May Reading & Playing List

Staying sharp in life, work, and in video games, requires practice, learning, and education. This past month, I’ve been reading two books, and playing two games more than the rest – here is May’s reading & playing list:

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – by Simon Sinek

Simon has some amazing and truly inspirational ideas: He is intent on contributing to a world where individuals wake up, passionate to live an intentional life and do work that matters. This book looks at why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others. It also provides some excellent examples of how successful companies (and individuals) can “wake up” and find their reason for existing, and completely change the direction of their future.

In many ways, this is a book about hope – you can live a life of purpose, but you need to stop worrying about “what” you should do, but focus instead on the “why” you are doing things.

Check out his inspirational TED Talk (over 17 Million views!!!)

Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter – by Tom Bissell

I’ve just started reading this book, but the title and a quote from it caught my attention:

“When a game does this well, you lose track of your manipulation of it, and its manipulation of you, and instead feel inserted so deeply inside the game that your mind, and your feelings, become as seemingly crucial to its operation as its many millions of lines of code. It is the sensation that the game itself is suddenly unknowably alive as you are.”

While the book (so far) has been more personal narrative that the title and subtitle would lead you to expect, this has been a colorful read full of interesting thoughts and ideas. The scope of games included lean toward the narrative-driven adventure and first-person shooter genres of the past decade, and as a result the book feels very current in its perspective of gaming at the risk of being too narrow.
I will update this post with my final thoughts once I finish reading the entire book.

Super Street Fighter IV – Playstation 3

Wait, isn’t that outdated by two versions of Street Fighter IV? Um, yes. But I need to do something to stay sharp for the (physical) release of Ultra Street Fighter IV 

I guess I am showing my age, but I plan on waiting to buy a physical copy of Ultra Street Fighter IV (Wow-Another mouthful of a title from a SF game!). I have been playing a lot of online matches with my primary character: Guile. I know there will be some changes to the game balance (and a whole new set of opponents to learn about), I need to work on my “physical conditioning” – I use the Madcatz fightpad for the Playstation 3 (I know, I know – I should be using my arcade joystick), and with Guile being a charge character, I have found that my hands are prone to cramping after just a few matches (any tips on how to train for this are appreciated!).

My PSN name is MortalRift if you are ever interested in a SSFIV/SSFIV:AE match up!

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

As a full time employee, husband, and father of a 3 year old – I find that portable gaming is more suited to my current lifestyle, so I have been getting a fair amount of playtime with this little gem for the Gameboy Advance. You can pick up a used copy for about $10 on ebay and other places.

If you have a Wii-U, you can buy the game in the Virtual Console Wii-U eShop.

If you like turned based strategy games AT ALL, then this is a must have. The Gameboy Advance has such an awesome library of games, but this is one of the very best on the system. Everything from the graphics and the music to the gameplay modes are top notch in Advance Wars 2.
For an in depth review, I recommend Wii-U eShop review on NintendoLife HERE.

What have you been reading or playing in May?