Parents and the ESRB Rating System: The Death of Common Sense
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Editorials, Rants
Christian, family, and parental watchdog organizations are responsible for a discouraging trend lately by flooding the web with “parental buying guides for video games.” Take The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) for example. They recently released their 13th annual video game report card that includes a list of games parents should avoid in 2008. And another group, The Timothy Plan, has started their own little witch hunt of “evil-doers” in the gaming industry. Also, as we mentioned in Hey Did You Hear… last week, the ESRB has instituted a new policy that will require a detailed listing of the game’s content on their website (hello, spoilers!) in addition to the current rating and content descriptors so that parents can further understand what is included in a game. The more these organizations clog parent’s brains with these “games that are evil” guides, the less parents will rely on the ESRB rating system and make good parenting choices on their own. I’m not saying parents don’t need to be informed (because I know a lot of them are clueless). I’m saying these organizations need to focus on teaching the rating system, not demonizing games based on their content.
Tags: Editorials, ESRB, MPAA, National Institute on Media and the Family, NIMF, Rants, ratings, The Timothy Plan, Video Game Voters Network
Idiots at Wal-Mart on Black Friday Trying to Trample Each Other For An Xbox 360
Posted by HCG KP1gL37 | Filed under Editorials, Rants
We’ve all heard the sad and slightly terrifying stories about people getting trampled (literally) to death this past Black Friday. I mean honestly, is getting a good deal really worth the lengths these crazy people go to? Here is an example I came across that hit especially close to home.
Picture this scenario: one palate of Xbox 360 Arcades bundled with Guitar Hero III and a wireless guitar on sale for $199 + hundreds of ravenous Wal-Mart shoppers who have been standing outside in the freezing cold all night = pushing, screaming and much commotion. Watch (and learn) and repeat after me, “no deal is worth being squashed to death.”
Tags: Black Friday, Editorials, Rants, Wal-Mart, Xbox 360
GamezNFlix Sucks Ass. Do. Not. Want.
Posted by HCG Paco | Filed under Editorials, Rants
Who you say? E-X-A-C-T-L-Y.
When trying to usurp the king, you need to do what the king does - only better. Gamefly is king when it comes to snail mail game renting and they do it VERY WELL. They have incredible sales, they have great customer service, and the turnaround time is phenomenal. There have been times that I decided to keep my game on a Sunday, updated my queue and had a new game on Tuesday. It is that fast. Plus, the selection is huge and the queue for new releases are tolerable. When you decide to pay for a game and keep it, they send you a minty fresh manual and case. Not to mention the free cash they give you towards any used item or even your subscription periodically. Did I already say that they give you 10% off EVERYTHING, including your subscription after you have been a member for a year? Oh wait, I just did.
So if I am here to bitch about GamezNFlix why am I talking about all of the things Gamefly does really well? BECAUSE GAMEZNFLIX DOES NOT DO ANY OF THEM WELL.
Tags: Editorials, GameFly, GameznFlix, HD-DVD, Rants, Xbox 360
EA goes from Zero to Hero with Dead Space - Ultra Limited Edition
Posted by HCG Musashi | Filed under Collectibles, News, Rants, Trailers
Nearly two weeks ago Electronic Arts pissed off practically every PC gamer on the planet by releasing Spore with the same bullshit SecuROM protection they included with Mass Effect. Needless to say, that was not the best week for EA’s PR rating.
This week has been a whole different story. Not only do they lighten-up the copy protection on Spore and Mass Effect to somewhat reasonable levels, but then go on to announce one of the most truly limited editions for a game - ever.
Tags: Dead Space, Dead Space Collectibles, Dead Space Limited Edition, Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition, Editorials, News, Rants, Trailers, Xbox 360
MMO News Roundup and some long overdue rants about stupid assholes.
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under News, Rants
I’m such a lazy piece of crap that I have a backlog of game news to share. So instead of writing proper posts, I will just vomit out a bunch of links and soundbite commentary in a clumsy effort of actual work.
Stargate Worlds - Interview
Videogamer.com has a delicious interview with Dan Elggren on the Stargate Worlds design team. Chock full of yummy news, here is the interview: Part 1 Part 2
Tags: DC Universe, Editorials, Jack Thompson, MMO, MMO News Roundup, MMORPG, News, Rants, Stargate Worlds, Stupid people, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft
The ever-blurring line between cheating and buying your way through a game…
Posted by HCG Musashi | Filed under Editorials, Rants
I can’t help but feel a double standard in the gaming industry is beginning to grow as of late and I wanted to know if others agree, or think I’m bat-s**t crazy…
Paying real-world money for power or status in a video game is nothing new. I still remember the craziness from the first eBay auction of an Ultima Online account. Since then, a cottage industry had sprouted up all over the world, providing MMORPG players in-game currency and rare items in exchange for real-world money. If you’ve got the money, practically every MMO out there has accounts for sale. Hell, you can even buy MMORPG characters like a loaf of bread these days…
What starting me thinking about all this was when a few weeks ago, the story broke about the Fable 2 - Pub Games Betting Glitch and the reaction it caused.
Tags: downloadable content, Editorials, Rants, Tales of Vesperia, Xbox, Xbox 360
Buffy MMO Gets a Greenlight - Firefly Fans Get the Shaft Again
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under News, Rants
News came out a few days ago about the folks at Multiverse being told to devote all of their attention to an MMO based upon the Buffy The Vampire Slayer IP. At the same time, we also learned that FOX is taking a massive steaming crap all over Firefly yet again.
Even though I never was a fan of Buffy and the bizarre menagerie of characters on that show, I didn’t hate it either. So a Buffy MMO would go into the huge pile of games that I have no interest in. Other people would like it, and I’m all for turning more people onto MMOs by whatever license will get them hooked. I also was not surprised that the Firefly MMO was getting delayed, because it just seemed too good to be true in the first place.
Tags: 3rd Person Adventure, Editorials, Games, News, Rants, Role Playing Game
Race Across Azeroth
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under Editorials, Rants
Before you read anything below, please watch this video and form your own opinion.
First, here is the link to the article I am about to discuss.
Tags: Editorials, Engaget, MMO, MMORPG, Race Across Azeroth, Rants, Video
Double Shot - The Old and the New
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under Editorials, Rants
Today HCG Dreadsorrow is very sick. I have a bad cold right now, and am not in the mood for jocularity and tomfoolery. It is obvious to me that my immune system was compromised by the horrific experience of watching the final death-shudder of a great sci-fi franchise last Friday night when I saw that abyssmally shitty Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I would almost rather go down on Hillary Clinton than to sit through that oozing mecrob again.
Tags: Atari 2600, Editorials, Rants, World of Warcraft, Xbox 360
I Formally Invite BioWare To Kiss My Ass
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under Editorials, News, Rants
Read the article here, then follow along for my commentary.
First of all, to BioWare, here ya go buddy!
Let me just say that I was looking forward to Spore. I would probably have bought it the first day. Now I don’t care if the game comes with coupon for a free hummer from Tricia Helfer. I wouldn’t buy this f*****g game for anything.
I am f*****g sick to death of being treated like a goddamn criminal by media companies that I have given my hard-earned money to in good faith for their product. I have bought BioWare products in the past and enjoyed them very much. I will no longer buy your crap, since I will have to prove to you over and over again that I am not stealing what I have paid for.
In the 14 years that I have owned my truck, never once has Ford ever come to me and demanded to see my title. Never once has Hitachi demanded to see the receipt for my TV. Never once have I had to prove to Roomfull Express that I am the rightful owner of my living room sofa, or else they would not let me sit on it any more.
Don’t you bastards go and blame EA for this either. Everybody already knows they suck donkey balls, especially with their onerous copy prevention bullshit. I already went a few rounds with those A******S over a game that I paid for (Battle for Middle Earth) not running on my system because I dared to install a DVD burner on my computer.
You, BioWare smacktards, you disappoint me greatly. Mostly because I expected better from you. You disingenuous pieces of turd imply that I am a criminal unless I verify that I am not? Well then you can kiss my fat, hairy ass. And just for you, I will forget to wipe.
Tags: BioWare, Editorials, News, Rants, Spore
It Took Me Less Time To Beat MGS That It Did To Install the MGSO Beta
Posted by HCG Paco | Filed under Editorials, News, Rants
I’m guessing that the traffic that took down the PSN today started late last night. Figuring that no one would be playing the Metal Gear Solid Online last night and knowing that Musashi said it would take awhile I started the process around 7pm.
At 12:03am I finished installing the last update. Only to find that my Konami ID wasn’t valid somehow. So after 5 hours, I didn’t even get to try it. Every cloud has a silver lining, so here are the two things I learned.
No matter what PSN says, the torrent is slower.
The user interface for the Konami ID site sucks ass.
Get yours early, you’ll need it come June.
Tags: Editorials, Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Solid Online beta, News, Playstation Network, Rants
Uwe Boll Is a Horse Turd
Posted by HCG Dreadsorrow | Filed under Editorials, Rants
Let me first say that to those gamers that know and love World of Warcraft, or even people with more than 2 functioning brain cells who know Uwe Boll for the worthless toilet floater that he is, you need not fear. Uwe Boll went to Blizzard to tell them he wanted to create another of his abominations, by bringing the world of Azeroth to the big screen. Blizzard’s response was the best official corporate response about anything, to anyone, anywhere.
Paul Sams of Blizzard told Uwe Boll: ‘We will not sell the movie rights, not to you…especially not to you,’
Read the article on MTV’s movie blog here.
Tags: Editorials, Rants, Stupid people, Uwe Boll, Uwe Boll sucks
