Category Archives: technology

My Congressman Loves the Nanny State

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Recently it has been announced that my congressman Joe Baca (D-San Bernardino) has introduced a new video game labeling bill (H.R 231) that requires an extra warning label for any game that is rated T or above to state the following:

WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.

However some games that are rated T (Teen), are not violent at all such as Gran Turismo – TV Top Gear and Singstar ABBA which makes the warning label that is required for this bill redundant and silly. This is one of the first things I have noticed that is seriously wrong with this bill. I know the congressman wants to make himself look good in front of the parents and grandparents of the 43rd Congressional District, but while this bill is in committee at least he should try to make it where only games that are actually violent should have the Consumer Product Safety Commission Regulation in it.

However we already do have a ratings system and its called the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and they been around for over fifteen years and they have done a decent job with rating electronic entertainment. Parents are already given the tools necessary to evaluate their children’s choices in the games that they play. Information is displayed at leading retailers and at the website for the ESRB.

Not all gamers are children and teenagers which video game regulation loving politicians would like to portray where the average gamer is 33 years old and becoming politically active thanks to organizations such as the Entertainment Consumers Association and the Video Game Voters Network. Stores self-regulate their sales of M (Mature) rated video games and if children are playing these games then parents either authorized the purchase or is just simply careless.

The best idea for Congressman Baca and his co-sponsor in the Republican Party Congressman Wolf of Virginia, is to simply embrace the ESRB ratings and help educate their constituents of their districts instead. Franking a newsletter to the constituents would be cheaper than adding a redundant regulation that will simply confuse consumers.

I made an attempt to contact the Congressman’s office about my concerns about this legislation. There was nothing really substantial from his office when one of his representatives contacted me, I just stated that if he insists on making this rather redundant bill he should at least get it made right by adding some of my suggestions.

It is unfortunate that our leaders are using popular media as a scapegoat for the problems that face us in society such as violence. Electronic entertainment is not the sole reason why some people choose to be violent in today’s society when we should investigate the other reasons first. We are America, we are not Australia and we should not enter the world of censorship and mandatory labeling of games. With an economy that is hurting we should avoid adding any new governmental programs that are already done effectively in the private sector such as ratings of electronic games.

If you care for freedom of expression and or limited government contact Congressman Baca and Congressman Wolf if you live in their districts as soon as you can.

Microsoft Songsmith

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The researchers at Microsoft decided to make a product that was designed to bring the songwriter in all of us called Microsoft Songsmith. However the product does not really seem as innovative because its basically twelve or so basic background music patterns designed to start and end with your singing no matter how long you want to sing. The background music is not really modifiable based on the notes that you sing in the product.

I would love a Garage Band type product for the Windows operating system. However think of Microsoft Songsmith as more of a Wii Music type of product. If you have a creative young member in your household consider buying a copy where he or she can sing witty songs. Songsmith is not complicated, but is more of a toy than a useful application. I did make a few compositions with this product, but it sounded like amateur hour at the karaoke bar instead.

If you want to make a successful song, try to storyboard it when you have your lyrics written. Because if you sing or recite your lyrics they can end up running quicker than you might expect them to be. Add some hand clapping or some rhythm instruments while you sing so you can have a break between verses. Most great popular music tunes usually last for three minutes so make them go for around that time. However it seemed most of my tunes lasted less than one minute like the Songsmith advertisements on Youtube.

Resale rights of used product, should content providers get a cut?

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Game companies who make software for the personal computers to video game consoles such as the Playstation 3 are becoming jealous of the growing used games market. Producers are worried that the growing used games market with Gamestop, the leading video game chain making most of their profit over used games instead of new games and they want to get a cut of this revenue.

It may be upsetting that a company may spend millions to produce a product such as Kane and Lynch, finding out that online video game journalists and hundreds of customers on forums telling the world that your game may be a piece of crap. However when video games are reaching the price of 59.99 as the regular selling price its quite hard for many people these days to afford a regular purchase of their new releases. Used product helps people pay for the new product these publishers make and helps get people introduced to older versions of classics such as Mega Man or Madden.

Even though Gamestop makes big money from used product they are actually helping to keep the new games market alive. Depressing customers by asking those who bought the game used to pay extra money for content is only going to piss off customers like adding securerom to Spore.

Use focus groups, make the game a quality product where the producers can be proud of what they have made. Make the game worthwhile that people will not be wanting to trade it in. Burnout Paradise’s developers have added extra features to make the game worth playing as time goes on. Follow examples that other companies have made and maybe the used game market will no longer be an excuse to cover up for companies making shovel ware and crap failed big releases.

BBS Culture

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Shameless plug alert ahead my readers, I have decided to advertise something that has been apart of my existance for the last decade. I have operated a Bulletin Board System called The Parallel and it has been a big part of youth online culture in my local community until the internet became dominant in 1999.

Before the internet’s boom people frequented the BBS, a place where people could read messages, download files and play online games. Even though you can do these things on the internet proper, the BBS still remains a micro-community on the Internet.

I do cary Fidonet and Dovenet with hundreds of networked messages.

I have a decent selection of online games. They may not be World of Warcraft, but people are still indeed captivated to the minimalist form of Legend of the Red Dragon and Barron Realms Elite.

You can visit the site today and make an account and visit now if you want and visit from your web browser.
Visit the message bases and file libraries from the http interface.

You dont need to use QModem or Telix to visit my BBS the old fashioned way. You can telnet in. Install SyncTerm
and add The Parallel to your dialing directory. SyncTerm is not a WindowsXP only program, it is compiled for various operating systems from OS X for your Macintosh, the BSD’s and Linux too.

The Parallel BBS is awaiting you.