Back Again

Video Game Violence

This is a great subject for discussion today. So many neat things to get mad about...so I guess I'll take it from the top. Does violence effect children? Yes most likely. Growing "Tweens" and Teens can be influenced very easily. Either by peer pressure, what they see on TV, or most importantly their environment at home. Kids are a product of their reality, and their reality reflects how they have grown up, their demeanor, attitude. When one or all of these things are unstable, kids can become really messed up and kill people, I.E Columbine High School. Anyways, what ever happened to "responsible parenting?" What happened to "responsibility?" The Answer: The Pussification of our society. I know thats not a word, but it works. The dumbing down and removal of all things tough in a persons life. Example: Ms. Crapinsworth, the local engish teacher, transpanted from Berkley, decides to have a pop quiz. After the grades are in, Ms. Crapinsworth thinks that giving a person an F on a paper will hurt their feelings and cause them to dispair.

Spare the children any trauma. Lets shelter them from the consequences of real life. If you don't study, you're going to fuck up on the test. If you hit someone, you're going to get hit back. If you shoot someone, what happens now? How are these kids supposed to learn life lessons. I just does not make sense to me. In today's society, where parents are busy running kids to play dates and other garbage that they don't actually take the time to talk to their kids. Taking your kids to a soccer game or to after school whatever is not the same as talking to them. Again, lets use Columbine as an example. These 2 shooters, Clebold and Harris. Had plotted to kill classmates and teachers. They were making pipe bombs in their room at home. Had assault rifles and other illegal shit. Ok, this is what the fuck I want to know. HOW DID YOU MAKE A PIPE BOMB IN YOUR ROOM AND MOM AND DAD DON'T KNOW? Shit, when I was that age, I couldn't get a freakin' Playboy or 40 oz beer without someone getting light. But then again, I wasn't at odds with my parents, not that I told them I was being mischievous, but I didn't hate anyone. If your child sits in his room with the doors closed for hours at a time, doesn't come out or say a peep, wouldn't you ask whats going on? Not to say that you don't trust your child, but just to know what the hell is so interesting? I guess not.

This is what I don't get. How are these politicians single-handedly blaming video games as the sole corrupter of today's youth? I guess it could be the Blame-Game dijour. Movies this week, video games next week, then back to movies? Lets pause here to take a look. R-rated movies require an ID or someone over 21 to purchase. Wal-Mart, K-mart, Target, as well as most retailers require ID's to purchase these movies. The same goes for video games. However, and that is a big HOWEVER, that does not stop retard parents from buying the games for little Douche Jr. Video Games have a rating system. There has been a standing rating system for video games since the mid-1990's. This battle still rages on. Politicians like Leeland Yee from California and Hillary Clinton are on a rampage to save us from our selves. An example of this is the game Grand Theft Auto. It is a very popular game, but it has mature themes. I would consider it along the lines of Scarface or the Godfather. If it was a movie, it would be rated R. But, its a video game so its Rated M, for MATURE. That means 17 years+. So then, tell me how does little Douche Jr. get his hands on the game. He begs his inattentive irresponsible parents to get the game for Christmas or whatever. So, when Douche Jr. is in the living room punching a whore in the face or car-jacking a Porche, Mr and Mrs Douche are totally flabberghasted at what they see.

This boils down to choice. People who do this shit are idiots. You get no sympathy from me. I grew up with violent games. I am a well adjusted individual who can tell reality from fantasy. I know that my actions have consequences. After I played Mortal Combat, i didn't go out and stab someone in the throat. I some how managed to graduate from college, get married. What else can you ask for.

Its like driving around in the car without a seat belt, or getting cancer because you smoked cigarettes all your life. You CHOSE to do what you did, if it be buying a video game, puffing on that cig, or rolling your SUV and dying cause you didn't wear your safety belt. This shit can be prevented. Parents look at the game ratings, talk to your children, don't be afraid, you were once in their shoes, if you can remember. You are not here to be a friend, you are here to parent.

ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!

It's shit like this that rolls right into the clutches of activist litigators like Jack Thompson. A Florida lawyer who is on a rampage to destroy the video game industry. If you do a Google search, you can find tons of info on his stupid ass. Violent games should not be banned. Stupid idiots should be banned. Legislating to the lowest common denominator also pussifies our society. Lets make everything safe for everyone. I thought we had rights. I thought you couldn't pass laws that infringe on our rights?

Well, I guess I'm wrong.

It's Friday

Well, its Friday everyone. The week is just about over. You can commence party sequence now. There are a few tidbits I thought everyone might want to know.

First off, there is a BF: Bad Company petition going around. Only sign it if you want to bring abouts the end of the World. The dudes at the Battlefield podcast are starting this to get BF:BC ported to the PC. After my last post, I hope none of you will be signing it, except to get your digs on BF and DICE in the comments section.

Secondly...I added a Terror Alert button. Just in case...Hey, I didn't make it up, I'm just trying to do my part.

Thirdly...looks like there was a signifigant update to TF2 last night. Check out the official change log here.


Here is a partial listing.
---------------------------------------

Source Engine

• Fixed a bug in networking that would cause long stalls (up to 10 seconds) when a split packet would not be reassembled properly, which forced a full update to all clients
  
• General optimization to tracelines
  
• Fix for broken .dem file playback
  
• Added backward compatibility code to allow demos recorded with protocol 12 to continue to be playable under protocol version 13
  
• When showing "WARNING: Connection Problem", now indicate the number of seconds remaining before an auto-disconnect will occur
  
• Fixed a bug that would cause NULLNAME to be shown as the player's name in the scoreboard for a short time
  

Team Fortress 2

• Fixed exploit where spectators could spawn into the world without actually joining a team
  

Hydro map changes

• Fixed an exploit that would allow players to jump out of the map
  

Granary map changes

Cover changes to the first capture points of both teams. Reduces some of the sight lines for defenders, and should make the area easier to capture

Best Half Time Show Ever

Battlefield: Remembered

Wow, has it really been over three years since Battlefield 2 was first released? Shit, I still vividly remember playing the demo. It's been a long standing fact that the Battlefield franchise is doomed. After the first installment of BF1942, things just started to go down-hill. I can talk until my heart explodes, or I'm blue in the face, but that still won't change the fact that our favorite game was abandoned in the middle , no, the PEAK of it's life cycle for another game exactly the same based in a future that is totally "stupid" for a lack of a better word.
Every time I think about this subject, It makes me mad. How a very popular game could have the rug pulled out from underneath. But when it boils down, one can only see the true reason why such an atrocity could occur. Money. We as consumers should know this by now. A company's main objective is to turn a buck, make money, collect mullah and please stock holders. Small developers can enjoy working on their own schedule, producing quality products, never having to sacrifice their vision.

As of March 2006, EA (Electronic Arts, of Redwood City, CA) acquired Digital Illusions CE (DICE) the makers of the Battlefield franchise. EA is known around the industry to strong-arm developers into their corner (I.E NBA Live series' exclusivity contract with the NBA, now more recently gobbling up Bioware and Pandemic Studios). Superficially, this isn't a bad idea for the independent guys. "Hey, lets get bought out by EA, they have resources, top notch development studios, and best of all we don't have to worry about money." However, I think Benjamin Franklin put it best: "He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither." Let us think about this. Independent developers create their OWN games. They live by their own rules, and are free to make whatever game they wish to make. Sacrificing their freedom by choosing to hide under the security blanket called EA only weakens what sovereignty they had. I know that sounds a little redundant, but here is the fall out after March 2006. DICE releases the "rumored" final patch to BF2 because EA is forcing them to produce another game to make a quick buck. So, now we have a game that is barely 2 years old, still riddled with bugs, that is now abandoned for another game, basically exactly the same with 1 or 2 minor changes to the game play mechanics.

Because EA so hastily released BF2142, the same bugs plaguing BF2 show up. Not to mention poor quality control with patches. Releasing half-baked patches, only to make gamers uninstall the entire game to re-patch with their new Beta patch. They are too lazy to hire professional beta testers that they must release Official Beta patches to the public to test, then come out with a Official Official patch. What a load of crap.

Now, with 2142 maturing at an unusually slow pace, most of the Battlefield community has moved on to other games. This quick-shifting business model totally destroyed the Mod community. It took almost 3 years for the first full figured mod to even be released. The mod scene for BF2 looked so bright, then 2142 came out and took away the player base, and by the time the next crap-tastic installment, Bad Company, is released gamers will be so jaded that only the console nubs will buy that garbage.

Maybe DICE and EA should stick the the console development cycle. Release a half baked game and you never have to worry about patching it. Plus, they can rip gamers off even more with the $60 dollar price tag attached to the next-gen games.

It's down to us. We are the ultimate decision makers. We have to tell these big publishers that we will not stand for this shit. Use your dollars, don't buy DICE or EA products. Support independent devs. like Valve or Blizzard. Don't fall for the sequalitis. Let them know that half-baked games are not ok, and that pulling support for games in mid-life doesn't do anything but hurt the end users.

Exercise a little more caution when mommy takes you to Wal-Mart to buy your M-rated games. Bah-Humbug!

Is the weight of the world on my shoulders?

Here is the situation in football terms: 2 minutes left on the play clock in overtime. It's down the final drive. Your team has the ball, and the score is tied. Your team lines up to snap the football, the center's sweaty hands reach for the ball. The quarterback anxiously eyes the field for the defensive formation. The QB yells hike, the play starts, and the players run forward. They keep running and then at midfield, turn a hard right and b-line it to the locker room to hide.

In layman's terms thats what happens on a regular basis in many online matches of TF2. Noobies, wankers, and douche bags. I'm not talking about the usual pussy-ass snipers, but the real idiots who hide out in the base only to wait for their chance to join the rest of the gibblets.

This is a shout-out to all of you PIECE OF SHIT-ASSWIPING-DOUCHBAGGING-SMACKTALKING-DILL WEEDS who need to start acting like men. The next one I see turtling up in your base, I'm going to smack yo' momma in the face...

So there. I said it. It's what we have all been thinking. If you don't like it, go to hell.

More on Rockstar

I think Penny-Arcade says it best. There comes a point when we have to ask, do we even really care about this game? Who plays this crap anyways?

Rockstar Games = Brintey Spears of Game Devs

Alright, you have probably heard already, hackers have discovered the uncut content from Rockstar's controversial new game Manhunt 2. Game Politics has the full story. What seems the be the problem you say? Second time hackers have been able to get at cut content. Last year it was the Hot Coffee Debockle. It may seem that Rockstar just doesnt care. It seems that Jack Thompson will probably jump at the opportunity to spearhead an attack on the gaming industry using this as an example of how video game companies and the products they sell are the work of the devil and are an abomination to man-kind.

Fuck Rockstar. They are going to either put the ESRB in a state of Government regulation, or go bankrupt from the incessant lawsuits being filed against their company. I'm sure politicians are going to jump on this ship like little termites in fresh pine. Somethin's gotta give, and it sure as shit ain't gonna be Congress or Jack Thompson.

Side Note Here:

This is a big F-U to Faux (Fox) News. I can't believe you let Jack-ass Thompson show his face on TV. The overzealous pundit only spews propaganda, but I guess I should expect too much from a network that hires, fires, and re-hires Heraldo. Too bad there isn't enough news for the 24-hour news channels to cover. I guess the world doesn't spin quite fast enough for some of us.