Despite my often tumultuous relationship with my PSP, I can't help but be seduced Sony's brand-spankin'-new SuperOval, the PlayStation Vita. As with its predecessor, the device aspires to bring the console experience to one's grubby paws, and as is inevitable, it will probably fall short of the mark. Still, for those of us who aren't expecting an on-the-go PS3 experience, the Vita is a prospectively fascinating device, if only by virtue of the fact that it joins the long line of "latest and greatest" handheld tech.
Many of us have been curious to see how the Vita plays, and now, in this Foul Year of our Lord 2012, "more than 3,300 U.S. GameStop stores now have playable demo units of PlayStation Vita," according to Game Informer.
The Vita will have a decent selection of demos available, including:
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Little Deviants
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
EA Sports FIFA Soccer
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition
Escape Plan
wipEout 2048
So if you've been curious about this pint-sized (or perhaps no so much) wonder-thing, and wish to get your own hands-on preview, head down to your local Gamestop and give it a whirl.
A lawmaker in Oklahoma (a state smack-dab in the middle of the US of A - I'm learning a lot about the country that neighbours mine, writing for this site) has proposed a one-percent tax on violent video games, claiming that they lead to obesity, bullying, and criminal behaviour. State Representative Will Fourkiller, a former educator and nurse, is the one tabling the law, indicating that he has personally seen how violent video games can affect people:
"A gentleman shot a police officer and stole his car," Fourkiller says. "He had been playing Grand Theft Auto."
He can't believe there's actually a video game called "Bully" because he says bullying is often what happens when kids play these games.
"Not everybody is going to react the same," Fourkiller says. "But I believe after hours and hours of watching the screen, playing the video game, being that person and taking on that role, people get desensitized."
So Representative Fourkiller (who voted in favour of a failed 2011 anti-bullying bill which would have included LBGT youth) is proposing a tax on all video games given the ESRB ratings Teen, Mature, or Adults-Only. The money from this tax would go to Oklahoma's Bullying Prevention Revolving Fund and Childhood Outdoor Education Revolving Fund.
Critics contend that the law is founded on a reliance on contested research, is over-broad in its definition of "violent" video games, and is targeting violence in video games while excluding violence in other popular media. Indeed, we here at GayGamer have pointed out many of the difficulties with the current research on video game violence which make it effectively impossible to claim that video game violence causes societal violence. Time quotes its contributor Chrisopher Ferguson:
Quite simply, the research just hasn't panned out. For one thing, even while video game sales have skyrocketed, youth violence plummeted to its lowest levels in 40 years according to government statistics. Secondly, it has been increasingly recognized that much of the early research on VVG linking them to increased aggression was problematic: most studies used outcome measures that had nothing to do with real-life aggression and failed to control carefully for other important variables, such as family violence, mental health issues or even gender in many studies (boys both play more VVG and are more aggressive.) This was something the U.S. Supreme Court recognized when, after considering California's attempt to ban the sale of VVG to minors in Brown v. EMA, it stated on June 27, 2011, "These studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason."
A glaring problem with the bill is that it seems to be geared towards a vague swath of video games in its definition: "'Violent video game' means a video or computer game that has received a rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board of Teen, Mature or Adult Only." That means, aside from obvious games like Fallout, Bully, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty, the bill would be taxing games like Beatles Rock Band, You Don't Know Jack and The Sims 3...
Representative Fourkiller rejects the contention that he is targeting the video game industry, claiming instead that he feels the games should be taxed and that awareness about the issues of video games, violence, obesity, and bullying needs to be raised.
As fellow travelers on the great cyber-plane know, there's some well-warranted annoyance at the thought of identical pricing for both physical and digital copies of video games. It's a simple notion: With the costs of manufacturing, shipping, and printing eliminated, savings should be passed on to the consumer. After all, the refrain "costs will be passed along to the consumer" is echoed every time something threatens a company's bottom line (i.e. taxes and non-prison labor), and as a matter of fairness (hold your chuckling), the corporate world should reward lower-cost customers with lower prices.
Luckily, this has come to pass in Japan, where digital downloads of Vita titles are roughly $10 cheaper than their rectangular, physical counterparts. Now, it seems that those of us on this side of the pond shall share in the spoils of Capital. Game Informer recently quoted an SCEA representative, who confirmed that "there will be a discount," on digital downloads; however, the representative refused to give an exact price, stating only that details are forthcoming.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with this "downloadable" bother: On the one hand, I like the idea of the PSN having all my games backed up; unfortunately, retrieving said games becomes somewhat of an ordeal, given the time spent downloading said title - call me old fashioned, but I enjoy the simple task of popping a game into my console - and limited space, particularly Vita games being quite a bit larger than their PSP counterparts.
So what do you think, gamers? Does the prospect of a discount make you any more inclined (assuming you're presently disinclined) to go the digital download route, or will you, like your humble and obedient servant, stick with your old man ways (seriously, get the f**k off my lawn) and resists the charms of Lady Modernity? Sound off in the comments section below!
Last year's BlizzCon was rather "interesting," seeing the video game frolic somewhat tarnished with a vulgar tirade by Nathan Explosion George "Corpsegrinder" Fischer, of "Cannibal Corpse" fame. While an apology was issued by Blizzard President Mike Morhaime, the incident definitely raised eyebrows - and as Wootini recently noted, there are issues that still need to be addressed with respect to the company's relationship with the GLBT community.
This year, rather than the usual array of gaming, cosplaying, and other such merriment, Blizzard has decided to take a different route. From Battle.net:
Blizzard Entertainment is proud to announce the 2012 Battle.net World Championship, a major global eSports event featuring some of the best pro-gaming competition in the world. Slated to take place in Asia toward the end of 2012, the Battle.net World Championship will host this year's StarCraft II and World of Warcraft Arena World Championship tournaments. Blizzard gamers and eSports fans from around the world will be invited to attend and witness some of the most skilled pro players on the planet battle it out for cash and glory.
We're excited to be showcasing Blizzard eSports on a truly global stage this year. We're also heavily focused on getting Diablo III, Mists of Pandaria, and Heart of the Swarm into players' hands as soon as possible. In light of our jam-packed schedule, we've decided to hold the next BlizzCon in 2013.
So there you go: While not wished into the cornfield for all eternity by some omnipotent child/executive, BlizzCon is off for 2012. Hopefully the company's vow of game development will dispel my long-held view that Diablo III is the digital equivalent of Sasquatch - many have seen "images," and heard tall tales of its existence - exponentially increasing the number of excited giggles across the country, but drastically reducing our collective free time.
I've never been terribly hot on "pro gaming," and while every now and again I had been known to get ripped on a bottle of cheap gin and enjoy the color commentary of "Major League Gamers" while hurling juvenile insults at my television (in the Midwest we call that "Tuesday afternoon"), but for the most part, it's simply not my thing. Still, for those who enjoy their frag-fests with a healthy dose of competition, be sure to check the BlizzCon site for future details!
The specter of Halo 4 haunts the land, and in its shadow lies the prospect of a little glimpse into what could be: the Halo 4 Beta. While the eyes of boys and girls across Gaia surely lit up with news of its "arrival," 343 Industries's David Ellis had to be a killjoy, stating in a tweet that "If you see a page claiming to allow you to sign up for a Halo 4 beta be advised, IT'S A FAKE." Invoking the Romulans for emphasis(the most shifty-eyed of all the Star Trek races, save for those robber-baron Ferengi), the brief video sends the resounding message that such bald-faced bulls**t will not stand, even for the bane of the Alpha Quadrant.
As per usual, the idea is to solicit personal information from unsuspecting victims who frankly should know better by now in the hope of using said information for nefarious, self-interested ends. So should you find yourself tempted by the fair maiden "opportunity," be sure to check yourself before, as the poets of olde warned, "you wreck yourself" - as well as your identity.
On an unrelated note, you may have noticed the day of protest again SOPA. Wikipedia has temporarily shut itself down, the "Google" logo has been replaced with a black bar, and the internet is positively awash in anti-SOPA banners. I'll spare everyone the sermon, but speaking strictly for myself, it seems like a rather rotten piece of legislation: Something about the coupling of corporate self-interest with the authoritative power of the State, however responsibly its proponents claim it will be used, leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. For those of you who are against the bill, and want to make your voice heard, follow this link to find the contact info for your congressperson.
In what some media outlets are calling a "tiff," an uncertain number of workers in China reportedly threatened this week to jump to their deaths following a labour dispute with Foxconn.
Foxconn Technology Group is the company that Microsoft and Apple tap to manufacture the Xbox 360 and iPad - proof, I suppose, that money is no fanboy. If you ever noticed the "Made in China" stamp on your 360, it refers to a factory in Wuhan where Foxconn employees used to manufacture the console. Foxconn allegedly told its workers that the Microsoft contract would be moved to another location, and that's where the story gets muddy. Foxconn workers allege that they were initially offered a choice between severance and being "transferred," but then backed out of the severance option:
The workers climbed to the top of the six-storey dormitory on Jan. 3 and threatened to jump before Wuhan city officials persuaded them to desist and return to work, according to the workers and accounts online. The workers gave varying estimates of the numbers involved in the strike, from 80 to 200, and photos posted online showed dozens of people crowding the roof of the boxy concrete building.
Note that the report suggests these people live in a "dormitory," and were persuaded to not kill themselves but to "return to work" instead.
When the PSP launched, Sony wanted consumers to know that this wasn't you mother's bleeping, blooping, glorified kids toy. No, this was a multimedia device, complete with music playback, internet browsing, video playback, and the like - a serious entertainment machine for consumers that were nothing if not serious. It fell rather short of the mark in my opinion, but now with the Vita, the company is once again seeking to broaden its horizons for portable gaming devices, with the inclusion of Netflix.
No word on whether the app will work with the 3G Vita model, but even if so, Dryden noted in an earlier article that AT&T will only offer two data plans, which cost $15 and $25 per month for 250MB and 2GB, respectively. Streaming media is notorious for eating up those precious, scrumptious megabytes, and while 2GB is still a sizable amount of data - my previous Android phone (RIP) stayed under 2GB with moderate, daily YouTube sprees - longer viewing sessions can be problematic.
Personally, I'm not exactly sprinting toward my fainting couch at the announcement. Partly it's because I don't have a Netflix account, and am disinclined to fork over the nine dollars per month that could be spent on more worthwhile things - you know, like cigarettes. Mainly it's because when it comes to streaming movies to mobile devices, I subscribe to the (nsfw)David Lynch school of thought. Casual viewing is one thing, but as for actual films, I'd prefer to watch them on a screen larger than five inches - say a television, or a computer monitor - which, given the data limit, is probably what you're going to be doing anyway.
So what do you think, gamers? Does the inclusion of Netflix leave your little boy/girl heart aflutter with excitement, or does the dismal gray of indifference prevail? Sound off in the comments section below!
"Perhaps?" you say? I hedge because I'm well acquainted with just how wonderfully crazy people can get.
I could try to tell give you a witty synopsis of what this Skyrim mod has to offer, but I don't know that there's much of a point. Suffice it to say that someone wondered what the world would be like if we all lived in Skyrim and the Macho Man were a fire-breathing, quip-spewing dragon. Really, just as tan(x) can only ever approach and not meet infinity, I don't think there's anything I can write about this singularly bizarre (and I call it that with the utmost respect) video that could do more than approach how...well, how it it is.
Happy Sunday, guys. If you want to try out the mod, you can find it here.
It's not long before Resident Evil: Revelations is released, and Capcom has confirmed that there will be a playable demo available in the Nintendo e-Shop soon enough for players in Europe and North America. Apparently the lucky folks in Japan have had it for some time already, and the rest of the world has been waiting for all the red tape to get cleared up.
Of course, Resident Evil: Revelations is the first RE game built from the ground up for the 3DS, and promises to have lots of good old-fashioned survival horror. It also promises to have shirtless guys and Chris Redfield, who - let's not kid ourselves - makes it instant gaymer bait. Mr. Redfield seems to be to the 'mos what Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball is to our breast-loving fellows. Or he is to me, at least, seeing as this is the umpteenth article I've written that features him, and I've only been around here for about a year now. (Though I still say his biceps have gotten out of control.)
But I digress.
Resident Evil: Revelations is coming out for the 3DS on January 26th in Japan, January 27th in Europe, February 2nd in Australia, and February 7th in North America. There's no word on when the demo will be released, but clearly it's going to have to be soon.
I want to make this absolutely clear, just in case no one understood the situation yet -- SOPA is so destructive, so undeniably strong that it has made former enemies into allies and put software developers on the same side as the people that take from them.
In a startling break from their typical anti-piracy endeavors, Nintendo, Sony, and EA have quietly joined the growing number of major companies opposing the greatest threat to the internet, also known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). A recently updated list of companies supporting the bill on the House Judiciary Committee website shows the mysterious video game-shaped hole.
Neither Nintendo, Sony, nor EA have released statements yet about their change in stance, instead preferring a shadowy slip away from the SOPA spotlight. This goes against literally everything these companies have done in the past to fight the pirates that steal millions of dollars in video games every year, from controversial limits on downloads to installing software to render bootleg game data unusable.
What this means for future company policies remains unclear, but it definitely shows that the fight for internet freedom can be won if major companies with gajillions of dollars at steak can be swayed. Now if only Congress could be influenced by outside bodies...
When an old high school buddy came back from Afghanistan, I felt compelled to ask him about that for which I would be disqualified, for "constantly wetting oneself before, during, and after each firefight": war. "Well, we played a lot of games," he said. "Every now and again some idiot would shoot a rocket at the base, so we'd suit up, shoot back for about 10 minutes, then take off our gear and play some more Xbox."
Despite the black humor of playing FPS games in the midst of a war zone, the military has had a history with video games. Back in the nineties, the Army used a modified version of Doom II (the aptly named Marine Doom), which utilized LAN multiplayer to simulate a squadron, help soldiers to work as a team, follow on-the-fly orders, and generally acquaint players with the tactical approaches that would benefit them in real-world combat. Then of course there was America's Army, a free-to-play bit of digital propaganda FPS title, published and distributed by the US Military. An article on the Army website, "History of Military Gaming" has more for those who are interested; for the rest, let us march boldly - comrades in arms until the bitter end - into the fray.
This time of year is what we like to call a "slow news week" around these parts. Many reporters fill their time with top ten lists. I prefer to look back at the odd story that I didn't get a chance to report on. Maybe it wasn't really that timely, maybe (most likely) I spaced out and completely forgot about it, or maybe - as in this case - it's just...well...
People are using pee to control video games.
Yeah, it's weird, but I can't pretend to be surprised. Men seem to have some sort of deep-seated thing for marking their territory. From peeing our names in the snow, to piddling out camp fires, to the endless "crossing the streams" jokes that come with watching Ghostbusters, pee is a part of dude culture. And now it's a part of pub culture in the UK, thanks to Captive Media.
Believe it or not, this is the third company out there (as far as I can tell) to make a pee-controlled video game. First came the Germans, with the oh-so-lovingly titled piss-screen, which featured a car game to un-subtly remind bar-goers that drinking and driving can very well kill you. Not to be outdone, next came the Japanese - Sega, in fact - taking things to a whole new, terrifically creepy level. Of course, not to let the British Empire be out-done in anything related to pubs, now comes UK company Captive Media's answer to Germany's Piss Screen and Sega's Toylets (I swear on Apollo's chest: I am not making this up)Featuring trivia games, action games, and even the delightfully-titled firefighting simulator Hosepipe Hero, the units (tee hee) have already been installed in one bar in South London and another in Cambridge.
Cue the "joystick" jokes.
As with the previous systems, Creative Media's design features sensors built in to the urinal so it knows where you're aiming, and the action is displayed on an LCD screen just above the urinal. Moreover, the system will have live leaderboards and it will give you the option to tweet your scores. Apparently, the patrons in the Cambridge location are enjoying the experience, and the staff is pleased with how much neater it has encouraged the washroom users to be. As if there weren't any reason to aim before now. But I guess any bit helps.
Captive Media plans to officially roll out their units across the UK in 2012.
• quotes on love on Review: Unstoppable Gorg: Review: Unstoppable Gorg - GayGamer.net I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I'm not sure whether this post is...
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