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How Much Of A “Gamer” Is Playboy Model Jo Garcia?

You're just going to have to forgive me for this. I recognize the fantasy for gamers; I understand it better than most, as I've been part of video games since the Atari days, when girls and gaming went together like oil and water.

So yes, I get the fascination of an attractive female gamer. For those of us who grew up during a time when games were stigmatized and stereotyped like crazy, it's like finding an avid Dungeons & Dragons player who also poses for Playboy. It's like striking gold on Mars. I get it.

But there's this highly realistic and somewhat cynical part of me that won't shut up. It has to ask questions. It looks at all angles, it considers the nature of our society and most importantly in cases like these, the nature of business. Justin Bieber can't sing a note. Never really could. It's just artificially enhanced digital audio for the sake of selling an image, which results in a gajillion dollars by preying on naive teens. And no, it's not a generational bias; none of the New Kids on the Block could sing, either.

The point is that we sell packages when it comes to entertainment media. And while Jo Garcia would've received plenty of attention simply for being a Playboy model, the question remains- would she get as much attention without adding the unique appeal of "nerd love?" Look at the picture here: a "Tron" t-shirt and an Xbox 360 controller. Obviously, the packagers in this situation are aware of their targeted demographic, and by the way, so is Playboy. Check out the magazine's Gamer Next Door blog for Jo.

For the record, I am not questioning Garcia's video game past. I'm not doubting her when she says she grew up playing video games. However, I have to call into question her "hardcore gamer" label at the current time. It's just too convenient; she had the perfect opportunity to give herself a singular sort of attractiveness and she took advantage (either that, or her agent/manager did). Given her lifestyle, I find it difficult to believe that she hangs around the house playing video games and preparing reviews.

Of course her reviews are in video format. Everyone's going to watch that analysis. And I'm not saying she shouldn't do them, and I'm not saying she doesn't play the games she talks about. I'm just saying it might not be a big hobby for her anymore, and it might be a mistake to assume her gaming habits are just like yours . And as far as being a journalist goes, she isn't one, but that doesn't bother me. I have no problem with personalities being in the limelight; it's kinda what they do.

But when all is said and done, we may just have to accept that the "Gamer Next Door" is spending a bit more time attending events and in general, being outside the house, rather than sitting in front of a TV. But by all means, if you'd rather consider her a true-blue anomaly, feel free. I'd hate to pop the fantasy bubble.

P.S. By the way, Jo, your Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception review on the front page actually links to your Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review. …I could say something about Activison's involvement, but I'm sure it's not true. 😉

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BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

Hey Ben,
I was just going through my twitter account when Jo popped into it with this reply…..

Gamernextdoor Playboy's Jo Garcia
@PSXE I seriously do play. All the time. I am not an event girl unless its e3 pax comicon or ces. I rather be at home playing. Truth
1 minute ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Victor321
Victor321
12 years ago

Wow, now that's ease of communication for ya.

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
12 years ago

Toss me a link. Might tell her I'm only buying part of what she's saying.

Beamboom
Beamboom
12 years ago

… And then, three weeks later…
"Ben Dutka changed status from 'single' to 'in a relationship'"

Tsssk, "toss me a link", you playa. 😉


Last edited by Beamboom on 11/24/2011 3:50:21 PM

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

Hmmm,
Since Jo has replied back, maybe this could be the perfect opportunity to contact her for a PSXE interview and find out what she's all about, gaming wise.

Killa Tequilla
Killa Tequilla
12 years ago

Sorry to be off topic, but how do you deactivate your psn account from a pc or online? Sony said you would be able to as of Nov 18. Anyone know?


Last edited by Killa Tequilla on 11/23/2011 10:25:23 PM

cLoudou
cLoudou
12 years ago

Go to the Qriocity website. Enter your PSN account. You have to deactivate all the PS3 and not just the ones you want but reactivating is a piece of cake.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

Killa Tequilla, Here ya go….

PSN DRM change in effect now, and remote deactivation now detailed

As of November 18th, Sony's revised DRM for the PlayStation Network has gone into effect. All new game purchases made on the PlayStation Store will be limited to two devices.

But, how can you ensure that only the systems you have access to can use your account?

As promised, the ability to remotely deactivate your gaming devices has gone live. The process is easily completed via the web, but comes with a few caveats. For example, you'll only be able to perform the wipe once every six months.

To see how many PlayStation devices are activated on your system, you'll want to log into the Sony Entertainment Network.

You'll be able to deactivate individual PSPs by connecting the system and following the instructions.

However, if you don't have access to a certain system, whether it be stolen, misplaced, or sent for repairs, you'll be able to do a remote deactivation of all your PlayStation systems. This will deactivate every system you have, and can only be done once every six months. You'll then be able to activate devices by accessing the PlayStation Store from the device, or using "Account Management" from the XMB.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/71160/psn-drm-change-in-effect-now-remote-deactivation-detailed

(via PSN Stores)

Pandacastro
Pandacastro
12 years ago

So I could only deactivate 1 ps3 every 6 months? I went and it said I could only deactivate it on the ps3?

Pandacastro
Pandacastro
12 years ago

How to I wipe out all the ps3s? Cant find it.

Killa Tequilla
Killa Tequilla
12 years ago

Bikersaint, you are the man. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks. I went to the website but was doong the wrong thing. I should of have dug deeper. Now I know how to thanks to you, or else god knows for how many years I would of been puzzled by this lightly hidden feature.

cLoudou I see your help as well! Much appreciated


Last edited by Killa Tequilla on 11/24/2011 12:11:08 AM

Neo_Aeon666
Neo_Aeon666
12 years ago

OMG this sucks. And what do you do if you have 3 PS3s? … Way to kill my online games buying habit.

Got a PS3 in my room, one in the living room and the other one at my parent's house lol… 5 devices was ok. I thinnk they should review their policy. Steam does not limit my access to my games so long as I log in to my account. It's just them playing with fire. Hope they burn.

And yeah I could just re-activate, de-activate but it is a pain. 5 was already limited. It should be unlimited as long as you are logged in to your account.


Last edited by Neo_Aeon666 on 11/24/2011 7:34:48 AM

Clamedeus
Clamedeus
12 years ago

@Neo_Aeon666

I think the reason why they are doing this is so people don't abuse the 5 slots and game share with people. (If Memory Serves)

AcHiLLiA
AcHiLLiA
12 years ago

It doesn't bother me of how much of a gamer she is, she does what she does in life to enjoy. She probably just gets hired for this stuff for the extra money and probably doesn't spend alot of time gaming like a hardcore gamer would.

cLoudou
cLoudou
12 years ago

Nobody bad mouths NKOTB. Nobody!

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

OK, I'll bite

NKOTB???????

rogers71
rogers71
12 years ago

Really Biker? How old did you say you were? NKOTB is New Kids On The Block. Come on man. If you lived through the 80's, you should know this and I am sure some that didn't have the luxury of experiencing the 80's would know this.

Underdog15
Underdog15
12 years ago

Anyone who escaped the early 90's without knowing who NKOTB is, can officially be my hero. They are a wise person.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

rogers71,

Turned 59 of the 5th of this month.

I just didn't put 2 & 2 together on all those initials, & probably because I never cared for any one of those producer-made fake boy bands.
"Barf!"

Anyway, I'm into real music & not that canned money-making stuff that was just "molded" to become cash-cows by sucking all the cash out of real young, and easily swayed-by-looks, female teenyboppers.

But that's just my own opinion….


Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/24/2011 5:03:39 PM

Underdog15
Underdog15
12 years ago

Biker, you and I are about 30 years apart… but I have a funny feeling we're into very similar styles of music. lol

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

Underdog,
I'm into some light jazz, some older disco, almost all blues, rock, hard rock, and also love me some techno music. And your country's own AC-DC is one of my all-time favorites too!

If you want to experiment, try finding some sampling of these albums from a few of my electronic/techno favorites, or even some electronic producers of rather wispy lilting music too…….

If you have surround sound or the Sony surround Stereo headset, I highly recommend using them, relaxing way back into the the couch or chair & then closing your eyes, just to heighten & maximize your experience….

Depeche Mode(best albums are Violator, Ultra, & Exciter)

Jon Michele Jarre (Oxygene, Oxygene 7-13, The Essential 1976-1886)

Andreas Vollenweider (White Winds, Eolian minstrel).


Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/24/2011 10:06:42 PM

Fane1024
Fane1024
12 years ago

Underdog's Canadian, not Australian.

Underdog15
Underdog15
12 years ago

It's true!

But we do have The Guess Who!

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

OOPS, I sometimes mix up who's from where, so my bad.

Anyways, I love the Guess Who too….Theses Eyes, American Woman, etc, etc.,

Along with some of David Clayton Thomas's own solo work after leaving Blood, Sweat, & Tears, which was another band that I liked.


Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/25/2011 1:42:36 PM

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

Ben,
All I have is Jo's Twitter link, but you should be able to make contact with her & go from there….

http://twitter.com/#!/Gamernextdoor

Hope that helps

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
12 years ago

Replied on Twitter.

Spineshank
Spineshank
12 years ago

I like to keep my women and my gaming seperate. For me, gaming is a retreat from the latter..

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
12 years ago

Ben,

Ok, I've got a contact link for Jo…..

http://www.jogarcia.net/#!contact

La_Bete12
La_Bete12
12 years ago

Don't judge me when I say this, but I hate it that people say that the Biebster can't sing. He's got a good amount of talent, but damn I wish his voice would drop already, mine dropped a good while ago. Damn tenors….

anyways…I doubt this chick. I'm also the kind of person that questions everything and thinks deeply about them, and there's just something about her….idk what though.

Underdog15
Underdog15
12 years ago

I've always been ok with girls and gaming going together like oil and water. My favorite salad dressings are vinaigrettes.

If you like it, you make it work.

nogoat23
nogoat23
12 years ago

I consider myself a hardcore gamer. I don't have a big enough budget to play every game, but if given the opportunity, I would love to pop in Skyrim and play for 12 hours. However, I haven't had a chance to play any games at all for the past month since changing jobs and moving to a different country. Am I no longer a hardcore gamer because I don't do it anymore, or am I still a hardcore gamer because the desire is still there?

Excelsior1
Excelsior1
12 years ago

You might try view it as a good thing your delaying getting Skyrim becuase by time you get it Bethesda may have patched out the game crippling lag in the PS3 version once your save file gets too big. I read something interesting today in the Bethesda forums. Apparently Bethesda refused to send out review copies for the PS3 version. That explains why Ben was sent to 360 version for review instead. I was afraid of something like that. Hmm…I wonder why they refused to send out the PS3 version for review. Somehow it infuriates me that even 5 yrs after the PS3's release we still have to put up with this crap on multiplats.

As for this topic. I am very skeptical that she is really a hardcore gamer. She already loses some points for having her front page U3 review link to MW3 instead. Yeah it would be great if Ben could interview her and put her knowledge of videogames to the test. A hardcore gamer should have some pretty good knowledge about videogames, right? It's going to take way more than her commenting on twitter that she really rather be home playing games to convince me. The more I think about it who really cares if she is or is not. I'd rather Ben interview key figures in the gaming industry. Ben, just for kicks have you ever tried to submit an interview request for Mr. Kojima? It never hurts to ask right?


Last edited by Excelsior1 on 11/24/2011 2:26:14 AM

bigrailer19
bigrailer19
12 years ago

Excel-

Do you have Skyrim? I'm playing Skyrim now and I'm not experiencing lag. My file size isn't getting to big, it stays about the same. Everytime I save over a file it might go up 200kb, but other times it's gone down. Theres also another way to get past this and it's to just create multiple save files. Have 3 or 4 main saves to keep the size down.

Nogoat-

I'd suggest if you want Skyrim get it. If the lag is really even an issue, which I habnt experienced yet, I would imagine by the time your save file gets that big to cause that, you'll be well into the game. I'm about 8-9 hours in and it's absolutely fine. Obviously I have a lot of game left and anything could happen I suppose. But I highly doubt it's game breaking. And again I don't see it happening (if it does) until your well into the game. By then maybe there would be a patch.

Also just because you work more and don't play as much doesn't make you any less of a gamer.


Last edited by bigrailer19 on 11/24/2011 10:35:29 AM

Clamedeus
Clamedeus
12 years ago

Oblivion's lag wasn't bad, most of the times it ran smooth, if you went near a certain area on the map you would get a jolt of lag and then it would be done and you wouldn't get lag anymore.

But I'm going to get Skyrim for Christmas I doubt it's really that bad as people say.

Excelsior1
Excelsior1
12 years ago

Yes, I have Skyrim. It's was just fine 8-9 hrs in for me too. I have completed the main quest and I did get some lag once my save file got around 6 mb/46 hrs of gameplay. It was not so bad that it made me want to quit playing during the main quest. In fact I think I got through the main quest before I ran into it. I'm pretty sure World said he ran into it as wel but he did not mention at what point. For me it seemed especially bad around towns at about the 40 hr mark. This is a long play issue though. Your save file has to get pretty big. The longer you play and the more you save the worse it gets becuase the main game save file inceases 100 or 200 mb each time you save. It's not really a frame rate issue. It's more like the games jumps around or freezes at times then catches up with itself a minute or two later. You know how Fallout 3 would lock up and then take off on you again? It's kind of like that. When it gets that bad you can just try to save and reset your PS3 and the lag will go away for about an hr. Bethesda is aware of this issue now and the incoming patch will address "longplay" issues in the PS3 version.

It's a great game. It's more like an experience. Clam you are getting a great Christmas present and by that time this problem will be sorted out. I'm just a litle irked at Betethesda becuase them refusing to send out PS3 review copies makes it look they may have known about this issue.

Clamedeus
Clamedeus
12 years ago

@Excelsior

Oh, I know. 🙂 That's why I can't wait to get it! 😀 I also wish they would play test both versions of the game so stuff like this doesn't get past them and be on release.

Oblivion didn't get any attention at all with firmware updates that I know of, I basically didn't see ANY firmware updates for it at all. I just hope they continue to support it better than what Oblivion had. They only patched a few things in the Game of The Year Edition (I think it was that one?) And that was it, nothing else besides that.

wenezz
wenezz
12 years ago

tissue anyone?

Jed
Jed
12 years ago

No thanks, this is nothing to cry— Oh wait a minute, I'll take three.

Beamboom
Beamboom
12 years ago

*Three*? Dude, that's bragging.

Beamboom
Beamboom
12 years ago

omfg – do Playboy record these shows in their basement using a camcorder or something? The sound of that mic is just *horrible*. At least put up some sound isolation!
Playboy has apparently dropped severely in quality since I last had anything "to do with them". (to put it that way).

Speaking of babes, for my gaming news on video I much prefer Naomi Kyle at IGN.


Last edited by Beamboom on 11/24/2011 4:55:47 AM

Deadman
Deadman
12 years ago

Not sure if Playboy records with a camcorder in the basement, but there is another game site that I know for sure does. 😛


Last edited by Deadman on 11/24/2011 6:54:11 AM

Beamboom
Beamboom
12 years ago

Hehe – Oh yeah, that site. 😉
But they are kinda excused, they are not a multinational giant like Playboy.


Last edited by Beamboom on 11/24/2011 1:20:15 PM

frostface
frostface
12 years ago

Deadman no need for that. We're supposed to count ourselves lucky. They worked on a budget because they couldn't afford the cameraman to bring in his own crew :p

Excelsior1
Excelsior1
12 years ago

@Deadman and frostface

That completly went over my head. What other site are you guys referring to?


Last edited by Excelsior1 on 11/24/2011 10:17:22 AM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
12 years ago

they mean this site

Deadman
Deadman
12 years ago

@Excelsior1

You mean other the site other Playboy?
The link to the their Youtube is at the top of this page.

ZenChichiri
ZenChichiri
12 years ago

I wish I could pose naked and play games for a living.

Deadman
Deadman
12 years ago

And I'm glad you can't

Clamedeus
Clamedeus
12 years ago

LOL

FatherSun
FatherSun
12 years ago

She is PlayBoys attempt to access the growing Gamer Demographic. Watched one of her reviews and it seems dry and rehearsed. Sound was terrible too. Not what I would expect from PB. If she really is a true gamer she will respond to Ben. Maybe even let him interview her. If Playboy allows her to.

I have been lucky all my life. I have had many relationships with women who game. I married one of them too!

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