If you've played Half-Life 2 or the first HL game and want to bust a gut laughing, check out Concerned: The Half-Life & Death of Gordon Frohman.
Read the notes accompanying the comics too. It's hilarious so far.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
A Nice Firm Rebuttal
I have wanted to read the book, "Everything Bad Is Good For You", ever since I saw an interview with the author on The Daily Show a few months back.
Now Steven Johnson has responded to all of the caterwauling by politicians and pundits in the states with an awesome letter in the LA Times.
"I'm writing to commend you for calling for a $90-million study on the effects of video games on children, and in particular the courageous stand you have taken in recent weeks against the notorious "Grand Theft Auto" series.
I'd like to draw your attention to another game whose nonstop violence and hostility has captured the attention of millions of kids — a game that instills aggressive thoughts in the minds of its players, some of whom have gone on to commit real-world acts of violence and sexual assault after playing.
I'm talking, of course, about high school football.
I know a congressional investigation into football won't play so well with those crucial swing voters, but it makes about as much sense as an investigation into the pressing issue that is Xbox and PlayStation 2.
Your current concern is over explicit sex in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Yet there's not much to investigate, is there? It should get rated appropriately, and that's that. But there's more to your proposed study: You want to examine how video games shape children's values and cognitive development.
Kids have always played games. A hundred years ago they were playing stickball and kick the can; now they're playing "World of Warcraft," "Halo 2" and "Madden 2005." And parents have to drag their kids away from the games to get them to do their algebra homework, but parents have been dragging kids away from whatever the kids were into since the dawn of civilization.
So any sensible investigation into video games must ask the "compared to what" question. If the alternative to playing "Halo 2" is reading "The Portrait of a Lady," then of course "The Portrait of a Lady" is better for you. But it's not as though kids have been reading Henry James for 100 years and then suddenly dropped him for Pokemon."
There's more, but that's a taste.
Now Steven Johnson has responded to all of the caterwauling by politicians and pundits in the states with an awesome letter in the LA Times.
"I'm writing to commend you for calling for a $90-million study on the effects of video games on children, and in particular the courageous stand you have taken in recent weeks against the notorious "Grand Theft Auto" series.
I'd like to draw your attention to another game whose nonstop violence and hostility has captured the attention of millions of kids — a game that instills aggressive thoughts in the minds of its players, some of whom have gone on to commit real-world acts of violence and sexual assault after playing.
I'm talking, of course, about high school football.
I know a congressional investigation into football won't play so well with those crucial swing voters, but it makes about as much sense as an investigation into the pressing issue that is Xbox and PlayStation 2.
Your current concern is over explicit sex in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Yet there's not much to investigate, is there? It should get rated appropriately, and that's that. But there's more to your proposed study: You want to examine how video games shape children's values and cognitive development.
Kids have always played games. A hundred years ago they were playing stickball and kick the can; now they're playing "World of Warcraft," "Halo 2" and "Madden 2005." And parents have to drag their kids away from the games to get them to do their algebra homework, but parents have been dragging kids away from whatever the kids were into since the dawn of civilization.
So any sensible investigation into video games must ask the "compared to what" question. If the alternative to playing "Halo 2" is reading "The Portrait of a Lady," then of course "The Portrait of a Lady" is better for you. But it's not as though kids have been reading Henry James for 100 years and then suddenly dropped him for Pokemon."
There's more, but that's a taste.
It was a dark and stormy night...
...when the intrepid blogger noticed the e-mail from his friend containing a link to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest which tries to find the worst possible opening sentence for a fictional novel, a link which he had meant to put up on his blog but didn't get around to, much like the half-baked soufflé currently deflating on the counter like so many wilted dreams.
And if you thought that was bad, check out the winner of the contest!
"As he stared at her ample bosom, he daydreamed of the dual Stromberg carburetors in his vintage Triumph Spitfire, highly functional yet pleasingly formed, perched prominently on top of the intake manifold, aching for experienced hands, the small knurled caps of the oil dampeners begging to be inspected and adjusted as described in chapter seven of the shop manual."
The others aren't much better.
"India, which hangs like a wet washcloth from the towel rack of Asia, presented itself to Tex as he landed in Delhi (or was it Bombay?), as if it mattered because Tex finally had an idea to make his mark and fortune and that idea was a chain of steak houses to serve the millions and he wondered, as he deplaned down the steep, shiny, steel steps, why no one had thought of it before." My personal favourite :)
Or...
"Sphincter, the gladiator, girded his loins in preparation for today's games, glad to be part of the season opener since he hadn't been sure until yesterday that his contract would be renewed, given his slump during the Germans-versus-lions series but he knew that swatting Germans into the lion's pit was trickier than it looked and he told the officials that they should look at his other stats, not just Huns batted in."
And...
"Patricia wrote out the phrase 'It was a dark and stormy night' exactly seventy-two times, which was the same number of times she stabbed her now quickly-rotting husband, and the same number of pages she ripped out of 'He's Just Not That Into You' by Greg Behrendt to scatter around the room -- not because she was obsessive compulsive, or had any sentimental attachment to the number seventy-two, but because she'd always wanted to give those quacks at CSI a hard time."
Make sure you check out the Purple Prose section :)
And if you thought that was bad, check out the winner of the contest!
"As he stared at her ample bosom, he daydreamed of the dual Stromberg carburetors in his vintage Triumph Spitfire, highly functional yet pleasingly formed, perched prominently on top of the intake manifold, aching for experienced hands, the small knurled caps of the oil dampeners begging to be inspected and adjusted as described in chapter seven of the shop manual."
The others aren't much better.
"India, which hangs like a wet washcloth from the towel rack of Asia, presented itself to Tex as he landed in Delhi (or was it Bombay?), as if it mattered because Tex finally had an idea to make his mark and fortune and that idea was a chain of steak houses to serve the millions and he wondered, as he deplaned down the steep, shiny, steel steps, why no one had thought of it before." My personal favourite :)
Or...
"Sphincter, the gladiator, girded his loins in preparation for today's games, glad to be part of the season opener since he hadn't been sure until yesterday that his contract would be renewed, given his slump during the Germans-versus-lions series but he knew that swatting Germans into the lion's pit was trickier than it looked and he told the officials that they should look at his other stats, not just Huns batted in."
And...
"Patricia wrote out the phrase 'It was a dark and stormy night' exactly seventy-two times, which was the same number of times she stabbed her now quickly-rotting husband, and the same number of pages she ripped out of 'He's Just Not That Into You' by Greg Behrendt to scatter around the room -- not because she was obsessive compulsive, or had any sentimental attachment to the number seventy-two, but because she'd always wanted to give those quacks at CSI a hard time."
Make sure you check out the Purple Prose section :)
Most annoying Web trends
Here's a neat little survey of the most annoying web trends.
I really can't disagree with any of the selections.
---
What I'm Reading: Beyond The Deepwoods
What I'm Playing: Fire Emblem 2
What I'm Watching: Nothing much
I really can't disagree with any of the selections.
---
What I'm Reading: Beyond The Deepwoods
What I'm Playing: Fire Emblem 2
What I'm Watching: Nothing much
Thursday, July 28, 2005
The West Wing: Season 2
I finished watching the second season of The West Wing last night and man, is that show ever amazing. I almost wish I'd watched it since the start, but I do enjoy having it on DVD, even if it's the library's.
It's up there with Buffy, Angel and Firefly with regards to the quality of the storylines, writing and characters. Don't laugh. I dare you to find shows that are better written than those by Joss Whedon of Buffy fame and Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing. Both are able to create very real characters in very extraordinary circumstances and walk the line between comedy and drama like a funambulist.
The final episode of Season 2 ended perfectly. Why? They played the entire song (with one minor edit) of Dire Strait's "Brothers In Arms" over a very dramatic scene. Anything with "Brothers In Arms" playing overtop of it automatically gets better, in my humble opinion.
It's up there with Buffy, Angel and Firefly with regards to the quality of the storylines, writing and characters. Don't laugh. I dare you to find shows that are better written than those by Joss Whedon of Buffy fame and Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing. Both are able to create very real characters in very extraordinary circumstances and walk the line between comedy and drama like a funambulist.
The final episode of Season 2 ended perfectly. Why? They played the entire song (with one minor edit) of Dire Strait's "Brothers In Arms" over a very dramatic scene. Anything with "Brothers In Arms" playing overtop of it automatically gets better, in my humble opinion.
The tragic death of Neville Longbottom
I just finished reading Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. I promise I won't give away any spoilers.
I will say that it was easily my favourite of the series. The plot was much tighter than Goblet of Fire and The Order Of The Phoenix. It also set up the final book magnificently. We, the reader, actually have a pretty good idea as to what the basic plot of the next book will be this time instead of coming in and having to wonder what wackiness will ensue. This is a good thing as we can speculate more on exactly what the characters will have to do and how they'll have to do it.
I'll say that in retrospect I should have been able to figure out who the Half-Blood Prince was much earlier than I did. It wasn't for lack of clues. And even though the little girl next door did ruin the surprise of exactly who died in the book, the manner of the death and the reasons behind it were still a surprise when I got to that part.
My only complaint: Not enough Hedwig The Owl. And where were the killer squids? Ah well.
I just hope that J.K. Rowling doesn't get hit by a train or a boulder until she's finished the final book.
I will say that it was easily my favourite of the series. The plot was much tighter than Goblet of Fire and The Order Of The Phoenix. It also set up the final book magnificently. We, the reader, actually have a pretty good idea as to what the basic plot of the next book will be this time instead of coming in and having to wonder what wackiness will ensue. This is a good thing as we can speculate more on exactly what the characters will have to do and how they'll have to do it.
I'll say that in retrospect I should have been able to figure out who the Half-Blood Prince was much earlier than I did. It wasn't for lack of clues. And even though the little girl next door did ruin the surprise of exactly who died in the book, the manner of the death and the reasons behind it were still a surprise when I got to that part.
My only complaint: Not enough Hedwig The Owl. And where were the killer squids? Ah well.
I just hope that J.K. Rowling doesn't get hit by a train or a boulder until she's finished the final book.
I want my Gameboy Games (as sung by Sting)
I recently unearthed the bag that I keep my GBA games in so I could try out some of the older ones in my new GBA SP. As I was sorting through them I came to the realization that a few of them have wandered off somewhere.
So I'm putting out the call to help me retrieve my missing GBA games.
They are:
Advance Wars
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
Metroid: Zero Mission
WarioWare
If you happen to have one of these, let me know so I can stop trying to figure out where they got off to.
So I'm putting out the call to help me retrieve my missing GBA games.
They are:
Advance Wars
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
Metroid: Zero Mission
WarioWare
If you happen to have one of these, let me know so I can stop trying to figure out where they got off to.
Busting out of my cel
Disney is closing their last hand-drawn animation studio next year.
Granted, the last batch of traditional animated films from Disney have been mediocre at best but I still think it's a shame that the company that more or less paved the way for North American animation is going to be focusing on 3D films instead. Now, I'm sure they're still doing 2D-hand-drawn TV series and such, but it looks like the next batch of Disney 'cartoons' will be done on computer instead.
I miss having a big Disney cartoon movie come out once a year or so. The last big 2D film was Lilo & Stitch... at least, the last one that was worth watching. Now Disney's falling into the same rut as the rest of Hollywood; look through your library, find a popular movie and crank out the sequels, only NOW IN 3D!
I guess that since Disney bought the rights to Miyazaki's films and has shown North American audiences what a real master can do with 2D, they don't need to bother doing anything on their own. Ah well.
---
What I'm Reading: Beyond The Deepwoods
What I'm Playing: The Try To Stay Awake game.
What I'm Watching: Survivorman Behind The Scenes special
Granted, the last batch of traditional animated films from Disney have been mediocre at best but I still think it's a shame that the company that more or less paved the way for North American animation is going to be focusing on 3D films instead. Now, I'm sure they're still doing 2D-hand-drawn TV series and such, but it looks like the next batch of Disney 'cartoons' will be done on computer instead.
I miss having a big Disney cartoon movie come out once a year or so. The last big 2D film was Lilo & Stitch... at least, the last one that was worth watching. Now Disney's falling into the same rut as the rest of Hollywood; look through your library, find a popular movie and crank out the sequels, only NOW IN 3D!
I guess that since Disney bought the rights to Miyazaki's films and has shown North American audiences what a real master can do with 2D, they don't need to bother doing anything on their own. Ah well.
---
What I'm Reading: Beyond The Deepwoods
What I'm Playing: The Try To Stay Awake game.
What I'm Watching: Survivorman Behind The Scenes special
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Walka walka walka!
In the last 2-3 days, Garrett has become VERY steady on his feet. He spent most of today walking around the house. I'm scared... very scared!!!
While I'm happy that he's able to walk now, I wish he'd stop thinking he can actually go down stairs facing forwards. He's giving us heart attacks everytime he gets to the top of the stairs. Thankfully he will sit down after a few tentative tries to put his foot down on the stair and will slide down on his tummy instead, giggling all the way.
While I'm happy that he's able to walk now, I wish he'd stop thinking he can actually go down stairs facing forwards. He's giving us heart attacks everytime he gets to the top of the stairs. Thankfully he will sit down after a few tentative tries to put his foot down on the stair and will slide down on his tummy instead, giggling all the way.
Hooray! OUch...
Hooray! The shuttle launched. I'm kind of ticked though. I'd planned to watch it live today and then totally forgot until about 5 minutes after the fact. It was still nice to see but I wish I could have seen it live.
If I ever get the chance, I'd love to go down to see a shuttle launch in person. Read the latest Callahan book by Spider Robinson for what amounts to a love letter to NASA and the most romantic view of a shuttle launch ever put on paper.
As for the ouch, I was at work today and there was what looked to me to be a crane fly sitting on the ceiling. Crane flies, also known as mosquito hawks, are really neat insects that I try to shepherd outside whenever possible so they can continue eating mosquitos.
Anyway, I was at work and was going about my normal routine of gently getting the crane fly into my hand so I could put it outside. The second I got it in my hand I felt a sharp burning sensation on my little finger. I was either stung or bitten by the bloody thing.
Thankfully the guys ended up destroying the bugger (after they finished laughing at me) but now I can't figure out what it was. It was actually a little different than a crane fly and was a kind of bright red colour, but I just thought it was a different species. So far I haven't turned up anything but I'll bust out my field guide tomorrow and see what I can find.
Last time I try to save a mutant bloodsucking wasp-fly!
---
What I'm Reading: Harry Potter (~500 pages in now)
What I'm Playing: WoW, Atelier Iris
What I'm Watching: The West Wing: Season 2
If I ever get the chance, I'd love to go down to see a shuttle launch in person. Read the latest Callahan book by Spider Robinson for what amounts to a love letter to NASA and the most romantic view of a shuttle launch ever put on paper.
As for the ouch, I was at work today and there was what looked to me to be a crane fly sitting on the ceiling. Crane flies, also known as mosquito hawks, are really neat insects that I try to shepherd outside whenever possible so they can continue eating mosquitos.
Anyway, I was at work and was going about my normal routine of gently getting the crane fly into my hand so I could put it outside. The second I got it in my hand I felt a sharp burning sensation on my little finger. I was either stung or bitten by the bloody thing.
Thankfully the guys ended up destroying the bugger (after they finished laughing at me) but now I can't figure out what it was. It was actually a little different than a crane fly and was a kind of bright red colour, but I just thought it was a different species. So far I haven't turned up anything but I'll bust out my field guide tomorrow and see what I can find.
Last time I try to save a mutant bloodsucking wasp-fly!
---
What I'm Reading: Harry Potter (~500 pages in now)
What I'm Playing: WoW, Atelier Iris
What I'm Watching: The West Wing: Season 2
Friday, July 22, 2005
Stupid Fox
Well, it looks as though The Inside has fallen victim to standard Fox stupidity. It was a dark, complex thriller that was just starting to establish its main characters as real human beings. It hasn't officially been cancelled but the actors haven't had their contracts renewed so it looks like that's that.
Good thing they have top quality shows like "So You Think You Can Dance." to fill the void.
Stupid Fox.
It's one thing if they're going to go and make these boundary pushing shows. At least give them some time to grow a la X-Files. They just don't seem to get it. If it were to be left on for another season it could have built enough of a following to make it the next X-files as it was a lot more believable than The X-Files but still out there. Sigh.
It's so wierd that Fox the TV station puts out shows like The X-Files, The Inside and so forth that really push the envelope. Then you have Fox News which is where the people who hate the boundary pushing shows go to complain about them.
Actually, that sounds like a recipe for money...
Oh, and speaking of people complaining about stupid things, I was in EB today and they have actually sent back all of their copies of San Andreas (aside from used ones) due to the whole AO rating. Sigh.
Good thing they have top quality shows like "So You Think You Can Dance." to fill the void.
Stupid Fox.
It's one thing if they're going to go and make these boundary pushing shows. At least give them some time to grow a la X-Files. They just don't seem to get it. If it were to be left on for another season it could have built enough of a following to make it the next X-files as it was a lot more believable than The X-Files but still out there. Sigh.
It's so wierd that Fox the TV station puts out shows like The X-Files, The Inside and so forth that really push the envelope. Then you have Fox News which is where the people who hate the boundary pushing shows go to complain about them.
Actually, that sounds like a recipe for money...
Oh, and speaking of people complaining about stupid things, I was in EB today and they have actually sent back all of their copies of San Andreas (aside from used ones) due to the whole AO rating. Sigh.
Garrett's Adventures with Static Electricity.
We keep telling Garrett not to play with the toaster in the bathtub or his hair will go all VanDegraffy... But does he listen? Noooo... 
Talking To Americans
My friend Deborah in Seattle sent me a link today and confessed that sometimes it's embarassing to be American.
Turns out the link is to a site that has a bunch of Talking To Americans segments on it. Take a look back at how silly and gullible people can be when they have a microphone stuffed in their face by someone who looks like a newscaster :)
---
What I'm Reading: Harry Potter
What I'm Playing: Killer 7, some Atelier Iris
What I'm Watching: The West Wing: Season 2
Turns out the link is to a site that has a bunch of Talking To Americans segments on it. Take a look back at how silly and gullible people can be when they have a microphone stuffed in their face by someone who looks like a newscaster :)
---
What I'm Reading: Harry Potter
What I'm Playing: Killer 7, some Atelier Iris
What I'm Watching: The West Wing: Season 2
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Some WoW pics
Sorry about the huge blather in the post below. Here are some uplifting game screenshots to compensate.
Last week I hit a milestone in World of Warcraft and was finally able to get my mount. It's technically a Mechanostrider, but I call it my Robo-Chicken. My war-cry is "BU-CAW!!" Beware the Robo-Chicken.
Last week I hit a milestone in World of Warcraft and was finally able to get my mount. It's technically a Mechanostrider, but I call it my Robo-Chicken. My war-cry is "BU-CAW!!" Beware the Robo-Chicken.
I spilled my Hot Coffee
Stupid over-reactive idiots.
I swear it's people like this, not the violent videogames that makes me want to snap.
There has been a controversy brewing for the last week or so in some circles. In the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas there is a mod that has been released that unlocks this sex mini-game that has been dubbed "Hot Coffee". Of course, this has caused all sorts of senators and politicians in the US to hold forth on this being the moral decay that shall destroy the teeth of virtue... Hmm... that analogy went horribly awry.
For people who have an image of games being all about Donkey Kong, Mario and Pac-Man, this is shocking. For those of us who actually PLAY the games and are old enough to buy the games, this is actually quite tame stuff. Sure, it's purile and stupid and I don't know why anyone who isn't a 14-year old boy would actually get a kick out of it, but it's nothing worse than what you'd stumble across on Showcase or any R-rated movie. Heck, it's a lot tamer than most of that stuff.
Here's the kicker. The ESRB, the board that rates games (and does a damned good job of it, if I do say so myself) has not only been taken to task for not catching the inaccessible content, but they've also had to change the rating from Mature (17+) to Adults Only (18+).
Granted, the reason most games aren't rated AO (even though they probably should be) is that the large stores like Walmart and K-Mart, etc., won't stock them. This means that most games are rated M. Technically, that means that unless little Johnny's parents buy him the game, he shouldn't be allowed to buy it until he turns 17. Not all stores are strict about enforcing this, but stores aren't always strict about enforcing the sale of R-rated movies to people in their teens either.
I have a problem with people who say that the ESRB ratings are confusing. Sure, it's different than the movie rating system that people are used to dealing with, but it's not THAT different. It has the meanings of the giant letters stamped onto every game package and on the back of every game there is even a breakdown of why the game got that rating. There's even a handy website that breaks it all down for those too dumb to get a handle on what they mean.
Hell, the FCC even said that it was the best and most comprehensive of the three rating systems currently out (TV, Movie & Video Game).
Sigh...
Understand that you have to really work to unlock the 'explicit' content anyway. Rockstar has recalled the game and is going to put out a 'tamer' version. By which it means a version where you don't see the material that you wouldn't see anyway unless you really went out and found the proper instructions and files on the net... and that's for the PC version. The PS2 version is even trickier to mod.
The funniest thing is that if the politicians and family groups hadn't gotten on their high horses about this and made it the topic du jour on every gaming and even non-gaming website, there would be a handful of gamers who would know about the content and would probably just snicker and move on. Now every 12 year old wants to get the mod and see the sex. Of course, Rockstar is laughing all the way to the bank as they've probably sold many more copies since the story broke than before (not that San Andreas was a slouch at retail to begin with).
Of course, the saddest thing is that this is a game where the main activities, should you choose to pursue them, involve gang violence, mass murder, destruction of vehicles and property and many other unsavoury acts. Granted, they're all wrapped up in an awesome story that ultimately tells the tale of one man's struggle to get out of the downward spiral that is his life and get his friends and family out of trouble, but still. The one act of consensual sex is probably the most redeeming feature of the game!
Sigh.
The worst thing is that if this had been done as a movie, it would have been rated properly (like San Andreas was anyway) and enjoyed by those old enough to appreciate a good gangland saga and not watched by those who don't. Heck, they could have even left in the whole sex scene (which is MUCH tamer than anything shown in, heck, Open Water of all movies) and nobody would bat an eye. If need be, they could have put it on the DVD as a deleted, unrated scene and it would be perfectly accessible.
That's what the whole Hot Coffee scenario is. It's a deleted scene that you have to really work at to find and that wasn't intended as part of the original release anyway.
Sorry for the insane verbosity of the above post. This is just something that I've been watching for a week or so and have let perculate in my noggin the whole time. I just don't like seeing censorship. If they are going to crack down on something like this, you should act the same way for movies and books. I don't want them to, but I think it's the fair thing to do. Don't forget, the average age of gamers is 28 and rising. It's as foolish to think that only kids play games as it is to think that only kids go to movies.
And that's all I'm saying. I'm going to go have some supper.
---
What I'm Reading: Harry Pots
What I'm Playing: Killer 7, Word 2000
What I'm Watching: The West Wing: Season 2
I swear it's people like this, not the violent videogames that makes me want to snap.
There has been a controversy brewing for the last week or so in some circles. In the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas there is a mod that has been released that unlocks this sex mini-game that has been dubbed "Hot Coffee". Of course, this has caused all sorts of senators and politicians in the US to hold forth on this being the moral decay that shall destroy the teeth of virtue... Hmm... that analogy went horribly awry.
For people who have an image of games being all about Donkey Kong, Mario and Pac-Man, this is shocking. For those of us who actually PLAY the games and are old enough to buy the games, this is actually quite tame stuff. Sure, it's purile and stupid and I don't know why anyone who isn't a 14-year old boy would actually get a kick out of it, but it's nothing worse than what you'd stumble across on Showcase or any R-rated movie. Heck, it's a lot tamer than most of that stuff.
Here's the kicker. The ESRB, the board that rates games (and does a damned good job of it, if I do say so myself) has not only been taken to task for not catching the inaccessible content, but they've also had to change the rating from Mature (17+) to Adults Only (18+).
Granted, the reason most games aren't rated AO (even though they probably should be) is that the large stores like Walmart and K-Mart, etc., won't stock them. This means that most games are rated M. Technically, that means that unless little Johnny's parents buy him the game, he shouldn't be allowed to buy it until he turns 17. Not all stores are strict about enforcing this, but stores aren't always strict about enforcing the sale of R-rated movies to people in their teens either.
I have a problem with people who say that the ESRB ratings are confusing. Sure, it's different than the movie rating system that people are used to dealing with, but it's not THAT different. It has the meanings of the giant letters stamped onto every game package and on the back of every game there is even a breakdown of why the game got that rating. There's even a handy website that breaks it all down for those too dumb to get a handle on what they mean.
Hell, the FCC even said that it was the best and most comprehensive of the three rating systems currently out (TV, Movie & Video Game).
Sigh...
Understand that you have to really work to unlock the 'explicit' content anyway. Rockstar has recalled the game and is going to put out a 'tamer' version. By which it means a version where you don't see the material that you wouldn't see anyway unless you really went out and found the proper instructions and files on the net... and that's for the PC version. The PS2 version is even trickier to mod.
The funniest thing is that if the politicians and family groups hadn't gotten on their high horses about this and made it the topic du jour on every gaming and even non-gaming website, there would be a handful of gamers who would know about the content and would probably just snicker and move on. Now every 12 year old wants to get the mod and see the sex. Of course, Rockstar is laughing all the way to the bank as they've probably sold many more copies since the story broke than before (not that San Andreas was a slouch at retail to begin with).
Of course, the saddest thing is that this is a game where the main activities, should you choose to pursue them, involve gang violence, mass murder, destruction of vehicles and property and many other unsavoury acts. Granted, they're all wrapped up in an awesome story that ultimately tells the tale of one man's struggle to get out of the downward spiral that is his life and get his friends and family out of trouble, but still. The one act of consensual sex is probably the most redeeming feature of the game!
Sigh.
The worst thing is that if this had been done as a movie, it would have been rated properly (like San Andreas was anyway) and enjoyed by those old enough to appreciate a good gangland saga and not watched by those who don't. Heck, they could have even left in the whole sex scene (which is MUCH tamer than anything shown in, heck, Open Water of all movies) and nobody would bat an eye. If need be, they could have put it on the DVD as a deleted, unrated scene and it would be perfectly accessible.
That's what the whole Hot Coffee scenario is. It's a deleted scene that you have to really work at to find and that wasn't intended as part of the original release anyway.
Sorry for the insane verbosity of the above post. This is just something that I've been watching for a week or so and have let perculate in my noggin the whole time. I just don't like seeing censorship. If they are going to crack down on something like this, you should act the same way for movies and books. I don't want them to, but I think it's the fair thing to do. Don't forget, the average age of gamers is 28 and rising. It's as foolish to think that only kids play games as it is to think that only kids go to movies.
And that's all I'm saying. I'm going to go have some supper.
---
What I'm Reading: Harry Pots
What I'm Playing: Killer 7, Word 2000
What I'm Watching: The West Wing: Season 2
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Stop bugging me!
I'd received some nasty correspondance from unknown sources stating that there was a dearth, A DEARTH! of baby pictures on the site. Sigh.
So here ya go. Enjoy the plethora of photos! I'm off to the hospital to make sure Garrett isn't undergoing some kind of fusion reaction or suffering from Ebola.
Enjoy!
Update @ 9pm: We called Telehealth and explained his symptoms, etc. and they told us that for now he's fine. He just needs to let the Tylenol and the fever fight off whatever's bugging him. So no hospital visit for us. He's finally fallen asleep which means we can finally get some shut-eye as he kept us up all night last night! Hopefully the fever will be broken by tomorrow morning and we can all be happy and rested again!
So here ya go. Enjoy the plethora of photos! I'm off to the hospital to make sure Garrett isn't undergoing some kind of fusion reaction or suffering from Ebola.
Enjoy!
Update @ 9pm: We called Telehealth and explained his symptoms, etc. and they told us that for now he's fine. He just needs to let the Tylenol and the fever fight off whatever's bugging him. So no hospital visit for us. He's finally fallen asleep which means we can finally get some shut-eye as he kept us up all night last night! Hopefully the fever will be broken by tomorrow morning and we can all be happy and rested again!
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