I don't think there has ever been a better example of how actions have consequences than if life and untimely death of Michael Jackson.
By all accounts, if you look at his musical career, just his body of work, this should be the blackest day in the history of music. Rivaling the death of Lennon and flat out destroying the death of Cobain (because Jackson was more talented and didn't eat the business end of a firearm). Unfortunately, this is going to be one of those days that fills people with mixed emotions.
We won't ever see another Michael Jackson, mostly because what he did, he did without precedent. The man could fucking GLIDE on solid ground. No matter how you feel about him, you have to admit that the man could dance like gravity didn't apply to him in the same way it applies to you and me.
His videos have basically defined music videos. In a Doctor Who like world, a visit to a world where MJ never rose to popularity is probably a world without music videos. Thriller came out in 1983, that's twenty-six years ago. That's before my life began, before I was considered as a possibility. That video, despite being almost 30 years old is still one of the best music videos of all time. There is no argument you can make that doesn't include Thriller in the list.
Furthermore, the man MADE things happen through sheer force of will. He wanted to defy gravity when on stage singing "Smooth Criminal", the technology or mechanism didn't exist, so he CREATED and PATENTED it. Say what you will, but that's impressive stuff, he made his own way when there was no way.
This leads me to the crux or my own issues. I can't get past the idea of child molestation, I really can't. Did Michael want to hurt children or exploit them? I'm relatively sure he didn't, as I'm sure he would never have wanted anyone to go through what he went through. He was, of course, the product of an abusive father. That said, what happened, happened and you can't take things like that back.
I sit at a weird crossroads of mourning the loss of the greatest entertainer in the history of man, and being ambivalent towards the man who robbed at least one child of his innocence. I really don't know how to feel about the whole thing. Does life come down to the single mistakes we make? I think that is what I started to struggle with when I really examined the life of Jackson. He did so much good and yet there are a few black marks that decimate him.
I'm mostly writing this because my head is a jumbled mess of exactly how I feel. I walk this line between thinking that humans aren't meant to be famous because clearly we don't have the mental faculties to handle it and at the same time that people can walk away if they want to and choose not to.
I have more to say, but my brain is tired. Rest in Peace Michael, you brought happiness to millions.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Natal Should stay in the Womb.
Call me a cynic. Call me a fanboy. Call me a jerkass. Call me something creative.
No matter how people choose to view what I'm about to say, I stand by it with iron resolve.
Natal is unimpressive. It is gaming's version of Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars'. They both sound cool, revolutionary and advanced, there is no arguing that. However, Natal and Laser Missile Defense have something else in common beyond fun buzzwords, that thing is that they will both never really get past the planning stage. (Laser Missile Defense died a terrible death along with the Cold War.)
People are confusing "a new way to play" with "it recongizes your voice". As best I can tell, that is ALL that this goddamn camera/mic does. Well, that's not fair to say, it does track movement. However, the ball kicking/handling demo only showed me that it is the same as strapping wiimotes to your feet.
More than anything, all the things that Natal claims to do are uninteresting to me. An article on a gaming site suggested that it'd be cool to raise your arm while playing Fallout 3. Sure that's fun in theory, but let's look at the practice of this idea. You there, in your chair, raise your arm so it mimics looking at a Pip-Boy. Now, since you don't HAVE a pip-boy in the real world, you have to use the controller right? But you can't drop your arm or the Pip-Boy will drop and you'll have accomplished nothing. Seeing the problem?
Natal is a solid ten years ahead of it's time. That camera cannot scan a skateboard and make it functional. That technology doesn't exist. Companies wouldn't spend THOUSANDS of dollars on mo-cap etc. if it was THIS easy to get things into games.
Furthermore, movement based gaming is Nintendo's bread and butter. If THEY aren't trying to introduce something like this, the smart money is that it's not... possible.
No matter how people choose to view what I'm about to say, I stand by it with iron resolve.
Natal is unimpressive. It is gaming's version of Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars'. They both sound cool, revolutionary and advanced, there is no arguing that. However, Natal and Laser Missile Defense have something else in common beyond fun buzzwords, that thing is that they will both never really get past the planning stage. (Laser Missile Defense died a terrible death along with the Cold War.)
People are confusing "a new way to play" with "it recongizes your voice". As best I can tell, that is ALL that this goddamn camera/mic does. Well, that's not fair to say, it does track movement. However, the ball kicking/handling demo only showed me that it is the same as strapping wiimotes to your feet.
More than anything, all the things that Natal claims to do are uninteresting to me. An article on a gaming site suggested that it'd be cool to raise your arm while playing Fallout 3. Sure that's fun in theory, but let's look at the practice of this idea. You there, in your chair, raise your arm so it mimics looking at a Pip-Boy. Now, since you don't HAVE a pip-boy in the real world, you have to use the controller right? But you can't drop your arm or the Pip-Boy will drop and you'll have accomplished nothing. Seeing the problem?
Natal is a solid ten years ahead of it's time. That camera cannot scan a skateboard and make it functional. That technology doesn't exist. Companies wouldn't spend THOUSANDS of dollars on mo-cap etc. if it was THIS easy to get things into games.
Furthermore, movement based gaming is Nintendo's bread and butter. If THEY aren't trying to introduce something like this, the smart money is that it's not... possible.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
I still don't get MMOs
I think my inability to grasp the idea of MMOs is based in my gaming roots. I like playing games and beating them, I like the sense of accomplishment and more than that I like the conclusion to a story.
I like when good finally trounces evil once and for all, and on occasion, when evil smacks good in the ffffffface. MMOs, to the best of my knowledge, lack this in most cases, moments such as:
*Spoiler Alert*
Revan defeating Malak is just a sweet gaming moment. Good or evil, it's undeniably awesome that when you finally strike him down, you feel a sense of accomplishment.
Seeing the redeemed Kain with his helmet in FFII is a great moment as well.
*End Spoiler Alert*
My problem with the idea of MMOs at their face is that they are designed to keep you playing rather than to give you any kind of real closure. More real-world? Sure, but guess what? I live in a real world.
I want to like SW:TOR. I do. I DOOOOO, but I can't help thinking that formula is all wrong.
The most interesting part of Star Wars, or one of the best, is the idea of apprentices learning, moving forward etc. This just can't happen in SW:TOR without an ARMY of NPCs. If tihs could somehow be implemented, i'd be beyond impressed, but it seems as though the game either really won't be an MMO, or really won't be good.
That and they're pissing all over the lore by skipping one of the most interesting parts in the history of Star Wars. Revan is likely dead and Revan was likely the coolest SW character in a looong time.
I like when good finally trounces evil once and for all, and on occasion, when evil smacks good in the ffffffface. MMOs, to the best of my knowledge, lack this in most cases, moments such as:
*Spoiler Alert*
Revan defeating Malak is just a sweet gaming moment. Good or evil, it's undeniably awesome that when you finally strike him down, you feel a sense of accomplishment.
Seeing the redeemed Kain with his helmet in FFII is a great moment as well.
*End Spoiler Alert*
My problem with the idea of MMOs at their face is that they are designed to keep you playing rather than to give you any kind of real closure. More real-world? Sure, but guess what? I live in a real world.
I want to like SW:TOR. I do. I DOOOOO, but I can't help thinking that formula is all wrong.
The most interesting part of Star Wars, or one of the best, is the idea of apprentices learning, moving forward etc. This just can't happen in SW:TOR without an ARMY of NPCs. If tihs could somehow be implemented, i'd be beyond impressed, but it seems as though the game either really won't be an MMO, or really won't be good.
That and they're pissing all over the lore by skipping one of the most interesting parts in the history of Star Wars. Revan is likely dead and Revan was likely the coolest SW character in a looong time.
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