Review 3

Review 3

 

Flash Game: Gold Miner Vegas

 

I am glad that we had to review a flash game this time. I don’t normally take the time to do much "mind veg" and play games especially ones that are on the computer or the internet. I usually just get on the internet and face book or do homework. So this was a nice change of pace.

 

Gold Miner Vegas is a game where you are an old man in a mine cart and for the free trial version which I played for a while before I decided to download the game you are in Australia. You have a claw that, that is moving in a pendulum motion and  with your down arrow you lower it  to try and pick up the gold pieces to get them into your cart. On the website www.girlsgame123.com the description that is given for the game is, "Gold Miner Vegas takes our bearded friend to the modern-day mother lode! Can you get all the way to golden Las Vegas? With new levels, challenges and gadgets the action is bigger, brighter and more enjoyable than ever before. Gold Miner Vegas is family-friendly and fun for all ages. Mine this entertaining game today!

You're a gold miner and it's your job to mine as much gold and come out with the most amount of money you can. Each level you have a different goal (a money goal) that you need to reach. IN the first level, you are on a sixty second timer. So you are in a race against the clock to get gather as much gold chunks as you can. The gold chunks are worth a different amount depending on how big they are. The smallest is worth fifty dollars, the medium is worth one hundred dollars and the biggest is worth five hundred dollars. As well there are chunks of coal that are scatters and if you accidently pick on of them us you press the up arrow key and it shoots down a stick of dynamite "BOOM" to blow the coal up so you don’t waste your time trying to crank it up! There are also small plates of food that you want to pick up they are worth fifteen dollars. The little bags that have a "9" on them are surprises, they may be worth money and they may have something useful in them like a "laser claw scope"

 

Once you meet your goal for the first level you move onto the next level but, it is not without stopping at the store with the "creepy" mustached man who wants to sell you some gold mining equipment. You can purchase oil to make you move faster down the track, tandem rope for long reaching objects, dynamite for the higher levels that have coal walls that you need to get through and that helps you move faster. There are other things like a four leaf clover that give you better luck to hit something good during your mine!

 

I really like this game and would recommend it for anyone who likes a minesweeper high challenge. It is the suspense and hand eye coordination that you really need to use to continue to advance to the next levels of the game. The best part is that you are mining gold and winning money, not real, but who cares really!? When in your life are ever going to be able to go fishing for gold!

Why is this? “The majority of America...

 

    For me sex and violence is an everyday part of our so society they are now selling M & M's with sex in the commercials and in most TV shows Nip Tuck prime example and violence is shown in most shows that are played at night. Take a new show that is on TV call Trauma it is about rescue teams that respond to the most violent car crashes, spills etc. or Son of Anarchy on FX there is another violent motorcycle gang show. So the fact that a parent is scared to see sex in a video game is a little out there for me. “It scares them when a toy features sex. They can’t fathom it. As a designer, I'm hoping people will eventually catch on that this is an entertainment medium that can feature any theme. Sex, violence or otherwise.” Just because it is a toy and they can simulate sex do they not think that them SEEING the REAL THING on a TV show is not going to STIMULATE them! As for violence do they not think that seeing it again is not going to STIMULATE them or DESENSITIZE them violence and then they start to think that hitting, biting, kicking, punching, fighting in general is an OK thing for them to do.

 

    Now, for racism i am not a fan no matter what shape, form or whatever it comes in. I think that race has been a hard, dark, dirty, scary, sad and many other adj in our society for far too long. The article that we had to read I liked that he felt that the video game trailer was racist. When i watched it with that idea in mind i felt the same way. I don't like seeing those commercials on TV of the sick and poor children sitting in the street or in their "homes" with nothing to eat and skin and bones. And the thought that he felt that is what he was seeing in a video game and then the producers of that game want you to SHOOT THEM is just plain awful! I wish that no matter what it is or where it is that racism wasn't an issue for anyone of any color, shape, size etc.

So in reading the peices for the blog...

So in reading the pieces for the blog, my mind keeps coming back to the two main ques ions that i pose to you....

1. Is there a defined genre pattern for video like there are for literature and many other aspects of our lives?\

2. If there is genres are they too broad and need to be more defined?

 

Here is what I answer to my own questions....

1. I would say there is a some what defined genre pattern that maybe many do not seem to think is there. I would say that the genres are more defined by the type of game play that is happening verses the kind of game you are playing and what it is about. In literature there are genres like horror and sci fi and they have their own definitions, in video games like in the piece that we read where she compared the two kind of zombie games, the games are the same within the content she mentioned that Both "Planescape Torment (Interplay 1999) and Silent Hill (Konami 1999) feature zombie assailants, violent confrontation, exploration, peril and death. But Planescape Torment and Silent Hill belong to different genres, and they employ different strategies in their bid to generate generically appropriate affect. Planescape Torment offers its players intersecting worlds, bizarre creatures, amnesia, gore and questing. It's a fantasy role playing game (RPG), and its meandering structure enhances its capacity to honour its generic roots. Silent Hill is a 3D survival horror game. The success of the Silent Hill series is a result of its capacity to frighten its users." (Genre and Affect in Silent Hill and Planescape Torment by Diane Carr). But the game play is different in one game from the other within the story lines.

 

2. So does this make the content on the genres that are slightly outlined too broad, i think so. But, how do you define them more? That is the good question. I am not inclined to answer this question because i am not as versed in videogames and all the components however i do think that it should be done. why not? It is a good idea especially if the videogaming industry is wanting to become more concrete and taken more seriously in the eyes of social groups. They are already on their way in developing its own language and trying to nail something down so that it is consistent time to start nailing down the genres in which video games are categorized.  

Operation Flashpoint-Dragon Rising is...

    

Operation Flashpoint-Dragon Rising

Ps3

Released 10-6-09

 

Operation Flashpoint-Dragon Rising is the newest and greatest war game to come out on the market. This game makes you feel and gives you the feeling that you are in live combat a war. This game seems to be the closest thing to war that has come out in years. So here is what I am going to try and do is account for the game from the observationist stand point.

    

    Sit down and get comfortable and get ready for this game to start. Pay attention to learn the premise of the game. This game takes place on an island of Skira of which to whom it belongs to has never been officially settled since World War II. But with recent discovery of extremely rich and viable oil fields U.S. and Japanese presence have been prevalent. On September 23rd the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is to execute an invasion claiming Skira Island for the People's Republic. The mission is: you and your fellow Marines go be expecting to engage upon scattered and heavily entrenched PLA positions. As well the Russians have requested U.S. Military support, so in response to this the USS Iwo Jima has been deployed. Are you hyped up are you ready to be deployed to the island to start killing and take over the island!?

 

    It is time you gather a few other fellow Marines to invade and liberate the island. You gear up in the Co-op mode of Campaign. With-in this mode you can start at any stage of the game. If you start in the middle of the stage you tend you miss how you got to this point. You are just dropped in the middle of the war zone and off you go. If you start at the beginning of the game you are able to rally together and charge through as one.

 

    You and your Maries and gather you are packed with the latest and greatest best gear the Marine Corps have to offer. You are on a boat and now the load you guys into a river rat that is going to carry you to the island be careful as you are going to be heavily watched and waited for. Don’t lose anyone just as you are dropped on the island. GO GO GO GO GO.......You and your team crouches down and takes off for cover. You are under heavy gun fire. Get tot he banks where you can hide and fight back.

 

 

          
http://www.flashpointgame.com/uploads/images/global/gallery/screenshots/OFDR_Screenshot_Mar_0019.jpg

http://www.flashpointgame.com/uploads/images/global/gallery/screenshots/OFDR_Screenshot_Mar_0033.jpg

    
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkT1ME-J_V0 -- great link to some game play.

 

    As you fight you give orders to your men telling them where to go and what to do. "Throw that grenade over there, go go go..." As your group defeats the enemies you continue on your mission. You go make your way through fields into the towns of the island. You order you team to sweep through buildings looking for enemies and hostiles to capture and kill. You continue to give orders to your men. Than you are fired upon and you take cover to figure you where it is coming from. You hide behind an abandoned tank. Your team than recons the tank and it is now yours to use. You command a team member get in and fire upon the hostiles. You fight one battle after another.

    

    As an observer unless you really like war stories and movies, this game would not be fun for you to watch. There tends to be some blood and guts in this game. But, it is so real if the person you are watching takes their time to complete their mission and allows you to read and follow along so you can get the whole story by all means this is defiantly something you would love. If you are the complete opposite than you may want to pass this game up. But, this game is awesome for an observer. The story is so wonderful it honestly allowed me to reflect back on the stories that my brother has told me from being in combat over in Iraq. The story sounds and the animation of pictures that this game brings forth is truly something extra extraordinary for a war time game.

 

    Great game cool story of Maries Corps going and fighting special op missions, or going in teams in the multi-player version and obliterating enemies. Helping allies acquire land that has never been claimed but, they have used for many years since WWII. Modern warfare in a videogame but, not having to do with the actual war that we are fighting...two thumbs up.

 

Grade- Buy it if it’s your thing defiantly if not gives it a shot (no pun intended) and try it!

Every innovative, trailblazing game n...

 
In the article by Iroquois Pliskin in Games Journalism Needs Journalists he states, "Every innovative, trailblazing game needs a good business model to succeed, and that's why it's interesting to know something about the vicissitudes of the various publishers, and to get an understanding of why they make the choices they do. This is what journalists can provide and critics cannot." I am going to try and write my whole blog on this. Because nothing really stuck out too much for me to write about. So here we go.

 

He is correct in saying that every game needs a business model to succeed. Every piece of merchandise set forth by any company no matter if it is clothing line (American Eagle, Express, Polo etc), shoe line (Jordan's, Nike's etc), cell phone lines or companies. They all need a strong business model if they have any chance to succeed. However, videogames i feel would need the strongest most potent model to make it in the biz. WHY! Because for clothing and shoes there are a lot more people that are heading out to the stores to pick those things up. There is a lot more give in style, price, quality, quantity etc for people to choose from. With videogames it is a little different. YES YES YES there are a lot of style, trends, genres etc but it isn't as vast as in different industries. One war game isn't going to have to compete against ten thousand different war games to try and appeal to that one person or group of people. It is more likely in my opinion for a videogame to die rather than a color or style of shoe. There is more clientele in the shoe or jean industry rather than in the videogame industry.

 

As for his slight but, powerful argument as what journalists can bring and critics cant, if you read the whole article you get what he is saying. Journalists bring more knowledge and a different prospective on things to the table they don't talk about the game in a critique stand point but in a stand point if that game or piece of shit in some cases is going to make or break for the company that developed it. Does any of this make sense!!!??? Or am i being too informal?

Good Evening,

Good Evening,

 

Welcome to confused ville here in my bed room as i sit trying to decide what the hell it is I am supposed to blog about. The three articles that we where given to read are in my opinion defiantly just rants of people about Star War type videogames.....for someone not hip to the videogame scene i do not know a damn thing they where talking about. I feel as though I just read a bunch of gibberish. Beside that point I am not only hip to videogames as I am defiantly NOT hip to Star Wars or anything to do with Star Wars. The closest I have even been to watching it is seeing a commercial on TV. The End!!!!

 

Although I do have to point out that in the reading "Bow Nigger" I found it interesting as to the way it was documented that he played by the "rules".  Why do we think he put "rules" in this form? The other thing I wonder is with this other person calling him this does it relate back to the book and the multi player aspect of game playing "For one thing, my screen name has nothing to do with my ethnicity and for another, it's only a game and the fascist doing the typing is probably hundreds of miles away and far beyond anything you could call an actual influence on my life." Does this maybe relate back to the book as the information communication stream we have seem to advanced to and now use on a consistent basis.

 

I feel now through playing games online and texting a lot that we have become bolder communicators. We feel that maybe we can call people these names, within a videogame because maybe we think we aren't calling these live actual people this, we are calling the avatar this name rather!? As well with texting I have found myself becoming more bold in saying certain things to people that I would feel uncomfortable with this coming out of my mouth even if it was on the phone same idea......

 

This all being said lets move on to the reads of the book........reading in the book it brings up lexicon...lexicon by a rough definition is the word bank that we have in our heads that we use when we talk or do any kind of communication....this being said, I feel that when a new form of technology comes out we adapt and expand our lexicon to this new "language'' this is making a wave in our life. When videogames where coming out with a rough general start of Pong and the Atari those people of the Era and generation started to learn the new language of "videogames" if you will....now with advancements to this genre videogames and those around them have continued to advance their lexicons as the genre grows and expands......

 

Phew that was rough.....