Friday, August 31, 2007
I swear to the Heavens a post is coming...
I just have to finish Bioshock and Metroid, and then I'll be talking for days...
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
This is some ENTERTAINING FUCKING TELEVISION!
At the bottom of this post is a link (or video if I can figure out how to embed Google video) to a British television show, starring a man named Darren Brown. It's called "The Heist" and it explores the truly massive potential of the unconscious mind, and what fairly simple emotional suggestions can do to an average person. Brown takes a few British business people, all with middle management salaries. He convinces them that they will take part in a motivational week in order to become better business people. The finale is one of the greatest sells I've seen in a while! This is what reality television can be, and there is no prize money involved.
Promise I'll have a real post up soon.
Promise I'll have a real post up soon.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Where's My "Dirty Harry"... or "Pterodactyl"?
I am a gamer.
At my very core, and inside my very being lives the heart of a gamer. I find the medium to be so fresh and new and full of potential. Think about it; what other medium of story telling allows the audience to not only take part interactively in the piece of art itself, but to in fact shape and change the message, in order to more deeply identify with that message.
As a gamer, I am fairly well immersed into the culture of gaming. And as such, am often involved in meaningless debates about "the greatest game of all time", or "Which game offered the most to the world of gaming", and here's what I've come to realize after some introspective thinking:
There have been no (or at least very few) classic games, speaking from a strictly story-telling perspective. There are plenty of games whose game play mechanics have changed the industry, but there have been very VERY few games whose story lines could stand up to those in the film and literary mediums. What video game could even attempt to match Catch 22, or the Seven Samurai, or Watchmen.
WHY?! I realize the medium is new, very very new, under 40 years essentially. And I know that soon (hopefully VERY soon) the games will come, but as of right now, I purchase a game for $70, and have come to expect 1 hour of story telling (often through cinematics) to every 19 hours of meaningless action. Often very fun action, but I feel as though the game-makers consider the story to be a necessary evil, and I wonder if I should settle for simple escapism in my gaming. Should I not demand something more?
Lets look at it this way:
Filmmakers spend months editing their films so that each and every moment an audience is watching, the story is moving forward. Films last 2 hours, but all of it matters.
Comic books blend words and images in ways that allow each panel to be a key factor in the story.
Why then do I spend HOURS fighting carbon copy NPCs in every game I play, to get to a 10 minute video filling the gap to the next arena full of thugs. Its like Buying a Spiderman book, and having 90% of it as pictures of him fighting bad guys, followed by 2 pages of prose. Its a bad use of the medium.
I feel that I would be MUCH more willing to pay the $70 if each and every moment I was playing, my actions were affecting story elements, and I felt as though I was carrying the emotional weight of the character I was embodying, even if it meant that games dropped in length.
I can't wait for the day that I finish a game, and am in tears as the credits roll.
Bioshock looks like what I imagine sex feels like.
Discuss, argue, comment...
At my very core, and inside my very being lives the heart of a gamer. I find the medium to be so fresh and new and full of potential. Think about it; what other medium of story telling allows the audience to not only take part interactively in the piece of art itself, but to in fact shape and change the message, in order to more deeply identify with that message.
As a gamer, I am fairly well immersed into the culture of gaming. And as such, am often involved in meaningless debates about "the greatest game of all time", or "Which game offered the most to the world of gaming", and here's what I've come to realize after some introspective thinking:
There have been no (or at least very few) classic games, speaking from a strictly story-telling perspective. There are plenty of games whose game play mechanics have changed the industry, but there have been very VERY few games whose story lines could stand up to those in the film and literary mediums. What video game could even attempt to match Catch 22, or the Seven Samurai, or Watchmen.
WHY?! I realize the medium is new, very very new, under 40 years essentially. And I know that soon (hopefully VERY soon) the games will come, but as of right now, I purchase a game for $70, and have come to expect 1 hour of story telling (often through cinematics) to every 19 hours of meaningless action. Often very fun action, but I feel as though the game-makers consider the story to be a necessary evil, and I wonder if I should settle for simple escapism in my gaming. Should I not demand something more?
Lets look at it this way:
Filmmakers spend months editing their films so that each and every moment an audience is watching, the story is moving forward. Films last 2 hours, but all of it matters.
Comic books blend words and images in ways that allow each panel to be a key factor in the story.
Why then do I spend HOURS fighting carbon copy NPCs in every game I play, to get to a 10 minute video filling the gap to the next arena full of thugs. Its like Buying a Spiderman book, and having 90% of it as pictures of him fighting bad guys, followed by 2 pages of prose. Its a bad use of the medium.
I feel that I would be MUCH more willing to pay the $70 if each and every moment I was playing, my actions were affecting story elements, and I felt as though I was carrying the emotional weight of the character I was embodying, even if it meant that games dropped in length.
I can't wait for the day that I finish a game, and am in tears as the credits roll.
Bioshock looks like what I imagine sex feels like.
Discuss, argue, comment...
Post 2: Post Harder (ITS AN HOMAGE!)
Ok firstly let me clear a few things up. I do not consider myself better than the fine people of Glengarry, I just do not feel as though I am a part of that culture anymore. I respect your love for your hometown, but it simply isn't my bag. Given, I poked fun at the town, but I did so in a way I hope is taken as humorous, and not degrading or offensive. I truly apologize to anyone I may have insulted.
On the plus side, the very first piece of writing I've ever made public was fucking CONTROVERSIAL!!! I'm like an underground poet, or Jesus.
On the plus side, the very first piece of writing I've ever made public was fucking CONTROVERSIAL!!! I'm like an underground poet, or Jesus.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
This is what my brain looks like when it bleeds:
Went home (like home home) this weekend for Canada's oldest annual fair: The Williamstown fair. I'm from Williamstown Ontario. Brought my house mate and good friend Steve MF Crane with me too. And in so doing (going home, not bringing Steve) I've realized how staggeringly I've changed since my arrival in Guelph. I saw my friends, and they're all very much into being from Williamstown. They farm, and drink, and date within one or two bloodlines... all of which appeals too me about as much as shoving my manhood into a balloon filled to bursting with angered Africanized bees... well... I guess I'd have a beer before having my penis and scrotum ravaged by bees (please note, the spell checker is suggesting I change the word "africanized" to "americanized"... go figure).
My two best friends (Laura and Maggie) very much support me in my new interests (comics, films, writing, and to a lesser extent gaming), but many of my "side friends" (Keep in mind this is not ALL of them, many were just as supportive as my girls) only ask when and where I will be getting drunk next. I found myself feeling out of place in my hometown, which is off-setting to say the least. This feeling was only compounded by the fact that I know so many god-damned people in that tiny tiny place. Every two seconds I was hugging or being hugged, and time after time, after asking something to the effect of "what's up with you?", the answer being returned was "same old". When my friends then asked me what it was in fact I myself was up to, I could go on for days about writing, planning websites and comics, writing films (Alex we have to finish that shit), writing video game reviews, etc. While exciting for me, I soon found out that NO ONE FUCKING CARED AT ALL! They wanted to hear "Same Old", and drink beers.
All of this brought me to a fairly startling realization: I'm not from Williamstown anymore. The following philosophy is not for everyone, but for me, as my brother so precisely put it, home is where my stuff is. My physical stuff, my "belongings" if you will, are in Guelph. My psychological stuff, by which I mean my interests, my creative outlets, my meaningful friendships (except for Laura and Maggie who fucking NEED to visit me... whores) are also all in Guelph. The only reason I go to Williamstown now is to see the family (my mom and dad's "stuff" are there), and to see Laura and Maggie (whose stuff I sincerely hope doesn't stay there forever). When I pulled up to my townhouse on Scottsdale Drive, I was home.
That took up a lot of space so I'll throw in some pick of the weeks in various mediums:
Comic: Batman 667
Wasn't a big fan of 666, glad Bruce Wayne is back, and this arc looks like its going to be fucking baaaaaaad-ass. There's a dude wearing some other dudes head-flesh as a fucking hat... what else does it need?
Movie: Bourne Ultimatum
Cool ass fight scenes. Shaky-cam used to perfection. Edge of my seat the whole time. They did a great job of making Bourne feel so lonesome, and always in motion, never getting a chance to rest.
Music: 3
New album "The End Is Begun". My favorite track is called "My Divided Falling". Super cool, brings two of my loves together (High Musicianship, and fucking METAL)
Game: Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360)
Since getting the 360 version I've been reinvigorated by the game. It automatically puts every score you get on the Xbox Live Leader board (upon which I am doing fairly well), has several new and challenging songs (Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"!!!!) and looks freaking AWESOME in High Def (played on my dad's 46" HDTV)
Friends: Laura Lavallée and Maggie Cattanach (I still don't know how to spell your freaking name, which essentially makes me simultaneously both the best and worst friend ever.)
I love you guys and miss you more than you'll ever be able to understand. VISIT! FUCKING NOW!
Enjoy yourselves kids!
My two best friends (Laura and Maggie) very much support me in my new interests (comics, films, writing, and to a lesser extent gaming), but many of my "side friends" (Keep in mind this is not ALL of them, many were just as supportive as my girls) only ask when and where I will be getting drunk next. I found myself feeling out of place in my hometown, which is off-setting to say the least. This feeling was only compounded by the fact that I know so many god-damned people in that tiny tiny place. Every two seconds I was hugging or being hugged, and time after time, after asking something to the effect of "what's up with you?", the answer being returned was "same old". When my friends then asked me what it was in fact I myself was up to, I could go on for days about writing, planning websites and comics, writing films (Alex we have to finish that shit), writing video game reviews, etc. While exciting for me, I soon found out that NO ONE FUCKING CARED AT ALL! They wanted to hear "Same Old", and drink beers.
All of this brought me to a fairly startling realization: I'm not from Williamstown anymore. The following philosophy is not for everyone, but for me, as my brother so precisely put it, home is where my stuff is. My physical stuff, my "belongings" if you will, are in Guelph. My psychological stuff, by which I mean my interests, my creative outlets, my meaningful friendships (except for Laura and Maggie who fucking NEED to visit me... whores) are also all in Guelph. The only reason I go to Williamstown now is to see the family (my mom and dad's "stuff" are there), and to see Laura and Maggie (whose stuff I sincerely hope doesn't stay there forever). When I pulled up to my townhouse on Scottsdale Drive, I was home.
That took up a lot of space so I'll throw in some pick of the weeks in various mediums:
Comic: Batman 667
Wasn't a big fan of 666, glad Bruce Wayne is back, and this arc looks like its going to be fucking baaaaaaad-ass. There's a dude wearing some other dudes head-flesh as a fucking hat... what else does it need?
Movie: Bourne Ultimatum
Cool ass fight scenes. Shaky-cam used to perfection. Edge of my seat the whole time. They did a great job of making Bourne feel so lonesome, and always in motion, never getting a chance to rest.
Music: 3
New album "The End Is Begun". My favorite track is called "My Divided Falling". Super cool, brings two of my loves together (High Musicianship, and fucking METAL)
Game: Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360)
Since getting the 360 version I've been reinvigorated by the game. It automatically puts every score you get on the Xbox Live Leader board (upon which I am doing fairly well), has several new and challenging songs (Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"!!!!) and looks freaking AWESOME in High Def (played on my dad's 46" HDTV)
Friends: Laura Lavallée and Maggie Cattanach (I still don't know how to spell your freaking name, which essentially makes me simultaneously both the best and worst friend ever.)
I love you guys and miss you more than you'll ever be able to understand. VISIT! FUCKING NOW!
Enjoy yourselves kids!
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