My favorite horrormeister speaks out on video game violence legislation

While we don't see much from author Stephen King much in the video game world, he has enlightened the imaginations and nightmares of many of us. Especially if we have been fortunate enough to read the books and not just see the screen adaptations, but that is another story altogether. Turns out his writing expertise is not spent solely on his novels and short stories, he also writes for Entertainment Weekly online regarding items of current pop culture. This week his article is about the legislation currently in the Mass. house (HB 1423) to restrict or outright ban the sale of "violent" video games to those under the age of 18. It is a very good article to read and if anyone reading this is from the state of Massachussettes I would strongly encourage you to contact your local state representative about this bill.
There have been several atempts to do this in other states and they have all failed to pass stating as protected under 1st Amendment rights. Currently there is an attempt going on in the Arizona state senate. As stated on the Video Game Voters Network MySPace blog - "HB 2660 aims to circumvent the Constitution by penalizing video game developers and blaming them for society’s ills. This bill punishes individuals who produce or distribute so called "dangerous" materials. The bill defines these materials as anything an accused individual might claim "drove" them to commit a felony or act of terrorism. "
So if you are in the state of Arizona or know someone who is please have them contact their representative and let them know your feelings on this matter.

Unreal Tournament 3

OK, this game has been out for a while now so I feel that it is a truly fair game to rant against. They have had plenty of time for updates and patches.

My first argument is that Epic had a great game with UT2004. The load screens and times were fair. It was user friendly in many ways and all in all a nice game to play and look at. With the new engine I can understand some changes coming but did you really need to frell up the basics of the game?! What the frak!? Just to get past the basic menu selections are a chore. How many times do I need to say that I want to play a frelling game?
Your server history also only holds so many servers before it just quits showing any more. So if you have met your limit and you get on the great server that you actually love to play on, you are unable to save it to favorites because you can only do that from the server history! You can only access your friends list from the community area which you have to go all the way back to the main menu to get to. The in order to add your friends you have to not only know exactly what their name is and how to spell it correctly but then you have to ask them and they then have to respond and then they have to ask you and then you have to respond top them! WTF?! I miss the simplicity of "right click-add to favorites" and "right click-add to buddies" . Why couldn't that have stayed?
I mean, the game is beautiful and has lots of potential (when you can get pass the frakkin' crashes and .dll errors). When I first put it on my system (which significantly exceeded it min. req's) I had to clean boot my system in order to run the game. No support was given to help me figure out why after multiple posts to forums. There are huge long threads in the Unreal Forums about others having problems with this and no solutions given. Not a single patch has helped and some even made it worse! A change in my OS ended up fixing whatever was wrong before.
This leads also to another issue I have (this is a rant, duh), after spending $50 on this game and finding out that I couldn't get it to run normally on my system I had no choice but to keep it anyway because you cannot return opened computer software to retailers! ARRGGHHH!!! If I am responsible and know my system specs and have run the demo with no problem and decide to buy the full version of the game to take it home , install, and try to run and find out at that time that it doesn't work - I should be able to return said merchandise without grief from the frelling store! I get the whole copying and getting money back thing and whatnot but why should those of us with legitimate issues have to pay the price when the cost of games are so excessively high? I mean if I really wanted to get a game without paying the full price for it I wouldn't bother with buying and returning the game I would get it from one of my many friends around the world who will generously let me have for no cost what so ever. Games I really want I buy and if I am unsatisfied with a product I should be able to return it, period.
Well I think I am tired out now. We can only hope that UT games run the gambit like Star Trek films with every other one being great. I am just pissed that I had to find out the hard way that this is just not what we expected from the pre-release hoopla.

More Final Fantasy Goodness coming to the DS

Like Shawn I also picked up a DS for the classic RPG and strategy game goodness on the system. In addition to Final Fantasy 4 we are gonna be blessed with the US release of Final Fantasy Tactics A2 in June according to www.ign.com. Square Enix is rewarding their fans in this game by allowing you to plug your old GBA game into your DS to unlock bonus items on the sequel, which I happen to think is really cool.

Also if you are into to RPG/Strategy on the DS make sure you check out Atlus games. They tend to do the US versions of lots of interesting games from japan.

Hunter

P.S. Uwe Boll has another box office bomb coming out. The trailer for postal has launched on www.ign.com and I have to say it looks like he was trying to offend the maximum possible number of people with that movie.

----------------
Now playing: Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
via FoxyTunes

Mildly Amusing

I found this mildly amusing. Some gamers who love their IP's have started a petition to stop Uwe Boll from making movies anymore. Apparently the publicity hungry perpetrator caught wind of this and Uwe now promises to retire if the petition garners one million signatures. Yeah right.

You realize you can just not watch these movies right? If you stop watching he goes away.

Stop Dr. Uwe Boll Petition

(Note to self... Dr? What the fuck is the little prick a doctor of? Answer: Literature Maybe he could write for me when he retires.)

Bully Banned in Brazil (Now repeat 5 times fast)

Bully:Scholarship Edition has been banned in Brazil due to a ruling by a local Judge. Apparently a youth group brought the suite against the game.

The reason Bully was banned? Because it is set in the school.

How the hell could this ruling come out of a county like Brazil. Does Portuguese not have a word for Irony?

from Joystiq

FF IV coming for DS

According to Joystiq Final Fantasy IV will be coming out on the DS on July 22. Not only will it bring with the gameplay we love of old but will also feature new content, some voiced cutscenes (the word "some" there makes me a little leery), and of course 3d graphics

I must say I enjoyed the release of FF III on the DS. I bought the system primarily for the old style RPG's and now it seems Nintendo is finally starting to catch up.

Not an April Fool's Gag

Jumping in today for my 'hello world.' I'm Josh, I've known Shawn since back in our high school days, and I've been asked to throw my two cents into the blog. (I also did the English degree too...but mine's a BS. That's right. And yes, I have heard that joke already, don't go thinking you're all creative.) I'll be more than happy to do so, though I'm still waiting to see just what kind of role I'll be able to take here. Should I be the token 'guy in Japan?' The gaijin otaku (foreign geek, just in case anybody here was unaware...it's been 2 years since I've been around people who DIDN'T know what those words mean)? Just another voice weighing in?

Bah, I'll do it as I've always done, wing it and see what goes over best.

But I'll be dropping in on occasion with a little of the 'slice-of-life-in-Japan' that I can offer, especially since my time here ties very closely in to my love of games anyway. My 'expertise' industry-wise begins and ends with the systems I own, and I always seem to be a generation behind. Still, I can talk a little about importing, and a lot about life in Nintendo's (and Sony's and Sega's and SquareEnix's and and and...) homeland.

Anyway, looking forward to sharing what I can. For tonight, I leave you with the following homework (especially those of you who've been wasting the past few weeks/months/years on Rock Band or Guitar Hero): Bemani. Look it up. Learn it. Love it.

Welcome

First I'd like to say I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I was on a business trip for most of the week and then changed shifts at my job (because running the website pays so well. Just ask any of the other authors).

I'm sure all of you have noticed the influx of other authors into this blog. I would like you to welcome them all. I currently have three of my old college buddies (all with English or computer degrees) Robbie, David, and Hunter.

Also Marci, a friend and co-worker of mine has joined. I feel that she will be able to add a lot to the website.

And finally Josh will be joining us. He's an old friend of mine who's currently living in Japan.

All of these people and more in the future will be working and volunteering to make this site the one stop gaming source on the web.

Thanks all.

Yet another Introduction

Well I have been asked if I can occasionally share my point of view on games and the industry, like an idiot I said "Sure!". JK.
Well to start things off I am viewing games from the perspective of a girl gamer. Yeah, I'm a chick! All that aside, I love the first person shooter gametype, along with rpg's, adventure, and trivia/puzzle solving (i.e. Myst, etc.). I started console gaming with the Atari 2600 in my early days and fortunately was able to move onward and upward. Currently I have 5 different consoles in the house (not a single 360 or ps3 though), including the Wii. A large majority of my gaming does happen on my computer though. I have 2 of those, one with XP and one with Vista. Don't ask me why I have Vista it was the hubby's idea. Fortunately it is only on one machine! Well I think that is me in a nutshell (Shawn will testify that a nutshell is fairly accurate too). If you can deal with me rambling as well as ranting you just might actually get something from my posts. Now I just have to think of something decent to write about :)

Amazon and Rockstar are teaming up

Rockstar and Amazon are teaming up for something completely new. Now during gameplay you can que up a list of songs to download on your computer through Amazon.com's MP3 store.

It's not a bad idea. As the line between games and the real world becomes skewed by increasingly complex technology these types of crossovers are simply the next evolution in games.

Some people will say that this degrades the immersing experience but it is executed nicely. When you hear a song you like in the game you just dial a number and it will text the artist and song name to you, or if you sign up for it, e-mail a direct link at amazon's store.

I would probably be more leery about this if it weren't for the fact that this deal was with Amazon's store. I have found their prices and quality to be far better than other services of the like. And the fact that the music is DRM free is all the better.

Introductions and Mount and Blade

I'm also a new contributor. And following suit with some others an introduction of sorts is a good way to start. First off, I'm not going to be the one to come to ask about hardware problems. I can install some things here and there, but I am by no means a savant when it comes to fixing/building computers and such. I'm a gamer. I enjoy the story. I enjoy how much fun it is to play. Graphics are important, but I'm not willing to sacrifice story and playability for fun screen candy. I'm from the original NES days, and the "no-mom/dad-Mortal-Kombat-isn't-violent-at-all" persuasive routine. I like sports games, racing, and, as stated earlier, games with a good story.

Here is a game that has been getting a bit of buzz around the internet, but I figure all the publicity it can get the better.

MOUNT & BLADE:

This game is all about the fun part of playing. It has elements of FPS, RTS, and RPG. It was made independently by a married Turkish couple. Two words are what grabbed me from the start--mounted combat. This game has the best mounted combat system I have seen in any game, not that it is hard considering the massive amounts of games that actually offer it; however, it is fluid and there is just something to say about being able to ride in on a horse full speed and impale someone with a lance. You can't call yourself a medieval enthusiast if that doesn't create some saliva for your destructive taste buds.

You travel around a semi-large map where you will come across cities, towns, and roaming war parties and bandits. You will be able to level up your character in various skills that fall under a few basic groups: archery/ranged weapons; melee weapons; riding horses/fighting on horses; monetary use; leadership; and healing/advancement. Another big aspect of this game is choice. You can build the heavy armored knight on the best steed you can find, or the almost naked berserker with the huge axe running on the ground.

This game has been in beta for awhile and Pardox Interactive has recently picked this game up for production. The graphics are not the highest end, but I do believe the actual fun of the game more than makes up for it. Mount and Blade is still not in it's final form, but is still finished enough to have an enjoyable gaming experience. Another good option is that the makers allow for a free trial (always a good thing for a game to have) so you can see if the game is for you. You can play up through level 6. I've played the game with a character now at level 30 and have enjoyed every minute of it. If you like the type of game that leads to believe, "just one more battle and I'll be done for the night" then check it out.

Even more about in game ads

Hi there yet another contributor has arrived.

I am not much of a word smith so I am just gonna give you the straight skinny on advertising in games.

Short Version - It don't work, so it will stop on its own soon enough.

Long Version - It has been shown in published scientific studies[1] that no one can remember anything they see in games. If the game is at all fun/engaging around 13% of random players can remember ads they looked at in the game. If you just look at experienced players the recall numbers drop even more. That means as the companies figure out that advertising isn't worth it they will stop using it. And hey if the game isn't fun(which does help with remembering ads) then why are you bothering to play it and seeing the ads?

Now that we have that we have that out of the way its time to talk up two wonderful games.

1. Sins of a Solar Empire - This is a great strategy game with excellent support from its independent dev team. It has one of the best conquer the galaxy mechanics I have ever seen. It looks great and plays great on reasonable hardware. Defiantly a must buy if you like RTS games.

2. Super Smash Brothers Brawl - This one was a surprise for me. We picked up a copy for the lab with a throw in a few dollars pool and ever since it arrived it has been played several times each day. Its probably the best looking Wii game I have seen(not that high a bar to jump admittedly). This game basically doesn't have a plot, you just pick your favorite classic game character(Link, Zelda, Pit, Snake, Sonic, Marth, Shock Rat, Lucas, Samus[with and without suit], and a ton of others) and then stomp the stuffing out of each other. Last one left standing on the platform wins. The trick is you don't have health per-say instead you have a damage percentage which the higher it goes the easier it is to knock you out of the world. Single player is very lackluster just beating on computers, this game shines in its multiplayer. You get 3-4 people around it and it just grabs ya and you don't let go. If you have people to play with this is a must buy wii game, if not you can probably pass on it.

1 - Google "Dixit Youngblood" and you will find the study I obliquely referred to earlier.