The obligatory top 10 lists for 2012! They're in no particular order.
Movies:
The Secret World Of Arrietty
The Raid: Redemption
Goon
Cabin in the Woods
The Avengers
Moonrise Kingdom
Looper
Wreck it Ralph
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Safety Not Guaranteed
Honorable Mentions: The Dark Knight Rises, The Campaign, Brave, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Indie Game: The Movie
Most Frustrating: Prometheus (there's a fantastic movie in there somewhere).
Need to get to in 2013: To Rome With Love, The Master, Premium Rush, Killer Joe, Cosmopolis, Holy Motors, Wuthering Heights, Seven Psychopaths, Skyfall, Lincoln, Life of Pi, Amour, Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained, and probably a bunch of others.
Video Games:
Fez
Hotline Miami
Journey
Diablo III
Lollipop Chainsaw
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Sleeping Dogs
Borderlands 2
Tokyo Jungle
X-Com: Enemy Unknown
Honorable Mentions: FTL, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Playstation All Stars, Assassin's Creed III, Mass Effect 3, The Unfinished Swan, Dyad, Sound Shapes, Code of Princess, Touch My Katamari, Dead or Alive 5, Street Fighter x Tekken
Most Frustrating: Kid Icarus Uprising. Amazing game with perfect writing, fantastic graphics, and excellent gameplay. But the control scheme makes it too hard to really enjoy. I REALLY want to love this game, and I do, but man it's a chore to play.
Why did I do this award for 2012? Skylanders Giants.
Need to get to in 2013: Persona 4 Arena, Forza Horizons, Far Cry 3, The Walking Dead (I did play episode 1), and a huge number of others.
TV:
Louie
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
The League
Daily Show/Colbert Report
Treme
Adventure Time
Luck
Archer
There are others, but eh. These are by far the best I saw.
TURN IT OFF: The Food Network.
Music:
It feels like I keep hearing less and less new music every year. But I've got at least 10 here I think:
The Seer - Swans
Synthetica - Metric
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Ever Do... - Fiona Apple
> album title goes here < - Deadmau5
Evolution - Paul van Dyk
Gossamer - Passion Pit
Anastasis - Dead Can Dance
We All Raise Our Voices to the Air - The Decemberists
Who's Feeling Young Now? - Punch Brothers
Top 10 HeroClix:
Batman - 100 Dark Knight Returns
Dr. Strange - 028 Galactic Guardians
Thanos - 045 Galactic Guardians
Destroyer - 022 Avengers Movie
Bane - 103 Dark Knight Rises
Alfred Pennyworth - 031 Batman
Taskmaster - 048 Chaos War
The Flash - 005 Justice League 52 Fast Forces
Green Lantern - 004 Justice League 52
Worldbreaker - 013 Marvel 10th
Way too many honorable mentions to list and a ton that should be on the top 10. I could have made it top 50 and still had room for more I want to put up there. It was a great year with a ton of pieces. Need to stop being a completionist though. It's killing me.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Looking back at 2008 now that I'm 30
I made a promise to myself that I'd do a lot of the things I always wanted to do this year before I turned 30. For the most part, I think I was pretty successful.
Highlights from the year that was:
• Went Snowboarding for the very first time in February. There’s a lot of pain learning how to keep your balance, but that one, last smooth line as we finished our weekend made it all so much more than worth it. I haven’t had a chance to go back yet this season, however, I will definitely be making time for at least one more weekend of riding.
• Took a class in Chicago with an awesome co-worker and had a blast downtown. Ate at Harry Carry’s and took in my first Cubs game at one of the last great sports landmarks; Wrigley Field. I’m not much of a baseball fan but damn if even I wasn’t moved singing “Take me out” during the 7th inning stretch there.
• Participated in my first (and probably only) Caucus including going to the county Caucus as a representative from my district. Naturally, I pledged my support for Obama.
• Visited beautiful St. Paul and pretty hip Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stayed in a 4 star hotel, listened to some great local Jazz, met some fantastic people over some great meals, and reflected on the sacrifices of history at the state capitol for Memorial Day.
• Enjoyed some amazing food and a great time at the Venetian in Las Vegas. The conference I was there for was pretty great too.
• Jumped out of a perfectly good airplane of my own volition. The hyperbole is right, it’s one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have.
• A good year for finally getting some of the really rare and expensive video games I’ve always wanted. Purchased a N64 DD along with Doshin 2, found Panic! on the PS2, and finally got L.S.D. (it’s in the mail as I type this).
• I got my first tattoo!
• Spent a day scuba diving in Key Largo. First time ever doing an open water dive. Our instructor was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t have had a better time. Also in Florida:
o Spent a few days at Disneyland with my wife and sister-in-law including some fantastic meals, fun rides, and dancing a night away in Downtown Disney.
o Spent two days with my grandmother in Lantana who I hadn’t seen in years. She cooked us a fresh potroast from her local butcher; it was amazing.
o Spent lazy days on the beach in Del Ray, Clearwater, and Boyton.
o Ate day fresh Mahi Mahi under a Sunset on the pacific and enjoyed some of the best Key Lime pie on the planet.
o And most strangely, was asked to be in a fitness infomercial with my sister-in-laws friends. Our trip couldn’t have gone any better.
• Though I hated going through a lot of it, I’ve learned a ton about my profession this year pushing through probably the biggest professional project of my life. Lawson has been infinitely challenging and even more frustrating, but hopefully it will be worth it.
• And, probably most importantly, I’ve changed my lifestyle and started to get into shape. This time last year, I weighed about 170 lbs. Today, I weigh about 140. Starting in April, regular exercise has been a part of my life. This trend will continue with my goal getting back to about 130. I’m running about 12 miles a week now; I’m hoping to get this to 16 miles by the summer.
I’m sure I’m missing a few dozen other experiences worth noting, but for my money, things were pretty successful this year. Here’s to 2009.
Highlights from the year that was:
• Went Snowboarding for the very first time in February. There’s a lot of pain learning how to keep your balance, but that one, last smooth line as we finished our weekend made it all so much more than worth it. I haven’t had a chance to go back yet this season, however, I will definitely be making time for at least one more weekend of riding.
• Took a class in Chicago with an awesome co-worker and had a blast downtown. Ate at Harry Carry’s and took in my first Cubs game at one of the last great sports landmarks; Wrigley Field. I’m not much of a baseball fan but damn if even I wasn’t moved singing “Take me out” during the 7th inning stretch there.
• Participated in my first (and probably only) Caucus including going to the county Caucus as a representative from my district. Naturally, I pledged my support for Obama.
• Visited beautiful St. Paul and pretty hip Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stayed in a 4 star hotel, listened to some great local Jazz, met some fantastic people over some great meals, and reflected on the sacrifices of history at the state capitol for Memorial Day.
• Enjoyed some amazing food and a great time at the Venetian in Las Vegas. The conference I was there for was pretty great too.
• Jumped out of a perfectly good airplane of my own volition. The hyperbole is right, it’s one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have.
• A good year for finally getting some of the really rare and expensive video games I’ve always wanted. Purchased a N64 DD along with Doshin 2, found Panic! on the PS2, and finally got L.S.D. (it’s in the mail as I type this).
• I got my first tattoo!
• Spent a day scuba diving in Key Largo. First time ever doing an open water dive. Our instructor was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t have had a better time. Also in Florida:
o Spent a few days at Disneyland with my wife and sister-in-law including some fantastic meals, fun rides, and dancing a night away in Downtown Disney.
o Spent two days with my grandmother in Lantana who I hadn’t seen in years. She cooked us a fresh potroast from her local butcher; it was amazing.
o Spent lazy days on the beach in Del Ray, Clearwater, and Boyton.
o Ate day fresh Mahi Mahi under a Sunset on the pacific and enjoyed some of the best Key Lime pie on the planet.
o And most strangely, was asked to be in a fitness infomercial with my sister-in-laws friends. Our trip couldn’t have gone any better.
• Though I hated going through a lot of it, I’ve learned a ton about my profession this year pushing through probably the biggest professional project of my life. Lawson has been infinitely challenging and even more frustrating, but hopefully it will be worth it.
• And, probably most importantly, I’ve changed my lifestyle and started to get into shape. This time last year, I weighed about 170 lbs. Today, I weigh about 140. Starting in April, regular exercise has been a part of my life. This trend will continue with my goal getting back to about 130. I’m running about 12 miles a week now; I’m hoping to get this to 16 miles by the summer.
I’m sure I’m missing a few dozen other experiences worth noting, but for my money, things were pretty successful this year. Here’s to 2009.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
For Whom the Bell Tolls
By John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tattoo Images
Some place holder images for linking purposes.
Tattoo was done at Atomic Buddha, a local place. They were super nice and I'm very pleased with the work done.
As this was my first tattoo, I was a little nervous and wasn't sure what to expect from the pain, or the workmanship. The workmanship turned out to be quite great; the image is fairly detailed linking together like puzzle pieces but with gaps. So it wasn't a walk in the park but everything turned out fantastic.
The pain also lived up to the hype. It started out pretty severe but after awhile, it sort of evened out and it wasn't so big a deal.
It took about an hour and 30 minutes to complete.
I'm already contemplating my next one. I'm thinking something in a Killer 7 motif.
Tattoo was done at Atomic Buddha, a local place. They were super nice and I'm very pleased with the work done.
As this was my first tattoo, I was a little nervous and wasn't sure what to expect from the pain, or the workmanship. The workmanship turned out to be quite great; the image is fairly detailed linking together like puzzle pieces but with gaps. So it wasn't a walk in the park but everything turned out fantastic.
The pain also lived up to the hype. It started out pretty severe but after awhile, it sort of evened out and it wasn't so big a deal.
It took about an hour and 30 minutes to complete.
I'm already contemplating my next one. I'm thinking something in a Killer 7 motif.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
From the Bin of Second Looks: Work Time Fun!
Work Time Fun (or WTF) is a mini game collection on the PSP in the vein of WarioWare. It features 40 different mini games and a plethora of “toys” to unlock. The name WTF is a pun on the popular acronym “What the fuck?” in that a lot of what this game offers boarders well past strange.
The modus operandi for playing the game is such: you are in hell, and since you have nothing better to do, you can acquire jobs from the Work Demon to fill your day. The Work Demon will offer you 4 jobs at any one time. Pick one and proceed.
The jobs consist of all the different mini games. You initially start with 4 of them but unlock more as time goes on. Upon completion of a mini game (assuming some level of success), you will receive a paycheck which you can spend on one of a few different capsule toy machines. Most of the time you will get a random toy from the machine that will be stored in your collection and will contain a humorous or bizarre blurb about the toy. Sometimes you’ll get one of the many interactive “tools” hidden in the game; some of which range from the semi useful (a bill splitter), to the strange (a set of eyes on the PSP which you can hold up to your head over your real eyes), to the really strange (a Ramen Noodle timer featuring video of either a bikini clad woman or man). Lastly, you may unlock another mini game.
Here’s a list of all the Tools and Games you can unlock.
Games:
• 3 Count: Play as a wrestler and kick out of a pin count 3 times. The closer you kick out to “zero” the more money you make.
• 3 Legged Challenge: Play with a friend and take steps in rhythm to get to the end of the race.
• Animal Investigation Corps: Listen to zoologists reports for animals they’ve seen that day and tally up the results. Failure to do so sends the animal on a one way extinction course.
• Baseball Superstars: Field fly balls and throw them to first base. Miss three times and you’re out. Features an angry coach.
• Bouncer Bash: Insane groupies and fans want to get at the band. You’re there to stop them.
• Buddha’s Quest: A sort of RPG. I haven’t gotten it yet, but with names like “Poop Buddha”, I need to get it fast.
• Caddy’s Quest: Pick up golf balls from an infinitely large golf course one patch of grass at a time.
• Candy Shop: Match candy sticks with the request. You can send unwanted pieces back in the candy shute but be careful not to back the whole thing up.
• Chick Sorting: Sort baby chickens into Male, Female, and Dead categories.
• Cliff Race 2000: Race at a cliff at breakneck speeds. Slam on your breaks and try to stop as close to the edge as possible without going over.
• Cliff Race 2000 VS: A two player version of Cliff Race 2000; both of you race to see who can stop closest to the edge of the cliff.
• Copy Cat: A nasty version of Simon. Repeat the pattern.
• Copy Cat 2: A two player version of Copy Cat. Take turns repeating the pattern.
• Demonstration Roundup: Visit nearby buildings and gather people up to join you at a demonstration rally (WE AGREE!!!) in an increasingly longer and longer line. Run into the cops and they’ll break up your group.
• Drunken Mayor: Haven’t played this one yet, but apparently you do mayoral things and keep the world from Global Thermonuclear War.
• Elf King: One of the most frightening games you’ll ever play. Your son is possessed, ride to the elf king as fast as possible to cure him.
• Four Fingers: A game of mumblety-peg. Stab between your four fingers with an ice pick. You lose when you stab yourself.
• Ghost Psychic: Decide if the ghost in the picture is real or fake.
• Hand Bell Delight: A rhythm game. Ring your hand bells in time with the song and enjoy huge breasted anime chicks in the process.
• Happy Bullet: Haven’t gotten this one yet either. Shoot a sad person with a bullet to make them happy.
• Hell Pottery: Fire up your kiln and make a pot. Throw things into the fire to keep the temperature optimal.
• Karate Superstar: Punch random (and sometimes very strange) objects out of the air. Perfect timing is required.
• Lumberjack: Split wood but be careful not to chop the bunnies or dolphins in half.
• Lumberjack Challenge: A two player version of Lumberjack. One player only cuts blue logs and one player only cuts red logs.
• Mad Dribblin: Keep the soccer ball in the air.
• Mushroom Xing: You’ve taken some bad shrooms and now you’re playing in traffic. Sort of like Frogger, your goal is to get across the street.
• The Net: Cast a net and come back to reel it in when the fisherman tells you to. Can be up to 10 hours.
• Pendemonium: You’re put to work in a pen factory putting caps on pens. It’s about as exciting and as fun as it sounds. Sometimes the pens are backwards so you’ll need to rotate them to put the cap on the right end.
• Perfect Nanny: Stop the baby’s from crying.
• Pollinator: Just like Lunar Lander but you’re landing your “seed” on a new planet.
• Private Number: Guess the last four digits of a girls phone number in a game sort of like Mastermind.
• Private Number Deluxe: Just like Private Number but with new girls.
• Private Number Executive: Just like Private Number but with new girls.
• Ready to Order: Take a restaurant order from a large group of indecisive assholes.
• RPS World Championship: It’s a rock, paper, scissors tournament.
• Run Like Heck: Haven’t actually gotten this one yet, but throw food at a monster than run away.
• Séance: Work with a friend to summon the dead; use rhythm to make the spirit appear.
• Space Blaster: Haven’t gotten this game yet, but it’s apparently a shooter. Kill 3 bosses.
• Traffic Counter: You’ve got a clicker and it’s your job to count “humans” as they cross the screen.
• William Hell: Shoot the apple.
Tools:
• Bingo: You supply the cards; the PSP will supply the balls!
• Chinese Astrologer: Find out what sign you were born under.
• Counter: Convert units! Pounds to Kilos, Decimal to Binary. The world is yours!
• Eye Spy: A fake set of eyes.
• Handy Light: A bright light available in different shades.
• King of the Castle: Allow you to play a game called “King of the Castle” with friends. Essentially a strange version of truth or dare.
• Matchmaker: Find out if you’re compatible with someone.
• Ramen Timer: A countdown to when your delicious ramen will be cooked.
• Restaurant Bill Splitter: Split a bill!
• World Clock: Tell time in Singapore!
In addition to playing the games and collecting toys, you can achieve awards for performing well (or very poorly) in each game. Think of these like achievements.
And one of the final elements of the game is the various emails you’ll get from your “co-workers”. These serve no function in the “game” itself, but add a lot of color to the strangely compelling monotony of the rest of the WTF experience.
Ok, so the game is wacky and features lots of strange things. What makes this game noteworthy?
Subtext.
The whole game is an unapologetically scathing send-up of the mini game genre. This is more relevant than ever in the wake of the Wii and DS with dozens of “mini-game” collections available and most selling very well. From the name of each game, to the crap toys you can buy, to the fabulous use of the game medium (there’s a lot of speech in this game); all of it is sticking its finger in the face of every other mini-game collection, most definitely including itself. From the setting (hell) to the objectives (count stuff, listen to stuff, press a button over and over into infinity) to the rewards (a plastic piece of crap out of a vending machine), all of it speaks to what consumers expect from a game like this.
On that front, if the criteria in defining something as art is to “say something”; than this game delivers in spades. But it’s still a game, right? Is it worth actually playing for something other than just the experience? The short answer is yes.
This game succeeds on a lot of levels. None of the mini games in and of themselves would be considered excessively “fun”, but as a collective group, there are a lot of things going on. Some games like Demonstration Roundup and Bouncer Bash are indeed fun; nothing complex or engaging but are enjoyable to play. Some games like Mad Dribblin, Karate Superstar, and Four Fingers are extremely simple but somehow ink out a very addictive quality to them. Other games like Caddy’s Quest, Chick Sorting, and Pendemonium are the definition of tedium but their inclusion in the game speaks volumes about how droll most supposed fun games really are. And yet others like Buddha’s Quest, 3 Count, and Hand Bell Delight are great send-ups of established conventions in other video games.
The tools are parodies in and of themselves. Bingo without cards? During your PSP into a light? A ramen timer? The developers definitely had tongue planted firmly in cheek here.
This is truly an example of where the sum far outweighs the parts. You may not be playing this with the same frequency as a WarioWare, but man, you’ve gotta at least take the trip.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Wall-E, Twin Peaks, and the death of imagination
First off, Wall-E is fantastic. Amazing. Genius. It's a must see for all film lovers. Again, they walk the tight-rope of pleasing children and adults, but this is the first film of theirs that does not retool the story to make sure the kids always have steady footing.
Featuring songs from Hello Dolly, direct mockeries of obese Americans and the culture that fosters them, blatant "green" messaging, homages to science fiction classics, and Fred Willard, there is no pandering in this movie. None. You're either on board or not.
The space dance is one of the most joyful experiences I've ever had in a theater and I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought me to tears with just how beautiful and awe-inspiring it was.
Pixar’s triumph; I dare them to top it.
We've started watching Twin Peaks. I've never seen a full episode of this ground breaking show, and I know little in detail about the plot, so it's coming across as quite fresh to me. That said, about half of the show is pretty yawn inducing and the other half bounces between marginal to sublime interest (much like some of the best shows on T.V. play out now, specifically, Lost). But that sublime level; holy crap. The dream sequences are absolutely mind-blowing. Lynch at his cryptic best. And Kyle MacLachlan is a revelation. I'm about 6 episodes in (not counting the pilot) so there's a lot of the show left, but man, so long as Lynch can hit one out of the park every few episodes, I'm in for the long haul.
I've been reading the rule books for Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition in some depth. And I made a lot of jokes about Gary Gygax rolling (heh) in his grave on the release of 4th, but even pessimistic me didn't think about how close I'd get. 4th Edition is pretty much a compilation for everything that's wrong with kids today and how they take their entertainment.
Dungeons and Dragons has never had a kind eye fixated on it in popular culture. It's always been relegated to the realm of socially inept boys and men-children as an escape for their obvious (and no so obvious) failings in their actual day to day life. The refuge for people who are too weak to participate in more physical forms of activity and too lazy or apathetic to apply their creative energy in more productive forms.
All that might be true, but Dungeons and Dragons always represented what epitimized imagination: possibility. As a game, Dungeons and Dragons was little more than a couple of oddly shaped dice and a lot of erasing, but as an experience it added up to so much more. Gamers of all ages could dream up problems and solutions that exercised as much grounding in reality as the group wanted to. I've played in games where significant research was done as to the velocity and impact of a catapult shot to formulate the possibilities of creating a breach for a full sized army and I've played in games where we pondered the ramifications of teleporting a fireball inside the belly of a dragon.
In all situations, our imaginations powered the "game" resulting in thinking from multiple perspectives, scavenging a solution with materials on hand, and critical analysis of problem solving possibilities. All of which have vast "real-world" applications which equipped us significantly better to deal in a technologically driven workplace than what the football players got by learning shovel-pass plays or the nickel defense (I simplify but that's pretty accurate). This is shown hundreds of times over by looking at all the extremely successful people that did (but rarely still do) play Dungeons and Dragons
Now, here comes the latest iteration of Dungeons and Dragons. DnD (as it's more affectionately known) never was a real bastion of "role-playing"; but the capes and fangs crap that constituted a lot of "serious" RPG tables wasn't really ever up my alley. I was more interested in problem solving than inhabiting a role (probably why drama never appealed to me). So, Dungeons and Dragons always worked a great middle ground for the kind of RPG experience I wanted as a gamer. But this latest version takes most of the imagination out of the game and instead interjects the kind of shit reserved for video games in place of my open ended world.
Now if my blog exhibits anything, it's a love of video games, but the table-top RPG always had (and has) a place in my heart as a unique experience that broadens minds and encourages intelligence. Limiting the game to where everything you can mark on your character sheet eventually adds up to a plus or minus in combat discourages all that made old DnD great. Creative game players can get around this by enforcing (or banning) certain aspects, but it's still incredibly disheartening.
I know DnD has to compete with all of these other self-feeding forms of entertainment for the seemingly endless stream of dollars coming from the 12-21 demographic, but to so blatantly kowtow is sickening.
So let's be happy Mr. Gygax never had to make a saving throw verses disgust with the release of this product, and take a moment to mourn what was.
Featuring songs from Hello Dolly, direct mockeries of obese Americans and the culture that fosters them, blatant "green" messaging, homages to science fiction classics, and Fred Willard, there is no pandering in this movie. None. You're either on board or not.
The space dance is one of the most joyful experiences I've ever had in a theater and I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought me to tears with just how beautiful and awe-inspiring it was.
Pixar’s triumph; I dare them to top it.
We've started watching Twin Peaks. I've never seen a full episode of this ground breaking show, and I know little in detail about the plot, so it's coming across as quite fresh to me. That said, about half of the show is pretty yawn inducing and the other half bounces between marginal to sublime interest (much like some of the best shows on T.V. play out now, specifically, Lost). But that sublime level; holy crap. The dream sequences are absolutely mind-blowing. Lynch at his cryptic best. And Kyle MacLachlan is a revelation. I'm about 6 episodes in (not counting the pilot) so there's a lot of the show left, but man, so long as Lynch can hit one out of the park every few episodes, I'm in for the long haul.
I've been reading the rule books for Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition in some depth. And I made a lot of jokes about Gary Gygax rolling (heh) in his grave on the release of 4th, but even pessimistic me didn't think about how close I'd get. 4th Edition is pretty much a compilation for everything that's wrong with kids today and how they take their entertainment.
Dungeons and Dragons has never had a kind eye fixated on it in popular culture. It's always been relegated to the realm of socially inept boys and men-children as an escape for their obvious (and no so obvious) failings in their actual day to day life. The refuge for people who are too weak to participate in more physical forms of activity and too lazy or apathetic to apply their creative energy in more productive forms.
All that might be true, but Dungeons and Dragons always represented what epitimized imagination: possibility. As a game, Dungeons and Dragons was little more than a couple of oddly shaped dice and a lot of erasing, but as an experience it added up to so much more. Gamers of all ages could dream up problems and solutions that exercised as much grounding in reality as the group wanted to. I've played in games where significant research was done as to the velocity and impact of a catapult shot to formulate the possibilities of creating a breach for a full sized army and I've played in games where we pondered the ramifications of teleporting a fireball inside the belly of a dragon.
In all situations, our imaginations powered the "game" resulting in thinking from multiple perspectives, scavenging a solution with materials on hand, and critical analysis of problem solving possibilities. All of which have vast "real-world" applications which equipped us significantly better to deal in a technologically driven workplace than what the football players got by learning shovel-pass plays or the nickel defense (I simplify but that's pretty accurate). This is shown hundreds of times over by looking at all the extremely successful people that did (but rarely still do) play Dungeons and Dragons
Now, here comes the latest iteration of Dungeons and Dragons. DnD (as it's more affectionately known) never was a real bastion of "role-playing"; but the capes and fangs crap that constituted a lot of "serious" RPG tables wasn't really ever up my alley. I was more interested in problem solving than inhabiting a role (probably why drama never appealed to me). So, Dungeons and Dragons always worked a great middle ground for the kind of RPG experience I wanted as a gamer. But this latest version takes most of the imagination out of the game and instead interjects the kind of shit reserved for video games in place of my open ended world.
Now if my blog exhibits anything, it's a love of video games, but the table-top RPG always had (and has) a place in my heart as a unique experience that broadens minds and encourages intelligence. Limiting the game to where everything you can mark on your character sheet eventually adds up to a plus or minus in combat discourages all that made old DnD great. Creative game players can get around this by enforcing (or banning) certain aspects, but it's still incredibly disheartening.
I know DnD has to compete with all of these other self-feeding forms of entertainment for the seemingly endless stream of dollars coming from the 12-21 demographic, but to so blatantly kowtow is sickening.
So let's be happy Mr. Gygax never had to make a saving throw verses disgust with the release of this product, and take a moment to mourn what was.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Denis Dyack on 1UP Yours, Gangs of New York, etc.
XML feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/1up/podcast
Yes, technology (and in particular communication via technology) dehumanizes interaction in most media. And, yes, dehumanizing interaction removes at lot of potential for a higher level of communication (e.g. kindness, understanding, compassion, whatever); but, no, there will be no revolution. It will not be televised. People are, were, and will always be dicks. It's just the relative obfuscation of the internet enables a much greater opportunity to indulge.
His points on business are sound, and valid, but unfortunately do not address the true target of business: the shareholder. So long as the stock price goes up, and not down, the stockholders have virtually no stake at all in if they're hiring good-ole' boys from the breadbasket of America or trained monkeys. But I think we can all agree that's tremendously shortsighted for economy at all scales (personal, national, global). Distribution of wealth is the bulwark for any real, long-term, sustainable economic growth regardless on if it's aligned to some sort of moral compass.
But, whatever, I'm still looking forward to Too Human. I'm such a fucking loot whore I'm sure I'll love it no matter what. I've turned back on Diablo 2 again after the big Diablo III announcement. I don't understand all the complaints over graphics; it could have been in ASCII and I would have been salivating.
On another note, I recently rewatched Scorsese's Gangs of New York. It's a damn effort to get past the whole Cameron Dias thing, but I think I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I did the first time I watched it. The whole ritualistic elements around the so-called "gangs" was undeniably cool. People who actually like the Boondock Saints should watch that shit for an exercise in how to properly do bloodshed in the name of papal advancement.
What was new to me on this viewing was one of the special features I hadn't checked out. Discovery did a one-off on the "real" gangs of New York. Thrown cleavers and shitty accents aside, Scorsese wasn't that off base on the actual events. Even down to gangs called "Dead Rabbits" and "Bowery Boys". Anyone who is going to revisit that film is best served by checking out that feature as well.
I did recently get around to watching Control too. Sadly, I never knew that Ian Curtis actually had a kid. I need to read up on the whole story there. Regardless, the movie was excellent and painted the whole "tragic, tortured artist" canvas in some original ways. Needless to say that getting some from a hot French/Ukranian chick who is enamored with you wouldn't be high on my list of suicidal influences, but, whatever. He wrote New Dawn Fades and that process alone would have probably had me dropping the proverbial toaster into the tub.
Lastly I'll add that I haven't been keeping up with my Wii Fit but I have been keeping up with real working out at the gym. I'm now starting on my third month of regularly going. Now, when I judge morbidly obese people, I can at least do so without eating crow. It still makes me a pretty crappy person, but not a hypocrite.
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