Activision has pulled off a heist of Ocean's Eleven proportions. One billion dollars in sales tand in record time. Sixteen days to be exact. Gamers flocked to midnight releases, twelve year olds went fetal in Wal Marts across the country to get their grubby mitts on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Me on the other hand, I went to a RedBox and rented that shit. I popped the disc into my Playstation 3 eager to see the improvements and additions that would make Modern Warfare 3 the best out of the franchise, maybe even the best FPS ever...
Read More
Slide 1 Title Here
Your Description Here..................................
Slide 2 Title Here
Your Description Here..................................
Slide 3 Title Here
Your Description Here..................................
Slide 4 Title Here
Your Description Here..................................
Slide 5 Title Here
Your Description Here..................................
I'm Testing My Flame Shield...Modern Warfare 3 is Ass
Buy These Games/Accessories If You Hate Your Children
Were you unable to back brain kick someone in the quest to save a few dollars on Black Friday? Are you clueless to what to buy the gamer in your life? Chill...your boy Brooks is on the case. With capitalism thick in the air, along with the aroma of burning credit card magnetic strips...I have a list.
Read More
NBA 2K12 NBA's Greatest Trailer [HD]
The NBA lockout drags on, but that doesn't mean we can't hit the hardwood come October. After having the hoops market on lock last year, it doesn't look like 2K Sports is resting on it's laurels. The trailer shows off the increased number of legendary NBA teams, along with some gameplay.
Devil May Cry Preview
For him to be so emo, he's slicing up enemies more than himself. I think you internet know-it-alls may have jumped the gun a tad.
Devil May Cry preview: From black to white | Joystiq
Read More
Devil May Cry preview: From black to white | Joystiq
Madden '12 Demo Impressions
I don't like Madden.
Let me rephrase that, I don't like what Madden has become in the last few years. It seems that EASports would put more work into their marketing, than working on improving sore spots.
Nerd Alley: Gamers Garner Genuine Girlfriends? Unpossible!
I am a sad case. A poor excuse for a man. Melanin Brooks is a gamer, but you knew that already if you've been reading. I am a hairy palmed, basement dwelling, Hot Pocket devouring gamer. I bathe in the light of my flatscreen, and the blood of the noobs I just pwned in Call of Duty. Girlfriend? Who has time! Between clan matches and practice for clan matches & shit talking before clan matches....you get the idea. Besides, women don't pay me any mind. I'm forever alone, fapping till my wrists give out.
I almost kept a straight face typing that bullshit up there. So honestly ladies what's the fuss? Why do some you feel we aren't worthy to date, marry or fuck?
Do you fear that you'd have to compete with games for attention? That phrases such as "Baby, just one more game" and "I'm almost at a save point" will become commonplace? Date nights will be reduced to DiGiorno's and Wii Bowling? Do you fear the day that he'll prefer the bosom of John Madden to yours? And when you can finally convince him to have sex with you, he'll call out Lara Croft's name instead of yours?
They say there's no romance without finance. From what I hear they don't take rupees at Red Lobster. There will be no wining and dining from a gamer. We'll spend every cent of our allowance (we're irresponsible and immature after all right?) buying the latest and greatest consoles. While your girlfriends console you on your ain't shit boyfriend. No money to go out, no money for gifts just because. He's too busy tricking off on that Zelda bitch to pay attention to you.
I know what else you're thinking...that he'll only know how to finger analog sticks. The only joystick he'll maneuver helps him with Mortal Kombat and the only thing that will explode in the bedroom is a semtex grenade hurled during a game of team deathmatch. The only hot ass he'll think about is rode by John Marston.
Let's be honest, I could replace gaming with sports, cars, "the studio" and the potential for failure would be exactly the same. It's a hobby, a way to unwind after a long day. Do you see gaming as childish? A time waster? If you watch Basketball Wives and/or Real Housewives of West Bubblefuck...you can't say shit about maturity, or time wasting.
The numbers don't seem to look good for you either. According to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) 72% of households play games. That means there's an almost 3 out of 4 chance that you become a cat lady. Oh snap, you may have to cut off some of your girlfriends too child! 42% of all women will pick up a controller from time to time. (All statistics can be found here)
Unlike Bigfoot, Playable Luigi in Super Mario 64 and Jay-Z's Illuminati ties, the dateable gamer is not a myth. Are there some that perpetuate the stereotype? Definitely, but they do not make up the majority. I can balance my time with games and the time spent with my girlfriend. Hell I'm lucky enough to be able to combine the two every once in a while. A controller and some friendly smack talk can bring a couple closer. I know when it's time to power down. When she gives me the look, watch me drop that controller faster than Mario slides down a flagpole (editors note: *PAUSEEEEEEEEEE*) As an additional bonus you won't have to wonder where your man is if he spends a good majority of his spare time on the sticks. Where was I last night? LIBERTY CITY!
I'm not changing for anyone, period. I'm a gamer, and we're the shit.
Nerd Alley: Mettle Gear Solid
Abandon all hope ye who attempt to sign into the Playstation Network! For thou shalt rage, oh yes, you WILL rage. 
The dust rises wraith like from the Playstation 3's once alive jet black shell. The sobbing of fanboys nestle in your ears, songs of torment & boredom. A hellion, donning a Kaz Hirai mask follows you along the path mocking with every step.
"Where is your Kevin Butler NOW fanboy?"
"Lair? That game sucked ass."
"RIIIIIIIDGGGE RACERRRRR!"
This is a horrible, horrible place...this place is now your dwelling. Unable to leave until the great server in the sky has be reborn! Yea it will be a sanctuary whence no hacker can put asunder. Believe it brothers & sisters BEEEEELIIIEEEVEEEE!
Or, you can just trade in your PS3 for an XBox.
I think this is jumping the gun. Abandoning a system, which is still quite alive and well, because a few hackers wanted to be assholes. It's been almost a month since the attack and people are itching to camp with the ghost perk in Black Ops (Not me) or rip out someones insides in Mortal Kombat. What I'd like to ask the fanboys is: What happened to the undying loyalty you had for the Playstation? The war of words you would have daily with other nerds about how superior your system is over theirs. The battle of exclusives, and the death of needing multiple discs. You (and probably the rest of the world) LOL'd at the demise of the HD-DVD. Probably even bragged about how awesome Six-Axis was...while the rest of us forget it exists most of the time. The honeymoon just ended, and in the settlement, Gamestop gets half.
This mass exodus is surprising. The PS3 is far from a dead console. Does no one play single player anymore? This outage has been the best thing to happen to my backlog!
And the online thing...I had a 360 before it was cool to trade in your PS3 for one.
What happens when the PSN goes back online? Do you flip your flag again, or will you pull a Newt Gingrich if the shit hits the fan again?
Fuck it, just buy both. You're missing out if you haven't already.
Sellouts.
Read More
The dust rises wraith like from the Playstation 3's once alive jet black shell. The sobbing of fanboys nestle in your ears, songs of torment & boredom. A hellion, donning a Kaz Hirai mask follows you along the path mocking with every step."Where is your Kevin Butler NOW fanboy?"
"Lair? That game sucked ass."
"RIIIIIIIDGGGE RACERRRRR!"
This is a horrible, horrible place...this place is now your dwelling. Unable to leave until the great server in the sky has be reborn! Yea it will be a sanctuary whence no hacker can put asunder. Believe it brothers & sisters BEEEEELIIIEEEVEEEE!
Or, you can just trade in your PS3 for an XBox.
I think this is jumping the gun. Abandoning a system, which is still quite alive and well, because a few hackers wanted to be assholes. It's been almost a month since the attack and people are itching to camp with the ghost perk in Black Ops (Not me) or rip out someones insides in Mortal Kombat. What I'd like to ask the fanboys is: What happened to the undying loyalty you had for the Playstation? The war of words you would have daily with other nerds about how superior your system is over theirs. The battle of exclusives, and the death of needing multiple discs. You (and probably the rest of the world) LOL'd at the demise of the HD-DVD. Probably even bragged about how awesome Six-Axis was...while the rest of us forget it exists most of the time. The honeymoon just ended, and in the settlement, Gamestop gets half.
This mass exodus is surprising. The PS3 is far from a dead console. Does no one play single player anymore? This outage has been the best thing to happen to my backlog!
And the online thing...I had a 360 before it was cool to trade in your PS3 for one.
What happens when the PSN goes back online? Do you flip your flag again, or will you pull a Newt Gingrich if the shit hits the fan again?
Fuck it, just buy both. You're missing out if you haven't already.
Sellouts.
Nerd Alley: Down and Out: The PSN Story
I will not complain about the Playstation Network outage.
I will not pan at Sony's efforts/reaction to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. I do not have any rage in me. I'm saving that for Black Ops. Data leak? How long have I been using the internet? It's already out there people believe it or not. The bottom line is, millions of Playstation 3 users are unable to get online to compete, watch Netflix/Hulu or surf porn (oh wait, that's still possible.)
And the soldiers on the Xbox side of the console war won't let you forget about it...that doesn't sit well with me.
Where is the compassion for your fellow gamers people? I know how it feels to only have one system & have it die in it's sleep via the RRoD, as I'm sure millions of you have. You, took to the world wide web to vent your spleen for Bill Gates' head on a pike for manufacturing shortcuts that aren't allowing you to enjoy your hobby. Instead of fanboys from the Sony & Nintendo sides supporting their gaming counterparts (because...I don't know...it could happen to YOU) they go into detail on how you're a dumb ass for buying that POS from M$. I want to ask, why the blind dedication to a piece of plastic? Why is it so difficult for fanboys to be impartial (and logical)? It's way too many excellent games out there for you to be a tech label whore. Cut it out.
No matter the technological dick measuring contests PS3 & XBox fanboys have daily online, we're all in the same gang.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Y6IPtTFQM?rel=0]
The hackers just didn't attack the servers of a major corporation, they attacked US! Hardcore, casual, whatever. This affects us all. Being a troll solves nothing. Instead of arguing back and forth over processors, shortcomings & console exclusives; we need to be on one accord here. Watching millions be screwed out of enjoyment and possibly their identity while Nelson Muntzing it on the sidelines isn't a good look. Don't let your nerd love for a certain console blind you to what's going on and how it may possibly impact your gaming experience one day.
P.S. To the hackers responsible...DIE SLOW!
Nerd Alley: Backlogged
Hello, my name is Melanin Brooks, and I am a compulsive game buyer.
I know a lot of you in this room share in my pain. Your neck itches, and your wallet trembles in fear just walking past a Gamestop. Don't let it be a B2G1, it's a wrap for my checking account. You overestimate your strength by walking in, telling the clerk you're just browsing. Before you know it, you're walking out with a copy of "Wet" to join the rest of the video games you know good and damn well you're not going to finish. Play for a few hours, then it's pushed aside so you can prestige in Call of Duty.
Triple A quality titles get the jumpoff treatment just as quickly as the bargain bin cops. A game can be so overwhelming in scope that you get buried in side quests & mayhem. Sandbox type games are the biggest victims on my backlog. I haven't touched Red Dead Redemption in at least six months...and I'm not sure if I plan to. GTA IV was more fun when you fucked shit up, not taking your cousin out to the strip club. Roman Bellic is worse than a puppy with separation anxiety. Having too much to do gives you a little less drive to progress through the story line. Same thing with RDR. You're galloping on your trusty steed down the dusty trails with a task in mind, revolver at your side Yosemite Sam swag at a million. Ready to pump some varmints full of.....
OH SHIT IS THAT A BEAR? *Pulls out rifle*
And two hours later, you've skinned more animals than you know what to do with. So much for finding out what happens.
Right now, I would say I have at least 20 plus games I need to complete (No I'm not going for trophies score whores) they include Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 2, Mirror's Edge & TWO Prince of Persia games.
Damn it, stop making games that are awesome & I won't keep adding them to my collection!
Or not.
*Sticks Thumbs Out*
The highway's shoulder is my yellow brick road, but I'm sure Dorothy didn't have to step over road kill & trash. Thumb still outstretched, doing my best impression of Bill Bixby during the ending credits of "The Incredible Hulk." My body is tired, my pockets are empty. Frustration builds as car after car after truck continue to pass me by. "What's a nerd have to do to get a ride?" I grumble under my breath. Yet I push on, defeat is not an option...I say a silent prayer, beckoning for a tactical insertion....
My sign reads "E3 or bust." Some people want to reach the top of Mount Everest, others want to step foot on the Earth's moon. I however need to make it to the Los Angeles Expo Center by June. In between wiping the trails of sweat from my forehead, I travel down the less congested, critter corpse free memory lane. Before there was E3, there was the Summer CES in Chicago. As a kid, I dreamed of running the halls of McCormick Place bathed in the glow of monitors showing off the latest and greatest the video game industry had to offer. A dream that was so close, yet so far. I settled for thumbing through GamePro & Electronic Gaming Monthly. Digesting previews & memorizing release dates to discuss with my homies at the back of the school bus.
"Just wait till I get older, you'll see me there."
My motivation now is a bit different. Sure, I'll be forsaking the California sun, but I plan on gaining something more than a tan. I'm looking for an experience, I'm looking to learn from some of the greats of the industry. I want to see the future...today, and tell the world how the future looks to me. My love & passion under one roof. That is why I walk, that is why I risk being murdered by the next weirdo who offers me a ride (Note: The "Large Marge sent me" joke is only funny the 1st 20 times I heard it.)
I've walked, and walked and walked some more. At this point, my thumb might as well be a middle finger. My kicks are caked with grime & sweat has formed an oasis in the underarms of my "Hospitality" t-shirt. The long strides I started with on this journey has become a failed session of QWOP. My mind speaks "don't stop" my mouth can only utter "Wizard needs food badly" in raspy tone. A chorus of crows caw from above. I wasn't sure if it was delirium setting in, but I swear I could hear them divvying up who's going to get to peck at what once I die. I've failed, my quest will end here. Not a 1-up in sight, heartbeat in my ears darkness closing in. My body hits the pavement, consciousness has de-friended me. My body left there, like so many unwanted Tony Hawk Ride skateboards....
Movement. Voices. Justin Bieber. If I am dead, I am in hell.
"Hey, welcome to the land of the living, thought we'd have to drop you off at the morgue and drive off honking the horn."
Good to see someone cares, I think to myself, and that notion was slow to get through the cobwebs. I'm prone in the backseat, head still pounding but it's a great improvement over dying of thirst & starvation.
"How long was I out for?" Holding my head and finally getting upright. Feels like I've been playing Virtual Boy for 12 hours straight.
"You were out for a good 12 hours. Good thing Daniel here saw you while we pulled over so he could take a leak. Found you roadside with a hobo trying to steal your shoes. I'm Josh by the way."
I tell him my name, and I begin to tell Daniel & Josh my story. It's then I notice that Josh is wearing a KMart gamer t-shirt. I still found myself looking for the sharp object I could potentially be murdered with. I'll ask them about CheapAssGamer.com & thank them for the $20 PSN card deal for Homefront. Tell them I think out of all the big box stores they give the best incentives on making purchases through them. Lurking on CAG has saved me quite a bit of dough, but not enough to buy a plane ticket. If they don't know what I'm talking about, I'll open the door & go limp.
"Are you SHC-DanielBH & Spartan117?" I inquire while gripping tightly to the handle of the back door.
"In the flesh. We decided to road trip to Los Angeles for E3."
My sigh of relief could have blown Donald Trump's toupee off. My grip loosened as I continued my story. Then we discussed why we were excited for E3 and what we were looking forward to seeing. I mentioned Tekken x Street Fighter, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3 and Battlefield 3 as the games I'd hope to get my mitts on. Potentially news on the next Grand Theft Auto, NGP & Modern Warfare 3. I want to discover new titles that may get overlooked because of the big dogs. All in all I'm looking to enjoy my time, write a lot and learn a lot.
It seemed as only minutes passed, but we talked for hours. I glance up from a quick doze, I'm a kid on Christmas...
"California, here I come...."
Read More
My sign reads "E3 or bust." Some people want to reach the top of Mount Everest, others want to step foot on the Earth's moon. I however need to make it to the Los Angeles Expo Center by June. In between wiping the trails of sweat from my forehead, I travel down the less congested, critter corpse free memory lane. Before there was E3, there was the Summer CES in Chicago. As a kid, I dreamed of running the halls of McCormick Place bathed in the glow of monitors showing off the latest and greatest the video game industry had to offer. A dream that was so close, yet so far. I settled for thumbing through GamePro & Electronic Gaming Monthly. Digesting previews & memorizing release dates to discuss with my homies at the back of the school bus.
"Just wait till I get older, you'll see me there."
My motivation now is a bit different. Sure, I'll be forsaking the California sun, but I plan on gaining something more than a tan. I'm looking for an experience, I'm looking to learn from some of the greats of the industry. I want to see the future...today, and tell the world how the future looks to me. My love & passion under one roof. That is why I walk, that is why I risk being murdered by the next weirdo who offers me a ride (Note: The "Large Marge sent me" joke is only funny the 1st 20 times I heard it.)
I've walked, and walked and walked some more. At this point, my thumb might as well be a middle finger. My kicks are caked with grime & sweat has formed an oasis in the underarms of my "Hospitality" t-shirt. The long strides I started with on this journey has become a failed session of QWOP. My mind speaks "don't stop" my mouth can only utter "Wizard needs food badly" in raspy tone. A chorus of crows caw from above. I wasn't sure if it was delirium setting in, but I swear I could hear them divvying up who's going to get to peck at what once I die. I've failed, my quest will end here. Not a 1-up in sight, heartbeat in my ears darkness closing in. My body hits the pavement, consciousness has de-friended me. My body left there, like so many unwanted Tony Hawk Ride skateboards....
Movement. Voices. Justin Bieber. If I am dead, I am in hell.
"Hey, welcome to the land of the living, thought we'd have to drop you off at the morgue and drive off honking the horn."
Good to see someone cares, I think to myself, and that notion was slow to get through the cobwebs. I'm prone in the backseat, head still pounding but it's a great improvement over dying of thirst & starvation.
"How long was I out for?" Holding my head and finally getting upright. Feels like I've been playing Virtual Boy for 12 hours straight.
"You were out for a good 12 hours. Good thing Daniel here saw you while we pulled over so he could take a leak. Found you roadside with a hobo trying to steal your shoes. I'm Josh by the way."
I tell him my name, and I begin to tell Daniel & Josh my story. It's then I notice that Josh is wearing a KMart gamer t-shirt. I still found myself looking for the sharp object I could potentially be murdered with. I'll ask them about CheapAssGamer.com & thank them for the $20 PSN card deal for Homefront. Tell them I think out of all the big box stores they give the best incentives on making purchases through them. Lurking on CAG has saved me quite a bit of dough, but not enough to buy a plane ticket. If they don't know what I'm talking about, I'll open the door & go limp.
"Are you SHC-DanielBH & Spartan117?" I inquire while gripping tightly to the handle of the back door.
"In the flesh. We decided to road trip to Los Angeles for E3."
My sigh of relief could have blown Donald Trump's toupee off. My grip loosened as I continued my story. Then we discussed why we were excited for E3 and what we were looking forward to seeing. I mentioned Tekken x Street Fighter, Gears of War 3, Uncharted 3 and Battlefield 3 as the games I'd hope to get my mitts on. Potentially news on the next Grand Theft Auto, NGP & Modern Warfare 3. I want to discover new titles that may get overlooked because of the big dogs. All in all I'm looking to enjoy my time, write a lot and learn a lot.
It seemed as only minutes passed, but we talked for hours. I glance up from a quick doze, I'm a kid on Christmas...
"California, here I come...."
Nerd Alley: Fox News Strikes Again! Scare Tactics & Gaming...Bulletstorm in the Crosshairs
Ridiculous. Over the top. Nonsensical. If you were thinking I were using these words to describe the soon to be released Bulletstorm, you are sadly mistaken my friends. No, I speak of our good friends at "fair & balanced" Fox News. They have just posted an article on their website titled "Is Bulletstorm the Worst Game in the World?" In which they call the game "controversial." I'm going to break down the article and it's utter nonsense, so you don't have to.
Now, let's stop right here. Yes, Bulletstorm is a bloody mess. The violence is overblown, but that's how the game was specifically designed. Sure children as young as 9 (or younger) are playing games of this ilk, but how are these children receiving these games? I'll let you take a wild guess, here's a hint, starts with par ends with ents. Let's continue.
Like I stated above, a child should not even be allowed to breathe on a game with this violent content. It is the parents' job to teach their children about what goes on & what happens in the world we live in. A question for you Dr. Weichman, what are the affects on a child whose parents ignore him or her; yet instead uses television & video games as a pacifier/scapegoat? Do we decry Pokemon, because Little Billy may grown up wanting to start an illegal dog fighting ring? Do we also crucify the superheroes we wanted to be like when we were that age? When did Spiderman & The Green Goblin ever mediate & talk their problems out?
Show me a 9 year old who can spell and define innuendo, and I'll show you his parents, who probably do not let this child play games called BULLETSTORM! The 18-34 demographic to which this game is targeted for use innuendo in attempts to get laid.
Fail! Fail! Fail! FAAAAAILLLL! A Google news search proves that what Carol Lieberman stated above is an outright lie! I can hear a rapist telling his victim now: "I couldn't help myself, I just finished playing Bulletstorm & I just HAD to sexually assault you."
More nonsense from a Lieberman (is Lieberman Jewish for nonsense.) Every single time I've purchased a M rated game, I was carded. But, the weight should not fall on retailers. It should begin & end with the parents. Who should educate themselves on the rating system. A cashier isn't going to ask an adult if they're buying an M rated game for themselves or a child. They don't get paid extra to be media police, YOU wear that hat. It's not as if the ratings system is confusing. It's literally there in black & white.
You want to know why BMX XXX & Postal didn't sell well? They were terrible games. True gamers do not buy games solely because of sex & violence. The God of War franchise has both, but would have been successful without the storyline & great graphics & controls? Definitely not.
Via: Fox News
Read More
Parents had better beware: There's a Bulletstorm on the horizon.
In the new video game Bulletstorm due February 22, players are rewarded for shooting enemies in the private parts (such as the buttocks). There’s an excess of profanity, of course, including frequent use of F-words. And Bulletstorm is particularly gruesome, with body parts that explode all over the screen.
But that's not the worst part.
The in-game awards system, called Skill Shots, ties the ugly, graphic violence into explicit sex acts: "topless" means cutting a player in half, while a "gang bang" means killing multiple enemies. And with kids as young as 9 playing such games, the experts FoxNews.com spoke with were nearly universally worried that video game violence may be reaching a fever pitch
Now, let's stop right here. Yes, Bulletstorm is a bloody mess. The violence is overblown, but that's how the game was specifically designed. Sure children as young as 9 (or younger) are playing games of this ilk, but how are these children receiving these games? I'll let you take a wild guess, here's a hint, starts with par ends with ents. Let's continue.
“If a younger kid experiences Bulletstorm's explicit language and violence, the damage could be significant,” Dr. Jerry Weichman, a clinical psychologist at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California, told FoxNews.com.
Like I stated above, a child should not even be allowed to breathe on a game with this violent content. It is the parents' job to teach their children about what goes on & what happens in the world we live in. A question for you Dr. Weichman, what are the affects on a child whose parents ignore him or her; yet instead uses television & video games as a pacifier/scapegoat? Do we decry Pokemon, because Little Billy may grown up wanting to start an illegal dog fighting ring? Do we also crucify the superheroes we wanted to be like when we were that age? When did Spiderman & The Green Goblin ever mediate & talk their problems out?
“Violent video games like Bulletstorm have the potential to send the message that violence and insults with sexual innuendos are the way to handle disputes and problems,” Weichman said.
Show me a 9 year old who can spell and define innuendo, and I'll show you his parents, who probably do not let this child play games called BULLETSTORM! The 18-34 demographic to which this game is targeted for use innuendo in attempts to get laid.
Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games -- highlighted so well in Bulletstorm -- have led to real-world sexual violence.
“The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games” she said.
Fail! Fail! Fail! FAAAAAILLLL! A Google news search proves that what Carol Lieberman stated above is an outright lie! I can hear a rapist telling his victim now: "I couldn't help myself, I just finished playing Bulletstorm & I just HAD to sexually assault you."
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), rates all video games as a guide for parents; each game carries a letter-label at retail (T for Teen, M for Mature) and an online-only summary. Lieberman and others say it's useless, because it isn't enforced at retail.
More nonsense from a Lieberman (is Lieberman Jewish for nonsense.) Every single time I've purchased a M rated game, I was carded. But, the weight should not fall on retailers. It should begin & end with the parents. Who should educate themselves on the rating system. A cashier isn't going to ask an adult if they're buying an M rated game for themselves or a child. They don't get paid extra to be media police, YOU wear that hat. It's not as if the ratings system is confusing. It's literally there in black & white.
More important, defenders argue that games with excessive violence and sexual content simply don't sell well.
“Games without sufficient quality of gameplay -- games that include highly objectionable violent or sexual content -- often pump up the level of this kind of content to gain media attention. This tactic typically fails, as can be seen in the poor sales performance of titles such as BMX XXX and Postal,” said Billy Pidgeon, a video game analyst with M2 Research.
You want to know why BMX XXX & Postal didn't sell well? They were terrible games. True gamers do not buy games solely because of sex & violence. The God of War franchise has both, but would have been successful without the storyline & great graphics & controls? Definitely not.
Penalizing store clerks
There might be a simple way to address the problem: penalties for selling violent games to kids.
This year, the Supreme Court will make a landmark decision about video-game violence. A California law now makes it illegal for a merchant to sell a Mature-rated game to a minor; the law imposes a $1,000 fine. But the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has sued to overturn the law.
“Between a great ratings system, parental controls on the consoles and the major retailers inhibiting the
sale of Mature-rated games to minors, the matter is really one for parents and adults to consider, individually,” Hal Halpin, the president of the similar Entertainment Consumers Association, told FoxNews.com. “I respect the creative rights of game developers to make a game like Bulletstorm in the same way that I appreciate Quentin Tarantino's right to make over-the-top movies like Kill Bill."
Melanie Killen, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Maryland who has pushed for laws that govern the sale of video games, disagrees that the ESRB rating system is working. She says 9-year-olds are playing games like Bulletstorm and that there is no real enforcement. The FCC monitors all TV broadcasts and stiffly fines broadcasters for violating decency rules, yet there are no penalties in place for retailers who sell violent games to kids.
“The marketing is clearly aimed at children and young adolescents,” Killen said. “Politicians were organizing efforts to address violent video games prior to the presidential election but got distracted by the election. It is time for senators and representatives to come back to the issue.”
The upcoming Supreme Court ruling is a different beast. I'm only going to say this, If they rule for California, you will still hear 12 year old in your online lobbies. As I stated above, 9 times out of 10 a parent is duped into buying the games for a child. You can't put out an all encompassing umbrella when folks are going to decide to walk in the rain anyway. Like Hal Halpin said above, you have the rating & the parental controls...what's stopping your kids from accessing all this meanie meanie bad bad sex and violence?
Why not go further than just fining the retailers Melanie Killen? Let's fine the retailers who sell us the junk food we feed our kids? It's just as bad, if not worse, than the video games you & many others are so against. We don't blame Chester Cheetah for our kids being fat asses (until recently) yet Scorpion is the cause for violent behavior.
Bottom Line:
This is just like the time, the same Fox News claimed the Nintendo DS is a tool to help pedophiles & that the PSP made it easier for children to access pornography (as if the PC didn't already do that.) This is just another story filled with shock value & lacking very little in factual information.
Via: Fox News
Nerd Alley: Madden '12 Touts New Feature!
Ian Cummings, the creative director for the Madden franchise, posted a blog Super Bowl Sunday giving fans a sneak preview of a pair of new features in the next installment. One feature caught my attention immediately! (read the entire blog post here.)
Are you ready for it? *Drumrolls*
SURPRISE ONSIDE KICKS!!!!!! OMGWTFBBQ!!!
Here, take my 60 bucks right this second...and my first born...and a dowry of the finest meats & cheeses I can get on my salary. Madden is back!!!
Maybe I'm being a bit rough on Madden...no fuck that. EASports has released the same unbalanced, feature giveth, feature taketh away game ever since they bought the NFL license.
I don't need any disclaimers on how I'm not a fanboy, that shit is for the YouTube comments section. If you're alright with playing a half made football game, that's on you. When the presentation in game matches the advertising blitz you give me a holler! When nano-blitzing becomes extinct, call me. When the franchise mode stops feeling unimportant, hit me on Twitter (@jisliteskinded). When my 3rd string QB isn't able to drop back 20 yards & throw a perfect deep ball....I think you get the picture.
It's not like Madden is a fledgling franchise. It's been printing money for over twenty years! And we've griped about the issues above for half of them. They KNOW of what they do, but they just don't give a damn about it anymore. No competition equals no drive to make the best sim possible.
EASports...if it's in the game, we'll try to fit it in next year...or the year after that.
[brightcove vid=775249314001&exp3=605122069001&surl=http://c.brightcove.com/services&pubid=602043303001&pk=AQ~~,AAAAjCyTxFk~,bVqVUhSR9MpRNvG9K5TqNL8srgcPv2GF&w=480&h=270]
Read More
Are you ready for it? *Drumrolls*
SURPRISE ONSIDE KICKS!!!!!! OMGWTFBBQ!!!
Here, take my 60 bucks right this second...and my first born...and a dowry of the finest meats & cheeses I can get on my salary. Madden is back!!!
Maybe I'm being a bit rough on Madden...no fuck that. EASports has released the same unbalanced, feature giveth, feature taketh away game ever since they bought the NFL license.
I don't need any disclaimers on how I'm not a fanboy, that shit is for the YouTube comments section. If you're alright with playing a half made football game, that's on you. When the presentation in game matches the advertising blitz you give me a holler! When nano-blitzing becomes extinct, call me. When the franchise mode stops feeling unimportant, hit me on Twitter (@jisliteskinded). When my 3rd string QB isn't able to drop back 20 yards & throw a perfect deep ball....I think you get the picture.
It's not like Madden is a fledgling franchise. It's been printing money for over twenty years! And we've griped about the issues above for half of them. They KNOW of what they do, but they just don't give a damn about it anymore. No competition equals no drive to make the best sim possible.
EASports...if it's in the game, we'll try to fit it in next year...or the year after that.
[brightcove vid=775249314001&exp3=605122069001&surl=http://c.brightcove.com/services&pubid=602043303001&pk=AQ~~,AAAAjCyTxFk~,bVqVUhSR9MpRNvG9K5TqNL8srgcPv2GF&w=480&h=270]
Nerd Alley: Dead Space 2 Drops Today
And my surround sound is scared shitless.
The original Dead Space is definitely a classic in my eyes. I've been a fan of the survival horror genre since Resident Evil (I know Alone in the Dark came first, I didn't have a PC) While I did enjoy the next gen iterations, and that they stopped thinking humans controlled like tanks. I felt that they strayed a bit too far away from true survival horror. Silent Hill started losing steam after part 4. (I'm holding judgment on Silent Hill Downpour) So many memorable moments playing these games. The zombie dogs crashing through windows in Resident Evil, running into Pyramid Head or the random other creepy shit that happens in the Silent Hill series. How can I forget the bear chase from Condemned 2: Bloodshot?
Getting back on track, I don't want to talk about the first installment too much, if you haven't played it already DO IT! It's probably around 20 bucks now, so it's no excuse stop being a cheap ass.
Far as the sequel is concerned, if you're copping I propose a challenge to you. Play through the entire game, surround sound up and the lights off. The prize? My respect....It's worth a bit more than the American dollar at the moment. Seriously!
I hope to have a video review up very very soon I'll get more in depth then. Hopefully I'm not too busy shitting my pants in fear to do so.
