Archive for March, 2006

Random Friday Links

Friday, March 31st, 2006

Some Friday quickies.
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft: “My children–in many dimensions they're as poorly behaved as many other
children, but at least on this dimension I've got my kids brainwashed:
You don't use Google, and you don't use an iPod.” (I pulled this link from somewhere else, but I don't remember where, so my apologies uncredited site.)
Holy [...]

Kim Rom 2: Monkey with a typewriter

Thursday, March 30th, 2006

I realize I'm coming in to this game late.  Kim Rom wrote his ill-conceived “Female Gaming My Ass” post on March 8, and I only noticed it about 3 weeks later.  I'm only now getting around to noticing he wrote a follow-up a week later.  I read it, I shook my head, and I almost [...]

Ego-Bruising Poncho Debacle

Wednesday, March 29th, 2006

Okay.  So it rains in San Francisco.  In March.  Who knew?  I never thought I'd say this, but thank god for the multitudes of those little cubby hole tourist traps that line Fisherman's Wharf.  When the heavens opened up, the only real split-second decision to be made was this: which one of the roughly [...]

Kim Rom: manager, editor-in-chief, mouth-breather

Tuesday, March 28th, 2006

Mouth-breather of the week.
From GamePolitics, we learn that Kim Rom is scared of women.  He likens females playing games to “a joke,” and while he concedes that “female gaming is a
great concept,” in the way that dogs are so cute when they think
they're people, he is then shocked (shocked I say!) to find that female [...]

Uselessist GDC summary ever

Monday, March 27th, 2006

Unfortunately I was only able to spend Friday at GDC, so I missed all the cool stuff. (the world will pay for making me miss Ron Moore)  How, you ask, did I fit into this motley collection of people with real jobs in the industry?
Abandoned by my “sponsor,” I am sitting off to the side [...]

Skin Deep

Friday, March 24th, 2006

I was really looking forward to the FX series Black.  White. (obnoxious audio warning)  I'm not sure why, because I immediately spotted it for what it is: a shallow treatment of the very complex issues of race and racism.  I suppose I was hoping to be proved wrong.
The central premise of the show is gimmicky [...]

He died for your sins…

Thursday, March 23rd, 2006

Terra Nova reports that the upcoming MMO Roma Victor “has come up with a unique punishment for griefing: crucifixion,” and then goes on for an additional 450+ words to say “it's a unique way to handle punishment.”  In short, griefers in Roma Victor can expect to be crucified in-game (and in-public) so that all may [...]

The bannings will continue until morale improves

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006

The subject of player discussion forums has been something I've wanted to talk about for awhile, and last night Abalieno provided me a perfect lead-in.  He shares the story of a player who was banned from the official SWG boards for posting sarcasm.  The irony is not lost on me, considering the mockery Sony has [...]

Ladybug

Tuesday, March 21st, 2006

Ever had one of those total recall moments where something triggers a long suppressed memory, causing a flashback of such intensity that you are literally knocked to the floor, where you thrash and scream like Linda Blair in a a 666th-level-of-hell-induced seizure?  Um…okay…neither have I?  Yeah…
This selection of Penny Arcade narrative art, however, brought [...]

DDO redux

Monday, March 20th, 2006

In my
DDO review, I wondered if the game would hold up over the
long term.  It's only been about 3 weeks since launch, so that
question is still very much up in the air.  But so far, it's
looking good.
Likes:- The monsters are as smart as
they should be.  Slimes, for instance, will come at you and
just want to [...]


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