Wonderland

Look!

Normal-shaped female lead (in a kilt!)!

Almost-fanciable male lead!

Buffy-esque adversaries!

Hurrah!

Resident Evil 4. Can't wait.

The Daily Wail

Today's Daily Mail headlines.

John Beyer, of Mediawatch UK, said: 'Youngsters act out these games. The television, film and compuer game industry cannot any longer sit on the sidelines and say this is nothing to do with us.'

Also quoted, the director of the British Board of Film Classification (which also classifies some games):

"A BBFC spokesman said: "If there were a lot of clearly-proven cases relating to a game, we would have to look at that. With Manhunt, we have one instance of a very upset parent looking to blame the game for what happened to her son. But this games has been on sale for some time - and there are no other recorded exmples of people reactiing to it by trying to copy what happens on screen."

It's an 18+ game in this instance, certificated. I'm sure kids can get away with buying copies - the paper has dug up a few instances - or they'll get pirate or borrowed versions, just as much as kids get pirate, borrowed or bought copies of 18+ films. I'm always intrigued as to how a story of one instance can influence the environment when the thousands or millions of non-news instances go unreported, i.e. the normal kids and adults playing the game who remain unaffected. Watching or reading the news is the most violence-soaked influence of all, I'd think.

So as ever, the news here isn't that games are bad per se, but that the system can break (as any system can). Kids should not be buying products aimed for 18+ adults. So when the system breaks, and when a breakable system is combined with an unstable mind, inevitably and eventually a tragic thing will happen.
But rather than waste time and money banning such games or films, fanning the flames of hysteria and unbalanced panic, would it not be better spent on media literacy, parental guidance, and a wider range of non-violent alternatives instead? Why spend all the money lining lawyer pockets and stirring up the mobs - it's such a patent waste.

The industry needs to be braver. There'll always be a place for 18+ violence, there should be no blame laid at Rockstar's feet. But more alternatives should be offered. I was in Virgin Games just the other day, and stuck for choice: too many driving and boring shooting games based on WWII (like, seven?), not enough variety, not enough story, not enough fun horror, or brave adventuring. I came out empty-handed.

This front page isn't news but what passes as news in our culture. It's humans thrilling in shlock and gore, and the Mail is no stranger to perpetuating this - except it isn't rated as 18+.

......

(Update: interesting comments follow-up on the Daily Mail site, via Malbec)

May the fifth be with you.. uh..

So LucasArts is releasing Episode III, the game ("Star Wars: Episode III". Inspired.), on May 5th.

Not May the Forth, nor even May the Sith. Bah!

Feng Shui motherboard

Utterly brilliant slash crackpot.

"We didn't rely on reference boards or schematics from chip manufacturers. Those designs had too many straight lines and sharp corners, which are unnatural and direct poison arrows at our soul. Instead, we tilted the memory slots and added an extra expansion slot at an angle to direct those negative energies away from the user," continued Xiang.

Xiang also said the angled slot also slows down the chi as it enters the CPU so it lessens the harm from any sha or negative chi. Placing the RAM in the bagua area of knowledge and wisdom should also increase performance."

Unfortunately, it's either a hoax or just really really silly:

Reviewers at several websites were unable to get the motherboard to power up in any configuration. Fengtek technical support said this would allow more time for meditation.

I love the idea though. I'm going to go move my Recycle Bin to a better corner of my screen.

CounterStrike Ladies

Just found some pics from the recent Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) Grand Finals, held in July in France at the Futuroscope.

Here are the girls: (updated): Team Brazil and Team Sweden:

The usual standard of comments follow on the ESReality site where they feature, which is rather boring. This sort of pic will do the gaming world many, many favours. To quote a senior work colleague: "but, they're so normal!".

Glorious, if you ask me.

More on kids

From the Kids Go Online report, surveying over a thousand random-sample British 9-19 year olds:

Access platforms are diversifying:
- 87% have a computer at home (71% with internet access),
- 62% have digital television (17% with internet access),
- 82% have a games console (8% with internet access), a
- 81% have their own mobile phone (38% with internet access).

More time spent watching TV or with the family:
Time spent online is still less than time spent watching television or with the family, but it is similar to that spent doing homework and playing computer games and greater than time spent on the phone or reading.

So that's it - TV first, followed by internet/games/learning followed by reading/phone. Which surprised me for a sec, I remember being that age and being on the phone ALL THE TIME. But there was no internet, duh.

Among the 84% of 9-19 year olds who use the internet daily or weekly,
- 90% use it to do work for school or college,
- 94% use it to get information for other things,
- 72% use it to send and receive emails,
- 70% to play games online,
- 55% to send and receive instant messages,
- 45% to download music and
- 21% to use chat rooms.

Fantastic stuff.

Perfection

*Want*

(found via 4tomsm4sher)

Oops

That's 15 grand off my house then.

PS2 hits China

I'm interested to see whether China is a 'hotbed for piracy' because of the lack of availability, or because the price of the goods (or both). Either way, if you don't let consumers purchase your product, don't blame them for getting a pirate copy.

Sony has had plans to launch the PS2 in China for some time, but the original launch - which was set for early this month - was shelved due to "technical and process issues." Although China is a potentially huge market for videogames, it's a difficult one for any platform holder, as the country is a hotbed of software piracy.

American McGee's Alice