Malik
(7/11/05)
Just when I
thought my week was starting pretty badly (I always believe the
number of cars that almost hit me on the way to work on a Monday is
a good sign of how crappy my day and week will turn out), I saw this
article at Gamespot. As one of the people who really did love
the original Fable, I cannot begin to say how awesome it is that
Fable: The Lost Chapters will actually make it to the XBox...and for
a cheap as hell $19.99.
When the original
Fable came out, the game was pretty short. I could complain, but I
still got a nice 25 or so hours from it (seriously...if I'm not
going to complain about a 2 hour movie costing $20, then why would I
complain when a game gives me over 5 hours of true fun for
$50?)...so, if I complain, I'd just be acting like an ass. Anyway,
it was announced earlier this year that the PC version would come
with extra material. That is when I could complain. I mean I had
awaited "Project Ego" (the original name for Fable) for a
long time, and had always known of it as an XBox game. To hear that
the non-original audience would get more shit...well, that is not
cool and worthy of complaints.
Anyway, it's all
good now that the larger game is XBox bound later this year. I know
that I already spent $50 on the original Fable...but I think trading
in a game or two for the remainder of the game will be well worth
it.
On another
Gamespot related note, their latest Rumor
Report has some obvious things that I find funny. First off is
that people are acting like it's a surprise that it's nearing (we're
not there quite yet, however...) the end of the time when someone
can order a 360. Is this supposed to surprise anyone who saw the mayhem
of the PS2. Seriously...consoles are big business, and new consoles
are bigger business. However, I'll offer some advice.
If you want a 360,
then you better order it now. It's that simple. It a guarantee right
now if you go down to a game store...well, almost a guarantee. If
you wait, then you'll probably have a harder time. However, there is
always one piece of good news (if you're the type who likes to
suffer pain and humiliation); you can wait until the day of and
order online from most places and feel the wrath of the
"bundles". I mean for only a ton more than you'd want to
spend, you can get a few games you'll never play, probably a really
lame DVD movie (I got Armageddon with my PS2 bundle...that was pure
humiliation and pain...still collecting dust on my shelf since no
one will buy this lame thing and I'll lose a friend if I give it to
someone), and an extra controller. It's how console sales work.
There will always be a few extra ones to be bundled, since this
makes a little extra cash for the retailers who always need to
unload some rather crappy games. If you don't want to pre-order,
just check out places like Kay-B-Toys (the real stores), or online
only sites, like Amazon.com.
Speaking of money
wasted...I also find it funny when people can call the PS3 the most
expensive console ever. Seriously, 3DO and Neo-Geo will always own
the right to be called the most expensive. People are too quick to
forget the past. Hell, PS3, if it sells for $400, will not even be
in the same ballpark as the 3DO. That's also counting the way I like
to count my money spent on a console. That means that I'm counting,
in my own calculations, the cost of the HDD, which will come later,
since it's already being designed to not be included with the system
itself.
Anyway, I don't
have much personal stuff to talk about today. I finished watching
the DVD set of Firefly, and I have to say I'm filled with a nice
sense of rage...I mean FOX could not have f#%@ed up anymore with a
series than they did with one as sweet at this. I think I'd say
Friefly is, if not the best, one of the best five TV series I've
ever seen (counting ones from the world, not just US). At least, and
this is not too big of a consolation, Sci-Fi is going to start
airing the series on the 22nd of July (Bastich or Meat Shield, if
you see this, I'd set your DVR for this one) in the evening. I'm
sketchy on the details, but I think they'll air it in the correct
order (something FOX also messed up on), and not end with the first
episode. I just hope that the movie does so well that Joss Whedon
can get Firefly back into production...it's a long shot, I
know...
Well, I need to
get in some Tales of Symphonia time. I ignored ToS all weekend, and
I think I owe it some love and affection.
Malik
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Malik
(7/12/05)
I'm finding this
whole "hot coffee" thing ridiculous with GTA:SA...as a
little background for those who haven't been paying attention, there
is some code that may or may not have been in GTA:SA that was
definitely not accessible on the actual game. This bit of code, that
may have (or may not have; Rockstar has actually denied that it is
their code, and Rockstar usually tries to be cryptic on things like
this) been included on the DVD, depending on who you ask (check out Gamespot
for this), is a mini-game that allows CJ to not only have sex,
but to let the player be interactive in the act.
In the end,
however, it all boils down to one thing...this is not playable by
the average person. It is not accessible from the normal game. The
only way to play it is to find the right mod for the game, and this
only applies to the PC version. However, the ESRB (the ratings
people) are not taking this lightly.
In fact, the ESRB
is feeling rather pissed off as they get hammered on two fronts in
this one. On one hand, they have a politician from California (the
land of censorship) saying that the ESRB failed in giving this game
only an M rating. Meanwhile, they are possibly looking like fools by
something that either Rockstar or some hackers have done with a game
they rated so innocently (if an M can be an innocent rating...I
personally think not). Either way, the ESRB is firing off their
voice left and right.
In the end, I'd
say this is a load of bullshit. One one hand, even if GTA:SA gets an
AO rating, it will still sell like mad. In fact, it may sell even
better. Does anyone who is voicing their complaints about this game
realize that there is no advertising like someone in authority
calling a product evil, but not lethal? GTA:SA is getting more
attention from this bit of news than all of Jack Thompson's baseless
lawsuits put together. Plus, even if the PC version gets an AO
rating (it's not like the PS2 version or XBox version can be held to
these standards since hacking a console game's programming is a
little too much in the complicated department to warrant a ratings
change in these games), PC gamers have no issues with buying their
games from sources beyond Wal-Mart (just look at Half-Life 2 and
Steam for a perfect example). Hell, the PC version will still sell
just fine...if not better, after people realize how much the mods to
the game could improve or add to the game play.
Anyway, even if
the code that's in question is on the disk, it was not accessible by
Rockstar. How many games have bits of code that cannot be accessed?
Most games, if not all, fit into this category. If someone finds how
to access the hidden bits, it's not the game maker that should be
held responsible. Hell, if I was good at programming, I could
probably make some GTA:SA (PC) skins that show everyone walking down
the street as a naked couple who are going at it like animals as
they walk along (it would look silly, but it would also be AO
qualified).
Anyway, I'm
rambling a bit. I just think that holding a game to it's playable
features is what should be judged for an ESRB rating, and that these
outspoken opponents of Rockstar need to realize how much attention
(free advertising) they are directing towards their foe.
Anyway, on the
next-generation front, it looks like Sony (as I saw at Gamespot)
is ditching the plans to have the PS3 function as a broadband
router. This is supposed to be a cost cutting move, but at the same
time I think it's a bit ridiculous to say it's just that. In the age
of Wi-Fi, and in the age of when you should have a PC with broadband
if you're planning to use a console with broadband, it just doesn't
fully add up. I think the final part of the router removal was to
make the console cheaper. However, Sony probably just realized that
the router function would not be wireless, and that this seems out
of place if they already have a wireless only system (PSP) that they
are hoping to be in every home. Plus, they could probably safely
assume that there will already be a router in most homes that plan
to take the PS3 online. Plus, if someone could afford this monster's
price, then it's probably a tech-savvy person who would have a
router already.
It will cut costs,
a little, but there are many other features that could be toned down
on the PS3 to save more money and would be missed just as little
(like removing three of the seven wireless controller ports...with a
four-player split screen so hard to see off of in most cases, what
good would a 5th through 7th player do to the actual game...or
there's the dual HD display ability that no one in their right
financial mind could afford or would want to waste the money on if
they could). No, this is just removing of a purely excessive
feature, and maybe it's the start of Sony realizing an all-in-one is
only good if it's really a true-all-in-one (give the router Wi-Fi
and make it do something that's more impressive than the router that
their target audience already has at home).
Malik
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Malik
(7/13/05)
Well, the Hot
Coffee dealio is now hitting on the Australian
shores. I'm not surprised. I mean this is the nation that liked
to ban games, like GTA3, for much more minor of sexual themes (like
picking up hookers in GTA3). I'm guessing, with the usual knee-jerk
reaction that Australia has with games, that GTA:SA will probably be
banned, no matter what the outcome is with if Hot Coffee is actual
in SA or if it's just a mod in every sense. That's the Australian
way, after all.
Well, if you check
the more business side of things, you'd probably have seen that
Majesco's CEO has left the company. I don't honestly care too much
about the details of the business side of most businesses (that
would mean the businesses I have not invested in), but this news has
some pretty good implications for some gamers. While I have not yet
played Psychonauts, I've heard enough good things to know I'd
probably want to buy it. I also know that I'm a cheap bastard. These
two facts, combined with how Majesco is taking a beating for the
failure of Psychonauts at retail means that we may have another
Beyond Good and Evil on our hands. In other words, I'm planning to
buy this game quite soon...as soon as the price drops to $20, like
how BG&E did.
On the down side,
it means that if Psychonauts is as good as everyone is saying,
there's no chance in hell that a sequel could be developed (just
like with BG&E). That means this game, which has scored plenty
of 9's and above from reviewers, could be the last of it's type
(well, not platformer...I mean the last Platformer from Tim
Schaffer) for a very long time. At least, in the end, I'll probably
be able to get it on the cheap in only a matter of a few more
months.
Anyway, I didn't
mention it earlier this week, but I was unfortunate enough to see
Fantastic Four this last weekend. I think the word
"unfortunate" should spell it out, but I'll
elaborate.
FF was not as bad
as the previews made me think it would be. That's about as good as I
can say it. Well, I could also say that Michael Chiklis did a hell
of a job playing Ben Grimm. Beyond that, well, the move was pretty
lackluster and formulaic.
The worst part of
the formula that FF followed was when it came to Johnny Storm. The
movie, and this is not really a spoiler as much as a warning, plays
out like this...
First we're
introduced to everyone in a mundane way (they are scientists). Then
we're introduced (to the X-treme!!!111!!!11!) to Johnny Storm (as he
kisses a hot chick who's speeding along a dirt road in a car as
Johnny is speeding along side on his supped up motorcycle)!!!111!!!
Then we see the cosmic rays and they get their powers in mundane
ways ("hey, you're invisible...wow, I can stretch...oh, Ben is
ugly...yawn). Then Johnny Storm becomes (to the X-treme!!!11!!111!!,
mind you) The Human Torch (he is doing X-treme snowboarding as he
explodes in flames!11!)!!!11!!!11 Then they adjust to being super powered...still
mundane. Then The Human Torch goes X-treme!!!111!!!111!!! Complete
with X-treme dirt bike action!!!11!!11!! Then some people talk,
while Johnny Storm has some X-treme one-liners!!!11!!! Which, I must
say, are painfully un-humorous. Then they fight Dr. Doom and get
beaten senseless. Then The Human Torch goes X-treme on his
ass!!!!111!!11
That's the movie
in a nutshell. If you like the tone of an ad for a truck rally (you
know the ones...they usually include the day being shouted like,
"SUNDAY! SUNDAY!! SUNDAY!!!!!!!"...think the Simpsons
episode where they go to see Truck-a-saurus), then you're in luck
for half the movie. If you like slow paced action (like the Seinfeld
episode in which George is on a Rascal being chased by a bunch of
seniors on Rascals...but without the humor), then half the movie is
for you. Lastly, if you still think humor along the lines of (and
this quote is not 100% right, but close enough) "Digital camera
$250. Memory stick $65. The look on your face...priceless",
then...well, one one hand the movie is for you, and on the other
hand, you are an idiot.
Anyway, it looks
like this summer will be, for once, pwned by the forces of DC in the
classic DC vs. Marvel battle. Batman Begins kicks some major ass
(except for the lamer one-liners, but those are rare in BB, unlike
how they are every other line in FF)...Fantastic Four is just weak
and unfulfilled.
Malik
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Malik
(7/14/05)
Aparently, the
"sex scandal of the century" has reached epic proportions.
Yes, Hot-Coffee-Gate (or some other lame name) is ready to end
civilization as we know it. This is it...we're all doomed to a
future in which giant cyborgs battle the few remaining humans over
the right to play GTA:SA and the right to...something or
other.
Yes, I am trying
to exaggerate this whole thing, in much the same way as our vocal
leaders have. I'm not just talking about Californian councilman (or
whatever his title was again) Yee. I'm now talking, as you can find
on Gamespot,
about the "woman behind the man" (or some other lame
name...I'm in the mood to help show how blown out of proportion this
is by using way too complicated of names and nicknames). Yeah,
Hillary Clinton is ready to take Rockstar to school by calling in a
request for the FTC to tear Rockstar a new one.
Before we get too
excited one way ("yeah, now we'll be safe from children who
play this game") or the other ("cough::bullshit::cough"),
I think it'd be awesome to look at a couple of things. For one, by
making a game different with a hack (and Rockstar's
official word is now that "Hackers created the 'Hot Coffee'
modification by disassembling and then combining, recompiling and
altering the game's source code,"), are we supposed to say that
the game itself deserves an additionally high rating? No, a rating
is something that should be imposed on the actual game, and not on
changes that the community at large has introduced. Hell, I bet
someone could easily take Half-Life 2 (I chose this game due to the
ease of modding the source) and make it into a giant sex simulator.
It'd be a lame game, but I bet it could happen without too much
effort. Would this warrant HL2 an AO rating? No, but it would for
GTA:SA. No hypocrisy there.
Secondly, the ESRB
is a voluntary rating system. It is not a federally enforced
program, nor is it federally controlled. No. It is something the
game industry created to show that they were willing to take the
first step in meeting Congress over demands that games were too
unregulated. In fact, that's why a game rated M could be purchased
by a minor (in some states) without any fines. The government is not
in control of the ESRB. So, since when can the government call in
the FTC to investigate something that they have chosen (all-be-it in
good faith, which may look like it's been broken) to leave
unregulated. That's like the government stepping in and forcing a
ban on legal performance enhancers (like caffeine) in American
sports. No, the ESRB is a private not-for-profit organization, and
they are the ones who would have a right to step in on Rockstar, if
Rockstar did the whole Hot Coffee thing (which looks rather
doubtful).
In all honesty,
the real solution to this issue is quite simple. The American
government needs to chill. It's that simple. While they chill, the
ESRB and Australia's government (who has more authority on the
product sold in their country than the American government has in
the US) should do one simple step before flying off the handle;
Determine if the code is present in the game, before applying the
Hot Coffee mod. Is that really so hard? I don't think so. In fact,
these groups should work with, and not just point fingers AT,
Rockstar. Meanwhile, the popular media needs to stop putting their
own spin on this situation (either that Rockstar is the devil, or
that video games at large are the devil). Then we can let the
situation resolve itself in a logical and sane way.
Beyond that...why
the f$#^ is Clinton so pissed about a game having sex in it? For one
thing, I can think of plenty of games that have been sold in the US
that feature nudity, sex, or both. Many of them have actually gotten
away with M ratings. Hell, The Guy Game didn't even get this much
flack for having kiddie porn (one of the sets of breasts in TGG
belongs to someone who is not of age...yet, compared to GTA:SA, it
got only a casual glance by the media).
Anyway, I know
that the right solution (and I don't like to sound so immodest, but
my solution would be the right one) will not be used. The "news
story" will continue to be blown out of proportion, Rockstar
will continue to get free publicity from the people who are trying
to stop them, the government will continue to try to step beyond
it's authority, and I'd bet my money on Rockstar being innocent of
making Hot Coffee. Sadly, this will not end for a long time, unless
people are willing to work together and not just to fly off on their
own little crusades.
On a different
note, I aim to have a review up and running sometime in the next
week and a half. I ordered the Japanese version of Katamari 2 and it
should be here in the next couple of days. Once it's here, I know
I'll blast through it in no time...and then I'll play through
again...and then again. I also found a nifty no-mod solution for
import games on the slim PS2. I'm not 100% on how well it works, but
it looks promising...a lot like the spring in the lid solution to
the PSX. I'll have more news on both the import and the ability to
play imports locally in a couple of days.
Malik
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Malik
(7/15/05)
I find this whole
thing so damned funny. It all started with a far more minor
infraction (as in, this is not illegal) than something like the
underage breasts being bared in The Guy Game, it has escalated to
realms no longer fathomable to the average (and logical)
gamer.
So, Hillary
Clinton has thrown in her two cents about GTA:SA's "Hot
Coffee", and I love her
response. The humor starts when you remember that this is the
one who taught us that "it takes a village" to raise a
child, because we shouldn't do the obvious and trust parents to
raise their children. So, what does she think about her
interpretation of the ESRB "failing" parents (in reality,
I feel I must say, the ESRB knew nothing about any of this crap when
they rated the game, and thus you can't blame them...the blame
either falls onto Rockstar, which I'm more doubtful of, or some
people who made the mods, which would not count towards a game's
rating anyway)?
"No wonder
these games are falling into the hands of our children and no wonder
so many parents feel everyday like they are fighting this battle
with their hands tied behind their backs," Clinton said.
"We need to do better. We need to do everything we can to make
sure that parents have a line of defense against violent and graphic
video games and other content that go against the values they are
trying to instill in their children."
Yeah...ummm...I
have a good idea to help these parents who have their "hands
tied". How about they remove the ropes that bind them, since
the parents are the ones who installed the ropes to begin with. How
to stop letting your child get things that you feel are inappropriate
for them is quite easy in many cases; step up to your role as a
parent. If you're child is buying a game that is not something you
feel they should have, set some rules into place. After all, you are
legally their guardian until they turn 18 (or divorce you). So, legally,
it is your responsibility to protect and guide them. On top of that,
ask yourself a question of, "where is little Billy getting the
$50+ to buy GTA:SA?" A simple equation of too much money being
given to kids (or kids earning too much money) with absolutely no
supervision is a bad thing. It doesn't take a f#%&ing
village...it takes one or two good parents to raise a child.
Well, at least I
can agree, to some extent, to one fact that's almost being said.
There is no reason that ratings should not be upheld by retailers. After all,
kids can still get the M games if their parents/guardians/whatever
still feel that the game is appropriate for them. It's not like
enforcing ratings and buying-age-limits is going to prevent games
from getting into the hands of kids. It will just ensure some level
of the parents taking some responsibility, which I'm always in favor
of (as someone who had very responsible and reasonable parents, I
know that this solution works, as long as the parents aren't
f#%&ing nuts).
Anyway, there were
a couple of responses
to Clinton. Just read that link at Gamespot...the top is full of
bull shit. It's from everyone's (sarcasm coming) favorite censorship
fanatic; Jack Thompson. The top of this article is all about his
crusade to prevent games from being sold (the wrong response to this
issue) instead of just asking for some responsibility. However, the
bottom of the article has a nice response from Doug Lowenstein
(president of the ESA...the dudes who run the ESRB). For Jack
Thompson decided to constantly bash Lowenstein for he
"criminal, fraudulent excesses". Strange, considering that
if this one mod was never made for GTA:SA, this shit would all be on
the down-low, and that the game publisher and developer is not
responsible for mods created by third parties after the game is
rated and released...and never should be.
Anyway, Lowenstein,
in an amazing show of calm-headed control (it's amazinf since he's
being bashed on all sides for something he can't have been
responsible for) said this;
"Retailers
should not sell Mature games to minors, parents should watch what
their kids watch, and parents should and can rely on the ESRB
ratings to make the right choices for their families," he said.
"We hope that after further reflection and dialogue, Senator
Clinton will abandon the bill and work cooperatively with industry
and others to ensure that parents take advantage of the effective
tools on the market to regulate the games their kids
play."
Awesome. That's
all I can say about what Lowenstein said. There is nothing like
someone being assaulted on all sides and still coming forward to say
that the name calling and angry words should be put down in favor of
a cooperative effort by all parties to work for a united solution.
Plus, to say the truth that games should be regulated, but not
censored or banned, is brilliant.
Anyway, this whole
situation will undoubtedly continue for a long time. This will
probably go on for a good many months. It could go away in a matter
of a week or so, but that would require people to "work
cooperatively"...which is the last thing that Congress and Jack
Thompson would ever do. At least, in between the inane ramblings,
these hostile sides are providing us all with a few good
laughs.
Anyway, I don't
have much to say since I am just playing Tales of Symphonia still
while waiting for Katarmari 2...which I hope shows up soon. Anyway,
I'm out for a relaxing weekend. Later.
Malik
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