The BagHead Chronicles, Part One (Jamie Antonisse)

This is the long-overdue story of the game that consumed my May, IMD grad Herb Yang's not-so-originally titled but nonetheless unique Kingpin: The Game. While we were working at ICT, I'd keep John Brennan entertained with the saga of my secret life as a crime lord, and he always said that I should write it up... so these posts mainly goes out to him.

Kingpin was my one truly memorable experience with an Massive (ok, massivish) Multiplayer Game, and it was the first game that gave me a sense that the genre is capable of some very different experiences. Never before have I invested so much emotion in a 300-lb man named Brakepad. But that's later... let me start at the beginning.

I was introduced to the game at the 2007 Thesis show... and I'll be honest, my expectations were low. But the second I created my kingpin, "Misty Eyes" LaBone, and set out with my gang, The Beauties, I was in love.

The Beauties started out in a tough neighborhood... so, to prove themselves as criminals and male models, they set about robbing some liquor stores. Immediately, two of them were arrested. And here, let me point out the genius of Herb Yang's game. The fact that they were arrested meant that they had a court date... in twelve hours. Twelve hours, real time. Followed by two days, two real days, in the slammer. Two days of waiting! No other game I've EVER played has the guts to tell you to wait two days for ANYTHING.

Each of my Beauties had a handful of moves they could make... and then, it was over. Clicking rapidly, I found out that, in about five minutes, I'd burned through all my actions. It'd be another half day before I could play again. I was shocked... I was angry. I was hooked, I needed another fix. And so, furious, I threw down another email address... I started another gang. An alter ego.

And so the BagHead, leader of the Butterfaces, was born.

I didn't mean to bend the rules... I just wanted to play more! But, later that night, as I perused the rules, I realized my mistake... I found a very clear ONE ACCOUNT PER PLAYER stipulation. Herb was adamant on the point that anyone with MORE than one account would have all their gangs deleted.

I needed to protect my Beauties. So I knew that I'd have to keep the fact that the BagHead belonged to Jamie Antonisse a secret, from Herb and the other Players. I'd spend my playing Misty Eyes LaBone, and leave the BagHead in the shadows.

...to be continued next week...