Archive for February 2010
Earlier today, Australia's largest video game retailer, EB Games, delivered forty-six thousand submissions to the federal Attorney-General's department supporting their recent discussion paper around creating an R18+ classification for video games. EB Games collected submissions in all of their stores across Australia, as well as online, and in just two weeks it collected the staggering number of favorable statements advocating such a classification for 18+ video games.
In an article on Tuesday over at The Bulletin (Philadelphia's family newspaper), Susan Brinkmann explores a growing problem facing today's "avid gamers" and their immortal souls. Specifically, a rise in the proliferation of satanic-themed video games targeting God, Catholicism specifically and Judeo-Christianity in general. Most of the article is built up on quotes by a 32 year old named Lance Christian who declares matter-of-factly that "the devil has a new tool to work with in this age of technology, and the majority of adults in a position of responsibility are left in the dark."
Confirming their dedication to previous announcements, Ubisoft has recently said that the PC version of Assassin's Creed 2 will utilize their latest attempt at DRM, necessitating an always-on internet connection for the duration of your game time. Rock Paper Shotgun says that this is "open contempt for paying customers" and, frankly, I agree with them.
You may recall an article I wrote back in December regarding my experiences with getting Flower, an indie title by developer thatgamecompany available for download on the PlayStation Network, downloaded and installed on my then-new PS3. Last night I serendipitously got an email from someone who had the same problem as myself, who figured out a simple and rather ingenious way to get the game installed correctly.
It should be obvious to anyone who watches the news that, at least in the US, when it comes to how the public at large handles depictions of gratuitous violence or gratuitous sex, reactions usually vary wildly. We're used to violence on movies and television shows, to say nothing of the perpetual sport we as gamers partake in through gunning down criminals and generic "bad guys" through the course of any FPS or action game. We're "desensitized" to this, at least when our impetus is killing enemies in the name of a greater good, and most people don't really balk unless said killing is exceptionally graphic and excessive.
We Fly Spitfires has an entry up regarding Global Agenda and its decision to go the digital distribution-only method. I mentioned in my review earlier that it's only available through Steam, but there's also a limited edition version available through purchase on Amazon's US store. Either way it's expected by Global Agenda's developers that if you want to buy it, you're likely going to buy it through Steam.
Global Agenda is one of a few new science fiction-themed MMOGs that have been announced recently. Developed by Hi-Rez Studios, the title blurs the line between FPS, MMOG and strategy game, delivering something that is a fun amalgam of the three even if it lacks a lot of the depth found in any one facet. As such, Hi-Rez has named their game a "spy-fi" MMOG.
- Joshua Meadows: Yes dear.
- Josh:
should effectively sum up how I feel. - AK: A feminist assertion that the game is sexist in its portrayal of women is also an assertion that any woman who expresses physicality and/or...
- Kaimi Kyomoon: Bravo! And best wishes for every success to you and your boyfriend and for equal rights and opportunities for all gay/bi/straight...
- Joshua Meadows: Josh: It’s really down to aesthetics for me. I’ve used an Eee and other netbooks and on the superficial level,...
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