete with a little white belt. It hangs on my hip and is incredibly convenient, especially at expos when carrying a purse can get really annoying. The YOUtility Belt comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors, so definitely check out the website and give them a try. This is a fashion trend I can get behind.
The YOUtility Belt website and store.
I thought those Portal 2 socks a while back were cool, but I like these even more. ThinkGeek describes them best: "Cydaea, the demon Maiden of Lust, was the original goth gal. Black corset, bare neckline, skull leggings adorning her legs… all six of them." Okay, well maybe you don't have six legs, but now you can dress like Cydaea for your next party or for just, you know, lounging around the house. One size fits women's shoe sizes 4 to 10.
Diablo III Socks from Think Geek.
I pimped these last Monday when "The Game Pitch" video debuted, but in case you missed it, check out these custom cartridge necklaces from Ogeeku. My friend Jon Brence (from SMBC Theater) makes these himself and often sells them at the famous Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, CA. However, you don't have to live in LA to get your hands on one anymore–-buy them online at the official Ogeeku store. Remember: You tell Jon exactly what you want. Pick the color, the picture, the chain – everything!
Ogeeku store.
The "less than three" emote is now the universal symbol for "I heart you," and Metal Smitten has certainly recognized that. They've come out with a small line of jewelry featuring the "<3" symbol. My favorites are the Sterling Silver earrings (for $20) and the rings, but they have necklaces, too, so be sure to visit the site and pick your favorite. It's such a perfect gift for your sweetheart and very, very geek chic.
<3 Jewelry from Metal Smitten.
There you have it! My geeky picks for jewelry and accessories. If you enjoyed these, check back in the next two weeks for my Geek Chic Update: Clothing Edition. If you have any jewelry, clothing, or accessories of your own, tweet me the links and I'd love to spread the word! Keep the geeky fashion comin'.
There is a serious epidemic going on that all of us are ignoring, and it's been bothering me for quite some time. I don't care about mercury in the water, toilet snakes, or swallowing my own tongue anymore. This is a far worse threat to society.
Now, I realize it's risky this early in the game to start quoting Radiohead songs, but I'm concerned that we are leaving future generations high and dry, depriving them of the ability to reserve their desired usernames, domain names and gamertags because we are snatching them up for ourselves without giving even a single, solitary crap.
You may be laughing this off. Taking it lightly. Calling me a "warmonger" or "Doomsday Donna." Well, my name isn't Donna, and here is where you're missing the point:
Suppose you really like pens. You love them. Inky, pointy, blue, black, ballpoint—you can't get enough. Let's suppose you love them so much that you want to be a professional online pen entrepreneur and create a business called "Pen Island." Naturally, you want to purchase the coinciding domain name, but too bad for you because I already reserved www.penisland.com one time when I was drinking, because I thought it would be hilarious.
That doesn't seem like a huge deal, does it? Wrong. Because guess what? Maybe in the future, Penis Land is going to be a very real, serious devastated area, like New Orleans after Katrina. And there won't be a penisland.com website to accept your donations because, surprise, I forgot the login password. Now I'm in a three-hour phone conversation with Go Daddy and, since I'm drinking again to numb myself of the pain I'm feeling from the Penis Land disaster, all I can think to yell at the customer service representative is that Danica Patrick has lost ten out of her last ten races.
This is a serious problem. This is our Y2K. (But like, for real this time.)
Personally, I blame AOL. When AOL Instant Messenger hit the scene in 1997, nicknamed "A.I.M." by some and "aim" by morons, reserving domain names became the Internet equivalent of the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. (That, of course, is an assumption. I didn't read the entire Wikipedia entry on this land run, but I did see Far And Away with Tom Cruise.) Suddenly, every young person in America started grabbing screennames in a maniacal frenzy:
LisaFoiles. Nope. Boring.
HummerLuvr86. Why am I getting all these weird Ims?
Xx_ColdplayRockZ_xX. BOOM. Perfect.
I took three screennames off the market in under twenty minutes, and that was just finding my screenname for that day. I'd do the same thing again the following day. In my lifetime, I've probably taken—nay, stolen—over 200 A.I.M. screennames, without ever taking into consideration that my daughter or my daughter's daughter might one day be a Hummer Lover (86).
My only hope is that my daughter will never need to reserve HummerLuvr86 on AOL Instant Messenger, because the sheer fact that it still has AOL in its name makes it an inferior messaging service that frankly should have died off years ago. But that's really here nor there.
This is especially detrimental to up and coming bands. In this fast, cutthroat cyber cesspool of smut and elitism we wade through every day, only bands with great names survive, but more specifically, only bands with great names AND corresponding websites and Twitter accounts survive. It's no longer about choosing a great band name. Nay, it's about choosing a band name that still has a domain name available. That's why your new metal band isn't called something awesome like Save The Empire, but rather something retarded like The Flying Cockwrenches.
Same goes for gamertags. We never had to reserve a unique nickname for our NESs, 64s, or Genesises… Genesi. Now, our entire online console gaming lifestyle depends on our gamertag. Do you really think those are all going to be scrapped anytime soon to make way for a new service? Unlikely. It's looking as though we'll be stuck with our Xbox and PSN names for a freakishly long time; let's hope we picked a good one and too bad for those who didn't. Have fun switching from "FapSausage" to "NinerzFan" once you get married and kissing that 50k gamerscore goodbye—that is, if you don't want to fork over the 800 Microsoft points to change it. ("Those greedy bastards won't get my money!")
I realize this is all pretty scary, but brace yourself for the worst part: Gmail.
Guys, I'm pretty sure Google isn't going under any time soon like we've all been expecting. In fact, they seem to have gotten pretty huge—huge to the point that I assume everyone's email address is "their full name" "at" "gmail.com," and if it isn't, I'm utterly dumbfounded as to what could possibly be wrong with them. Really? Your email address is hell0kitty12@hotmail.com instead of emilysmith@gmail.com? THAT's the email address you feel comfortable reading off to your car insurance representative over the phone? Because, surprise, your rates just went up on your hot pink Camry.
If Gmail is now the standard and, hypothetically, Google continues to rule the world for all eternity, aren't we going to run out of usernames? Our poor future generations will never know the luxury of simply having their name as their email handle, without irritating numbers at the end or having to add in their middle name for an extra long email address that no one wants to type. And when no one wants to type your email address, no one is going to email you. Not even spammers. They don't have time for that many letters.
Our current generation is sitting down to a Thanksgiving feast of available usernames, and we're selfishly inhaling them until we're bloated, leaving nothing for our children except gelatinized cranberry sauce in the shape of a can. Because seriously, who eats that?
Honestly. I don't know how many more metaphors you need from me.
Look, I've been through a lot of crap in life and several near death experiences, two of which involved illegal fireworks, and I still say there is nothing more infuriating than coming up with the greatest username/Twitter handle/gamertag/domain name of all time only to see that it's already taken and the owner isn't even using it.
This happened to me for the first time seven years ago, and that damned URL is still a blank page filled with fifty animated "under construction" GIFs. Sure, I could've gone with .org or .biz, but come on, no one is taking those seriously.
That is what's in store for our children. That is what we're leaving for them. In two hundred years, some way hotter, cooler, and more famous Lisa Foiles is really going to want lisafoiles.com, but that bitch isn't going to get it because the login information will be stored deep within my dead brain. She'll even be unable to use futuristic technology to tap into my brain to retrieve this information because I assume I'll have made my living relatives sign some sort of privacy document preventing that shit.
We are pirates, all of us—we steal as many usernames across the net as we can and say "tough marbles" to anyone else who wants them or more rightly deserves them. Will you be the one to step up and stop reserving all the good usernames? Or, after reading this article, will you embark on a tireless mission to scoop up even more of them as a giant middle finger to generations to come? This is the paradox I leave you with, friends.
And speaking of great band names, if any of you have upcoming weddings, funerals, or bar mitzvahs, please consider booking my 90's alternative rock band, The Ally McBeal Surprise. You'll find us at the corresponding website URL.
The Internet is a wonderful tool for finding the answers to important questions. Sometimes they're questions you desperately need to answer, like "What's the capital of Cuba?" or "Why did I wake up on the floor this morning?"
And sometimes they're questions you didn't even know you had, like "What would Game of Thrones look like in the universe of Super Mario World?"
Well here's your answer, courtesy Redditor titan413. You're welcome. (Click the image to see the whole map in its wonderful 16-bit glory.)
Game of Mushroom Kingdoms [Reddit]
Jonatan Soderstrom—better known as Cactus—makes crazy games. His latest, created with graphic artist Dennis Wedin, looks like it might have you playing as a crazy person sometime during in the 1980s.
Hotline Miami looks a bit like the top-down Grand Theft Auto games and their open-world descendant Vice City hooked up and had a deeply disturbed, inbred baby nine months later. Here's the official description from publisher Devolver Digital:
Step into the neon-soaked underground of 1980s Miami as bizarre messages on your answering machine seem to be urging you to commit terrible acts of violence – but will you obey? Hotline Miami overflows with raw brutality and skull crushing close combat as you find yourself outgunned and using your wits to choreograph your way through impossible situations. An unmistakable visual style, a driving soundtrack, and a surreal plot that will have you question your own thirst for blood. Bash and blast through over 20 multiscreen levels with 35 unique weapons and collect 25 game-altering masks in one of the darkest and most unusual independent games on the scene.
Hotline Miami is due out soon for PC and Mac with planned console versions to follow.
We rounded up livestreams of the EVO fighting championships for you before it began this past weekend, but if you weren't around to watch and want a peek at the last battles and winners of the individual tournaments, you're in luck. I've rounded them up for you down below. Enjoy! Oh, and don't blame my reuse of the adorable Chun-Li. I just couldn't help myself.
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Version 2012 - Infiltration
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 - Filipino Champ
Mortal Kombat - KN.EMP|Perfect Legend
King of Fighters XIII - Mad KOF
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown - Fuudo
Street Fighter x Tekken - Infiltration & Laugh
Soul Calibur V - Shining Decopon
It's been a few years since I first started to suspect I might have a problem.
I played the Mass Effect games as an infiltrator. I played the Dragon Age games as a rogue. I tried Guild Wars 2 as a thief and dabbled in World of Warcraft as a rogue. I tried Star Wars: The Old Republic as a smuggler. In Fallout 3 and New Vegas I always leveled up my sneaking and speech ahead of everything else. Even in BioShock I tended to crouch and crawl carefully, keeping to shadows, in search of my next destination.
Clearly, I have a preferred way to play. But recently, I've been realizing that my preferences have become my habits, and that my habits have become a comfort zone I've become walled into without meaning to.
It's certainly not that I can't play games where skulking isn't allowed. I've done my share of brute melee smashing, as in God of War, or of cover-based non-stealthy play as in Uncharted. But whenever I'm given the choice, I go straight for sneaking, stabbing, and sniping. And games that emphasize some kind of slow, careful choosing—like the Assassin's Creed or Metal Gear Solid series—somehow call to me. It's as if I have inadvertently programmed myself to feel that in all situations, the best defense is to go unnoticed.
But when does a preference become a problem? For a long time, my ingrained habits were just quirks, with occasionally funny results. For example, during the six years I played EverQuest II, my main character was an Assassin. And out of four characters I eventually had in regular rotation, all but one were of similar classes. The last (actually my most-played alt) was a high-DPS healer who by all rights should have been extremely effective in both solo and group situations. But under my control, she had a nasty habit of constantly trying to flank her enemies, instead of standing still to cast spells. And, for that matter, an equally nasty (if amusing) habit of routinely plummeting to her doom from high places, because healers don't have Safe Fall.
It took one of the League of Legends designers watching me play his game at E3 to point out that I always play like a rogue for me to realize how true it is. In games like The Secret World the impulse to get behind my enemy and stay out of reach serves me well. But in other games, not so much.
Over time, my natural inclination has become a box. I never did much enjoy playing wizard or sorcerer types, but I've let "not my favorite" become "never," and that's not a good way to play. Not only am I limiting my own experiences, but I may not be giving the games I play their fullest chance to shine. There are times when a two-handed sword, a shotgun, or even a big old fireball are probably more effective (and much easier) ways to fight.
So I'm setting myself a new rule: time to break out of my mold. The next game I play where I can select a class or play type, I'm not allowed to pick the roguish one. I'm not giving myself permission to pick sneaking, stabbing, or sniping. It's time for me to step out of the shadows and try something new.
And after I roast myself with my own fireballs, or prove to be a terrible defender, I can go back to what I know. But it's like the broccoli of gaming: I have to at least try one bite. And who knows? Like real broccoli, I might just turn out to like it.
In today's Speak Up on Kotaku side-story tailored especially for beginning readers, commenter Daemon_Gildas suggests Square Enix tap the most reviled entry in the storied Final Fantasy series for its next all-star fighting tournament.
Man, if Square Enix ever does another Dissidia game, I *REALLY* hope they bring in Benjamin from Mystic Quest.
For one, the music in that game is possibly the best in the series (although it's obviously a very different style, so not to everyone's liking).
Actually, that's really about it.
I'd give him a personality like Zack Fair, though, and make him the easy-going, "class-clown" type of character. In fact, I'd probably play his humor up even more, and of course he would require the infamous "Shrug of Justice".
Just me sure to base him on the US box-art. Even if you ditch the sweet-looking helmet, I just like that general design.
Well, technically, it's been 3,714 days, which is closer to 10 years and two months.
I'd like to tell you when the next 10 Spider-Man re-boots will be:
There is, of course, some hope. You noticed, I'm sure, that this re-boot happened way sooner than it needed to. Don't we usually go about 20 years between re-boots and re-makes? At least? We've gone 10 this time, which raises the possibility that maybe the Spider-Man movies will be released in the same in some sort of asymptotic, Xeno's Paradox-style quickening pace, each re-boot happening in half the amount of time as we had expected, regardless of how our expectations happened. If this is the case, the next reboot won't happen in 10 years (3,714 days, I mean). It'll happen in 5. The one after that will happen in 2 1/2 years. Etc.
I present to you a schedule of the next 10 Spider-Man re-boots in what we can call the half-life method of movie reboots:
The next one (the 12th reboot, including this year's) would be on September 8, 2022. The 13th reboot would be on September 9, 2022. So would the 14th, 15th and the rest of them, Spider-Man re-boots would begin to occur within the same hour, then within the same minute, then the same second. We'd wind up with some sort of Spider-Man movie singularity.
Who's excited for more Spider-Man?
(This post would have been much harder to write without the date-calculating widgets of TimeAndDate.com.)
Looking at only the 15 of the 25 cells in this lovely game board I count at least five I might count as myself. Pretty sure I'll have pit stains covered, and should there be an Adventure Time hat to be had, I shall have it. I am also — and this is a little known fact — both a sexy Stormtrooper and a Muppet. Depending on my mood and some serious definition stretching I might also qualify for Creeper and Giant Weapon.
Come on, be honest — how many of these can you check off just looking about your computer desk?
Should you be attending the show, be sure to stop by the small press area to say hello to the Yamada collective at booth N-02, the Nitrous Oxide booth. They'll have exclusive show posters on offer, which you can see if you follow the link below.
San Diego Comic Con! [Extracurricular activities]