Saturday, September 13, 2008
Photograph Project
One thing I guess I've noticed so far is that I haven't been looking at film from that perspective. I've always thought film more closely related to literature than photography, but if you want to get technical that's far from the case. I knew I was more interested in narratology, especially since I was hoping to move into studying video games from that perspective, but photography is pretty cool too.
I always admired the style of film noir so I think I might choose for my project those series of pictures from Naked City by Weegee. I love that style, chiaroscuro it's called. There's good stuff in that book, I'll definitely find more than enough examples of shadow. Anyway, I'm going to check out some of that stuff and start posting it in the next couple of days. Also, work continues on my personal website, I'll be going live any time now (I hope).
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Group Work
Well our first group project is finally all done and I have to say it turned out really nicely. I did the voice-over work, albeit a tad grudgingly (everyone says they hate to hear their own voice but I can't imagine anyone does as much as me). My groupies were great and did some amazing work for the images and powerpoint. I hope our presentation goes as smoothly as the work for it did.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
My Blog (2.0)
I've decided to bite the bullet and buy my own domain name, where I will move my blog for Media Practices and set up a shamelessly self-promotional space as well. We have to create a website for Understanding Media so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone. I'm completely new to web design as I mentioned earlier, so this will be a good experiment as well.
I spent the better part of two hours (seriously) just trying different names that I thought would be appropriate. Some sounded too stuffy or overreaching, others too goofy (although I have to admit, had dangerousgaming.com been available we wouldn't be having this conversation). I finally came across thegamewriter.com which stuck. I really wanted a .com, I'm not altogether sure why. Anyway, like I said, the site will be a repository of all my work at The New School (I'll throw in some of my old stuff from VT for now, we'll see if that seems to bad later on).
I'll also include an area for my professional writing that I did for GotGame and Dootsi. And I'm thinking about a members-only space to include my event calender for my mom. I'm going to need to find some good pictures of myself to include, maybe after I learn to use photoshop. The ones from my college facebook account probably wouldn't do.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Web 2.0
I hadn't seen this video before and have to say it was very inspiring. I've always been interested in new communication technologies and the web is (still) the most rapidly evolving form of new comm tech. I've only really dabbled my toes in web design so far - although that's about to change very soon and I'll talk more about that later - but I would really love to become more involved in it.
Watching the video inspired me to look up the Web 2.0 movement. Of course I used one of the greatest, if not most accurate, tools on the web - the all knowing Wikipedia. I browsed through the main article and followed up on another topic of interest to me: the anti-copywrite movement. It's an interesting idea and their war cry - information wants to be free - is great.
I'm not sure about how to encourage creators to give up their right to full ownership of their work but discouraging printing companies and record labels from owning rights to work is a fantastic idea. Kudos to all the professionals who make their work available for free though alternate means of publishing, I only hope people don't end up getting burned by people using their material without giving credit where credit is due. Right now the 2.0 movement seems a bit overly optimistic.
Monday, April 28, 2008
One Square Forward, Two Squares Back: Advance Wars in a Nutshell
Advance wars was originally a promising little game for the Gameboy Advance (minor digression on the soullessness of Nintendo making 5-6 Gameboy iterations). However as anyone could see playing for a few minutes, the game’s multiplayer (obviously the soul of a strategy game) was seriously unbalanced with a few CO’s (you pick your CO who gives you certain benefits and drawbacks to your forces; they also have a special power you can use when you’ve dealt and received enough damage, much like a limit break in the Final Fantasy universe) being dominant over the other chumps and a few units being the best. Hence one could say this game showed promise. Sadly this promise was not delivered upon, as no fundamental changes were made to gameplay in the next installment, Advance Wars 2, which featured the same fundamental mechanics, plus a few more CO’s of varying worth and a reworking of some CO’s to make things more balanced. Needless to say, the issue of balance was not addressed in any serious way. The only unit added was an even bigger tank, the neo-tank, I suppose to make other units feel even worse about themselves.
This game plays like it was made by some Chair Force general trying to prove the superiority of air units over, well, anything. Certainly the Navy comes in for a bruising in this game, as the units are expensive, worthless, and generally defenseless to boot. At any rate, the next installment, not counting the laughable Gamecube cash-in “tactical” (as in, you made a severe tactical error buying this game) FPS, just added a boatload of new, completely random units and a mess of CO’s and combinations for Dual Strike (using 2 CO’s at once).
Of course this just made the game more of a clusterfunk and addressed none of the fundamental issues plaguing the game. There is no reliable anti-tank unit, direct units rule over indirects like artillery, the air units are absurdly powerful especially when used by a CO who gets a bonus for using them, etc. Apparently there is an even newer game out which no one is going to play. I figure after three strikes, you’re out. These aren’t efforts you can just rack up because they mean nothing, like DUI’s or something.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
All I Want for Half-Christmas
Well, to no one's great surprise, GTAIV is being hailed as the best game in the last decade by the reviewers over at IGN. I have to say, they couldn't have picked a crappier release date for the game. With finals week looming over me like, um, something big that looms over things, I've got a bit of a wait ahead of me before I can experience all the debauchery of my new favorite game (that's right, I'm calling it right now - this game is going to rule so hard). So woe has become me.
I hope everybody else out there has had the good sense to graduate from college or drop out in anticipation of the game of 2008. Oh, and how about one of those motherships from Independence Day for that metaphor before? I like that.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Team Carbon at Dangerous Gaming?
By now you've probably read the snarky comment left on my article about a recent LAN party I attended - and damn near won (according to some sources at least). The comment purports to come from none other than Karma and Shockwave themselves and praises me for my innate Halo skillz as well as my devilish good looks. So, taken at face value the comment seems like a perfectly valid love letter from two of my biggest fans. I get these types of things all the time, I just don't feel the need to brag about it, that's all.
Well, several loyal readers (including, but not limited to, my own mother) have voiced skepticism over the authenticity of the comment. Since the comment was posted under the all too familiar name "Anonymous", I guess for some it has called up bad memories of the controversy surrounding Dangerous Gaming's earlier Shakespeare-gate scandal. It has also been pointed out that it's extremely unlikely that Team Carbon would have even been able to find the site, given our near non-existent status on the Internets.
In any event, I shall continue to wait for my rightfully earned copy of Army of Two and my warm sodas until Judgement Day if necessary.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Team Carbon at Virginia Tech
In a startling upset, I was defeated by a team composed of two professional Halo players (Karma and Shockwave of Team Carbon) and two complete chaunces. I was none too thrilled as you can imagine, but then I thought: "What if I had beat them, how cool would that have been?". Yeah, I didn't really get much comfort out of that.
On what one could consider the plus side, the prizes handed out last night for first place were meager indeed - the winning team of four took home one copy of Army of Two and as many free t-shirts as they could carry. Yeah, you read that right...one copy, like, to split. One copy of a game that no one likes anyway. Oh, and four warm energy drinks.
So, in a sense, I did win last night, because I got to laugh as I thought of the winning team stepping up to claim their prize (I didn't stay to watch after my team was pushed out of the losers bracket - I got something in my eye and had to go wash it out with my own tears), only to receive a game that they could maybe fetch fifty bucks for on Ebay. That's not even enough for the money Karma spent in gas to get down to Bleaksburg.
On a personal note, sorry to all my loyal readers who have been itching for some fresh posts, I promise to work harder to make Alex work harder for me.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Too Dangerous For Words: Crab Battle!!!
Yeah, that just happened. Anyway, in the next week or so I'm going to be bringing some fresh articles to Dangerous Gaming, so sit tight (and the writing staff is hard at work preparing a deliciously funny send-off of the Advance Wars series, question one: Why is it still called Advance Wars on the DS? Ever think about that one?). Anyway, RIP Snake.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Something Dangerous: Casual Gaming for Ididiots
The internet is full of them (no, not dirty sites, but it's got its fair share of those too). I'm referring of course to irreverent flash games. And yesterday I stumbled across maybe the finest example of post-modernist humor that has ever graced a video game.
What it lacks in comprehensibility, it more than makes up for in sheer awesomeness. With no further ado, I give to you: Fruit Mystery.
Yeah, it's that good. So good that I'm going to kick off for the rest of the day and play it myself.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Jeremiad: On the Accidental Genius that was Halo 1
At any rate, even the tiniest child can make fun of the science fiction mishmash that was the last two story campaigns, or say, the sloppy, half-rate job Bungie did in redoing Halo 2 from its original exciting trailer to the un-rendered cutscene joke and gameplay letdown that it turned out to be. The stunning mediocrity of H2 and H3 makes it abundantly clear that the multiplayer brilliance of H1 was a pure accident!
Moreover, no accident were the laughably bad three (yes, three, I know what I’m talking about) repeat campaign levels-out of ten in Halo 1, this makes about a third of the campaign a product of laziness. Were we willing to forgive them? Sure. But no one ever listed Two Betrayals, Captain Keyes, or The Maw as exciting levels, since you were just doing what you had already done backwards.
As for the multiplayer, this also was a total accident. The pistol was an unbelievable weapon, the first of its kind for a FPS. It was revolutionary in that this weapon meant that with a certain learned skill (using a pistol, which was quite hard considering you have to lead them, strafe, and try for headshots) you could give yourself a fighting chance to beat anyone else on the map.
What this meant was that the jerk hogging the rockets could get owned by you even if you just spawned. This also further divided the best from the rest, as any poor sap who’s played H1 against anyone good will tell you. They will complain about how it’s not fair, the pistol IS JUST TOO POWERFUL, and they can’t handle it. What they really mean is that they can’t handle your game, YOU ARE TOO POWERFUL, and this hurts their already frail ego. What they want is some button-mash game where a neophyte can pick it up and play with the best- i.e. they expect a competitive video game to be like nothing else competitive.
Reflect, for a moment: do you expect to be good at martial arts having never had a lesson? With just as much justification you could complain about judo chops from some black belt as being too powerful. But, as with Halo, the master would only laugh at you.
At any rate in H2 the pistol was gone, replaced with the Battle Rifle. Also gone was the necessity to lead your shots, due to the massive infusion of auto-aim into the game engine. The Battle Rifle was also weaker, shooting less far and taking four perfect shots to kill, not three, and these shots took longer. Add to this mix the unbelievably silly Sword and melee attacks that could kill in two hits, and you have a slugfest. Gone is the weapon of a more refined age. . .all that’s left is an uncultured tool running around with the sword.
Of course there was also the plasma pistol + Battle Rifle combo, which was slightly more credible but a joke as well, as the plasma pistol would almost never miss, and all you had to do then was hit then once in the head. In short, in H2 the role of the ‘skill’ weapon was drastically reduced, even in a Slayer Pro game type where you start with a Battle Rifle, and what was left was an FPS not important for any gameplay reason, but rather only infamous for its amazing underperformance, and a remarkably clunky and thoughtless online interface (for example only letting you choose Bungie’s game types unless invited to a custom game with friends). Add to this the nickel-and-dime tactics of the world’s most sinister corporation in selling you some extra maps (which were either uninspired or H1 remakes, like Warlock) and you’ve got a sour taste in your mouth.
This trend only continues in H3, where Bungie apparently decided to throw as much cutting room floor material into the game as possible. This merits little to no response. No one is impressed by the Warthog, or the Spartan Laser, or the pistol and assault rifle returning. If anything it just makes the game even worse from a gameplay perspective, and lets it look sloppy while continuing its tailspin. In sum, let this be a tale of hubris and ignorance- a company unwittingly made the most complex and deep FPS of all time, then frittered away that reputation even with its most dangerous fans. This is, to my knowledge, the only honest and intelligent review detailing the trainwreck of the Halo franchise.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
First Impressions: Crisis Core
Okay, so I'm ten hours into Crisis Core and I have to say - I'm lovin' every minute of it. It's really got to be one of the best PSP games ever, eclipsed (in my mind) only by Chains of Olympus. The production values here are comparable to a lot of "real" console games, and the story so far is top notch. I won't spoil anything for you; suffice it to say, this is the best Final Fantasy VII story since, well, Final Fantasy VII.
So as the game opens players take the reins as Zack Fair, a character that anyone who's played the original should remember as Cloud's ill-fated buddy from Shin-Ra (and the previous wielder of the Buster Sword). You are an aspiring SOLDIER, hoping to make it into the highest class of warrior known only as the 1sts (firsts).
The game begins with a cutscene very reminescent of the opening in VII. Zack leads an assault on a train as it hurtles through Midgar. And kills people. And then kills a giant monster. And by then you should be comfortable knowing that the game is going to rule.
Anyway,
In conclusion (remember doing that with your papers in highschool?), if you own a PSP (you must be out there somewhere), then you absolutely owe it to yourself to check this game out. Seriously, what are you still reading for? Go, buy it, play it.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Dangerous Gaming Signs New Writer
Be warned dear readers, Alex will probably bring with him a brand of sarcasm so complex as to be completely meaningless. If anyone has a problem with his sometimes immensely dense wit, well, there's always the comment box under his articles. Also, be aware - if people indicate that they like his writing better than mine, he's so totally fired it's not even funny.
We'll probably hear from Alex in the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled (how's that for a disgusting turn of phrase? I've always thought so at least). He'll be covering recent developments in gaming, and laying the smack down on some of your favorite hits like Halo 3. Actually, he'll probably bring some balance to the Dangerous Gaming force, considering the gushing reviews I've been writing of late (lay off me, I only pay for games that I like). In any event, it should be a lot of fun.
Here's a brief little bio about Alex: He's into revolutions, he likes strikers (I'm not talking about the Mario game, although he likes that too), and his dad writes a blog on racquet sports which I find most excellent.
In other news, I've just cracked into the first couple of hours of Crisis Core, so look for a first impressions article tomorrow.
Believe it or not, that's a pretty accurate representation of what this Hufford kid looks like.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Afternoon of Darkness a Misnomer
First off, Afternoon of Darkness is almost as misleading a title as Hour of Darkness was for the PS2 iteration of Disgaea. A better title would have been something to the effect of Disgaea: The Rest of Your Life of Darkness. The game is a total time-suck (what, there's no wiki entry for time-suck? Oh well, check out the article on there about Mister Mosquito instead). I've already dumped fifteen hours into the story and I haven't even cracked the half-way point.
But, as far as life-consuming games go, Disgaea is certainly one of the better strategy RPGs I've ever played (the other one would be Final Fantasy Tactics, so it's not saying much). The combat system takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you'll be tossing your allies all over the place, racking up combos like there's no tomorrow. It's a quirky title, but it carries a lot of charm in both the story and the gameplay.
For those that haven't the cash or the inclination to own a PSP, you'll be able to check it out on your puny DS pretty soon. Sorry for the lack of review in this review. You'd probably be better off checking out the metascore or something.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Brave New Dangerous Gaming
Well, there's a new look around here and it's all thanks to the wonderfully talented art staff. So a heartfelt thanks goes out to my sister. Also, I don't know about you guys, but I love the hell out of the terrifying Boo. The only thing I'm wondering about is what the hell is that thing over Bowser's head? Looks like a polka-dot exclamation point from where I'm sitting.
Also, is it too busy? I fell like by the time you're done reading it, you're dead.
Anyway, real news will resume tomorrow with a look at Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the PSP. After that, expect a bunch more irrelevant articles and a few barbed comments. That is all.
Here's a fun video to divert you from other - and probably more worthwhile - pursuits. Watch carefully.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Comment Two Sparks Further Elation
For the time being, the answer is yes - every time someone comments on this blog, a witty retort will be made by the author in the form of an article. The articles will quote the comment:
And then bring the funny. The funniness brought in the article will have a direct, positive correlation with the funniness that was brought in the original comment. Like a used carpet salesman, I will not be undersold. So please folks, bring your repartee and get ready to partee. Wow, that one sounded better in my head. Anyway, thanks for the input sis. How's that art I asked for coming? This place still looks like a shi... I'll call you tomorrow.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Dangerous Gaming's Popularity Swells Among the Proletariat
Break out the champagne and cheese puffs, we've received our very first comment on Dangerous Gaming! Blog creator, Chris "Danger" Lewis, noticed the comment notification in his in-box at 7:33 EST on Sunday, March 30th, in the year of our Lord, 3008. He immediately hopped into his DeLorean, booted up the flux capacitor, and shot back in time precisely 1000 years to create the article that you are currently enthralling yourself on.
The comment was posted by anonymous, and was in response to an article on the death of the PS2. While the identity of the poster will most likely go unsolved for years to come, speculation runs rampant throughout the offices of Dangerous Gaming. Was it William Mark Felt? Aliens? Perhaps something even more sinister? (In all likelyhood it was Alex Hufford, a smarmy relative of the author). Whatever the case may be, the implications for the future of the site are clear: Dangerous Gaming will go down in history as the coolest site I've ever created.
The comment itself was largely positive, although further sarcasm analysis will have to be made to verify the sincerity of the content. Anyway, without further ado, here's the comment in full, glorified forever in cyber ink on the pages of Dangerous Gaming:
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Taming of the PS2
Prepare yourself for the death of a king. Wait, he's been dead for how long?
I was just thinking about the PS2 and how, until fifteen minutes ago, it was still the best-selling console. Remember that Target sale a while back? Yeah that was awesome. But as much as it has resisted, it looks like Sony's wunderkind (I knew what that word meant before I wikied it, did you?) is finally going quietly into that cold night.
Actually, it looks like the analysts called it a long time ago. I guess I'm behind the times. Well, how about a moment of silence for the undisputed champion of the sixth generation of consoles? Oh, and I hope everyone caught the sly title. I've been feeling punny lately. I apologize.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Long Bomb: Will 2008 See the Revenge of the PS3?
The slick black machine is gaining momentum in sales and the Wall Street Journal is calling the company's stock a good investment for bargain hunters. It's not going to be easy, but the PS3 could feasibly climb out of last place in the console wars by 2009.
Several factors are going to play a part in making or breaking Sony in the next year. Clearly software is going to be the number one issue, and with many upcoming titles to choose from, it looks like Sony is covered on that front. From multi-platform games like GTA 4 and Fallout 3 to the all-important exclusives Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance 2, LittleBigPlanet, and Killzone 2, the PS3 looks to have a definite edge in the coming year.
Another important factor is going to be the release of Home. The PS3 has come under fire for its lackluster online support, but Home could step up to challenge Xbox Live when it launches this Spring. Smaller refinements are showing up as well, including better PSP support and the upcoming release of a true DualShock controller. While these may not be console movers when taken alone, they can certainly go a long way in making a $400 purchase more palatable.
Developers are also showing less fear when working with the PS3, with one going as far as to call it "crazy-easy". Look for that to cut down on release differences between multi-platform titles in the near future, both in terms of delays and graphical discrepancies.
It's not all sunshine and roses though. The PS3 has its work cut out for it, and it's going to be an uphill battle to dethrone Microsoft's reigning Xbox 360 or Nintendo's family-friendly Wii. As much as Sony has denied it in the past, market share is the name of the game; as of this writing, they just don't have the numbers. That said, the PS3 has been closing the gap recently and seems poised for a strong comeback. We'll just have to wait and see. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure – 2008 is going to be one awesome year for PS3 owners.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Coming Soon on Dangerous Gaming
In the next week I'm going to break down Sony's potential win in 2008, give some impressions on Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness for the PSP, and maybe even wax philosophical while ruminating about the recent death of the PS2. Okay, maybe it hasn't been that recent, but still. Also, I'm hoping for some more artwork from the art staff (read: my sister) to spruce things up around here. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Something Dangerous: The Chains of Olympus
The game features as epic an opening level as any of its PS2 big brothers; that's pretty amazing considering the hardware limitations. It's no stretch to say that this game looks like an early PS2 game. The animations are smooth as silk and the frame rate keeps up in all but the stickiest situations. Make no mistake, Chains of Olympus is a true God of War experience right there in the palm of your hand.
Salivation aside, I should admit that the game is short – I clocked in at about five and a half hours and I'm no speed-runner. It's a damned meaty five hours, with all the action and carnage that you've come to expect from the series, but for those that tend to only play a game through once, that's a major sticking point.
Anyway, the boss battles still feel larger-than-life, especially the cave-troll looking thing at the beginning. The combat system has made the transition intact, with few concessions. The only problem of note on that front is the quick time events – the rapid button commands work flawlessly, but forget about it when it comes to nailing the required joystick rolls. They were hard enough on a DualShock, and the PSP's tiny nub just isn't up for the challenge.
It's few faults aside, Chains of Olympus is hands down the best PSP game released. Ever. At least until Crisis Core comes out (which is today, so you PSP owners out there are probably already revisiting Midgar as I write). Anyway, look for my review of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII as soon as I get some cash together (readers should feel free to contribute to my funds. You laugh, but since my Mom's probably the only one reading this now anyway, I've got a real good chance.).
Monday, March 24, 2008
PS3 Blu-ray Update Announced for Release in March
Playstation 3 owners are about to get a little more functionality for their Blu-ray capable machines in the next couple of weeks. Sony just announced the release of a new firmware update that promises increased interactivity through the use of the new BD Live format and a slew of new features.
Those that have been aching for better Blu-ray support will be pleased to find downloadable content among the new refinements. Users should be able to check out trailers and download ringtones with the new firmware, version 2.20.
The much touted BD Live format already has several compatible titles on shelves now, including War and Saw IV, with Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day slated for release in early April. Disney has also committed to future releases with BD Live functionality.
The update will include “resume play”, a feature that allows a movie to start from the last point stopped, even when the disc has been removed from the PS3.
For those that don't care so much about the Blu-ray aspect, Sony hasn't forgotten you. The update will increase the PS3's browser speed, making pages load faster. Rounding out the package is an audio output feature, allowing PSP owners to remotely control music played over the PS3.
Blu-ray is far from finished from a developmental viewpoint. Continuing research on disc layering looks like a viable option for increasing storage capacity and that's going to go a long way in increasing the format's longevity. In any case, the PS3 still appears to be the strongest buy in terms of a Blu-ray enabled machine; right now it's the only player capable of online firmware updates. 2008 just gets better and better for Sony. And the plot thickens.