General Games News - The Bear and Badger

Bollockoff

MattyJ wrote:

Humvees with neon and sound systems, racing around Afghanistan....

Sounds like DLC for Blood on the Sand.

Escape

To be clear on why I targeted Florence in particular: it's because he's on the make under the pretence of righteousness. Hungry for celebrity, he appropriates anything that lends career-enhancing copy.

He's a hypocrite for castigating those of lower writing station for their light-fingered approach (and yeah - that's unfortunate), while conveniently glossing over his own foot-in-door career climb. I just don't like the man.

I do like Walker - he's an honest John, but he's not advanced beyond a university-aged belief that intelligence - indeed rectitude - can swim against the tides of idiocy. Eloquence is lovely, but this trade's a shit business.

I don't believe it's a case of fighting and panting and jelly-wrestling for better journalism, because quality journalism doesn't befit this hobby's largest audience. Regardless of the publication, if it takes upstairs' money to produce it then you've already made your choice at the door; you've committed to an approach that isn't always - poss. rarely/never - your own.

Straining games-writer brains to what end? What greater, still-profitable pursuit than sales to the masses? Magazine writers are usually regrettably complicit in the corpo circle-jerk by game-loving kinship. I say kinship in reference to the Special Stuff, naturally, not the Briss suits. Someone underhands their way to a higher score by handing out free massage oils...

Escape

Leave me me pens!

And spare a thought for poor old Gav, as well. 'Tisn't long now until wee Bloppo Codcakes and Ma rock up at his for Christmas.

Mod74

Escape wrote:

To be clear on why I targeted Florence in particular: it's because he's on the make under the pretence of righteousness. Hungry for celebrity, he appropriates anything that lends career-enhancing copy. He's a hypocrite for castigating those of lower writing station for their light-fingered approach (and yeah - that's unfortunate), while conveniently glossing over his own foot-in-door career climb. I just don't like the man. I do like Walker - he's an honest John, but he's not advanced beyond a university-aged belief that intelligence - indeed rectitude - can swim against the tides of idiocy. Eloquence is lovely, but this trade's a shit business. I don't believe it's a case of fighting and panting and jelly-wrestling for better journalism, because quality journalism doesn't befit this hobby's largest audience. Regardless of the publication, if it takes upstairs' money to produce it then you've already made your choice at the door; you've committed to an approach that isn't always - poss. rarely/never - your own. Straining games-writer brains to what end? What greater, still-profitable pursuit than sales to the masses? Magazine writers are usually regrettably complicit in the corpo circle-jerk by game-loving kinship. I say kinship in reference to the Special Stuff, naturally, not the Briss suits. Someone underhands their way to a higher score by handing out free massage oils...

Yup.

Jem

he's not advanced beyond a university-aged belief that intelligence - indeed rectitude - can swim against the tides of idiocy

Er, WTF. Seriously.

Vela

Escape wrote:

Straining games-writer brains to what end? What greater, still-profitable pursuit than sales to the masses? Magazine writers are usually regrettably complicit in the corpo circle-jerk by game-loving kinship. I say kinship in reference to the Special Stuff, naturally, not the Briss suits. Someone underhands their way to a higher score by handing out free massage oils...

I think this bit in particular is spot on.Â

Personally, all I ask for is an honest critique. If I can't get that from a reviewer, I'll either avoid a game, try a demo or wait for the word from someone without a vested interest. It's not exactly high stakes for the end user, but obviously it would be for some kid without any pocket money who buys 50c Blood on The Sand with their christmas money based on a glowing review on IGN, say.

google

Escape is far becoming my favourite forumite.

Trufax.

Escape

Jem wrote:

Er, WTF. Seriously.

All of it. Spewing our thinkin' unedited is a forum-given privilege. How can a be-bossed and [albeit reluctantly] sponsored magazine compete with that? I'm not claiming that a magazine writer's imposed filter can't be circumnavigated with talent, but why take that chance as a punter?

The near-guaranteed neutrality of a specialist forum supersedes print as soon as it reaches maturity of poster.

By the by, I quite fancy bylines for everything in Edge outside of reviews and previews. @Ian Was an attempt ever made on Butterfield, Pegg, Linehan and Brooker's return?

Anonymity's allure is fading for me. I wonder if out-of-hours contact via known-face interaction would help Edge?

google wrote:

Escape is far becoming my favourite forumite.

Cursed insomnia's twisting my melon for the occasional good as well as the munchies. Thank you.

Escape

A million facepalms later.

A point of interest in this article is the pro-Flo rivers of gush beneath. I've a strong feeling that many of those contributors are united in sensing a peer-approved safety net below.

In apparent absence of critical, independent thinking, we're not weighing the response to the content of his article - a verbatim release under a new-name wouldn't have had the thrust, but to a piece nailed to the uprights of a rep forwarded by veterans' appraisals. And he decries PR.

Bollockoff

Vela wrote:

some kid without any pocket money who buys 50c Blood on The Sand with their christmas money based on a glowing review on IGN, say.

Oit! Even Eurogamer said Blood on the Sand was a decent effort. I will not stand by while innocent games are paraded like so many Dragon Age 2s.

Vela

Bollockoff wrote:

Vela wrote:

some kid without any pocket money who buys 50c Blood on The Sand with their christmas money based on a glowing review on IGN, say.

Oit! Even Eurogamer said Blood on the Sand was a decent effort. I will not stand by while innocent games are paraded like so many Dragon Age 2s.

Well maybe the first one then. To avoid confusion, lets just say the crazy frog game.

Mod74

There's a Crazy Frog game? How did I miss that?

Vela

It was on ps2 maybe five or six years back. Quite popular too where i live.

Escape

The giveaway frog cocks didn't go down too well.

Bollockoff

I actually have a keyring of crazy frog sitting on one of my shelves. And yeah, the cock is a bit of a weird cast decision.

Mod74

Tekken Tag Tournament 2's Saudi Arabia stage changing to remove accidental usage of 'Allah'

Are you fucking shitting me? That barely legible squiggle says 'Allah'? Come on.

Vela

I suppose it's the same as the face of Jesus in a piece of toast. What's the term for it again? Pareidolia is for things that look like faces, but this isn't a face.

Wikipedia to the rescue:

It is suggested that a tendency of religious imagery in Islam to be perceived as Arabic words is made more likely by the general simplicity of letter forms in theÂ Arabic alphabet(especially in the everydayÂ Riq'a); a tradition of massive typographical flexibility inÂ Islamic calligraphy; and the particular shape of the wordÂ AllahÂ (Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡). These factors make the word easy to read into many structures with parallel lines or lobes on a common base.

Escape

Looks like Satan's tail to me.

Diluted Dante

Unsurprisingly, no one got back in touch with me, so I just went with this.

Was heartened by the couple of favourites I got on Twitter, even if it's just solidarity you made me smile.

Sasukekun

Of course a Saudi Arabia stage would probably have Allah in it somewhere. Why wouldn't it.
This is a demand that should never have been made.

Jem

Ridiculous. The right to be offended is one thing, but over the last 30 years everyone gets up in arms demanding the thing they find offensive is wiped out of existence without acknowledging that being offended is a choice we make.

adkm1979

The likelihood of that being an accident is phenomenally slim. Â Is it not more likely that he texture is a copy of a real tile thy didn't understand? Â Thing is, why does it matter?

Sasukekun

Of course it's not an accident, thing is, it makes sense with the theme of the stage. So why wipe it?

Yossarian

Sasukekun wrote:

Of course a Saudi Arabia stage would probably have Allah in it somewhere. Why wouldn't it. This is a demand that should never have been made.

Placing it on the floor to be walked on may be the issue here. it's considered offensive to sit with the sole of your shoe facing anyone.

Mod74

Vela wrote:

I suppose it's the same as the face of Jesus in a piece of toast. What's the term for it again? Pareidolia is for things that look like faces, but this isn't a face. Wikipedia to the rescue:

It is suggested that a tendency of religious imagery in Islam to be perceived as Arabic words is made more likely by the general simplicity of letter forms in theÂ Arabic alphabet(especially in the everydayÂ Riq'a); a tradition of massive typographical flexibility inÂ Islamic calligraphy; and the particular shape of the wordÂ AllahÂ (Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡). These factors make the word easy to read into many structures with parallel lines or lobes on a common base.

I had no idea that was a thing, cheers

Examples in Islam
In the Muslim community, a frequently-reported religious perception is the image of the word "Allah" in Arabic on natural objects. Again, the discovery of such an object may attract considerable interest among believers who visit the object for the purpose of prayer or veneration. Examples of this phenomenon have been reported on fish,^[49]^[50]^[51]^[52] fruit and vegetables,^[53]^[53]^[54] plants and clouds,^[55] eggs,^[56] and on the markings on animals' coats.^[57]

The Arabic script for the name of Allah is purported to be visible in a satellite photograph of the 2004 Asian Tsunami. This was taken as evidence by some Muslims that Allah had sent the tsunami as punishment.^[58]

It has been suggested by some Shia Muslims that the first name of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (Ali) can be seen on the Moon. Other Shia Muslims, however, reject this claim, or dismiss it as a coincidence.^[59]

Paul the sparky

Graffiti deities? Have they got nothing better to do with their time?

mistercrayon

Guerrilla marketing in an age when attention spans are shrinking

Vela

I saw a cloud that looked like a duck today.

WorKid

Duck god, surely. Probably means it will rain.

Vela

I think it was a sign that Super Rub'a'dub isÂ sacrilege.

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