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04 Jun 15:01
Catch
by Justin Boyd
Outdoor Catch 2012 wasn’t very good though. The “Dad” character was way too good and made the game unbalanced.
29 May 17:29
Damsel in Distress: Part 2 of Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series discusses three "trope cocktails" that she says developers use to spice up the bland "save the girl" plotline: the woman in the rerigerator, the disposable woman and the mercy killing.
Sarkeesian introduced the issue of the damsel in distress throughout the history of video games in her first video; the second installment notes that some modern developers recognize this trend and try to make the narrative "edgier" with graphic depictions of violence against women. Each trope cocktail has the effect of victimizing female characters, and using them only as motivation for the real story - the male character's quest, Sarkeesian argues.
Damsel in Distress: Part 2 went live at 1 p.m. PT today, but by 2:30 p.m. the video was pulled from YouTube. It was restored within the hour, though Sarkeesian's official Feminist Frequency Twitter account said the removal was from an influx of bogus reports of YouTube terms of service violations.
"An hour after our video went live I got an email saying, 'The YouTube Community has flagged one or more of your videos as inappropriate,'" Feminist Frequency said. Sarkeesian does note that the video contains "some depictions of violence against women" and advises viewer discretion.
This wouldn't be the first time Sarkeesian was the subject of internet harassment, following a high-profile Kickstarter that drew ire from a vocal group of people online. Damsel in Distress: Part 2 is live now, available for anyone and everyone to view and discuss. Civilly, if we have anything to say about it.
Tropes vs. Women in Video Games digs into the damsel in distress idea
by Jessica Conditt
Damsel in Distress: Part 2 of Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series discusses three "trope cocktails" that she says developers use to spice up the bland "save the girl" plotline: the woman in the rerigerator, the disposable woman and the mercy killing.
Sarkeesian introduced the issue of the damsel in distress throughout the history of video games in her first video; the second installment notes that some modern developers recognize this trend and try to make the narrative "edgier" with graphic depictions of violence against women. Each trope cocktail has the effect of victimizing female characters, and using them only as motivation for the real story - the male character's quest, Sarkeesian argues.
Damsel in Distress: Part 2 went live at 1 p.m. PT today, but by 2:30 p.m. the video was pulled from YouTube. It was restored within the hour, though Sarkeesian's official Feminist Frequency Twitter account said the removal was from an influx of bogus reports of YouTube terms of service violations.
"An hour after our video went live I got an email saying, 'The YouTube Community has flagged one or more of your videos as inappropriate,'" Feminist Frequency said. Sarkeesian does note that the video contains "some depictions of violence against women" and advises viewer discretion.
This wouldn't be the first time Sarkeesian was the subject of internet harassment, following a high-profile Kickstarter that drew ire from a vocal group of people online. Damsel in Distress: Part 2 is live now, available for anyone and everyone to view and discuss. Civilly, if we have anything to say about it.
Tropes vs. Women in Video Games digs into the damsel in distress idea originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 May 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Lagardner, Fredrik Robertsson and -1 others like this
19 May 17:26
Costco UK is selling an FMCG International F1 racing simulator for £89,999.89 (including delivery and installation!), or $138,338.83, which is still significantly cheaper than owning an actual Formula 1 car. We also assume it's probably a tiny bit safer and easier to maintain, but that's just a hunch.
The body is available in "your own choice of colour" and is made out of various combinations of composite materials, alloys and carbon fiber, with real wheels, tyres, chromed-out exhaust tips and everything. There's no engine or transmission, obviously, but it does come with one of those totally awesome detachable steering wheels.
The gaming portion of the rig is powered by an Intel Core i7, an SSD of unknown capacity, 16 gigs of RAM and a non-specified graphics card outputting to three 23-inch adjustable TFT monitors. Meanwhile, sweet jams are pumped through a 5.1 audio system into both the car's body and your body, since the subwoofer is located directly behind the driver's seat.
Costco UK selling full-size F1 simulator for just £90,000
by Jordan Mallory
Costco UK is selling an FMCG International F1 racing simulator for £89,999.89 (including delivery and installation!), or $138,338.83, which is still significantly cheaper than owning an actual Formula 1 car. We also assume it's probably a tiny bit safer and easier to maintain, but that's just a hunch.The body is available in "your own choice of colour" and is made out of various combinations of composite materials, alloys and carbon fiber, with real wheels, tyres, chromed-out exhaust tips and everything. There's no engine or transmission, obviously, but it does come with one of those totally awesome detachable steering wheels.
The gaming portion of the rig is powered by an Intel Core i7, an SSD of unknown capacity, 16 gigs of RAM and a non-specified graphics card outputting to three 23-inch adjustable TFT monitors. Meanwhile, sweet jams are pumped through a 5.1 audio system into both the car's body and your body, since the subwoofer is located directly behind the driver's seat.
Costco UK selling full-size F1 simulator for just £90,000 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
19 May 17:22
A number of YouTube members report that Nintendo is issuing "Content ID Match" copyright claims en masse for videos featuring gameplay from its published titles.
The move appears to target the "Let's Play" community, in particular. Let's Play series authors often produce full video walkthroughs of featured games, with voiced or subtitled commentary accompanying gameplay.
When a "Content ID Match" is claimed for a YouTube clip, the claimant is given the right to place an advertisement at the beginning or the end of the video. Content ID Matches differ from DMCA takedown notices or outright video removals, in that matched videos remain viewable by the public and do not count as a copyright strike against their producers. All revenue earned from views, however, will go to the content's copyright owner, rather than the video uploader. The act is common for publishers like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Square Enix, but it's only recently that Nintendo has joined in the practice.
Multiple affected authors have come forward on Reddit to confirm Nintendo's new policy. To date, Nintendo's Content ID Matching spree seems to focus on recent releases like Super Mario 3D Land, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and New Super Mario Bros. U. Currently, Let's Play videos for older Nintendo-published games are unaffected.
Nintendo explains its position in a statement issued to GameFront: "As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a YouTube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the YouTube database.
"For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property."
Nintendo mass-claims revenue from YouTube 'Let's Play' videos
by Danny Cowan
The move appears to target the "Let's Play" community, in particular. Let's Play series authors often produce full video walkthroughs of featured games, with voiced or subtitled commentary accompanying gameplay.
When a "Content ID Match" is claimed for a YouTube clip, the claimant is given the right to place an advertisement at the beginning or the end of the video. Content ID Matches differ from DMCA takedown notices or outright video removals, in that matched videos remain viewable by the public and do not count as a copyright strike against their producers. All revenue earned from views, however, will go to the content's copyright owner, rather than the video uploader. The act is common for publishers like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Square Enix, but it's only recently that Nintendo has joined in the practice.
Multiple affected authors have come forward on Reddit to confirm Nintendo's new policy. To date, Nintendo's Content ID Matching spree seems to focus on recent releases like Super Mario 3D Land, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and New Super Mario Bros. U. Currently, Let's Play videos for older Nintendo-published games are unaffected.
Nintendo explains its position in a statement issued to GameFront: "As part of our on-going push to ensure Nintendo content is shared across social media channels in an appropriate and safe way, we became a YouTube partner and as such in February 2013 we registered our copyright content in the YouTube database.
"For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property."
Nintendo mass-claims revenue from YouTube 'Let's Play' videos originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
19 May 17:16
Hawken publisher Meteor Entertainment has a handle on the gender equality gig, with ladies making up a solid half of its executive branch, according to a female employee's post on The Hawkeye Initiative.
"Our gender awareness standards, compared to the industry at large, are top shelf," she writes. "We are talking Amelia Earhart in Atlantis, at a five star resort, getting a mani-pedi from Jensen Ackles. I have it good."
But CEO Mark Long (a dude, if that wasn't apparent) had a penchant for the sexy lady poster above (on the left, if that wasn't apparent), and the writer didn't particularly care for it. It was blown up to poster size and placed in his office so that it was the first thing the writer - and all visitors - saw upon entering, and the last thing when leaving.
"This little lady's undermeats have been the open- and close-parens to my work world for the last six months," she described. "I loathe this picture."
So she did something about it. The writer roped in a co-worker and artist, Sam Kirk, to whip up a gender-swapped version of the poster, which they named Brosie the Riveter. They blew it up to the same poster size, and on April 1, they swapped it with the female one in their CEO's office.
When Long saw the poster, he flipped. But then he came up to the writer and said something truly touching:
"That was a brilliant prank. You called me on exactly the bullshit I need to be called on. I put up pictures of half-naked girls around the office all the time and I never think about it. I'm taking you and Sam to lunch. And after that, we're going to hang both prints, side by side."
And so they did. The end.
Hawken employees genderflip CEO's sexy lady poster, have a laugh
by Jessica Conditt
"Our gender awareness standards, compared to the industry at large, are top shelf," she writes. "We are talking Amelia Earhart in Atlantis, at a five star resort, getting a mani-pedi from Jensen Ackles. I have it good."
But CEO Mark Long (a dude, if that wasn't apparent) had a penchant for the sexy lady poster above (on the left, if that wasn't apparent), and the writer didn't particularly care for it. It was blown up to poster size and placed in his office so that it was the first thing the writer - and all visitors - saw upon entering, and the last thing when leaving.
"This little lady's undermeats have been the open- and close-parens to my work world for the last six months," she described. "I loathe this picture."
So she did something about it. The writer roped in a co-worker and artist, Sam Kirk, to whip up a gender-swapped version of the poster, which they named Brosie the Riveter. They blew it up to the same poster size, and on April 1, they swapped it with the female one in their CEO's office.
When Long saw the poster, he flipped. But then he came up to the writer and said something truly touching:
"That was a brilliant prank. You called me on exactly the bullshit I need to be called on. I put up pictures of half-naked girls around the office all the time and I never think about it. I'm taking you and Sam to lunch. And after that, we're going to hang both prints, side by side."
And so they did. The end.
Hawken employees genderflip CEO's sexy lady poster, have a laugh originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
19 May 17:11
Atari's Breakout turned 37 last month, and that apparently (but not unsurprisingly) is enough of an excuse for yet another Google easter egg. If you type 'Atari Breakout' into Google Images' search, instead of finding graphics of the classic game, the screen will transform into a playable Breakout clone made up from those images. Clever, no?
So, if by the end of today you're wondering where all the Joystiq posts have gone, be sure to blame/thank Google.
Google commemorates Atari's Breakout in interactive fashion
by Sinan Kubba
So, if by the end of today you're wondering where all the Joystiq posts have gone, be sure to blame/thank Google.
Google commemorates Atari's Breakout in interactive fashion originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
17 May 20:27
The Incredibles 2
by DOGHOUSE DIARIES
So wait, were Dash and Violet named AFTER their birth? How else would they have known one was fast, and the other could make purple forcefields? Head ASPLODE…
Julie writes in to say “Jack-Jack alludes to his powers too: jack of all trades.”
Max writes in to say “I contend that Violet was so named by Pixar…because she is a Shrinking Violet…”
Head IMPLODE.
JoeA and -1 others like this
11 May 02:42
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures, the "extra awesome PvZ experience" that is not Plants vs. Zombies 2, will go live on Facebook starting May 20. If that's not soon enough for you, developer PopCap is also granting early access to the game. Today at 3pm Pacific, the company will post a link on the PvZ Adventures Facebook page, giving early access to the first 500 to clickers.
Meanwhile, Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time launches in July.
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures ventures to Facebook May 20
by Richard Mitchell
Meanwhile, Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time launches in July.
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures ventures to Facebook May 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
11 May 02:39
Wine tasting is bullshit.
by jwz
Fuck io9 a lot, but this is funny:
It bears repeating that the judges Hodgson surveyed were no ordinary taste-testers. These were judges at California State Fair wine competition -- the oldest and most prestigious in North America. If you think you can consistently rate the "quality" of wine, it means two things:1: No. You can't.
2. Wine-tasting is bullshit.
[...]
A 2006 study, published by the American Association of Wine Economists, found that most people can't distinguish between paté and dog food.
My personal wine Venn Diagram consists of a large outer circle labelled "something my companions thought was a good idea" enclosing smaller almost-equally-sized circles labelled "something that gives me a headache before a buzz" and "something that would be better with bubbles and OJ in it".
Also, liver-flavored butter? Who eats that on purpose?
Schultkl likes this
08 May 19:05
People
by DOGHOUSE DIARIES
True friends don’t require common pleasantries. They already know you’re a jerk, but like you anyway.
07 May 22:38
Filmmaker Shannon Sun-Higginson has reached her Kickstarter funding goal for GTFO, an upcoming documentary film that explores the frequent sexism and harassment experienced by women who play video games.
Interviewing a variety of bloggers, scholars, and industry figures, Sun-Higginson hopes to piece together a narrative that explains why online harassment is so prevalent among video game players, in particular. Sun-Higginson has already filmed a number of segments at tournaments and conventions over the past year, and will use her Kickstarter earnings to fund future shoots, licensing rights, and post-production expenses.
"The purpose of this documentary is to reveal the experiences of women in the gaming world, both good and bad, as well as to provide steps we can take to change the environment for the better," Sun-Higginson explains.
GTFO's campaign hit its funding goal of $20,000 in its final week, and the film is expected to launch next year. Another Kickstarter-funded series that deals with similar subject matter, Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, debuted in March.
Gaming sexism documentary secures Kickstarter funding
by Danny Cowan
Filmmaker Shannon Sun-Higginson has reached her Kickstarter funding goal for GTFO, an upcoming documentary film that explores the frequent sexism and harassment experienced by women who play video games.
Interviewing a variety of bloggers, scholars, and industry figures, Sun-Higginson hopes to piece together a narrative that explains why online harassment is so prevalent among video game players, in particular. Sun-Higginson has already filmed a number of segments at tournaments and conventions over the past year, and will use her Kickstarter earnings to fund future shoots, licensing rights, and post-production expenses.
"The purpose of this documentary is to reveal the experiences of women in the gaming world, both good and bad, as well as to provide steps we can take to change the environment for the better," Sun-Higginson explains.
GTFO's campaign hit its funding goal of $20,000 in its final week, and the film is expected to launch next year. Another Kickstarter-funded series that deals with similar subject matter, Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, debuted in March.
Gaming sexism documentary secures Kickstarter funding originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
07 May 22:36
Plants vs. Zombies 2 will finally launch in July, according to PopCap Games.
"Yay! I can finally say it! PvZ 2: It's About Time is coming in July!" PvZ Community Marketing Manager Stephanie Bayer announced on Twitter this morning.
PopCap Games announced the sequel last year with a "first half of 2013" release window, so we guess this counts as a mini delay. Hey, PvZ zombies are the slow kind.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 sprouts this July
by Alexander Sliwinski
"Yay! I can finally say it! PvZ 2: It's About Time is coming in July!" PvZ Community Marketing Manager Stephanie Bayer announced on Twitter this morning.
PopCap Games announced the sequel last year with a "first half of 2013" release window, so we guess this counts as a mini delay. Hey, PvZ zombies are the slow kind.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 sprouts this July originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
01 May 00:48
Online Poker Goes Live In America Today
It’s been a long wait, and in truth the wait is far from over for many Americans, but today sees the first hand of officially regulated real money poker being dealt online in America. Ultimate Poker (a subsidiary of Station Casinos) opens its virtual doors at 9am local time, and although ga
26 Apr 16:46
At the opening of Super Metroid, a gunship rockets through space, eventually descending to the surface of the planet Zebes. A hatch opens, and bounty hunter Samus Aran slowly rises from the ship amidst the rain and lightning of an alien world. It's one of the most memorable moments of the 16-bit era, but it left Moise Breton with a question: Why doesn't she ever get back in the ship?
Last September, after Moise (Mo for short) left Activision's Quebec Spider-Man studio, Beenox, he decided to find the answer. The result is A.N.N.E., a game that cobbles together and improves upon some of Mo's favorite video game ideas. A 2D, open-world adventure, ANNE pulls inspirations from a broad spectrum of games, including Metroid, Mega Man, Contra, Gradius and Cave Story - though the latter is mostly coincidence, he says. Much like Samus, our robotic hero, Number 25, uses his abilities to take down enemies, finding numerous upgrades and uncovering new areas along the way. Unlike Samus, his ship is a constant companion, transporting him from place to place, blasting monsters from the sky and forging new paths.
After launching a Kickstarter and posting an impressive reveal trailer, things have "exploded all at once," Mo tells me, and he's very excited. Based on the short demo I played, you should be too.
Lessons from Metroid: Spending some time with A.N.N.E.
by Richard Mitchell
At the opening of Super Metroid, a gunship rockets through space, eventually descending to the surface of the planet Zebes. A hatch opens, and bounty hunter Samus Aran slowly rises from the ship amidst the rain and lightning of an alien world. It's one of the most memorable moments of the 16-bit era, but it left Moise Breton with a question: Why doesn't she ever get back in the ship?Last September, after Moise (Mo for short) left Activision's Quebec Spider-Man studio, Beenox, he decided to find the answer. The result is A.N.N.E., a game that cobbles together and improves upon some of Mo's favorite video game ideas. A 2D, open-world adventure, ANNE pulls inspirations from a broad spectrum of games, including Metroid, Mega Man, Contra, Gradius and Cave Story - though the latter is mostly coincidence, he says. Much like Samus, our robotic hero, Number 25, uses his abilities to take down enemies, finding numerous upgrades and uncovering new areas along the way. Unlike Samus, his ship is a constant companion, transporting him from place to place, blasting monsters from the sky and forging new paths.
After launching a Kickstarter and posting an impressive reveal trailer, things have "exploded all at once," Mo tells me, and he's very excited. Based on the short demo I played, you should be too.
Gallery: ANNE
Continue reading Lessons from Metroid: Spending some time with A.N.N.E.
Lessons from Metroid: Spending some time with A.N.N.E. originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
23 Apr 00:35
Buddy & Me, a beautifully drawn 2D endless runner about a boy and his "magical flying creature" pal having adventures in a dream world of "infinite treehouses," passed its $40,000 Kickstarter goal, ending with $42,093 raised. That funding will enable developer Sunbreak Games to complete the iOS/Android game, expected in June.
Founder Jason Behr had experience working on the Metroid Prime series as lead level designer, and on Halo 4 as senior mission designer, before starting his own company and working on a game that looks nothing like either of those. "At Sunbreak," the Kickstarter project explains, "we're dedicated to crafting entertainment with a more 'positive' tone, so for Buddy & Me we focused on three core themes: companionship, an obsession with treehouses, and the natural excitement of exploring the great outdoors."
Animated platformer 'Buddy & Me' succeeds on Kickstarter
by JC Fletcher
Buddy & Me, a beautifully drawn 2D endless runner about a boy and his "magical flying creature" pal having adventures in a dream world of "infinite treehouses," passed its $40,000 Kickstarter goal, ending with $42,093 raised. That funding will enable developer Sunbreak Games to complete the iOS/Android game, expected in June.Founder Jason Behr had experience working on the Metroid Prime series as lead level designer, and on Halo 4 as senior mission designer, before starting his own company and working on a game that looks nothing like either of those. "At Sunbreak," the Kickstarter project explains, "we're dedicated to crafting entertainment with a more 'positive' tone, so for Buddy & Me we focused on three core themes: companionship, an obsession with treehouses, and the natural excitement of exploring the great outdoors."
Animated platformer 'Buddy & Me' succeeds on Kickstarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.