Tetris is Digital Crack

This was reported on gamepolitics.com today. I am sure many of you will find it interesting because it answers some unexplained questions about gaming addiction. Some of these questions I had been wondering myself. Father Raymond J. de Souza is fortunate enough to write for the National Post. He has been granted some wonderful insight in to gaming addiction based on his own personal experiences with Tetris.

Fortunately he states clearly, "...video games are not intrinsically evil. But they are close." Well, that is comforting. He goes on to say with his wonderful, infinite wisdom. "If that sounds like the zealotry of a convert, it is. I learned the truth about video games the hard way, and so this is the lesson I offer for free: Don't play video games. Don't own them. And for the sake of all that is good and holy, don't buy them for your children.

I grew up in the days when video games meant Atari's Pong and, later, the sophistication of Pac-Man. We had a home computer when I was in elementary school, ahead of the trends, but my parents were smart enough not to buy us even those rudimentary games. My mother, whose principal goal in bringing up her children was not to affirm our self-esteem, was fond of telling us that only unintelligent children got bored. Our house had books and toys and siblings, and we had our imaginations -- my mother thought that more than sufficient for any child to amuse himself. Television, let alone video games, wasn't necessary.

But then I went off on my own to Queen's University, and in my second year I discovered Tetris--a video game that consists of fitting descending geometric shapes into a rectangular cavity without leaving gaps. That's it. But it was enough. It would not be fair to blame my second-year troubles -- my worst academic performance in 12 years of post-secondary education -- on Tetris alone, but it was a contributing factor. My capacity to waste time with Tetris was prodigious; how many hours were lost is unknown.

There was a turning point. One day -- several months too late -- I deleted the program from the hard drive. For younger readers, I should explain that this was before the Internet, so downloads were not available; if it wasn't in your machine, you didn't have access to it. So Tetris was gone. Life improved immediately.

Since that hard-disk-deleting day back in 1991, I have never played another video game. It's too dangerous. Video games take what is most precious -- time and thought. And they are making kids fat."

The Catholics used to say that masturbation would make you go blind, but what about verbal masturbation. It is much the same thing isn't it? You take hold of something ... give it a good shake, squeeze the life out of it and at the end of it you feel somewhat relieved. This is what Father Raymond has basically done. So, does this kind of verbal wanking make you go blind as well? Surely, he should get some clues and do some research before he starts gobbing off on something he really doesn't know anything about. It would have been far more insightful if he had managed to research his subject somewhat. At least, considered some of the darker sides of gaming. Oh well ... it must just be too hard ... or is that just another attempt to include another dick joke.

Gamers Against "da Man"

More often I find evidence that gaming is, in fact, controlled by "da Man". It is the job of "da Man" to make gamers his bitch. I hear you saying, "Yeah, whatever, I would never be someone's bitch (unless maybe I went to prison and then I would have no choice, it would be an aesthetic survival choice in this instance)". You may think that this is far fetched, but more and more often I am finding evidence of this. So much so that I think that someone should document it and start up a group of dedicated gamers called "Gamers Against da Man" or "GAdaM".

I have outlined some of the evidence I have collected here:

(1) Releasing the same game on a different platform with extra content is definite evidence of "da Man". The only reason that a company would do this is to force gamers to purchase the game with the extra content. In order to do this they may have to even purchase additional hardware (such as a console, etc) just to play the extra content. As a gamer addicted to gaming (this is another story) presenting such additional content in this way is cruel and nothing more than profiteering.

(2) Creating a monopoly in a free market economy is definite evidence of the existence of "da Man". I believe that Adam Smith (with all of his good intentions and warm and fuzzy capitalistic mumbo jumbo) did not intend for the world to be dominated by "da Man". In fact, I think he was a very anti-da-man man if you get my drift. So, when he wrote some crap several hundred years ago about how the free market economies should work he was not thinking lustful thoughts about people such as Bill Gates and others as he was doing so. With the merger of Vivendi/Activision we see two big companies become one bigger company. We see another example of reduction in choice. Consumerism is meant to be about choice and having the freedom to spend your money on whatever product (no matter how bad it is) you want. Why is it that our choices are being reduced? Oddly enough quality is no guarantee of shelf life either. Look at some of the great game developers who are no longer with us. Troika Games, Cinemaware, etc. If quality is no guarantee of success then what type of careless world do we live in?

(3) Most of you are going to say that you probably don't understand the problem with the following statement, but I live in a world where not everyone has the internet. In fact, where I work the internet is not a common item and is quite expensive if you want to have the luxury of using it. So my next piece of evidence refers to releasing a game which requires specific updates from the internet to run when you don't have an internet connection. Or, releasing something that requires an internet connection to install even when the game is single player (cough ... cough ... Steam). Forcing people who have paid for something which should run in isolation of everything else (single player) to have an internet connection is specific and damning evidence that da Man is lurking out there. Not everyone has an internet connection. Not everyone wants to open their computer up to the world of viruses and internet porn. As a consumer it should be their choice to be able to enjoy gaming while not having to participate with the online world.

Further to this point, there are some games which require specific Vista updates in order to run. Microsoft have actually released specific gaming performance updates for the OS (KB940105 is just one such example), however, game publishers don't include these updates on the installation CD. You have to be able to access the internet in order to download them. Nice one guys. It is a required part of the game requirements and it is not listed on the box and not included on the install. Well done developers.

(4) Releasing games unfinished is definite evidence of da Man. I understand the need for developers to meet their contractual arrangements with publishers in order to ship games at prearranged times, however, when games are released unfinished it is the gamers who have to fund the games completion. The gamers have to patiently wait until the game is patched to the point of completion. Sometimes this can take months. Other times it never happens.

(5) Leaving the story of a game unfinished in order to cash in on a sequel. Trilogies are the "new black" in gaming. If a game isn't a Trilogy then what is the use of publishing it? A trilogy can generate three times the potential income as a single game release. And you never know the game could be good ...

Gamers should be vigilant to the workings of da Man in the gaming industry. We should educate ourselves as consumers as to the tricks which are meant to keep us under control ... of course, we are completely powerless to do so. We are all slaves to the products we buy. Without them we cannot define who we are. "I am not my Ikea Yin-Yang coffe table," but I might be Commander Shepherd for several hours while I flake out on the couch and experience some voyeurism gaming style.

Psychological Profile: Niko Bellic

This profile has been forwarded to us by a concerned Liberty City Police Officer who has wished to remain anonymous. The Liberty City Police Department have released the Psychological Profile of a “person of interest”. The man in question goes by the name of Niko Bellic. Bellic is a Russian immigrant who has just posted his third video containing footage of his recent crime sprees which illustrates his life of crime on the internet. Immigration has issued a statement reporting that the officer responsible for allowing Niko's entry in to the US is currently under suspension pending an investigation. It has been reported by the media that Niko has continuing criminal links in Russia.

This is the police issued psychological profile in full:

If civilians come across Niko Bellic they are to consider him to be armed and extremely dangerous. He is not to be approached and if he is discovered then the authorities must be contacted immediately.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND NIKO BELLIC.

Niko displays classic psychotic symptoms which can be translated directly in to a need to control the people and environment around him. His criminal actions can be perceived as being manifested by more than just a selfish desire. He has created the notion of direction through a misguided and fictitious concept that he can change and control the world in which he lives. This can be seen as a driven, Machiavellian response to create the American dream for himself and his cousin Roman no matter what the criminal and civil cost. Niko is completely egocentric which ties in with his Machiavellian desires. He will determine in an instant how a given situation will play out and he will attempt to steer that situation towards his own twisted interests and goals.

Niko is remorseless in the way he goes about his criminal activities. He has no love or feelings for people. From this we determine that Niko has suffered some sort of extra-ordinary suffering in his childhood. He may have been physically restricted or restrained in some way for extended periods of time. He could have played out classic psychotic fantasies on small animals. He would have killed animals for pleasure and through the process of doing this been able to develop in to an adult who feels no remorse or guilt for his actions. This can be evidenced through his complete disregard for innocent civilians. They mean nothing to him. In fact, if they were to be caught in the cross fire he would feel no remorse.

Niko is also the character type who attempts to use his influence and associated power in sexual situations. However, with his unnatural childhood and adult psycho-sexual roleplaying it may be that Niko is somewhat of a deviant or to be found compensating for inadequacies. He can be seen as a predator of women because he cannot feel an emotional attachment to them. They are nothing more as objects there to fulfill his physical desires. Obviously Niko's desire to record and show his criminal exploits show narcistic desires of the basest kind. This probably also manifests itself in other physical ways such as through impulsive and continual masturbation. Niko is more than likely a sexual deviant. He probably has problems finding sexual partners and may even experience erection problems when in the company of women.

At times Niko can feel as though he is a puppet. Not in control of his own actions with someone else actually telling him what to do. This feeling can come across at various times and he can feel that different people have input in to his actions. He considers life to be a game which can either be won or lost. Situations can appear to be orchestrated for him. As though someone else has already planned out aspects of his life in order to facilitate the feeling of reality. However, he often feels that life is just a hackneyed narrative. That he is the hero of some sort of crime saga that goes on around him. These notions give him a “god complex” common to people who may be suffering from some type of mental disorder or breakdown. This can make him extremely unpredictable in any given situation.

Known associates of Niko are Roman (his cousin) and the Police Officer Francis McReary.

:End of Psychological Profile.

Obviously, for the above reasons, Niko would not make a very good babysitter. It would be best not to lend Niko a vehicle of any kind as there is no guarantee of the condition in which it will be returned. Videos of Nikos other crime sprees can be found here: Things Will Be Different and Looking for the Someone Special. Videos of Niko's crime sprees and life can also be found here (http://rockstargames.com/IV/).

Christmas Gaming

Christmas time presents the perfect window for publishers to deliver the major game releases of the year. Christmas has changed from being a time of religious celebration to a celebration of consumerism. Lets show the world how much we love capitalism by spending. Lets support corporations by giving them our hard earned dollars. Of course, as a means to provide the perfect focus for our holiday spending games such as Mass Effect, Guitar Hero 3, Rock Band have all managed to find a way on to our christmas wish list. Their glossy posters and internet advertising are just a means for us to focus our short attention spans and desires on the need to have something new.

In order to celebrate this time of year in typical cynical fashion I thought that it would be a good idea to dig in to some second hand games that I have picked up. In order to celebrate non-chistmas corporate cheer I thought I would attempt to buck the trend and find some games which weren't new that I could dig my teeth in to. To not give something back to the corporations for a change considering they get it pretty good anyway and my hard earned dollars are just that, hard earned.

I recently acquired a PS2. I have managed to resist the temptation to purchase the Sony console for some time. I am not a big fan of their controllers to start with. However, there were a number of PS2 games which I wanted to play. I hadn't entered the world of Final Fantasy since number 7 was on the first Sony console. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it and I wanted to see where the franchise was headed. I picked up Final Fantasy X & X 2. There were also a couple of Grand Theft Auto games which I hadn't played. I own Vice City Stories on the PSP, but I didn't like the controls so I had never played it through. I also managed to get Liberty City Stories as well. Then there is the classic racing series Gran Turismo which I hadn't played since GT2. This seemed like an eternity ago. One other game which I had managed to pick up which had been on my most wanted games list for quite some time was the Atari Activision collection. The main reason I wanted this game was for the original River Raid. An absolute scrolling shooter classic and a game which I still rate.

As a gamer with a limited budget it can be difficult to buy all the games you want at the time of release. I already believe that my contribution financially to the game industry far exceeds the norm. With all the games that I own for the Xbox 360 now taking up more than a shelf on my bookcase. With the PC Games that I purchase as well I think that the gaming industry gets far too much of my income. Picking up games later can be a good way to save money.

Having some time off work I hope to make these old, second hand games my holiday focus. Rather than give someone a new release game this year for christmas give them several second hand games. You will, potentially, increase the amount of play time that they get and buck the system at the same time.

Kotaku On The Ball

Not that Kotaku needs any more praise for being on the ball, but this was a good pick up. While I may feel that gamers don't really care about the machinations of the gaming industry it is still interesting to see where game developers are willing to push the boundaries. I mean, lets not think that corporations are ethical beings because they are not. Corporations are becoming more Machiavellian in their approach to business and this is an example of this.

Kotaku have picked up that the Kane & Lynch website has allegedly fabricated some of the media promoting the game. Saying that Gamespy gave the game 5 stars when, in fact, they only gave the game 3. And the quote about Michael Mann was actually from the preview of the game and not the review. However, it must be said, what makes people think that these quotes are meant to come from the review anyway? With the masses of trash written about games before their release developers obviously take the best of a bad bunch. I can imagine that the distributor would argue that the stars weren't actually in quotation marks and the quote was written about the game. Which is true.

The fact of the matter is that most gamers who purchase a game on the initial day or week of its release make up their minds prior reviews being printed that they will do so. Other gamers, who purchase later, may be more influenced by reviews and word-of-mouth from other gamers.

I haven't played Kane & Lynch and it was never high on my agenda to do so, but all I can say is, "Wow, another game about psychopaths who kill people." And gamers wonder why the non-gaming media stereotype them. Unfortunately, a media beat up about the game is only going to make it sell more.

If you want to read the complete Kotaku article then click here.

To Review Or Not To Review, That is the Question

I think that, more often than not, most gamers are happily ignorant of the internal machinations of the gaming industry. More to the pont, most gamers really don't care about the reviewing policies of gaming magazines and websites. So, when an editor is fired and rumours crop up that the editor was cut because of pressure from the advertisers on the site then ... well, who really cares besides game industry insiders and hangers on? This is a problem that is occurring across the wider spectrum of the media too. Ultimately, most people don't care that their journalism may be tainted in some way.

Let's face it. Most gamers don't really jump on the internet and read gaming websites every day and, besides a few well known names within the industry, they aren't particularly conversant with the comings and goings of different organizations associated with the gaming press and developers. So, when allegations like this are made who really cares besides journalists within the industry who are out to make the point that the capitalistic developers control the so-called independent media and then you have the hangers on within the industry filled with people like myself. Gamers don't really care. Gamers don't particularly care about the integrity of the gaming media, just as they don't particularly care about the integrity of journalists in general.

Consumers are apathetic to this type of information on a large scale. The more that we see consumerism progress the more we see consumers become apathetic to the products they buy and the industry which promotes them. Just as you may think that the media is controlled by its advertisers there are also examples that they may not. As a case in point, Assassin's Creed was reviewed by ign.com and it received three completely different reviews from reviewers around the world. UK: 6.5/10 US: 7.7 & AUS: 8.7. Of those three scores the Australian market would be the most insignificant of all the worldwide markets and it was within this region that the game received the highest score. You would not consider 6.5 out of 10 to be a great score for a game that Ubisoft might consider to be a little bit awesome game and, considering they are a massive worldwide developer you would think that they would have some weight to throw around in order to influence such a score. But the game still received a low score. I wouldn't consider one example to provide a good cross study, but it is does make you wonder if all of the soothsaying and hype around the sacking of an editor is just that.

The reality is that games are made for gamers. Gamers, or the end user, don't particularly care about the machinations of the industry meant to report on games. Maybe if we could create a tabloid type publication which followed the lives of developers and hyped up their existance in the same way that women's magazines and other tattler type rags do then gamers might care. I don't really look forward to the day that this type of fluff publication becomes popularly accepted by gamers.