I don't think so Shakespeare.

After working for 12 hours yesterday at the front desk and another 4 today, I decided just to find something that I thought would be so stupid if it was put into a video game, so here you have it...Shakespeare. Let's keep the games away from school work, or there won't be any need to play them.

TORONTO - Children typically spend hours in front of a computer so a Canadian university has decided to introduce them to Shakespeare with a video game.
While zapping enemy spaceships players have to help recover the stolen text of Romeo and Juliet by memorizing lines from the famous play, learning facts about Shakespeare's life and devising synonyms and homonyms for parts of the text.
"The game is a way to capitalize on the time that kids spend on computers," said Professor Daniel Fischlin who headed the team at the University of Guelph in Ontario that developed the game called Speare.
"I don't know of another medium that has seven-year-olds spouting Shakespeare," Fischlin added in response to charges the game might trivialize learning.
The game was launched earlier this week to coincide with the anniversary of Shakespeare's death after two years and C$50,000 (NZ$60,000) spent developing it.
Fischlin, who tested it on more than 100 grade 6 students, plans to publish his findings in an academic journal. The game is currently available online from a company set up by the university.

Some Good And Bad.

In the last few days, some good things have happened in my little world of video games, and some not so good. Last night, I found 2 PS@ games, NHL Hitz and MLB Slugfest both 2003, for $1.50 a piece on Ebay. What a steal. As Griffin, another Resident Assistant, and I were playing NHL '07, my left analog stick went a little insane and sticks off to one side now. To say the least, I was pissed because now I can't play any more Gran Turismo 4 (So close to getting my super licence). So there you have it, a little good and a little bad. Goodnight.

So Sorry.

It has been one thing this week, insane. I have so much work all of a sudden that I find no time for sleep, let alone playing video games. Hopefully, I'll have something for you tomorrow. Until then, enjoy this picture.

Playing The Blame Game.

I found this article very interesting, and the person who wrote this seems to have a good insight about video games and is NOT all about trying to blame someone or something for what happened at Virginia Tech.



The Video Game Violence Myth
by Josh Lovison, Friday, Apr 20, 2007 2:16 PM ET
This past Monday bore witness to a horrific event, when a Virginia Tech student killed more than 30 other students and professors. Such a massive and sudden loss of life in a setting intended to be one of safety and growth is absolutely worthy of personal reflection and sorrow. Unfortunately, this tragic event, like others in the past, has also been seen as a prime opportunity for politicization.
There are a number of reasons for this politicization. For some, it might be a desire to understand why such an event could have occurred. For others, it might be a desire to prevent such an event from occurring in the future. For still others, it might just be a desire to seek the spotlight. Or perhaps a combination of all three. Regardless of the motivations, the rhetoric seems to stay the same: a call for greater gun control; questions why the signs weren't caught before it was too late; an examination of the quality of parenting; and of course, claims that violent media -- specifically video games -- might have influenced the shooter.
The other issues I can't speak to, and they are better discussed in another forum. But I would like to take a moment to address the violent video game claim, and to better illustrate it, I will talk about moths. Moths are generally considered to be a bad thing. When I see moths, I always see them fluttering around light bulbs. Obviously, light bulbs cause moths, and as a result, we clearly need to enact legislation clamping down on the interior lighting industry if we want to curb the moth problem.
Hopefully the logical fallacy is clear, and no one will throw out their light bulbs. My point is that correlation does not equate cause. A far more likely scenario than playing video games causing mass killers is that someone so obsessed with violence and death would seek out any media that relates to it -- like a moth to a flame.
The problem is, millions of normal, well-adjusted individuals play and enjoy video games. They play when bored and when stressed; they even organize social events around games. And they really don't like being compared to individuals responsible for heinous acts, solely on a common form of recreation. In fact, according to an FBI report on school shooters, potential shooters focus not on enjoyment of the game itself, but primarily on a constant exposure to violent stimuli (page 20), whether video games, movies, literature, or torturing the neighborhood cat. It's also worth noting that in the entire 52-page report video games are mentioned exactly once.
Only hours after the events on Monday, before the identity of the shooter was even known, video games were being mentioned as the primary influencing factor behind the shootings. From Fox News, to Jack Thompson -- the systematic rabble rouser on the topic -- to Dr. Phil, all levied charges against video games. And I'd be willing to wager that in the near future there will be some government figure pointing a finger and pushing for a bill regulating this "threat."
On a final note, I find it interesting that mainstream news so willingly provides a pedestal for condemnation of video games as desensitizing agents, when so many games are firmly based in fantasy. In fact, there may be more common means of desensitization -- something like, oh, broadcasting a video of shots being fired and presumably ending the lives of college students, and then immediately staging "debates" over blame; or shoving mikes in the faces of shaken students who just walked out of a classroom where only 12% survived, and then intermixing between this "content" commercial messaging. Perhaps before being so quick to examine others, those in the mainstream should spend some time introspectively. Besides, it seems some quiet introspection is a more appropriate activity after these unfortunate events, anyhow.

Hockey Season.

With the hockey season going into full swing because of the playoffs, I really got caught up in watching the sport, even if it isn't that exciting. One of my fellow Resident Assistants, Griffin, is a real hockey buff and has all the NHL games on PlayStation 2. We decided to sit down and play a few games. Of course I was killed because he is really good at the game, but it was certainly a lot of fun for someone who really has no background in the sport. I actually ended up beating him last night for the first time( He was the Blues, I was the Hurricanes) and fighting is probably one of the most fun things about this game. So here is one fun thing you can do. Go to Gamestop, pick up a copy of NHL '07 for 10 dollars, and play the playoffs with the teams that are playing right now and see if you can alter the future. Then we could all call you God for a second. Later.

Damn The Alarms.

I was all set to write a post, but as soon as I started typing, the fire alarm went off. So I slept in and decided to write it today. I don't really remember what I was going to post about, but I knew it had something to do with how addicting Resident Evil 4 is. I would flip coins to see if I should go to class or play this game. I'm on 'separate ways' mission and almost complete. I can honestly say this has been one of the best games I have ever played on Playstation 2. Hopefully by week's end, I'll be deep into Gran Turismo 3 or 4 or Gungrave. I guess we'll just have to see if RE 4's grip is still as tight then as it is now. Later.

More Stats.

Finally, they see how much $ is being brought in.


WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) acknowledged the video game industry’s leadership in its self-regulatory programs that provide parents the tools they need to make the best video game purchasing and rental choices for their families the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) said today.
In its fifth report since 2000 on entertainment industry marketing and advertising practices, the FTC stated that the video game rating system is a “useful and important tool” for parents, retailers have made “substantial improvement” in limiting sales of Mature-rated games to minors, and its support for “private sector initiatives by [the video game] industry and individual companies.”
“We’re pleased that the FTC has acknowledged what we in the industry have long known: the best way to help parents are industry led, self-regulatory efforts that can provide them information they need,” said Carolyn Rauch, senior vice president of the ESA, the trade group that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers.
The video game industry’s work to help parents and caregivers has several important components. The first is the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which is an independent body that rates computer and video games. The FTC said today that the ESRB is a “useful and important tool that parents increasingly use to help them make informed decisions about games for their children.” Second, the industry also provides caregivers built-in, password-protected parental controls that limit which types of video games can be played in all new game consoles. Additionally, the industry also strongly encourages retailers to continue enforcement of policies against selling M-rated games to minors.
The FTC commented in its conclusion that it “will also continue to work with industry and others to encourage efforts to provide parents with the information they need to decide which products are appropriate for their children.” In response, the ESA’s Rauch said, “We share that goal and look forward to continuing our efforts to establish public/private partnerships that can aid parents.”
Other key FTC findings include:
-- Awareness levels of the ESRB system have risen significantly since the 2000 survey. Nearly nine in ten parents (87%) and 75% of children said they are aware that the game rating system exists (compared to 61% of parents and 73% of children reported in 2000). More than eight in ten parents say they are aware of and at least slightly familiar with the system.
-- Ninety-four percent of parents said the ESRB ratings are easy to understand, up from 77% in 2000, and 87% are either very or somewhat satisfied with the ESRB system, up from 76% in 2000.
-- Parental involvement with the purchase or rental of games is up to 89% from 84% in 2000.
-- The number of parents who restrict the games their children play is up to 85% from 69% in 2000.
-- “Video game retailers substantially improved their enforcement of policies prohibiting children under 17 from purchasing M-rated games without parental permission.” According to the FTC, this is “a statistically significant improvement” from the 2003 survey and is similar to the theater owners’ enforcement rate, which is considered the gold standard.
“It’s our hope that these positive findings on our industry’s self-regulatory practices are a reminder to legislators that the most effective way to protect children from mature content is not legislation that has been repeatedly declared unconstitutional by the courts,” continued Rauch. “We once again offer to work with any elected officials, as we have done across the country, in a collaborative way to maintain high levels of awareness and usage of not only the ESRB ratings but also parental controls,” she concluded.
The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90% of the $7 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2006, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.

Halo News.

Sorry for not posting yesterday, but after a rough pain filled night of no sleep, I have some Halo news for you. Enjoy!

Just Doing My Thing.

Today has been boring, for lack of a better word. Everyone is home for Easter break, while I am stuck here because I'm working the entire weekend. It isn't a really bad thing, there is just no one here. So in working from 10p.m. to 2.a.m, I decided to bring down Resident Evil 4 and just have some fun with that on the big screen television they have at the office. It was fun for 4 hours to be paid and play Playstation 2. I also picked up Gungrave, which didn't seem to receive high Marks because of how short it is. Like I care about that. All the readers gave it MUCH higher marks, so I guess I'll just have to see for myself. Later.

Hooked On The Evil.

After finally beating Yakuza, I moved onto another game that has been sitting on my shelf for way too long. Resident Evil 4 is definitely a breath of fresh air; setting itself apart from the previous three. Right from the beginning, this game took me for a crazy roller coaster ride with so many twists and turns, I had no idea what to expect next. I have only beaten a little bit of it in 6 hours since I have this problem of going slow and trying to do everything at once. Everyone I talked to about this game called it amazing and every time I get a little further, the comments they made ring more true. If you haven't picked up this game, there might be something wrong with you. It's on the best seller's list, so it is cheap even brand new. I'll let you know how it turns out. Later.

360 Elite.

Now I see that I caved in a little too early, because after talks of an Xbox 360 Elite, I really would have gladly given out a littlemore cash for this piece of hardware. These are some "facts"(the word being used lightly) that I managed to find, along with some pics.

The Elite will be limited quantities only; that may be as much or as little as a couple hundred thousand.
The case, controller, and Live headset will all be black. It will have all new packaging.
Elite will cost $479, and will be a 3rd SKU; it will be sold alongside Premium and Core packs.
Eventually Elite hardware (in white plastics) will take the role of the Xbox Premium. That is to say, after the Elite is launched and sold out, future Xbox Premiums will have 120GB / HDMI.
We do not yet know exactly when 120GB / HDMI will become the standard for Premium, but it is loosely estimated to be late summer or fall.
Elite models run cooler than normal 360s, but they are not yet confirmed to have 65nm chips.
Prices may remain the same with the 120GB / HDMI hardware upgrade in the Premium Xbox, but we may still see a price cut on the line when 65nm chips start shipping.
The HD DVD drive will not be internal or bundled -- Microsoft never did or nor does not currently have plans to put an HD DVD drive in the 360.
There are no current plans to integrate WiFi into the Elite or future Premiums (although that can always change).

Gone Divin'.

I decided to go to the mall to see what new games there were for my 360. I really didn't see anything that is worth 50 dollars or so (mainly because I already have all the good ones) so I started hunting in the bargain bin (all those games that are like 10 dollars and under) I first found MDK 2: Armageddon, which I have for Dreamcast, and since it was only 3 dollars, I decided to pick it up. While looking for another few minutes, I came across Gran Turismo 4. For 12 dollars...I couldn't pass that up. GT 3 A Spec gave me so many hours of fun, I decided that instead of blowing a lot more money for something that might be as great, I went with a sure thing. Thankfully, I got a lot of my work done this weekend with little sleep, so this week is gonna include some hardcore gaming...hopefully. Later