I’m one of the many who believe that video games not only can be a form of art, they can also be a literary medium. Want proof? Look no further than Silent Hill 2’s gripping narrative and try to tell me that that’s not on par with a Steven King or Clive Barker. Check out Ico’s emotionally moving story. Even Bungie’s Halo and Bioware’s Mass Effect have introduced players to science fiction universes on scale with a Star Wars or Battlestar Galatica. However, if gaming is to progress as an entertainment medium, it’s not enough to present an quirky art style or a deep plot. Gaming has to be able to explore taboo and even controversial subjects just like books, movies, and television shows do, even if they may get somewhat offensive or politically incorrect (which is why I was disappointed when 6 Days in Fallujah ended up being indefinitely postponed, but that’s another story). Of course I’m not saying that a developer should go out and create ‘KKK Lynchin’ Heroes’, but if and when done correctly, video games can provide a light with which to look at social issues that continue to affect us today. Beyond Good and Evil could be considered a commentary on the role of the press and the distribution of information during times when civil freedoms are being challenged, and Metal Gear Solid 4’s storyline about private military corporations can be considered a look at military policy, particularly in the wake of the Blackwater scandal. However, few issues have been more hotly debated than that of violence in our schools, and no one moment in our history better exemplifies the issue than the Columbine Massacre.

For those of you who don’t know the story, on April 20th of 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two troubled teens who had apparently been bullied during their years in high school went on a violent shooting spree, killing over a dozen students and teachers. The media, parents/teacher groups, clergymen, and opportunistic politicians, unable to fathom that two white boys from a wealthy suburban community bought about something that apparently is only supposed to happen in the ghetto or a backwoods rural area (and with rumors of a so-called ‘trenchcoat mafia’ shut down), immediately set about finding things to blame the tragedy on. “It was because of easy access to guns!” “It was because gun control laws are too strict!” “It was Marylin Manson!” “It was violent video games!” “It was Doom!” “It was because of the evil liberals taking prayer out of schools!” “Where were the parents at?” “Why didn’t anyone see the warning signs?” With all the fuss in a search for a scapegoat, few even considered to take a look at the events in their lives that might have led up to the shooting. Enter independent developer Danny Ledonne. Using the program RPG Maker 2000, he created a game which places characters in the role of the shooters. By researching thousands of pages of news articles about the massacre, home videos the two killers made, and video news reports, Ledonne’s product gives an insight and paints a picture suggesting why such a tragedy occurred.

[Read the rest of this entry…]

With all the rumors flying in the entertainment blog echochamber, it’s hard to tell what’s really happening the world of NBC’s late night programming. Can Conan really not say anything bad about NBC? (Unlikely.) Is this week really his last as Tonight Show host? (In all probability, even by his own admission, and now in seeming actual fact.)

But when Jay Leno finally explained on his January 18th, 2010 show that this is happening because NBC won’t let him out of his contract, and he has no animosity toward Conan O’Brien, I believe him.

Even with both men caught in the middle of NBC’s general ratings woes, it’s pretty clear why Jay needs to be the bigger man, and step down.

[Read the rest of this entry…]

MattyCollector posted an update on facebook:

We’ve just confirmed that Old Bones will arrive in time for a special sale at 12:00 noon Eastern (9:00am Pacific) on Wednesday, January 27th. This figure is identical to the one that sold out in record time on 12/15, so you’re definitely going to want to be logged in and ready to click for your chance at Skeletor®, Evil Lord of Destruction™!

Because the sale date is so close, we don’t have time to get an email reminder into production and won’t be able to send one. If you’re following me on Twitter, I tweet about all sales so I’ll remind you there as well as Facebook.

-Matty

I’ll try to post a reminder for that morning so you loyal readers do not forget. Remember that this is only half a full allocation and it going to sell out VERY quickly, so be prompt about ordering at noon or even a couple minutes before if you can.

Robert Kirkman’s excellent zombie comic series The Walking Dead has been officially drafted into a TV series. AMC, who currently run series such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men, have agreed to a pilot that will shoot and air later this year.

Frank Darabont, the man who successfully adapted Stephen King’s Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile will helm the pilot as writer and director.

The Walking Dead follows a Kentucky police officer and his family as they survive the zombie apocalypse. Instead of going direct for shock or gore, the biggest shocks in the book come from the emotional and physical impact the world has on the survivors. The book is still ongoing, with over 60 issues collected in 11 paperbacks currently available, so if AMC turns this into a long running series they’ll have no trouble continuing the story.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

But don’t take my word for it…

Diamond Select Toys had a huge reveal showcasing the upcoming 2 assortments of minimates associated with the highly anticipated Iron Man 2 movie. With the exception of one ‘high-flying armor-clad character’ all of the Wave 35 figures were revealed. It was also mentioned that the Hammer Drones were featured briefly in the trailer where Iron Man and War Machine had to fight an entire squad. I’m assuming the final armor clad character is going to be the final big bad in the movie, but only time will tell.

The line-up is as follows:
Pepper Potts w/ Army Builder Hammer Drone
Happy Hogan w/ Army Builder Hammer Drone
Iron Man
War Machine
Whiplash
as yet unnamed armored character (Titanium Man? Crimson Dynamo?)

Single packed figures in display box: (think cylon centurions)
Air Assualt Drone
Ground Assault Drone
Sea Assault Drone
Tactical Assault Drone
Justin Hammer
Battle Damaged Hammer Drone

      

The first Powet review of an iPhone game! How does it stack up to the Xbox Live Pac-Man: Championship Edition?

Buy this game on iTunes if you’d like, or you can redeem a code for the original version or purchase an iTunes card to download Pac-Man CE to your iPhone or iPod Touch!

Conan is currently in dispute as the 11:35pm host on NBC, as network decision makers want to bring back Jay Leno, who moved on from the position in 2009. As a respected comedy writer and performer with legions of fans around the world (especially in the geek community), its worth noting why we love him.

Here are some highlights from outside his talk show career: [Read the rest of this entry…]