Film critic Mark Kermode wrote a very interesting article recently comparing the recent scares and controversies surrounding videogames to the similar scares and controversies that surrounded horror movies back in the 1980s. The Guardian, by way of reactionary columnist Jaqueline Hunt, has responded to the article, missing the point entirely and bringing up the long-dead RapeLay controversy.
In her article, “These videogames aren’t art, they’re extreme pornography,” Hunt focuses entirely on one game, RapeLay, to make her point, totally ignoring the existence of truly artistic games and choosing instead to vilify an entire medium based on this single anomalous title.
“If games such as RapeLay can now be classified as art, maybe the popular media promotion of sexual violence against women is so normalized that we don’t even pay attention any more,” supposes Hunt. “Does ‘killing’ a prostituted woman in Grand Theft Auto just reconfirm to a gamer the “lesser value” of women in prostitution generally?”
As Negative Gamer points out, what Hunt has done is akin to her attacking the entire medium of film because child pornography exists. Singling out a videogame and using it to say that somebody defending games as art is wrong comes across as really quite pathetic, and exposes Hunt’s complete ignorance and inability to form a real argument. Videogames are bad because one videogame I saw is bad — that’s her argument.
The Guardian is usually quite intelligent and fair with its videogame coverage — it’s sad and disappointing that the publication gave this woman a soapbox upon which to miss the point entirely.
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Musicians have been very quick to sh*t all over music games with their "play a real instrument" demands and whining that titles like Guitar Hero and Rock Band discourage kids from wanting to learn music. However, Irish rock band U2 has actually praised the idea behind these games, with bassist Adam Clayton claiming the group wouldn’t mind being in one … if the conditions are right.
"We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren’t what we wanted," explains the bassist. "That could change. I love the idea that that’s where people are getting music, and we’d love to be in that world. We’ll figure something out. What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we’re interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation. We didn’t want to be caricatured."
So, U2: Rock Band perhaps? Is that something you’d be interested in playing, or are you one of those people that hate Bono and will take a massive crap upon anything U2 is involved in because of it? I don’t care what anybody says, I think U2’s alright, and wouldn’t mind seeing more of that music in Rock Band.
The ESRB continues its streak of selling me videogames with its descriptions of products, this time
taking aim at the rated E for Everyone (10+!)
LEGO Rock Band.
"During some cutscenes, LEGO characters engage in not so civil behavior," the description reads. "A hotel room is trashed; a character belches loudly into a microphone; and a dinosaur destroys an outhouse, leaving a solitary figure stranded on a toilet."
How rock n’ roll is that? Who knew these little brickmen (and women) had it in ‘em?
The description also reveals "fantasy-themed venues such as pirate ships, underwater domes, and a medieval castle. All great places for a rock show, where you’d hear such songs as Pink’s "So What?" ("Somebody’s gonna die… my ex will start a fight") and The Automatic’s "Monster" ("Brain fried tonight through misuse… without these pills you’re let loose… it’s a monster?").
It’s no secret that Borderlands offers players their choice of over a bajillion guns as they progress through the FPS. The game procedurally generates them, like an MMO generates swords or other stabby weapons. Some guns will be better than others as internal dice make a random decision, but this won’t apply to at least eight guns as retailer GameStop is rocking an exclusive.
Earlier this morning, the retailer sent out an e-mail pointing those on its newsletter list to a Borderlands pre-order bonus called the “Mercenary Weapon” pack, which gives pre-orders 8 “unique” in-game weapons to roll with in the shooter.
Available both online and in-store, the bonus will stick around until supplies last, or, you know, the game ships.
I know for a fact that none of you have been paying attention to Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, and really why should you? Um, maybe because RYO HAZUKI IS IN IT!? That’s right, the Shenmue star is making his grand return in the most unlikely of fashions, appearing as a racer in Sega’s upcoming crossover game.
Sega made the announcement in a brand new trailer for the game, showing Ryo taking on the likes of Dr. Robotnik from the back of his trusty chopper. It’s something I don’t think anybody has ever expected to see in the history of ever, so I highly suggest you click that video and watch Shenmue’s hero in action.
And yes, he DOES ride a forklift truck in the video as well.
This is literally unbelievable.
He shall appear from a far eastern land across the sea, a young man who has yet to know his potential… And he’ll be driving a badass motorcycle.
Ryo Hazuki, star of the Shenmue series returns in his first playable appearance since Shenmue 2 to join the ranks of the SEGA All-Stars as part of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.
Ryo, protagonist of the Shenmue series and one of the most requested SEGA character to make an appearance in All-Stars Racing will be riding his borrowed motorcycle around classic SEGA themed race tracks. And when a motorcycle just can’t cut it, Ryo unleashes his All-Star move and is able to swap vehicles to his iconic forklift truck to charge and barge opponents out of the way!
The Shenmue series, the story of a son’s quest for vengeance, began life in 1999 as the killer-app for the SEGA Dreamcast. Originally developed by the legendary Yu Suzuki for SEGA, Ryo has yet to gain his revenge but he’s certainly no stranger to motorcycle racing and is sure to make a formidable adversary for Sonic, AiAi, Dr. Eggman and the other All-Stars.
Unsurprisingly, it looks like Ubisoft is hard at work on another Prince of Persia title.
Superannuation has uncovered a LinkedIn profile of a Ubisoft character modeler who makes a direct reference to "working on a new Prince of Persia." The site also noticed that Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner recently filed for a trademark of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Whether the two are related (or if they have anything to do with the upcoming movie) is unknown.
I was a big fan of last year’s Prince of Persia, so a follow up would be welcome. What changes would you like to see Ubisoft make?
You know what Sony’s PSPgo hasn’t had lately? Some bad press! Things have been far too positive surrounding the latest PlayStation Portable, so let’s darken the general tone of the news, shall we? If you couldn’t have guessed, that was a sarcastic lead-in to yet another retailer dumping all over the newest addition to the PlayStation family. This one believes the PSPgo is destined to fail, and fail horribly.
"My own personal opinion is that it’s a no-go. I’ve been to a number of presentations to see if there’s anything there and I don’t feel it’ll go anywhere to be honest," explains Don McCabe, MD of major UK retailer Chips. "I’m 99.9% sure it’s going to fail miserably, in which case it’s going to put back other potential people coming into that digital space.
"I heard from someone at Sony saying ‘this steps our authority on the digital space and signals our intent,’ and actually what I think is that they’ll scare the crap out of anyone else who tries to follow."
McCabe adds that Apple has been a success because Apple did it right, that many of the Apps are free and that paid Apps are paid for with "pennies." He also noted that, while digital distribution is inevitable, there is only room for a small amount of companies to profit, and it seems like he’s written Sony off already.
What do you think? If the PSPgo fails, will it scare other companies from trying? Is Sony making a mistake in trying to force the digital distribution era before it’s ready? I definitely think the time for an all-digital format is not quite yet, though I applaud Sony’s initiative. What I don’t applaud is the price, and the multitude of screw-ups that surround this new system. Trying to bring about a new age in this industry requires that you be competent and efficient. Sony has not been these things with the PSPgo.
Fail.
A Collector’s Edition version of Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time is coming to participating European retailers.
Revealed this morning on the official European PlayStation blog, the Collector’s Edition has a few Ratchet & Clank-themed treats for those with the necessary clink in their pockets. Coming in a lenticular-fronted foldout package, the edition contains an artbook containing exclusive Insomniac art, SCEE Product Manager Kevin Smyth’s foot, and a voucher for a bit of European exclusive content called the “Discovery Package.”
Discovery Package, in particular, sounds like a blast for any budding Insomniac stalker. The DLC lets players fool around in a level that “resembles” the studio’s office, which by the way, we heard was pretty dope. Built like a museum, the level will have a smattering of content that didn’t make it into the final product.
A Crack in Time hits October 27th.
[via Eurogamer]
It’s time to get some Epic Mickey all up in your business, with a smattering of new details concerning Warren Spector’s highly anticipated Disney extravaganza. With the latest Game Informer soon to spill the beans on Mickey’s dark Wii outing, fresh Intel has invariably been sniffed out, so strap yourselves in and get ready for the data blast.
Here is all the fresh news on Epic Mickey:
- The game’s plot revolves around "forgotten" Disney characters. Obscure characters from long-forgotten cartoons and rides have been cast into a dark world of broken-down machinery and very bitter attitudes.
- The main villain is Disney’s first ever cartoon hero, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Now a nobody, he has rallied the residents of the dark world and is out for revenge against the mouse that took his place as Disney’s spokesman.
- Oswald unleashes the Phantom Blot, a monster that invades the Disney universe and begins to disassemble it by using black ink and making the colors of the world run together (this explains the "melting" imagery used in concept art). It’s all very meta, this.
- Mickey Mouse will save the Disney world by fixing the Blot’s undoings, using a set of tools like paintbrushes, thinner, erasers and pencils to restore the artwork of his universe.
- Each of the tools are mapped to various Wiimote gestures.
- The game is all about artwork and exploring. Also, Mickey will be getting a radical makeover, which is why nobody’s seen his face yet. A source tells Eurogamer that "he’s far more retro than you’ve seen him for years."
- There are also rumors surfacing that Epic Mickey will not be exclusive to the Wii, based on Game Informer removing the Wii exclusivity claim from its teaser page. Might mean nothing, but we’ll have to see.
So … how frigging hot does that lot sound? Very hot, I will imagine. I love it when cartoon companies scour their libraries for obscure and forgotten characters, so it’s going to be great to see what surprises pop up in Epic Mickey. I think this is going to be something that old school Disney fans will find absolutely brilliant. Cannot wait to see the new look for Mickey, too.
What do you think? Exciting or what?
Valve won’t quit on Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia, despite the title having been rejected by the Australian Classification Board. According to Valve head honcho Gabe Newell, the studio has submitted a new, cleaner version of the zombie-skull buster in an attempt to get a MA15+ rating which would allow the title to see a release.
“We think Left 4 Dead 2 is a lot of fun,” Newell said at a Sydney event yesterday afternoon. “It’s a game for adults. But we’re aware that different countries have different restrictions, and we want to make the choices that make the game the most fun for that country.”
If this different version of game makes it through the process like the original Left 4 Dead did, the studio plans to release an update that will, perhaps, restore the title to its bloody (and original) glory.
Valve has also appealed the decision to keep the original Left 4 Dead 2 out of Australian consumers’ hands. The Classification Board won’t report back to the studio about the appeal until October 22nd, weeks before the game’s scheduled worldwide release. Considering the timing, the edited version of the game appears to be a solid back up plan. That is, if the Board approves it for consumption.
[via Kotaku Australia]