Random thoughts on games and gaming.

• 7May 08

  Games as a Coping Mechanism

  I really don't want to limit my thoughts on this to GTA, but it is the best example of how videogames are actually preventing me from comitting real violence. You see, I am a hostile and aggressive person in real life. I swear, I rant, I yell, I swear some more. I suffer from extreme bouts of road rage. There are at least 3 times every day (usually more) when I feel the urge to physically shake, shove, punch, or throw the people around me. I often have clenched fists and a furrowed brow. Driving home from work it is all I can do not to run the people around me off the road.

  But then, I get home, I change into comfy clothes, I avoid news programs at all cost (for fear of having an anuerism), I get a beer, I turn on the 360, and in my virtual world I get to run people off the road, mow them down in my hummer...er...Patriot, punch random stangers for no reason, kill at will. For a short time I am able to funnel all my aggression into an appropriate forum for such behavior. I am a big fan of FPS games, the more violent, the better. By the time my partner gets home I no longer want to crush, maim, and mutilate all of mankind. I no longer feel the need kill.

  • Posted May 7, 2008 1:59 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 2May 08

  Been a Little MIA

  So I've been neglecting all my online communities for the past several weeks (as I mentioned might be the case) and the situation won't be improving any time soon. Unfortunately we are totally over-taxed at work and with GTAIV out, all my free time has been spent running people down in stolen virtual cars. I'm hoping things slow down over the summer and I get a chance to get back to regular posting and commenting on other people's blogs.

  In the meantime, I'd like to comment on all the hate GTA is/will be getting. Once again the general public (and msm) seem completely unable to grasp the idea that a videogame could be made for and marketed to adults and not children. The level of rhetoric about training our children to be criminals is absurd. Of course videogames are not the first medium to get this kind of attention or criticism, merely the latest, but it still makes me bat guano when Jack (the complete nutbag) Thompson starts talking about bringing criminal charges against Take-Two. When oh when will we have sanity in public discourse?

  • Posted May 2, 2008 10:17 am PT
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• 22Apr 08

  Time for Hillary to Give It Up

  No matter what the outcome of today's primary, the time has come for Hillary to let it go. At first I thought the long democratic primary was a good thing for the Dems, it would give them more exposure, no one was paying attention to McCain, ect... But now, the longer this goes on, and the longer Hillary and Barak attack each other, the worse it gets for the upcoming general election (which is the one that really matters). With debates around he said / she said instead of the real issues, the media circus surrounding who is in the lead (I'm talking to you Peter King with your map of make-believe results), and McCain getting to run unopposed, it's long past time for this thing to end.

  As a Democrat, no matter who you support, Clinton or Obama, you've got to want one of them to win in November, and the longer this thing goes, the harder that is going to become.

  • Posted Apr 22, 2008 8:33 am PT
  • Category: Opinion
  • 3 Comments
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