With Great Vengeance

Friday, November 7 2008 - 12:00 AM
by: Tycho

When we were trawling for villains on Facebook earlier in the week, the urge to exhume ancient foes struck me as universal for some reason. Seemed like a body could make a comic outta that.

Multiple topics to cover:

- One often sees pyrotechnic displays in threads lamenting this or that title's lack of "trophy support" on the Playstation 3. Why haven't they implemented it, are they lazy, are they "Xbots," etc. I've seen it so much that I feel like I need to pound a stake through its stupid heart.

The reason is not complex, but it's going to require you to blame the right people, which may be uncomfortable for you. The reason developers do not implement trophy support is because Sony has not required them to do so. Achievements are a requirement for certification on an Xbox game - if they are not implemented, you can't ship. We were lucky that when we started to convert the engine for use on the Playstation 3, they had recently made the tools available - and we made support for the feature a priority. But our game wasn't in development for two, three, or even four years, and we're the publisher. We can make choices for reasons of "coolness." Sony could require it immediately, but it would mean titles shipping this holiday would arrive later than those on competing platforms, which would be apocalyptic. It's probably too much to ask that people vilify the correct party, but I'm just tired of reading this adolescent bullshit.

- I received many messages from human beings who, having braved a local 7 Eleven, returned home with their ill-gotten copes of Gears of War 2. You can buy it anywhere now, which does strip away some of the magic, but I still vouch for the product. We've spent the last two nights playing its cooperative Horde mode until one in the morning, and it's a way to play Gears that will be synonymous with the franchise going forward. There's no upper limit on how rich they could make that experience.

I've played through thick slices of the single player campaign, and we'll discuss it interminably at some point, but at this moment I'm dismayed that they paid someone to write this dialogue. There's no excuse for it. It's almost certainly the case that your average player is more interested in stomping a person's face off than in enduring soliloquies, I grant this point in perpetuity. I'm not asking that the writing be incredible, just that it not assault the rational mind. Writing is cheap, guys. It's cheap. When everything else in your product is manufactured to such an incredible degree, why do you tolerate work of this caliber?

(CW)TB out.

(foreign)

Child's Play 2008

Friday, November 7 2008 - 10:51 AM
by: Gabe

It's time to be amazing again people. The Child's Play site is updated and open for business. You know the drill by this point. Select a hospital from the map and then choose a toy for them.

in addition to toys sent directly to the hospitals we also receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash donations every year. We then divide this money up and dole it out to various hospitals throughout the year. One such hospital that received a grant from Child's Play (that is to say you guys) was the Hospital for Special Care in Connecticut. They specialize in a lot of different types of treatment including what they call "medically complex pediatrics". We recently received a thank you letter from them and since it's your money they are thanking us for I thought I should share it with you.

Hi, Kristin,

I thought I'd bring you up to date on what we're doing with the funds

from your grant. We bought a number of handheld video games which can

be loaned to patients who are confined to their beds. In addition, we

bought a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit. This is a HUGE success and we will

probably buy several more. Not only are they suitable for recreation,

but they serve a therapeutic purpose as well. We have discovered that

spinal cord injured patients can sit on the Fit's balance board and

work on core balance by playing the games. Although we had initially

thought we'd buy computer equipment, this is a much better use of the

funds, and, I hope, you'll "approve." So, in addition to the library

reaping the benefits, we are able to get the equipment out to where

the patients live at our hospital - on the units and in the gyms.

Thank you again for the generosity of Child's Play. I hope that, in the

future, we might be able to apply for additional funds. There are

plans to convert space into a patient recreation center and we would like

to include additional games, equipment, etc. that would enhance their

quality of life.

Best,

Amy

Amy L. Frey, MA AHIP

Manager, Health Sciences Library & Resource Center

Hospital for Special Care

2150 Corbin Avenue

New Britain, CT 06053

I wanted to mention this because I understand that the way things are right now, buying toys for sick kids might not be an option no matter how much you'd like it to be. I wanted to make sure you knew that even giving a couple dollars to Child's Play helps out. Trust me when I tell you that it all adds up and as you can see by the mail above it really makes a difference. You guys have never ceased to amaze me with your generosity and I'm sure 2008 will be no different.

-Gabe out