Archive for the year 2008
The Seperation of Church and Gamers!
Posted on January 16, 2008 by Brian under Games, Life, News, Web.
For those of you that are not up to date on issues in the gaming world, there is a war on for gamer’s rights. That’s correct, a war! Currently there are several religious factions that feel that they need to have a hand in the business of everyone else in the world, and since the government is not doing the things they want, they are just going to try to take over the government.
Currently Kevin McCullough, an uber religious zealot in my opinion, is leading a political campaign to BAN all video games that HE feels is inappropriate for ANYONE. In an article on Town Hall.com he attacks a very popular video game called Mass Effect created by the company Bioware. In this game you are a character of your own creation that works their way through a 40+ hour long story line. In this story there are a few events that you have the ability to have sexual relations with another character. Kevin McCullough states in his interview with Town Hall and directed apparently to the Presidential Candidates.
“I know that they all probably assume they have better, much more important, urgent, timely, things to campaign on, but I sure would like to get their individual takes on the new video game that one company is marketing to fifteen year old boys.
It’s called “Mass Effect” and it allows its players – universally male no doubt – to engage in the most realistic sex acts ever conceived. One can custom design the shape, form, bodies, race, hair style, breast size of the images they wish to “engage” and then watch in crystal clear, LCD, 54 inch screen, HD clarity as the video game “persons” hump in every form, format, multiple, gender-oriented possibility they can think of.”
First I would like to address the issue of the game being targeted to 15 year old boys. I want to know where his research came from for this claim. If you look at the package and on the website itself as well as anyplace that sells games online, you can clearly see that the game holds an ESRB rating of M for MATURE. That means that no one under the age of 17 is allowed to buy this game. So unless the parents ignore the rating on the package (or just don’t care) and buy the game without doing the research to find out what the content is like (this is not a surprise, we read stories of this every day) then a 15 year old child should not be purchasing this game at all. All of the stores that I have been to card even me a 30+ year old gamer before purchasing a mature rated game. If you are a parent and you did purchase the game without doing the research first, shame on you and don’t bitch. It’s your own fault that you didn’t do the research before buying the game for your kid.
Second, where is the statistics showing that all gamers are Male? He makes the comment ” universally male no doubt “. When did religion become so sexist? I play a lot of different games ranging from Console to PC games and if you look online the numbers are about even when it comes to Male/Female players. He should really get out more often and get some new statistics; I think he is still using reports from the “Super Mario” days of gaming.
Next we have the claim that every 15 year old gamer has a big screen HD-LCD in their room. As he talks about the ability to create these characters he goes on to say that the kids can then watch these sex acts in “crystal clear, LCD, 54 inch screen, HD clarity”. Like every 15 year old gamer has a 54 in LCD in their room, for that matter he makes it sound like EVERY gamer has a 54 in LCD in their room. Well let me tell you that some of us are not so lucky to afford the nice 54 in LCD TV. Some of us still play on conventional TV’s. To assume that everyone can afford luxuries such as this is ridiculous. You should have chosen your words a little more carefully Kevin McCullough!
And let’s not forget the comment he makes in the very beginning when he starts out by stating “I know that they all probably assume they have better, much more important, urgent, timely, things to campaign on”. Sure, lets all drop our platforms of Medical Reform, Economics, Immigration Rights, School and Education Decline, and Tax Reform. Sure, let’s drop the topics that drive this nation, the topics that need to be addressed before they bring this nation to its knees. Let’s drop all of that and focus on this one man’s RELIGIOUS crusade to ban a video game because it has sex in it. Does he really wake up in the morning and look at himself in the mirror and say “today is going to be the day”. How disappointed he must be!
To me Kevin McCullough is a religious socialist. He is upset not just because there is sex in a video game but in the article he focuses on the fact that you can change your image. He states in the article “Starting with the disgusting idea that one can “create” their own versions of what people look like, removing warts, moles, and bald spots while enhancing – shall we say – the extended features of the game’s characters tends to objectify women, sex, and human relationships”. Has this man not seen late night TV? I can buy products that do the same thing. I mean, come on. Gamers have had the ability to create or modify themselves within a game for years; this is not a new concept.
What kind of a person, other than a socialist, gets upset because you have the ability to change your appearance? It’s not even a real life change, it’s a video game! It has no bearing on your real life, other than a few people may get really wrapped up in the game and forget to pee or something. McCullough makes it sound like the world is going to come to a screeching halt because these video games exist, like the gates of hell are going to open because these video games were created.
McCullough needs to brush up on his law a little before asking the Presidential candidates to take on a platform based on his religious beliefs. Anyone that knows the law knows that there is this thing called “The Separation of Church and State“. The first amendment to the US Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. So what this is simply trying to say, if you read the whole thing, is that no one can create a law based on their religious beliefs. This means, Kevin McCullough can not ask the Presidential campaigners to drop what they are doing and enforce this law. This is something that he is trying to enforce based solely on his religious beliefs. Using his religious presence to try it fight his case is clearly not wise if he wanted this game to be removed from the market.
He picks on several congress people and even says that he knows that they will tell him “Government has no business censoring freedom of expression.” This is correct and it just goes to show you that he is somewhat aware that he has no platform to stand on, The government recognizes that his argument to remove the game is not because its a danger to the social, economic, or moral development of the world. But instead, because of his own religious beliefs and is own fears of what he obviously does not understand. If you go on and read the whole article you will see that he even tries to tie video game sex and violence to the creation of serial killers and rapist. He evidently has so little faith in humanity that he feels he needs to take it upon him self to ban anything that he feels is a danger to us, like we are all children and he is the father of us all.
I could go on for days on how I despise this man and people like him and how I disagree with anything that comes out of his mouth. I would love to be on a debate panel with him and break him down on national TV. Not only would it be fun, but I think it would wake the world up to just how crazy this guy really is and how people like him can be an even greater danger to the world then a video game. You don’t see video games jumping off shelves and bombing churches or subways in the real world in the name of religion now do you!
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Must-See Movies Part 2
Posted on January 16, 2008 by Brian under Movies, Reviews.
Here are the rest of the films that I want to see in 2008. I had several Trailers lined up for these but Blogger is having an issue with its Video uploader and I was not willing to postpone my post another night. I can’t express how excited I am for this year and the movies that are going to be released. I will keep updating this as more and more movies are revealed.
5/16 – The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian
The next installment of the Magical World of Narnia is here. The 4 Pevensie children have returned to Narnia, this time 1300 years have passed and an evil King rules the land. This looks like it is going to be another hit. The previews look like there is more action this time and the story is more complex. Look for it to hit theaters on May 16th.
5/22 – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Harrison Ford is at it again, this time with Shia LaBeouf as his side kick. On May 22nd we will be dazzled with another Indiana Jones hit, this time to search for a city built around a cursed Crystal Skull. As with all the other Indiana Jones films, there will be danger, traps and I am not sure if they followed tradition, but it sure wouldn’t be an Indiana Jones film without Nazi’s. This looks to be the only blockbuster that is anticipated for Memorial weekend so mark your calendars and dust of your bull whip because the the adventure begins again.
6/13 – The Happening
The Happening is a paranoid thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis. The film will portray the earth’s plants unleashing airborne neurotoxins that cause people to commit violent suicide. Mark Walberg and Zooey Deschanel star as an estranged couple who must escape this apocalyptic epidemic. This may be one of his better movies. I am looking forward to this because Mark Walberg is in it and he has become a great actor. Look for this one opening on June 13th in theaters.
6/13 – The Incredible Hulk
In what some are calling a reboot and others are calling a sequel the new Incredible Hulk hits theaters on June 13th. This time Bruce Banner is on the run from the United States Army and General “Thunderbolt” Ross, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into the Hulk. Meanwhile, a soldier named Emil Blonsky repeats the accident that gave Banner his powers, but as he is unable to change back to human form, he blames Banner and seeks his revenge. I am looking forward to this because Edward Norton is playing Bruce Banner and from everything I have been reading, the effects, story and dark edgy feel of the film are everything that the first one should have been.
6/27 – Wanted
A young man finds out his long lost father is an assassin. And when his father is murdered, the son is recruited into his father’s old organization and trained by a man named Sloan to follow in his dad’s footsteps. I am looking forward to this as I was a big fan of the comic. The action sequences are tight and the story is pretty original. Look for this to be a favorite among the fan boys and a hit with the action junkies.
7/2 – Hancock
A hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who’s trying to repair his image. This look like a riot, Will Smith is funny and the thought of a Superhero bum is just great. I look forward to lots of laughs with the regular wit that is Will Smith.
7/11 – Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy is at it again with his team mates right behind him. This time the creatures of the Mythical world that once ruled over earth, before the times of man, want to retake there place on earth. Lead by a warrior that has Hellboy out skilled and out numbered, Hellboy must use all the resources at his disposal to insure that his home on Earth remains intact and free of evil. I loved the first Hellboy and I am looking forward to the sequel. With the creative team of Pan’s Labyrinth heading up the show its bound to be a visually stunning and absolutely incredible film.
7/18 – The Dark Knight
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of
8/1 – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
In the Far East, trouble-seeking father-and-son duo Rick and Alex O’Connell unearth the mummy of the first Emperor of Qin — a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard centuries ago. I am a fan of the Mummy series and I think this is going to be another great addition to this already popular franchise.
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Fame and Fortune on the World Wide Web
Posted on January 14, 2008 by Ching under Sponsored Post, Web.
Okay, maybe just fame rather than fame and fortune. Many have gotten famous because of their videos, though. Like Chris Rocker for example. That “Leave Britney Alone” video has made it all around the world and back several times. Oh, and the clip is actually going to be used in one of this year’s spoof comedy films. I forget what the title is but I saw a preview of it when we went to see National Treasure 2. (Or was it when we went to see AVPR? I can’t remember.) Or even better yet, you could be the next Arnel Pineda.
The point is, more and more people are getting their kicks online rather than watching TV. Really, with videos on your computer more and more people are going this route for entertainment. The web can provide hours upon hours of entertainment and if you’re not careful then… Well, let’s just say nothing will ever get done. No housework, homework, work-work. No nothing. Such is the power of these viral videos.
Anyway, YawpBox is going to start a new TV show consisting mainly of user-generated content. Here’s your chance to be famous like Chris Rocker because you can share your video with other users.
TV show hosts Lex and Terry will have challenges where users must create specific content. Then they will select the best ones and put them on the show. So now is your chance. The world wide web is calling.
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Must-See Movies Part 1
Posted on January 14, 2008 by Brian under Movies, Reviews.
2008 is going to be a great year for movies. I look forward to all of the hits that I have been reading about for the last couple of years finally coming to the screen. I will list all the movies that I am looking forward to with a little insight on how I think they will be.
1/18 – Cloverfield
As I stated in my last post, unless you have been living under a rock, you all know that there is little info circulating about the film “Cloverfield“, releasing January 18, other than a few choice teasers and some interesting stills that have been leaked to the web. I just hope it is all worth it! Some are concerned that the film is not going to live up to the hype. However, if you are a J.J. Abrams fan, you know that he never disappoints.
5/2 – Iron Man
The much anticipated and much awaited Iron Man starts on May 2nd and let me tell you I can not wait. I have been following the all the little tidbits of info on this since I first read about it in Wizard Magazine 2 years ago. At first I was very skeptical about Robert Downey Jr. playing Tony Stark, but then I saw the sneaked trailer that was floating around the net and it all fit. I think Robert Downey makes a great Tony Stark and I think this movie is going to be the big hit of the summer. Look for it in theaters in May.
5/9 – Speed Racer
This is something that I thought I would never see, yet I am completely drawn to it. As a kid I remember watching all the Speed Racer episodes on TV. Then I got older and continued to watch them on the Cartoon channel late at night. Now I can find them occasionally on the Boomerang channel, and even in my 30’s I am still fascinated by this show. I guess this is the next logical step for this animated icon. I am certainly going to catch this live action version of the popular cartoon when it debuts in theaters in May.
This is the first part of my review of the upcoming 2008 blockbusters. Stay tuned and I will fill you in on other great hits that you will want to catch.
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Movie Watching on Your Computer Just Got Better
Posted on January 13, 2008 by Ching under Movies, News.
Now is the time to join Netflix. Seriously. Effective tomorrow Netflix will begin offering unlimited online movie streaming to customers who are on the $16.99 plan. That’s the three-at-a-time, unlimited plan that Brian and I are on. Oh, yeah!
Not that we have ever come remotely close to to the 17-hour time limit. Although, Brian has been watching a lot of SeaQuest on the Netflix web site. Why you would want to waste valuable movie streaming allowance on SeaQuest is beyond me, but he likes the show and all other shows similar to it. Anyway, beginning tomorrow it won’t matter. LOL.
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