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Secret Sauce: The Rise of Blizzard
Russ Pitts

In 1991, the internet didn't exist.

That is to say, it did exist (and had for some time), but to the majority of Americans it might as well have been a huffalump until the creation of the World Wide Web in (approximately) 1992, when the internet would begin to become both widely understood, and easy-to-use (therefore "of interest" to most people).

Yet in 1991, the internet (such as it was) was neither widely understood nor easy-to-use, which is why the prospect of playing games on the internet may have seemed like a good and bad idea simultaneously. On one hand, nobody was doing it yet - it was a virgin market; on the other, nobody was doing it yet - the risks were terrible.

In 1991, videogame industry leader Sierra launched the Sierra Network (later called the ImagiNation Network). It was geared more-or-less toward children, with cartoon-ish art and themes, but it allowed users to play a variety of games and chat with friends in online chat rooms - all for an hourly fee, of course. It was, in every way, ahead of its time.

Particularly in terms of what users were willing to pay. At one point, the hourly rate for access to Sierra's network had climbed as high as $6 per hour. This was in addition to the subscription fees users were already paying for dial-up access to the internet itself and (in some extreme cases) long distance telephone charges levied by the telephone company. By contrast, many telephone sex chat services charged less than half that amount.

The Sierra Network, not surprisingly, failed and was shut down in 1996 by AOL, who had acquired it from AT&T. Ironically, this was not too long after the internet had become both widely understood and easy-to-use, and right around the same time that several other online gaming services had begun to flourish. Among them, an exciting new service offered by a company called Blizzard.

The Sleeper Has Awakened
In 1992, a revolutionary videogame was released that captured the imaginations of gamers the world over, almost immediately selling half a million copies. One of the first "real- time strategy" games ever made, it tasked the player with building a virtual army by collecting resources and then constructing buildings that would produce their machines of war - all in "real time." While the player was at it, their "enemy" was doing the same, building up to an eventual showdown between the competing armies, after which one side would claim total victory. Whoever had the most machines or the best strategy would win the day. It was like chess combined with backgammon wrapped up in an erector set, and gamers loved it.

That game was not Warcraft.

Westwood Studios' Dune II , predating Warcraft by at least two years, was based on the science fiction books by Frank Herbert, and cast the player as one of three races bent on controlling the spice-infested planet of Arrakis. It has been described as among the best PC games ever made, and many still consider it the best example of its genre ever made. Yet, it was not without its share of problems.

As with any game based on a license, Dune II relied on the players' familiarity with the premise of the original works. The Dune series had sold millions of copies of books world-wide, and had been made into a feature-length film in 1984, but to many people, the story was simply too dense to get their heads around. Case in point: The resource Dune II players were tasked with mining, the spice "Melange," took Herbert an entire novel to attempt to explain. Called "the spice of spices" in his appendices, the fictional Melange has been attributed with prolonging life, allowing users to foresee the future, astrally project objects through time and space, turn people's eyes blue and make giant worms try to kill you

As soon as someone releases a hackable version of the same thing, tolerable versions won't be far behind. Mine's going to look just like Catalina Sandino Moreno

So is Cleopatra more closely related to Proteus or Colossus? Just so we can anticipate whether the abject horror will be on a personal or multinational scale.

So is Cleopatra more closely related to Proteus or Colossus? Just so we can anticipate whether the abject horror will be on a personal or multinational scale.

Because it's a parody of the opening introduction for Babylon 5:

Commander Jeffrey David Sinclair: It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call, home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last, best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5.

Anybody else remember this movie? They create a $99 pc, but realize that the only way to make it work is to make the OS accessible via the internet, not installed on the pc itself. Could this be far off from a future goal for Google?

Vincent: Okay, look, here's the deal. Man, you were gonna drive me around tonight, never be the wiser, but El Gordo got in front of a window, did his high dive, we're into Plan B. Still breathing? Now we gotta make the best of it, improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, shit happens, I Ching, whatever man, we gotta roll with it.
Max: I Ching? What are you talking about, man? You threw a man out of a window.
Vincent: I didn't throw him. He *fell*
Max: Well what did he do to you?
Vincent: What?
Max: What did he do to *you*?
Vincent: Nothing. I only met him tonight.
Max: You just met him once and you killed him like that?
Vincent: What? I should only kill people after I get to know them?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369339/

In other news, Dr. Sven Bronson announced that two of the newly-discovered Planemos may be headed in our general direction. "Mankind may be facing its greatest danger yet," the renowned astronomer said. However, world governments have so far received his predictions with skepticism.

Didn't Charlie Sheen already do that?

In The Godfather Michael Corleone has Moe Greene shot in the face. Right in the eye, if memory serves. There's also a scene where Clemenza explains to Michael how he should shoot Sollozzo and McCluskey in the head ("Twice in the head and you know he's dead"). But then again, that's just the movies.

But I guess games aren't the only way to learn how to kill. I wonder, if video games are "murder simulators" (at least according to Jack Thompson), then are violent movies "murder instructional videos"?

Gordan Freemen: Tom Cruise (religious hyjinks and actual acting ability aside, I think he has the best look for the part).

Gordan Freemen: Tom Cruise (religious hyjinks and actual acting ability aside, I think he has the best look for the part).

My friends and I always considered this to be "Half Life: The Movie"...

Half-Life

Tom Smykowski: Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?

"The plans even spell out what evacuees should take with them (recommended items: a combination lock, a flashlight, two towels and a small box of washing powder)." All that? How about 1 towel and a book with "Don't Panic!" on the cover? At least they're right about the importance of a towel, but I can't figure out what the combination lock is for.

A padlock wrapped in a towel would make a formidable weapon indeed. Very handy for dealing with those "Dawn of The Dead" zombies who may be around after the bomb goes off.

For greater stopping power, upgrade to a pillow case containing cans of soda. :^)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085210/

I owe all of my initial interest in the Lone Wolf books to the Choose Your Own Adventure series which was really a logical progression to something darker and more complex, in terms of both storyline and "gameplay". Certain Choose books - such as Who are you? and Kidnapped! - still rank as some of my favourite reads.

I also have to mention that the plot of the title Comet Crash was ripped off, almost verbatim, by Deep Impact

The Pirate Bay has gone from being a website into an idea.

And ideas, as we know, are bullet proof.

Because in the movies, you aren't partaking in the violence. So you aren't being encouraged to kill, or maim, and not face consequences. You aren't enjoying killing in movies.

A Clockwork Orange

Not that I agree with this stance.

Phew. :)

I think they should with movies, too. But I think it should be broken into catagories.

FWIW, I tried this experiment and it's not all it's cracked up to be. My personal conclusion was that ratings work only because they are vague. The more specific they are, the more they reveal plot, which means people who want suspense (often the point of a movie) can't get it. "Does he boink her at the end?" is kind of a pointless question to ask when the rating is "explicit, unmarried sex between a guy and a girl". "does this sci-fi movie end badly?" is kind of pointless when the rating is "nuclear devices deployed in this movie". Ultimately, a complete description of the plot is the only clear rating, and is a real spoiler. The hyperlink above goes to some uses of my ratings, click here for a key to the ratings. Obviously, this wasn't a scientific experiment, it was just for fun. But because I had no serious preconceived end in mind, I had an open mind and learned a lot.

But Asplen of Smith Alling Lane said Congress has been helping states streamline and improve their DNA processing. And he does not think a national database would violate the Constitution.

"We already take blood from every newborn to perform government-mandated tests . . . so the right to take a sample has already been decided," Asplen said. "And we have a precedent for the government to maintain an identifying number of a person."

/Insert Gattaca comment here

ISLE OF MAN - June 1, 2006 - At a press conference today, Canonical CEO and Free Software spokesnigger Mark Shuttleworth announced the immediate availability of version 6.06 of the Ubuntu Linux distribution. The latest version, known by its code name, "The Diaper Drake," includes special features designed to make Linux easier and more comfortable for niggers the world over.

"Niggers have always had trouble understanding new technology," Shuttleworth began. "Computers are no exception. Some people have said this is because niggers are dumb, but I believe the real problem is that technology has traditionally been designed for white people. Ubuntu changes all that. It was developed from the ground up with niggers in mind. It will usher in a whole new era of Afro-ergonomic computing."

Shuttleworth presented an overview of some of the features users could expect in the latest version of Ubuntu, including an Ebonics-to-English converter, African "tribal beats" sound and desktop theme, and a collection of rap music and gay pornography, "which of course will be encoded using patent and royalty-free formats," Shuttleworth added, smiling. He proceeded to elaborate, but OpenOffice.org Impress crashed at that point.

"But this release isn't just about new features," Shuttleworth said, making a quick segue to the humanitarian and ideological concept behind Ubuntu. "This new version brings black men closer together than ever in the spirit of Ubuntu." Shuttleworth then demonstrated the concept of Ubuntu by getting on his knees and sucking a young black boy's erect penis.

About Canonical

Canonical Ltd. is committed to the development,distribution and promotion of open source software products, and to providing tools and support to the open source community. Canonical is a global organization headquartered in the Isle of Man, with employees throughout Europe, North America, South America and Australia. Canonical is a technology partner of the Gay Nigger Association of America, of which it holds a 36% equity stake.

About GNAA:
GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the first organization which gathers GAY NIGGERS from all over America and abroad for one common goal - being GAY NIGGERS.

Are you GAY ?
Are you a NIGGER ?
Are you a GAY NIGGER ?

If you answered "Yes" to all of the above questions, then GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) might be exactly what you've been looking for!
Join GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) today, and enjoy all the benefits of being a full-time GNAA member.
GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the fastest-growing GAY NIGGER community with THOUSANDS of members all over United States of America and the World! You, too, can be a part of GNAA if you join today!

Why not? It's quick and easy - only 3 simple steps!

• First, you have to obtain a copy of GAYNIGGERS FROM OUTER SPACE THE MOVIE and watch it. You can download the movie (~130mb) using BitTorrent.
• Second, you need to succeed in posting a GNAA First Post on slashdot.org, a popular "news for trolls" website.
• Third, you need to join the official GNAA irc channel #GNAA on irc.gnaa.us, and apply for membership.

Talk to one of the ops or any of the other members in the channel to sign up today

Whooooaa !

Story has the wrong link... http://register.imdb.com/title/tt0687761/ here ya go.

Six years ago? Your boss must have been watching a preview. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/

I just got done reading through some of your previous posts, and I've got to say, you're a funny guy.

Danny Elfman is amazing, but his mainstay is, and always has been, movie scores. Most of the soundtracks from the Simpsons games simply ripped the music from the show. Yes, it's his music, but it isn't exactly composed with the gamer in mind. While Jesper Kyd's credits consist almost entirely of video games. I think that qualifies him as a video game music composer over Elfman.

Reminds me of Logan's Run. The idea of chipping people you want to control gives me pause.

Am I the only one who finds it slightly disturbing that all of these new proposed bills and laws seem to come directly out of books like Orwell's 1984, Soylent Green, Gattaca?

What's the difference between a chip under the arm, and a tattoo on the arm for the purposes of "marking" people? How are we any better than them, for suggesting it?

Note to the current administration: These were not meant to be scripts or a HOWTO on how to run a government, these were meant to be a warning about how things can (and probably will) turn out if you take the wrong path.

Oh, and p.s., your time and chances to screw up this country even more, are up. Game over. Thanks for playing, but now its our turn.

Am I the only one who finds it slightly disturbing that all of these new proposed bills and laws seem to come directly out of books like Orwell's 1984, Soylent Green, Gattaca?

What's the difference between a chip under the arm, and a tattoo on the arm for the purposes of "marking" people? How are we any better than them, for suggesting it?

Note to the current administration: These were not meant to be scripts or a HOWTO on how to run a government, these were meant to be a warning about how things can (and probably will) turn out if you take the wrong path.

Oh, and p.s., your time and chances to screw up this country even more, are up. Game over. Thanks for playing, but now its our turn.

Danny Elfman http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000384/ the former front man for Oingo-Boingo, singing voice of Jack and soundtrack from Nightmare Before Christmas, has done ton's of movies and game sound tracks including parts of: Kingdom Hearts, Fable, and the Simpsons games. He's been on many more game sound tracks that aren't apparently listed on IMDB. The man is a musical genius.

-Rick

Someone apologized on this page for mis-quoting Niemöller but the principle is the same. Chipping people in exchange for the right to work is to succumb to a significant component of was obviously wrong with society in the movie, Gattaca.

Someone, please, shut VeriChip up before the really repressive countries in the world get hold of their technology and decide that it's just one more tool to manage what would otherwise be unruly populations. The good news is that with responsible government, mandatory chipping is still pretty unlikely. But as government gets less responsive...

The discourse is going exactly the way you stated it but it also includes,
"Chip yourself so if you forget what your meds are someone else can figure it out for you."
"What was a 'chip' again?"
"Just do it, it's for the best."
"Oh. Okay."

cheers...ank

cliffski says:

This kind of thing always seems a bit far-fetched in sci-fi movies, let alone modern-day America.

This reminds me of that cringe-worthy scene in Total Recall where Douglas Quaid sticks a set of pincers up his nostril and pulls out a glowing ping-pong ball sized tracking device, on advice from a video of himself running in his open briefcase.

Mullholland was the model for the fictional character Noah Cross in Jack Nicholson's latter day LA noir movie Chinatown.

I just hope those Scorpions aren't too agressive. Check out the details on The Cave over at IMDB if you have no clue what movie I'm talking about. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402901/

One of the coolest movies evar too :)

Bootlegs! They must be runnin' pirates!

Hardly anyone remembers the apropos lines...

The symbol on the left is not a letter, sir?"

*are batteries included?

ISLE OF MAN - June 1, 2006 - At a press conference today, Canonical CEO and Free Software spokesnigger Mark Shuttleworth announced the immediate availability of version 6.06 of the Ubuntu Linux distribution. The latest version, known by its code name, "The Diaper Drake," includes special features designed to make Linux easier and more comfortable for niggers the world over.

"Niggers have always had trouble understanding new technology," Shuttleworth began. "Computers are no exception. Some people have said this is because niggers are dumb, but I believe the real problem is that technology has traditionally been designed for white people. Ubuntu changes all that. It was developed from the ground up with niggers in mind. It will usher in a whole new era of Afro-ergonomic computing."

Shuttleworth presented an overview of some of the features users could expect in the latest version of Ubuntu, including an Ebonics-to-English converter, African "tribal beats" sound and desktop theme, and a collection of rap music and gay pornography, "which of course will be encoded using patent and royalty-free formats," Shuttleworth added, smiling. He proceeded to elaborate, but OpenOffice.org Impress crashed at that point.

"But this release isn't just about new features," Shuttleworth said, making a quick segue to the humanitarian and ideological concept behind Ubuntu. "This new version brings black men closer together than ever in the spirit of Ubuntu." Shuttleworth then demonstrated the concept of Ubuntu by getting on his knees and sucking a young black boy's erect penis.

About Canonical

Canonical Ltd. is committed to the development,distribution and promotion of open source software products, and to providing tools and support to the open source community. Canonical is a global organization headquartered in the Isle of Man, with employees throughout Europe, North America, South America and Australia. Canonical is a technology partner of the Gay Nigger Association of America, of which it holds a 36% equity stake.

About GNAA:
GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the first organization which gathers GAY NIGGERS from all over America and abroad for one common goal - being GAY NIGGERS.

Are you GAY ?
Are you a NIGGER ?
Are you a GAY NIGGER ?

If you answered "Yes" to all of the above questions, then GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) might be exactly what you've been looking for!
Join GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) today, and enjoy all the benefits of being a full-time GNAA member.
GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the fastest-growing GAY NIGGER community with THOUSANDS of members all over United States of America and the World! You, too, can be a part of GNAA if you join today!

Why not? It's quick and easy - only 3 simple steps!

• First, you have to obtain a copy of GAYNIGGERS FROM OUTER SPACE THE MOVIE and watch it. You can download the movie (~130mb) using BitTorrent.
• Second, you need to succeed in posting a GNAA First Post on slashdot.org, a popular "news for trolls" website.
• Third, you need to join the official GNAA irc channel #GNAA on irc.gnaa.us, and apply for membership.

Talk to one of the ops or any of the other members in the channel to sign up today! Upon submitting your application, you will be required to

Nothing is faster than a native. :)

Nothing is faster than a native. :)

Actually, it's Kopps. Here's the Imdb-info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339230/

However offtopic, I agree that it's funny.

* lon3st4r*

The movie is called Death Machine (I think). I found it by searching the net, I have not watched it.

Oh, and I remembered one more movie featuring noirish dark city- "Dark city". It is not really cyberpunk, but it is still quite nice.

--Coder

The movie is called Death Machine (I think). I found it by searching the net, I have not watched it.

Oh, and I remembered one more movie featuring noirish dark city- "Dark city". It is not really cyberpunk, but it is still quite nice.

--Coder

One recent cyberpunk movie caught my attention. It was Cypher. Try to see it. It doesn't have that dark cyberpunkish city (like Neuromancer's Chiba), but it does have enough mind games and a good story. And a good ending.

--Coder

You guys already have dog fighting in DF. And Lucha. Why do you need more?

"Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft... and the only one that can be mass-produced with unskilled labor."

"Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft... and the only one that can be mass-produced with unskilled labor."

It was revealed today that three minutes before his 'Drowned Alive' was due to end, David Blaine was forced out of his water-filled glass bubble early with an unknown cause.

The Gay Nigger Assocation of America is proud to announce that this was due to the heroic actions of GNAA member 'trogg', a recent recruit to the proud legion of Internet niggers. During the last few minutes of his stunt, the GNAA can reveal that images of famous internet celebrities 'goatse' and 'tubgirl' were taped to the outside of his bubble, where Blaine could see them in all their glory.

As Blaine turned to look at this explicit imagery, he began to have convulsions of the anus as his poop began to flow out of his rectum. This caused the water to turn a muddy-brown colour. Blaine then attempted to take off his oxygen mask, possibly hoping to ingest the diseased water in order to get a real taste of rectal prolapse.

The organisers of the stunt then feared for his safety as Blaine reached for his erect penis, as the palms of his hands were suffering from myosis. With this, two divers jumped into the water to save Blaine before he had a chance to touch his throbbing rod, and succeeded in pulling him out in time. He was out of breath as he was rushed to hospital, suffering from the effects of the stunt upon his body.

When Blaine was interviewed in hospital by the Gay Nigger Association of the America, he had this to say: "JEWS DID WTC".

About David Blaine:

Kike magician.

About GNAA:
GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the first organization which gathers GAY NIGGERS from all over America and abroad for one common goal - being GAY NIGGERS.

Are you GAY ?
Are you a NIGGER ?
Are you a GAY NIGGER ?

If you answered "Yes" to all of the above questions, then GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) might be exactly what you've been looking for!
Join GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) today, and enjoy all the benefits of being a full-time GNAA member.
GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) is the fastest-growing GAY NIGGER community with THOUSANDS of members all over United States of America and the World! You, too, can be a part of GNAA if you join today!

Why not? It's quick and easy - only 3 simple steps!

• First, you have to obtain a copy of GAYNIGGERS FROM OUTER SPACE THE MOVIE and watch it. You can download the movie (~130mb) using BitTorrent.
• Second, you need to succeed in posting a GNAA First Post on slashdot.org, a popular "news for trolls" website.
• Third, you need to join the official GNAA irc channel #GNAA on irc.gnaa.us, and apply for membership.

Talk to one of the ops or any of the other members in the channel to sign up today! Upon submitting your application, you will be required to submit links to your successful First Post, and you will be tested on your knowledge of GAYNIGGERS FROM OUTER SPACE.

If you are having trouble locating #GNAA, the official GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA irc channel, you might be on a wrong irc network. The correct network is NiggerNET, and you can connect to irc.gnaa.us as our official server. Follow this link if you are using an irc client such as mIRC.

If you have mod points and would like to support GNAA, please moderate this

Glengarry Glen Ross