You might not like computer games, you might not like Giant Bomb. This is irrelevant, this video is so awesome it wont matter. You have to watch it:
Showing posts with label Computer Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computer Games. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Saturday, 16 October 2010
The commoditising of dissent.
This is a funny quick look about a new skateboarding game:
But it is also a good insight into how youthful rebellion has been completely taken over and made into a product. Mostly because this game doesn't do it particularly well but still it really is noteworthy how "youth culture" has made questioning the status quo and how society into a deeply conformist and profitable venture for "the man". Channel what you can't prevent I suppose.
But it is also a good insight into how youthful rebellion has been completely taken over and made into a product. Mostly because this game doesn't do it particularly well but still it really is noteworthy how "youth culture" has made questioning the status quo and how society into a deeply conformist and profitable venture for "the man". Channel what you can't prevent I suppose.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Pretty good news RealID didn't come in really.
So yeah I play computer games, you know this but people who don't know me that well don't know this because computer gaming is a mark of shame to some extent. Now while I would say some of people's dislike for gamers is a problem on their part there is good reason not to hold the hobby in high esteem.
RealID was Blizzard's (maker of the ever popular World of Warcraft) bully idea to make WoW and their other games more like Facebook. For a range of reasons users reacted very strongly against the plan and Blizzard backed down from the plan albeit without acknowledging any of the actual concerns of their customers. Instead they chose to pat themselves on the back for listening to the community. But anyway corporations exist to be hypocritical and evil so this isn't news.
However Kieron Gillen in his final Sunday Papers for RPS (he will be missed) linked a good example of why gaming isn't as culturally acceptable as some people would like and also just how horrible RealID would've been for women (and likely minorities, homosexuals and anyone else prejudiced people might not like).
Starcraft II is another game made by Blizzard and it widely agreed to be a very good game. It came out twelve years after Starcraft and to live up to the massive expectations highlights Blizzard's talent for game development. So with the myth that the majority of computer games players are teenage males is being dispelled one would expect women to play such a popular game. One of the biggest Starcraft fansites, team liquid however did not share this view.
A week The Hathor Legacy did a post about a woman posting on the team liquid forums wanting advice on how to set up an all female clan (a group of people who compete against other clans for prestige and sometimes in proper competitions). The response was the depressingly common mix of sexual harassment and the whining of privileged white males because there is one little thing their privilege doesn't allow them to do. The kicker was though that a moderator of the forum came out in support for the sexists and admonished the woman. However a second post shows the staff of team liquid trying to entrap and then intimidate the author of the original post. Calling people out on their prejudices just isn't right and deserving of retaliation apparently.
The Hathor Legacy posts explain things far better than I could but I do want to repeat their assertions about RealID. This level of harassment was directed towards a woman for volunteering she was female. If every woman (and other potential targets for the unpleasant types the internet abounds with)'s name was out there for easy datamining, harassment and stalking it would've been terribly unpleasant and struck the acceptance of gaming a near deadly blow. Now the death of gaming thing might seem a little selfish, a little myopic but this potential death blow wouldn't be delivered by a hostile act but by the general population of male gamers being given enough power to show the world what they're actually like. The views and culture of gaming is rotten and needs to be seriously addressed by everyone who considers themselves a gamer.
RealID was Blizzard's (maker of the ever popular World of Warcraft) bully idea to make WoW and their other games more like Facebook. For a range of reasons users reacted very strongly against the plan and Blizzard backed down from the plan albeit without acknowledging any of the actual concerns of their customers. Instead they chose to pat themselves on the back for listening to the community. But anyway corporations exist to be hypocritical and evil so this isn't news.
However Kieron Gillen in his final Sunday Papers for RPS (he will be missed) linked a good example of why gaming isn't as culturally acceptable as some people would like and also just how horrible RealID would've been for women (and likely minorities, homosexuals and anyone else prejudiced people might not like).
Starcraft II is another game made by Blizzard and it widely agreed to be a very good game. It came out twelve years after Starcraft and to live up to the massive expectations highlights Blizzard's talent for game development. So with the myth that the majority of computer games players are teenage males is being dispelled one would expect women to play such a popular game. One of the biggest Starcraft fansites, team liquid however did not share this view.
A week The Hathor Legacy did a post about a woman posting on the team liquid forums wanting advice on how to set up an all female clan (a group of people who compete against other clans for prestige and sometimes in proper competitions). The response was the depressingly common mix of sexual harassment and the whining of privileged white males because there is one little thing their privilege doesn't allow them to do. The kicker was though that a moderator of the forum came out in support for the sexists and admonished the woman. However a second post shows the staff of team liquid trying to entrap and then intimidate the author of the original post. Calling people out on their prejudices just isn't right and deserving of retaliation apparently.
The Hathor Legacy posts explain things far better than I could but I do want to repeat their assertions about RealID. This level of harassment was directed towards a woman for volunteering she was female. If every woman (and other potential targets for the unpleasant types the internet abounds with)'s name was out there for easy datamining, harassment and stalking it would've been terribly unpleasant and struck the acceptance of gaming a near deadly blow. Now the death of gaming thing might seem a little selfish, a little myopic but this potential death blow wouldn't be delivered by a hostile act but by the general population of male gamers being given enough power to show the world what they're actually like. The views and culture of gaming is rotten and needs to be seriously addressed by everyone who considers themselves a gamer.
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Passionate artists or pretentious videogame makers?
So yeah, as the title suggests I'm really not sure about whether to admire or disparage the sentiments in this presentation made into a website. I think that might be a good thing, something that makes you think, makes you wonder is probably a good thing. Anyway this manifesto for making videogames more than games is worth reading.
Or maybe it isn't and I'm falling into the trap of trying to overjustify my hobby.
Or maybe it isn't and I'm falling into the trap of trying to overjustify my hobby.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
A freeware game about the difficulties of policing different minorities in the modern urban crime environment
The Games subforum of Something Awful are currently having a game development competition and the top ten games have been announced and opened to public voting.
One of those games is P.I.G.S. which as the title suggests allows you to step into the shoes of an inner city law enforcement official and see what these brave men and women of the thin blue line face.
One of those games is P.I.G.S. which as the title suggests allows you to step into the shoes of an inner city law enforcement official and see what these brave men and women of the thin blue line face.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Tony didn't like this video...
...so you bet its going to be linked:
As someone who plays video games too much this is basically like a government anti-drugs advert. Its also hilarious, I like the giant bomb guys a lot.
As someone who plays video games too much this is basically like a government anti-drugs advert. Its also hilarious, I like the giant bomb guys a lot.
Weird speedruns.
Speed runs for games are when people play games really fast but they use glitches to go faster than they should and it gets pretty boring pretty fast. However, there are exceptions:
I saw this like 10 minutes ago:
which reminded me of:
so there you go I guess.
I saw this like 10 minutes ago:
which reminded me of:
so there you go I guess.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Blizzard getting rid of anonymity on their forums.
Blizzard will be requiring forum users to use their real names for all discussions from now on. Best of luck to all women who play blizzard games and want to discuss it at all. Also note how much dissent is tolerated, very few of the post numbers are sequential.
This is a prime example of why monopolies are a bad thing, now they have millions of players locked into their e-drug the company feels secure enough to follow regressive policies that are beneficial to themselves but extremely negative for their customers. For a further critique of the RealID system of which this is a part go here.
This likely has repercussions for the wider internet because if blizzard carries it off it will be copied. Anonymity on the net is a good thing for the individual and bad for big organisations and vice versa.
thanks jonny
This is a prime example of why monopolies are a bad thing, now they have millions of players locked into their e-drug the company feels secure enough to follow regressive policies that are beneficial to themselves but extremely negative for their customers. For a further critique of the RealID system of which this is a part go here.
This likely has repercussions for the wider internet because if blizzard carries it off it will be copied. Anonymity on the net is a good thing for the individual and bad for big organisations and vice versa.
thanks jonny
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Nintendo 3DS
What the 3DS looks like
A DS that does 3D without needing glasses. I think the DS (with all its minor variations) is pretty much the best selling console of all time and I doubt this updated version is going to put people off.
A DS that does 3D without needing glasses. I think the DS (with all its minor variations) is pretty much the best selling console of all time and I doubt this updated version is going to put people off.
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