Nene is REALLY good at the shooter games she plays, and has gotten into professional tournaments and done really well. After one, people were talking about her skill in the event, so Rui got her to set up a Twitch channel. She slowly gains followers and after around a year (~3rd anni), she is one of the largest jp creators in the game and gets invited to an irl tournament. It is then finally noticed that the songstress of a theater troupe is also wildly good at shooter games. Ensue Nene being pestered into a victory karaoke stream.
Though it's been a long time since I've watched Rooster Teeth (minus Funhaus) it feels surreal watching it end. I always assumed it would end with happier tears and applause as the creators grew on to do their own projects. I never assumed it would be swift and wrapped up coldly.
I was an avid Achievement Hunter fan, and I'll say it intrigued high school me like nothing else, and I know some people will know exactly what I mean. I fell into the 'golden years' where AH had fully formed its group and Minecraft was pumped out every Friday.
The further I go this is more for Achievement Hunter. Through their content, I found community and fandom for the first time here on tumblr. I started writing and collaborating with others. This was an AH blog. Writing is still one of my favorite hobbies. I was fortunate enough in this community to grow confident and break in to others fandoms to write.
Like many many others I pursued film and arts inspired by AH. I took on content creation something I adore because of them.
I admit I hadn't watched recent AH content in a while, but there was a comfort in knowing maybe one day it would bring me back. I'm gutted to see it go. I'm torn thinking about the people who poured their life into that company being jarringly forced to change their life. I hope the brightest for them.
I hope the spirit AH fostered never disappears, and everyone who had some sort of spark lit by them continues to pursue the dreams they started.
Whenever Charmonroe isn’t home, Ai loves to play games. She’s so used to being on her own. At least as an artificial intelligence program, she doesn’t need much to entertain herself.
Still, she is excited about the newest game. It’s an online game with multiple players. Except she plays by herself. Charmonroe notices this and asks Ai why she is by herself. Ai thought the point of games was to win, and it’s too unpredictable with many people. The college student encourages Ai to branch out.
So, Ai starts off by inviting the friends she already has to play in her small group: SummerSue, WinterWill, and Peppermint. She likes the challenge of having “other variables” when others play with her. She shares some of the play highlights with Charmonroe - as well as some quirky or funny moments.
Charmonroe is worried that Ai is sticking too close to what is familiar, so she encourages her to try playing with strangers. Ai likes it, and she’s more than willing to give pointers to other gamers. But a few of the gamers start spreading rumors about her, even going so far as to report her for cheating and bugs.
Ai insists that she wants to go to the company’s live-stream to officially meet everyone and to clear up any confusion. The night of the stream, Ai feels anxious. She’s never felt a mix of emotions at the same time. Thankfully, Charmonroe is there to help her through the live-stream.
Once the stream starts, Ai joins right away, snuggled into her own bedroom in cyberspace. She becomes popular right away. Ai likes these new feelings and moments. Later on, she tells Charmonroe that she wants to be out of her bubble and join the larger world.
Connections
-In the Reflection for Shy Confession, Ai describes being created (her version of being born). Charmonroe is her programmer, but rather than a mother-figure she acts like a big sister to Ai.
-You’ve already met Ai’s best friends: Peppermint, Susan (SummerSue), and William (WinterWill).
-The players comment on Ai’s avatar: a girl in a school uniform. In the Reflection for Shy Confession, you learn that a school uniform was Ai’s first design, as well as her favorite.
Fun Facts
-Ai’s name comes from the initials for “artificial intelligence,” but it’s pronounced like the English word “eye.”
-Ai is also a Chinese (and borrowed in Japanese) word meaning “love.”
I've spent a lot of years in the World of Warcraft, a digital comfort zone that's been both sanctuary and prison. As gamers, we navigate a delicate balance between the pull of the familiar and the thrill of new territories. My latest blog post dives into this journey, exploring how we evolve and what keeps us coming back. If you've ever wondered why that one game keeps pulling you back, this post might have some answers. Check it out.
1996 Sega Saturn Modem magazine ad featuring Virtua Fighter Remix for Sega Networks, showing the infancy of online gaming back then. Just an incredible ad