horrorkid64

Date: 10/18/2005 4:25:20 AM Author: PhilsCafe Good point . And thanks for the stats. You're right, the media only portrays these developments and although crime rates have gone back, I think there's still the risk that teenagers take these characters as role models, because they not only see these events in the news but also can be like their role models themselves in the virtual reality. Well, of course that doesn't mean that they really commit that crime in real life too (Most of them obviously don't, according to the figures), but they may start to admire people who commit such a crime (we're still talking about the car races, but this also works for any other crime). I don't want to dramatize that, but it is abnormal, if you ask me. I agree, that's still no reason to censor violent games, because those who commit crimes also find their inspiration elsewhere, as you've pointed out. But we should care more about this issue. And we certainly mustn't send the message that sexuality is bad, but violence is okay, in an educational point of view... that's wrong. Thanks for the link, btw. It's quite an interesting article indeed. - Philquote> I think the whole issue with those laws is maybe some kind of generation gap thing, the ones in power are no video gamers and have no idea of the gamer culture. Or as some guy from a blog put it: How could it be that there is such a contrast between the opinions of non-gamer members of your generation and the opinions of gamer members of my generation? If you want to read more articles on games & censorship, then you should take a look at the IGDA anti-censorship site . The ESA and the VSDA have already taken action against the law: This just in from Bo Andersen, President of the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA): Today, the Video Software Dealers Association and the Entertainment Software Association filed a lawsuit against the state of California, seeking to have the recently enacted restrictions on 'violent video games' declared unconstitutional. We wish we did not have to take this action, but we must protect the First Amendment rights of video game retailers and distributors and their customers. Courts have consistently held that restrictions on video games because of depictions of violence within the games violate the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. The California law is also unconstitutional because it is so imprecisely drafted that it is impossible to decipher which video games are covered by its provisions. The law also ignores the existing video game rating system and retailers' programs to enforce those ratings in their stores. It is appropriate that we file the lawsuit today, as this week has been declared to be 'National Freedom of Speech Week.' Doug Lowenstein of the ESA adds: Today the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco seeking to strike down California's new ban on the sale of certain video games to minors. We believe this bill will meet the same fate as virtually identical statutes that federal courts have routinely struck down in recent years. It is not up to any industry or the government to set standards for what kids can see or do; that is the role of parents. Additionally, everyone involved with this misguided law has known from the start that it is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment freedoms of those who create and sell video games. So, once again, we urge all people of good will involved in this to come together to work on cooperative, legal ways to help parents make the right choices about the entertainment their kids consume. We all know that parents are not well served by the time and money spent on court battles and legal fees. Rather, they would be far better off if government and industry worked together to educate them about video game ratings, and other tools to help them make informed purchasing decisions for their families. From here .

Date: 10/17/2005 9:22:30 AM Author: PhilsCafe Don't get me wrong. I'm not against violence in computer games... but I ask myself, why are there thirteen year old kids stabbing eachother or participating in car races on public streets? Because it's cool? Well, where do they get that? Hopefully not from their parents. They must have some role models somewhere... on the streets, in films, in certain computer games (I'm thinking of the GTA main character or NFS Underground)... THAT's harmful in my humble opinion. I think, it's not about aggression, but about role models... and of course, there are always people who can handle this, that's why I'm against a general law. - Philquote> Be careful - what was there first? Isn't it more the case that there were illegal car races in the tuner scene BEFORE there were games dealing with the subject? One could argue that games are merely portraying something that already exists, like all other forms of media. Besides one must think wether there really is a rise in illegal car races or in violent youth crimes. As far as I know the offending rates for 14-17 year olds are at an all-time low in the US. Another point is the role model issue: even if a few individuals take pieces of media as role model or justification for violent crimes (examples: The Catcher in the Rye, The Beatles: Helter Skelter, The Bible), does that mean we have to right to ban or censor those media? Where do we start and where should we stop? Would it be justified to ban certain media for several million of people because of a few indivuals? And would those individuals not easily find inspiration elsewhere? Here's a interesting article that deals with the morality of games that might be of interest: Playing a Good Game: A Philosophical Approach to Understanding the Morality of Games

First, one has to determine what might be harmful. There is, for example, no indication that pornographic content is in any way harmful for minors. (1),(2) There is still very much doubt that violent content does make the player more violent. It can be at best said, that there is a short term rise in the aggression level of the player, but that is the case after playing football too. Most studies that find corelation between games and violence are severely flawed. (3) Media in general has been blamed for violence for ages, but so far critics have failed to provide evidence. (4) OVER 90% OF M VIDEO GAMES SOLD ARE IN THE PRECESNSE OF AN ADULT! How would this law change this? Previous laws of the same content have been declared unconstitutional. Maybe this law is just playing the family value card as well as a waste of taxpayer's money? Why treat the game industry different than other media? (1) The Dangers of Pornography? A Review of the Effects Literature (2) Not In Front of the Children: Indecency, Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth (3) Evaluating the Research on Violent Video Games (4) Ten things wrong with the media effects model

Date: 10/12/2005 7:22:41 PM Author: nealos101 Well... Im from the Uk... and Im 19, and it doesn't bother me the slightest. quote> But maybe it should. A great deal of all video games come from the US. The more restrictive the US rating systems become, the more likely are game developers to self-censor their games. It already happens with the current ESRB ratings: since companies like Wal-Mart refuse to sell AO rated games, designers tone down their games to fit the M rating.

Date: 10/12/2005 7:37:18 AM Author: subedei If memory serves my initial statements were about wether a gay thread is appropriate on a game website. Thanks

Voting for the Walk of Game 2005 is up. Go here to vote or go here to view the results.

Date: 9/26/2005 7:47:19 AM Author: TheJerseyDevil73 Civilization It is the best strategy game. But can be slightly repetitive. Also 3 was nearly the same as 2 with almost no signs of any change in the game. From what I have seen of 4 it is an exact copy of 3 down to every aspect. But again from 2 to 3 and now 3 to 4 slighlty better graphics. And maybe a new unit or two. This will be a great game. But don't expect alot of change. Not that its needed. They shouldn't call the Civilization 1-4. But 1.1-1.4 as every version shows little change. More so improved exact copies. None the less. I'm looking forward to it. quote> From what I heard, they made quite a lot of changes. They added religion, changed the government system (it's more like in Alpha Centauri now) and redesigned the technology tree. Also the game will be very customizeable.

Date: 9/22/2005 10:50:49 PM Author: JohnB Civilization is very similar to Rise of Nations. Basically you have to progress an entire civilization of people, with the country of your choice, from the Ancient age to the Information age.quote> Better put it the other way around: RoN and Age of Empires are very similar to Civilization. But Civ is more based on tactics and strategy rather than on fast clicking and memorizing hotkeys.

Date: 9/20/2005 1:21:05 PM Author: pmiller19574 Does anyone remember the game called STARFLIGHT and STARFLIGHT2? quote> Yes, but I never played them.

It isn't that bad. I has some nice over-the-top action sequences. I also really liked seeing all the old characters again. But the story isn't that good IMO - that's why I was really disappointed the first time I watched it. I watched it again and this time I enjoyed it more. It's a nice movie, but not spectacular.

Date: 9/15/2005 11:17:37 PM Author: LightWarriorK Uhhh.... what? This isn't a movie about the story of FFVII, but a sequal taking place two years later. I've already read two reviews of it, (it's already out in Japan) and the reviews are GLOWING.quote> Actually, that was my review.

Sorry, Squaresoft. If you don't understand what made FF7 great, don't make moke a movie about it.

This week's edition of The Escapist, an online video game magazine, has a very interesting article by Greg Costikyan. Be sure to check it out here .

From here . 65 Girls At Area School Pregnant School To Unveil Three-Prong Program CANTON, Ohio -- There are 490 female students at Timken High School, and 65 are pregnant, NewsChannel5 reported. Some would say that movies, TV, videogames, lazy parents and lax discipline may all be to blame. School officials are not sure what has contributed to so many pregnancies, but in response to them, the school is launching a three-prong educational program to address pregnancy, prevention and parenting. WEWS also reported that students will face mounting tensions created by unplanned child-rearing responsibilities, causing students to quit school and plan for a GED. This will make it difficult for the Canton City School District to shake its academic watch designation by the state. According to the Canton Health Department, statistics through July show that 104 of the 586 babies born to Canton residents in Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center had mothers between 11 and 19. WEWS discovered that the non-Canton rate was 7 percent. Canton was 15 percent. Cleveland's rate is 20 percent.

The home city feature must be incredibly interesting .

Date: 9/7/2005 4:59:57 PM Author: Compromise There was recent evidence shown that your brain treats vidio games as reality so in real life peaple may respond to situations like they do in the vidio game and it goes on from there... quote> Can you provide more information about this? Links to studies or articles maybe?

Part II is up.

Date: 9/4/2005 6:30:31 PM Author: hummer0328 quote> Your above article was actually from a statement from aegia taken out of context.

Here's some news about the Xbox 360: 360 Buckling Under PhysX PS3 can handle it; 360 features, however, are limited. As Valve demonstrated with Half-Life 2, true-to-life physics can have a lasting impact on gameplay, and next-generation should prove that notion even more so. Ageia hopes to cash in on this trend with their PhysX line of physic-dedicated accelerator cards, of which BFG Technologies was recently announced as second add-on card partner. What's interesting, however, is how this plays out between PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. At the European Game Developers Conference, Extreme Tech noted that the company confirmed plans to offer software-based rendering for single and dual-core PCs, PCs decked out with PhysX chips and software versions for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. That makes sense to offer development solutions on all platforms, but what's interesting is Ageia's report that Xbox 360 can't handle all of the PhysX's features because of architecture limitations. PhysX offers technologies ranging from physical object interactions to fluid-based particle effects like water and smoke and reportedly only PS3 and PCs will be able to handle all the goods. What will Xbox 360 miss out on? PhysX's fluid-based technology. How exactly that impacts Xbox 360's future is for all intents and purposes minimal, but it's strange to see a split between the two machines after such rabid debate over which one had the edge. From here .

I've been changing wallpapers quite often lately. Normally I stick with one for several months. Well, here's my new one: (Good series by the way - Haibane Renmei)

Date: 8/25/2005 12:09:26 AM Author: nosoupforyou i think you'll recognize it horrorkid... quote> Sure I do.

That's sad news. You'll be missed. Goodbye and good luck on your travels! (make sure to drop by from time to time)

Here is my new, awfully kawaii desktop wallpaper:

I like it, but you sould get the one frame right where your name isn't properly adjusted with the other frames. 8/10

Taken from here: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050720005870&newsLang=en Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Conclusion of ESRB Investigation NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 20, 2005--Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO): -- ESRB assigns Adults Only 18+ (AO) rating for current version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas due to unauthorized third party Hot Coffee modification -- Rockstar Games to cease manufacture of current version of title and offer a downloadable patch to prevent modification of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for PC -- Company lowers third quarter and fiscal year guidance to reflect the expected negative impact on the title's retail performance Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) announced today that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has changed the rating of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on all platforms from Mature 17+ (M) to Adults Only 18+ (AO) because of the so-called hot coffee mod, an unauthorized third party modification that alters the retail version of the game. Take-Two cooperated fully with the ESRB's investigation. Rockstar Games has ceased manufacturing of the current version of the title and will begin working on a version of the game with enhanced security to prevent the hot coffee modifications. This version will retain the original ESRB M-rating and is expected to be available during the Company's fourth fiscal quarter. Rockstar Games will be providing AO labels for retailers who wish to continue to sell the current version of the title. As a result of the re-rating of the game, Take-Two is lowering guidance for the third fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2005 to $160 to $170 million in net sales and a net loss per share of $(0.40) to $(0.45) to provide reserves for the value of the title's current North American retail inventory. Accordingly, guidance for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2005 is also being lowered to $1.26 to $1.31 billion in net sales and $1.05 to $1.12 in diluted earnings per share. Take-Two and Rockstar Games have always worked to keep mature-themed video game content out of the hands of children and we will continue to work closely with the ESRB and community leaders to improve and better promote a reliable rating system to help consumers make informed choices about which video games are appropriate for each individual, said Paul Eibeler, Take-Two's President and Chief Executive Officer. The ESRB's decision to re-rate a game based on an unauthorized third party modification presents a new challenge for parents, the interactive entertainment industry and anyone who distributes or consumes digital content. Rockstar Games is pleased that the investigation is now settled and they look forward to returning their focus to making innovative and groundbreaking video games for a mature audience. The scenes depicted in the hot coffee modification are not playable in the retail version of the game unless the user downloads and/or installs unauthorized software that alters the content of the original retail version of the title, representing a violation of Take-Two and Rockstar's end user license agreement (EULA) and intellectual property rights. We are deeply concerned that the publicity surrounding these unauthorized modifications has caused the game to be misrepresented to the public and has detracted from the creative merits of this award winning product, said Mr. Eibeler. Take-Two is exploring its legal options as it relates to companies that profited from creating and distributing tools for altering the content of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar Games will be making available shortly a downloadable software patch to render Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for PC impervious to the hot coffee modification. Rockstar encourages parent groups and political leaders to assist with distribution of the patch to prevent the content of the modification from spreading further. About Take-Two Interactive Software Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system, the Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and Global Star Software; and distributes products in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two also manufactures and markets video game accessories in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region through its Joytech subsidiary. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands) and Auckland. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com. All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them. The Company has no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary significantly from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors. These important factors are described in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2005 in the section entitled Cautionary Statement and Risk Factors.