buttonmashing

Mashing buttons since 1984

Archives for July 2005

Button bash??

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I use Google Alerts for a variety of key-words, mainly to keep me up-to-date on topics like video game blogs. I have one setup for “button mashing” and every so often I get an alert, pointing me to another review of a game involving copious amounts of button mashing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But I got one recently that made me laugh. Behold, the buttonbash. Buttonbash?

This doesn’t seem right. In my mind, “bash” is something you do with say, a baseball bat. And you bash something bashable, say someone’s head. At least that’s what I learned playing GTA:SA. I even have a new cranial menu called “bash head with aluminum bat.” It comes in handy.

On the otherhand, “mash” is something you do to potatoes. Or grapes. Mashing can be a good thing. It’s doesn’t exude the violent intonations “bash” does.

In fact, wonderful things come from mashing. Mashed potatoes come immediately to mind. I don’t think too many people would find “Bashed Potatoes” very appetizing. Mashed potatoes, with a pat of butter and some freshly cracked pepper? That’s what I’m talking about.

It appears that our fellow gamers across the pond bash buttons. That’s a shame. It seems so brutish and unsophisticated. We only mash buttons here. So eloquent and refined. We don’t feel overt aggression towards our buttons. We mash them into something wonderful.

And no, “mashing” buttons isn’t a crime. For some of us, it’s all we have.

Bad news for Rockstar?

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Things don’t look good for Rockstar. GameSpot has confirmed that the “Hot Coffee” content was, in-fact, included on the PS2 disc of GTA:SA.

Cheat unlocks preexisting code in controversy-rocked Grand Theft Auto game, undermining Rockstar Games’ claims of hacker mischief.

This may be the proverbial straw that does in the camel. Rockstar has been wording its presses releases in legalese, making it hard to find a concrete admission or denial. Nevertheless, this is bad news for their case. But how bad is pixelated smut? GameSpot sums it up:

Given that the minigame is about as raunchy as an episode of Sex and the City, cannot be accessed without entering a long string of cheat codes, and takes several hours of effort to access, charges that San Andreas is “pornographic” may seem extreme to some. However, its existence does appear to contradict Rockstar Games’ carefully worded statement blaming hacker mischief for the existence of the Hot Coffee mod.

Related:
GTA should have been rated AO

War of the Worlds

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Saw War of the Worlds last night with the buttonWife. She wasn’t sure what to expect and wasn’t keen on seeing this particular movie. As we were walking out she couldn’t stop saying “Wow!” War of the Worlds is an intense, non-stop exercise in making your audience feel sick and helpless. I’m personally not a big Tom Cruise fan but I make exceptions for movies that look too good to pass up. I’m glad I didn’t pass this one up.

It goes without saying that the effects and sound were top-shelf. We’re talking about Speilberg here. I’m only casually acquainted with the source material but what I recall was faithfully represented. The noises those alien tripods make will definitely haunt my nightmares.

I thought this would have more social commentary than it did, but it seemed to shy away from it at times. I didn’t care for Tim Robbins’ side-ways political jab with his little “occupations never work,” comment but I’ll let it slide (if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know why I’ll let it slide). While WotW surrendered to a few movie cliches it took itself serious enough to work but not overly so. Definitely makes you think about your own mortality and what’s lurking beneath the surface.

I give it a button-mashing thumbs up.

Parents just have to be better parents.

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First off, I never wanted buttonmashing.com to become a place for political statements, so I will try to refrain from such comments as much as possible. Also, I didn’t want to talk about GTA:SA anymore. I think the game has no redeeming qualities. I respect the opinions of people who think otherwise, but for my money, GTA:SA is a poor game. That said, I really don’t want to beat dead horses (Jack Thompson is an idiot and the GTA scandal) anymore but if you throw in another horse (Hillary Clinton) and I’m game. As it’s been reported, Senator Clinton has thrown her considerable political weight behind an investigation into Rockstar’s peccancies.

Mrs. Clinton asked the commission to determine “the source of this content,” especially since the game can fall into the hands of young people. The game industry’s self-policing unit, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, is investigating whether the maker of the game violated the industry rule requiring “full disclosure of pertinent content.”

Do we really need “federal regulators to investigate” this? Whether this game should have been rated M or AO by the ESRB it should never “fall into the hands of young people.” The NY Times also seems to be sketchy on the rest of the details, but that’s beside the point. It’s troubling that an influential Senator has taken interest in this case, because it gives credence to nut-jobs like Jack Thompson.

In fact, this seems to have been Jack Thompson’s dream come true, as he is literally slobbering in this letter he purportedly sent to everyone in the video game industry.

(On a side note, as a conservative Republican, I am sad to learn that Jack Thompson also belongs to my party. But that is neither here nor there.)

As I read this letter, I had to pause numerous times and pinch myself. Certainly I had drifted into a parallel universe where logic doesn’t exist and saying things crazy-stupid is the norm. As few choice quotes from the letter:

For a month Doug Lowenstein and his ESA pretended that there was no mod, that there was no scandal, that there was no need for any action whatsoever by ESA. How wrong he was.

No, how wrong you are Mr. Thompson! It’s the ESRB, not the ESA, that needs to take action. They rated a game based on content provided to them. It is neither Lowenstein’s nor the ESA’s fault that Rockstar may have held back certain content. This is just hot air.

Doug Lowenstein could have prevented what is going to happen today, but he preferred to shoot the messengers. It is his chronic style.

I wondered if he was trained to do that in Grand Theft Shoot-the-Media. Do you think he has an option of “Shoot the Messenger” in one of his cranial menus?

News organizations don’t trust ESA because Doug Lowenstein is its head. Why should they? He treats them like dirt.

After watching 60 minutes in March, I’d say it was the other way around. They gave whackos like you all the time in the world to spout your nonsense and then gave Doug the equivalent of a couple sound bites.

When Hitler invaded Russia, opening up an Eastern offensive on the eve of winter, Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted that “Hitler must have been rather loosely educated, not having learned the lesson of Napoleon’s autumn advance on Moscow.”

Your Doug Lowenstein is similarly “loosely educated” about the United States Constitution.

Whoops, Thompson has “jumped the shark.” When the “Hitler” comparisons are thrown around, it’s time to pick up your things and leave. Nothing to see here. If you made it that far in the article, you can stop there. Does anyone see the similarity between a madman who exterminated millions of people and a man who may have missed a simple bit of content in a video game where NO ONE DIED? I know you, smart buttonmashers, are familiar with history. I won’t belabor the point anymore. You’ve seen the diarrhea pour out of this guys mouth time and time again. There’s more of this garbage, you can read it if you are a glutton for punishment. You can make your own decision about this guy.

There is one nice little gem, though, from Mr. Thompson. It reminded me why I love George W:

The evening in January 2000 that I appeared on NBC Nightly News to talk about the link between violent games and Columbine, Tom Brokaw asked then Governor Bush about that link and what he as President would do about it? George Bush simply said “Parents just have to be better parents.”

Amen, brother! We can write all the legislation in the world, fine stores and their clerks for selling games to minors, whatever. In the end, if the parents will let little Tommy play GTA:Kill ’em All Rampage, who’s to blame, really?

Update: Here are two cents (which are actually worth more) from blogger JKL, in which he refers to Jack Thompson as Thumper. Anyone who would think of that is okay in my book.

Also keep checking out Kotaku for updates. Brian is on this case like white on rice.

Related Posts:
Cranial Menus
GTA should have been rated AO
Parents just have to be better parents

Getting the word out

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It’s always flattering to receive an email from a buttonmashing.com reader. It’s even more flattering when they ask me to plug something they’re working on and want to get the word out. I’m always happy to pass on info that I think is a benefit to my readers and to the gaming scene in general. Humor me a little here as I get the word out.

The first has been mentioned elsewhere, but I’ll reiterate it here. Go check out Slamdance Games:

Slamdance Games exists to help aspiring game developers showcase their work. The festival seeks to aid developers through industry connections, peer interaction and national exposure. Slamdance recognizes the need for a competition with integrity that concentrates on the art of game design and not just the bottom line.

Like I mentioned with the guys doing Metroid Prime in 2D, these home-brewers and independent game houses need our support. Before we complain about the next Zelda/Halo/Final Fantasy and the lack of innovation and new, freshIP, we should be patronizing some of the smaller and independent developers before we stop seeing great stuff like Psychonauts and other good games that don’t reach “blockbuster” status.

I’ve also received links to new video game blogs (if you’ve got ’em, I want ’em!). My bloglines subscription list is bulging at the seams, but there’s always room for a few more. Flicker Gaming is a new gaming blog just getting its feet wet. Go over and check them out. I also was pointed to POV – A Producer’s Point of View by Stuart Roch, who is the executive producer at video game developer, Treyarch. There’s some great stuff over at POV, with a look on the inside of the industry. Another site worth giving a whirl.

Metroid Prime 2D

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Take one of the best Gamecube games, Metroid Prime (in my Top-Ten All-Time), flatten the 3D game into a 2D game and you get Metroid Prime 2D. These guys are serious about their Metroid Prime and it shows. This takes time and dedication that I’m currently not acquainted with. I’m glad others are, as this looks to be quite a cool endeavor.

This is definitely why people are hoping and praying that Nintendo opens the Revolution to home-brew development like this. Throw this up on the Revolution download service, let people download for 8-10 bucks (a guess, of course) and let people enjoy a new take on Nintendo’s IP. Nintendo takes their cut and these guys get what’s left over (hopefully a non-trivial amount). Everyone is a winner. I tip my hat to these guys, I’ll be following this one and I hope it succeeds.

Gamer Dads Rule!

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GamerDad is a great site with a lot of great information for the ill-informed parent to educate themself about video games. Josh at Cathode Tan has a great interview with The Gamer Dad himself, Andrew Bub. With all the undeserved attention that video games and violence are getting (maybe some is deserved *cough*Rockstar*cough). The interview is great, read the whole thing. Since I am a “Gamer Dad” myself, I can definitely relate to the issues he raises. My kids aren’t old enough that I have to worry about this stuff yet, but it’s great that Andrew has provided such a helpful resource. And don’t think that because Andrew tells it as it is that he’s a “prude”:

Of course after the kids go to bed I’m all about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Battlefield 2 baby. When the kids are away, then your friendly neighborhood GamerDad can really play!

Related:
Should GTA be rated AO?
Jack Thompson and “Cranial Menus”
Start them when they’re young!

GTA should have been rated AO?

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Worthplaying (via Evil Avatar) has an article up claiming that Grand Theft Auto San Andreas should have received an AO rating (the death knell for any video game’s financial success) because hidden, explicit, scenes have come to light. (On a side note, I thought that was a hoax? Or at best, a complex hack on the PC version. Whatever). Anyway, this legislator seems to think the video game industry and the ESRB are in kahoots. I’ll just let the quotes speak for themselves:

“Whether it is JFK: Reloaded, Manhunt, 25 to Life, or now Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the video game industry continues to demonstrate a sense of arrogance towards public opinion and a lack of responsibility in protecting our children,” said Speaker pro Tem Yee.

And

“The ESRB and the video game industry cannot police themselves and this is yet another example of why we need legislation to limit these types of games to children,” said Speaker pro Tem Yee.

I’m currently renting GTA:SA. This is my first foray into the Grand Theft World. Sheesh, this game is violent. But that’s not my point.

First off, I can’t believe the nerve of these “representatives”. Give us some credit, Mr. Yee. We’re grown adults that know right from wrong. We’re not little kids that need Mommy Government to tell us how to make right decisions. “Lack of responsibility protecting our children”? Sorry, Mr. Speaker Yee, the video game industry is not responsible for the protection of my children. I am. After five minutes of GTA:SA it was abundantly clear that this game was not intended for children. Parents should familiarize themselves with the entertainment their kids partake of. If I would have walked in on my kid playing this game, it would have immediately been removed from the Xbox and returned to the store, no questions asked. It’s violent, vulgar, and lacks any redeeming quality. It certainly would not be in my kids’ hands. I, along with my wife, are responsible for the protection of my children. I would never let my kids play an GTA-esque game until they were at least fifteen or sixteen years old. I don’t care how much whining they did about how “their friends all play it” and I don’t “get it”. I don’t think young kids are ready for this kind of imagery. If my kids want to play a game I think is questionable, I’ll make them play it with me. If they’re comfortable with that, then we can make an informed decision together. But I will never buy my kids games like this until their old enough to distinguish video game violence from the real thing.

So thanks, Speaker Yee, but no thanks. You don’t have to bring the heat down on the video game industry on behalf of us parents. We’re quite capable of taking care of our kids and we’ll be the deciding what is good for the kids and what isn’t. Maybe you can go pass some laws reducing taxes or something.

Update: This was picked up by games.slashdot. Also check out this piece on Gamespot (Thanks, Troy). Rockstar seems confident but it could be smoke and mirrors:

We also feel confident that the investigation will uphold the original rating of the game, as the work of the mod community is beyond the scope of either publishers or the ESRB.

If this “extra” content was included on the original disc, they’ve got no leg to stand on.

Normally the comments at Slashdot are usually so fraught with bickering and flaming that they’re not worth the time, but the thread going there is actually civil. Worth a read. The overriding theme I pick up is that Americans love their violence but get squeamish with their sex. I personally feel that violence and sex don’t occupy the same level of “content”, i.e. sex > violence on the “be careful meter”. Kids are much more influenced by the former. It elicits more of an emotional response than violence does.

One good point was made here with this comment. If Rockstar knowingly hid content from the rating board, they did parents a disservice. Everyone is calling on parents to monitor their children’s entertainment (which is exactly my point) but they are making decisions on mis-information. Regardless, five minutes of the game will convince any parent this game should not be in the hands of young teens.

On Carnivals and Roundtables

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So we’ve had three successful Carnivals of Gamers, currently gearing up for the fourth, and I’ve been thinking about the current Carnival schedule. Is twice a month too often? I usually try to post at least one “Carnival-worthy” post before the deadline, but twice a month can be a lot. It may not be this way for everyone, but I was contemplating a suggestion to go to a monthly Carnival.

This came on the heels of Corvus’ idea of a monthly roundtable discussion. His idea is to have a central theme that everyone blogs about and then those posts would be passed around, Carnival style. I really like this idea, I will participate as occasion allows, but I wanted to know, from those who’ve participated in the Carnival of Gamers if we should hold the Carnival once a month, as well. That would give everyone time to participate and it would give the host a little more time to get the Carnival together.

This is something that I’ve been mulling over in my mind. What do my fellow carnies (and those of you who read the Carnival) think?

Update: It appears that the consensus is that the Carnival would benefit going to a monthly format. As it stands now, the 4th Carnival will continue as scheduled (tomorrow) and then Carnival #5 will fall on August 4th (the first Thursday). Hopefully Unfettered Blather won’t be adversely affected by the date change. AFK Gamer will then host #6 in September.