I'm Out Well, I'm off for the weekend. Time to spend four days in the middle of nowhere with the inlaws. Yippee! I'll be back with more babble on Monday afternoon.
In the meantime, laugh at this link passed along by our man Rod.
Awards Just adding fuel to the fire is this press release I just received. Best Free-for-All Carnage. What the fuck? For an industry trying to legitimize itself, this sort of shit is not going to help. Anyway, for your entertainment, here is the full press release. Let me know what you think.
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - TNN wants to prove it's got game in the awards show business, rolling out the first televised kudofest for the fast-growing video game industry with such over-the-top categories as best all-around badass and best free-for-all carnage.
The two-hour Video Game Awards also represent TNN's first prize ceremony, joining its MTV Networks corporate cousins in that often lucrative programming niche.
"It's an important new tentpole event, and an important step for the network," said Albie Hecht, TNN's president of film and TV entertainment. "We've lowered our audience age from 57 to 37, and now is the time to step up and have this kind of event."
Hecht, who will serve as executive producer, said the show should be a major draw for the revamped network's core demographic of 25- to 34-year-olds. Much still must be worked out in planning for the kudocast, the first ever televised in a business that grossed $9.4 billion in 2001 and is on track to reap substantially more in 2002.
The show will run in the fourth quarter of 2003, but much still must be locked down, including the qualifying rules, date and location. Hecht said he wants to hold the event in Las Vegas and hopes to attract as presenters and performers a range of talent from movies, music and sports, all of which increasingly appear in video games.
Other categories include coolest villain, hottest heroine, soundtrack, hottest graphics, pro sports game, celebrity actor and actress in a game and "most addictive." The show also will honor "Game of the Year" and give out at least one award whose winner may not be thrilled: "Most Difficult to Master."
Winners would be chosen through a combination of votes by fans and insiders, with TNN putting together an industry advisory board to help organize the event and give it credibility.
The show's timing may cause some conflicts with the industry, however. Video game companies typically generate as much as half their revenues in that quarter, and accordingly debut their biggest titles in and around the holiday season. If the show is held then, it may be hard to spotlight top unreleased titles about to debut, leaving the show to focus on games released many months before.
"The game industry is not interested in supporting a show that honors games they don't even have on the shelf anymore," said Paul Provenzano, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, which runs the 6-year-old Interactive Achievement Awards.
Hecht said the show will try to peek forward by looking at upcoming major titles, while honoring the best of the previous year.
TNN negotiated with Provenzano's group about televising the Interactive Achievement Awards, which are chosen by industry insiders, or putting together a fan-voted show, Provenzano said. Those talks broke down, as they have in every other case, over the show's timing and other issues, such as convincing execs at some channels about who actually would be watching.
"I don't think there's a basic-cable channel we haven't talked to," Provenzano said. "When we go into these meetings, usually there's one group that understands the demos match up, and another that thinks it's all about little kids."
The Interactive Achievement Awards will be held Feb. 27, tied to the D.I.C.E. video game summit in Las Vegas. They still don't have a TV deal, Provenzano said.
"A lot of people want to tie the shows to summer or (the) E3 (confab), but it's too late," Provenzano said. "That's why the Oscars aren't done then either."
Turd-Kickers Brendon handed me a response this morning for the news item I posted below:
"Kind of surprising that Joe "I play GTA 3 naked" Lieberman would say something like this, considering how adamant he is about these products existing in the first place. I admit I am impressed.
What impresses me more is how it's now Vice City being attacked, when those same jackasses have been spending years blaming Mortal Kombat and Doom; both games being ancient, and games boasting ten times the mature material has been released onto shelves for the past few years (and thereby proving they have no idea what they're talking about).
No, killing ho-hos isn't going too far; if it wasn't going too far in GTA 3, then it most certainly isn't here. Funny how the prostitutes are focused on as these digital victims, and yet the same dumbass politicians looking for attention never bothered study the game long enough to realize that there are as many male specimens being victimized in the game as women.
These incompetent bastards need to lay off and shut the hell up. It's not the entertainment industry's fault these political turd-kickers didn't raise their kids right."
Send in your thoughts and I'll be sure to post them.
The Blame Game Here it comes again. I saw this story on my local 10:00 news this evening. However, it's good to see that while he's again calling for another round of hearings, Joe Lieberman made this rather profound comment:
"...parents too, have made only marginal affirmative efforts and little progress in protecting America's children from these harmful products."
Amen, brother. It appears, however, that this round of blame and complaining stems from Vice City's violence towards women, allowing players to rack up more points by having sex and then killing a prostitute.
Ok, so maybe it's over the top. Maybe. *wink, wink* I'm not here to make excuses for their questionable content matter, but as long as the industry does everything in its power to market these games to an 18 and above audience, I feel they can do whatever the hell they want to.
Do me a favor. Read the story and write in with your thoughts. Do you think beating and killing hookers is too much, even if it's marketed to an adult audience?
Purge As I stated below, I'm going to be out of town for the next few days for good old fashioned family fun. Because of this, I've decided to post as much shit here as possible between now and then so you fine folks have something to chew on over the weekend.
First up to bat is Bottom. A couple years ago, I was fortunate enough to play a show with these three ass kicking metal chicks from New York at First Avenue in Minneapolis. My band finished its set and felt pretty damn good about it. Then Bottom got up on stage and kicked the living shit out of the place. It was an honor. Click here for a sample.
Next, in reference to my belittling of Rick below, Brendon writes in to tell me he is also a pussy:
I'd just like to say that -- speaking as a fellow puss, I'd rather have the kick-ass controller and foot pedals myself.
Good man! At least you're comfortable with yourself.
Look kids! Our man Chris Keene has dropped by! Let's all gather around and see what he's got to say.
Well John, looks like you’ll be spending even less time in the kitchen than you thought in the next few months. I found an interesting little tidbit on the EB Games site today that is sure to get your attention (and your $55). Put on your diapers, Zeldaphiles, and prepare to be happy. And since we don’t like playing favorites (I don’t think, unless one of these companies wants to advertise with us, of course)here's another link.
This is the definition of good marketing. The icing is that you get the bonus disk a month before The Wind Waker even arrives. Shibby. That’s just beautiful, Nintendo. Thank you from the bottom of our collective GWX heart. No gut-wrenching decisions as to which game is going to get played first. You have a month to get your Ocarina on before the new guy comes a knockin.
Also, if you’re too big a miser to sack up the extra $5 for the bonus disk in advance, you can opt to wait and have it sent along with the The Wind Waker when it releases March 24.
All this Zelda goodness definitely helps me swallow my GCN over Xbox decision a little more comfortably. In case you missed that horrid little episode you can check it my profanity-laden audio feature here.
Anyhow, GCN couldn’t be better, what with Metroid, Mario, and the Resident Evil bloodbath I’m swimming in at the moment. But that certainly doesn’t mean I don’t still want Xbox Live like a Catholic priest wants tickets to a Gap Kids fashion show.
Let's give Chris a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen. We'll have him back again real soon.
Moving right along, don't forget we're still accepting submissions for our Toxic Grind Soundtrack Giveaway. All it takes is a few moments of your time and you could get some free shit from GWX! Woo Hoo!
And I'm spent. I'll be back later for more random goodness. Keep those letters coming.
I thought i was the only one who spent a little too much.
On top of my Xbox purchase, plus the live kit (about $250.00), I spent about $275.00 on a PS2, DDRMax and a pad. It's the only game I will be playing for a while on that system. My friend says I might as well have bought Steel Batallion, since I basically just spent $200.00 just to play Bemani games. What an expensive hobby! :(
In all, if this keeps up, I WILL be homeless.
-Rick
Rick, don't be such a pussy. I mean, what would you rather have, a nice house, clean clothes, a pleasant bodily odor, respect from your peers, or an ass-kicking 40+ button controller, complete with foot pedals and joysticks used to control your giant virtual mech capable of shaking the bowels of everyone in its path?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
And by the way, I'm still never going to understand the whole DDR phenomenon. If I wanted to work out to cheesy music, I'd do some Jazzercise.
Let's get physical.
Got a comment, link, news bit, or just want to shoot the shit? Drop me a line
The Two Towers Holy Hanna. Christine, Aaron, and I went to a midnight showing of the Two Towers last night and fuck me if it wasn't the coolest damn thing I've ever seen. The battle scenes were brilliant, landscapes breathtaking, and each actor portrayed his/her character marvelously. I'm astounded at the level of detail that went into creating Gollum. He had more expressiveness in his face than most real actors!
I'm sure many of you have seen the movie by now. What did you think? Be sure to drop me a line and let me know.
Let me tell you about Christmas and what I think of the whole holiday family get-together nonsense. I have a slew of gatherings for the holidays, as I'm sure most of you do, and I'm worried that I may not make it through next week without a mental breakdown.
You see, when one has divorced parents, the gatherings automatically double. Equal time must be spent with my family here in Minneapolis and my family back home in Bumfuck, Wisconsin. Compounding to that pain, I now have in-laws to deal with. This weekend alone will consist of no less than four holiday family gatherings with Christine's family, who also live in the aforementioned Bumfuck, Wisconsin. Furthermore, the inlaws are now residing in a tiny, tiny house while they wait for their new house to be built and I will be forced to sleep on the floor for three nights in a row.
And I haven't even come to my family yet!
My whole point is this: isn't it just too much? Am I alone in feeling that obligated family events are the absolute worst and the best family bonding comes almost spontaneously through every day events rather than these forced, painful, eternal family gatherings? Drop me a line with your family horror stories and I'll be sure to post them.
On a positive not, at least none of my family members are like this.
MEGA-SHUTUP These Megaton rumors are enough to make me sick. I'm tired of the whole thing and have resolved to not mentioned the subject until Nintendo makes some sort of announcement. Every site you visit on the internet will give you their own half-cocked theory about what is coming or what isn't coming. Some are even reporting their bullshit as factual news. I've heard enough rumors, even from reliable sources like the one below (which has now mysteriously disappeared), and am fed up with it.
Don't get me started on the "story" regarding the Playstation brand and Nintendo's strategy use the money gained from Sony to ally the biggest names in gaming and feature the world's most famous mascots in RPGs, fighting games, and masturbation simulators. I don't want to hear any more of that shit. I'll wait to hear it directly from the horse's mouth, thank you very much.
So that is that.
In other news, Namco sent me a huge box of chocolates and Ninja Assault with the Guncon 2 today. My plan is simple: one fist in my box of gourmet chocolates, the other wrapped around a big, orange, plastic gun shooting badass ninjas; all night long.
Deflation So I came into the office this morning, booted up my computer and expected to find a flood of email regarding the coming of the MEGATON announcement and see news of it posted all over the internet, including right here on GWX. What do I find? Nothing.
The industry is a buzz with these damn rumors, even with market analysts from Wall Street getting in the mix, and not one God damned announcement to be seen. Not a press release, not a conference, nothing.
So what the hell should I talk about now?
Well, I'm coming out of the closet, that's what. No, no. I'm not gay and the wedding is not off. The plain truth is that I do not own an Xbox. I've held off for well over a year now for many reasons; too many to list, in fact. I even held off after the launch of Xbox Live, being satisfied with getting my taste of it from friends and coworkers. Until this morning. Deflated from the lack of a decent news story to get off on, I visited EB and drowned my sorrows in pure gaming goodness.
Here is the invoice from my most recent purchase:
1 Xbox Console w/JSRF and Sega GT 2002 1 Controller-S 1 Xbox Live Starter Kit 1 Mechassault 1 Halo Grand Total: $400 and change.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this in past editorials, Week in Review columns, or what, but each Christmas, Aaron and I get together before or after the holiday and have an all day, all night video game blowout with a few other friends. It's been a tradition for nearly five years now and each year has been better than the last. So this time around, I thought what better way to top last year than to extend the reach of our idiocy to the masses and wreak havoc upon random, unsuspecting gamers from around the country? Isn't that sweet of me?
So on Saturday, December 28th, if you're enjoying a round of Mechassault and you hear someone on the other end vomiting and shouting, "Dammit Hilden! I told you, no more fucking tequila!" that's me. Nice to meet you.
Sonny I talked about our site President a bit below, but here is another bit of insight for the man who steers the ship here at GWX. I just received this email from him:
Heh, so, I just got a pop-up ad saying "Is there pornography on your computer? Let us check."
I said to myself, "I already know there's pornography on my computer... dumbasses"
Everquest Part 2 So I went online again last night, as promised, and did my thing. Killed a few bats, got myself a shiny new sword, and now, at level five, I am ready to embark on my first quest with a party of folks. Hooray. I have to say that I'm starting to get the hang of things and am figuring out what the hell it is I'm supposed to be doing. You see, when they send you a beta kit, it's less of a "kit" and more like a disc and a brief fact sheet about the game. Not really a shitload of information to go on. But much like The Dude, I abide.
I also got back at Metroid Prime last night. I know, the game's over a month old and I should be finished with it by now. Unfortunately, when you're as busy as I am, getting quality gaming time - and I'm not talking about playing games for review or preview purposes here - quality personal gaming time is few and far between.
So anyway, I'm near the end - I think - and I'm starting to collect the Chozo Artifacts. What a beautiful, amazing, unbelievable game. The atmosphere is totally enthralling, but I probably don't have to tell you that. It's just that I'm fully convinced that this game is more than enough of an excuse to pick up a GameCube; that is, if you still need an excuse.
Sonny called me last night to discuss the ins and outs of the website and we wound up talking about Taoism instead. Apparently he spent sometime last weekend talking to a Buddhist monk and had some thoughts on the matter. Somehow the conversation switched from Buddhism to Taoism and we ended up talking for quite some time. You know, the guy can be pretty surprising. Here's a guy that goes from talking publicly about how he wants to hump my leg to discussing the finer points of eastern philosophy. Well, as the old saying goes:
"Man with itchy butt winds up with smelly finger."
Everquest I've been fortunate enough to receive a beta version of Everquest Online for PS2 and have been able to spend a little bit of time with it. I wasn't an Evercrack junkie on PC and really only subscribed to the service for about two months. I didn't really enjoy it all that much and I think it's because I didn't give it enough time to grow on me and passed it off as some sort of phenomenon that I'd never understand. Now, with a beta version of the online adventure and a free account to mess around with, I'm determined to find out what the all the hoopla is about.
So I trecked online last night and spent a good 2 hours wandering around as Lao Tse, the Elf Ranger, interacting with various townsfolk, killing a few rats and grass snakes, and selling some venom sacks. So far, pretty dull. But I'm not giving up and won't until I find some sort of thrill out of this whole thing.
I know, Everquest fanboys are rolling their eyes at me for my ignorance. I promise, fellas, I'm working on it. Brendon and I are going to meet online sometime soon and have a go at killing a giant beetle or some shit like that.
Speaking of our man Brendon, the young lad is also working on a huge Everquest feature that should take up an entire week's worth of updates for GWX. Look forward to that some time in January.
By the way, if you haven't yet, do not see "The New Guy". If you have, I sincerely feel your pain. I should have listened to the boys from The Boondocks and refrained from viewing any movie with Eddie Griffin. What a turd.
