Gamers Shoot People in Face
Jack Thompson says the activity is unique to gamers and hit men.
by Daemon Hatfield

June 5, 2006 - Remember a time, roughly 30 years ago, when video games were just getting started and people weren't being shot in the face? Florida lawyer Jack Thompson is on a crusade to return the world to that time—when the only threat of having your face blown open came from your local hit man, not those young punks hanging out on the corner.

Thompson needs no introduction to the gaming community. For years he's been vocally condemning games as the cause of youth violence, global warming, hurricanes, bird flu, and teen pregnancy. The opportunist has recently seized on another violent crime to evangelize his message to the world: usually some variation of "video games will be the downfall of society!"

After two teenagers in Florida were arrested on suspicion of murder, Thompson suggested to the authorities that they search their homes for gaming paraphernalia. Deputies seized several games rated "M" from one of the homes, but West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Capt. Spence Dilworth was a bit skeptical as to whether the games provoked the boys to commit murder.

"I think it goes beyond video games, but who's to say?" Dilworth said of the crime. He went on to say that the question of whether games cause violent behavior is "more of a debate for the living room rather than the courtroom."

But Jack Thompson doesn't need to have that debate anywhere. Of the suspects, who reportedly beat their victim to death and shot him in the face, Thompson said: "Nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you're a hit man or a video gamer."

IGN has launched an extensive investigation to determine whether or not anyone has ever been shot in the face by someone other than a hit man or a gamer. Stay tuned for our results.

From Bungie's Weekly What's Update:

Our next project is going swimmingly. Lots of stuff is up and running, in fact, Sketch just got our debug 360 set up so that we can actually download the latest "build" of the game whenever we feel like it. Our main reason for needing builds right now is to start the documentation of a "making-of" process. Now that might end up simply being an internal record of the game's development stages, or it might be a book, or a DVD extra, we have no clue and no plan for that material at this stage, but we learned a lesson from Halo 1 & 2, which is that we should document everything, from a render to a napkin-scrawl.

We already have a metric ton of concept art, designer sketches, character drawings and so on. Cataloging them and archiving them is tough to do right now, since a lot of them are being used or actually being altered. It's a constantly shifting process.

In fact, Shishka's been stuck in there for a while, trying to separate stuff from ancient compressed archives so that he could come up with, among other things, art for some Bungie boxers…

What is amazing, is to see a scene from a concept painting, say a huge, mysterious landscape (for example) be fully fleshed or "massed" out as a 3D environment you can fly around in using the debug camera to examine every rock, plant, tree or speck of dirt. And speaking of specks of dirt, one landscape had a very impressive lit-particle smoke effect that may or may not make it to the final game.

We also saw the near-final version of a character from the next game. It had one thrilling aspect related to lighting conditions that made us all go "ooooh!"

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it's becoming painful at this point and the Bungie bastards know it! All I ask is for is an official announcement of Halo 3, the forthcoming greatest video game ever to be created. Stop the "Our next project bullshit" and at E3 (this May) announce the fuckin game. I'll be 21 at that point, so if an announcement is proclaimed, I'm getting drunk as all hell in celebration. It's like waiting for my child. And let's see some screens!

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is code-complete and has officially gone gold. On/Off-line co-op modes against AI opponents, 16 players on XBOX Live, amazing campaign. Wednesday, March 8, everyone should own a 360. believe.

this makes surgery a true blessing.

My initial research for my MKT250 final project is solid. To explain the current environment of the industry and market, I plan to indulge the specifics of the birth of Sony's reign. In conclusion, Nintendo did it.

in 1988, Sony and Nintendo signed a contract that would have Sony develop a CD-ROM add on to the SNES and a combo CD/SNES unit dubbed the "Play Station". Prior to the CES of 88, where the unit would be unveiled, Nintendo backed out of the deal due to revenue-sharing conflicts. Sony was left cold.

Fast forward to 1991. Sony reveals the "Playstation" console, basically the same work they've done for the Nintendo project, and kept the name just to spite their newfound rival. Nintendo sued for the naming rights, but lost, along with their dignity. In 1994, the Playstation launched in Japan (1995, US), and due to Nintendo's penchant for the cartridge format, publishers flocked to Sony (who used the CD-ROM format for their PS) in order to avoid high costs. Then, on June 1, 1997, it was the day that Nintendo died. Final Fantasy VII releases on the Playstation, despite the series' previous 6 installments under the Nintendo license. The game went on to sell almost 10 million copied worldwide. Endgame.

Thus, one little decision made my Nintendo in 1988 has effectively changed the entertainment industry forever. There are currently over 100 million PS2's in the world.

This, of course, leads up the entry of Microsoft (on which my project is specifically focusing).

But before XBOX entered, Ken Kutargi (the father of all things Playstation) had a wicked premonition. In 1994, SEVEN YEARS BEFORE the XBOX launched, Kutargi asked former Sony exec Bernie Stolar who would be Sony's main opposition in the next console generation. Bernie guessed Nintendo, Intel. To which Kutargi said, "No Bernie, you are wrong. It is Microsoft. And I will kill them." That is vision.

In the late 1990s, Bill Gates wanted to put the Windows OS on the PS2, but Kutargi always viewed Gates as a threat to his empire. Did this spark XBOX's entry?

And this isn't even the good stuff.

Best project. ever.

March:

March 7 -- Burnout Revenge

March 9 -- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter

March 13 -- Battlefield 2: Modern Combat

March 14 -- The Outfit

March 21 -- Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

March 29 -- Far Cry Instincts: Predator

March 29 -- Dynasty Warriors 5

By the end of March, will Halo 2 still be the best game to play on the 360?

I firmly believe that Ultraviolet takes a new kind of dive into the realm of Hollywood stupidity. Keep em coming, boys.

Whatever you do, make sure to try and find/download "The a la Menthe" by Nikkfurie de La Caution. I believe it's a free mp3 download on the band's website. Just google it. It's 62 kinds of amazing.

From gamesindustry.biz weekly feature article:

"Either way, what lies at the heart of this problem is not the availability of adult content, it is the unwillingness of parents to actually live up to the responsibility of raising their children. Every game sold in Britain has an age rating on the box, as well as indicators regarding content; and by the sounds of it, many, if not most, parents are aware that some games, like some films, contain content that is unsuitable for minors. Modern games consoles even have parental lock-out controls. The ball is firmly in the court of parents like the ones behind the "Mums' Army" campaign. They have been given the information and the tools required to moderate the content their children have access to; it's now up to them to prove that their parenting is not as lazy, inattentive and irresponsible as it would appear, rather than to rail against the production of adult content for a medium enjoyed by millions of adults."

Well said.

Yes, Peter Jackson recently stopped by Bungie Studios. Behold the brightest minds in the entertainment industry; the gods of gaming; the purveyors of all that is good. Hopefully, in about 90 days, when E3 hits, we'll know exactly what they're up to.

The "real" Oscars go down on Thursday. The AIAS Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Here's Game of the Year nominees:

OVERALL
God of War (PS2 / SCEA, SCEA-Santa Monica)
Guitar Hero (PS2 / Red Octane, Harmonix)
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2 / SCEA)
Call of Duty 2 (XB360, PC / Activision, Infinity Ward)
Nintendogs (DS / Nintendo)

CONSOLE
same as above.

Honestly, Guitar Hero blows my mind ; it's probably the most fun anybody can have playing a video game. And those solos are boss. And Shadow of the Colossus is epic in its own rights. But, because of my affinity for FPS titles and the fact that it was probably the best single player experience in a long time (especially in terms of an FPS), I have to give it to Call of Duty 2...is what I would have said if the online play wasn't such a horrific mess, plagued by chronic lag and lack of a Halo 2-esque party system. Guitar Hero all the way. Both categories.

Speaking of which, Guitar Hero should also win for the following categories:
-Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
-Outstanding Achievement: Soundtrack
-Outstanding Achievement: Game Play Engineering
-Outstanding Achievement: Game Design
-Family Game of the Year

In important industry news, the investment group that Bono and former EA President John Riccitiello co-founded is reportedly close to purchasing Take2 Interactive for about $1 billion. The investment group is called Elevation. Get it?

Is "Surface" really supposed to be this bad, or this this just a prank on the unsuspecting viewing public?

Now this is beautiful; I could move to New York. I just have to get into product development/planning, stay there, and here I'll be (this is seriously everything that I want to accomplish in my career):

2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., develops and publishes top-line PC, console, and handheld entertainment software, with a concentration in three distinct categories: sports (NBA 2K6, NHL 2K6, Amped 3, Top Spin), high profile licenses (Civilization IV, Prey, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion), and specialty products.

We are currently searching for a Senior Product Manager to join our marketing team in New York City. This position will be a key member of the marketing team and will have the opportunity to manage some of the most innovative and successful products in the marketplace.

SUMMARY:
Lead, develop and implement strategic product marketing plans for 2K Games. Manage product launches and marketing for high-profile PC, next generation console and portable gaming titles. Interact closely with various inter-company departments and external agencies in the development of marketing and communication materials.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Create, design, and lead the execution of innovative title-specific marketing plans consistent with the 2K Games brand strategy for key, high-profile products.

• Consult with in-house media planner to optimize management of media buying agency in development and execution of advertising plans involving TV, print, online and more.

• Work with creative agency and in-house creative departments in development of main art, advertising creative, video trailers, sales support materials and point-of-sales materials.

• Consult with product development teams to ensure products meet relevant positioning, are feature competitive and relevant assets are provided.

• Oversee the management of online promotional initiatives for the company website.

• Maximize retail marketing effectiveness in consultation with Take-Two Channel Marketing while providing support to Take-Two sales force.

• Work closely with in-house and external public relations teams in developing PR strategy and execution.

• Ensure establishment of relevant measurement criteria and oversee the tracking and analysis of marketing program returns.

• Oversee the development and coordination of product packaging and manual content and production with in-house creative services, product development and outside vendors.

• Develop marketing plan budgets; authorize, manage and track expenditures.

• Moderate travel required for industry events, developer visits, sales support, satellite office meetings, etc.


QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years’ progressively responsible product marketing experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SKILLS:
• Excellent planning, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to successfully interact with internal peers (Product Development, Promotions, PR, Sales) and senior management as well as vendors and outside agencies.

• Proven record of successful consumer product launches.

• Ability to think strategically and creatively, develop innovative product marketing solutions, complete projects while managing competing priorities in a dynamic environment and highly competitive consumer market.

• Thorough understanding of young adult and pop culture, console videogames and PC games essential.

For further Company information, please visit us at: www.2Kgames.com and www.take2games.com