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So it seems that we have over 1 million views...
I think part of that epicness has been the fact we have been recruiting tons of more people for GUFU. Our awesome recruitment thread is probably the key factor in this spike of numbers.
Now that we have been kicking ass in recritment. Its time to get GUFU more involved with everything. I have an ideas thread up and running so you can all submit your ideas to get GUFU closer to that complete global saturation.
Now go my GUFU Minons! GO AND COMPLETE MY GLOBAL SATURATION!!!!
At the time of this post, we are at 983314 views.
Thats a meage 17686 views away from that grand ol' 1,000,000. I think we can thank our recent spike in recruiting activiy as well as a few older members coming back. Recently I have seen more posting activity from GUFU members and I would like to take this time to thank you all for keeping active in the union. I hope we can break 2,000,000 in half of the time.
I think we need to do something special for the 1,000,000 views? What do you all think?
"Not That There's Anything Wrong With That"
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Article by The-G-Man
(Disclaimer: This isn't a review in the technical sense. It's a continuation of a segment I used to do where I would get in-depth on a critically acclaimed game or movie and its flaws. For now, it's Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30.)
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 could have worked. It should have worked. I was placed in command of a squad and had to take out the enemy by using smart tactics instead of running out in the open, shooting anything that moved. Instead, the best way to kill the Nazis was get around (flank) them. It was simple: my squad would lay down suppressive fire to keep them behind cover and I would move to a better position to shoot them from...
Welcome, welcome to the Gamespot Users Fellowship Union. You have chosen, or been chosen, to participate in one of the longest running unions on Gamespot...
Well before you think I am here to serve our benefactors I want to thank everybody who voted for me as leader. I will hope to do this union some good. Right now we are finishing up the officer elections. Soon we will have a full roster of officers and will be ready to take GUFU to the next steps. Following are a few things that I will be doing to update the union...
A little late but heres the GUFU podcast for the week of April 27th - May 3rd. Wasdie and Lafi return as The_Game21x talk GTA 4 (pre-release) and MGO beta.
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/video_player.php?id=IX01xTOt5b0Ovj7Z
The GUFU Podcast for the week of April 20th - 26th. Wasdie returns as host with guests Lafigueroa, and Teufelhuhn. Teuf talks Poject XNA.
http://www.gamespot.com/users/Wasdie/video_player?id=cHAzlmGv5b0OuzfZ
Hello, its Wasdie host of this weeks GUFU Podcast. This week we covered the security of PSN, a breakdown of the latest game releases, The_Game21x's breakdown of Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and a random question. Please listen in and post all of the comments you want.
Recording for this weeks podcast will take place some time this week. If you are intrested drop me a PM and I will see if I can fit you into it. Also, have a topic for dissucssion? Please post it in the thread in the GUFU boards.
Thank you.
In this fifth edition of the GUFU podcast, Wasdie, Blackbond, Lafigueroa and myself (The_Game21x) discuss a number of topics currently heating up the gaming industry including the recently released Super Smash Bros Brawl and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 as well as EA's potential hostile takeover of Take-Two Interactive and the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
GUFU Podcast 5
(Right-click and save as)
*Warning: there are a few frank or explicit words said at various points during the discussion. Listen at your own discretion*
UPDATE: Outtakes link Working!
In addition, we've posted a new video full of highlights from the GUFU Supreme Commander match as narrated by Lafigueroa himself. Check it out below.
Edit:
Yo all its Wasdie, just adding my own video of that Supreme Commander match
The Week's hottest gaming news, all in one place. The GUFU Weekly News Roundup
More Xbox 360 Fall Update Details Released!
New information about the Xbox 360's fall update has been released at Xbox.com. Available to the public at 2:00 AM December 4, 2007, The new update brings with it a host of new features including an "Inside Xbox" feed which delivers the latest Xbox 360 news via Xbox.com and expanded video support (Divx?).
Patch and Free DLC Coming For Bioshock
The Cult of Rapture is reporting that a patch as well as free downloadable content is on the way for the PC and Xbox 360 hit, Bioshock. The patch will be available sometime next week accompanied by the yet to be detailed free downloadable content for both platforms. A full list of bug fixes is set to be released concurrently with the patch.
Bioshock 2 In Development At New 2K Games Studio?
Hot on the heels of the news of new content coming down the pipes, rumors have surfaced that Bioshock 2 is already in development. Following reports from Take Two that the game had been a very successful IP for them and one they considered expanding, this is not exactly surprising.
Cla-ssicStages To Be Included in Super Smash Brothers Brawl
The good news continues to roll in for Nintendo's upcoming Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Already seemingly bursting at the seams with content, the development team has confirmed that the cla-ssic Hyrule Temple stage will be included in Brawl. No other clas-sic stages have been announced thus far but more are expected to come.
PSP System Update 3.73 Released, But Doesn't Really Add Anything...
The Official Firmware 3.73 has been released but from the looks of things, is practically identical to the recent 3.72 update and prior to the installation of the new firmware, there are no new features outlined.
Metal Gear Solid 4 Needs to Sell a Million On Day One?
In an interview with Reuters, Ryan Payton told them "the new "Metal Gear Solid" needs to sell over a million copies on the first day it goes on sale due to its costly production". Somewhat confirming that third party exclusives are a dying breed.
Warhawk: Omega Dawn Expansion Details Released
Sony's online only shooter is about to receive some new content to keep it alive and kicking for quite a while. The new DLC, priced at $7.99 including a new map and a new vehicle in the form of a huge dropship.
That'll do it for this weeks edition of the GUFU Weekly News Roundup. Tune in next week and at the GUFU News Blog for the latest!
The Week's Hottest Gaming News, all in one place. The GUFU Weekly News Roundup
Reuters has reported that Singapore's Media Development Authority has placed a ban on Bioware's latest opus because of the love scene that can occur between a female human and an alien woman.
Singapore Changes Its Mind! Mass Effect No Longer Banned!
After an incredibly short span of time, the ban on Mass Effect has been lifted and instead the game will release with an M18 rating. The Board of Film Censors has also stated that they plan to devise a ratings system to "enable highly anticipated games to be launched in Singapore."
The totals for October have been released from the NPD. The Xbox 360's Halo 3 sparked lead in Septemberwas indeed short-lived, clocking in at 366,000 systems and the Wii has once again retaken the top spot with 519,000 units shipped followed closely by the Nintendo DS with 458,000 shipped. The Playstation Portable checked in at a respectable 286,000 units while the Playstation 2 followed with 184,000 systems shipped. Playstation 3 total, at a mere 121,000 unitswere a bit disappointing but were likely caused by Sony's early reports that the cheaper 40 GB console would launch in the early part of November.
Microsoft to offer Original Xbox Games on the Xbox Live Marketplace
Microsoft announced early this week that, as part of their seasonal Xbox 360 firmware update, they would offer Original Xbox games for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace early next month for 1200 Microsoft Pointe ($15). The games to be initially available are Halo: Combat Evolved, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge, Fable, Burnout 3: Takedown and the often overlooked but critically acclaimed Psychonauts.
Super Smash Bros Brawl to Offer Unconventional Spectator Mode
Not only can you watch online matches (sans player names to protect users identities) you will also be able to bet on them before the match begins! Players will be able to bet on which character they think will winthe upcoming match with their own coins. The more players in the match, the higher the winning payout will be, and there's even a chance for even greater prizes!
Resistance Map Pack #2 Revealed
IGN and Insomniac's Ted Price give us the lowdown on the two all-new maps, Bracknell and Axbridge. Insomniac hasn't confirmed a solid release date, but the word from Ted Price is they are aiming for the end of November.
Nintendo Releases Special SNES Controller For The Wii!
The only catch? You have to live in Japan and be a member of the Japanese only Club Nintendo to get your hands on it. The Special SNES Controller, shaped like a cl-assic Super Famicom controller will be released to Club Nintendo members who have fulfilled certain requirements along with a host of other goodies. Western gamers can only hope that Nintendo will release the controller and other goodies here as well.
Divx Support Coming To The PS3, Rumored for the Xbox 360
PS3 Fanboy is reporting that Divx support has been confirmed by a recent press release sent out by Divx Inc. and that the functionality will soon be enabled in an upcoming firmware update. No specifics as to when this update will be made available were released.
Xbox 360 Fanboy has also reported that Divx support is rumored to be part of the Xbox 360's upcoming fall firmware update. As of writing, no such reports have been verified.
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Well, that'll do it for this week's edition of the GUFU Weekly News Roundup. Remember, you can always check out the latest news as it comes in at the newly created GUFU News Blog.
The Gaming Industry and the Adults Only Rating
Written By: The_Game21x
The Adults Only rating, one of many within the ESRB's videogame rating system, is one of gaming's biggest taboos. No one wants to speak of it. It's rarely seen, but its influence is heard far and wide. Many within the industry fear it, shying away from including content that would even remotely constitute such a rating. Nevertheless, despite this, many have spoken out against it, saying that it should be accepted if the industry is to move forward, and I agree for a number of reasons.
Let's take for example, Manhunt 2, which has revived much of the debate around the AO rating. While I fully understand that Manhunt 2 is pretty much violent for the sake of being violent, shouldn't the developers be able to express themselves however they like? Would this not fall within their right to Freedom of expression? Things far worse than what is depicted in this game have been expressed in movies, pictures and other entertainment mediums and they're deemed socially acceptable.
So why should Take-Two, or any other developer for that matter, be forced to censor their artistic vision to satisfy the "politically correct" console manufacturers and retail outlets that refuse to carry anything with the AO rating? Isn't it highly hypocritical of retail outlets to refuse to carry AO rated games, but at the same time, stock all manner of violent horror films?
Let's pause for a moment and examine the differences between movies, and video games. There have been countless hyper-violent horror films in which people are depicted being brutally murdered, mutilated, and tortured, and yet, none of them have been bad enough to warrant the highest rating the MPAA can issue, NC-17. Instead, these films are rated R, as in "Under 17 not admitted without parent". Now, this sounds highly familiar to the Mature rating handed out by the ESRB, doesn't it? Well, not exactly, because it seems that there are a number of things that are acceptable in films that would earn an AO rating in games. Things such as full frontal nudity and sex scenes being prime examples. When such a scene was depicted in a game (the infamous "Hot Coffee" mod), it led to Grand Theft Auto San Andreas being slapped with an AO rating and subsequently pulled from store shelves until a newer version, sans sex scenes, was released. All of a sudden, the two ratings don't seem so similar do they?
I guess it can be argued that Manhunt 2 is worse, since it gives the player the power to commit these violent virtual murders and that level of interactivity is what makes it worse than a film, which puts you in the non-interactive role of the observer. But...isn't that the point? As we approach the limits of graphical fidelity, the Uncanny Valley as it were, aren't developers looking to create more immersive experiences? To draw you into the game's world in the most realistic and believable fashion as possible? Some developers do this with captivating stories; some achieve this through other methods. Rockstar on the other hand simply chose to allow you to simulate virtual murders with stabbing motions of the Wii remote. Some say that's crossing the line. Others say it's immersive. You be the judge.
I don't see why this should be singled out for expressing its own brand of hyper-violence. As of late, video games have been far more scrutinized for their depictions of violence than any other medium to my knowledge and it doesn't make sense to me. It seems the industry hasn't grown up with its supporters. According to the ESA, the average gamer these days is 33 years old, but apparently, the masses continue to view games as nothing more than a child's plaything and because of that, games are subject to more attacks than other mediums.
The bottom line is, the gaming industry needs to grow the **** up. I say this because I care, not to cause controversy and not because I want to see the ratings system destroyed. I've grown up. I understand that violence exists and I'm mature enough to draw the line between fiction and reality. I don't want or need someone to tell me what I can and cannot view of my own free will and this form of censorship and sense of political correctness that follows it is wrong. I am an adult as well as a gamer. I think it's time I'm trusted to make my own decisions.
I called this announcement, so might as well announce it. The union, barely a year old, has become one of the top 10 viewed unions in Gamespot. This alone is a feat, but also having 300,000 is a big task for this union. This just goes to show that GUFU members are dedicated and active to the union.
And now, a word from our sponsors....
As mentioned in the title, we have just recently surpassed 50,000 posts on the GUFU forum and we currently stand at over 230,000 Union views. This is a truly awesome achievement considering how small the union is compared to some unions, some of which boasting thousands of members. Some unions five times the size of GUFU aren't anywhere near as active as we are here.
Of course, this wouldn't be possible without you guys. It may sound sappy, but hey, let's face it, without you guys, GUFU would probably be dead now.
That'll do it for this quick update and in closing all I ask is that we keep it up and strive for 100,000 posts!
