Grand Theft Auto 4, BBC now can't make up its mind



A quick search for BBC GTA on Google demonstrates that actually, the BBC can't make up their mind about Grand Theft Auto 4.

They seem to follow populist in whichever section of the media they're operating. For news it's outrage, for tech it's the greatest thing ever.

Grand Theft Auto 4; The BBC thinks its the end of the world

The BBC have done it again...

I woke up this morning, bleary eyed. Stumbled across by bedroom and turned on my TV; the first thing I normally I do. I enjoy the dull monotones of Breakfast on the BBC, it helps me wake up.



This morning my anger levels started to rise as my poor sleepy ears picked up what could only be described as the complete and utter bollocks that was being farted out of my TV's speakers.

Yes that's right Grand Theft Auto 4 was released today in the UK, and guess what. The BBC have decided its the end of the world.

Ugly old crone, and doddering old man as I like to call them where at it again. Trying their hand at reporting popular culture but unfortunately as usual, messing it up with their lack of experience in that perticular field (because they are old and ugly).

The two presenters rapped-up in their hatred for the game that the two experts they had in to give the normally balance BBC view got made to look like, violence obsessed freaks.

The experts were trying to promote the free rooming nature of the game, and the fact that the developers had successfully created a main character which isn't this Russian immigrant that is plastered all over the package. But the actual city it self.



But apparently that is not the reason the BBC had decided to talk about that game today. They were out for blood.

"Surely violent games are bad for kids"
"Violent games aren't ethical"
"Kids can't tell the difference between games and real life anymore"


"ALL THE WORLDS PROBLEMS MUST BE DOWN TO COMPUTER GAMES!!!!!!"

CHRIST ON A CRUTCH

So I guess parenting definitely isn't a factor in how kids behave. Kids just do what Rockstar tell them.

Oh but its gets so much better. They finished this pathetic little piece with the passing comment that, in-fact both of them have never actually played the frigging game.



UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE

What made me laugh the most is the people the presenters think they represent the most, where in-fact phoning in and texting saying things, like:

"Well its a 18 certificate game, its not for kids"

"Its the parents fault for buying their kids the game in the first place"

"It's just like letting your 10 year old kid watch Scarface, you wouldn't let them do that. So why buy them a 18 certificate computer game"


To be honest, I shouldn't have really expected much. These are the people that said that gaming on the the Wii would never beat the excitement of a good book, or was that news night.

Anyway I know this show is probably aimed at an older audience, but I have never seen more a more shit fueled ten minutes of TV in my whole life.

RANT OVER!

The Shape Of Things To Come...

I managed to watch the new episode of Lost on Saturday. Don't ask me how, but its because I'm not going to be around this weekend to do the Podcast. Which I'm incredibly annoyed with because this is without the doubt the episode of the season...maybe the greatest episode ever.

I'm not going to go in to why its absolutely amazing... I will leave it to the guys on the podcast.

What I will say is a theory we had a few weeks back maybe completely spot-on. Which is great because we all get a bit of stick for apparently not knowing what we are talking about. So IN YOUR FACE, all you people that said we were "worse then your clueless friends at work". It seems our theories aren't as rubbish as you seem to think.

It feels like Lost has gone up a gear, entered a new phase. I will hopefully explain more this Monday when everyone has seen the show.

I will leave you with this little teaser!!!

"He changed the rules"

Lost needs a new intro...

Mr Lee sent me this link last week and it made me laugh enough to want to share it.

"The modern trend for making shows without opening titles really scuffs my nips. we've decided, with the help of Darling, to show J.J Abrams the error of his ways and help him out at the same time with a lovely, theme tuned up, opening. You can use it if you like Mr Abrams." - Weebls Stuff




Click here for the amazing new LOST INTRO!!!!111!!

Mario Paint Music

This is something I discovered the other day.

Something that made me chuckle uncontrollably.

So let me introduce you to Mario Paint UGC (User generated content):



Mario Paint was a game for the Super Nintendo. It took advantage of the crazy Nintendo mouse addon...if advantage is the right word lol. Painting was of the course made up the meat of the game but you could also compose your own music on.



So that inspired me to search for some of my favourite games themes on YouTube.

Zelda



Metal Gear Solid



And my favourite, Sonic The Hedgehog



If you want to get in to this rather amusing craze then download the MARIO PAINT COMPOSER.

And you can join in on your computer at home.

Yes that's right, World of Goo.

Following my brief jaunt from the blog-o-sphere I found myself pondering upon what nugget of information to use in an attempt to thrust myself back into that particular mindset. And as I was sifting through a miasma of crappy game trailers I'm hit by the title-World of Goo.

Naturally I'm curious, who wouldn't be, add to this the fact it's listed as a Wii title and I can barely control myself.

And ooh sweet betsy was I pleased, not only does this game titivate those ascetic brain cells but this looks to be some truly ingenious gameplay. However, it was the inspiring music of this trailer that finally won me overly.




I just love the whole design of this thing, very reminiscent of my all time favourite cartoon Invader Zim.

Whats more not only can you get a pc-only preview chapter if you pre-order, it seems there are T-shirts too!!! Just head on over to the boys at 2DBoy.

Thundercat girls are loose in London

How do you promote a Thundercats DVD box set release in the totally non-sexist brave new world in which we live? With some Thundercat girls of course. Although, these two Cheetaras actually make me think that the forthcoming Thundercats movie (2010) might actually work.




Braid, Love and Linger

I have been gathering together some more tip-bits on some of the most interesting independent, art house and just plan cool games on the web.

Braid



Braid(interesting name)...lots of blog have been playing test versions of this game and have been saying stuff like:

"The preview build of Braid comprises one of the most interesting, satisfying, beautiful game experiences I’ve ever had..."

And

"Let it be known that, at the time of writing, I envy every single person who reads this preview. Why? Because I’ve just started up … Braid for the first time, and I’ll never get to do it again. I’ll be able to play it again, sure, but it won’t ever be the same as it was just now. I can’t, unlike the game’s protagonist, rewind time and have the same experience again."

Rather high praise indeed, and to be honest. It’s hard not to get rather excited with those kinds of comments flying around. However, I haven’t played it, so I can’t really jump on the cock sucking bandwagon.

But we can all gawk at the rather impressive visuals...and they are impressive!

More games should have this hand drawn look; I think it make’s a game look loved. Like the people behind it actually care about what they are making. Not like these corporate clone games, rendered in their flawless 3D, with their voice acting and online multiplayer modes. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good mass marketed shoot ‘em up like the next guy. But I’m the first to admit that they lack soul – and a game has gots’ta have soul, its just gots’ta

I guess these Independent games are incredibly similar to independent film. The people behind them make up for the lack of finance with ingenuity and good old fashioned hard graft.

It’s a game for the Xbox 360, probably going to be sold through their Virtual console thingy. I think it looks worthy of my time and money. Just so I can give some of my money to the right peoplef for a change.





Braid Blog

Linger in shadow



Now, I have no idea what this is. Is it a tech demo? Is it in game footage?
Kotaku has no idea either. But it does show off the capabilities of the PS3.

Problem is that if it is just a tech demo, then it goes in the box with all the rest. It’s one of the PS3’s major flaws:

TOO MANY TECH DEMOS, NOT ENOUGH IMPLEMENATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY!

Give them games, actual games people can play. Imagine that. If it is a game, then it smells a lot like some kind of Final Fantasy clone.

Love



I’ve decided to follow this one. The MMO that I mentioned a few posts back. It sounds awesome. But I do have one reservation about it. What normally happens when you give people the chance to manipulate anything in a persistent online world, they tend to course utter Chaos. Just look at the mess that is Second Life.





I hope this doesn’t go the same way but it’s hard to see how it won’t. We just love to annoy each other, especially when it’s behind a face less avatar where you don’t have to take any responsibility for your behaviour.

I like the idea that people can create their own story. "Hey, you were that guy that ruined this section of the environment with all these annoying statues"

The Emergency Subnet, Channel4 and Afterworld

So, the final word was solved a bit slower then the first 3. I guess they tried to make it a bit harder as it seems to be the final clue and video.

The last video turned out to be quite cool. It’s a mash up between Afterworld, and the SubNet. You see bits of Russell, which I guess if from the show. As well as shots of Maia, the ones we have been seeing for that last 4 weeks.

Any week’s word was REVELATION, and here are some screen grabs from the resulting video.








At the end of the video you get automatically forwarded here:


www.channel4.com/afterworld



where you can watch the first 4 episodes.

I have only watched the first 10 on YouTube as you can’t see anymore. So I guess they will be showing the whole thing on C4. It’s a bit of a bold move for C4. Maybe a bit too bold as they are showing this “animation” at 2 o'clock on a Saturday morning; I guess I will just record it on my freeview box.

If TV isn’t your thing it looks like you can watch it on the site as well which is pretty cool.

Fair play to C4, they have taken a risk with this one. I hope it pays off for them because I’ m a fan of SCI FI and from what I have been reading, reaction to this one has been pretty good so I think I’m going to give this one my time.

Latest Mackenzie Crook film is steaming pile of...

Britcom ordure... I have absolutely nothing against Mackenzie Crook - he was in The Office, which is always going to mean kudos to him, and Pirates no.1 was good fun, so no complaints there. However, this latest attempt at a British comedy has more in common with Sex Lives of the Potato Men than Shaun of the Dead. By which I mean it sucks hard.

Called Three And Out (which is an entirely unmemorable title, and one I kept forgetting and having to get my other half to remind me of), it's basically about a sadsack, loner tube driver - played by Crook - who has the misfortune of having two people fall to their deaths under his train in the space of a few weeks. His colleagues then inform him of the unspoken rule - if you're unlucky enough to have three people perish under you in the space of a month, you get pensioned off owing to the emotional trauma, receiving ten years' pay in a lump sum. Crook's character dreams of fleeing London for a life of solitude in Scotland where he can fulfil his dreams and write a novel. So he comes up with a plan - to find someone who is about to do the deed and pay them £1500 to wait a few days and chuck themselves under his train - which he manages to do in the shape of a down on his luck Irishman (played by Colm Meaney).

The majority of the film is thus taken up with this odd couple's road trip in order for Meaney to locate his wife and daughter whom he abandoned eight years before, give them some money and impart some wisdom or somesuch before returning to London and offing himself on the tracks. I'm extremely anti spoiler so even though I urge you not to waste your time, let alone your money, on this woeful movie, I will not give away the ending. Suffice to say, it does away with any sense of realism or attempt at credible actions and is simply ludicrous. Aiming for a mix of laughs and emotional beats, it delivers few of the former and possibly, possibly one of the latter.

The best thing about it is seeing quite a lot of Gemma Arterton (the new Bond chick) in an unnecessary sex scene. Nice boobs though. And that is my final word on the matter.

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and Diablo 'Juno' Cody's TV comedy

I'd love to come up with a really juicy post that could match up to my last one on Fringe, the new JJ Abrams project, but I fear this isn't it. Sadly, I have not yet been able to procure the script for Joss Whedon's latest endeavour - also for Fox and also a sci-fi action stylee thing. Thus far, what I know is that Eliza Dushku (I know you know but in case not, she was Faith in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) plays one of a team of secret agents who carry out tasks for goodness knows who.

The kicker is that these agents are 'dolls' who are able to be imprinted with any number of special skills or abilities in order to carry out their missions. When they return to base - the titular Dollhouse - their memories are wiped. However, Dushku's character slowly begins to realise what the truth of her situation is, which will obviously lead to a clash with the powers that be. Tahmoh 'Battlestar Galactica' Penikett is also said to now be attached as a potential love interest for her. It all sounds very appealing, although Whedon could probably announce plans to publish his shopping list and I'd get excited. If anyone's been able to read the pilot, put me out of my misery and tell me what you think!

However, I have read Diablo Cody's new TV comedy script for Showtime (US cable channel) - it's called United States of Tara and it's about a woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder. It's definitely Juno in style - witty, pithy dialogue and quirky characters. If it didn't have Toni Collette cast as Tara then I'd probably wonder if the main conceit (one woman being various different personality types) would be annoying or just plain unbelievable, but Collette is a superb and versatile actress, so I'll hazard the opinion now that this will be good. Time will tell....

Satellite images on the Emergency SubNet

The CommNet is finally open and we now have access to two satellite images. One of them covers London Bridge, while the other is of Big Ben (Westminster). Apparently the people behind the subnet have hidden letters in the images.

An E has been found in the back window of an abandoned car in the Westminster image. However this is where there search has run dry.

I was looking at the Unfiction thread on the ARG and I came across a screenshot that made me chuckle.

You guys must be loosing your touch.





Last time I checked, London Bridge didn't have a Gigantic "L" on the top of it.

Scratch one up for Tom!

The Enegency SubNet: Week 3

After a week of sifting through the videos, blog and the SearchNet entries. Last weeks Keyword was found to be Purgatory.





Once entered in to the SearchNet you are treated to the usual dream-like video-scape.















On a side note the rather industrus "Steph" from the Unfiction forums has created a Google Map of Maia's journey across London.

You can download Google here.

And the download her excellent work from here.

On a side not, I was going through daily motion and someone has uploaded a Maia video. Which made me chuckle to myself.




Well it looks like the mystery might have been solved!



One of the blog entries struck a cord with one the guys over at the (yup you guessed it) Unfiction forums.

"When the Crash happened, there were thousands of people around me and then - gone. Disappeared complerely. Clothes, jewellery, everything. They just vanished.

Except me. Was I standing in the right place? Protected somehow? Am I different? Or was it just a miracle?"

Apparently this is a very similar to a happening that occurs in a show called Afterworld.

Stolen from Wikipedia

"Afterworld premiered in the United States on the YouTube and Bud.tv on February 28, 2007 with the production website being launched in May, 2007. The series quickly built a loyal fanbase but did not really take off until August, 2007 when it was 're-released' on MySpace. In conjunction with that release the series was also released in Australia on the Sci Fi Channel and also as a mobile pod-cast."

"After travelling to New York City on a business trip, Russell Shoemaker wakes to find all electronic technology dead and more than 99% of the human race missing"

So it sounds like there are a lot of ties in with what's happening to Maia, but from the US perspective. This could mean that there maybe could be a UK version of the show on its way - the website does say "Europe - Coming soon".

I managed to watch the first 10 episodes here on Youtube. The others seem to blocked to the UK.

Afterworld on Youtube

It's not bad. At first I thought it looked a bit shoddy but the story got me hooked. I started finding that watching the episodes was strangely relaxing. Strange but annoying true...problem is that I can't get anymore of it.

Anyway, we have either got this one solved or Afterworld just got a load of free advertising.

I'm starting to think that this could just be a bit of random entertainment. Not actually promoting anything, except maybe a design companies skill and imagination. Its either that or Afterworld, lol.

I love the web, where else can you get free entertainment.

PS.

Credit goes to the ever vigilant Leyton Stone, who has found some additional clues:

"I'm leaning toward it being a "real life" version of a little thing that's recently come to my attention called "Afterworld" if you go to www.afterworld.tv (Doesn't work in the UK unless you use a proxy btw) it uses CGI to tell the story of a guy called Russell Shoemaker... He heads to NY for a meeting w/ some big "IBM" guys, whilst there something happens he calls "The Fall" which causes 99% of the "population" to disappear and absolutely nothing [A.C] electrical to work.

In Maia's blog she talks about going to NY for a meeting w/ some "IBM Honchos" and in her LATEST Video she wonders about New York, whether it's the same and also wonders about "Russell"..."