PAX 07: The Wil Wheaton keynote, just for geeks
by Christopher Grant 
{ Aug 24th 2007 at 8:15PM }
Two hours ago...
Lazlo's Office
Rockstar Games
New York City
Lazlo's Office
Rockstar Games
New York City
Wil Wheaton is calling his buddy, an audio producer at Rockstar, trying to figure out a way to make a memorable entrance. They settle on something epic, something Lord of the Ringsy. The music bellows and Wheaton takes the stage.
"My name is Wil Wheaton and Jack Thompson can suck my balls." The audience cheers.
"I should note that today's keynote has been rated MA by the ESRB and if you have a problem with that, you can go fuck yourselves." He rattles off his geek cred: he's played NightWatch, he had an original Gameboy, and he carries around every 2600 game on a USB key (a USB key? We had them embedded subdermally years ago). He sure knows how to get the crowd going, citing classic gaming one-liners each one resulting in a chorus of applause. He rattles off popular internet memes like "the internet is a series of tubes" and "we need more cowbell" and "Leeroy Jenkins."
His infectious preaching of "geek power" has a very rapt audience at PAX. He lays out his history as a geek, explains his manipulations, all geared towards giving him more time to play arcade games in between a busy school and audition schedule. One of his most endearing stories was about playing Wizard of War.
He recollects his first experience with the Wii, sent over by Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo when selected to deliver the keynote address. The Wii rekindled his love of video games as a social experience and reminded him that games can be shared with friends, despite what opportunistic political types like Jack Thompson and Hillary Clinton think (oooh, he really nailed the crowd here. They erupt. One fella screams, "TESTIFY!"). "It's none of their fucking business what I choose to play with my kids!" More cheers. He explains how he monitors what games his kids play. He wouldn't let his son play GTA: Vice City until he was 17 (wait ... Wil Wheaton has a kid in college now? We really need to get to a gym or something ... work on our waistlines).
"Just as the multiplayer games are social experiences, so are the single player games narrative works of art." Sounds like someone was in the storytelling in games panel preceding the keynote. He moves onto Guitar Hero, and discusses the time spent playing with his family and addresses the naysayers who say they're better off playing a "real" guitar. Seriously, those folks really burn our chaps too. His speech crecendos into a battle call for geeks; it almost feels like the lot of us, all 30,000 that he cites, are about to raise up our plastic guitars in lieu of pitchforks and storm City Hall. A standing ovation from the crowd and we're off.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
blooh @ Aug 24th 2007 8:21PM
space nerd
Gwag @ Aug 24th 2007 8:31PM
God I wish I was at PAX
Stupidiot @ Aug 24th 2007 8:32PM
Why is it that the Wii seems to have this magical effect on people's lives and gaming experiences for everyone but me and everyone I know? Since I got the Wii, I found it was largely ignored by friends and family after a couple of plays, in favour of Guitar Hero, or games on the Xbox 360, and even Mario Tennis on the N64! No one else I know that owns a Wii seems to play it much or talk about it at all. I don't know what I'm going to do with the thing after I'm through with Metroid, Super Smash Brothers and Mario Galaxy... There just doesn't seem to be anything on the horizon after that. So far I've spent more time playing single games on the 360 than I have in total playing the Wii.
Sorry if none of my post made any sense, I'm tired and am having trouble constructing coherent sentences.
k0llateral @ Aug 24th 2007 8:42PM
Exactly stupidiot,
Everyone I know that has a Wii stopped bragging about it a year ago when they realize that theres not much substance to the games.
Crummy @ Aug 24th 2007 8:53PM
*shrug* Guess you're an unusual case, because I hear lots of reports otherwise?
I know it's the only videogame my parents have voluntarily played (and enjoyed, even!)
SeNiLe911 @ Aug 24th 2007 9:22PM
Same thing here, it sits waiting to be played with and I would think my niece and nephew would like to play it and they want to play the Xbox 360. Weird!
Karen @ Aug 24th 2007 10:14PM
I have no idea why. I've had GC, PS2 and Xbox hooked up to my TV for years. I've never have I had family members or friends ask to play them. Since I've bought the Wii anyone who's entered my living room asks to play it. The hard part is tearing it out of their hands and telling them to go home at midnight.
Aberu @ Aug 25th 2007 7:20AM
My brother has a Wii and gets games all the time on Gamefly. He decides to buy them if they are good enough. He is a super casual gamer, and so he has bought... 3 games so far out of the 20 or so he has rented from gamefly. Not only that, he plays it at most once every 3 days for like an hour or two at best.
Other than that a close friend of mine has a Wii, it's his brother's and his brother's wife's as well, and when they moved it was boxed for a couple weeks because they had no desire to play it. And when we had a friend group reunion for 3 days straight (massive gaming for 3 days with little sleep at his house), we only used it to be SSBM. In fact all of us are just waiting for brawl, and have little to no interest in any other game for the Wii, despite having played quite a few already myself.
It's a fad, it's a fad, a highly successful, buzzworthy fad. Every real life encounter with the system so far has told me this. These are just 2 cases I can provide close to me, but other than that I have talked to 5 others that I know on a casual level about it, and they all say the same types of things. Meanwhile the folklore demo made me shit my pants in excitement, and really felt like a return to good console rpgs.
Purple Haze @ Aug 26th 2007 3:32AM
As Gabe and Tycho say it's not made for the hardcore and most of the stories I've heard are about casual. Also the 360 has been out twice as long as the Wii so obviously you've played it more.
mr mobius @ Aug 24th 2007 8:45PM
Mario Kart Wii should take up quite a bit of play time in 08. After that I'm sure will be more announcements made.
I'll not be able to play much cause of budget and time so i can easily see Super Paper Mario (not out yet in Europe), Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 and SSBB taking me well into June of 08 at least.
Crummy @ Aug 24th 2007 8:52PM
Wow, that sounded cool. I hope someone can youtube it.
Bucket @ Aug 24th 2007 9:16PM
@Crummy
So you think it's awesome because your parents play it? In my day, anything being embraced by parents or authority figures was automatically uncool. What's wrong with you kids today?
P.S. "Every Atari 2600 game on a USB key?" WHOA, HARDCORE. Especially since they're all freely distributed (you can get them on www.atariage.com) and they literally take up a WHOPPING 9 MEGS.
Gavin @ Aug 24th 2007 9:34PM
Which Wil Wheaton is more annoying:
The young teen Wil Wheaton who played one of the worst characters in Star Trek history
or
The older Wil Wheaton milking his 80's fame and showing up at any nerdfest that will throw him a few bucks
I can't decide....
Bluebrake @ Aug 24th 2007 9:46PM
How is he milking his fame? He quit acting after Star Trek and became a respected journalist on his own merit. They got him for PAX because he's a well-known writer on geek culture, not because he played Wesley Crusher.
Gavin @ Aug 24th 2007 9:59PM
"a respected journalist"?!?!?!?!?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ted Koppel is a respected journalist.
Edward R Murrow was a respected journalist.
George Plimpton was a respected journalist.
Wil Wheaton is a has-been child star turned blogger.
There is a world of difference.
Bluebrake @ Aug 24th 2007 10:23PM
Wil Wheaton doesn't host a primetime news program, and Ted Koppel doesn't write columns about video games. By the nature of his work, Koppel obviously reaches a broader and more "dignified" audience. That doesn't mean Wil Wheaton isn't still a respected journalist within his field.
Mike show! @ Aug 24th 2007 11:30PM
well said bluebreak.
Comparing him to other reporters in different fields is nonsense.
Hito @ Aug 25th 2007 4:40AM
@Gavin
Excuse me, your fail is showing
Gavin @ Aug 25th 2007 7:09AM
Oh yeah, excuse me because there is obviously a disparity between what you think is "Journalism" is and what it actually should be. Just because you write for a blog or periodical, that doesn't make you a Journalist with a capital J. If anyone writing for anyting could be called a journalist, then I'm one, the idiots who write for Maxim are as well, and the vapid dipshits who pump out Cosmo would fit the bill as well.
I love video game, I love video game mags, and I love video game blogs. I don't think they are real journalism though because I understand what that term means. It is a school of though and a higher echelon of performance that must be recognized.
Just because you write current affairs stories and have the published does not make you a journalist.
Grow the hell up and learn what it actually mean. You are confusing the media with journalism. They are not the same thing. Take some time to understand what you are talking about.
Aberu @ Aug 25th 2007 7:24AM
Gavin, careful. Commander Data just informed me that due to your commentary on how you hold your judgement above all others on what a journalist is, your head has reached critical mass. Please come out of warp, it's going to implode.
drewmca @ Aug 24th 2007 11:01PM
I hate to date myself like this, but I guess I get geek points: it's "Wizard of Wor", not "War".
Xeno Mezphy @ Aug 24th 2007 11:29PM
Wil Wheaton is the man! He is probably a golem constructed of pure awesome. I saw the schematics a few years back... it's totally possible.
edgore @ Aug 25th 2007 1:02AM
I'm pretty sure he's constructed of pure hawsomeness, dude.
Can I get a peek at those plans?
syco @ Aug 25th 2007 7:42AM
I didn't know Wil Wheaton before this speech. I hadn't watched startrek and I only ever looked at his blog once when I learned he was giving the keynote.
However, this speech has convinced me of one thing: Wil Wheaton is awesome. And I will have to respectfully disagree with anyone who says otherwise.
davelog @ Aug 25th 2007 5:32PM
That's Wizard of Wor, dorkus.
CNash @ Aug 25th 2007 6:12PM
Was I the only one thinking "To have a 17-year-old son, Wil must've conceived him at age 17 himself"? To allay fears (think of innocent, 17-year-old Wil's reputation as a budding young star): he's his stepson.
chzimmerman @ Aug 28th 2007 1:14AM
They're his stepchildren, technically speaking.
TimT @ Aug 26th 2007 8:53AM
Dear Gavin,
"I love video game,"
um, that would be, " I love video games" as in plural. Unless you love that ONE video game, mmm let me guess by your ravings it would be "ET" for the atari 2600.
" I don't think they are real journalism though because I understand what that term means. It is a school of though "
A school of though? Is that your school? How many kids went to that school, i am very interested so I can avoid that state entirely, lest my head explode from the bad grammar and misspelling that must be overflowing into the streets. Also it would be "I don't think they are real journalists" or "I don't think that is real Journalism", not what you wrote, or vomited I really can not tell at this point.
"have the published " Guess you meant have THEM published but that would be nitpicking. Sort of like being some trolling lamer complaining about a person who's knowledge is contained from the single TV show he watched starring said person.
Now before anybody get their panties in a bunch, FYI I don't love or hate Wil Wheaton. Is his character on STTNG annoying? for the most part yes. Especially when viewed through the looking glass we call history. But just as most TV shows (Star Trek the classic series being a prime example) from the sixties were very cheesey to me in the late 70's and 80's it didn't make them bad. Just the product of a different era.
Back to the lesson.
Wil Wheaton is a published author.
http://www.eruditor.com/books/name/wil_wheaton.1225274.html.en
Wil Wheaton is a respected blogger in the geek community. Anyone who has read any of his blog entries knows that hes a pretty damned good writer and he definitely knows his geek history etc.
He's one of us for the most part, except that some still are jealous that he got to hang out on the bridge of the enterprise while we struggled through high school, You know who you are.
Oooh, almost missed this one.
"If anyone writing for anyting could be called a journalist"
Anyting?
Look if english is not your first language, I can understand that. But when you are ranting about how Wil Wheaton is not a Journalist (and you should really crawl out of the 80's here, the word has expanded and it applies to more now here on the tubes) then you should really, and I mean "REALLY" try to use a spell checker at the very least on your post before hitting that button.
Gavin BTW ( that stands for By The Way just in case you were not aware) if you have any books or samples of your writings please by all means share them with us.
Now because this is a free world, Let the flaming commence.
Hugz
TimT
Cap'n Jack @ Aug 27th 2007 8:51AM
Please don't feed the trolls.
ttringle @ Aug 26th 2007 8:57AM
Man, I hate when you can't edit posts. But this way it will show that I too am human.
Missed a question mark on my question about how many children attended that school.
I was trying to be so careful too. :(
TimT
ttringle @ Aug 26th 2007 9:02AM
Doh,
I am my own worst critic.
"Anyone who has read any of his blog entries knows that hes a pretty damned good writer and he definitely knows his geek history etc."
That would be "He's a pretty damned good writer" as in "he is". Dumbass!
TimT
ttringle @ Aug 26th 2007 9:12AM
I know you guys are getting sick of me. Sorry.
But I forgot the most important item that proves that pretty much all bloggers are journalists (no capital J actually, says so in the dictionary).
Main Entry: jour·nal·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈjər-nə-ˌli-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1828
1 a: the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media b: the public press c: an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium
2 a: writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b: writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation c: writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest
I think the most valid entry here is
c: WRITING DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO CURRENT POPULAR TASTE OR PUBLIC INTEREST
Sorry for the caps but I think that pretty much says it all. Blogs are very clearly designed to appeal to the most current popular taste and they are definitely of public interest.
TimT
ay1ene @ Aug 28th 2007 5:14AM
Hey, that's me (or at least the back of me) in line! I'm the woman with the tan shirt and black messenger bag. I made it into Joystiq - w00t! I posted some of my PAX clips on YouTube and will be adding more soon.
http://www.youtube.com/ay1ene
jb @ Aug 28th 2007 11:25AM
TimT,
When you make fun of someone because his/her English isn't as good as yours, you come off sounding like a nitpick. Its the "internet" -- its this thing where people from around the world can commune over the things that really matter (Wil Wheaton). Some people on this "internet" -- guess what?! -- don't natively speak the same language you do.
A little less condescension would be appreciated; but if you feel you must, there's a little something called pith you might want to look into.
-Jeff
room88 @ Aug 31st 2007 7:13AM
It's Wizard of WOR.. not Wizard of War. Holy cow, what kind of a geek are you? ;)