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This was an interesting post that has nothing to do with the news, and yet all to do with it.
I am a firm supporter of AO and M-rated games. And I am also a supporter of protecting children from the harm these games could cause them.
But here’s a clue: it’s not the game’s fault.
My siblings don’t watch The OC and Nip and Tuck. My little brother did not watch 300. Just saying.
I’ve been taking a break from writing and playing games–hence my lack of review this week–in order to try to finish my private art commissions and sort out college scheduling issues.
We will be back shortly with scheduled programming.
A parody video of the report on Mass Effect was released by Leading Ready Run, and I thought it would be nice of me to post it for you all.
Luckily, the scandal is over, FOX News have been called bigots and Cooper Lawrence has personally admitted she had had no prior research or knowledge of the game, and was very sorry for having agreed to go on air and crack at it. She had no idea what the sex scenes in the game were actually like when she was on the show, and for that I give a Tip of the Hat to her and a Wag of the finger to FOX News. I suddenly respect Cooper Lawrence infinitely more. It takes guts to admit your mistakes.
Note: Jack Thompson never admits his mistakes.
But he did defend Mass Effect, which was utterly mindblowing. He may simply be jealous because the spotlight’s not on him anymore. Just go to jail, Jack.
Source: http://loadingreadyrun.com/videos/view/302/max_effect
[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.473881&w=425&h=350&fv=mediaId%3D641843%26affiliateId%3D24664%26allowFullScreen%3Dtrue%26pngLogo%3Dhttp%253A%2F%2Fwww.loadingreadyrun.com%2Fimg%2Frevdots_grey.png] from loadingreadyrun.com posted with vodpod
So, remember Cooper Lawrence on the Fox Newscast? EA sent a letter to Fox News noting the various inaccuracies of the report and suggesting the unfairness and bias behind it, and basically asking for, if not a recant, acknowledgment of the mistake.
Well, Fox News technically replied to that email–in form of a Blackberry text message that read one line something along the lines of “Please contact the Fox public relations department.”
EA Vice President John Brown is not about to let the matter slide, for which I’m thankful, but I think in this situation we may have to concede the fact that Fox News is really not important anyway, and probably we should all just stop watching it instead of expect it to give us proper news. We’ll turn to the BBC or something.
Still, let’s hope that EA really starts to crack down on the absurd and outlandish statements made about video games nowadays. From journalists looking to aggrandize themselves and political candidates spewing nonsense about video games in order to promote their campaign, video games are entering the spotlight stage–much like books and movies before them. Let’s put on our best defensive faces and fight back with all we’ve got. Eventually the media’s glaring look will turn back to petty scandals and gaudy celebrities, and we can have our video games in peace.
This is a diplomatic war, gentlemen and ladies. Here’s to the future victory.
Quantic Dream released video to go with those screenshots it released of its new and improved, dermatologist-approved, motion capturing, Uncanny-Valley-bridging graphical engine for Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer, its upcoming [PS3 Exclusive?] next-gen title.
My eyes almost popped out of my head as I watched hers dart around the room.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oK8ZSfHW-E]
I’m really excited about what Quantic’s going to do with this game. I’ve had people talk to me irritably about the PS3′s expense versus the quality of games that were coming out for it. Well, the wait is almost over, my skeptical friends. You know how Dark Cloud is such lousy graphical quality compared to Final Fantasy XII? Yeah. That’s kind of what like Heavy Rain will be in comparison to Resistance: Fall of Man.
This is on a whole other scope of visuals. This is universes away from what we’re used to. Resistance 2 may not even achieve this level of sheer visual near-photorealism.
In other news, new Ico 3 artwork has been released. There’s only one image, but that one image indicates that “Codename Ico 3″ is actually going to happen, which is exciting–especially after Shadow of the Colossus. There’s a lot of people who have mixed feelings about that game, so I’m glad Team ICO gets another chance to prove their worth.
Source: Thank you, PS3 Fanboy 
The full quality scans of the FFXIII screens have been released, and can be found here. Every time that game is mentioned, I feel myself squirm in desperation. I’m so excited about it–my hopes have risen to climactic peaks for it, and I’m so anxious to see the demo I could pop.
No news on when the battlesystem demo might be headed our way, but FFXII’s demo was a very good indicator to me of what I was to expect from the game–if FFXIII’s is miraculous, I can rest assured the game will be just as phenomenal.
While I discourage any desires to give attention to stupid people who don’t deserve a second glance, I always appreciate the chance to laugh at ignorance when I have the chance. Hence, I present to you this video from Fox News on Mass Effect, which I have to say I enjoyed deliciously. Not only is it wrong, but it’s so self-absorbed and misinformed that I can’t help but feel some kind of malicious pleasure. I’m starting to feel bad about myself. I think I might be kind of cruel.
My favorite parts of the video:
“The player can decide exactly what’s going to happen between these two people–you know what I mean?”
No, I don’t know what you mean. Do you mean I can decide whether they can have sex or not? Yeah, I can decide that. I can’t really do anything else other than watch that, though.
Cooper Lawrence: “If you look at the s-statistics, who’s playing video games?”
Adult males between the ages of 18-35, last time I checked. Are you sure you studied enough to go on air, Cooper? What? Adults don’t play many games? I’m in college right now with 6,000 students, all of which play some form of video game, whether on Facebook, a console, their computer, an iPod or a Nintendo DS. I have not met a single student so far who has told me “Oh, I really don’t play video games.” And I’ve met a lot of students.
Cooper Lawrence, take your college degree and master’s degree. Hold them in both your hands. Now rip them apart. That’s how much you’re worth in the realm of video games. You know nothing. So don’t say anything.
Shut up and you might learn something.
Prediction Number Two has been fulfilled.
PS3 Fanboy has shown some amazing accuracy in predicting the movements of the market so far. I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for Predictions Three and Four (which we’re getting hints of already), and once the end of 2008 comes around, we’ll know the full extend of their clairvoyant powers.
Since I’ve been playing Bully for the past month in order to review it, I have to say I disagree with this article.
I’m going to keep this short and sweet, since I have other things to do. I’ll go more into depth next week, when I review Bully in my Game of the Week section.
Bully was a game made as clever satire to illustrate a world gone mad from the eyes of an abused and unwanted child. In the game, you play the role of a Jimmy Hopkins, a frustrated teen thrown into a boarding school while his mother marries an old hateful jerk. He finds himself surrounded by loathsome bullies and sociopaths, lousy, irresponsible teachers and a headmaster that behaves so egocentrically he’s disgusting and suffers from severe fundamental attribution error.
In this chaotic world, Bully allows you to make order. You must make the choices and help out those in need–gain respect from all the social cliques and keep your nose out of trouble while trying to pass all your classes and accomplish many assorted tasks. While it’s true you can beat up, humiliate and harrass kids, there is no “reward” to doing so. You are not given “points.” In fact, after a while of playing I realized it was honestly a joyless endeavor to try to beat everyone up–I would much rather go about defending kids that needed it, because that would earn me respect. That would move the story forward and open up more for me, which is a reward.
Bully isn’t a game designed for children. It’s a game designed for adults. It’s an exposure to high school again, so that we may remember what it was like to struggle through the darker side of education, dealing with stress from all sides and trying to find our own place in our mixed up world–even if we have to fight our way there. And the truth is, in all circumstances, nobody fights for absolutely no reason.
I might as well not review it, now that I’ve gone ahead and written all that! But in all probability, Bully will appear in the GOTW section next week, as promised. I just have to finish it.
I can respect the article in question because of the mention (at the very end, in a few short sentences) of differing views on the game’s premise. Were it not so heavily biased, I would actually think it’s a good piece of journalism.
My EVE Online: Trinity Game of the Week review is up. I took a while in getting to it this week, but I finished it eventually.
I probably should start writing the review a week in advance, but we all know that doesn’t work.
 | andres on On Torchlight and Clones |
 | Axel on On Torchlight and Clones |
| andres on I’ve Moved! |
 | Kiri on I’ve Moved! |
 | Jonathon Polk on EVE Online Review |
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