As a 34 year old gamer I've seen some moronic behaviour in my time but the recent dust up over Manhunt 2 really takes the cake.
A number of parental and child advocacy groups are urging parents not to buy their little ones Manhunt 2 because of the graphic violence the game portrays. *sigh* I'm going to explain this so that everyone can understand.
*ahem* Manhunt 2 is NOT for children! That little M 17+ in the corner of the box is an indicator of this. The content descriptors on the back that detail gore, graphic violence, strong sexual situations and the like should be another major clue.
Parents, I'm talking to you, stop being pinheads about this. Learning what the ratings mean isn't some epic quest. Its as easy as looking at the letter and asking a store clerk what it means. Failing that look at the back of the box and ask what the descriptors mean, even though most are fairly self explanatory.
It might even surprise you to know that I find the game extremely distasteful and I don't plan on buying it at all. There are many of us who feel the same way. So the next time an M rated game comes out. instead of jumping to conclusions and making assumptions, do the research and be a parent for crying out loud.
That's all and God bless
End of line.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Bullying
We have a big problem in this country. Well actually we have several big problems but the one I'd like to discuss today is bullying. I don't mean the schoolyard, pick on the weird and different kid kind of bullying, though that too is a major issue with me. What I mean is the mentality that you can sue someone until they do what you want.
You see it more and more as the years go on and its getting ridiculous. By way of a for instance lets look at one John Bruce "Jack" Thompson. He's made a career, what little of it there is, out of filing lawsuits against people and companies he doesn't like in order to get what he wants. He sued Howard Stern and the parent company of his earth bound radio staion until it became such hassle that Stern moved to satelite radio where there no constraints on what Stern can say or do. Thompson proclaims this a victory because he got what he wanted by being a bully. Now Thompson has filed a lawsuit against Best Buy and the ESRB (for full details see http://www.gamepolitics.com/). He's done this before with Best Buy and other retailers. He's tried to bully Microsoft, Take Two and Rockstar games, and other game manufacturers as well.
Of course Thompson isn't the only legal bully there is either. Atheists have, over the years, tried to sue the word God out of every facet of government and the public square, regardless of what the majority wants. In the past few years we've seen a concerted effort to try and remove "one nation under God" from the pledge of allegiance, "In God we trust" from the money, and any number of other lawsuits that are in direct opposition to the will of the people. The majority want those things to stay as they are, but a small group of people have decided that their will is more important and are attempting to use the courts to bully the rest of us into accepting their vision of America instead of our own.
This nonsense has to stop and it has to stop now! This kind of moronic behaviour isn't what the founding fathers intended America to be. Instead of trying to force the people to do what you want, why not actually try and change the culture on the level of the people. Government and law won't change anyone and all this kind of legal bullying does is make more enemies. Of course some people like having lots of enemies, I don't really understand it but eh.
I understand that many will not agree or may take the second example I gave poorly, but this is how I see things. Its how I understand them. Feel free to disagree, but I ask that you do so respectfully.
That's all for now
End of line.
You see it more and more as the years go on and its getting ridiculous. By way of a for instance lets look at one John Bruce "Jack" Thompson. He's made a career, what little of it there is, out of filing lawsuits against people and companies he doesn't like in order to get what he wants. He sued Howard Stern and the parent company of his earth bound radio staion until it became such hassle that Stern moved to satelite radio where there no constraints on what Stern can say or do. Thompson proclaims this a victory because he got what he wanted by being a bully. Now Thompson has filed a lawsuit against Best Buy and the ESRB (for full details see http://www.gamepolitics.com/). He's done this before with Best Buy and other retailers. He's tried to bully Microsoft, Take Two and Rockstar games, and other game manufacturers as well.
Of course Thompson isn't the only legal bully there is either. Atheists have, over the years, tried to sue the word God out of every facet of government and the public square, regardless of what the majority wants. In the past few years we've seen a concerted effort to try and remove "one nation under God" from the pledge of allegiance, "In God we trust" from the money, and any number of other lawsuits that are in direct opposition to the will of the people. The majority want those things to stay as they are, but a small group of people have decided that their will is more important and are attempting to use the courts to bully the rest of us into accepting their vision of America instead of our own.
This nonsense has to stop and it has to stop now! This kind of moronic behaviour isn't what the founding fathers intended America to be. Instead of trying to force the people to do what you want, why not actually try and change the culture on the level of the people. Government and law won't change anyone and all this kind of legal bullying does is make more enemies. Of course some people like having lots of enemies, I don't really understand it but eh.
I understand that many will not agree or may take the second example I gave poorly, but this is how I see things. Its how I understand them. Feel free to disagree, but I ask that you do so respectfully.
That's all for now
End of line.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Under rated games
We've all played them. Games that we loved that for some inexplicable reason never succeeded like they should have. Games with stellar stories and good game play that never took off, dooming them to the bargain bins of doom. I'd like to take a moment or two and talk about some of the games that I was fortunate enough to come across that were woefully overlooked by the gaming community. I hope for this to be a semi-regular feature with each one talking about a different game or games.
For this instalment Primal. I can't say enough about how good this game is. Gorgeous visuals, a great story and fantastic voice acting by none other than Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar of Babylon 5) and Hudson Leik (Calisto from Xena: Warrior Princess). Its a shame that a game as good as Primal flopped like it did. It deserved much better for trying to tell a mature story and actually using the shoulder buttons for combat instead of the standard fare. If you happen to find this one pick it up and give it a go. Just be aware that the game is rated M, in case you happen to be a minor.
That's all for this instalment. If you have any ideas of your own feel free to share.
End of Line
For this instalment Primal. I can't say enough about how good this game is. Gorgeous visuals, a great story and fantastic voice acting by none other than Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar of Babylon 5) and Hudson Leik (Calisto from Xena: Warrior Princess). Its a shame that a game as good as Primal flopped like it did. It deserved much better for trying to tell a mature story and actually using the shoulder buttons for combat instead of the standard fare. If you happen to find this one pick it up and give it a go. Just be aware that the game is rated M, in case you happen to be a minor.
That's all for this instalment. If you have any ideas of your own feel free to share.
End of Line
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Israel and Where I Stand
I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt and abject apologies to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel for the centuries of anti-Semitism that was born in the misguided teaching of the early Church fathers. I never knew some of the things I do now and I humblely ask their forgiveness for our mistakes.
To those of you wondering what I'm talking about: I just finished reading "In Defense of Israel" by Pastor John Hagee. To say that it was eye-opening would too soft a turn of phrase. I learned more about the history of our two peoples, Christians and Jews, in the two days it took to read than I ever have from a single pastor of any other church I've been to in my 34 years of life.
I want to let my Jewish brothers and sisters know that I stand with them in defending and supporting Israel and its right to exist. I support them in their desire to see Jeruselem undivided. I support their absolute right to defend themselves from the terrorist attacks of their neighbors. No longer should the people of Israel be forced to give up land or make concessions in the name of peace. Time and time again their neighbors have shown themselves to be unwilling to cease their attacks with no reaction from the rest of the world. Should Israel defend itself, however, suddenly everything becomes Israel's fault. This MUST stop.
I look to the pages of history and I see a trend. Every empire or imperial wannabe that has tried to destroy Israel and her people are dust in the wind. From Pharoh in ancient Egypt, who tried to work the children of Israel to death, to the Babylonians, the Ottomans, the Romans, Hitler and his Nazi goons, ALL of them have fallen to dust. Lord Jehovah looks after His people.
I stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters in praying for the peace of Jersusalem and to them I say don't lose hope. Israel and Jerusalem will endure and survive. Both history and the Bible teach us this.
That's all for now all.
"End of line."
To those of you wondering what I'm talking about: I just finished reading "In Defense of Israel" by Pastor John Hagee. To say that it was eye-opening would too soft a turn of phrase. I learned more about the history of our two peoples, Christians and Jews, in the two days it took to read than I ever have from a single pastor of any other church I've been to in my 34 years of life.
I want to let my Jewish brothers and sisters know that I stand with them in defending and supporting Israel and its right to exist. I support them in their desire to see Jeruselem undivided. I support their absolute right to defend themselves from the terrorist attacks of their neighbors. No longer should the people of Israel be forced to give up land or make concessions in the name of peace. Time and time again their neighbors have shown themselves to be unwilling to cease their attacks with no reaction from the rest of the world. Should Israel defend itself, however, suddenly everything becomes Israel's fault. This MUST stop.
I look to the pages of history and I see a trend. Every empire or imperial wannabe that has tried to destroy Israel and her people are dust in the wind. From Pharoh in ancient Egypt, who tried to work the children of Israel to death, to the Babylonians, the Ottomans, the Romans, Hitler and his Nazi goons, ALL of them have fallen to dust. Lord Jehovah looks after His people.
I stand with my Jewish brothers and sisters in praying for the peace of Jersusalem and to them I say don't lose hope. Israel and Jerusalem will endure and survive. Both history and the Bible teach us this.
That's all for now all.
"End of line."
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Gaming Culture
The gaming culture is nothing new. We've been around since the 1970's when Dungeons and Dragons was first published and its been an evolving culture ever since. The problem is, that, when some of our more, how should I say this, immature members speak out it does more harm than good.
When our more immature memebers speak out its usually to the tune of somebody sucks, or someone should die, or someone's gay and should shut up. It tends to degenerate into a nonsensical tirade of vulgarity and personal attacks from there. We're not going to win anyone to our side with behaviour like that. It took comic books more than forty years to break the stigma that they were the cause of moral decline and turpitude. Rock music STILL hasn't broken that stigma; and you think that the gaming culture is going to break it in only a few years? Its time to grow up and realize that the only way we're going to be able to break the stigma that gamers have is by showing people that we're not supportive of those kinds of tactics.
I'm not saying that people don't have the right to speak their mind, because they do and its an important right. However I am saying that we can and should chasitse those among us who are doing more harm to the cause than help. We should take companies to task whenever they publish a game that is purely exploitative and made solely for the sake of controversy (Rockstar I'm looking in your direction). We have to take the initiative because if we don't others WILL try to take it for us, and then we've lost.
That's all for now.
"End of line."
When our more immature memebers speak out its usually to the tune of somebody sucks, or someone should die, or someone's gay and should shut up. It tends to degenerate into a nonsensical tirade of vulgarity and personal attacks from there. We're not going to win anyone to our side with behaviour like that. It took comic books more than forty years to break the stigma that they were the cause of moral decline and turpitude. Rock music STILL hasn't broken that stigma; and you think that the gaming culture is going to break it in only a few years? Its time to grow up and realize that the only way we're going to be able to break the stigma that gamers have is by showing people that we're not supportive of those kinds of tactics.
I'm not saying that people don't have the right to speak their mind, because they do and its an important right. However I am saying that we can and should chasitse those among us who are doing more harm to the cause than help. We should take companies to task whenever they publish a game that is purely exploitative and made solely for the sake of controversy (Rockstar I'm looking in your direction). We have to take the initiative because if we don't others WILL try to take it for us, and then we've lost.
That's all for now.
"End of line."
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Racism
Yup I'm about to go there.
As a Christian conservative I got heat in my college days from people who automaticly assumed I was a racist because of my faith and political beliefs. It always confused me because I knew I was anything but a racist. I detest bad behaviour from anyone, regardless of their background. Looking back on it now I realize that the racism was, in fact, coming from people that had more of a liberal perspective.
Now let me finish and show you my train of thought. I don't think that all liberals are racist; but I do see how someone could slip down that path if they aren't careful. Just like I see how somone who's a conservative could start down that path unintentionally.
The argument I hear, and I could be very much wrong here, is that someone who's a minority can't make it without the help of government and liberals because they're minorities and the deck is stacked against them.
I never really stopped to think about what was being said here but now that I do it sounds a tad racist doesn't it? Why can't someone make it through faith, hard work and determination? I was always taught that the measure of a person isn't what they were born into, but the way that they reacted to their circumstance. If we tell kids in low income areas that their only way out is rap or sports aren't we feeding a pretty negative stereotype? Why not encourage some of these kids to find ways to help the community? Become a pastor, a teacher, a doctor. Anything is possible if you work for it and believe on God to show you the way.
I believe that anyone can rise above their situation and circumstance. It just takes work and dedication.
To tell someone that they can't make it because of their birth is not only racist, its downright evil.
That's all for now all.
"End of line."
As a Christian conservative I got heat in my college days from people who automaticly assumed I was a racist because of my faith and political beliefs. It always confused me because I knew I was anything but a racist. I detest bad behaviour from anyone, regardless of their background. Looking back on it now I realize that the racism was, in fact, coming from people that had more of a liberal perspective.
Now let me finish and show you my train of thought. I don't think that all liberals are racist; but I do see how someone could slip down that path if they aren't careful. Just like I see how somone who's a conservative could start down that path unintentionally.
The argument I hear, and I could be very much wrong here, is that someone who's a minority can't make it without the help of government and liberals because they're minorities and the deck is stacked against them.
I never really stopped to think about what was being said here but now that I do it sounds a tad racist doesn't it? Why can't someone make it through faith, hard work and determination? I was always taught that the measure of a person isn't what they were born into, but the way that they reacted to their circumstance. If we tell kids in low income areas that their only way out is rap or sports aren't we feeding a pretty negative stereotype? Why not encourage some of these kids to find ways to help the community? Become a pastor, a teacher, a doctor. Anything is possible if you work for it and believe on God to show you the way.
I believe that anyone can rise above their situation and circumstance. It just takes work and dedication.
To tell someone that they can't make it because of their birth is not only racist, its downright evil.
That's all for now all.
"End of line."
The Violent Videogame Debate
Sometimes it seems like you can't turn on the news without seeing someone chiming in on the debate over violent videogames. The subject has been approached by multiple sides, all with different beliefs and ideas about how it should be handled. Some think that they should be banned all together, some think nothing needs to be done, and still others think that it should be a felony crime to sell a child an M rated game.
The problem is that we've gotten so caught up in the "us vs them" mentality that we're not seeing the common ground. Most gamers, myself included, don't think that children should be playing M rated games. Its not meant for their age bracket and we're cool with that. If a parent chooses to buy such a game for their kid then the onus is on the parent, not the industry as a whole.
We don't disagree on the problem, just the solution. Suing people into doing what you want is not the answer. Trying to make laws that fine stores several thousand dollars and lable a cashier a felon are not good solutions either. What has to happen is that we and our critics need to meet and have a civilized talk about what we can do to make the system work better or at least more efficiently.
The ESRB really isn't that hard to understand. The back of every videogame has a content descriptor that explains why a game is rated the way it is. If you find yourself unable to interpret what the descriptors mean, by all means ask someone working in the videogame section of your local store, most of them will be glad to explain what they mean.
We all have to work together here. Its the only way problems are going to be solved.
That's all for now.
To quote the movie: "End of line."
The problem is that we've gotten so caught up in the "us vs them" mentality that we're not seeing the common ground. Most gamers, myself included, don't think that children should be playing M rated games. Its not meant for their age bracket and we're cool with that. If a parent chooses to buy such a game for their kid then the onus is on the parent, not the industry as a whole.
We don't disagree on the problem, just the solution. Suing people into doing what you want is not the answer. Trying to make laws that fine stores several thousand dollars and lable a cashier a felon are not good solutions either. What has to happen is that we and our critics need to meet and have a civilized talk about what we can do to make the system work better or at least more efficiently.
The ESRB really isn't that hard to understand. The back of every videogame has a content descriptor that explains why a game is rated the way it is. If you find yourself unable to interpret what the descriptors mean, by all means ask someone working in the videogame section of your local store, most of them will be glad to explain what they mean.
We all have to work together here. Its the only way problems are going to be solved.
That's all for now.
To quote the movie: "End of line."
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