Gamer Who “Plays Better While High” Has No Basis for Comparison

LOS ANGELES — Local gamer Aaron Hopper insisted that he “plays way better when he’s stoned” despite a complete lack of experience playing any other way.

“It helps me calm down and focus on the objective. If I played this game sober I’d get all tense,” said Hopper during a quick bong rip while his teammates fought off a rival squad in Call of Duty: Warzone. “Hypothetically, I mean.”

Hopper claimed marijuana also increased his effectiveness at cooking, studying, driving, cleaning, and sex, even though he had no reported experience doing any of those things without being absolutely ripped on that loud.

“Sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning and I’m not stoned, and it’s a real bummer,” said Hopper, opening his nightstand drawer to show off his edibles, vape cartridges, and joints, the most organized area of his home. “That’s what this baby is for.”

His squadmates had no basis for comparison either, but they were skeptical that cannabis had anything but a negative effect on his play.

“I’ve known Aaron for ten years, and I couldn’t tell you the first thing about what he’s like when he’s not stoned beyond belief, let alone whether he’s good at video games. That said, I don’t think he could get any worse,” said longtime friend Mollie Baxter. “Most of the time he doesn’t even seem to know what game we’re playing.”

Hopper also declared that listening to podcasts made him better at games, even though he had to rewind the episode every 30 seconds and retained none of the information.

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The Passion of the Crust

In the newest episode of The Hard Drive Podcast, Mark and Jeremy write and perform an original episode of 1989’s The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! that parodies the 2004 Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ — a movie that neither of them ever cares to actually see. They write the entire episode live on the podcast with no ideas beforehand! Watch the process on YouTube or download the audio with any podcast app.



Man Worried He’ll Never Find Open World Game as Good as Her

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Local gamer Joe Fleming is reportedly worried that Nintendo’s stunning masterpiece Breath of the Wild has ruined any chance that he’ll ever love an open world game again in his life.

“Every time I’m with another open world game, I know I’m just comparing the experience to being with her. ‘Her’ being The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, of course,” Fleming explained to friends. “Right after my thing with Zelda was over, I found myself rebounding with Horizon: Zero Dawn. Something about it reminded me of her, but… it was missing something. I don’t know if it was the no-climbing or the no-paragliding or whatever, but it just wasn’t her.”

Those close to Fleming have tried to get him back together with Breath of the WIld, but have been unsuccessful.

“I tried to go back to her, but it’s just not the same as it was in the beginning. I need that sense of exploration in a relationship,” Fleming said. “And I know she added that new DLC, but it was like she changed. Getting back into our usual rhythm was so difficult. I just don’t know what to do. I found myself with a crush on her friend, though; maybe that will lead somewhere. I haven’t really gotten to know her at all yet, but I think maybe I could have a real future with Breath of the Wild 2.”

“Other than that, though, I’m just tearing through meaningless open world games,” Fleming continued. “Skyrim, Red Dead, Witcher 3… they’re all the same. They look pretty at first, but once you get to know them, you fall into the same old routine of fetch quests and tedium.”

At press time, Fleming announced that his wife Marrissa Fleming was leaving him due to his “creepy” obsession with video games.

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Crowdfunded Bottle Opener ‘Indestructible’ for Some Reason

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Designers of the hyper-masculine bottle opener, BottleBRUTALIZER, announced on Kickstarter earlier this week that the product would be “virtually indestructible,” citing photos of the bottle opener being hit with an oversized sledgehammer. 

“This isn’t some namby-pamby beachside bottle opener, m’kay?” said BottleBRUTALIZER’s lead engineer, Chet Chesterson. “This bitch is made out of submarine-grade titanium. That means it can survive a torpedo attack. It can open literally any bottle. C’mon. Name a bottle. Beer? Yeah, it can open that. Power of titanium, baby. It can also be used as a blunt weapon.”

Having raised over 28 dollars in just under a month, BottleBRUTALIZER seems to have struck a chord with its target audience.

“Finally, a bottle opener for me,” said Patrick Morgan, a supporter of BottleBRUTALIZER’s $25 ‘True Bottle Bro’ tier. “My bottle openers are always being destroyed. I literally can’t go a month without one of my bottle openers melting or being spontaneously engulfed in flames. I guess I shouldn’t be drinking so much at my iron refinery job, but y’know, nobody’s perfect.”

Identifying the untapped potential of BottleBRUTALIZER’s underlying technology, the US Department of Defense has announced intentions to buy Chesterson out.

“We simply can’t let this sort of technology fall into the wrong hands,” said Ellen M. Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. “The Department of Defense has every confidence that well-intentioned American civilians could open some truly spectacular bottles with this product, but we need to be clear about the risks. Imagine if ISIS came into possession of a titanium bottle opener, or if Antifa could open any bottle that they came into contact with? It would spell the end of democracy as we know it.”

At press time, Chesterson added a reward which lets fans have lunch with him if they contribute $25,000 to the project.

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“With Great Power, Comes No Responsibility,” Cop Tells Spider-Man

NEW YORK — New York police officer David Whitehead pulled Spider-Man aside today after teaming up to beat up a group of low-level drug dealers to espouse a lengthy diatribe that “with great power, comes no responsibility.”

“Look Spider-Man, I don’t know what you’ve heard but you actually don’t have to feel responsible for your actions at all,” explained Whitehead. “In most cases, you’re basically rewarded for whatever it is you end up doing. It’s pretty great. Do you have a body cam or anything like that? Because you can just throw that thing away, really, nobody’s gonna care.”

“The thing about guys like us is that we’re heroes no matter what,” Whitehead explained. “So maybe you blow up a building stopping the Vulture, or I murder a civilian in cold blood because I  accidentally showed up at the wrong house, but at the end of the day, we’re the good guys and everybody knows it! So they tell ya to take a few months off on vacation and you come back with a tan. Do you get PTO for being Spider-Man? You gotta unionize with the other one or something, try to fight the city to be able to use guns or some shit.”

“That’s my favorite thing about great power,” Whitehead added. “That it comes with absolutely no responsibility.”

After his confrontation with Spider-Man in Harlem, Whitehead arrested a nearby teenager named Miles Morales for a minor traffic violation.

Like this article? Check out our podcast! The Hard Drive Podcast is available on all podcast apps.

The Top 5 Comments on Hard Drive Articles This Week

We can all agree that video games have a lot of potential for good; they improve your reflexes, hone your block-based puzzle skills, and are a good way to scientifically settle if Rambo could beat a Xenomorph’s ass. But as you’ll see from this week’s comments, the influence of video games can be less wholesome:

5. Teen Inspired to Reenact Video Game Violence in Real Life Can’t Get Seed Funding to Build Roller Coaster

It’s hard enough to convince the homeowner’s association that your neighbor David should be imprisoned in a concrete cage (especially after stealing his pool ladder), but it’s another issue altogether to find a discrete contractor willing to do wet work. You’re better off just waiting for them to die of natural causes, like by a wishing well, or maybe a mummy’s curse.

4. Amidst DMCA Controversy, Professional Mime Becomes Top Twitch Streamer

For those who are unaware, John Cage’s “4’33” is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of nothing but silence. It is also notable for being the boss theme for a long, unfair human life. You don’t need to check out the extended edition on YouTube — you’re living it, baby!

3. 2. 1. Man Who Did Dishes Rewards Self With 8-Hour Gaming Binge

Wanna clean your home? Here’s our guide: Move out of your house and live underneath the air hockey table of your local barcade. You can live off of popcorn and hot dogs (nice), play video games all day and employees will have to clean up after you seeing as you’re the most loyal customer they have.

The power to pee anywhere is wasted on and abused by cis men. This guy recreated the water cycle using the worst soda and his own body. If this is what he does with a 2-liter, I’d hate to see what he does with a Pringles can.

It’s heartwarming to see comments like this, and know that developers from CDProjekt Red follow Hard Drive. I hope that one day you accomplish your bohemian dreams — just please, stay away from Scott’s Mountain Dew bottles.

Thank you so much to everyone who commented this week! If you were featured, reward yourself with a gaming binge — you’ve earned it. If you want a chance to be featured in next week’s column, be sure to leave a comment on any of our posts across social media. Have a great week everyone!

MCU Stars Unite to Defend That Song Jeremy Renner Put Out Last Year

LOS ANGELES — A few weeks after uniting to defend costar Chris Pratt’s controversial religious and political affiliations, the stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films today banded together to defend that song Jeremy Renner put out last year. 

“Look, it’s not that we necessarily love the song, or even that whole style of music, whatever that style of music would be called,” said Don Cheadle, talking about Renner’s single ‘Heaven Ain’t Got A Name,’ released last year. “It’s more about us supporting our friend and saying, ‘Yes, look, this is a truly inexplicable decision, but surely no single completely disappointing, confounding thing should make a person entirely redeemable, right?”

The song was released last year, amidst a bizarre year for Renner that also saw the release of an app focused mostly on providing Jeremy Renner related updates.

“I never thought I would write and record a song in my life,” said Renner. “But then I had that unforgettable night. When I met the woman whose lips tasted like lipstick and Tanqueray, standing there dancing to the jukebox, I knew no one would believe me if I told this story in any other way. I would like to thank my brothers and sisters in the MCU for having my back while the world comes to terms with the fact that I put this song out there last year. Like you can straight up go find it and listen to it right now.”

Despite being a clear departure from the musical tastes of most of his Marvel costars, many took to their social media accounts to defend the soulless attempt at an Imagine Dragons style crossover hit.

“It’s ok if your song sucks shit,” said Mark Ruffalo on Twitter earlier today. “What matters is that we are all voting in the midterm elections.” 

As of press time, Ruffalo, Cheadle, and many others had released a black and white viral internet video featuring them singing ‘Heaven Ain’t Got A Name.’

Like this article? Check out our podcast! The Hard Drive Podcast is available on all podcast apps.

Oprah Announces Newest Book Club Entry, ‘101 Fortnite Tips & Tricks’

CHICAGO — Oprah Winfrey shocked the gaming and literary worlds today by announcing that the newest entry in her long running tastemaking book club would be its first ever strategy guide, titled 101 Fortnite Tips & Tricks.

“I am so ecstatic to bring these tips and tricks to the world,” said Winfrey, at the beginning of her Oprah Book Club program, which recently premiered on AppleTV+. “We’ve long aspired to showcase voices and stories that resonate with us, and is there a more powerful symbol of the 21st century than an individual alone in the world, doing what they can to scrape by and survive? These may be tips for a battle royale video game, but I think we can all take these lessons with us in our everyday lives.”

The episode began with Winfrey introducing the clearly surprised and nervous author, a 22 year old college student named Henry Berger.

“I, uh, I thought I might make a couple bucks by writing this and self publishing it,” Burger sai  to the studio audience. “There’s like tons and tons of these. So while I appreciate the opportunity and the exposure, I have to imagine Epic will be pulling my book from the store any minute now now that this much attention is being paid to my unauthorized strategy guide.”

“Also, make sure you’re good at building, and use headphones if you can,” he added, before asking if anyone in the audience was familiar with Fortnite

Though many in the audience were puzzled by the selection, most professed their confidence in Winfrey’s cultivation of titles. 

“I’ve read everything Oprah has recommended since she started the book club,” said Caitlyn Richards, who was in the studio audience. “And she’s never steered me wrong. So yeah, this all seems a little fishy to me, but I am going to read the book and try some of the things it talks about, like gathering wood and uh, maintaining the high ground when there’s a storm close? I’m still not sure I understand.” 

As of press time, Winfrey has confirmed that her next Book Club selection will be 1990’s novelization of Mega Man 2.

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Anime Hero Assures Dentist He’ll Stop Carrying Sword in Mouth

THE GRAND LINE — Legendary swordsman and anime hero Roronoa Zoro is on the search for a new fighting style after being forced to promise his dentist he would stop carrying his sword in his mouth.

“I had been experiencing odd symptoms, like bleeding gums and intense pain in my jaw so I decided to visit the dentist,” Zoro said, while holding a massive ice pack to his face. “Only for him to tell me that I had to re-evaluate the fighting style I have been honing my entire life because all of these problems were due to clutching my mighty blade in my teeth. This is why I normally only go to pirate dentists.”

“Honestly, I am unsure I should take the advice of someone who has never held a blade, let alone built his own fighting style,” he continued. “I tend to just tell my dentist I’m gonna do something and then I don’t.”

Dracule Mihawk, one of Zoro’s multitudinous foes and fellow student of the blade, shared his own view of the swordsman’s style and its impact on dental health.

“I mean obviously gripping the hilt of a sword in your teeth is going to be absolutely awful for you, that’s a ton of weight for your jaw to support, plus it really is not practical beyond maybe psyching out your opponent,” Mihawk explained. “One time I fought Zoro and he spent the whole fight drooling horribly and making this slurping noise when trying to hide it. Worst of all, we couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm in our battle because he kept having to call a timeout anytime something jostled the sword even a little so he could reset it. We called it a draw.”

Bill Henderson, a dentist specializing in anime characters, explained the negative impact of a fighting style such as Zoro’s.

“Carrying your sword in your mouth when you fight is just about the worst thing you can possibly do for your teeth, considering the massive amount of force the blade would be transferring to your teeth and the jaw strain of having to keep a 1 kilogram sword steady,” Henderson said. “It’s honestly impressive that it manages to be even more damaging than all the blows anime characters take to their mouth, the biting of random objects, and their general lack of hygiene.”

At press time, Zoro was discussing with his dentist the possibility of removing his natural teeth and replacing them with dentures that have a sword pre-attached.

Like this article? Check out our podcast! The Hard Drive Podcast is available on all podcast apps.

Resume Updated Two Minutes Into ‘Photoshop Basics’ Tutorial

OMAHA, Neb. — Local job seeker Brenna Reed updated her resume to include “proficient at Photoshop” roughly two minutes into a 5-hour tutorial on the basics of the software.

“I think I pretty much get the gist. You have the sidebar with the different things you can do, and then along the top, there’s buttons where you can do other stuff,” said Reed, after closing Lesson One: Creating a New File and opening ZipRecruiter to look for graphic design jobs. “I’ll finish the rest later.”

Reed reportedly had to reduce the font size on her resume to fit the new addition under her other skills, including “expert at Microsoft Word” and “business fluent in Spanish and German.”

“Yeah, I took Spanish in high school, and I got started learning German because I always thought it would be cool to speak German,” said Reed, pointing at an unopened Rosetta Stone box. “If I get one of those translator jobs I applied for last week, I’ll brush up on the finer points.”

When reached for comment, professional graphic designers claimed Reed would need years of experience before doing their jobs.

“It’s an extremely complex program, and it’s always evolving, so you need to learn new skills all the time. She has a long way to go,” said full-time web ad designer Billy Russel, dragging a line of text onto a stock photo for the 20th time that day. “People have no respect for this profession.”

Shortly following the resume update, Reed noticed her Photoshop free trial was expiring tomorrow, and decided maybe she’d be a screenwriter instead.

Like this article? Check out our podcast! The Hard Drive Podcast is available on all podcast apps.

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