CHRONICLE 16-17 ISSUE 05

Jared Williams
The Chronicle
From the moment the doors opened
the crowd poured in. The childhood
nostalgia filled the room.
There’s only one place on this
side of the Greater Toronto Area
where you’ll find people dressed
as Lynx, Sub-Zero, Freddy Krueger
and Luigi all together, trading
video games and game-themed collectors’
items such as toys, figurines
and cards.
They were on hand for the Durham
Video Game Convention Fall
Show as collectors, vendors, and
game players gathered at Oshawa’s
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43
on Oct. 30. Stores from all across
the province set up shop to join the
game play.
For some gamers in attendance,
it was a time to relish in the retro
video game surplus they didn’t get a
chance to when they were younger.
chronicle.durhamcollege.ca November 8 - 14, 2016 The Chronicle 19
Entertainment
Our Lady Peace,
I Mother Earth
rock Oshawa
Dan Koehler
The Chronicle
Plaid wearing 90s rock fans rejoiced
as the decade was brought
back to life in Oshawa.
Alternative rock bands Our Lady
Peace and I Mother Earth rocked
the Tribute Communities Centre
Oct. 29 in front of a screaming
near-capacity crowd.
Oshawa duo The Standstills,
who rose to fame during 2012 after
winning the 97.7 CHTZ-FM
Rocksearch, opened the show with
their mix of blues and western inspired
hard rock.
The groups started their Canadian
tour Oct. 15 in Abbotsford,
BC, and finished it off Nov. 5 at
Casino Rama in Orillia.
This year marked the first time
IME’s original vocalist Edwin has
performed with the group since his
departure in 1997.
“It makes me feel young again
that’s for sure, It brings back that
sense of youth,” said BMO Branch
Manager Charlene Esposto, an
OLP fan at the show. “It’s a good
opportunity for us to be able to reclaim
that and feel something we
haven’t felt in a really long time.”
Formed in the early 1990s in Toronto,
both OLP and IME share a
similar style of music and fanbase,
with fans sometimes even confusing
the two.
“My mom and I used to listen
to them on the radio all the time
and we used to laugh because their
names were so similar we thought
they were the same band,” said
James Hennebury, a fan at the show
seeing both OLP and IME for the
first time.
“Now they’re doing it (touring) at
the same time and it is awesome.”
Both OLP and IME continue to
make new music. OLP released the
single ‘Won’t Turn Back’ in 2014
from their 2012 album ‘Curve’,
and IME released the singles ‘The
Devil’s Engine’ and ‘Blossom’ in
2015.
Although fans are always happy
to hear new music, its really the
songs from the bands glory days
Retro gaming back like it never left at Oshawa con
“There’s not a lot of shows out
on this side,” event organizer Justin
Ashley said. “The more east you go
from Toronto there’s nothing for
[video game] shows. And I’m an
Oshawa resident, I just moved here
four years ago. I’m making this
my home. And I’m trying to bring
something that I like doing, going
to conventions, to my home area.”
Also owner of Fly by Nite Buy
and Sell in downtown Oshawa,
Ashley was dressed as Freddy
Krueger while conducting the
convention.
“Most of the conventions are
too far. I’m attracting a different
audience that may not ever get the
chance to go to those bigger shows
in Toronto,” Ashley said. “I went to
Fan Expo this year – I didn’t enjoy
myself. It was too crammed.”
A steady flow of gamers visited
the Legion hall for the event, but
had ample room to check out the
booths.
that hold a special place in people’s
hearts.
“Honestly I’m here for their old
music,” said Leanne Legleiter, an
OLP fan at the show with a friend.
“When they come out with new
music then definitely yeah I’ll listen
to it, but I love their old stuff.”
Aside from the grungy outfits
and loud music, the tour aimed to
Ashley said he received “a lot
of positive feedback,” and added
“people would say ‘love the atmosphere,
love the vibes of this place’.”
While at the convention, gamers
took part in the Nintendo Super
bring about some good to those in
need.
All three bands worked with
World Vision, who came along
the tour. The goal was to sponsor
children in one specific community
in Zimbabwe which with bands are
associated.
“They’re looking to sponsor all
the children in that community
Photograph by Jared Williams
Justin Ashley dressed as Freddy Krueger with a Power Glove.
Smash Bros. tournament for a
chance to win prizes donated by
the vendors. The owner of Oshawa’s
G.A.M.E.S. video game
store, Jesse Manchen, hosted the
tournament.
Photograph by Dan Koehler
Edwin, frontman of I Mother Earth, is touring with the group for the first time since 1997.
and do a water project,” said Lorie
Smith, a volunteer with World Vision.
“I see the program from start
to finish and I see how its just transformed
communities.”
As of Oct. 29, 100 children had
been sponsored through the tour,
199 shy of the goal. For more information
about how to donate, visit
www.worldvision.ca
“The tournaments are cool because
it’s a community event thing.
We don’t charge for the tournament.
It’s a small fee to enter in
[the convention]. It’s to get people
connected and to actually join and
have fun,” Manchen said.
The show made its biggest impact
on those looking to find and
relive a piece of their childhood,
and those who wanted to revisit
some of the most influential gaming
eras.
“I wouldn’t call myself a collector.
I just buy the games that I want
to play that I didn’t get to play when
I was younger. A lot of that’s like
PS2 (PlayStation 2), N64 (Nintendo
64) and PlayStation,” said one fan,
who had an interest in finding older
games.
“Everyone has good memories
of playing N64 when they were
younger.”
The next convention is expected
for spring of 2017.
Pokémon GO still banned in some Islamic countries
Devarsh Oza
The Chronicle
The viral smartphone game
Pokémon Go is creating a controversy
in the Middle East. In the
game, people have to go to specific
places and do a battle to catch a
Pokémon character.
Some Islamic countries such as
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and
Indonesia have banned the game
by calling it ‘haram’ or ‘forbidden’.
The Imam Council of Saudi
Arabia released a fatwa, or ruling,
saying the game uses icons, which
are considered unlawful in Islam.
There is a ‘battlefield’ on the top
of the Kaaba, the holiest place for
Muslims in Mecca, as well as collection
points to collect the Poképoints
on the gates of the grand
mosque.
The council considers it disrespectful
of Islam.
Muslims including the imam
of Oshawa mosque, Shakir Pandor
also considers it wrong to put
a battlefield, or ‘gym’ as it’s also
called, on the top of the Kaaba.
“There is something very sacred
to a community and, I mean, in this
case it is it is for us Muslims, but in
the same way we would understand
it for any other community,” said
Pandor.
Pandor also said if there is something
sacred for a community, the
game makers should not put their
playground on those places. Although
Pandor also said Pokémon
Go is just a game and the council
allows Muslims to play the game.
Many Muslims at Durham College
play the game, but say putting
a gym on the top of the Kaaba is
disrespectful for them too. Aisha
Ahmed, a social worker student at
Durham College agrees to the decision
of council.
“The whole Kaaba, that is a very
holy spot and if it was outside, I
would kind of understand, but right
on the top. If people are coming
there and instead of praying and
stuff they are playing a game and
instead of praying the god, what
they are supposed to be doing is
a bit disrespectful,” said Ahmed.
The game is also banned in
non-Islamic countries such as
Russia, Australia and Portugal.
According to Russian government,
the game is an American Influence,
which they don’t want to put in
people’s mind.
Australian and Portuguese authorities
say that people play the
game while walking on the roads,
which can cause accidents.