Gamer Rage

Within the month of March, three different Silent Hill titles will be released: for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, an HD rerelease of the second and third games titled Silent Hill HD Collection, as well as a brand-new title, Silent Hill: Downpour; for the Playstation Vita, a dungeon-crawling horror-themed spinoff entitled Silent Hill: Book of Memories.

The Silent Hill: Book of Memories cover.
Courtesy of the Silent Hill Wiki.

Book of Memories is a completely different beast from the "traditional" Silent Hill game. Horror does not seem to be an emphasis. The game is built around multiplayer and combat; in fact, Book of Memories is the first time multiplayer has ever been in a Silent Hill title.

Now, this game is a spinoff. It has nothing to do with the main series of games; Silent Hill: Downpour does not have multiplayer elements nor a sudden dearth of story. I'd expect that later games in the series, even if they integrate multiplayer, will still emphasize plot and atmosphere above all else.

However, from the looks of it, one would think that the creative mind behind Book of Memories had kidnapped and murdered all of the general Silent Hill fanbase's children. While I can't say I'm a huge fan of Jim Sterling, he wrote a quite interesting article on Destructoid, quoting some fan reactions from YouTube about the game:

"But..But what about the old silent hill the good one!! We love horror not fucking shit! Please make another game but on something scary, that will make silent hill interesting again! :("

--- 

 "THEY DO NOT LEARN THEY DO NOT LEARN. And the worst part is that I just know this is going to sell somehow. Truly horrifying.

Look, if you're going to desecrate SH's atmosphere then you might as well give me pornographic material with the nurses and "the guy with a gigantic knife" since you love them so much."

I'll quote a user that commented on Sterling's article, "Tristix", as a response:

"If this game turns out badly, it will of course mean that Silent Hill 2 suddenly becomes a terrible game and your fond memories are all lies, because that's how it works."

 Read on for more commentary.

Review: Devil Survivor Overclocked (3DS)

Demonic Pokemon. Demonic eBay. Deceptively deep and devilishly hard.

Overclocked's cover. Image from NintendoLife.

Devil Survivor Overclocked is not a sequel to 2009's Devil Survivor. It is not a remake. It is not a traditional RPG, nor is it a DS game. What it is is an enhanced port of the original game to the Nintendo 3DS, using the same graphical style and plot while adding multiple elements, the most notable being full voice-acting and a playable "8th Day" epilogue to multiple endings. Read on for the review...

The Importance of Gaming Journalism

Recently, a French gaming blog called Gamesblog.fr was blacklisted by Activision after reporting on Amazon's leak of the possible next Call of Duty game: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Gamesblog broke no non-disclosure agreements, nor did they break any embargos or laws. They simply reported on a fact: Amazon put up a listing for Black Ops 2.

I'm really disappointed in Activision, and I feel that they blew this completely out of proportion. Punishing someone for reporting on something that will hardly harm your franchise, if at all, is ridiculous in my mind.

However, what I find even more disheartening are some of the comments on Kotaku's article. Not only are some people defending Activision, saying that Gamesblog should have been gentlemen and taken down the article when asked--which would violate journalistic integrity--and, even worse, people claiming that gaming journalism should never be considered as serious journalism because it's all about "toys". I find it quite odd that these commenters say things like this on a site that bills itself as a legitimate news website.

Call of Duty: Black Ops cover. Picture from Wikipedia.

I'll be kind and not directly quote or screenshot the comments I've seen, but looking at the Kotaku coverage of this incident, I personally find it hard to do so.

I recognize that not all gaming writers are part of the Society of Professional Journalists. I'd even go so far to say that most of them aren't; I know I'm certainly not.

But many organizations still strive for integrity and want to be taken seriously. Gamesblog did just that, and I've seen people say they shouldn't have bothered, that they should have caved into Activision, because gaming journalism isn't worth it because they're solely entertainment.

Video games may be entertainment, but that does not mean that they're not legitimate things to study or write about. The industry is huge, and many people care about it; I've seen forum posts about multiple games talking about how some of them made players cry, how they moved them, how they affected their lives. Whether it's something as cerebral as Silent Hill or as straightforward as Persona 4, games indeed affect people, and they merit journalism because of it.

Entire websites, such as The Escapist, pride themselves on insightful commentary about gamer culture, and do more than simply advertise the newest products, though they do touch upon those. According to the aforementioned mindset, though, sites like those aren't legitimate because they cover "toys".

Insisting gaming journalism should never be legitimatized ignores all the aspects of gaming besides just the fact that they are made for entertainment. That train of thought ignores the fact that games have affected people, myself included. It disrespects the effort that people put into each game, all the music and art and programming. Taking that kind of attitude even sets back gaming journalism, whether it comes from a reader or writer.

Video games are more than just the cost of purchasing them. They're more than just "toys" to many people, and they're more than just strings of code created to amuse players. Video games are a medium through which developers tell stories, whether they're well-done or not.

Gaming journalism covers this medium. It can be as simple as reporting on an announcement made by Square-Enix, or as complex as a metaphor of music and lyrics as gameplay and story, or as critical as analyzing male privilege in games, or even as deep as analyzing human nature in horror games.

Let's strive to allow gaming journalism to become legitimate. Hold gaming sites to a high standard, and praise those organizations that stick to their guns even in the face of developer anger.

Let's not belittle it.

Vita First Impressions

I had the opportunity today to stop by a GameStop, and they had a Playstation Vita demo unit on display. From far away, it looked just like a PSP, but when I got closer, I was struck by how big the handheld is.

The Playstation Vita. Picture from Playstation Blog.

It was actually a little off-putting. It may have been the unit that GameStop uses to ensure the Vita isn't stolen but can still be held--it looked to be fastened along the bottom of the Vita and nowhere else--but man, it just looked bulky. Slick, yes, but rather bulky. I put it alongside my thigh to see how it would fit in my pocket, and it didn't seem very... well, portable.

The screen is beautiful. It's definitely the majority of the handheld's size, but it is worth it: crystal-clear and the touch controls are responsive.

The power and volume buttons are along the top of the unit, and I don't remember if there was anything else on there; I'd have to get another look. The Playstation menu button is located, as you can see in the picture, below the left analogue stick; the start and select buttons are below the right. I'm not a huge fan of the location for the select and start buttons, and they seemed a little hard to click because of the way they're set, but overall the layout is okay. The face buttons and D-pad feel higher up than on a Playstation 3 controller, but I think that just needs a little getting used to.

The analogue sticks feel quite strange to me. They're actual analogue sticks instead of the slide-pad that the Nintendo 3DS has, and they work wonderfully, but they feel a little looser than, say, the Xbox 360 or the PS3. Again, it's probably something I just needed to get used to. However, I disliked the D-pad; it felt really loose, like it would pop up or be unresponsive.

The touchpad on the back was different than I expected; from the look of it on promotional photos, I expected it to be smooth yet matte, but instead it felt the same as touching the front of the device. I tested it out a little bit on Modnation Racers: Road Trip's track-building mode--you can build terrain with it--but it didn't seem to respond well. At first, it appeared to change what I did depending on the pressure I put on it, but I had trouble getting it to make mountains after the first one I put. Of course, it could just be because it's a demo unit that everyone can use rather than a personal console, so I'll have to reserve judgement until I'm able to get my own.

Gravity Rush cover. Picture from Wikipedia.

I tried three games while I was there; I didn't take a long time to do so, unfortunately, because there were others in the store that might have wanted to see it. The demos I played were for Gravity Rush, Modnation Racers: Road Trip, and Little Deviants.

Gravity Rush was a ton of fun. I didn't get far into the demo, but the first few minutes of it involve getting used to the controls. It's an anime-styled game in which a cat seems to be able to affect how gravity works for a blonde girl, and players take control of her to fight enemies and walk up buildings. The girl--whose name I didn't pick up during the demo--is able to use her gravity-manipulating powers to jump and kick, as well as jump from building to building. The Vita's gyroscope can be used to change the direction that the protagonist falls, but it wasn't very responsive when I used it; of course, this was a demo and I was just barely familiarizing myself with the controls. Overall, it was a fun game, it looked like something I'd find on the PS2, and it's something I'll definitely buy when I get my own Vita.

I didn't spend much time with Modnation Racers: Road Trip, and I've never played the original game. The main thing I fiddled about with was the track-building option; users choose a basic template for the background, can draw the shape they want their track to take, and then use the rear touchpad to make terrain around it.

Little Deviants was the last title I tried, and again, I didn't play a lot of it. From what I could glean, it was essentially the Vita's version of Face Raiders for the Nintendo 3DS. Unlike Face Raiders, the enemies in Little Deviants aren't generated from photos taken with the handheld; instead, you see little creatures flying around on rocket ships, being chased by robot enemies. Using the gyroscope inside the Vita, you take aim and then fire at the robots to save the Deviants. It seemed like fun, and using the Vita's outer camera it overlays the Deviants and enemies onto reality, but it's not anything I'd recommend playing full price for.

Gravity Rush screenshot. Picture from IGN.

I left with some pretty positive impressions of the Vita. I can't say I like the size of the system--I'd like to be able to take my portables with me in my pocket, and the PSP is just barely small enough to do so--but it feels slightly more comfortable in my hands than my 3DS does, and the display is beautiful. I'm not sold on the rear touchpad; I usually hold my handhelds with my fingers splayed across the back of the unit, and while the Vita has areas for players to put their fingers, but they still weren't as comfortable as my usual style of play, and I feel like I would constantly accidentally hit the touchpad. More exposure to the unit will probably help me shape my opinion better on it.

The game selection thus far, in my opinion, is lackluster. Uncharted looks like fun, and Gravity Rush was really fun, but I can't say that Modnation Racers, Little Deviants, or many of the other announced titles hold any interest to me. I want Silent Hill: Book of Memories and Persona 4: The Golden as well, but most of the games are not things I would play, in contrast to the multiple games for the 3DS I want.

I'm definitely going to have my eye on the Vita... but I can't say it's, at this point, a must-have handheld.

EDIT 2/13/2012: Come to think of it, I forgot to mention something crucial: loading times. The loading times on the demos felt long. Not anywhere as ridiculous as, say, 30 seconds, but they were definitely noticeable, considering these demos were--as far as I could tell--loaded onto the memory card of the Vita demo unit. Perhaps they will fare better in their retail releases, but even Gravity Rush, which I want, had frustrating loading times between stages and menus.

More about DLC

A friend of mine commented that for anyone who isn't completely familiar with downloadable content--DLC for short--I may want to give a quick rundown of it. Thus, here is an explanation of DLC and the controversy surrounding it.

Downloadable content is exactly what it sounds like: content that can be added to a game through downloading it. Most often, this content--extra costumes, items, weapons, entire game expansions, and more--costs a small amount of money, although some publishers put it out for free. Occasionally, full games are distributed as entirely downloadable.

Microsoft's DLC options for Final Fantasy XIII-2, including new weapons and Coliseum opponents.

The philosophy behind DLC is to expand the game without having to put out an entirely new retail disc. For instance, new scenarios were added to Alan Wake after its original release, adding several hours and some small amounts of plot for around $7 each. Other games have gotten longer expansions, such as Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, an entirely new scenario that introduces a new, different protagonist from the original game.

Many gamers seem to have a problem with DLC, as can be seen in any gaming website's comment sections for articles dealing with the matter. I'm focusing a lot on Final Fantasy XIII-2 lately because that is what I'm currently playing, but if we look at the comments on an article about the newest DLC for the game, we see comments such as:

• Total bullshit. This should be on the disc i purchased.
• Stop buying this garbage and publishers/developers will stop doing it!
• Instead of finding the hidden arena with hidden bosses underwater or in the dessert. You now find a large steel door with a keyhole, and next to that keyhole is a tag that reads "Pay $5.00 to enter."  Fuck this industry. Where is all the endgame content that helps make a game survive after beating it? Why must you do this?!

Some companies--such as Capcom in Marvel vs. Capcom 3--have put out DLC that is simply a code that unlocks content already on the game's disc. Other companies release DLC that seems to be something that should have been in the original release, such as an additional character for BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins.


That sort of situation seems to be where the criticism of DLC lies: the philosophy behind putting out a game and then releasing content for it soon after instead of including it in the title itself implies corporate greed, and to many gamers, there seems to be a very, very fine line between putting out quality DLC--such as new campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2 over a year after its original release--and charging money for what should have been in the game originally.

So, a quick rundown: downloadable content, or DLC, consists of various bits and pieces of games that are released after any given game is, in an effort to expand on the original title. Unfortunately, companies have begun to pick up the practice of creating DLC that feels as if it belonged in the game in the first place. Gamers heavily criticize this practice, and it is something to be aware of.

Final Fantasy XIII-2: The DLC Problem

Playing Final Fantasy XIII-2--and mind you, I'm still only at the beginning--I've noticed two spots in the game that are suspiciously empty:

In the menu, there is an submenu labeled "Outfits".

In the Historia Crux--the game's map system, using time travel as its main element--there is a location called the Coliseum.

The only available options in the Outfits screen are the default costumes for Serah and Noel, and I assumed I would find more as the game progressed.

When I saw that the Coliseum was available, I was interested; normally in games, areas like that--in which one can fight varieties of monsters, generally for prizes--are unlocked toward the middle of the game. Strangely enough, the only option I had in the Coliseum when I talked to the shadowy, freaky being called the "Arbiter of Time" was downloadable content (DLC) I won in a contest, a recurring boss in the series called Omega.                                                                                  

                          Omega. Picture from Just Push Start.

After about twenty seconds of shouting "NO, STOP THAT NO NO NO SERAH HEAL NOEL NOW" at my screen--along with multiple profanities--I saw my first "Game Over" screen while playing Final Fantasy XIII-2. I went online to go find out what level was recommended to take on Omega, and what other opponents may show up in the Coliseum.

What I found, though, was quite disappointing: players who didn't get

the Omega DLC weren't even allowed into the area. Others were told that they would never be allowed into the Coliseum unless they purchased DLC, so I did some more snooping, this time on the Outfits menu... and again, the only available costume changes would be in DLC.

Serah's first DLC outfit, the "Summoners Garb". Image from the Final Fantasy Wiki.

Now, I don't have a problem with DLC. When done right, it can extend a game's lifespan in great ways; free content--such as the first extra campaign for Left 4 Dead--is a great way to create support for software, even if Microsoft seems reluctant to allow it, and game expansions can breathe new life into older titles.

However, cutting out content that in older times would have been unlockable by completing in-game challenges is, to me, unacceptable. Had Square put in unlockable Coliseum fights and extra costumes then supplemented them with newer downloadable options, I would be completely content.But to put a menu into the game's interface, to include an entire location to just tell players "NOPE GO BUY THIS LOL"... that's just not cool, Square.

Final Fantasy XIII-2, thus far, has a few flaws but is pretty solid as a whole.

But I'm calling foul.

Intro

An intro to this blog, several blog posts too late.

I'm Brandon, 21 years old. Been gaming since I was young--at least since the Super Nintendo, if not the Nintendo itself--and I've had an avid interest in gaming journalism since I was younger. I saw a prominent games magazine--I'll not mention the name here--pass off some screenshots of a tech demo as confirmation of a game remake, and ever since then I've wanted to ensure that wherever I work, that doesn't happen again.

I play mainly RPGs, horror games, and adventure games, but I'm open to trying almost anything. I strive for professionalism, and more importantly, fair and balanced articles and reviews.

The [potential] Case Against Nintendo

Warning: This is an old post, written in April 2011.

The (potential) Case Against Nintendo

Since the announcement of region locking on the unit, there has been controversy about the Nintendo 3DS: they threaten to brick any 3DS unit that has been used with unlicensed software or hardware.

As far as I can tell, this is not legal. Please keep in mind, though, that I am not a legal expert; I am simply a college student.




This warning, in case the text is hard to read, states: “Any unauthorized technical modification of the hardware or software, or the use of an unauthorized device, will render your Nintendo 3DS system permanently unplayable and result in removal of unauthorized content.”

Nintendo has had similar warnings for previous consoles, as can be seen here.

In the Wii's case, system updates disabled homebrew, but did not cause modified systems to lose functionality.

This warning applies to any modifications done to the console's firmware, including potential homebrew and the ability to play region-locked games.

Nintendo's statement not only affects those who may modify their console to allow the playing of games from outside of the unit's region, but also unlicensed “hardware”, which could potentially include battery packs and the like. Whether or not Nintendo can tell if one has used an unofficial peripheral, I do not know. However, this would severely affect those who buy third-party battery packs, especially considering the 3DS is currently known to have a rather short battery life.

However, this is not legal: the Nintendo 3DS is a good, not a service. When one purchases a good, it becomes their own; they can do whatever they wish with it. Uniform Commercial Code, the law that governs what constitutes a good or service and what may be done with it, implies that once the contract is fulfilled (in this case, the contract between Nintendo—or even retailers—and consumers to pay $250 for a Nintendo 3DS unit), that good belongs to the consumer; thus, anything could be done to it. The UCC states that the seller can only recall goods if the contract is breached. In the case of Nintendo, if one somehow worked out a plan to pay for the 3DS in installments and could not afford to do so, /then/ they could recall or brick a console. As it is, however, once the 3DS is purchased, anything may be done to it.

Nintendo would be completely allowed to suspend any and all online services from modified consoles, but completely causing a console to cease functionality is illegal. Additionally, copyright law—after the courts declared jailbreaking of iPhones legal—has stated:

(4) Video games accessible on personal computers and protected by technological protection measures that control access to lawfully obtained works, when circumvention is accomplished solely for the purpose of good faith testing for, investigating, or correcting security flaws or vulnerabilities, if:
i) The information derived from the security testing is used primarily to promote the security of the owner or operator of a computer, computer system, or computer network; and
(ii) The information derived from the security testing is used or maintained in a manner that does not facilitate copyright infringement or a violation of applicable law.

This, if I am not mistaken, informs citizens of the United States that once a console is hacked, provided nothing illegal is done afterward, the console itself is still valid. Basically, this means that should someone hack their 3DS to obtain region-free functionality to play games they purchased in other regions, that is legal; the system legally cannot be bricked as a result. Sony's recent settling of the lawsuit against Geohot, for hacking the Playstation 3, had no legal consequences that I can discern, and thus would not affect this potential case.

The warning also affects the use of flashcarts as a legal backup to carrying around multiple 3DS and DS cartridges; however, that itself could be considered illegal. Copyright law has stated that copying of copyrighted movies is only legal under certain circumstances:

(1) Motion pictures on DVDs that are lawfully made and acquired and that are protected by the Content Scrambling System when circumvention is accomplished solely in order to accomplish the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment, and where the person engaging in circumvention believes and has reasonable grounds for believing that circumvention is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the use in the following instances:
(i) Educational uses by college and university professors and by college and university film and media studies students;
(ii) Documentary filmmaking;
(iii) Noncommercial videos.

If the same law is applied to video games, it becomes clear that the law does not allow consumers to create backups of their own media. While I feel it is a little ridiculous that the law does not allow for consolidation of software into one physical format by the user, Nintendo would be completely within their rights to suspend any services they provide to users of flash cards. However, they would still not be within their rights to cause the entire console to cease functionality.

I will not lie and say that hacking the Nintendo 3DS would not potentially allow piracy: it will. However, the modification of a console and its firmware is not the same as piracy. Opening a system to allow for new applications to be run on it is something completely separate, and protected by law. Nintendo would be within their rights to suspend any services to users who have used their devices for piracy.

In short:
Copyright law states that, provided nothing illegal is done as a result of it, the modification and hacking of a Nintendo 3DS to enable homebrew and region-free functionality is legal. Nintendo cannot legally cause a Nintendo 3DS to cease functioning; the only thing they may do is suspend any online services offered to users of modified consoles.

Sources:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jailbreaking/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20012109-38.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20011661-38.html

The Case Against Sony

Warning: This is an old post, back from when the Geohot v. Sony lawsuit was occurring. Originally posted on Destructoid under the name "Yukichin".

The Case Against Sony

Recently, there's been a lot of controversy over the hacking of the Playstation 3. George Hotz, a hacker that goes by the name “geohot”, amongst others, distributed the root keys of the Playstation 3, which allows users to enable homebrew applications on their Playstation 3.

Now, I do not pretend to be a legal expert; I'm a simple college student. However, reading through the many articles on the case of Sony Computer Entertainment America v. George Hotz, I see many differing opinions on if Hotz should win the case, or if Sony should get their way.

I would also like to state that I do not own a Playstation 3; therefore, I do not have anything personal at stake.

Before getting into what I can understand from a legal perspective, I would like to state my opinion:

Sony is not within their rights to sue George Hotz. They are, however, legally allowed to release firmware for the Playstation 3 console that would overwrite any hacks and restore it to what they want it to be. These updates would need to be optional for the running of the system; for future games to run, not so much. Provided that users modifying their consoles are not using the modifications for piracy/copyright infringement/other illegal activity, hackers are within their rights to do what they wish with their own purchased goods. Any illegal activities done after the modification of the system should be taken up between the government and the user, not Sony.

Sony is, however, totally within their rights to ban users from online interactions if they have modified their console in any way. That is a service granted by Sony, provided that users are running official firmware and software on a non-modified Sony console. I think it's a bit extreme to ban them, provided modified users are not using their modifications to affect online interactions, but Sony is legally allowed to do whatever they want in their provided online interactions.


Picture from Wikipedia.

Now, to get into why I think this.

The US Copyright office has established that purchased electronics may be modified to use unofficial firmwares. George Hotz, before this Playstation controversy, hacked the Apple iPhone. Apple attempted to block this, claiming it infringed upon copyright laws. However, the government established through this lawsuit that modifying a console—without the purpose of infringing on intellectual property—is legal.

Particularly relevant is this portion of the text that can be found here:

(2) Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

(4) Video games accessible on personal computers and protected by technological protection measures that control access to lawfully obtained works, when circumvention is accomplished solely for the purpose of good faith testing for, investigating, or correcting security flaws or vulnerabilities, if:
(i)  The information derived from the security testing is used primarily to promote the security of the owner or operator of a computer, computer system, or computer network; and
(ii) The information derived from the security testing is used or maintained in a manner that does not facilitate copyright infringement or a violation of applicable law.


I have copied the relevant portions of the text.

Before I continue, I would like to restate that I am in no way a legal expert.

However, the above text to me suggests that we are within our rights to modify our own devices to run legally-obtained software that may not be otherwise allowed, as well as to use any information we have found through hacking the system, provided the information is not used to infringe on copyrights.

I will not lie and say that hacking the Playstation 3 would not potentially allow piracy: it will. However, the modification of a console and its firmware is not the same as piracy. Opening a system to allow for new applications to be run on it is something completely separate, and protected by law. Sony would be within their rights to suspend any services to users who have used their devices for piracy, but would not be legally allowed to force an update that would cause the consoles to become inoperable. The only thing they would be allowed to do would be to issue an update that would, if applied, cause the modifications to be inoperable.

Now, it seems to me that Sony could potentially use the above laws to argue that the Playstation 3 does not fall within these bounds because it is neither a “wireless telephone handset” nor a “video game accessible on personal computers”. Should they exploit those semantics, they stand a chance at winning their suit; however, I do not believe that would follow the intention of the law.

George Hotz did not show off piracy as a capability of his hacking of the Playstation 3. He demonstrated his modification's ability to run OtherOS as well as homebrew applications; neither of these demonstrate any infringement of copyrights. He also specifically stated that he does not condone piracy.
It would be ignorant to say that some users may utilize these modifications to enable piracy. However, the modifications themselves are not piracy, and thus should be covered under fair use.

Sources:
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/91842/playstation-3-drm-falls-root-key-found/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20011661-38.html
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/
http://www.coveringweb.com/2011/01/geohot-jailbreaks-playstation-3-with.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20012109-38.html
http://www.geohot.com/