Allot of people say that here in the states, and I think that has more to do with presentation than game itself. No one has done it right to my knowledge (at least not in the US). We had that arcade game show on Nickelodeon (it wasn't too bad as a game show itself, but was far from a game centered around gaming), and Arena on G4 (which among other things edited the game play down too much for formating into the time slot, and had terrible commentators interrupting game play).
One of the key problems with bringing gaming to an audience is scope. Games aren't made with an audience in mind, but the vantage point of the player. For current games, the only real way to show the audience any real good picture of the game play is to show both sides simultaneously and a third perspective for the overall picture (which a spectator mode camera can easily accommodate, but would need to be trained to follow the action well). Dividing a TV screen isn't going to pan well with that for long periods of time, so the only real answer is live stream of the Internet, which isn't bad since the target audience would gladly welcome this medium over some premium cable network.
The best answer is to design a game with features to accommodate a larger audience, and not water down gameplay in the process. First of all, games have to be balanced out much better than they are. A lot of the games favored in tournaments are notorious for being severally unbalanced (any of the Namco fighting games, Capcom's Marvel vs. series to name a few). It isn't a particularity easy task, but not all together impossible (Virtua Fighter, Super Smash Bros, and Starcraft are good examples of well balanced games). Secondly, the game needs to have camera modes that takes away the player GUI, shows off the best angles for the stage or, follows the action, moves naturally, is non-repetitive, and overall gives the most entertaining angles for audience members on the fly. Lastly, whatever genre is chosen (real or turn based strategy, tournament fighting, first or third person shooter or even puzzle), the game has to be designed with the audience in mind. That doesn't have to mean watered down gameplay, but it does mean the game has to have presentable graphics, sound, and be interesting to get the audience pumping. There are a lot of sports out there that aren't action packed, but keep the audience enthralled with strategy and suspense (like golf), so this doesn't necessarily mean gore and fast paced action.
It'll take a completely different mindset to make people want to watch games, and I don't see that right now, but I'll put money down that when that right things comes around, no one would think they would have watched it when it hits big.
Let me lay in with my experiences with gaming and how they IMPROVED my life and helped me see a worlds beyond the closed walls I lived in for 16 years of my life.
My mother was, and is still unfortunately mentally unstable. She became increasingly so as she grew older. She didn't have the skills or the capacity to take care of me, her two sisters and ailing mother on her side. Unable to coupe with work and what it took to take care of a child she kept me locked in my room when I wasn't required to go to school. She, on many occasions tried to take me out of school, and it was only at the behest of school officials and councilors, and my own force of will that I was able to come back and finish high school.
Being someone well under the poverty line, single with a child, with 3 other people living in the same roof, government money rained in. Every way money could be fleeced from the welfare department, family children services, my estranged father was used. Which should have been a life line. It should have paid for school, college, doctors, and necessities. But being someone in her diminished capacity she squandered the money on collectibles from her youth, a house well beyond she could afford, and new cars. The one thing she did for me is kept me occupied, and the best way to do that in the late 80's through the 90's was with gaming systems. I had every system the day of release and a large library of games. I also eventually got a computer with Internet access.
And that's what saved me. Where I come from, there's close to no jobs, no good schools, and almost no growth. The majority of people extort welfare and usually turn to drugs and theft to get by. Being manager of a Sonic's or McDonald's is a big thing around here. Outside of that the only thing you can be is a nurse at the local hospital (Phoebe is the largest private real estate owner and only truly successful business in the region, other manufactures are all shutting down or not hiring) or join the Marines. Ask anyone from here and they'll all tell you the same thing, you don't get anything out of life, you'll never leave town, and you shouldn't try. Above all, you should never try, you just waste the energy it takes to get up in the morning to go to crummy job to get by.
All of those people grew up in almost the same environment, whether it was substance abuse, or general poverty, one way or another their parents and household was broken with few exceptions. But all of those people just feed the cycle. They drop out, they smoke weed, they have kids before their 21, they work at Burger King, they hate their life.
But I didn't, and you know why. Because when Crono, Marle, and Lucca found Lavos bringing the world to an end in the future, they didn't go Well shit, life's a bitch. and went home and smoked crack. I wanted to go to school, watched the History Channel, and used the Internet to learn (and, gasp, didn't look up porn all day). Why? Because Snake knew 6 languages, had a vast knowledge of culture and history, and was a motherfucking bad ass. I wanted to be that bad ass. Anyone who wishes they could be Solid Snake should know what Manhattan means. And after I finished school I've worked non-stop to start my own business, which is about to come to fruition instead of sticking with some shithole job, I've spent my time and money working for something that will pay off better in the long run. And take a guess why? Because Tommy Vercetti did that's why. He didn't take lip from anyone who was in his way, he didn't do drugs, and above all let anything get in the way of what he needed to do to climb to the top.
Games did more than give me good role models when there wasn't any at hand ether. If it weren't for video games I wouldn't have been exposed to classical music, and would have been stuck with this watered down rap and rock companies push on us these days. I wouldn't have learned how to read and write as fast as I did without a hands-on parent. I wouldn't have been exposed to a plethora
"I would guess that a lot of people who go to college do want to learn"
Out of all the my college bound friends, I know no one who values their experience as a student as one that has taught them anything. In fact, I never once in high school was told to go to college because of its benefits in higher learning, but to increase my chance of getting a higher salary. And I know no one outside my inner circle who gathers together and collaborates on topics of intellectual interests, and many of those people don't go to college because "chasing the paper gets in the way of chasing the knowledge". We've tried to find as many people to join us in our discussions, but most are too concerned with their careers and are most likely to tout how stable/high their projected salaries will be than how they'll benefit mankind.
However, some of my friends do value the chance times they get to speak candidly with professors about topics of study, and on the few occasions they get to collaborate with them. But in those few opportunities, those professors have commented on how no one cares about the context of their studies, only to pass their classes.
So I have to say no, most college students don't want to learn, they want some sort of assurance that they can afford a house two cars, and a semi-rewarding/easy job. And personally I find that to be defeating to those of us who would like to work with institutions to further intellectual goals. Unfortunately it is the tuition of the sheep that pay for the research that gives a university it's name.
I agree with the parent of this thread in that true intellectual collaboration is happening more virally out on the web. And that is perhaps for the best, because that can include more people who may not be able to join well known institutions in furthering research and goals of their interests. However, some of my friends do value to chance times they get to speak candidly with professors about topics of study, and on the few occasions they get to collaberate with them. But in those few opprotunites, those professors have commented on how no one cares about the context of their studies, only to pass their classes.
So I have to say no, most college students don't want to learn, they want some sort of assuance that they can afford a house and two cars, and a rewarding/easy job. And personally I find that to be defeating to those of us who would like to work with institutions to further intellectual goals. Unfortantly is the tuition of the sheep that pay for the research that gives a University it's name.
I agree with the parent of this thread in that true intellectual collaberation is happening more virually out on the web. And that is perhaps for the best, because that can include more people who may not be able to join well known institutions in furthering research and goals of their intrests.
"Unthinking bureaucracies evolve into whats best for the "beast" and not whats best for doing its job."
Welcome to one of the key reasons why some of the founding fathers thought political parties would erode democracy. And in a way it has. It's inevitable that people will organize for varied causes, and eventually band together to consolidate power, however what we have here in the US is sort of cycling monopoly, or a shifting duopoly, that has grown to stifle variety in political leaders and ideas. With out that variety, a Democracy's greatest strength is taken away, the ability to adapt to any situationally to any environment. And anyone who has studied how selfish evolution works knows what happens when any entity it is unable to adapt.
The ability for the government to adapt is the key asset that's seen us through every major obstacle in our nation's history. I'll refrain myself from going into detail here, but the most telling era where this advantage was tested was the Cold War. It was the Soviet Union's inability to change policies and adapt that was it's undoing. What's most frightening isn't terrorism from abroad, but political awareness from within, because we are currently headed down that very same path.
Long story short, Jefferson's and Hamilton's feud lead to the current Democratic and Republican parties via the current of our nation's history. Over the course of that history, those parties essentially invented their current stances of "left and right" to consolidate their constituencies and keep power. This is where the problem comes in, over the course of the 20th century, all other possible competition is weeded out, and after a relative period of peace after the Vietnam conflict, the meme of "left" or "right" views entrenched themselves into the American Psyche. That means that there's essentially only two answers to any given problem, the "left" one, or the "right" one.
We ether pull out of Iraq, or stay the course, you're pro-life, or pro-choice, for state run health care, or corporate run health care. This is the core problem with politics and policy today. The middle east crisis is an issue born out of policies that shaped both of these political memes, and there's no way to solve it by applying the same meme. But ballot laws designed to shut independent parties out, coupled with the successful proliferation of the left/right meme, have made it difficult to push any other view forward into policy.
I'm currently working on a thesis studying this phenomenon and possible alternative policies that can really fix issues with this. A good start is decentralizing political power in Washington. Anyone who has studied politics, social science, or selfish evolution's effect on social evolution should contact me to further discuss the issue.
It's a bit late for the current mid-term elections, however I hope to have this finished by the time of the next Presidential race and effect its outcome.
Let me lay in with my experiences with gaming and how they IMPROVED my imagination and helped me see a worlds beyond the closed walls I lived in for 16 years of my life.
My mother was, and is still unfortunately mentally unstable. She became increasingly so as she grew older. She didn't have the skills or the capacity to take care of me, her two sisters and ailing mother on her side. Unable to coupe with work and what it took to take care of a child she kept me locked in my room when I wasn't required to go to school. She, on many occasions tried to take me out of school, and it was only at the behest of school officials and councilors, and my own force of will that I was able to come back and finish high school.
Being someone well under the poverty line, single with a child, with 3 other people living in the same roof, government money rained in. Every way money could be fleeced from the welfare department, family children services, my estranged father was used. Which should have been a life line. It should have paid for school, college, doctors, and necessities. But being someone in her diminished capacity she squandered the money on collectibles from her youth, a house well beyond she could afford, and new cars. The one thing she did for me is kept me occupied, and the best way to do that in the late 80's through the 90's was with gaming systems. I had every system the day of release and a large library of games. I also eventually got a computer with Internet access.
And that's what saved me. Where I come from, there's close to no jobs, no good schools, and almost no growth. The majority of people extort welfare and usually turn to drugs and theft to get by. Being manager of a Sonic's or McDonald's is a big thing around here. Outside of that the only thing you can be is a nurse at the local hospital (Phoebe is the largest private real estate owner and only truly successful business in the region, other manufactures are all shutting down or not hiring) or join the Marines. Ask anyone from here and they'll all tell you the same thing, you don't get anything out of life, you'll never leave town, and you shouldn't try. Above all, you should never try, you just waste the energy it takes to get up in the morning to go to crummy job to get by.
All of those people grew up in almost the same environment, whether it was substance abuse, or general poverty, one way or another their parents and household was broken with few exceptions. But all of those people just feed the cycle. They drop out, they smoke weed, they have kids before their 21, they work at Burger King, they hate their life.
But I didn't, and you know why. Because when Crono, Marle, and Lucca found Lavos bringing the world to an end in the future, they didn't go Well shit, life's a bitch. and went home and smoked crack. I wanted to go to school, watched the History Channel, and used the Internet to learn (and, gasp, didn't look up porn all day). Why? Because Snake knew 6 languages, had a vast knowledge of culture and history, and was a motherfucking bad ass. I wanted to be that bad ass. Anyone who wishes they could be Solid Snake should know what Manhattan means. And after I finished school I've worked non-stop to start my own business, which is about to come to fruition instead of sticking with some shithole job, I've spent my time and money working for something that will pay off better in the long run. And take a guess why? Because Tommy Vercetti did that's why. He didn't take lip from anyone who was in his way, he didn't do drugs, and above all let anything get in the way of what he needed to do to climb to the top.
Games did more than give me good role models when there wasn't any at hand ether. If it weren't for video games I wouldn't have been exposed to classical music, and would have been stuck with this watered down rap and rock companies push on us these days. I wouldn't have learned how to read and write as fast as I did without a hands-on parent. I wouldn't have been exposed to a pl
"but we are all supposed to give you the benefit of the doubt"
No, as Americans we aren't supposed to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and don't, not even our leaders. That's why we come here to complain about it, such as he did, and quite effectively.
Now if only we upheld the other half of the Enlightenment ideal and actually acted on it more often....
Those are plenty of great examples of whats wrong with politics. Why not work together and change that. To answer your question, I do plan on running for office once I become more established in the community. But until then there are people with far more charisma and appeal that might just be willing to hear out people like us, who understand how important a free Internet is, and the plethora of other concerns we all voice here on Slashdot. And there are people who value the political arena as their outlet, and aren't crooks and leeches. They just don't win because we don't back them.
You're right, there are plenty of good reasons why people don't run for office, but there's far greater reasons for us to organize and step up and become involved with our nations government. If we sit back and complain all day, and not do anything, nothing is ever going to get done. And what no one realizes is that we have something unique to offer, that no one else has. An understanding on how the Internet as a community functions. And we can use that, to create a greater connection between the people and its government. If there was some centralized blog or BBS where all our politicians were located, and we blasted them like we do in here everyday, somethings might be more apt to get done. And would you vote for someone again who clearly wouldn't respond to something like that? No, and nether would anyone else.
It's that sort of separation mentality we have with our democracy thats the real enemy. People just seem to forget what democracy really means.
This is why we need to become more active in our politics. Everyone complains that no one understands this stuff but we don't go looking for someone who does for office. Maybe if we used our democracy in the way it was ment to, then we wouldn't have jackasses trying to ban games or tie tubes.
I've read plenty of reviews for Curse of Darkness that were scathing citing that the game was "bland, unimaginative, poor storyline, poor environmental interactivity, etc. etc.," but those reviewers in turn go back into the olden days of Castlevania for what the game should play like, or more recently the newer games on the GBA and DS.
The problem is that if you look closely at the two latest games, they are just like the newer DS games, and the older NES/SNES games, it just has 4 walls around the character. The problem with the next gen Castlevania games is with Iga, he just uses the same game play model with every Castlevania game regardless if its 3D or not.
Don't get me wrong, Symphony of the Night and the rest of its 2D sequels are excellent, he should stick to those. But Konami needs to put another team together for its next 3D excursion into Castlevania. I know a lot of people want a Resident Evil style game, but I'd actually like to see a more Metal Gear approach. Not necessarily a stealth action game, but a game that has the capability of a lot of high action (in situations the player gets him or herself in), but more focused environmental and story interaction.
Slashdot Mirror
"I just can't see myself watching it"
Allot of people say that here in the states, and I think that has more to do with presentation than game itself. No one has done it right to my knowledge (at least not in the US). We had that arcade game show on Nickelodeon (it wasn't too bad as a game show itself, but was far from a game centered around gaming), and Arena on G4 (which among other things edited the game play down too much for formating into the time slot, and had terrible commentators interrupting game play).
One of the key problems with bringing gaming to an audience is scope. Games aren't made with an audience in mind, but the vantage point of the player. For current games, the only real way to show the audience any real good picture of the game play is to show both sides simultaneously and a third perspective for the overall picture (which a spectator mode camera can easily accommodate, but would need to be trained to follow the action well). Dividing a TV screen isn't going to pan well with that for long periods of time, so the only real answer is live stream of the Internet, which isn't bad since the target audience would gladly welcome this medium over some premium cable network.
The best answer is to design a game with features to accommodate a larger audience, and not water down gameplay in the process. First of all, games have to be balanced out much better than they are. A lot of the games favored in tournaments are notorious for being severally unbalanced (any of the Namco fighting games, Capcom's Marvel vs. series to name a few). It isn't a particularity easy task, but not all together impossible (Virtua Fighter, Super Smash Bros, and Starcraft are good examples of well balanced games). Secondly, the game needs to have camera modes that takes away the player GUI, shows off the best angles for the stage or, follows the action, moves naturally, is non-repetitive, and overall gives the most entertaining angles for audience members on the fly. Lastly, whatever genre is chosen (real or turn based strategy, tournament fighting, first or third person shooter or even puzzle), the game has to be designed with the audience in mind. That doesn't have to mean watered down gameplay, but it does mean the game has to have presentable graphics, sound, and be interesting to get the audience pumping. There are a lot of sports out there that aren't action packed, but keep the audience enthralled with strategy and suspense (like golf), so this doesn't necessarily mean gore and fast paced action.
It'll take a completely different mindset to make people want to watch games, and I don't see that right now, but I'll put money down that when that right things comes around, no one would think they would have watched it when it hits big.
Let me lay in with my experiences with gaming and how they IMPROVED my life and helped me see a worlds beyond the closed walls I lived in for 16 years of my life.
My mother was, and is still unfortunately mentally unstable. She became increasingly so as she grew older. She didn't have the skills or the capacity to take care of me, her two sisters and ailing mother on her side. Unable to coupe with work and what it took to take care of a child she kept me locked in my room when I wasn't required to go to school. She, on many occasions tried to take me out of school, and it was only at the behest of school officials and councilors, and my own force of will that I was able to come back and finish high school.
Being someone well under the poverty line, single with a child, with 3 other people living in the same roof, government money rained in. Every way money could be fleeced from the welfare department, family children services, my estranged father was used. Which should have been a life line. It should have paid for school, college, doctors, and necessities. But being someone in her diminished capacity she squandered the money on collectibles from her youth, a house well beyond she could afford, and new cars. The one thing she did for me is kept me occupied, and the best way to do that in the late 80's through the 90's was with gaming systems. I had every system the day of release and a large library of games. I also eventually got a computer with Internet access.
And that's what saved me. Where I come from, there's close to no jobs, no good schools, and almost no growth. The majority of people extort welfare and usually turn to drugs and theft to get by. Being manager of a Sonic's or McDonald's is a big thing around here. Outside of that the only thing you can be is a nurse at the local hospital (Phoebe is the largest private real estate owner and only truly successful business in the region, other manufactures are all shutting down or not hiring) or join the Marines. Ask anyone from here and they'll all tell you the same thing, you don't get anything out of life, you'll never leave town, and you shouldn't try. Above all, you should never try, you just waste the energy it takes to get up in the morning to go to crummy job to get by.
All of those people grew up in almost the same environment, whether it was substance abuse, or general poverty, one way or another their parents and household was broken with few exceptions. But all of those people just feed the cycle. They drop out, they smoke weed, they have kids before their 21, they work at Burger King, they hate their life.
But I didn't, and you know why. Because when Crono, Marle, and Lucca found Lavos bringing the world to an end in the future, they didn't go Well shit, life's a bitch. and went home and smoked crack. I wanted to go to school, watched the History Channel, and used the Internet to learn (and, gasp, didn't look up porn all day). Why? Because Snake knew 6 languages, had a vast knowledge of culture and history, and was a motherfucking bad ass. I wanted to be that bad ass. Anyone who wishes they could be Solid Snake should know what Manhattan means. And after I finished school I've worked non-stop to start my own business, which is about to come to fruition instead of sticking with some shithole job, I've spent my time and money working for something that will pay off better in the long run. And take a guess why? Because Tommy Vercetti did that's why. He didn't take lip from anyone who was in his way, he didn't do drugs, and above all let anything get in the way of what he needed to do to climb to the top.
Games did more than give me good role models when there wasn't any at hand ether. If it weren't for video games I wouldn't have been exposed to classical music, and would have been stuck with this watered down rap and rock companies push on us these days. I wouldn't have learned how to read and write as fast as I did without a hands-on parent. I wouldn't have been exposed to a plethora
"I would guess that a lot of people who go to college do want to learn"
Out of all the my college bound friends, I know no one who values their experience as a student as one that has taught them anything. In fact, I never once in high school was told to go to college because of its benefits in higher learning, but to increase my chance of getting a higher salary. And I know no one outside my inner circle who gathers together and collaborates on topics of intellectual interests, and many of those people don't go to college because "chasing the paper gets in the way of chasing the knowledge". We've tried to find as many people to join us in our discussions, but most are too concerned with their careers and are most likely to tout how stable/high their projected salaries will be than how they'll benefit mankind.
However, some of my friends do value the chance times they get to speak candidly with professors about topics of study, and on the few occasions they get to collaborate with them. But in those few opportunities, those professors have commented on how no one cares about the context of their studies, only to pass their classes.
So I have to say no, most college students don't want to learn, they want some sort of assurance that they can afford a house two cars, and a semi-rewarding/easy job. And personally I find that to be defeating to those of us who would like to work with institutions to further intellectual goals. Unfortunately it is the tuition of the sheep that pay for the research that gives a university it's name.
I agree with the parent of this thread in that true intellectual collaboration is happening more virally out on the web. And that is perhaps for the best, because that can include more people who may not be able to join well known institutions in furthering research and goals of their interests.
However, some of my friends do value to chance times they get to speak candidly with professors about topics of study, and on the few occasions they get to collaberate with them. But in those few opprotunites, those professors have commented on how no one cares about the context of their studies, only to pass their classes.
So I have to say no, most college students don't want to learn, they want some sort of assuance that they can afford a house and two cars, and a rewarding/easy job. And personally I find that to be defeating to those of us who would like to work with institutions to further intellectual goals. Unfortantly is the tuition of the sheep that pay for the research that gives a University it's name.
I agree with the parent of this thread in that true intellectual collaberation is happening more virually out on the web. And that is perhaps for the best, because that can include more people who may not be able to join well known institutions in furthering research and goals of their intrests.
"Unthinking bureaucracies evolve into whats best for the "beast" and not whats best for doing its job."
Welcome to one of the key reasons why some of the founding fathers thought political parties would erode democracy. And in a way it has. It's inevitable that people will organize for varied causes, and eventually band together to consolidate power, however what we have here in the US is sort of cycling monopoly, or a shifting duopoly, that has grown to stifle variety in political leaders and ideas. With out that variety, a Democracy's greatest strength is taken away, the ability to adapt to any situationally to any environment. And anyone who has studied how selfish evolution works knows what happens when any entity it is unable to adapt.
The ability for the government to adapt is the key asset that's seen us through every major obstacle in our nation's history. I'll refrain myself from going into detail here, but the most telling era where this advantage was tested was the Cold War. It was the Soviet Union's inability to change policies and adapt that was it's undoing. What's most frightening isn't terrorism from abroad, but political awareness from within, because we are currently headed down that very same path.
Long story short, Jefferson's and Hamilton's feud lead to the current Democratic and Republican parties via the current of our nation's history. Over the course of that history, those parties essentially invented their current stances of "left and right" to consolidate their constituencies and keep power. This is where the problem comes in, over the course of the 20th century, all other possible competition is weeded out, and after a relative period of peace after the Vietnam conflict, the meme of "left" or "right" views entrenched themselves into the American Psyche. That means that there's essentially only two answers to any given problem, the "left" one, or the "right" one.
We ether pull out of Iraq, or stay the course, you're pro-life, or pro-choice, for state run health care, or corporate run health care. This is the core problem with politics and policy today. The middle east crisis is an issue born out of policies that shaped both of these political memes, and there's no way to solve it by applying the same meme. But ballot laws designed to shut independent parties out, coupled with the successful proliferation of the left/right meme, have made it difficult to push any other view forward into policy.
I'm currently working on a thesis studying this phenomenon and possible alternative policies that can really fix issues with this. A good start is decentralizing political power in Washington. Anyone who has studied politics, social science, or selfish evolution's effect on social evolution should contact me to further discuss the issue.
It's a bit late for the current mid-term elections, however I hope to have this finished by the time of the next Presidential race and effect its outcome.
Let me lay in with my experiences with gaming and how they IMPROVED my imagination and helped me see a worlds beyond the closed walls I lived in for 16 years of my life.
My mother was, and is still unfortunately mentally unstable. She became increasingly so as she grew older. She didn't have the skills or the capacity to take care of me, her two sisters and ailing mother on her side. Unable to coupe with work and what it took to take care of a child she kept me locked in my room when I wasn't required to go to school. She, on many occasions tried to take me out of school, and it was only at the behest of school officials and councilors, and my own force of will that I was able to come back and finish high school.
Being someone well under the poverty line, single with a child, with 3 other people living in the same roof, government money rained in. Every way money could be fleeced from the welfare department, family children services, my estranged father was used. Which should have been a life line. It should have paid for school, college, doctors, and necessities. But being someone in her diminished capacity she squandered the money on collectibles from her youth, a house well beyond she could afford, and new cars. The one thing she did for me is kept me occupied, and the best way to do that in the late 80's through the 90's was with gaming systems. I had every system the day of release and a large library of games. I also eventually got a computer with Internet access.
And that's what saved me. Where I come from, there's close to no jobs, no good schools, and almost no growth. The majority of people extort welfare and usually turn to drugs and theft to get by. Being manager of a Sonic's or McDonald's is a big thing around here. Outside of that the only thing you can be is a nurse at the local hospital (Phoebe is the largest private real estate owner and only truly successful business in the region, other manufactures are all shutting down or not hiring) or join the Marines. Ask anyone from here and they'll all tell you the same thing, you don't get anything out of life, you'll never leave town, and you shouldn't try. Above all, you should never try, you just waste the energy it takes to get up in the morning to go to crummy job to get by.
All of those people grew up in almost the same environment, whether it was substance abuse, or general poverty, one way or another their parents and household was broken with few exceptions. But all of those people just feed the cycle. They drop out, they smoke weed, they have kids before their 21, they work at Burger King, they hate their life.
But I didn't, and you know why. Because when Crono, Marle, and Lucca found Lavos bringing the world to an end in the future, they didn't go Well shit, life's a bitch. and went home and smoked crack. I wanted to go to school, watched the History Channel, and used the Internet to learn (and, gasp, didn't look up porn all day). Why? Because Snake knew 6 languages, had a vast knowledge of culture and history, and was a motherfucking bad ass. I wanted to be that bad ass. Anyone who wishes they could be Solid Snake should know what Manhattan means. And after I finished school I've worked non-stop to start my own business, which is about to come to fruition instead of sticking with some shithole job, I've spent my time and money working for something that will pay off better in the long run. And take a guess why? Because Tommy Vercetti did that's why. He didn't take lip from anyone who was in his way, he didn't do drugs, and above all let anything get in the way of what he needed to do to climb to the top.
Games did more than give me good role models when there wasn't any at hand ether. If it weren't for video games I wouldn't have been exposed to classical music, and would have been stuck with this watered down rap and rock companies push on us these days. I wouldn't have learned how to read and write as fast as I did without a hands-on parent. I wouldn't have been exposed to a pl
"but we are all supposed to give you the benefit of the doubt"
No, as Americans we aren't supposed to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and don't, not even our leaders. That's why we come here to complain about it, such as he did, and quite effectively.
Now if only we upheld the other half of the Enlightenment ideal and actually acted on it more often....
Those are plenty of great examples of whats wrong with politics. Why not work together and change that. To answer your question, I do plan on running for office once I become more established in the community. But until then there are people with far more charisma and appeal that might just be willing to hear out people like us, who understand how important a free Internet is, and the plethora of other concerns we all voice here on Slashdot. And there are people who value the political arena as their outlet, and aren't crooks and leeches. They just don't win because we don't back them.
You're right, there are plenty of good reasons why people don't run for office, but there's far greater reasons for us to organize and step up and become involved with our nations government. If we sit back and complain all day, and not do anything, nothing is ever going to get done. And what no one realizes is that we have something unique to offer, that no one else has. An understanding on how the Internet as a community functions. And we can use that, to create a greater connection between the people and its government. If there was some centralized blog or BBS where all our politicians were located, and we blasted them like we do in here everyday, somethings might be more apt to get done. And would you vote for someone again who clearly wouldn't respond to something like that? No, and nether would anyone else.
It's that sort of separation mentality we have with our democracy thats the real enemy. People just seem to forget what democracy really means.
This is why we need to become more active in our politics. Everyone complains that no one understands this stuff but we don't go looking for someone who does for office. Maybe if we used our democracy in the way it was ment to, then we wouldn't have jackasses trying to ban games or tie tubes.
The problem is that if you look closely at the two latest games, they are just like the newer DS games, and the older NES/SNES games, it just has 4 walls around the character. The problem with the next gen Castlevania games is with Iga, he just uses the same game play model with every Castlevania game regardless if its 3D or not.
Don't get me wrong, Symphony of the Night and the rest of its 2D sequels are excellent, he should stick to those. But Konami needs to put another team together for its next 3D excursion into Castlevania. I know a lot of people want a Resident Evil style game, but I'd actually like to see a more Metal Gear approach. Not necessarily a stealth action game, but a game that has the capability of a lot of high action (in situations the player gets him or herself in), but more focused environmental and story interaction.