Sincerest Form of Skimming Ideas

As it may seem like I only read magazines that I don't really like... well, they pass the time anyway.

I have a subscription to GamePro magazine. I had heard they had coupons for Best Buy, so I found a good deal and subscribed. I thought I saw a coupon in the first issue, but when it came time to use it, I could not find it again. And there has not been any since.

I've not liked GamePro too much from the get-go. They fill space with giant pictures, random blurbs and other odds and ends, and yet they are light on the page count.

Until recently, all the writers performed under gamertag pen-names. They now go by real names, but as far as anyone knows they could be pseudonyms as well... They hid behind anonymity so long, the trust of honesty is gone.

That last point may seem a bit hypocritical for someone calling himself "meager"... but I am internet exclusive. Using your real name online gives off a sense of egotism, as if people should know you because you put your name in the headline at the top of your page. Using a pseudonym usually (and in my case) is just there to help tie together work from different sites and forums.

My biggest criticism with GamePro: It's not better than Game Informer, which I get free with my Gamestop discount card.

Anyhoo, the point I want to make has nothing to do with GamePro directly. It just happens to be an article in the December issue of said magazine.

Page 34: The Best Game You Never Heard Of: Prototype. Prototype is an upcoming game about a transforming killing machine. The article says "Mercer can morph his body into a weapon, such as massive claws..." and "With every life he takes, Mercer consumes their abilities, even physical appearance, becoming more powerful with each intellectual being he devours."

Readers of the superb long-time webcomic Sluggy Freelance may recognize this description as fitting a character known as Dr Crabtree... except the gender. A similar creation is not unheard of, but combined with the design of Heavenly Sword's main protagonist closely mirroring another Sluggy character, Oasis... it seems as if video game companies are fishing through creator Pete Abrams' archives.

Not a pleasant possibility. But perhaps it could lead to some game company actually approaching Pete directly to infuse some of his great ideas into a decent video game. Here's hoping.