Recently I’ve been pretty frustrated at the media using games as a publicity stunt, and usually in a controversial sense. As with my previous post about GTAIV, it’s like they’re just blaming games just for the convenience of it and it’s getting out of hand. There’s actually more to video games than violence, like these examples.

1. Beautiful Imagery - Over the years, video games have been evolving to be more interactive, and the most obvious change is with it’s graphics. With the current generation of games, the graphics have been advanced to the point that you get totally immersed in the setting. In Oblivion for example, sometimes I just put down the controller and just sit back and enjoy the view.

2. Storytelling - Other than providing lots of enjoyment, games have really well done stories too. They’re great as storytelling devices and unlike movies, you really get immersed on the setting because of the interactivity. Some games recognized for their great storytelling are the Final Fantasy series, and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. Here’s an interesting article on the future of video games and interactive storytelling.

3. Music - I’m a big fan of video game music. Since the 8-bit era, video game music has been evolving as well but one thing remained the same, they’re very memorable and nostalgic. Today, video game music has been getting mainstream attention with concerts like PLAY! and tours of video game music composers and I think it deserves more attention from the media. Listen to this moving medley of tracks from the games Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross performed by the PLAY symphony:

As you can see, games have more to offer than what most people are getting worked up for. I’m aware that there are games with violent content out there but as I’ve said before, I believe it’s the parents’ responsibility to guide their children on what’s wrong and what’s right.

Persona 3 is arguably the best RPG of 2007, and Atlus will soon be releasing a follow-up for the Playstation 2, Persona 4. A 17-minute trailer was released with the gaming magazine Famitsu giving us an exclusive look at the new game:

Unlike Persona 3 which took place in a modern setting, Persona 4 will be set in a rural town and will have a suspense-thriller murder mystery theme as well as new characters.

Aside from that, the systems that were introduced in the previous game such as Social Links and the battle system will remain intact, but gone this time is the controversial “evokers” of the first game, replaced by what seems to be eyeglasses. Another new feature of Persona 4 is an active weather system replacing the previous game’s moon phase system.

I loved Persona 3’s unique style and engaging gameplay and I can’t wait for this game to be released on our shores! Persona 4 will be released in Japan on July 2008. Also, check out screenshots of the game at The Magic Box.

Japan is well known as the technology capital of the world, and for their mix of traditional and modern customs and traditions. But in the intarwebs, they’re mostly known for their unique and random sense of humor, most of which have circulated the net thanks to Youtube. Here are five hilarious videos featuring some of the weirdest and quirkiest skits ever.

1. Hard Gay - One of the most well known videos circulating is that of Japanese comedian Masaki Sumitani’s unique persona called “Razor Ramon HG” or simply “Hard Gay”, where he runs around in tight black leather gay fetish outfit performing acts of “charity” for unsuspecting bystanders while doing his trademark pelvic thrusts and catch phrases (such as dancing around while shouting “HOOO!”). Watching his videos really crack me up, especially the reactions of the unsuspecting populace as a flamboyant man dressed in a leather fetish outfit comes along and prances about.

2. Do not Laugh! - A clip from the variety show Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! featuring a skit called “No-Laughing High School -batsu (or `punishment´)” where the 5 stars of the show where if the participant laughs in any way, he gets punished. It’s really hilarious and it’s really hard not to laugh from it, if I was part of this I’d definitely lose bigtime.

3. Toilet Pranks - Probably one of the most bizzare and outrageous pranks ever, and one that’ll definitely never see light on this side of the world is this hilarious toilet prank, where unsuspecting people who use portable toilets get the shock of their lives when they suddenly rise up from the roof or get dragged out into sea by a boat. To see is to believe!

4. Human Tetris - Here’s a really creative contest on a Japanese gameshow where contestants try to match the shapes of the holes on an incoming moving wall. It’s one of the most famous skits and I think there are shows who tried to copy the concept, but this is definitely the funniest.

5. The Silent Library - Also from Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!, here the participants are subjected to a sort of “Russian Roulette” with cards inside a library, wherein cards with a crossbone on it entitles them with a punishment, and they have to stay as silent as possible! It’s recieved international attention thanks to the participation of former K-1champion Ernesto Hoost.

I just received a newsletter from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and as expected, a limited collector’s edition will be released which will include miniatures and a graphic novel! I’m glad that even if they’ve shifted the stage to MMOs they’ve still pretty much remembered the roots of the Warhammer universe, and I’m pretty sure a lot of fans appreciate it too, if they’re lucky enough to get one.

Even if the chances are low that I’ll get a collector’s edition, I’m sure that this’ll be the best online game of the year! And who knows, it might even topple WoW!

As expected, Grand Theft Auto IV was met with a lot of complaints and issues from parents, organizations, politicians and the media, and to think it just came out a few days ago! I can’t blame them for it since the game does feature gruesome violence and the more grim side of human nature, but when it comes down to it as long as kids play it with proper adult supervision and guidance I guess there’s nothing to be afraid of. When it all comes down to it, they just want accountability for the terrible crimes happening everyday, and for a sandbox game like GTA IV where you can do everything, it’s just too convenient.

In any case, I got the 360 version and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. Rockstar did a terrific job with updating the franchise for the next generation, and i’ll probably play this for years to come… and I haven’t even tried multiplayer out yet! It definitely deserves it’s title as the most anticipated game for 2008.

I’ve always though that headphones are just that device that you would put to your ear so that you won’t disturb anyone around you and vice versa. I realized that it was more than that.In mobile phones, headphones or what others call as “hands-free” are important safety factors when operating a motor vehicle. If you are not driving, this will also help you in isolating external noises. Be warned that using mobile phones for long durations is bad for the health, the brain in particular.

Are you guilty of talking in the phone while driving? For safety purposes, inside or outside, driving or not, better use headphones to avoid anything not good. I know I am guilty of that but, surely, that habit is simple and easy to avoid.

Signs have been a regular part of our everyday lives. We see them everywhere, and thanks to them, our lives become a little more convenient. They provide safety, warn us of danger, they tell us where to go and even giving us options on what to spend our money on. Let’s face it, we can’t live without signs.

Not surprisingly, signs also provide us with hearty laughs. There are hundreds of unusual and strange signs out there, and what’s great is most of them aren’t supposed to be funny in the first place! Here’s ten strange signs from around the world:

That’s harsh.

What else can you do then?

This is gonna be tough.

Surprise your loved one with an instant family!

Who the hell goes fishing on a toilet?

Sad thing is is, you still have to pay for it.

From the “adding insult to injury” department…

Lost in translation?

With signs like these, it might actually be a good idea to go out and look out for them. Always keep an eye out for hilarious signs, there’s bound to be one around the corner!

Basketball. I haven’t played in ages and I knew I shouldn’t have. This is precisely the reason why I never enjoyed TOO much of it that made me stop playing. I’ve sprained my ankle and now I can’t make it to my cousin’s birthday tonight. Damnit. Oh well, back to playing GTA IV I guess.

I’ve been seeing a lot of scantily-clad people in mainstream media and it got me thinking, what exactly do people consider sexy?

I mean, I know “sex sells”, but sometimes mainstream media’s just taking it too far, to the point that people themselves apply this belief on a daily basis, making it seem like everything is alright indecent or otherwise. I might sound like I’m whining, but it seems like this kind of lewd sexiness is being extremely sensationalized in television, the magazines and even in video games, and even if it’s appealing, too much of it will have repercussions.

Call me old-fashioned, but actresses like Audrey Hephburn, Cate Blanchet and Kate Beckinsale are ladies who I find as sexy, as opposed to someone who’s scantily-clad (which most people would consider sexy nowadays). Their beauty enchanced by the way they carry themselves with their grace and elegance is what I consider ‘true sexiness’. Sadly I’m afraid that sooner or later this kind of beauty will be all but forgotten thanks to what people percieve as ’sexy’.

I just hope it’s not too late to change it.

I read this shocking news from Kotaku the other day, apparently Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, had an interview with UK’s Edge magazine where he admitted that he was disappointed with the outcome of his latest project, Metal Gear Solid 4 for the Playstation 3. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

“When we first showed the game engine at TGS, the staff were really proud and happy. PS3 was a dream machine, y’know, and we were going to work on this and that - and we had so many ideas. But when we actually started developing the game, we realized there were a lot of restrictions and so it turned out how you see it today. The original vision was to go ten steps further, the reality was just one step, which isn’t to say we didn’t progress.”

This is… a shocking admission to say the least, especially coming from a perfectionist like Mr. Kojima. But I guess I can’t blame him on overestimating the PS3’s capabilities, everyone pretty much did. Though I don’t think that’ll make Metal Gear Solid 4 any less enjoyable, probably just not as they initially planned it to be.