Cyber Rat

All the more reason we should have more video game soundtracks! It seems that honor is only given to Grand Theft Auto and Halo. The only real video game soundtrack I have is the orchestral Super Smash Bros. Melee soundtrack that came in Nintendo Power. So if you justify pirating game OSTs without a retail release because there should be more, does someone pirating SecuROM and Ubisoft DRM games to prove a point also have a justification?

This is not mine, but I do think it's a nicely written argument on the subject: ------------------------------------------------------------ The issue is not that it isn't theft. The issue is that technology has democratized consumption, and the companies at the heart of the issue have failed to react, adapt, and cater to these new consumption methods in an effective way. Media companies are adamant about retaining their control over the consumption habits of customers, and desire to direct the path of the industry themselves. The fact of the matter is that piracy, theft or not, DOES serve a functional purpose for consumers aside from simply taking shit they want without paying. The ability to try before you buy, as it were (which, as evidenced by the consumption patterns of pirates, is a pretty common pattern of behavior), allows customers to identify and expose themselves to more media, and to more knowledgably direct their money towards artists and content creators that they feel have earned it. The democratization of media allows consumers to identify products they don't like, preventing them from wasting money, and allowing them to spend that money on products they do. Legal Consumption in this manner isn't inherently costing media companies money. More simply it's made consurmers much more avid, efficient consumers of media, and has granted us a much greater ability to direct industry trends. Under the old model of content distribution, media finding and exploration present HUGE financial obstacles to consumers. This is what generated the pop superstar back in the 50's and 60's. With those obstacles being torn down, the industry has seen a huge surge of indie artists, and unknowns getting significant exposure. The industry is seeing fewer big, easily bankable stars, but the tradeoff is thousands upon thousands of niche markets, scrambling for more. The industry needs to work at monetizing and catering to this new breath of taste, and they need to bereak down the barries of media exploration. Understand that people want to know what they're spending their money on before that money is spent, and the industry needs to find ways of providing that access to information in a low-investment way. It's not impossible to rebuild an industry model around consumer need. But the way to curb piracy, and wrap these people into the fold is decidedly not to call them all criminals and sue them into the dark ages. It's also not to cling vehemently to a distribution model that was born there. A person who pirates 1000 CDs, but buys 100 of their favorites is doing a great deal more to support the industry than a person who bought 5 or 6 nickelback records, and Big Shiny Tunes 3. It's also worthy of note - in the old model it's up to the industry to find, identify, and build fanbases for artists. Under the new model, we do that for them.

Let's talk about piracy! That's always a popular subject amongst gamers. Have ever resorted or would you ever resort to pirating a game? Is it ever justified? Like for example when there's no demo and you want to try out the game before you buy it? Is it immoral or just illegal? If it's not illegal wherever you are, would it still be immoral? Should one refrain from even pirating shitty Ubisoft DRM games? And of course, what is the best way to combat piracy?

If you want to play this, play it blindly. It's as bizarre as they come.

All the hardcore kids played this:

Yea, God Hand is brutally hard but you never feel cheated in the game. You know it's your fault for dying.

Really depends on my mood and the game. I'm a "I'll play anything except class X" guy when it comes to shooters, where X varies from game to game. Spy in TF2, Recon in BC2... MMOs and RPGs, I can usually play almost anything. Just started grinding with a warrior in Cladun, while playing a social-only bard in a D&D campaign. It really depends on my mood.

SUDDENLY: ANGELIC TECHNO ORCHESTRA!

That underwater level was awful. The game for me was pretty much "pre-water and post-water" level.

I still haven't finished God Hand. There's this one section after the Kung Fu demon boss that I just can't beat. And everytime I pick up the game, I have to start from the beginning because fuck trying the hardest section of the game after not playing it for months.

So,Mike Fahey's little rage article after getting curbstomped in RDR inspired this question in me: "What do you consider unfair/cheap in MP games?" If someone is spamming a certain move in a fighting game and beating you with it, is it fair? Is it cheap? One could argue that it makes the game dull, and of course, we play games for fun. But what if someone's fun takes into account winning as well? And if it's just one move being spammed over and over, shouldn't you take the effort and learn how to evade it? If a weapon is clearly OP in the right hands, like say a sniper rifle or rocket launcher, should they be banned from use? It's pretty frustrating to keep getting killed by camping snipers or rocket spammers, but aren't those weapons available to you as well? If you feel revolted by turning to the "dark side" and using those cheap weapons, do you have any real right to complain when you get ganked with your pistol pride? Whether you agree with it or not, this article is a good read: http://www.sirlin.net/articles/playing-to-win-part-1.html I like playing the underdog in fighting games, I won't lie. If I find a character I like, I play him no matter where the next tier list throws him or her. I will cringe when I see the "cheap" characters as my opponents, but I won't complain. I could have just as easily learned to play that character, but I didn't. What's your stance on this? Any inspiring tales to share?

I was always a fan of the Half-Life 1 and 2 openings due to the interactivity. And despite all my hate towards Fallout 3, I liked the "intro" (which I consider the part until you exit the vault). It just feels like something an interactive medium should do. I mean, it's entertaining to watch badass fights in cinematics, but that could easily turn into you getting upset because the game took away all your fun. As far as cinematic stuff goes... Hmmm... Maybe American McGee's Alice?

One thing every boss should give you is the ability to defeat him on your first try. This not meaning he should be easy, but that it's theoretically possible. An example of it done badly is the Hell boss in Super Meat Boy. There is no time to react to his attacks, you are just expected to die and then avoid the attack the next time since the pattern is always the same. Strangely though, the first ones that come to mind are Pyramid Head (SH2) and Nemesis (RE3). But I'm not sure they are bosses as much as they are a menacing force chasing you.

Was two years old when I tried playing this.

I don't understand how Minecraft can be on that list, not because I like the game, but because it isn't even finished...

Oh, it was also boring as hell? Everything with a number is a cash-in. This was _just_ a cash-in, without any quality IMO. Seriously, I was never a SF fan, but I liked SSF4 when I tried it, unlike SF4. And agreed about Fallout 2.

That's like saying ham tastes better than poo. Pepsi Man was a fun game, I played it quite a lot as a kid. But it's still a WTF concept. Oh, and Cool Spot was DA SHIT.

10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 9. Halo 3 8. Super Mario Galaxy 7. Gears of War 6. Street Fighter 4 5. StarCraft II 4. Uncharted 2 3. Red Dead Redemption 2. GoldenEye (N64) 1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas SF4 was the worst cash in on nostalgia I've seen in a while and it got stellar reviews. Super Street Fighter 4 is at least better.

Sonic Heroes and Oblivion.

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