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Reviews - The Burlington Hotel4
2-4 Albert Road, ,, Cleethorpes, DN35 8LX
Price From £80View Rooms
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
Very Good
89% would recommend it to a friend
Customer service
Food quality
Room quality
This place was spotless, very friendly, perfect location.
Works Reunion
This was a lovely hotel - modern, clean with good facilities.
It was a pleasure to stay here.
Read More Less
Although we where at the hotel two days we enjoyed it
The hotel was only 500 yards from the train station.
The service when we got there was friendly and excellent we where right next to the reception an defacing the reception was the breakfast room the lady what worked in there was very good got things for you couldn't fault anything tea coffee facilities fridge comfortable bed shower etc. every thing said on LateRooms.com was right. We'll be going again.
Read More Less
Burlington Hotel - Cleethorpes
Clean, quiet and accommodating.
Don't usually have time for the continental breakfast but you can grab a pastry as you pass by. There is not much difference between the standard and superior double other than probably an extra table and chair. There are cheaper alternatives offering the same level of decor and furnishings. Having said that, never had an issue when I've stayed... Its always booked up so I guess the majority like the place.
Read More Less
Exceptionally clean
I don't know how long the hotel was refurbished, but I felt like I was the first guest in this room.
It was spotlessly clean. En-suite looked straight out of a showroom, as if it had never been used before. I spent a couple of hours catching up on the days work/emails over the fast, free wifi before venturing out for a meal where there is plenty of restaurants/pubs to suit every taste. Room was very quiet and had a good night's sleep. The complimentary breakfast was to my liking in a modern, very clean, breakfast room.
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midweek stay in cleethorpes
Looks recently upgraded.
Our room was the one featured on their brochure, so was likely to be the best, but very pleasantly surprised by quality and style for the cost.
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superb hotel
enjoyed two night stay in single room.bed comfortable,shower extra big.staff brilliant .no complaints.see you next year
Stayed in a standard double room described on the website as having a king sized bed.
In our opinion it was not king size. Otherwise a very clean and welcoming hotel conveniently located.
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Lovely hotel
I stayed here with my wife for 4 nights.
It was in a great location. The hotel was lovely & clean. We had an executive double room with balcony. It was well presented and had everything you need. The bathroom was good with a nice shower. Breakfast was continental but there was plenty to choose from.
We will definitely be staying here again
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Shikai, Moisturizing Shower Gel, Fragrance Free, 12 fl oz (355 ml) (Discontinued Item)
By Shikai12 Reviews
Shipping Weight:?1.12 lbs (0.51 kg)
Shipping Weight
The Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: SHI-36303
- UPC Code: 081738363032
- Package Quantity: 12 fl oz (355 ml)
- Dimensions: Not Available, 0.95 lbs (0.43 kg)
Product Overview
- Rich in Aloe & Oatmeal to Soothe Dry Skin
- Gentle and Soap Free for Everyday Use
- Rich in Botanical Ingredients
This is not your typical shower gel. It was actually formulated to moisturize and soothe dry skin -- while you bathe!
The secret is a combination of colloidal oatmeal blended with pure aloe vera gel. These natural ingredients bring relief to dry, itchy skin and leave rough, chapped areas smooth and soft. And the special blend of cleansers is mild enough for your whole family to use every day.
- Rich in colloidal oatmeal
- Gentle, soap-free formula
- No animal ingredients
- No animal testing
Suggested Use
Use this gel in the shower instead of soap or put a capful in the tub and relax in rich, bubbles.
Other Ingredients
Purified water (aqua), aloe barbadensis gel*, TEA lauryl sulfate, cocoamide DEA, laurethsulfosuccinate, cocoamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, colloidal oatmeal (avena sativa)*, guar powder, salt (sodium chloride), citric acid, diazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexyl glycerin.
*certified organic.
iHerb Customer Reviews
This stuff is great, bought it for my elderly mother whose has very dry skin and of which can't stand smells and this did the trick. Finally something she is pleased with. She also loves that it is in liquid form and not a bar, easier to soap up the washcloth. I-Herb is the best place I have ever ordered from. My products came lightning fast, shipping was super cheap, and everthing arrived in great condition due to there expertize packaging..
First Shikai product I've tried and I really like it. It DOES seem moisturizing so those times when I can't moisturize after showering because the baby is screaming his head off, I don't feel so dry! LOVE the fragrance free aspect as well so I can use whatever scent I want without clashing.

subset: commoncrawl


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How do you slowly build a relati without giving the whole girlfriend experience?by Flaneko I met a guy(21) that treats me(23) like a princess. He's way beyond his years in maturity and politeness. A true gentleman.
We've talked every day for about a month
I am having difficulty accepting my boyfriends bisexuality for no reasonby Venny2900 So here goes; the main reason why I got this account here is probably because I am so ashamed of myself and that because I am surrounded by either straight extremist or
Forgive me ENAs, for I have sinned... ex sexby BeHeard Anybody feel free to comment. Whether you are going to be encouraging, supportive, or chastising. I like to post before I go to therapy then I can match up with what she
Would love a man's opinion!by ovoxo Up until today, I hadn't seen my boyfriend in two weeks, due our opposite and busy schedules. I called out of work today to spend some time with him before he started
Should I ruin my ex's life?by monica85 Should I just ruin his life? I have every single message that he sent me and I can just show it to his wife, but should I do that? He was still talking to me even after
Why Do Relationships Fail and How to Improve ThemOne of the biggest causes of stress and unhappiness in life are failed relationships. Making a relationship work is one of the most important life skills a person can learn. If individuals cannot maintain lasting relationships, they, without any doubt
Young Couples Prefer Cohabitation to MarriageIt has been already known for some time that fewer and fewer individuals are willing to get married, and a new research just confirmed how much the marriage rate has dropped down in the last century.
Long Distance Relationships Can Actually End Up In MarriageIt has been universally acknowledged that having a long distance relationship is not such a good idea, especially if there is no known end-date to the separation. Endless phone calls, expensive plane tickets, low satisfaction
How To Survive A Partner's BetrayalSome people say that when we deeply love or care about someone we automatically open the door to betrayal. I am not sure whether such statement holds true or not, but one thing I know for sure - relationships are never easy and, no matter what we might pi
Being Single During Holiday Season: What Can You Do About It?Being single around the holiday season can get many people extremely sad and depressed. Everywhere you go, you see other couples doing shopping together or making out in front of shop windows, and when you come home all alone, you understand that you have
Sindy Greenberg
Sindy Greenberg is a journalist who has written for The New York Times, The New York Observer, and Gourmet, among other publications. She lives in New York City. ...
Privacy Policy
© 2015 eNotAlone.com


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Streaming works well for music and movies, so why not push out software updates that way as well? That's the question Avast Software asked itself when building Avast 7, the next major release of its antivirus software set to hit the streets sometime later this year. Avast 7 will give users streaming updates on new malware threats in addition to regular virus database updates, Avast Software says.
"Instead of our clients having to 'pull' in the updates, we can 'push' it to them," said Ondrej Vlcek, CTO of Avast Software. "Once we have decided to publish an update, we can push it out to all of our users in minutes."
Avast isn't breaking new ground with what some refer to as pulse updates, which are essentially a series of minor updates pushed out to client software throughout the day and night as new threats emerge. But new ground or not, it should make Avast more secure.
"This lets users get fresh information more frequently while still retaining a very up-to-date Plan B," added Mr. Vlcek. "We believe this is a better design than a cloud-only system where the malware information is not stored and users have to be connected to remain protected."
If all the features in the beta version of Avast 7 stick, the updated software will include a UI facelift, improvements to its sandbox, browser protection tweaks, a remote assistance feature for users to help their family and friends, import/export settings, and more.
Image Credit: Avast


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I don't want to lose him, but some things are hard to get over
My boyfriend & I have been knowing each other since the 6th grade & we actually hooked up in 2007 but we were just friends the whole year of 2006. We have a 2yr old daughter. We have been through so much together; deaths in the family, jail/prison sentences, being broke with nothing but we made it through all of it. He's cheated on me once that I know of but I'm not sure of any other times. He had sex with 1 girl & spent "time" with another girl (his ex-girl from high school). I never had a reason to suspect him of cheating until I started checking his text messages & call logs. At first I wouldn't find anything but 1 day I discovered him texting a girl who he later slept with. So ever since then all I do is check his phone whenever I can. If he is sleep I'm sneaking out of the bed with him to check his phone. If he's not at home I obsessively call his phone at least 50 times all night because I think he's out cheating. When he went to jail I had a break down because he couldn't call me for a few days but I thought he was calling someone else. This is killing me because I don't want to be with ANYBODY else! He is all I think of and the only man I want to ever be with. Whenever I threaten to leave him because of his infidelity (or if I find him texting another girl) he always starts crying & telling me that he can't lose me, he won't lose me. We do everything together & will give each other the world. He hates when I check his phone or constantly accuse him but it's so hard not too especially since I just recently caught him at the house of his ex girlfriend. For some reason I can't let go. He keeps telling me that I need to trust him but how?! I love this man with everything that is in me! I can't lose him! PLEASE HELP!
A: I can hear how difficult this is for you and am very glad you have taken the time to write us.
As far as your reactions, he hasn't given you enough of a reason to trust him. That is the reason you are feeling this way. I think the two of you would profit from couples therapy, particularly since it will be important for both of you to have better communication for your daughter. The above "find help" tab can help you locate someone in your state.
If he is unwilling I would begin your own individual therapy. Having support as you try to cope with this will be very important.
Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral
Last reviewed: By Psych Central Staff on 8 Aug 2011
Originally published on PsychCentral.com on 15 Aug 2011. All rights reserved.
About Daniel J. Tomasulo, PhD, TEP, MFA, MAPPDaniel J. Tomasulo, Ph.D., TEP, MFA, MAPP is a graduate of the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania and works as Martin Seligman's assistant instructor there. He is a licensed psychologist specializing in group psychotherapy and psychodrama and is the author of the highly acclaimed Confessions of a Former Child: A Therapist's Memoir. Visit www.formerchild.com for more information. He also writes for Psych Central's Ask the Therapist column and the Proof Positive blog.
Related Topics
- In Love with 2 Men & Confused
- Parents Won't Accept Boyfriend
- I Really Miss My Best Friend
- Questioning My Mental Status
- Relationship, Cheating, and Depression
- I can't trust my boyfriend
- Relationship stress sometimes makes me physically sick
- My significant other has friends of the opposite sex that I don't approve of.
- Is my Girlfriend with me for security or…
- Adultery
Tomasulo, D. (2011). I don't want to lose him, but some things are hard to get over. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 13, 2016, from http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2011/08/15/i-dont-want-to-lose-him-but-some-things-are-hard-to-get-over/


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Daniel Craig Has a Force Awakens Cameo That You'll Probably Miss
No, he's not hiding inside BB-8.By Jackson McHenry
No, he's not hiding inside BB-8.By Jackson McHenry
Also, he sounds like he'd make for a great hang.By Jackson McHenry
The English actor says, "Enough is enough."By Greg Cwik
Scary. Very scary.By Alex Ronan
Brosnan was neither shaken nor stirred by the film.By Ira Madison III
On Jimmy Kimmel Live.By Halle Kiefer
"If you've got enough money to live comfortably, there's no reason in the world to do a screenplay. It's an awful job."By Kevin Lincoln
Featuring Bond, Holmes, and... Monty Python?By Bilge Ebiri
"It feels like there's a rightness to it, that I have finished a journey."By Nate Jones
There's plenty to carp about in Spectre, but it's still more enjoyable than most of the post-Connery Bonds.By David Edelstein
"I've had massive amounts of fun making this film."By Nate Jones
James Bond, doing work.By Brigitte Lacombe
Rita Galore!By Ira Madison III
"I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists."By Ira Madison III
Featuring footage from the film!By Sean Fitz-Gerald
It's a power ballad!By Dee Lockett
Anything's possible, though, he adds.By Sean Fitz-Gerald
It's our latest Vulture Remix!By Mike Schuster and Diane Bullock
"Oh, won't you shake for me? / Martinis all I need."By Jesse David Fox
Nice ring, Sam!By Sean Fitz-Gerald


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The end result is that the government has some ability to assess changes in crime rates from year to year in the United States because these flaws tend to be equally present from year to year (roughly). But they have little ability to compare crime rates between nations, because the statistics of other nations are even less accurate than ours.
But even if we were able to say with precision that the United States had two times, or five times, or ten times as much crime as Saudi Arabia, how could we conclude that the system of punishment is the ?cause? of the lower crime rate? Could it instead have something to do with climate? Or could it have something to do with culture? Or could it be something else we haven?t considered?
And speaking of causality, I know that the murder rate goes up in the summer. I also know that ice cream sales go up in the summer. But only a simpleton would assert that ice cream ?causes? murder.
But, of course, Michael Moore is just such a simpleton. And, not to be disrespectful, but simplemindedness is to be occasionally expected of a college dropout. When we choose people to teach our students, through lectures or films or books, we should give some consideration to their educational qualifications.
So my request to the Women?s Center is also very simple. In the name of intellectual honesty (and diversity), let us critique the reasoning of gun control advocates with the same diligence that we use when critiquing those we consider to advocate extreme methods of punishment.
And let me be a Lott Moore (pun intended) specific. In the name of intellectual diversity, I am asking the Women?s Center to invite John Lott to speak at UNC-Wilmington.
John Lott has taught at the University of Chicago and Yale University and has authored what is perhaps the best critique of gun control ever written, ?More Guns, Less Crime.? Some of my colleagues disagree with his recommendations for public policy but are completely unable to specify any flaws in his research or in his logic. In fact, one of them once told me that he was very disturbed by data indicating that right-to-carry permits seemed to be reducing the amount of crime in jurisdictions that had made them available.
And that is where we find ourselves too often in academia. We support policies that feel good and reject policies that contradict our feelings, even when they actually save lives. Clearly, the time has come for the academy to promote the public interest, not a given political agenda that is in line with certain feelings.
Recently, the second murder of a UNC-Wilmington student occurred in the span of a single month. There has been plenty of talk about the fact that the killer had a gun. There has been little talk about the fact that the victim did not.
Before the next unarmed student loses her life, let?s have a real debate on gun control. Let?s do it in the name of diversity.
Mike S. Adams (www.DrAdams.org) is the author of ?Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel.?.
Bush mocks Rubio and his fans: Stop whining that it's "unfair" that you're being attacked by another candidate's Super PAC | Allahpundit


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Live Chat
by: Great Applications 2014 | 56
by: Great Applications 2014 | 56
We know that you LOVE your phone, so why not bring you a great Live Chat app to it. Download and try it today, if you like being with great company.
Have a fantastic conversation or just watch others interact and chat. It is your choice, but we know that you will be hooked on it very quickly.
Excellent graphics, simple and easy to use design and it works on all android mobiles and tablets too.
Come and join our Live Chat app today and have FUN!
from 56 reviews
Free - V1.0 - 957K
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This app is no longer available.


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The Starting Line
The Fit ListFri, 08/12/2011 - 6:29pm | Jodi Heckel
I've always wanted to ride the C-U Across the Prairie, but every year I have some commitment that keeps me from doing it. It's no different this year. Wish I could ride it, but for those who will be out there, have fun.
It's not the only ride this weekend. There's also a couple of tris and several 5Ks.
Here's the list.
Serious about swimmingTue, 08/09/2011 - 8:00am | Jodi Heckel
Elizabeth Wensel is at Sholem Aquatic Center every morning, 10 minutes before it opens at 6:30 a.m., and the lap lane at the far end of the pool belongs to her for the hour-plus it takes her to swim her mile.
The 76-year-old has been swimming regularly for almost two decades, but about six years ago, she stepped it up.
The Fit ListFri, 08/05/2011 - 7:30am | Jodi Heckel
If you aren't signed up to do the Champaign Park District's Mini-Tri on Saturday, come out and cheer on the participants. The swim gets started at 7:30 a.m. at Sholem Aquatic Center, and you can watch folks bike and run around Centennial Park.
Here's the rest of the action this weekend and next:
Weekend of August 6-7:
— Run for Raley
The Fit ListFri, 07/29/2011 - 11:18am | Jodi Heckel
Anybody else doing one of the Springfield tris this weekend? How about a century bike ride in McLean County? There's a couple 5Ks to choose from as well.
Here's the list:
Weekend of July 30-31:
— Springfield Tri Fest
The Iron Abe Olympic Triathlon and the Stoneman Sprint Triathlon are on Saturday in Springfield.
Family with footspeedTue, 07/26/2011 - 8:00am | Jodi Heckel
If you run any 5K races in the area, chances are good you've seen the Franklins — dad Jason and daughters Jessica, Amanda and Alexa — running in their bright green T-shirts.
The Fit ListFri, 07/22/2011 - 8:00am | Jodi Heckel
There are a couple of 5K runs this weekend, if you can stand the heat, and more runs, triathlons, a century bike ride and an open water swim coming up in the next few weekends. Check them out:
Weekend of July 23-24:
— Run for the Bagel
5K race circuit winnersMon, 07/18/2011 - 4:01pm | Jodi Heckel
The first-time All Area 5K Championship Circuit concluded this past weekend with the Fisher Fair 5K. And the men's championship came down to the wire.
The Fit ListFri, 07/15/2011 - 8:00am | Jodi Heckel
Hopefully it won't be sweltering for anyone running the Fisher Fair 5K this weekend, doing the Evergreen Lake tri, or whatever it is you're planning. Here's the Fit List. See you at the races!
Weekend of July 16-17:
— Fisher Fair 5K
Tri-ingTue, 07/12/2011 - 12:10pm | Jodi Heckel
One of the goals I set for myself this summer was to learn how to change a flat on my bike.
Pretty basic stuff, but I'm not really much of a cyclist. My biking consists of doing the minimum amount of training I need each summer to get from zero to being able to finish the bike portion of a triathlon.
The Fit ListFri, 07/08/2011 - 3:51pm | Jodi Heckel
Pick a triathlon, 5K or bike ride this weekend. Got a list for the next two weekends for you here. Have fun!
Weekend of July 9-10:
— Lakeside Triathlon


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I'm new to the maven tool, I have made a project with Spring and Hibernate and they are configured in pom.xml as plugins, but JUnit is tagged under dependency. My question is what is the logic behind one as a plugin and one as dependency ?
Both plugins and dependencies are Jar files.
But the difference between them is, most of the work in maven is done using plugins; whereas dependency is just a Jar file which will be added to the classpath while executing the tasks.
For example, you use a compiler-plugin to compile the java files. You can't use compiler-plugin as a dependency since that will only add the plugin to the classpath, and will not trigger any compilation. The Jar files to be added to the classpath while compiling the file, will be specified as a dependency.
Same goes with your scenario. You have to use spring-plugin to execute some spring executables [ I'm not sure what spring-plugins are used for. I'm just taking a guess here ]. But you need dependencies to execute those executables. And Junit is tagged under dependency since it is used by surefire-plugin for executing unit-tests.
So, we can say, plugin is a Jar file which executes the task, and dependency is a Jar which provides the class files to execute the task.
Hope that answers your question!
Maven itself can be described as food processor which has many different units that can be used to accomplish different tasks. Those units are called plugins. For example, to compile your project maven uses
Dependency in terms of maven is a packaged piece of classes that your project depends on. It can be jar, war etc. For example, if you want to be able to write JUnit test, you'll have to use JUnit annotations and classes thus you have to declare that your project depends on JUnit.
Plug-ins are used for adding functionalities to
If you're coming from a front-end background like me, and are familiar with Grunt and npm, think of it like this:
First you would run, say,
Then you would configure the task in Gruntfile.js
This is like maven's
Of course this is not an exact analogy, but close enough to help wrap your head around it.


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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced its nominations for the 2002 British Academy Television Craft Awards. Framestore CFC is competing against itself for the Visual Effects Award for its work on DINOTOPIA with Beechmoon Prods. for Sky One and THE GIANT CLAW A WALKING WITH DINOSAURS SPECIAL, with Impossible Pictures for BBC1. Mike McGee, Michael Eames, Alec Knox are the nominated team for DINOTOPIA while Max Tyrie, Tim Greenwood, Jez Gibson Harris have been singled out for THE GIANT CLAW. Framestore is competing against the other two nominees HORNBLOWER by Phil Attfield for Granada/ITV1 and HOW THE TWIN TOWERS COLLAPSED, with VFX by Red Vision with Darlow Smithson Prods. for Channel 4.
Nominees for Graphic Design are BANZAI, Blue Source and Radar Productions for E4; THE DINOSAUR HUNTERS, Burrell Durrant Hifle for Granada and Channel 4; GREAT BRITONS, Burrell Durrant Hifle for BBC London/BBC2 THE LIFE OF MAMMALS, 422 South and the BBC Natural History Unit for BBC1. The British Academy Television Craft Awards were created in 2000 to give behind-the-scenes talent their own dedicated ceremony, which will be held on May 11, 2003 at The Dorchester, Park Lane, London. For a complete list of winners go to www.bafta.org/craft/announce.htm.


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|Found 350 Recipes
|Revise this Search New Search
Samantha W's Delicious Black Bottom Cupcakesby sjbrooksct My mom and I love to cook together. One day she found black bottom cup..
Hawaiian Wedding Pie MyBlessedEvent.comby shanni Aloha! Who wouldn't want a delectibly elegant Hawaiian Wedding Pie for..
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East Meets West Cherry Pieby goodgriefcook An American cherry pie with an Asian twist brings me home to that big ..
Twice Baked Potatoesby Sippity Sup The 1970's were when my own awareness of food began to develop. My m..
Dark Molasses Crinkles- Cookiesby montemarg This is a recipe I developed, using a good amount of molasses. They ar..
fancyby goldentouchnp craft
sushi decoby goldentouchnp japanese deco
pride of egyptby goldentouchnp chocolate pyramid with watermelon
the dragonby goldentouchnp paper craft
napkin foldingby goldentouchnp the princess
napkin foldingby goldentouchnp austrila opra house
napkin foldingby goldentouchnp the torch
napkin foldingby goldentouchnp the swirl very pretty to look at wow factor for dinner setting


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Ian Campen, Jo Butcher, Dan Bartlett, Kim Radley
/ News
Fitness fanatics from a Braintree gym will cycle 300 miles for a children's charity.
The team from Complete Health and Fitness in East Street, Braintree, will take part in the London to Paris Cycle Challenge in June for Ormiston Children and Families Trust.
Gym instructors Ian Campen and Dan Bartlett, and members Jo Butcher, Kim Radley and her husband Neil, are encouraging more people to join them for the five-day road trip.
The gym is also holding fundraisers for the charity, including a four-hour spinathon, a weight lifting competition and a disco.
Call Vicky Beckinsale on 07825 337161 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
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As a United States citizen, I have the legally protected right of my freedom to speech. Until this semester in Thailand, I had never recognized how great of privilege this was for me. I had never had this right challenged before or taken away.
Following a military led coup in May 2014, a military junta and its elected prime minister is currently governing Thailand under martial law. The junta has imposed restrictions on the right to freedom to speech. Most apparently, its prevention of anyone in Thailand from speaking out against or in opposition to the coup, junta, military, or monarchy, such act is punishable by law.
As a student here, I have at times experienced the affects of these restrictions and deteriorated freedoms of Thailand's citizens. This has included my political science professors not able to publicly criticize the coup or military, the military shutting down conferences and university events in which Thailand's governance may potentially be discussed, and our class being asked by the military to leave democracy monument in Bangkok during an educational field trip, where are professor was going to give us an on-site lecture. More recently, the junta temporarily blocked all access within Thailand to the Human Rights Watch website after it challenged the junta. However access to the Human Rights Watch website was quickly restored after an article was published noting the military's restriction of the website (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/445752/thai-junta-blocks-human-r...). I think this was the most poignant moment for me of what power the military currently has in Thailand and the potential risks of that power, if mistreated, to the people of Thailand. For me, though luckily I only had to experience it for an incredibly short amount of time, it was scary to not have the capability to inform myself on the situation in Thailand from a reputable, impartial source.
After studying here, I have found an incredibly grateful appreciation for my many rights, particularly my right to freedom to speech. With this appreciation also comes a personal desire to promote free speech around the world. This network offers a tangible way for me do that in sharing, hearing, and supporting our voices!
Hello, Great Job dear. Freedom of speech which is now one of the restricted issue in many countries across the world. A person has the right to speak out against any kind of injustice happening in front of her. As being a Bangladeshi i face many difficulties to speak up against violence more often, i feel so helpless then. But people should have more freedom to practice free speeches. I abhor the restricted boundary of any GOVT. Thanks for sharing your amazing piece of writting. Such motivating woman you are. Love from Bangladesh Ukheng
Dear Heather,
I too, share in your appreciation and complex understanding of Thailand's freedoms and rights of its citizens. I was a former study abroad student in Thailand and actually had to evacuate the country a few years back. Thank you for sharing your perspective on Thailand's lese majeste laws and I hope your experience continues to deepen and enrich your understanding of the issues at hand.
Warmly, Megan
Megan Keav
Hi Heather , You have captured an important issue and I agree with you. Freedom speech is the pillar of human rights. I believe someday all the tortured souls will speak for themselves . Wish you all the best
Thank you for this great piece, Heather. Living in another country where freedom of speech is significantly curbed does make you appreciate your right to express yourself in your home country. We often take for granted our right to speak out against injustices in our societies when we have the opportunity to do so. Your experience in Thailand clearly showed you the impact that a government's laws can have on people's right to express themselves. It's great that your observations of the coup from last May propelled you to support freedom of speech around the world!


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Snow Viking by LucasGracianoWatch
©2011-2016 LucasGraciano
Snow Viking
24 x 18
Oil on Masonite
Copyright Paizo Publishing
24 x 18
Oil on Masonite
Copyright Paizo Publishing
That snow viking is over the top... WOW!
A tribute to Frazzetta's Snow Giants I presume....he would be proud
Great action in this image
I love vikings. Awesome *_*
Very nice
this is beautiful!
Stunning stunning stunning and glorious too!
Beautiful work, really intense.
Awesome artwork!
Amazing work!
He he, yeah, good look felling that one.
I love it.awesome!
Hidden by Owner
Is that....a giant dwarf? xD
oho he's big, incredible scenery here
So exciting!
Viking- Hulk version )
Amazing scene!
briliant work absolutely amazing
great !
Your oils are excellent! Beautiful work!
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY not silly horns on the helmet. Now this is a VIKING
Congratulations !
"Snow Viking" has been voted Warrior of the Week !
"Snow Viking" has been voted Warrior of the Week !
The movement of the entire scene is impressive. Great work!
Great artwork, a perfect action scene. Fantasy at is best !
Colors, details, all is awesome. A Fantasy Masterwork !
Colors, details, all is awesome. A Fantasy Masterwork !
I'm in awe...
belo trabalho!!
The fact that this hasn't gotten a DD is shocking.
Whoa, so cool!!!
the guys is huge! This is absolutely fantastic piece of art. One of the pictures i'v seen in my entire life.
Thank you very much!
Thank you very much!
I paint in oil too and i must say... LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very cool battle scene. Most impressive!
This piece is just too good; coloring, composition, the stances and the feeling of a battle exploding yet again into motion.
Thank you for creating it!
Thank you for creating it!
Very Cool!
like the retro style of this one, reminds me boris, frazetta and others which I like
yey! no horns
I feel like everything is concentrated towards the front of the painting, which makes the bg seem a little pointless. However, I love the poses, especially for the two men in front!
Awesome work!


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My crappy atempt to mix UFC with Street fighter 2. watch video >>
Wanderlei Silva talks about his fight against Brian Stann on UFC on FUEL TV 8 that happened in Japan March 02 2013. UFC Japan Wanderlei Silva Vs Brian Stann watch video >>
UFC On FUEL TV 8 featured a fantastic night of fights capped off by thrilling performances by Wanderlei Silva, Brian Stann, Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve. UFC Tonight's Kenny Florian and Jon Anik discu watch video >>
Watch the post-fight press conference live following the event. watch video >>
Heavyweight Mark Hunt, a man of few words, discusses his Knockout of the Night victory over Stefan Struve at UFC on FUEL TV 8. watch video >>
Headliners Wanderlei Slva and Brian Stann discuss their Fight of the Night at UFC on FUEL TV 8. watch video >>
Headliners Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann weigh in for their light heavyweight tilt at UFC on FUEL TV. watch video >>
Heavyweights Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve have a little fun at the UFC on FUEL TV 8 weigh-in. watch video >>
Dana White's UFC on FUEL TV 8 Vlog is a Behind the scenes look at UFC 157. watch video >>
Live Chat: UFC 157 recap, UFC on FUEL TV 8 and Bellator 91 preview watch video >>
UFC Tonight's Chael Sonnen knows a thing or two about what it takes to earn a victory inside the Octagon. Check out Sonnen's picks for UFC On FUEL TV 8: Silva vs Sonnen. watch video >>
FUEL TV presents 'In Focus: Silva vs Stann', a fascinating in-depth look at the main event of UFC On FUEL TV 8. 'In Focus' paints a vivid picture of MMA legend Wanderlei Silva and his opponent, ex-Un watch video >>
He returns to Japan to the very arena where he earned his biggest victories in Pride and where he established himself as an MMA superstar. Six years later, he sets foot once again on Japanese soil, watch video >>
Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg look forward to UFC On FUEL TV 8: Silva vs Stann. "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva takes on American hero Brian Stann in a 205lbs clash that will rock the MMA scene. watch video >>
MMA legend "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva takes on Brian Stann at UFC On FUEL TV 8 in Tokyo, Japan. Don't miss these fearless warriors leave it all in the Octagon. UFC On FUEL TV 8, live on March watch video >>


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See the machine that started the PC war in this episode of Tales of Silicon Valley.
The story of the Sol-20 from the Digibarn
We visit with the Xerox Alto, a progenitor of all graphical user interfaces, in this episode of Tales of Silicon Valley.
The world of Xerox at the Digibarn Museum
Bruce Damer tells the story of how his knowledge of the original first-person shooter avoided patent nightmares in this episode of Tales of Silicon Valley.
DigiBarn Maze War 30-year retrospective
Tom and Brian host an old mobile tech reunion of sorts. Guests include the iPhone's great uncle, a laptop that sold for $10,000 in 1982, and the curators of the DigiBarn tech museum.
We're very excited to have Bruce Damer and Allan Lundell from the Digibarn stop by with the history of mobile computing. And we don't mean just talk. They brought actual portables, luggables, and even an Apple Newt
reporter's notebook At the DigiBarn, computer history is on display alongside several potbellied pigs. Photos: Computers of yesteryear


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Just some things I found perusing that make for some solid discussion. Mostly Reds related, but some other nuggets as well.
This one from about a few days to a week ago:
Rick (Chicago): Any market for Ken Griffey Junior either this offseason or next June after #600? If so, what kind of return do you envision? His legs are clearly shot though the bat speed is still there. With Jay Bruce essentially ready, Castellini publicly pining for a Dunn extension and Josh Hamilton OPS'ing .920 after a miraculous comeback, he's got to be the odd-man out, right?
Rob Neyer: Right now, Bruce is the odd man out. But if the Reds are willing to eat a chunk of Griffey's contract -- he's owed $12.5 million in '08, but roughly half of that is deferred -- he'd make an interesting DH for somebody like the Mariners, or the Yankees, or even the Twins.Kenneth (Macon, Ga): Rumors are that Griffey may be on the way out of Cincy. Where might he go? Some rumblings going on that Atlanta may be a possible destination as a filler for a few years before the young guys are ready for the OF, any truth to this?
Jayson Stark: He has interest in going there. But I don't sense that the feeling is mutual. So don't bet on it.These a tad more recent:Josh (Dayton): With a full season of work under their belts after this year...could Jay Bruce, Votto, Homer Bailey, and Johnny Cueto push the Reds into serious contention in 09?
Keith Law: Sure, but it sounds like neither Bruce nor Votto will get that full season of work in 2008.
Some of the interesting names that came up during the GM meetings included A.J. Burnett (because he can opt out after the 2008 season), Ryan Freel, Jon Garland, Brian Fuentes, Dontrelle Willis, Noah Lowry, Ian Snell, Erik Bedard ("Hey, they didn't say no when we brought him up," says one baseball official), Joe Crede (the Johnny Damon talk doesn't go away), Troy Glaus and even Delmon Young, although it would take an offer that included someone like Hughes or Clay Buchholz to even begin discussions.Derek (Mpls): Keith--love the chats. Any way the Twins could land a decent OBP guy like Hatteberg in a small trade? It'd be nice to have a DH that occasionally hit a home run.
Keith Law: I said this in July - Hatteberg would be a GREAT fit for the Twins, and since Rivsy worked there it would seem to increase the chances of a deal. But I have not heard any whisper of just a trade.Corey (Syracuse NY): Why is it that we all can see that Votto needs to play over Hatteberg? What does Hatteberg do well? How is it possible that their are "baseball" people who could possibly buy into Hatteberg over Votto?
Keith Law: Hatteberg came back so cheap it was silly not to keep him - but now they need to make the decision to bench him and play Votto, which they may not do.bk: Your a prospect guy, is can't miss Brandon Wood being second guessed suddenly? Even if he just guesses pitches like Adam Dunn his Home Runs should bode well to the Angels weakness.
Keith Law: Yes, his pitch recognition isn't good and I don't see him drawing 100 walks a year like Dunn. But if the Angels aren't going to acquire A-Rod or Tejada or another big 3b, they should find a way to give Wood 300-400 AB and see what he does. Maybe I'm wrong and he does have more walks in him, in which case, as you said, he's got value.Michael (Portland, ME): Jay Bruce the real deal?
Keith Law: Yes. One of the top 5 prospects in the game.Paul (Cincy): Keith, was Hatteberg worth his 1.85 mil option to be a PH with Votto in the lineup?
Keith Law: I hope that they're going to deal him now and play Votto every day. Hatteberg at that money was such a good value that it made sense to pick up his option, but they have to cash that in via trade, rather than block a guy who's ready and costs 75% less.Zach (Cincinnati): If there was an ESPN Classic for sportsnation chats, this one would definitely be re-ran once a week.....What are your thoughts on Johnny Cueto? Will he make the Reds rotation out of spring training next year?
Keith Law: #2 starter, spends most of the year in AAA. Bailey's ahead of him, and Cueto's not 100% ready yet anyway. I also don't like the idea of jumping kids past AAA to go pitch in a tough park like Cincy (or Colorado or Texas).Dave (Erie, PA): Jerry, do you think theres any chance that griffey goes to the braves? And what would both sides have to do to make it happen?
Jerry Crasnick: Dave,
The Griffey to the Braves rumor has gone on for about five years now, Now that he has only one year left on his contract (at $12.5 million), it makes more sense. But the Braves need a center fielder, and Griffey's defense in center declined enough that I'm not sure he'd be the answer in Atlanta. I also imagine the Braves would want Cincinnati to pick up some of that salary. In short, I still don't see it happenin.'
The Indians are only listening to offers for Cliff Lee, but right now they plan to keep him and go into spring training with seven starters, including Lee, Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey.Adam (DC via Cleveland): Jerry -- hope you'll take an Indians question! The Tribe seems to be really in need of a power hitting corner outfield. To my mind the Indians have the assets to acquire someone. How likely do you think it is that they can arrange a deal, and who might they be able to get?
Jerry Crasnick: Adam,
There were a lot of Jason Bay rumors going around recently, and to my knowledge, they haven't been dispelled. He seems to fit the profile for what the Indians want: Young enough, reasonably priced, and with the potential to put up big numbers. Lets put it this way: He makes more sense than them running out and giving Jose Guillen a three-year deal.
Arizona is one of several teams that talked to Florida about Willis, but there is industry-wide concern about Dontrelle's ERA rising from 2.63 to 3.87 to 5.17 in three years, and right-handed hitters had a .913 OPS against him in 2007.
Steve (Oakland): Will Billy Beane shock the baseball world this winter ? What does he do ?
Jerry Crasnick: Steve,
Billy Beane is monitoring the health of his many injured players (Chavez, Harden, Duchsherer, etc.). At some point this winter, he'll decide whether his team is prepared to make a run in 2008, or if it might be good to trade off some parts and retrench. One thing Beane never does it stand still. Either way, I expect you'll be hearing Joe Blanton's name tossed around a lot in the coming weeks.Is Haren available?
Nov 9 - A's GM Billy Beane might make ace Dan Haren available in order to replenish the A's thin farm system with two or three young players, the Boston Globe reports. To get Haren, though, the Red Sox would have to be willing to part with either Jon Lester or Clay Buchholz.
Rolen to Twins?
Nov 9 - The Twins and Cardinals are discussing a deal that would send third baseman Scott Rolen to Minnesota, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reports. Rolen has three years and $33 million remaining on his contract. The Cardinals are presumably asking for pitching in return, but they might not get much due to Rolen's injury history and the money involved.Scott (Savage, MN): Buster Olney reported a potential deal between the Twins & Cardinals for Scott Rolen. Who do you think the Twins would have to give up to make it happen. Given Rolen's history of injury - is this a good trade for Minny?
Jerry Crasnick: Scott,
The Twins have a nice core of young pitching with Garza, Slowey, Baker, etc. Of those guys, Baker would be the most expendable for Minnesota. But I'd have to think St. Louis would want more. Rolen has three years and $36 million left on his contract. But if the Twins lose Torii Hunter through free agency, they'll have to add offense somewhere. And they can certainly use an upgrade at third base.Blake (Durham, NC): Great chat Keith. What's your take on Garza's value? Is he the one heading out or will the Twins hold on all the young pitchers?
Keith Law: I think Garza's the one they keep, and Slowey and/or Baker are dealt (assuming they deal anyone - we don't know if Smith is as conservative as Ryan is). I like Perkins as a little sleeper fifth starter there.
Texas homecoming?
Nov 9 - The Rangers have contacted Kerry Wood, expressing an interest in talking to the right-hander about a free-agent deal, according to the Dallas Morning News. Wood, 30, is a native of Irving, Texas. He was 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 appearances for the Cubs last season after recovering from shoulder problems.
Marlins want Kendrick for Cabrera
Nov 9 - According to the Los Angeles Times, the Marlins want the Angels to include second baseman Howie Kendrick in any trade package for third baseman Miguel Cabrera.
The Marlins could ask for Kendrick and the Angels' two top prospects, third baseman Brandon Wood and pitcher Nick Adenhart, in exchange for Cabrera, 24, who would fortify the middle of the Angels' lineup around Vladimir Guerrero. The Angels could enhance their chances if they could negotiate a contract extension with Cabrera, who is two years from free agency.
The Angels and the Dodgers are considered the front-runners to acquire Cabrera, a four-time All-Star. The Miami Herald reports that the Dodgers, also in dire need of a middle-of-the-order threat, could try to entice the Marlins with players such as outfielder Matt Kemp, third baseman Andy LaRoche and pitchers Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw.
Other teams that have expressed an interest in Cabrera are the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Giants and Indians.
Phillies eyeing Japanese right-hander
Nov 7 - The Phillies are interested in right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who this week formally filed for free agency from the Hiroshima Carp, the Philadelphia Daily News reports.
A posting fee would not be required to negotiate with Kuroda, who went 12-8 with a 3.56 ERA for the Carp last season. Kuroda reportedly has a good sinker and a mid-90s fastball.
A lot of gold for Silva
Nov 7 - The Mets have plans to meet with Carlos Silva's agents, Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro, sometime during the GM meetings, Newsday reports.
Silva, one of the top pitchers on the free-agent market, could command as much as $50 million over five years, the newspaper speculates.


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Gallacher is not allowed to play for a third team this season under Fifa rules
Matthew Lindsay, Chief Football Writer / / Sport
RANGERS goalkeeper Scott Gallacher will see out the rest of the season at the Ibrox club - but is unlikely to feature in the first-team.
Gallacher played for Ally McCoist's side in the opening games of the 2013/14 campaign when new arrival Cammy Bell was ineligible.
And the 6ft 2in 24-year-old impressed many Light Blues supporters with his accomplished performances in those outings.
Despite being involved in the painful League Cup defeat to Forfar at Station Park at the beginning of August, he played in wins over Albion Rovers, Brechin, Stranraer and Airdrie.
But when new signing Bell came into the side as a trialist at the end of August he was loaned out to SPFL League One rivals Airdrie.
The keeper did well and played in eight first team games for the struggling Excelsior Stadium club before returning to Rangers last month.
Diamonds manager Gary Bollan, though, has secured the services of youngster Danny Rogers on loan from Aberdeen since then.
So the former Rangers midfielder is unable to take Gallacher back to the Lanarkshire club until the end of the term.
And he is not allowed to go and play for another club as he is only allowed to play for two clubs during the course of a season under Fifa rules.
With Bell enjoying outstanding form and the vastly-experienced Steve Simonsen acting as back-up, he is not set to be involved in the first-team squad on match days.
But Rangers coach Ian Durrant stressed that Gallacher will get regular competitive football.
Speaking to the official Rangers website, he said: "Scott can only go back to Airdrie, but they've taken someone else in.
"That means he'll be with us and he's under contract here so that's fine. It's a shame for him because we've got so many goalkeepers here.
"Barring injuries to Cammy and Steve, Scott will be playing reserve football."
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Los Angeles Unified School District announced last week that it's adopting Pearson's enVisionMath California for all of its K-5 students. The district has 436 elementary schools and 27 independent elementary charter schools and centers, serving more than 302,000 elementary students.
Pearson's enVisionMath, which was introduced this January, combines a traditional curriculum with elements aimed at technologically oriented students, including animations and online visual learning tools. Authored by Randall Charles, former vice president of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, the program provides personalized instruction using graphics, animations, and interactive learning tools to provide math education for a wide range of students, including special needs and ELL students.
The California edition is aligned to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Focal Points and California state standards, focusing on algebra building blocks and offering differentiated instruction, online editions, whiteboard-ready resources, assessments and prescriptions, and Visual Learning Bridge components for providing step by step explanations of the concepts.
"Across the nation, and especially in California," said Vicky Bush, Pearson's vice president for California, "there has been a call to introduce algebraic concepts before formal algebra classes, to do so at a very early age, and then to sustain the focus in every grade. The significance of the Los Angeles adoption goes well beyond just the elementary grades. It represents recognition of the need for a holistic approach that yields benefits all the way into college, where too many students require remedial math instruction."
LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the United States, with 878 K-12 schools, 1,190 independent K-12 charter schools and centers, and 194 other centers serving 694,288 K-12 students. Its total school district budget for 2007-2008 is almost $14 billion.
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Ever-Glory International Group was unable to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 on a timely basis because the company required additional time to work with its outside professionals to prepare and finalize the document. The company fully expects to file its Form 10-K within the additional time allowed by this report.
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Rhymedown Spectacular: Games, Games, Everywhere
The brains behind Jimquisition and Zero Punctuation get lyrical
Jul 03
// Jim Sterling
Can you contain your excitement? It's time for another Rhymedown Spectacular with Yahtzee and ol' Jimmy! This week, Mr. Croshaw bans guns in the name of sanity, while I banish mediocrity to the Hell Pits where it belongs. Oh, we are good at doing our word things.
Shao Kahn vs. M. Bison
Who would win: Shao Kahn or M. Bison?
Closest thing to Mortal Kombat X Street Fighter we'll ever get
Jun 28
// Tony Ponce
We're never going to get that Mortal Kombat / Street Fighter crossover, so what are we to do? Harness our "Imagination," that's what! ScrewAttack's DEATH BATTLE! pits the big bosses of the MK and SF universes against one ano...
John Stossel wins
John Stossel wins the violent videogames argument
Fox News host uses this funny thing called 'logic'
Jun 22
// Tony Ponce
It's not every day that you can say a Fox News personality makes a rational argument regarding any of today's hottest trends and hobbies, but stranger things have happened. In a recent segment of his talk show, John Stossel ...
Pac-Man noir
Pac-Man, the cocky, pinstripe suit-wearing noir hero
Cock of the walk
May 25
// Tony Ponce
A hyper-stylized version of Pac-Man that exaggerates the violence of the rather tame arcade original? Yeah, we've gone down that road before. "Goodnight Sweet Pakman" may be no different in that regard, but I can't stop watching the opening 40 seconds over and over again. That A Night at the Roxbury head bob gets me every single time! Goodnight Sweet Pakman [YouTube]
Ex-GTA producer won't make another ultra-violent game
Jeremy Pope happier making games that focus on player interaction
May 20
// Alasdair Duncan
When you work on titles like Grand Theft Auto III and Max Payne, you've clearly been exposed to a healthy amount of videogame violence but it was this experience that prompted a change of heart for former Rockstar producer Je...
Biden: No legal reason why 'violent' games can't be taxed
Vice President tells Reverend Asshole that'd be just fine
May 14
// Jim Sterling
Vice President Joe Biden recently had a meeting with religious leaders to discuss gun control, and violent media was discussed. God forbid we don't obfuscate the gun discussion with more demented strawmen. Reverend Fran...
Red Dead vs. Metal Gear
John Marston vs. Revolver Ocelot's ridiculous mustache
The gunslingers of Red Dead Redemption and Metal Gear Solid duke it out
May 13
// Tony Ponce
John Marston: outlaw turned hero of the Old West. Revolver Ocelot: two-faced Russian gunslinger with a flair for the dramatic. What happens when these two square off in a a shootout to the death? Ocelot wins. Duh. What, was ...
Violence promoted blog
Promoted blog: In defense of violence
Promoted from our Community Blogs!
May 11
// Revuhlooshun
[For his Bloggers Wanted essay response, Destructoid community blogger Revuhlooshun goes to bat for violent games, then uses that bat to smash a bunch of shit. Want to see your own words appear on the front page? Go write som...
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts distancing itself from gun manufacturers
Plans to use branded weapons without licenses going forward
May 08
// Kyle MacGregor
Electronic Arts is distancing itself from the gun industry. Well, sort of. The publisher plans to cut ties with gun manufacturers while still using branded weapons in its future titles. In the past, EA has approached gun comp...
Boy tries to rape mom, kills her, over Call of Duty ban
Uses the gun he was given at 11-years-old
May 04
// Jim Sterling
A 14-year-old boy from rural Iowa has been charged with first degree murder after shooting his mother with a .22 caliber rifle he received as a present. Noah Crooks, who was 13 at the time, attempted to rape his mother i...
Guardian: Over half of 2012's top 50 games are violent
Apparently Super Mario 3D Land is violent
May 02
// Dale North
The Guardian has put together this very slick interactive infographic using their analysis of the top 50 videogames of 2012. They found that more than half of the top games of last year contain violent labeling as assigned by...
Call of Duty
PBS asks: Is buying Call of Duty a moral choice?
Apr 16
// Hamza CTZ Aziz
PBS's latest Here's An Idea series takes a look at videogames that feature real portrayals of guns such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, and the like and asks whether buying these type of games is a moral choice. It brings up many interesting points, including how game companies have to pay gun makers licenses in order to represent their real guns in videogames. What do you think?
Bloggers Wanted
Bloggers Wanted: Ultra violence?
Get your blog on Destructoid's front page!
Apr 14
// mrandydixon
[When we're looking for blogs on a specific topic, we'll put out a Bloggers Wanted call. Check out the blog prompt, write a response, and you may see your blog promoted to the front page!] There's been a lot of talk lately ab...
Why does BioShock Infinite need to be non-violent?
Apr 12
// Jim Sterling
BioShock Infinite is a game about violence. It's not just a game about racism, or religion, or any of the other "heady" themes it touches upon. The floating city of Columbia is a city steeped in blood, visited by a protagonist with a past of brutality, rescuing a woman who is, in many ways, a product of humanity's most selfish and oppressive traits. Like BioShock before it, violent acts are a key, fundamental, crucial part of the experience. To demand the option of sidestepping such a thing is to miss perhaps the strongest narrative element of the game. Ludonarrative dissonance is brought up in discussion, as if the gameplay and the story are somehow conflicting. This is so far from the truth, I have to believe those using the term don't understand the game at all. There's no dissonance, not like there potentially was in the recently released Tomb Raider. In Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is presented as an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, as vulnerable as any of us would be -- traumatically wounded in cutscenes, nowhere near as strong and experienced as the vicious inhabitants of the island she's stranded on. The gameplay contradicts this by way of violent empowerment, giving players access to machine guns, fire arrows, grenades, and a plethora of excessively nasty stealth kills. There is a very clear difference between Lara's story, and Lara's interactive behavior. This is ludonarrative dissonance. By contrast, Infinite's Booker DeWitt is a war veteran, whose activities at Wounded Knee were excessive even by the generally horrific standards of the massacre. Though he feels guilt for what he did, he's a violent man at heart, who inescapably resorts to butchery to solve his problems, and he's in a city that, while beautiful and charming at first glance, soon bares its teeth and reveals a world ruled by a man whose acclimation to force rivals that of the protagonist. It's violence meets violence, and the result can only be more violence. This is quite the opposite of ludonarrative dissonance -- it's an integration of story and gameplay rarely seen in even the very best videogames. Ludonarrative dissonance does not, by the way, mean "violence." The term has been bandied about a lot lately, and I'm growing more convinced that many people using it do not appreciate what the term means. If they did, they wouldn't use it as an interchangeable term for "combat" like they do. The violence does not contradict the story in any way. The excess of the violence is not going against the narrative established. It sounds smart to use the term, but only if you misunderstand BioShock Infinite's plot. Misunderstanding it is the only way you could believe there's any dissonance at play. The violence witnessed in Columbia is excessive because it has to be -- when his blood is up and enemies are at their weakest, Booker carves them up in unbelievably horrific ways. He expresses a dissatisfaction with his history of combat, and yet is frequently reminded by other characters that, deep down, he's a cold-blooded killer. Even as Booker protests, he's being fed victims by the likes of Slate and Fink, who set out to prove he's exactly the man he claims he's not. Booker's claims of regret ring hollow when he's mashing faces to pieces with his whirly claw of death -- and they're supposed to. His entire story is one of denial, of claiming he's better than those around him, and ultimately, devastatingly, being proven wrong. That first time he gladly grinds a spinning metal claw into somebody's face is the first clue that Booker's claims of putting his past behind him are bullshit. In fact, giving Booker the option of non-violent discourse would in fact be the very dissonance some people claim to dislike. That goes against everything natural to Booker, and everything natural to Columbia. This is not a world of reason, and the "peace keepers" of Father Comstock's oppressive will are not rational individuals, out for a debate. They're fanatical, paranoid, dangerous people, and stopping to have a chat with them would simply not make sense. Likewise, the hero is a man who kills, who does stupid things without thinking them through, and ultimately proves everybody right when they say he's a monster. His story would not work if he reached the conclusion with nothing but speech checks to his name. Furthermore, though some may think it a "shame" that the otherwise beautiful environment of Columbia gets torn apart by conflict, the downfall of the city is crucial to the story. Columbia is Stepford -- a smiling, bright, utterly artificial society, based upon the visually resplendent but cheaply contrived White City of Chicago, built in 1905. Like White City, Columbia is a place of surface-level beauty with a dark side (the cheap plaster buildings of White City looked gorgeous, yet were stalked by the sadistic serial killer H.H. Holmes). We're supposed to realize that Columbia is a fake, a sham, with an atmosphere of horror under its manufactured surface. In reality, the city is a heavily armed, potentially apocalyptic weapon. We're introduced to this fact early on in the game, and we're supposed to realize that underneath the gloss, there's nothing but sheer ugliness. It strikes me as wholly ironic that we're picking on BioShock Infinite to make our point about violence, when it's more justified here than anywhere else. Even the brilliant Half-Life 2 has to ignore its own backstory to make sense as a game. Gordon Freeman, as pointed out by the antagonist Dr. Breen, is a theoretical physicist. He's not a super soldier, he's not magic, he's just a doctor -- yet the only evidence of this ability is his plugging a machine into a wall socket. The rest of the game is about firing rockets, smashing zombies with crowbars, and sucking up dead bodies to throw at brainwashed soldiers. Similarly, the Uncharted series is borderline creepy when you stop to consider how Nathan Drake is just looking for treasure, yet guns down hundreds upon hundreds of human beings while making wisecracks. We have to compartmentalize a lot when we play story-driven games -- and yet BioShock Infinite is one of the few (outside of war games) where we don't, and here we are singling it out as the example of why violent gameplay doesn't work. Talk about a total misfire. Those asking for a non-violent BioShock Infinite are asking for a different game entirely, an issue made doubly silly when you realize such games already exist. If you want a shooter with more player choice, with less violent options, with chances to talk down the antagonists, you have Deus Ex. That kind of player agency is something Deus Ex excels at, because that's part of the series' core philosophy.BioShock has never tried to do that, never led anybody to believe it would do that, and I don't understand where people suddenly started thinking it would. BioShock's core philosophy does not include that level of player agency, that level of non-aggression. It never has. It wouldn't work for Infinite's story if it did. Not every game needs player choice. Not every game needs a non-violent path. To ask for such things in a game designed entirely around violence is to ask for yet more homogenization in games, to want every single game to cater to everybody at all times. That's the same attitude that sees multiplayer options shoehorned into otherwise excellent solo experiences. You may believe your motives are more high-minded, but the result is the same. You want to crack and break a game to fit your one template for creative success. Gaming pundits have a history of insecurity. We worry what "they" will think of videogames, we fret over what "they" will think of gamers. I'm not sure who "they" are, these ever-faceless societal judges who apparently witness and condemn every little thing we do, but we need to get over our fear of them. People saying the violence in BioShock Infinite is "embarrassing" betray their own lack of esteem for the medium, concerned as they are with what other people might think, and disregarding the fact that many of humanity's greatest artistry -- from the plays of Shakespeare to the many paintings depicting Jesus Christ's death -- are soaked in and driven by violence. We're a violent species, and that is reflected in much of our art. That's not say all art is violent, but it does say that, if you're reading Sophie's Choice and wishing it was a choose-your-own-adventure, you're looking for the wrong kind of art in the wrong kind of place. BioShock Infinite is not your game if you want a non-violent exploration of its themes, because Infinite's themes revolve around violence as a core concept. It may not be to your taste, and you may have many other issues with BioShock Infinite's story, but to complain about its violence, as if only non-violent art can credibly explore "mature" ideas, makes you sound less mature than you think you sound. Your argument is shallow, hinged upon the idea that violence in art is simply wrong, and automatically undoes anything else such art tries to do. That is not true. Violence may be all-too prevalent in videogames, but that doesn't make it bad, it doesn't make it pointless, and it doesn't undo anything -- especially when it's thoroughly justified. So why does BioShock Infinite need to be less violent? It doesn't. It simply does not. Not for the game it successfully manages to be, and the story is expertly manages to tell. I am glad the conversations about game content are finally happening ... but pick an actual good example, people!
'It always ends in blood'
"I want a BioShock where we have the OPTION to resolve confrontation without the use of guns," said one gamer to me today. As I consider his comment, I can't help but think more and more it's like saying you want a Metal Gear...
Chainsaw Pogo Gorilla
I-Mockery's next game is Bionic Chainsaw Pogo Gorilla
Man's greatest question answered
Apr 11
// Tony Ponce
Last year, fans of I-Mockery's irreverent brand of pop culture humor were treated to Abobo's Big Adventure, a mashup of all things NES starring the muscle-bound Double Dragon boss Abobo. As hilarious as Abobo's Big Adventure ...
Violent videogames
Denied the chance to steal, people turn to violent games
A little gaming carnage makes everything better
Apr 03
// Taylor Stein
A new study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University explores the relationship between criminality, frustration, and violent videogames, reports Science Daily. Based on a series of experiments, Brad Bushman and his c...
Mega64 beats the sh*t out of one another
Apr 02
// Tony Ponce
I haven't played Hotline Miami yet. I haven't played many games yet. I'm so buried in backlog that I wonder if it's even worth buying anything new when I barely even touch the stuff I do buy. But that's a discussion for anot...
Marketers wanted guns on Beyond: Two Souls promo art
Quantic 'categorically refused' generic action artwork
Mar 22
// Jim Sterling
Beyond: Two Souls had to fight to stop its promo art being reduced to a character holding a gun like 90% of the rest of videogame advertising, Quantic Dream recently revealed. Had marketers had their way, Ellen Page would be ...
Sandy Hook shooter allegedly trying to beat a high score
The only game hurting society is the blame game
Mar 18
// Jim Sterling
An anonymous "law enforcement veteran" claims the Sandy Hook shooter was comparing "high scores" of previous mass murderers and intended to beat a record. According to this totally responsible and not-at-all reckless source, ...
Teen shoots parents with pistol, blames violent games
Mar 14
// Jim Sterling
As we saw with Norway shooter Anders Brevik, it's looking like killers have taken note of the fact they can shift accusing eyes away from themselves by pointing at violent videogames -- a tactic eagerly swallowed up by news sources, parents, and politicians. Thanks entirely to the efforts of FOX News, CNN, Leland Yee, and a host of other reckless disseminators of assumption-posing-as-fact, videogames are an easy way for a criminal to pass the buck and take some of the heat off themselves. It might not be a "get out of jail free" card -- yet -- but it's demonstrably effective in allowing murderers respite from their own responsibility. That someone can kill people in cold blood, blame videogames ... and actually have that blame accepted by influential people, is beyond atrocious. Nathan Brooks won't be the last one to try it, either, and he won't be the last to find a society more than willing to hear him out. Utterly disgusting. 14-Year-Old Shoots Parents, Blames Video Games [GamePolitics] [Image source]
This is what killers have learned to do now
A Washington state teen has been charged with murder, the 14-year-old having shot his mother and father in the head after he was grounded from electronic devices. Nathon Brooks may be tried as an adult for the crime, tho...
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami fan film is full of murder, and kids
The label clearly states rated M for Mature!
Mar 07
// Hamza CTZ Aziz
I quite enjoy fan films, and was really digging this one for Hotline Miami. Then I started to notice the actors here all look very ... young. And then that child gets brutality shot up near the end. Kids these days! Still, bravo for the editing and effects. [Via @HotlineMiami]
You should feel bad, but games don't want you to
Mar 06
// Steven Hansen
While I've yet to play Tomb Raider in its entirety, it does seem we have yet another case of ludonarrative dissonance, in which the design aims (game based around doing gruesome murders) don't jive with the narrative ("good," and in this case wet behind the ears, lead character) and the developers have to work extra hard to try and bridge this gap. You can wax poetic about what it means or takes to commit murder all you want, but it's old hat after the seventieth bloke kisses his trachea goodbye courtesy of your pick axe. It's the same reason why the enemies in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune spout incendiary cussing outs, egging you on, just begging you to kill them and to wipe that audible smirk off their goddamn faces. Games more open about their wanton violence, like most sandbox games, are gleeful in their use if civilians as set dressing. It's pleasant to run down civilians in Twisted Metal 2 and see their vague, pixel bodies fly into your screen with a screech that sounds like an interrupted dial up connection. Pleasant, albeit dark. But what about when you're playing a good guy in a narratively driven game? A super human one, no less? It goes beyond saying that other humans pose little threat to you. That's why the enemy stakes have to be upped. Take the thugs in Rocksteady's Arkham franchise. Are we to believe that every criminal in Gotham lifts weights with Chris Redfield and Marcus Fenix? Every single one of them looks imposing enough that Ving Rhames wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alleyway. It's not an attempt to even the playing fields for the Batman, who can take out 40 of those steroid-seeping freaks in one combo despite their Herculean physiques. It's a sly character design choice to make you feel better about yourself, you monster. Batman is brutal in the Arkham games. Even with foes that look intimidating, I'll cringe as Bats effortlessly breaks a thigh-thick arm in three places and leaves them unconscious. The worst is always the vicious kicks to the knee that you know will ensure the victim never walks right again. Oh, did I say victim? I meant criminal scum. Throw some more inane cursing and provocation at me before my human tendency towards empathy kicks in and I regret collapsing some punk's solar plexus and leaving him to probably choke on his own fluids, alone and in an alley -- but I didn't kill him. Not directly. Not as far as I am blissfully unaware. With Arkham, Rocksteady wants you to have your cake and eat it, too. You're playing at Batman the same way a child might. You get all the perks (unstoppable force of the night) without the draw backs (physical harm, dead parents, Peter Pan complex, fear of the theatre). Insofar as I can tell, Rocksteady isn't concerned with unsettling the Batman mythos and questioning the sanity of the character in the manner seminal works like The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth have, and that's fine. But despite my cringing at Bats' brutality in the Arkham games, I got over it. While Arkham might not hit hard on these elements, its Batman doesn't parade around as a handsome John Q. Everyhero. And at least as Batman I wasn't committing mass murder, ala Nathan Drake. Just leaving a disaffected group of individuals with a much lower quality of life and a serious drain on public healthcare. Though Gotham is probably heavily anti "socialist," so no public healthcare, but because the penal system is undoubtedly mandated to aid in the recuperation of criminals, I'm sure it'll cost some tax dollars. Anyway. The failure to put you at proper odds with your foes can trouble single-player games striving for a particularly heroic or redemptive narrative. Playing John Marston with an insatiable bloodlust in Red Dead Redemption flies in the face of the narrative. Giving the player the option to be repellant when the character is meant to be repentant can be problematic. Worse still is when the design demands they be repellant. I love the Uncharted franchise, but its third installment does not sit well with me. The heavy, wave based onslaught of enemies requires you to massacre endlessly while Drake smirks, cracks wise, and is generally handsome. It's a tough sell. I was able to stomach it in the first two, to mind the disconnect, but Drake's Deception felt so oppressive to me. I could see the seams in the enemy waves and strung together set pieces serving no purpose but to give me another butchering ground. Occasionally I felt a little bad busting skulls in Arkham City. I felt like a monster in Uncharted. I turned to melee "kills" more than half of the time because they looked non-lethal and I felt a little better about myself. Hopefully Drake wasn't ending lives with equal ruthlessness with those swift kicks to the nuts. Definitely a good chance he preemptively ended the lives of the thugs' unborn children, I suppose. Dark Sector was one of the early "next-gen" games I was hyped for, but never picked up until I saw it sitting lonesome on a shelf with a $6 price tag affixed; I wouldn't play it for months still. What a filthy game. It's nasty, grim, dirty feel permeates every inch of it. You rip limbs from their owners and they just sit there and scream in agony. Not just a gurgling exaltation and then they're dead. It's a nonstop, lengthy cacophony of pitiful, dying men yelling. I couldn't handle that ad nauseum and stopped playing. You're not supposed to feel bad for your obstacles. It's one if the biggest reasons there are so many games in which you gleefully murder robots or aliens or even humans with masked faces -- some semblance of distancing from the spine-tingling truth. It's why zombies have been so long in vogue. Gone is the almost half century old social commentary. They're fodder, allowing for the primal release of killing ostensible humans en masse without the moral quandaries and look of disdain from the ESRB. Mainstream games are too steeped in rudimentary notions of conflict in which somehow besting another person or thing is the only means of progression. This forever conflicts with trying to present straightforward, serious narratives with likeable leads. Less killing, more, well, anything else, really. Exploring. Journey-ing. Dancing. How about a proper detective game? Fevered dreamscapes in which existential and interpersonal issues manifest as ovis-infested, hellish block climbing puzzles? Or at least stop thinly veiling escapist power fantasies and humanizing monstrous murderkillers. I nearly gagged when Drake reached into the quicksand in Uncharted 3. At least Kratos knew his shtick. At least Far Cry 3 reveled in its depravity. At least Spec Ops asked why the hell you were playing in the first place.
Violence and vindication: The seedy psychology behind a sociopathic medium
You monster. Outside of the casual and educational spheres, violence abounds in games. Even Mario is violent, albeit not gratuitous. Combative, at least. Much of the game is purely avoiding obstacles, but eventually some form...
Videogames & Violence
Poll: Playing videogames correlates with violent behavior
The debate rages on
Feb 26
// Kyle MacGregor
In the wake of the recent string of violent acts across the United States, many are still looking for someone or something to blame. A majority of Americans (58 percent) believe playing videogames contributes to increased lev...
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami coming to PS3 and PS Vita this spring
Murder and get murdered on Sony consoles
Feb 19
// Jonathan Holmes
It's been interesting to witness the rise of games that have a love/hate relationship with violence. Spec Ops: The Line and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are two high-profile examples. Less well known, but just as effective...
David Cage is right: Violence is not essential
Even if it is jolly good fun
Feb 12
// Fraser Brown
Earlier this week, Allistair suggested that violence is integral to immersion, that it could draw us into games that lack it even more. This was in response to a presentation given by serial pompous twit and occasio...
David Cage is wrong: Violence is essential
Feb 11
// Allistair Pinsof
The notion of senselessly unloading a fire arm into houses is a distressing one, naturally. It's also far from a necessity in order to feel attached to my environment and reality, since my senses guide me, even as my mind wanders. And I'm not the least bit schizophrenic (no, really.) David Cage, and to a lesser extent Warren Spector, gave speeches at D.I.C.E. last week that called for industry action in steering away from violent games and creating ones that reflect our lives and the complexities that come with them: Caring for family, facing familial and employment crises, or simply appreciating the beauty that surrounds us; the subjects we often come across in film and literature. It's nothing that hasn't been said by dozens before -- or attempted by many indies -- but that these ideas are being delivered from directors of multimillion dollar productions makes these declarations of anti-violence have a special, headline-grabbing impact. After the chin-stroking, blogging, back-patting, and heavy drinking that industry conferences bring, all parties go on their way, acting on market demands at the office while continuing the discussion of ethical theories in private. I'm not going to explain immersion, the necessity of violence (action), and the future of technology for developers' benefit; no, this is for the public's: we suffered too many boring, navel-gazing indie games that are based on the theories that Spector and Cage now preach. The idea of a talented designer following suit with a multimillion dollar project, an edge case should one like it ever exist, is too much to bear. I am not here to claim Journey didn't have an emotional impact on me, to call misty-eyed bloggers a bunch of sissypants, or to say we shouldn't have another game like it. Instead, I wish to focus on why Journey had impact and speculate just how far that impact can go, given the current state of technology. On immersion: From the Greeks to videogames today, the focus of art has always been on immersion: the ability for a creator to envision a reality and convey it with viewers. Art gives us an escape to another reality, while offering the ability to let us return with renewed strength and insight. That immersion increased as Greeks evolved from pottery to Hellenistic sculptures that tower above the viewer with lifelike details. And so it was with the theater that gave way to the cinema: A place where sound and vision surrounds the viewer, as increasingly convincing fantasies play out. And so it is, too, with games. How we have gone from the basic lines of Spacewar! to the complex narrative decisions of Warren Spector's Deus Ex (though time has indicated it may have been more of Harvey Smith's Deus Ex that I love so much) in such a short time is one of the most remarkable evolutions of an art form since time began. So, what makes videogames the most immersive art form, following the logic that pottery -> sculptures/paintings -> plays -> film -> videogames (factoring where novels and music fit is a can of worms I rather not open here)? The most immersive aspect of each art form is embodied in the ones that follow. Plays contain props (pottery) and backdrops (sculptures/paintings); film carry all those and takes out the set and fixed perspective; videogames carry all those and then grants the viewer agency in narrative and interaction in a fictional world, thus granting entrance to devised alternative realities that can be believed through their own logic and rules, so long as they don't break the ones they previously establish (tsk tsk). So, there we are then: videogames. If the evolution of art depends on immersion, then how do we make games more immersive? After all, a game of Tetris can be as immersive as a stroll through the lush world of Ni no Kuni or navigating player choices of Dishonored. Immersion can come from mechanics, aesthetics or system-deep narrative interplay. Like a game of basketball, an intense round of Street Figther or Tetris has a way of dimming the lights on the real world. Taking in the sweeping vistas of Journey makes us temporarily forget there is a controller in the hands. Realizing that choices made hours ago led to a moment unique to one's playthrough in Dishonored has a way of making a dead reality feel alive. When a game has all three of these types of immersion, transcendence is achieved, but even this transcendence is only temporary. Cordless or not, the controller and distance to the television serves as a constant reminder that we are only peeking our head below sea level, not quite swimming. On the necessity of violence: Have you ever played a game where the world is ugly and the gameplay is a chore, yet you feel compelled to continue for the story? But, what about the opposite: A game where the action is all that counts? Immersion in game world come from our actual senses: touch, sight, and sound. More specifically, immersion in game worlds comes from the combination of all these things, i.e. feedback and sense of possibility (or possibility space). Proteus is more immersive than Dear Esther because the possibility space is larger (not a set path) and feedback is more noticeable (environment reacts to your movement and presence). How could Proteus be made even more immersive? Violence! Put a gun in the player's hand, surround the island with threats on legs, and let the code bring the two together. Action has a way of immediately increasing our investment in a game world, since it triggers our reptile brain and makes us focus on a threatening non-reality than the harmless actual reality that our body is inhabiting. If a distinct lack of enjoyment (through faulty programming and design) is present, the illusion is ruined. Going back to the opening of this essay, violence can make me more aware of my current environment but the power of my senses does that enough. This can also be true of games. Antichamber has no immediate threats -- one can argue falling and losing a small amount of progress, I guess, but that's a stretch -- it finds immersion through sight and sound. The abstract architecture overpowers our tendency to compare to reality, and the sound design is rich and ubiquitous. Puzzles, objectives, and first-person movement maintain the immersion. The ability to shoot (action) increases it. Perhaps it sounds like I'm backpedaling here, but I'm not: Action can exist without violence (harm against another thing), but there is no more immersive action than violence. Would Journey have been a more compelling experience if the player wielded a shotgun and gunned down hordes of enemies? Yes, it would have; but it wouldn't have maintained the same tone and sense of space. In other words, it wouldn't have been Journey. Journey is something of a compromise between immersion and aesthetics. To make the game more immersive through action, it would no longer maintain the same emotional complexity and impact (aesthetics). Journey stands out because its developer focused on feedback and possibility space. The sense of weight, flight, and movement is convincing. The environments are large and freely flowing, expanding while directing the player in slight ways. It's hard to imagine what can improve the experience without changing its expression. On the future: I have a lot of admiration for id Software's John Carmack, but I didn't expect him to agree with the above. Yet, he did just that when I interviewed him at QuakeCon, last year. Carmack admitted to making games with guns in first-person because it's more immersive. Firing a gun introduces possibilities for feedback that are unparalleled in games. I then expected him to tell me how the Oculus Rift VR headset, that he is promoting and tweaking, would further improve this. Instead, he told me how it'd change this, ushering in a new era of non-violent games. By introducing head-tracking (interaction via touch) and enclosed panoramic HD visuals, a new state of environmental immersion will be introduced, easing pressure off the necessity for action. The Oculus Rift is a baby step toward this future, but the jump from 2D to 3D could also be considered a baby step from where we now stand. I am not under the impression that the visual impact will be enough to do away with violence and immediate threats in games, but it will open the door for games like Journey that favor expression over immersion (even if not by design) to become more believable. No longer having the world confined to a screen in a living room, or the player's view fixed (or guided by a camera), will create a more intuitive world; one where the impact from moving may compare to the impact of virtual violence without a VR headset. Take away the weight of the headset, add realistic body feedback, introduce smell, and you can have realities that are virtual in name only. It's a frightening Snow Crash future that may exist in a Mad Max world, but that's the only way games will be able to tell stories of emotional impact without relying on violence. In a way, film and novels are still more immersive than games, since they carry a greater level of immersion to more kinds of stories. Recreate episodes of Mad Men or a great novel in a videogame world and you'd be bored silly. Our mind and senses guide us through art; our bodies occupying an almost catatonic state. This state, however, cannot be reached with games that require us to push buttons and fiddle with thumbsticks -- things we cannot do without thinking about them. And putting the controller aside for cutscenes forsakes the medium (sorry, Walking Dead). Dear David Cage: Dreaming of games without violence is a lofty goal. One that we may achieve in the near future. But, before we tell the masses that it's time to do away with violence, we must wait for technology to catch up to artistic expression, first, through new and improved ways of interacting with our senses. For now, let's get emotional with our fists. [Image courtesy of Jeuxactu]
On immersion, violence, and the virtual
How is it that a walk around the golf course outside my house, with its scummy pond, ugly ducklings, boring grass, and the dull sky above is so much more immersive than exploring the psychedelic world of Proteus or mystical l...
Violent Videogames
Poll: Violent videogames more dangerous than guns
The saga continues
Feb 09
// Kyle MacGregor
Apparently, violent videogames are more dangerous than guns. That's what 67 percent of Republicans think, anyway. Over two thirds of those surveyed in a recent national poll believe plastic discs are a "bigger safety thr...
Warren Spector D.I.C.E.
Warren Spector addresses violent games again at D.I.C.E.
Cites Lollipop Chainsaw as a game that 'should just not be made'
Feb 07
// Chris Carter
Speaking at the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit today, designer Warren Spector took on the concept of how gaming content has changed over time, how tastes may change as you age, and how developers need to address those changes. To stres...
David Jaffe launches glorious verbal attack on CNN anchor
Developer gives Erin Burnett a furious piece of his mind
Feb 06
// Jim Sterling
Last week, we talked about how CNN anchor Erin Burnett desperately tried to link videogames to violent crime, attempting as she did to lead a psychologist into agreeing with her, and appearing flustered when he didn't. She wa...
Whoa! A gun violence talk that does NOT blame games!
Feb 01
// Tony Ponce
[embed]243782:46668:0[/embed] You ought to check out the entire thing, but if you just want to watch the videogames segment, it's this clip labeled "The mental health stigma and violence." Cheryl Olson, co-author of the games violence research book Grand Theft Childhood, was on hand to once again point out there is little evidence to support any link between violent games and real-world violence. From her studies, she learned, "[T]he typical 13-year-old boy is playing at least one mature-rated violent game on a regular basis. And when you are looking at something very rare like a school shooting, and something that's statistically normal like playing violent videogames, it's kind of hard to make that link." Cooper agrees, "I looked at the study in ten different countries between gun violence and videogame sales, and it doesn't seem like there's a link in all these different countries." The discussion then shifts towards children suffering from mental health issues, and from there the panelists begin talking about the difficulties parents face in getting even so much as a proper diagnosis and treatment for their mentally ill kids. Audience member Liza Long is invited to stand up and share the story of her 13-year-old son, who exhibits great mental instability and a proclivity towards violence. Long fears that her son has the potential to be a school shooter one day, but her efforts to seek proper treatment are hindered by doctors who would rather throw more medicine at him and authorities who would rather throw the boy in prison. As it turns out, Long's son does not play first-person shooters and its ilk, instead preferring Minecraft and Dungeons & Dragons. His issues clearly do not stem from the media he consumes, yet because current laws and medical policies are reactive rather than proactive, there's very little Long can do to prevent a potential incident down the road. Granted, videogames are but a small portion of the entire Town Hall, but when it is touched upon, it's done with serious class. This may not seem like the most mind-blowing discourse to you -- these are the kinds of conclusions game bloggers and other pro-game outlets draw on a regular basis -- but considering it's a public forum held in front of possibly millions of viewers, it's very refreshing to hear. So yeah, more of that on TV, please.
Anderson Cooper's Town Hall special discusses gun violence
It might be easy to label all major news pundits as being dangerously ignorant of videogames, especially when it concerns sexual or violent content. However, we ought to know better than to paint everyone with the same broad ...
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Status updates from everyone
Jed Whitaker
No comment.
Omg i love the internet
Mike Martin
Iron Paladin
Jed Whitaker
I can't wait to mute Niero. #NoRules #ThePurge
Joe Parlock
I spent all last night playing Day of Defeat: Source. If only Valve gave it even half the attention it did to TF2 or CS:S...
Nearing Platinum status.
Sheesh i played metal gear rising before and Platinum ruined the franchise.
Toonami is running a poll right now at [url]www.toonami.com/poll[/url] where one of the questions is which show you'd want un-cancelled. Oh, Teen Titans is included? That's curious...
"The Ravagers dropped the giant insects and waited for them to evolve ... it's clear. This is their plan from the start" -EDF 4.1 scientist So dragons are evolved forms of ants, spiders and/or wasps ....... what?
Every time I hear "I don't understand why people like _____ game", I get annoyed. Of course you understand, if you've listened to what those people were saying. You just don't agree, and that's A-OK. I HATE Twilight, but I understand why people like it.
Just tried playing the first Bayonetta game... it was really bad. Honestly I don't understand why Platinum games are so well regarded. None of them are really worthwhile.
The first person I block is the person who talks shit about Platinum
Even though your waifus are shit
Darth Wachen
Finally, a blog that I can call my own, I feel accomplished somehow.
Gonna be honest; this really made my day.
Rico the Penguin
I doubt I'll use it much but I'm totally fine with a block/ignore feature. Everyone has a right to speak, but I don't think anyone has a right to be heard. If this place played country music I'd want a mute button, basically :p.
Sir Shenanigans
Mall haul today (plus I split a BEAUTIFUL Star Wars Slave I with my brother). Any thoughts on Haze? Wanted to play it back when it came out and I had no PS3. For a dollar you can't go wrong!
I'm not gonna lie, I don't feel "good" about the upcoming "ignore" feature. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like the idea that people can mute other people because they don't agree with them. Spammers and trolls, sure, but not regular community members.
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