i had a first tonight... at least i think it's a first.
i ran out of gas on the way home.
now, i've taken cars to the limit before, pushing the line past E just to see how far i could go, but i always made it to a gas station safely. the problem with owning the moped i do (besides the fact that they're totally not cool - well, anywhere else other than Hawaii that is, and they're still not "cool" here, they're just acceptable) is that there's no indication of how much gas you've got left other than when you're low, a light comes on.
i've pushed my moped to what i thought was the limit before, driving at least 15-20 miles past the point when the light comes on (my bike only goes maybe 100-125 miles on a full tank i think) but i've always been able to make it to a gas station - just like my experiences with cars. well i don't know what it was about this tank but yes, tonight, on my way home - i ran out of gas.
funny thing is, i was actually going to stop at a gas station on the way home, and when i ran out i was about 4 blocks away. i pushed the light too far.
what happened? well i noticed that i lost a little bit of juice and was like "oh man, i'm outta gas" but thought maybe i could make it the next few blocks. nope. not 5 seconds after i felt the change, the moped just stopped and i coasted to the side of the road. luckily i was already in the right lane so i just pulled over and pulled my moped up onto the side walk... the humiliating part was walking my bike the 4 blocks to the gas station.
good thing about running out of gas on a moped in Honolulu? well, you're going pretty slow already since you're on a moped, so coming to a stop is less dangerous, and being that this is Honolulu, there are gas stations every few blocks.
however, i've learned my lesson: don't push your luck once the gas light comes on. don't push it TOO far (i totally know this is going to happen again).
- kawitchate
Monday, July 30
album of the year - 2005
look, i like music. a lot.
that said, with so much music by so many bands, some bands fall through the cracks for a while. just recently i started taking a trip through my ipod, checking to see what bands i used to listen to quite a bit and then looking them up on the internet to see what else they've been up to lately.
one such band, dredg, was a favorite of mine back in college - i had their first two albums and listened to them quite often. i forgot about them i think because they're, ah, in a category all by themselves (closest description might be "ambient progressive alternative"), a very mellow, often depressing sound... a kind of music i haven't been listening to lately (been listening to mostly hardcore punk).
i was surprised to see that they had an album come out in 2005 - Catch Without Arms - that i missed, so i searched it out and downloaded it, but didn't expect much. see, when i've got an album or two of a band that pretty much sounds the same, i expect their next offering to sound similar, and the offering after that to sound the same... and i'm not cool with that. i like bands that evolve. but i gave Catch Without Arms a chance.
the verdict? album of the year... well, album of the year - 2005.
did they evolve? ...not really. but the album struck a chord with me for some reason - their other albums struck the same chord, but not as much as this one has. as with their other records, the entire thing is a journey, with songs bleeding into one another, and is best experienced in one sitting.
I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM.
this only happens maybe once or twice a year where i like something so much i can't stop listening to it, but usually it's only for a week or two. this has been going on for 2 weeks now, and it's showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. i manage to sneak in at least two or three playthroughs of the album a night.
i'm addicted. and i can't exactly explain why.
funny side note: i accidentally started playing the album with the last song first when i first loaded it up, and somehow it just MADE SENSE. now when i load the album up i always make sure to put the last track first... then have the album end on the same song. it completes the circle better than i think they did. and i did it by mistake.
dredg. Catch Without Arms. excellent album. i'll tell you when i finally move on from it... maybe by my birthday?
- kawitchate
that said, with so much music by so many bands, some bands fall through the cracks for a while. just recently i started taking a trip through my ipod, checking to see what bands i used to listen to quite a bit and then looking them up on the internet to see what else they've been up to lately.
one such band, dredg, was a favorite of mine back in college - i had their first two albums and listened to them quite often. i forgot about them i think because they're, ah, in a category all by themselves (closest description might be "ambient progressive alternative"), a very mellow, often depressing sound... a kind of music i haven't been listening to lately (been listening to mostly hardcore punk).
i was surprised to see that they had an album come out in 2005 - Catch Without Arms - that i missed, so i searched it out and downloaded it, but didn't expect much. see, when i've got an album or two of a band that pretty much sounds the same, i expect their next offering to sound similar, and the offering after that to sound the same... and i'm not cool with that. i like bands that evolve. but i gave Catch Without Arms a chance.
the verdict? album of the year... well, album of the year - 2005.
did they evolve? ...not really. but the album struck a chord with me for some reason - their other albums struck the same chord, but not as much as this one has. as with their other records, the entire thing is a journey, with songs bleeding into one another, and is best experienced in one sitting.
I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM.
this only happens maybe once or twice a year where i like something so much i can't stop listening to it, but usually it's only for a week or two. this has been going on for 2 weeks now, and it's showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. i manage to sneak in at least two or three playthroughs of the album a night.
i'm addicted. and i can't exactly explain why.
funny side note: i accidentally started playing the album with the last song first when i first loaded it up, and somehow it just MADE SENSE. now when i load the album up i always make sure to put the last track first... then have the album end on the same song. it completes the circle better than i think they did. and i did it by mistake.
dredg. Catch Without Arms. excellent album. i'll tell you when i finally move on from it... maybe by my birthday?
- kawitchate
Sunday, July 29
my love / hate relationship with R*
well last week i posted about my favorite developer Rockstar and why they are my favorite developer - GTAIV having a live, populated city, and their reaction letter to all the Manhunt 2 haters. THIS week they came out with 2 more news tidbits, one that makes me take pause and another that fills me with glee.
first, more GTAIV news.
one of the higher-ups at R* came out and said that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTAIV will be "identical" but that if you want the "complete experience" you should buy the 360 version because it will be having exclusive downloadable "episodes" next year.
now, this is the content that MS paid R* $50 million for, of course they're going to say you need to buy the 360 version. what upsets me is the trend this might lead to - developers holding out on a "complete experience" just to sell it to us later in the form of downloadable content. i mean what's the reason these episodes can't make it to release? if they aren't done, why don't you push back the release date?
downloadable content should be extra stuff, not something to get the "complete experience." i'm shelling out $60 for a game, i expect the complete experience out of the box.
i'm also a little confused because i thought there was a story like a month or two ago where R* was praising the PS3 processing power, speaking specifically about GTAIV, and so i figured that it'd look/run better on the PS3.
i wanted to buy the PS3 version because i'm pissed at MS right now because my box broke after 6 months of ownership - has nothing to do with fanboyism. however, if both versions are indeed identical, i may go with the 360 version just so that i can have the option of maybe downloading the downloadable content if it's cool.
why R*, why?
and second, R* announced a new IP coming exclusively to the PS3. this is in addition to L.A. Noire (think Chinatown) which is already exclusive to the PS3 coming out next year. they touted the power of the PS3, the fact that you can count on every PS3 owner having a hard drive, and the capacity of the blu ray discs as being some of the reasons why they're going with PS3 - and maybe as a "we're sorry" to them as well for GTAIV.
i'm excited because my love for R* isn't only for GTA - i really enjoyed Bully (which i played and beat just a few months ago), the Midnight Club series, and Manhunt (for the idea if not the execution). oh, and L.A. Noire looks like it'll kick ass.
R* - i love you. i hate you.
- kawitchate
first, more GTAIV news.
one of the higher-ups at R* came out and said that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTAIV will be "identical" but that if you want the "complete experience" you should buy the 360 version because it will be having exclusive downloadable "episodes" next year.
now, this is the content that MS paid R* $50 million for, of course they're going to say you need to buy the 360 version. what upsets me is the trend this might lead to - developers holding out on a "complete experience" just to sell it to us later in the form of downloadable content. i mean what's the reason these episodes can't make it to release? if they aren't done, why don't you push back the release date?
downloadable content should be extra stuff, not something to get the "complete experience." i'm shelling out $60 for a game, i expect the complete experience out of the box.
i'm also a little confused because i thought there was a story like a month or two ago where R* was praising the PS3 processing power, speaking specifically about GTAIV, and so i figured that it'd look/run better on the PS3.
i wanted to buy the PS3 version because i'm pissed at MS right now because my box broke after 6 months of ownership - has nothing to do with fanboyism. however, if both versions are indeed identical, i may go with the 360 version just so that i can have the option of maybe downloading the downloadable content if it's cool.
why R*, why?
and second, R* announced a new IP coming exclusively to the PS3. this is in addition to L.A. Noire (think Chinatown) which is already exclusive to the PS3 coming out next year. they touted the power of the PS3, the fact that you can count on every PS3 owner having a hard drive, and the capacity of the blu ray discs as being some of the reasons why they're going with PS3 - and maybe as a "we're sorry" to them as well for GTAIV.
i'm excited because my love for R* isn't only for GTA - i really enjoyed Bully (which i played and beat just a few months ago), the Midnight Club series, and Manhunt (for the idea if not the execution). oh, and L.A. Noire looks like it'll kick ass.
R* - i love you. i hate you.
- kawitchate
emulate this
to preface: i skipped out on purchasing an original Xbox because 1) my friend i lived with had one so i could get my fill of the Halos, and 2) there really weren't all that many games i wanted to play on it. by the time i was thinking of buying one - when i didn't live with my friend anymore - the 360 was already out so i waited and bought that last Christmas.
so now i'm going through playing the Xbox games that i missed - Fable, KotOR, Crimson Skies, Jade Empire, Panzer Dragoon Orta, the Halos, etc. - and emulation has been good with Crimson Skies, the Halos, and a few others... but DAMN is it bad with Fable!
you would think that MS would put forth the effort to have a good emulator for their only (?) first party (well, produced by) RPG, but nope. it's horrible!
everything is fine if i'm walking in a straight line and not turning the camera much, but once i start to run, turn the camera, or get in battle, the frame rate drops like a mo-fo. and heaven forbid if i get into battle AND start moving the camera... wow. i've actually thought i crashed the game - or my 360 broke again - more than a few times.
and the loading... jesus. i mean maybe it was bad in the original, but i don't see how it could have been THIS bad.
put another minus in the Microsoft column. this is exactly the reason why i bought a PS3 before they got rid of the emulator chip inside and went to emulation software for their games...
- kawitchate
so now i'm going through playing the Xbox games that i missed - Fable, KotOR, Crimson Skies, Jade Empire, Panzer Dragoon Orta, the Halos, etc. - and emulation has been good with Crimson Skies, the Halos, and a few others... but DAMN is it bad with Fable!
you would think that MS would put forth the effort to have a good emulator for their only (?) first party (well, produced by) RPG, but nope. it's horrible!
everything is fine if i'm walking in a straight line and not turning the camera much, but once i start to run, turn the camera, or get in battle, the frame rate drops like a mo-fo. and heaven forbid if i get into battle AND start moving the camera... wow. i've actually thought i crashed the game - or my 360 broke again - more than a few times.
and the loading... jesus. i mean maybe it was bad in the original, but i don't see how it could have been THIS bad.
put another minus in the Microsoft column. this is exactly the reason why i bought a PS3 before they got rid of the emulator chip inside and went to emulation software for their games...
- kawitchate
Wednesday, July 25
crazy-good summer TV continues with Mad Men
well i posted last night that i was going to try and tune in to Mad Men, a new show that AMC (the makers) claim is the highest rated new show of the summer, and so i tried tuning in, and i succeeded, and it was good.
the show is about an ad agency in the late 50s / early 60s and basically it tackles the issues of the day: sexual harassment and dominance on the part of the men, and sexual submissiveness on the part of the ladies... everyone's cheating on everyone, you've got a clearly closeted homosexual (which i'm sure will be the focus of a future episode), a few independent women ("feminists" if you will; it will be the juxtaposition of these women and those that are submissive that'll run throughout the show), a main character that's checked out on life because life checked out on him (he was in WWII, and hell, just being in the ad agency can disconnect a man), and everyone, EVERYONE smokes and drinks.
i make it all sound like a little MUCH, but really it's handled well, with a subtlety not often seen in television. the whole show had a sense of sadness over it, a veil, but it made it feel really safe... i don't know how to describe it. maybe it's because it is also a very beautiful show, with the time period in question fully realized.
if i were to fault the show with anything it would be that it feels like they're taking all the social issues of the day and blowing them up a little bit - i mean what are the chances that a bunch of people that work at an ad agency and a few people they're close to outside of work would embody all the social issues of the day? like the homosexual character, he seemed a little forced (maybe he shouldn't have played it so obviously gay, it would have been nice to find out as a reveal later)... and other things. but i'm willing to overlook this small fault because otherwise the show is spot-on.
i think i would like this show even if it weren't set when it is because it's about the ad business, and i've always been interested in advertising. hell, i even RELATE to the show in a way because the video game industry moves just as fast as the ad industry, is just as creative as the ad industry - is just as much in the business of "selling the masses happiness" as the ad industry is. and maybe i'm a little disconnected myself. :)
that said, i think the setting is PERFECT for a show like this, because the fakeness of advertising, the masks, the layers - it really mirrors the changing landscape of the late 50s / early 60s.
my last complaint is the "reveal" at the end of the pilot having to do with the main character. i won't say what it was, but here's what i liked about him: he was disconnected from the war, from being in the ad agency, a man alone searching for something but not expecting to find it - he was basically a Hemingway hero. now with the reveal... it just adds a lot more layers to the character and how i feel about him.
but i guess layers aren't necessarily a bad thing. hell, the show itself is layers upon layers and i absolutely love it.
- kawitchate
the show is about an ad agency in the late 50s / early 60s and basically it tackles the issues of the day: sexual harassment and dominance on the part of the men, and sexual submissiveness on the part of the ladies... everyone's cheating on everyone, you've got a clearly closeted homosexual (which i'm sure will be the focus of a future episode), a few independent women ("feminists" if you will; it will be the juxtaposition of these women and those that are submissive that'll run throughout the show), a main character that's checked out on life because life checked out on him (he was in WWII, and hell, just being in the ad agency can disconnect a man), and everyone, EVERYONE smokes and drinks.
i make it all sound like a little MUCH, but really it's handled well, with a subtlety not often seen in television. the whole show had a sense of sadness over it, a veil, but it made it feel really safe... i don't know how to describe it. maybe it's because it is also a very beautiful show, with the time period in question fully realized.
if i were to fault the show with anything it would be that it feels like they're taking all the social issues of the day and blowing them up a little bit - i mean what are the chances that a bunch of people that work at an ad agency and a few people they're close to outside of work would embody all the social issues of the day? like the homosexual character, he seemed a little forced (maybe he shouldn't have played it so obviously gay, it would have been nice to find out as a reveal later)... and other things. but i'm willing to overlook this small fault because otherwise the show is spot-on.
i think i would like this show even if it weren't set when it is because it's about the ad business, and i've always been interested in advertising. hell, i even RELATE to the show in a way because the video game industry moves just as fast as the ad industry, is just as creative as the ad industry - is just as much in the business of "selling the masses happiness" as the ad industry is. and maybe i'm a little disconnected myself. :)
that said, i think the setting is PERFECT for a show like this, because the fakeness of advertising, the masks, the layers - it really mirrors the changing landscape of the late 50s / early 60s.
my last complaint is the "reveal" at the end of the pilot having to do with the main character. i won't say what it was, but here's what i liked about him: he was disconnected from the war, from being in the ad agency, a man alone searching for something but not expecting to find it - he was basically a Hemingway hero. now with the reveal... it just adds a lot more layers to the character and how i feel about him.
but i guess layers aren't necessarily a bad thing. hell, the show itself is layers upon layers and i absolutely love it.
- kawitchate
Tuesday, July 24
and Damages makes four
what is going ON with all the crazy-good television that's on this summer? first there's a bunch of shows that returned that i'm not even watching like the 4400, Dead Zone, The Closer, Rescue Me etc. - but on top of THAT there's been new shows that are either refreshingly good or just plain blowing me away!
there never used to be "new" TV shows in the summer... and now there's too many!
first was John from Cincinnati. this show has managed to be brilliant, boring, and infuriating - sometimes in the same episode. i've written about it before, but the best way to sum this show up is that you can "see" the writing as you watch it - it's like a play. also, you know you're being played with, toyed with, and it's almost like an exercise (sometimes in patience) to try and figure things out. this week is episode 8 out of 10, and no word on future seasons. my hope is that they wrap everything up all nice and neat by the end of this season because honestly, i don't know if they have enough material for a second season - unless John visits another family...
next there was Burn Notice, a refreshing mix of action and comedy that has a dry, sarcastic main character and a pretty wild (compared to him) supporting cast around him, including of course the one and only Bruce Campbell. i'm not sure how long this first season is set to run (i believe this week is episode 5), nor if it's doing well enough to warrant another season, but as long as the formula remains fresh enough and the main character keeps learning little by little why he got burned, i'm on board for a few seasons.
just this past Sunday i started watching my third original series of the summer, The Kill Point. you can check the post i did on it just a few nights ago, but basically it's a bank robbery turned hostage situation from a bunch of different perspectives AND it's a nice character study, quieting down to focus on a number of the various characters from all sides. with the surprise ending of the pilot, i think that this series has enough for the planned 9 episodes, and i'll be glad if they end it at that.
and now - Damages.
they started advertising for this show on FX while The Shield was finishing up its season two months ago. series looked like it dealt with a team of lawyers going after a big-shot billionaire for screwing his employees out of money (i thought Erin Brockovich, i don't know) but with lots of dirty dealings, backhanded moves, and even possibly murder. out of the preview, what caught my eye?
Glenn Close.
i don't usually check out something based solely on an actor/actress alone, but Glenn Close playing a hard-ass is an exception to the rule. now i know she's been acting for a while, but i've never really had her in my "great actress" category - until i saw her on The Shield during Season 4 (probably my second favorite season of the show, mostly because of her). to see her in another FX show, looking like she's playing a hardball lawyer (on The Shield she played a pretty hard-ass captain)? oh hell yes sign me up.
the show? basically what i described above, what i got from the preview - except taken even further than i even thought possible. beside the two or three twists that happen throughout he episode, there are two major twists at the end of the episode (well, one's more of a reveal that you could sort of see coming, but the other was a TWIST) and wow... maybe i wasn't paying close attention but it really caught me off guard.
oh, and the story is told kind of in a flashback - well, the main character's future is playing out in front of our eyes as well as her past (6 month time difference) and, while a little gimmicky and often overused, it seems like it will work well with this series, where things aren't as they seem and, as Glenn herself said - trust no one.
to sum it up - great story, good presentation of said story, surprising twists, and excellent, EXCELLENT acting. i think this "season" (it's what FX called it in their promos) is 8 episodes, and that seems about right. and honestly, if there IS a second season of this... i couldn't think of what it would be. plus, getting Close and even Byrne (the main actress, also pretty good) back for a television show i think would be tough.
four really good, original shows this summer. not bad.
but wait! in researching Damages tonight online i came across ANOTHER show that just started last week on AMC called Mad Men - it's supposedly about an ad agency in the 60s, 13 hour-long episodes. it looks GOOD... going to catch a rerun of the first episode tomorrow hopefully and try to tune in Thursday night for the second one. oh, and there's a miniseries coming too! The Company on TNT about the CIA duing the Cold War. also looks good.
summer used to be about "going outside" and "playing" - now it's about watching TV. good TV.
- kawitchate
there never used to be "new" TV shows in the summer... and now there's too many!
first was John from Cincinnati. this show has managed to be brilliant, boring, and infuriating - sometimes in the same episode. i've written about it before, but the best way to sum this show up is that you can "see" the writing as you watch it - it's like a play. also, you know you're being played with, toyed with, and it's almost like an exercise (sometimes in patience) to try and figure things out. this week is episode 8 out of 10, and no word on future seasons. my hope is that they wrap everything up all nice and neat by the end of this season because honestly, i don't know if they have enough material for a second season - unless John visits another family...
next there was Burn Notice, a refreshing mix of action and comedy that has a dry, sarcastic main character and a pretty wild (compared to him) supporting cast around him, including of course the one and only Bruce Campbell. i'm not sure how long this first season is set to run (i believe this week is episode 5), nor if it's doing well enough to warrant another season, but as long as the formula remains fresh enough and the main character keeps learning little by little why he got burned, i'm on board for a few seasons.
just this past Sunday i started watching my third original series of the summer, The Kill Point. you can check the post i did on it just a few nights ago, but basically it's a bank robbery turned hostage situation from a bunch of different perspectives AND it's a nice character study, quieting down to focus on a number of the various characters from all sides. with the surprise ending of the pilot, i think that this series has enough for the planned 9 episodes, and i'll be glad if they end it at that.
and now - Damages.
they started advertising for this show on FX while The Shield was finishing up its season two months ago. series looked like it dealt with a team of lawyers going after a big-shot billionaire for screwing his employees out of money (i thought Erin Brockovich, i don't know) but with lots of dirty dealings, backhanded moves, and even possibly murder. out of the preview, what caught my eye?
Glenn Close.
i don't usually check out something based solely on an actor/actress alone, but Glenn Close playing a hard-ass is an exception to the rule. now i know she's been acting for a while, but i've never really had her in my "great actress" category - until i saw her on The Shield during Season 4 (probably my second favorite season of the show, mostly because of her). to see her in another FX show, looking like she's playing a hardball lawyer (on The Shield she played a pretty hard-ass captain)? oh hell yes sign me up.
the show? basically what i described above, what i got from the preview - except taken even further than i even thought possible. beside the two or three twists that happen throughout he episode, there are two major twists at the end of the episode (well, one's more of a reveal that you could sort of see coming, but the other was a TWIST) and wow... maybe i wasn't paying close attention but it really caught me off guard.
oh, and the story is told kind of in a flashback - well, the main character's future is playing out in front of our eyes as well as her past (6 month time difference) and, while a little gimmicky and often overused, it seems like it will work well with this series, where things aren't as they seem and, as Glenn herself said - trust no one.
to sum it up - great story, good presentation of said story, surprising twists, and excellent, EXCELLENT acting. i think this "season" (it's what FX called it in their promos) is 8 episodes, and that seems about right. and honestly, if there IS a second season of this... i couldn't think of what it would be. plus, getting Close and even Byrne (the main actress, also pretty good) back for a television show i think would be tough.
four really good, original shows this summer. not bad.
but wait! in researching Damages tonight online i came across ANOTHER show that just started last week on AMC called Mad Men - it's supposedly about an ad agency in the 60s, 13 hour-long episodes. it looks GOOD... going to catch a rerun of the first episode tomorrow hopefully and try to tune in Thursday night for the second one. oh, and there's a miniseries coming too! The Company on TNT about the CIA duing the Cold War. also looks good.
summer used to be about "going outside" and "playing" - now it's about watching TV. good TV.
- kawitchate
Monday, July 23
Rockstar for the win
i was reminded why Rockstar is my favorite video game developer this weekend when i read not one but TWO great news items regarding 2 upcoming releases, Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV.
first there was a lot more info released in a German video game magazine regarding the new GTA IV. what's got me most excited? the people that wrote the magazine said that the city feels ALIVE:
"The streets and sidewalks are populated, people talk on their cellphones, smoke, entertain each other, make pictures etc etc. The Hot Dog vendor tries to get Niko to come to his stand by shouting at him."
i'm so sick of games that have huge cities that are devoid of life (Spider-Man 3, Rogue Galaxy) or there's people but they do either nothing or walk the same predetermined path (Saint's Row, Final Fantasy XII).
this, in addition to all the other cool info that came out of the article, is why i think that GTA IV will be my pick for game of the year - and that's saying something this holiday season, with all the AAA games coming out.
ok, so GTA is set to rock, and then Rockstar followed up with a knockout punch by responding to a story someone wrote about how giving their Manhunt 2 game an Adults Only rating was a GOOD thing. and the thing rocks so much i'm just going to repost it here:
wow, what a well-written, clear, concise argument. and it came from a video game developer?!? but i thought video games were just for kids!
kudos Rockstar. i'm behind you 100%.
- kawitchate
first there was a lot more info released in a German video game magazine regarding the new GTA IV. what's got me most excited? the people that wrote the magazine said that the city feels ALIVE:
"The streets and sidewalks are populated, people talk on their cellphones, smoke, entertain each other, make pictures etc etc. The Hot Dog vendor tries to get Niko to come to his stand by shouting at him."
i'm so sick of games that have huge cities that are devoid of life (Spider-Man 3, Rogue Galaxy) or there's people but they do either nothing or walk the same predetermined path (Saint's Row, Final Fantasy XII).
this, in addition to all the other cool info that came out of the article, is why i think that GTA IV will be my pick for game of the year - and that's saying something this holiday season, with all the AAA games coming out.
ok, so GTA is set to rock, and then Rockstar followed up with a knockout punch by responding to a story someone wrote about how giving their Manhunt 2 game an Adults Only rating was a GOOD thing. and the thing rocks so much i'm just going to repost it here:
Dear Mr. Fahey,
We are responding to the article Sick Filth?, in which you expressed support for the ban of Manhunt 2.
Although censorship makes you "deeply uncomfortable" and you found the ban’s rationale "a less comfortable topic", you agreed with the judgment of the British Board of Film Classification that no one - regardless of age or personal opinion - should be allowed to consider playing Manhunt 2.
We are still exploring our options for Manhunt 2, but how does banning our game support the industry or further the development of the medium? Unlike a heavy-handed editor or a critical review of a game, a ban is punishment for deviating from tradition.
A ban denies everyone the chance to consider, experience, or discuss the actual game. The only obvious victor is the status quo.
You seem to view banning Manhunt 2 as a way to protect the industry from scrutiny and unfair attacks. In fact, a ban is a triumph for the industry’s harshest critics, not an act of diplomacy.
A ban is only likely to encourage those who believe video games, already the most regulated medium in entertainment history, should be further restricted.
What about games make them deserve special treatment from the authorities? According to industry groups, the average games player is in his or her 30s, yet you support the widely held view that games are somehow a less sophisticated medium than cinema, only suitable for immature audiences.
In other words, although gamers can negotiate the boundaries between reality and fiction in other media, you believe we are incapable of navigating the same boundaries in videogames.
Yes, we have responsibilities as an industry, but as a creative industry, not as a pharmaceutical or weapons industry. Creative industries have always faced harsh political and legal criticism, and we know some of the movie industry’s more reactionary responses to scrutiny actually backfired.
We believe in a well-run ratings system. With the best rating system in history and the future of the industry and medium at stake, we don’t understand why it is necessary to effectively ban all games intended for players 18 and older.
Sincerely,
Rockstar Games
kudos Rockstar. i'm behind you 100%.
- kawitchate
Sunday, July 22
John from Snooze-cinnati
if you've noticed, i don't often comment after just an episode of a series - usually i'll do a review of a season, or maybe a half-season - but i've got to say something after tonight's John from Cincinnati.
i was bored to tears.
the episode focused on Butchie and Sean working things out and Link and his place in his company... that was it. it felt like all the other characters were doing busy work just so they'd be in the episode - and speaking of being in an episode, where the hell did Bruce Greenwood go? he seemed like he was going to be a major player and here we are, 7 episodes in and he's been missing half the time, gone from entire EPISODES! very weird.
anyway, i came to the realization that this series really should have been shorter, maybe 8 episodes max. now, i'm hoping that they pull off something spectacular in the next 3 weeks before the series (season?) ends, but i can't help but feel that there's going to be another episode like this where everybody is floundering, not having anything to do.
here's to hoping i'm wrong.
- kawitchate
i was bored to tears.
the episode focused on Butchie and Sean working things out and Link and his place in his company... that was it. it felt like all the other characters were doing busy work just so they'd be in the episode - and speaking of being in an episode, where the hell did Bruce Greenwood go? he seemed like he was going to be a major player and here we are, 7 episodes in and he's been missing half the time, gone from entire EPISODES! very weird.
anyway, i came to the realization that this series really should have been shorter, maybe 8 episodes max. now, i'm hoping that they pull off something spectacular in the next 3 weeks before the series (season?) ends, but i can't help but feel that there's going to be another episode like this where everybody is floundering, not having anything to do.
here's to hoping i'm wrong.
- kawitchate
new show - The Kill Point
just last night i was asking for a movie that dealt with a group of people making a stand against another group, and here a day later a mini series comes along to fill the void. needless to say, it's better than the movie i watched last night, but that's not saying much. how good is it?
pretty darn good.
it starts with a bank robbery and turns into a standoff with the police, a hostage situation. the show reminds me of Dog Day's Afternoon, a great movie from the 70s about a bank robbery, but with MORE - more characters to follow, more going on behind the scenes... just MORE. of course, there had to be more, since this is a 9-episode series that takes place in one spot, over the course of a few days (i imagine).
the pilot was pretty much your typical bank robbery gone wrong and subsequent hostage negotiations - but this series focuses on a lot of characters and focuses on them very personally. there are a lot of quiet moments when decisions are being made, and it makes for a good character study series. oh, and the last 5 minutes? ...yeah, the typical bank robbery hostage situation story just turned into something more. and i'm excited.
that all said, here's my gripes:
- i can totally see through most of the "personality tics" that the writers gave some of the characters because they thought it would help to individualize them - the captain and his need for grammatical correctness, the old man that turned out to be gay, the newbie to SWAT and all the crap being given to him, the Paris Hilton-like socialite hostage, the higher-up and the captain disagreeing on every decision... it's all just a bit too much, and not well written.
- as this is a series that takes place in one spot, i'm worried that in future episodes they're going to do flashbacks to the lives of all the characters before the robbery, a la Lost, and if they do that, i'm probably going to stop watching. now, the chances of lots of flashbacks is minimal because the show looks to run only 9 episodes total, but if it continues to move as FAST as it is, well we'll see what we see. i personally think flashback shows like Lost, shows that rely heavily on flashbacks, are boring. i want to see where you are NOW, be it on the island (Lost) or in the bank (The Kill Point). that said, flashbacks from time to time are ok... so is the "flashback episode..." but any more than that and i'm gone.
- i won't say why, but the series has the possibility of getting a little too political for my taste. so far it's been minimal, but the framework is there.
if the series really is only 9 episodes, i'm totally on board for that. if they take the series FURTHER, like into a second season / series, they'll have to give me a real good reason why. so far this looks to be a great mini series. oh, and it couldn't be on at a better time - 9pm on Sunday... right before John from Cincinnati. not bad.
- kawitchate
pretty darn good.
it starts with a bank robbery and turns into a standoff with the police, a hostage situation. the show reminds me of Dog Day's Afternoon, a great movie from the 70s about a bank robbery, but with MORE - more characters to follow, more going on behind the scenes... just MORE. of course, there had to be more, since this is a 9-episode series that takes place in one spot, over the course of a few days (i imagine).
the pilot was pretty much your typical bank robbery gone wrong and subsequent hostage negotiations - but this series focuses on a lot of characters and focuses on them very personally. there are a lot of quiet moments when decisions are being made, and it makes for a good character study series. oh, and the last 5 minutes? ...yeah, the typical bank robbery hostage situation story just turned into something more. and i'm excited.
that all said, here's my gripes:
- i can totally see through most of the "personality tics" that the writers gave some of the characters because they thought it would help to individualize them - the captain and his need for grammatical correctness, the old man that turned out to be gay, the newbie to SWAT and all the crap being given to him, the Paris Hilton-like socialite hostage, the higher-up and the captain disagreeing on every decision... it's all just a bit too much, and not well written.
- as this is a series that takes place in one spot, i'm worried that in future episodes they're going to do flashbacks to the lives of all the characters before the robbery, a la Lost, and if they do that, i'm probably going to stop watching. now, the chances of lots of flashbacks is minimal because the show looks to run only 9 episodes total, but if it continues to move as FAST as it is, well we'll see what we see. i personally think flashback shows like Lost, shows that rely heavily on flashbacks, are boring. i want to see where you are NOW, be it on the island (Lost) or in the bank (The Kill Point). that said, flashbacks from time to time are ok... so is the "flashback episode..." but any more than that and i'm gone.
- i won't say why, but the series has the possibility of getting a little too political for my taste. so far it's been minimal, but the framework is there.
if the series really is only 9 episodes, i'm totally on board for that. if they take the series FURTHER, like into a second season / series, they'll have to give me a real good reason why. so far this looks to be a great mini series. oh, and it couldn't be on at a better time - 9pm on Sunday... right before John from Cincinnati. not bad.
- kawitchate
what do you think?
reading blogs has completely warped the way i read articles. i was reading an article in Game Informer magazine and after i was done reading it i was wondering where the comments were! i wanted to get people's opinions on what i just read, maybe even write a comment of my own... and then i was like "oh yeah, i'm reading a magazine."
the digital age - instant feedback, instant gratification. everyone's opinion counts... love it or hate it. used to hate it. now, apparently i love it.
- kawitchate
the digital age - instant feedback, instant gratification. everyone's opinion counts... love it or hate it. used to hate it. now, apparently i love it.
- kawitchate
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
