My Views of the Future

            My view of the future is that the Mayans were correct, and I only have 23 days of life left. Plants do not turn on us and kill us with toxic spores. Computers do not unleash nuclear weapons on America. Robots do not use poisonous gases and poison our asses. I believe that the Earth is just going to crumble to destroy us all. The end.

iPad Game continued...

            So, earlier I started the unit of how to turn our board game into an iPad game. I went into gameplay and discussed the objectives and rules. Today, I will go over game mechanics.

            This game can play up to 4 players online, with most likely a minimum of 30 minutes game time. It could play like “Words with Friends” where players don’t have to play a continuous game until there is a winner. I see it as a patient game; players play when they have the time. Turns will be quick and simple when playing on the iPad since no one is reading a question card to that player. The screen will show the board in its entirety, and will periodically zoom in onto the player whose turn it is. There will also be a spot designated for the player’s Pest Cards in the bottom right-hand corner, where the player is able to view them in case he/she wants to use one of them.

            To me, this whole iPad part of the game is pretty self-explanatory, and can be thought-of visually very simply.

Are "Online Comics" Really "Comics"?

            Last week in class, we were introduced to the type of storytelling that combines the use of the Internet and comic styles. Essentially, they are online comics. These types of comics make way for a new era, leading to the inevitable virtual comics that can already be viewed on tablets and E-readers of today. Some of our favorite comics are being taken off of shelves, and are being put onto a screen to make viewing easier. But the question is: Is it really easier, and is this medium of viewing taking away that comic style?

THE RIGHT NUMBER

            To answer this question, I viewed two different online comics on my own, the first being Scott McCloud’s The Right Number: Parts 1and 2. This story is very different from anything I’ve read online before. It’s only one frame, and the viewer changes pages simply by clicking the spacebar or arrow on the screen. This then prompts an image in the very middle of the page to zoom in to be seen. At first, this was very distracting; I could not NOT notice it. But after the first 15-20 pages, I got used to it, and realized that it can actually be seen as a positive. It helps to add motion to the comic, so I actually consider it to be a hybrid of motion and classic comic. Each page takes less than 20 seconds to read, so it moves pretty quickly, giving the idea that the characters are actually moving. I’m eager to read Part 3.

CTRL+ALT+DEL

            The second online comic that I read is actually a 4-panel comic strip looking at two male characters who mostly sit around and play video games. It is titled CTRL+ALT+DEL, written by Tim Buckley. The majority of each comic, though, revolves around how their obsessions affect those around them. They’re funny stories that viewers like me can relate to. This comic strip had its first issue on October 23, 2002, and has a new episode every day since then. Over ten years, and it’s still extremely popular, which is good for such a small and simple story.

            So, to answer the original question of whether or not these “online comics’ really fit the description of “comics”, I’d have to say YES! They may have altered a bit, but it’s expected, especially if it changes from paper to computer screen. If they were the exact same, they would be quite boring due to lack of innovation. Buckley’s story does not stray far from paper comics at all, but the topics brought up in the stories are very relevant to a computer audience. McCloud’s story is so new and fresh, it actually ENHANCES story-telling, tenfold! In conclusion, it can be said that the comics of the future are heading in the right direction, and with a few more ideas, maybe, in my lifetime, we will begin to see the age of paper and newspaper comics coming to an end.

Road to the Clean Palace: Gameplay

            Ok, so remember that nice little iPad game idea I had last week? Yeah, well, scrap that. It didn’t work out, which I believe it is for the best since it was sort of a crappy idea anyway. Instead we developed a whole new game which is simpler, and without a doubt more fun to play. I even think that it could get even easier on an iPad, so it’s got that going for it. The game board’s layout is pretty much the same one for Candyland, so you don’t have much imagination there. At the beginning of this iPad game, the player will start off on a start menu, which will have the “start” button as well as links for stats and stuff like that. From there, the game has started.

            I’m imagining the online play will have no more than 4 people, with 5 Pest cards distributed among players. These Pest cards allow players to either gang up on or ally with other players at any time during gameplay. I imagine them displayed at one of the bottom corners so that they don’t prevent play, but also available when needed. During a turn, a question will appear on the screen for that player to answer. It will probably be timed, so he/she will need to answer the question within 30 seconds. If the question is answered incorrectly, the player is not penalized, but his/her turn is over. If it is answered correctly, the game will show what color the player will move to. The colors are randomly generated, and if the question is true/false, then the player moves one color space. If the question is multiple choice and answers correctly, then that player can move 2 colored spaces (so it could be a double-blue).

            Also, randomly generated into the game are Reward cards. They have images of say a bird, or a leaf, or an acorn, and so on. When these are drawn, the game will move that player to the space with that picture (so if a bird is drawn, that player is moved to the bird space). The player is then able to keep that Reward card and use it as a Pest card (some added bonus is good). With all of these twists added to the game, it makes gameplay longer therefore (hopefully) more fun.

            The object of the game is to reach the Clean Palace before anyone else. This becomes difficult especially with those pesky Pest cards. Next week, I will look into the mechanics for this game.

Reading Rainbow App and The Future of the Internet

            Reading Rainbow. You guys remember that show? You know: Opening Books, Opening Minds. It’s the one that aired on PBS where celebrities would come on the show and read popular children’s books. Well, if you’ve never heard of it, you most likely didn’t have a TV, because it was EVERYWHERE! The show was very popular (3^rd longest running kid’s show on PBS behind Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers), and it even scored a couple of Emmys. It lasted from 1983 to 2006, with President Bush’s shift in education philosophy blamed for its cancellation, according to show executive producer and host LeVar Burton. So, has it ringed any bells yet?

            Anywho, Burton has decided to bring back the show, but not to PBS. Instead, reruns and, most likely, new episodes of Reading Rainbow will be available at some point on the new and improved site, RRkidz. Burton got the go-ahead to develop this site back in March. Kids will have the opportunity to view digital books that have that RR feel to it, and in the near future, if the site gains enough interest, actual episodes of the show. So it looks like Reading Rainbow is getting a second chance at educating young children in the form of online learning. Now for the big question: Good idea or bad idea?

            Personally, I never enjoyed Reading Rainbow as a kid. I remember times when I used to watch it, but it got to a point when the books weren’t all that good, and the narrators were just boring. I decided that turning off the TV and reading my own books was better. More often than not, I would just change the channel. Does this mean that I disagree with the new online concept? HELL NO! I praise what they’re doing. If it lasted for more than 20 years with static demographics, I say more power to them; they must have been doing something right. And now Burton has found a medium that has become popular and quite useful for modern years, the Internet and apps. Although the article never stated the fact that apps would be used, I would assume that’s the direction they will be going in once it gets off of the ground. Basically, I have no doubt that this is going to work for Burton and the RR fans.

            This leads me to a hot topic: the Future of the Internet. And there is only one way to describe it: Up. Billions of people have benefitted from the Internet since it came about in the 90s, and even more will benefit from it many years from now. Have you ever considered what your life would be like if you never had any access online? In recent years, not only do we have Internet access, but now it’s portable; cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc. have all been extremely useful when needed. At this point, it’s even harder to determine when this would even end. And it probably won’t! Every year, there is a new piece of technology that consumers buy to help enrich and simplify their lives. It may even just be an upgraded version of a piece of tech, but people buy them anyway. Who knows when this age of technology will ever end; all I can say is to live and flourish in the present with what we have.

Structure of Essex County

            In Jeff Lemire’s Essex County, three unique stories tell a tale that gives an audience a very special history of the small town. In the first book, Tales from the Farm, a young boy has to deal with living with a distant uncle after his mother passed away. The young boy befriends a mysterious older man, who is no stranger to the uncle. The second book, Ghost Stories, is narrated by a senile old man in which he tells his life story involving glory days, relationships with his brother, and so on. At the same time, he has to realize the fact that he is getting older, and can no longer live on his own. His personal nurse struggles with trying to take care of this man, but it is too much once the third book, The Country Nurse, starts, for the man dies of old age. The story now revolves around this lone nurse, who is distant from her son, but is also very strong when dealing with death or loss. The viewer becomes aware of her role during some flashbacks to 1917. Basically, the stories become less confusing as they go along, and even after reading the first one, the reader most likely will want to keep going. Not only because of Lemire’s fantastic arts, but for the story structure, especially.

            We get a glimpse of the world that is Essex County in the first book, but it really doesn’t expand until the second. Lemire wants to introduce a few characters and a handful of conflicts, but will not jump into the story in just the first few pages. No, the reader has to get to book two for the main plot to really start. And even when you think you understand it, book three comes along and really throws you for a loop. I’m not saying that the structure is at all confusing; on the contrary, he pulls it off magnificently, and we don’t even think twice about it. I feel like this story would not even exist if not for Lemire’s unique structures. They really emphasize a story that (let’s face it) isn’t absolutely amazing. But because of the homeliness and “average” feel to it, using such an artistic style and structure adds so much to the excellent novel.

New Project: iPad Game

  So, the new plan is to post about a new project: Making our educational board game into an iPad game. This can be done, but unfortunately, I do not think these posts are going to be very long. This week, I'm going to focus on gameplay and how it will impact virtual play.
  My game revolves around how a player can get from point A to point B on a given path without losing all energy. At the same time, the player will learn about how a watershed can impact the community that the particular player lives in. In order to convert this into an iPad game, we can start on a home menu that includes "start", "how to play", and "credits" links. When the player presses "start", that player has the option to play as a different animal, which can range from a bat to a sparrow and so on. Once a player has been chosen, the game begins.
  The player starts on the first square, and the goal is to get to the end of the path without losing all energy, which is displayed in a health bar (and percentage underneath) in the top left-hand corner. a virtual dice will display in the middle of the screen, obscuring the game until the player taps it. When the dice is tapped, it stops on whatever number is tapped (basically, the number is randomly generated). The dice disappears, and only shows up for the player to roll when it's time to move. Whatever number was shown is how many tiles the player can move. So far, it's pretty basic, and I think that if I continue, then I'll finish the entire topic, and I won't have anything left to blog about for the rest of the semester. Next week, I will continue discussing gameplay for the educational watershed game.

My "Manliest Men" in Games

            Last week, I posted my response to Joey Esposito’s “10 Manliest Men in Video Games”, so this week, I want to include some characters that did not make the list. These characters have been very popular over the years, and I feel that it is a disgrace that they did not make Mr. Esposito’s cut. Here are just a few…

Dante

            Dante – Devil May Cry series – Just what every main male character needs - a smart mouth. Dante has delivered on that aspect of himself in spades with each installment of his journeys to take out the demons that walk the Earth. More often than not, he can also back up his over the top loud mouth, which makes him one of those characters that can easily be enjoyed as you play through their games. There is one other thing that makes Dante stand out from the masses, and that is his impenetrable devilish arrogance to go along with his mouth. While this could be seen as the same thing, he does not see it that way. They are two different abilities he has been building on since he first appeared on the scene in 2001. We just keep asking for more and Dante is more than willing to help us out.

Chris Redfield

            Chris Redfield – Resident Evil series – What sucks more? Having your entire special teams unit wiped out with the exception of a super skilled female, Jill, and loyal near veteran, Barry, along with Albert Wesker, the reason for your team's obliteration to be left alive or facing hordes and hordes of zombies? Yeah, so you kind of know how Chris feels about the world around him. What's more, take into consideration you spend almost all of your time trying to fight off zombies and ravenous dogs, and then eat green plants to heal yourself. Right, you'd feel the same way. If those were not bad enough, imagine being forced into video game hiatus, even if you did spring from the shadows looking cooler and sleeker than you ever have before. Of course, now you will be facing even more zombies and vile creatures. Oh, and the vile man who put you in this place to begin with will be somewhere sharpening the bullet with your name on it.

Master Chief

            Master Chief – Halo series – What kind of man takes on an entire race of vile creatures and lives to tell the tale? A man like Master Chief, that's who. While the good Master Chief's story is a little convoluted at times, there's nothing that denies him from appearing on the list of some of the greatest male characters in video game history. He's the kind of guy that sees the mission in front of him and does whatever it takes to get the job done even if that means stowing away on an enemy's ship in order to finish the job. Of course, there's much left to be told about his mission, but I'm sure nothing will sway my opinion of the toughest space Marine out there.

Sonic

            Sonic the Hedgehog – Sonic the Hedgehog games – Sonic's just your regular, blue teenage hedgehog. One who's able to blitz across the screen at ludicrously high speed. Oh, and survive all the centrifugal pressure you'd expect to endure when spinning about on your rear as you perform loop-de-loops in bizarrely well-designed circles of earth littered around the golden-ring covered landscape. Just a blue anthropomorphised hedgehog. Sonic's charm is in his swagger, his speed, and that shocked little face he pulls when he loses all his rings on a spike. Gaming's answer to The Flash, his sheer speediness and unhinged desire for thrill-taking is what makes him so playable, a fluid, fun-loving mentalist who can roll into a perfectly spherical ball at an extreme pace. His dialogue may not win any awards, but he's a super fast blue spiny hedgehog, what more do you want?

Link

            Link – The Legend of Zelda series – Determination is one of the key factors to being any kind of main male character. Courage is another factor heavily required to be any main male character. However, there is one trait that any male character has to have to be atop a list such as this, and that is the ability to wear a tunic and tights looking cool all the while. There is only one character that can pull this off and continuously save the day; his name is Link. If you have never experienced the joys and sense of completion you receive when playing through one of Link's many adventures, then you must. As for the courage he has, there is no question about this; he is, after all, constantly paired with the Tri-Force of Courage piece. So what if all of his games generally have the same plot? Link has more than made up for the repetitive storylines by proving that not only does he carry off the tunic and tights look without a snicker, but that he is not required to speak. The silent hero is sometimes the best character, and in this case, those words could not be truer.

            So, that’s my list of male characters that should have made it to Joey Esposito’s list of “Manliest Men in Video Games”. Next week, I’ll look into sexually objectified males represented in video games.

Who is the "Manliest" Video Game character?

What defines the "Manliest Man"?

            To continue my topic of gender roles in video games, and how men are represented in games, I found a very intriguing article on Crave Online. Author Joey Esposito has compiled a list of who he believes to be the “Manliest Men in Video Games”. Esposito introduces the article by stating that men have interesting, but yet disturbing, features to their personalities. Often, men are only able to display one of these characteristics at a time. So Esposito gives an example of what exactly he is trying to state, “many men can be both sexual deviants and highly educated, strong jawed role models, but none of them will be both at the same time. Find me a man that's teaching his son a valuable lesson about real estate while taking a whipping from two women in domino masks; it just isn't done.”

            Personally, I have no idea what he’s going on about. The way I’m reading it is this: You can have two different personalities that are on different spectrums, but you cannot display them both at the same time. Well, duh. That would be the case for women too, in my opinion. So, Esposito goes on to build his thesis by saying that men often seek role models for both guidance and understanding. He kicks off his article by assuming that there are males identified in video games that can actually “showcase different aspects of our complex (but often misunderstood) emotions.” Here are just a few of Esposito’s “manliest of men” located in the world of video games:

Dash Rendar

            Number 8 is Dash Rendar from Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire. If you’ve never played this game, then you have never heard of Dash, as he is the substitute for Han Solo, and has never appeared in any of the movies. Dash is a mercenary by trade, but according to Esposito, Dash is “unlike most men of his profession, [for] he is modest and honorable.” I’m sorry to have to ruin the end of this game if you’ve never played it, but Dash ends up faking his own death by destroying the Skyhook and becomes a martyr as well as an alliance hero. Dash, unlike Han, never asks for a reward or any recognition, making him a “treasure to the male society.

Solid Snake

            Number 6 is Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid Series. If you’re going to list the manliest men in games, you’re going to see Snake somewhere. He’s one of the most recognizable names in video game history. Esposito describes him as “both cunning and gruff, claiming a resourcefulness short of MacGyver.” He even goes on to that Snake “has a voice that would make your grandmother wet.” Really, Joey? Why did you have to go there?

John Madden

            Number 3 is John Madden from the Madden Series. At this point, I’m starting to believe that this whole article is just a big joke. Esposito claims that Mr. Madden serves the classic cliché of the “homoerotic”. Madden’s “obscure fact-spewing persona of a male that revels in slouching on a couch, and…….” Well, use your imagination on that one. Basically, Esposito is trying to get across that Madden shows us that there’s nothing manlier than “a man who is comfortable with his own sexuality.” Of course, there’s nothing gayer than football…..

Mario

            Number 1 is none other than Mario from the Mario Series. Mario reigns over all men in games simply because he is just your average, everyday workingman. I mean, it’s not every day that you’re cleaning your toilet, fall in and uncover another kingdom, then have to fight your way through mushrooms and giant fire-breathing turtles just to find out that the princess you’ve come to rescue was in another castle the whole time! As Esposito puts it “though Mario is merely ‘average’ in comparison to the rest of the manly men on this list, his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, along with his constant avoidance of letting his social status weigh him down, has made him supremely beyond average.” Mario is truly a representation of the potential that lies dormant within all of us.

            So, if you’re interested in finding out who else made Joey Esposito’s list of “manliest men in video games”, go check him out! He’s sort of vulgar, but hey, who isn’t these days? Next week, I plan on doing some research on some of my favorite male characters that can be found in games of today.

Tablets and What I Think of 'em

Ok, so for those of you that I haven’t told, I am currently a sales associate at Staples. When I say that, you’re probably thinking “OOOOOHHHH! Zaq must know a lot about tablets and laptops and computers and Windows 8 and yada yada yada……” Nope. You are wrong. I specialize in pens and paper and envelopes and calendars and thermal paper and yada yada yada. BUT, I am “required” to know what tech associates “supposed” to know, which is technology products. Occasionally, I’ll have a customer come up to me in the back of the store while I am stocking paper products and ask me technology questions. I don’t know everything about our technology products, but I know a lot more than the average technology consumer. This is because I am required to take certification tests on new tech products. SO……. I’m no tablet or Windows guru (because I own a Mac and do not own any sort of tablet), but I do know a thing or two about tablets and (more recently) Windows 8.

            At work, I’ve heard some chatter about the Microsoft Surface, but all I knew was that we were going to start selling it soon. After watching the short review of it on cnet.com, I couldn’t help but think about how innovative Windows 8 is going to be. It seemed like the reviewer had a lot to praise regarding the operating system, but the only good things he had to say about the tablet itself were physical factors (which I believe to be very beneficial for a tablet). I still didn’t catch why Microsoft left the desktop interface still on the tablet; IT’S USELESS ON TABLETS! THAT’S WHY THEY CHANGED IT IN WINDOWS 8! After a review of Windows 8 at work, there was only one thing I concluded from it: It will be very useful on tablets, helpful (but also kinda hindering) on a cell phone, and an absolute nightmare for PCs. Will I tell my customers that? Never. I think, as a whole, the Surface is going to be an all-around different and (better?) tablet than what’s out there presently. Does that account for the price? You betcha. (Actually, off the record, I want to point out that when certain companies debuted their tablets including Samsung, Asus, and HP, prices for these items would range between $299-$699, excluding Google’s Nexus’ $259 price since it’s a piece of shit. So I think that the Surface’s $499 price is worth it).

            As I said earlier, I own a Mac (to be specific, I own a MacBook Pro, and an iPod Touch, ?g). The funniest part about this is that I own an HTC Surround phone (aka Windows phone). Doesn’t that just blow your mind? Anyway, when I checked out thehuffingtonpost.com and read about the newest member of the Apple family, the iPad mini, I became a bit puzzled. Now, Staples does not sell Apple products (something about bad corporate relations), so if I need to find something new in the Apple world, I consult the World Wide Web, or just visit my buddies next door at Best Buy. So, after reading about the mini’s specifications, I couldn’t help but think: Well, for that price, why don’t I just upgrade to a regular iPad? Apple said it's upgrading its full-size iPad, “doubling the speed of the processor. The fourth-generation iPad will have a better camera and work on more LTE wireless data networks around the world. Apple is also replacing the 30-pin dock connector with the new, smaller Lightning connector introduced with the iPhone 5 a month ago.” That sounds like a better deal, right? I’m not hating on Apple or their newest product, but I just think that if I really wanted one, I’d either save my money and get an iPhone, or take a hit and spend a little extra and get an iPad 3 or 4.

            In conclusion, if you have the need for a tablet, I find them to be very helpful devices. Personally, I do not have the need or (currently) the desire to own a tablet. Or even an e-reader, for that matter, but that’s a different story to be told at another time!

Males and Video Games: Addiction?

Boys and their games....

            Throughout this whole segment, I have focused solely on how women are represented in the video game industry. I do this because there is more of an argument, and when most people think of “sexism” caused by the media, it’s usually against the female population. There’s honestly not a huge amount of research on the male role in these games, but I believe that it’s about time that I start to focus on the other side of the gender coin.

            For the rest of the topic concerning gender roles portrayed in video games, I will look into the subject of men and their gaming counterparts. First, what needs to be understood is the fact that males are often the main characters in the videogames of both past and present. In the past ten years, there has been a shift in stereotyped protagonists, but for the most part, males dominate the industry. I believe that the industry strongly targets male audiences this way in order to attract them into playing a specific game. Is it bad that these developers would rather boys and men play their games moreso than girls and women? I don’t believe it is, for the reason that this nation’s culture is shaped by this form of media. Now, what I find dangerous are the outcomes of what males see in these games.

            Video game addiction is a very serious disease today. One of the latest headlines from the United Kingdom Times Online says this: "Boy collapses after playing World of Warcraft for 24 hours straight." After the release of a new version of the infamous game, this 15-year-old collapsed and went into convulsions caused by sleep deprivation, lack of food, and the prolonged period of concentration playing the game. In Canada, the recent disappearance and death of a 15-year-old Ontario boy after a dispute with his parents over a video game revived concerns about computer games and Internet gaming. In March 2008, Philadelphia resident and obsessive gamer Tyrone Spellman killed his 17-month-old daughter after she damaged his Xbox game console. A Florida man made headlines after he shot his neighbor over a missing PlayStation 3. What do all of these tragic events have in common? The assailants displaying signs of video game addiction are all male. Coincidence? Probably not, according to research from Stanford University.

Males seem to grasp the concept more than females

            A recent brain-imaging study by researchers at Stanford's school of medicine suggests that while playing video games, men have more activity in the mesocorticolimbic center, the region of the brain associated with reward and addiction, than women. Study participants - 11 men and 11 women - were asked to click on 10 moving balls before they hit a wall on the screen. Successful players were rewarded with territory, though the participants were not told the benefits of clicking on the balls.  All participants quickly figured out the objective of the game and displayed similar motor skills, but because the men figured out which balls (the ones closest to the wall) earned them the most land, they gained significantly more territory than the women. The researchers also found greater activation in male brains in three brain structures - the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex - and that the brain activity increased according to how much territory they had gained. The female brains showed no such correlation. Researchers believe these findings, which were published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, can help explain why most avid video gamers have a Y chromosome. "These gender differences in the brain may help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become hooked on video games than females," said Dr. Allan Reiss, who headed up the research team.  Of course, many women enjoy video games and play exceedingly well. But by triggering the reward centers of the brain, there is concern that men are at higher risk for video game addiction or compulsive gaming.

Is this what a gamer looks like?

            This is the description industry experts provide of the average gamer: A male 30 years of age or younger who spends about seven or eight hours a week gaming.  Up to 90 percent of American youth play video games and as many as 15 percent of them (more than 5 million kids) may be addicted, according to data cited in a report by the American MedicalAssociation's Council on Science and Public Health. A recent Harris Interactive study reports that the number is even higher, with nearly one-third (31%) of males and roughly one in ten females (13%) reporting that they have felt "addicted" to video games. The AMA also warns that dependence-like symptoms including academic underachievement, aggression, and weight gain are more likely in children who start playing video games at younger ages.

Is WOW dangerous for its players?

            For both men and women, gaming can yield many of the characteristic signs of addiction: a sense of euphoria; excessive game play and thoughts about gaming; neglecting family, friends, and school or work; and even physical symptoms such as migraines, weight gain, and sleep disturbances. Young people who are isolated, anxious, depressed, or suffering from low self-esteem are particularly at risk of developing a video game addiction. In light of the recent news stories about young people engaging in compulsive gaming to the detriment of their health and the safety and well-being of those around them, some companies are responding by changing how they design their games. Blizzard Entertainment, creator of the online game World of Warcraft, updated its game to minimize the qualities that might provoke dependency in its players. Video game manufacturers are also focusing tremendous resources on developing games with active and social components, such as Guitar Hero and Wii Fit. Experts recommend that parents set limits around the amount of time kids can spend playing video games each day. Even if teens don't always follow the rules, research shows having a rule in place helps children understand what is expected of them. As with all products with potential for abuse, moderation is the most important rule of thumb.

Some Annoying Pieces of Tech

            Ok, so I’m reading this “12 Annoying Technologies”, and I agree with some of these items. I can deal with a lot of them, but there are a few things here that have peeved me a bit over the years.

            First is “Phone Voice Recognition”. Out of everything on this list, this one is the one that infuriates me the most. At first, it sounds like an awesome idea, that is, until you try it. Now, if you talk fast or mumble or something that makes your speech unclear, I can understand if your phone has trouble coming up with what you said (it’s your own fault), but if you repeat yourself once or twice and it still doesn’t understand, then hang up your phone and never try it again; it’s not worth your time.     

            Next thing on the list that caught my attention was “Fax Machines”. WHO USES FAX MACHINES ANYMORE!? To be honest, I work in an office supply store, where we can send and receive faxes at a special copy center in the store. Surprisingly, a lot of people use them. Even worse is the fact that one out of one hundred people actually know how to use them. And if that one person knows how to use it, chances are it’s not gonna work due to a “PC Load Letter” error, or something of that nature. You wanna know my opinion of fax machines? This:

            On one note, I would like to point out that “touchless bathrooms” should not be on this list. Those saw-blade hand dryers are cool.

            Lastly, QR codes make no sense to me. When I first heard about one, I thought, “Ok, you take a picture of it, and it magically links you online to a specific site? Sounds plausible.” No, that has never happened for me once. You can’t just forget about those things. I’d say it’s a scam, but you’re not losing out on anything, so all I can really say is that the dude who came up with the idea was probably high on paint chips.

Comparing Frame Usage in Essex County: Ghost Stories and 300

      Frame usage is one of the most crucial parts of a comic book or graphic novel. When looking at every picture, it’s important to use the right type, amount, and style of frames. When dealing with different genres of books, these frames may be different or similar (or even both). In Jeff Lemire’s story Essex County, the frames are scarce, which adds to the mystery of the story itself. My first graphic novel that I chose was Frank Miller’s 300, which uses frames in both similar and different ways when compared to Essex County.
      In Essex County, the frames’ borders are often the same, medium black. They do not differ in any way at all throughout the story. This shows continuity, and doesn’t confuse the reader at any point regarding narration and story line. To emphasize Book Two: Ghost Stories, there are really a few types of frames used: The typical frame-to-frame¹, frame-within-a-frame², and one-frame³. When looking at 300, the reader is able to notice that the same types of frames are used as well:

1:Frame-to-Frame

2:Frame-within-a-Frame

3:No Frame

1:Frame-to-Frame

2:Frame-within-a-Frame

3:No Frame

       These are basic frames that serve their purpose depending on what’s happening in the story. For example, frame-within-a-frame is beneficial to use when looking at shot-to-shot angles. It is used in 300 after Xerxes’ personal guards left loose their arrows upon the Spartans. The frames within the frame of the arrows show Spartans being hit by them, as well as a frame showing Xerxes’ reaction to the slaughter. In Essex County, this frame usage is used when Lou and Beth kiss for the first time. There are tiny frames that show them holding hands, moments at a time, and the big frame at the rear is the moon, but it’s actually Old Lou’s eyes, which are crying.

First Kiss

Arrows

            Now, certain frames are also different when looking at these two novels. In Essex County Book Two: Ghost Stories, Lemire uses a scrapbook style to focus on Vince and his accomplishments while playing for The Grizzlies. It helps give the reader a sense that he/she is actually looking at the book with Old Lou; actually sitting next to him in the basement. 300 uses a frame type that is slightly different than anything seen in Essex County. During giant fight scenes, Miller shows how epically scaled the battles are by putting them on two landscaped pages; in fact, the entire book is landscaped, which differs from Essex County, which is letter sized.

Scrapbook

Landscape

            Both stories are different in their own way, but as different as they are, they also have many similarities when looking at their mechanics and presentation. I find this interesting since I would have never have thought to have compared the two before this particular blog. It’s actually quite an astonishment, to say the least, but hey, we learn something new everyday, I suppose.

Anita Sarkeesian's BIG Project!

Ok, so last week I summarized Matthew Byrd’s article about sexism and misogyny in videogames. The article was a direct response to Anita Sarkeesian’s video regarding the same topic that can be found on Kickstarter. I did no research on this video, nor was I aware of whom Sarkeesian was. The first time I took a look at this video was literally 15 minutes ago. First off, I want to point out that Sarkeesian has been making feminist videos for years and is basically an Internet celebrity for her studies including the “Smurfette principle” and the feminist view of Legos. With that in mind, this is Sarkeesian’s video:

            Well, I have to say that Sarkeesian is both smart and quite risky.  Anita Sarkeesian is the founder of FeminineFrquency, a website that finds the smallest bit of sexism within pop culture. The video itself is an advertisement to help her start her research on “Tropes and Women in Videogames”. When you start the video, you can already tell that she is a “gamer” (or actress?). She has at least 3 game systems, and many different games for the Xbox 360, but yet it can be seen that, when playing games, she does not have the controllers on. Is this a big deal? I don’t think so. If it’s a close-up on the controller, it doesn’t necessarily have to be on; this does NOT imply that she has “no idea” what she’s doing.

            Right at the get go, she grabs your attention by asking you if you’ve ever noticed the fact that many women in videogames fall under the same clichés and stereotypes. She goes on to say that videogames are good for an individual, and that they improve many life skills. They are also targets for sexism and misogyny (DUH). This is where Sarkeesian starts her campaign speech: She plans on putting together a 5-video documentary project. She explains that videogames are essential when it comes to shaping one’s important morals and values. In her project, Sarkeesian will focus on the “Damsel in Distress”, “The Fighting F#@k Toy”, “The Sexy Sidekick”, “The Sexy Villainess”, and the most common trope of women in videogames, the “Background Decoration”.

            Fro those of you who weren’t paying attention earlier during the video, Sarkeesian defined a “tope” as “a common pattern in a story or a recognizable attribute in a character that conveys information to the audience.” So, a cliché comes into play once that certain trope becomes “overused”.  I will say that Sarkeesian is a very relatable critic in which she talks “our” language, and is able to use examples of sexism from recognizable pop culture references.  Sarkeesian’s videos are often used by parents and teachers to “spark discussions with kids about representations of women in the media.” She ends her campaign video with an emphasis on the fact that this is a research project that has never been done before; the scope and amount of research going into this project will be “staggering”. She specifies that each video will last 10-15 minutes, and that she will not also look at hundreds of games that display negative representations, but also some games that have been able to avoid these representations. Her initial goal was to make $6,000 for this project, which was achieved in mid-June (which means it took exactly one month!); so since May, she has raised over $158,000 with just a few short of 7,000 backers! Because of this surprising outcome, Sarkeesian promises 7 more videos. Currently, she is undergoing her research, with a release date that I am unable to find (I assume unknown at this time.

            Below are some videos made by gamers who are very upset by the announcement of Sarkeesian’s research project. WARNING! There is some cursage; LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK!

            After watching this video, I have come to the conclusion that these guys are just a couple hotheads with nothing to help reinforce their opinions. So, what do you think about Sarkeesian’s videogame project? Should she continue this groundbreaking project, or is she just scamming all of her supporters? Leave me some comments BELOW!

Sexism May Ruin the Gaming Industry?

            In this week’s discussion, I looked at a blog written by a high school student (completed on 8/21/2012) from Chicago via The Huffington Post. This student’s name is Matthew Byrd, and his article is titled “Sexism and Misogyny Ruin the Reputation of Video Games as an Art Form”, and it is a direct response to a video created by Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist activist whose Kickstarter page “sought funds” for that particular video. According to Byrd, Sarkeesian has faced many criticisms; some as disturbing as a game based on her that only involves beating her to a pulp.

            Byrd explains that this is only the latest in a prolonged attack on Sarkeesian, which have been attracting the attention of many anti-video game advocates. California State Senator Leeland Lee, one of these advocates who “spearheaded the California law which prohibited minors from purchasing M-rated games” (which was struck down last year), supported Sarkeesian by stating that, “For far too long, the video game industry has glorified violence against women and often depicted female characters as nothing more than sex objects.”

            Byrd believes that Senator Lee is correct in his assessment of the video game industry. Byrd goes on to say that this is an “industry-wide embarrassment that for far too long has been devoid of strong, non-sexualized and real female characters”. He notes the fact that there have been strong female characters, such as Samus and (maybe) Lara Croft, but he does not believe that there can be any other examples. He claims that the majority of female characters have been portrayed into a “minute number of stereotypes” such as damsels in distress or “whores” in the past way too often, and are constantly just “objects to be desired”.

            People like Sarkeesian have already made this argument, but what has not been discussed is the damage that this type of sexism has on the reputation of video games. Even though violence is often a major topic of discussion in this category, sexism and sexual content are also main targets for anti-gaming activists. Senator Lee is only one of numerous activists who have made the argument that video games are an unhealthy stronghold of misogyny (or, hatred of women and females in general). Byrd believes them to be true. He states that, “the prominence of sexism and misogyny in the video game industry and our culture as a whole is an easy target for anti-gamers that damages the reputation of the industry as a whole”.

            For years, video game critics and prominent academics have made the argument that video games are an art form that deserves as much respect as films, art, literature, and music. Byrd believes that these games are a form of art, but he claims that it is hard to defend them as such in the art form “propagates a sexist image of women, and serves a community which consistently bemoans and attacks any attempt to make the industry more female-friendly and less male-centric”. He states that if the video game industry ever wants him or a larger mainstream culture to perceive games as high art, then it must address the institutionalized sexism that has come to define the medium. Next week, I plan on discussing the video that propagated this discussion in the first place, Anita Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter page.