This is the personal blog of Amy Levandoski. All her opinions and personal thoughts of things such as in the gaming industry, politics, and much more are placed in here.
I sit in silence throughout last night and today. It feels like a little void in not just the role play community but the virtueverse itself. It doesn't feel like it would happen. Good men shouldn't have to be taken so soon and way before their prime. Paragon City lost its most dedicated protector today... and this whole paragraph might not make sense to anyone here. So I'll start from the beginning.
Tre Chipman, also known as Ascendant, had passed away. He was a huge player on the City of Heroes scene and inspired hundreds of players on the virtue server. His role play and story telling inspired plenty and I'm convinced he was responsible of many others making heroes or villains just because of his character. I know that he, along with Xanatos and Karnal Sin, they inspired me when I was in the game as Luficia.
I am, or used to, play City of Heroes. It was the game that lit my love for comic books and super heroes ablaze and shown me just how much I love the genre. I remember how I won a 20 dollar gift card for Best Buy and went to get the MMO all the way back in 2004. The idea of creating a super hero seemed like fun and I wanted to see everything. It was the perfect game as I was readying for college. I played for a while on the Guardian server but then I transferred over to Virtue because I had heard of a growing role playing community.
I'll never regret that decision. I'll remember when I ran into Ascendant for the very first time. I was with my boyfriend at the time and we were flying to one of the train stations... and right at that phone booth? There was Ascendant, just role playing out the phone call to Saul. I was on voice chat with him at the time and reading it had us laughing out loud. I laughed so hard, I was in tears. I complimented him and he was just someone you don't forget. He was always around and I really enjoyed role playing with him as Luficia.
He was just as kind of a man as he was the character. He always spoke of optimism no matter what seemed to be going wrong. Tre carried as much hope in life as his character did too. He was also a lot of fun on his villain, Doctor Crom, too. I'll never forget when he hired one villain(whom I call Malechavas these days on Skype) to beat Luficia down and taken Seiken from her. He wanted to study him and Luficia was mortified. Life got in the way and I had to leave the game unexpectedly and without notice. For a whole year, Doctor Crom, Malechavas and Fearghas(before he became the developer Doctor Aeon) brought him to life without me and had him on adventures for a whole year.
One of the last role plays I had with him as Luficia, he gave my character a single bullet to kill him. Should the one side of his character ever go awry, she could take the shot. It would have tried to snuff out hope from Ascendant, no matter what. I have the actual quote from his character's speech and it speaks just as much about his character as it does about Tre too.
"These are the places that forge us into better people. These are the trials that temper better spirits. Besides, we stand as a precipice of both opportunity and challenge, and we are duty bound--not just to ourselves, but to the public--to meet both. This is the time and place we earn the mantle of hero, rather than have it bestowed upon us. This is when we show that this is not a city of people content to live in fear and hate, but instead prove, once and for all, that this is a City of Heroes!"
It was a promise Luficia would have done so. Even if she would have been mortified to take the life of one of the very people she admired and aspired to be, she would've done it. One more line of his that stands out even more now then ever.
"Because I look at you and I have hope."
That was not just Ascendant but Tre Chipman as well. He was a man who held hope to a higher standard and he never gave up. He stood for City of Heroes and he always spoke about being a hero beyond the game. His act of charity on his character's behalf speaks out for the kind of character he really was. He truly was a hero, both in Paragon City and outside of it.
Xanatos, Ascendant, and Luficia. I always pictured the trio in an epic shot as Xanatos and Ascendant were her very idols. She wanted to stand up and continue their values and fight for her city as much as they did. Now, it just feels like a void. Rest in peace, Tre, and know that somewhere, out there, you did inspire me and not just through the game we played on. I know Xanatos and Sorah spoke on their pages with a promise to tell his one last story. May they bring you the honor you deserve. You've been taken way too soon from us but your in a much better place.
Paragon City will live on, one way or another. Thank you for inspiring all of us.
I don't think I need to repeat too much about it. It was revealed in their own personal conference and their big center was Television, Sports, Television, Television, and Sports. It wasn't until after it ended did it confirm that you can't lend or play used games on it. The disc is rendered useless. It installs into your own unique hard drive and if you give it to a friend or if they buy it used, they will have to buy the manufacturer price before they can play it.
If your unsure what this means, then here are a few videos that say it a lot better then I would.
The general anger isn't from the having to be online once a day. It goes down to the fact that purchasing used games and even lending a game to your friend would be non-existant in next generation of consoles... or, in this case, on the XBox One. This is pretty huge since you have to always buy it. They will have a system of pre-owned games but on their own terms in a controlled enviroment where all the proceeds continue to go to the company. They will have the power to control when prices go down, etc.
So why does it bother me? I'm not a console user, I am a PC Gamer. Everything I run on goes through a computer. It has been my preference since its a little easier to upgrade the hardware. I have zero interest in XBox One, Playstation 4 and even the Wii U. Maybe hand held gaming devices but that is really it. Why would any of this have anything to do with me?
Its a window to the future. This is the gaming industry looking to see how far they can go to remove the rights of the consumer from under their feet. So long as they give the "good stuff," they can continue to take their rights away under the name of combating piracy. This shouldn't be allowed, at all. Any support to Microsoft(and EA) is only going to set the line and spread this kind of practice through the rest of the industry. Not just Microsoft but to EA as well.
EA removing the Online Passes? It was great and I had thought it was a silver lining... but with all the deals they've made exclusively for Microsoft, it does make sense now. Why they refuse to make any games for the Wii U, etc. All of it.
I know the gaming industry is in a rough spot. Combating piracy and the complications in making the very game we enjoy and love is not easy at all. For any idea of how it works, I recommend watching Extra Credits. You can find it on Penny Arcade TV or a search on youtube. It has all the details of the gaming industry, how it works and all the work that goes into making the game you enjoy. It should give some silver lining to you.
But do we really need to remove consumer rights just for that protection? What makes the gaming industry special from other companies? I don't see any cars getting any income from used sales when they are sold at a used sales lot. What about CDs that a friend bought and decided to give them away to their friend? They don't see the used sales coming out of that. What makes their industry so different that they need this money?
Maybe there is more to it but I'm just not seeing it. This is something that can and will extend to PC gaming and other platforms and if we don't stop it now with our wallet? Then it is only going to get worse from here. Vote with your wallet. DON'T buy their products if your seriously that angry about it. The lack of sales will surely bring their attention and money does, indeed, talk.
Speak with your money if your that upset about it. I've been hearing good things about the Playstation 4, so far!
Now before I fulfill this challenge, let me cover a few other things and why I'm doing this.
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As a gamer, I have seen this before. The major argument in video games... do they cause violent behavior? What do we, as people, need to limit our exposure to the violent elements in media? It is everywhere. It isn't just in video games. It is in movies, television, music, books, and artwork. Being the 21st Century, we are in a time where our exposure to violence is at an all time high. In some ways, it is a form of entertainment.
So it didn't surprise me any that, upon turning on the show, Katie, I had seen the topic of violent video games being talked about. So many people have talked about it before and since she's new on the talk show scene, it was bound to come up sooner or later. With the tragedy of the Boston Marathon Massacre and the news not-so subtly putting out that one of the terrorists played video games, it became the big topic and some points were being made.
I hadn't seen the whole show but then I did a little search on the internet. These clips will fill you in on where the argument went.
It is only a clip and, to note, I am truly sorry for Mark Petric and the tragedy he suffered. I'm sorry about what his son had done... and I'm sorry Katie Couric is using his pain and suffering to further her own biased view.
Yes. I said that. It really gets me angry. His name, recounting the tale, making him cry and putting in big bold letters in that clip with "SAYS VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES TURNED SON INTO KILLER" feels like an insult. It isn't even the full clip. I tried to find the whole thing but Katie's own source only put up a snippet. How did it turn him into killer? Did he have a motivation to hurt his family other then video games? Was he suffering from any mental break downs, depression, mental illnesses, etc?
No. All the clip says is a huge title and telling the horrific tale of what happened that night with the 911 call thrown in. It doesn't give any context to what was related to video games and nothing at all. There isn't an extended interview on her youtube account and I'm not about to check her website for a full episode. If it's there, then it further proves my point. This is a poorly manipulated tactic to define evil in its purest false form.
It is edited on purpose that takes a poor man's tragedy and uses it for her own journalist goal to prove the evils of video games and that is so morally wrong, it boggles my mind. This man experienced the most horrifying thing in the world. His own child murdered his wife and ruined a whole family forever. I cannot express just how much my heart goes out to this man and everything he suffered since then. It just makes me sick to my stomach that Katie Couric, a woman whom I had respected throughout her career up until now, would stick to manipulative scare tactics to try to prove her own point.
It invalidates everything she's tried to do and makes her stand right up to Jack Thompson.
The rest of the special that I had seen is just different experts that speak out how terrible the video game community(I.E Developers) speak out and strike down under the "false ideas" of free speech and even possibility of research into violence being created by video games... that "it wasn't needed."
This is a lie and, again, Katie Couric let this guy talk and didn't ask questions to make sure this is correct.
I don't remember this ever being spoken out but I do remember what they did speak out against this one. FEPA, or the Family Entertainment Protection Act. It was a bill created back in November 29th, 2005. It was drafted to keep those games out of the hands of minors and huge fines to retailers that did not. This bill also tried to get the FTC to investigate the ESRB rating system. It was passed but it never made it to law with similar bills being considered unconstitutional.
Why?
Because, like books, movies and music, video games are also protected under the rights of free speech. Investigating with a neutral mind set, I looked up those who are against censorship. Yes. Censorship. Upon visiting the Video Games Voters Network, that fact came out extremely clear.
"Video games are fully protected speech under the Constitution, and receive the same First Amendment protection as books, movies, music and cable television programs. The Network opposes efforts to regulate the content of entertainment media, including proposals to criminalize the sale of certain games to minors, or regulate video games differently from movies, music, books, and other media. The Network also enables gamers to stay educated about issues, reach out to federal, state, and local officials, and register to vote." - Video Games Network About Page.
Who sponsors this website? ESA or Entertainment Software Association. They represent video game publishers. They have a huge say in the video game market. Sometimes, it stands out even more then developers since most developers(Until the rise of Kickstarter and Indie Games) need publishers to push their product out in the market. Back when SOPA was being represented into the market, many companies spoke out against SOPA. Who supported it though, other then the lobbyists and other political figures?
The ESA.
Yes. They supported the SOPA Bill and even expressed working with Congress and Senate. Even if SOPA was about piracy, it still shows their idea to support a middle ground and work on what was needed as stated in the Escapist.
""As an industry of innovators and creators, we understand the importance of both technological innovation and content protection, and do not believe the two are mutually exclusive. Rogue websites - those singularly devoted to profiting from their blatant illegal piracy - restrict demand for legitimate video game products and services, thereby costing jobs. Our industry needs effective remedies to address this specific problem, and we support the House and Senate proposals to achieve this objective. We are mindful of concerns raised about a negative impact on innovation. We look forward to working with the House and Senate, and all interested parties, to find the right balance and define useful remedies to combat willful wrongdoers that do not impede lawful product and business model innovation."
What Katie Couric also neglected to mention that ESA has been open to research on the possibility of violent video games and how it could react in people. There's a whole section on their website dedicated to the research with references and links to read up and look into it. There is not a single attempt, as her "expert" claimed on her show, of any video game company ever attempting to censor out any official research on the topic. In fact, the ESA promotes it.
It is ironic that Katie Couric and the "experts," claiming how they should censor it and scoff at the idea that parents shouldn't be fully 100% dependent in watching what their child plays and sacrifice their rights as a parent to ensure their children are protected. This isn't the NRA. Video games aren't guns. They aren't actively trying to prevent it as the NRA has been doing for years. Look it up. The NRA is still doing it to this very day.
With all of that out of way, you got to be wondering... So why do I speak out now?
I speak up because of her twitter image.
So, yes, Katie Couric. Challenge accepted. I have no idea if this is in response to what I wrote, with optimism, that you will cover the positive side of video games. This was before I saw this twitter and the snippets I missed from her show that led me to speak out now.
Yes, Katie Couric, there is positive contribution to video games. They bring families together. When I had a super nintendo and I curled up next to my mother, who played with me, she'd act out the dialogue and made the stories come alive just like when she'd read books to me before I'd go to bed. Those games, such as Final Fantasy 2 and 3(back in their SNES days) sparked imagination and questions of morality. They challenged me to write and gave me female heroine figures where, back in the 1990s, girls only had princesses and barbie dolls. No damsels in distress but strong women that didn't take things sitting down and overcame any obstacles that came their way.
It also taught me how terrible it is to commit any murder for any reason and evil in its purest, clownish form. A monster that became a god and took over the world... and even when he believed life was worth destroying because life held no meaning in a world where people would continue to destroy what they would build, a group of twelve destroyed that god with the belief life was worth saving and good still existed in the world. That was Final Fantasy 3 and later became to be known as Final Fantasy 6.
Even when a huge monster in the year 1999 that would awake underground and destroy all of humanity and the will power to do ultimate good despite the odds. That was Chrono Trigger. It taught me to never give up, no matter how bleak things looked. It is what led me to keep going and get the role of Peter Pan in freshman year of high school. The nerd got the role of Peter Pan... and I got a standing ovation at the very end.
Yes, I got depressed. Those fantasies is what helped me escape when the death of my father caught up, children were picking on me terribly and I pretended to slash up my classmates with a sword. You know what? My mother saw the signs. She didn't blame video games. She got me to a psychiatrist and diagnosed the true root of it all... Depression. I got the right treatment and even medicine to get me back up and get better to realize they were just fantasy. Reality and fantasy must always be separate but you can always learn lessons from the material and take it with you.
That isn't good enough for you? Here's more.
Two Video Game Nerds created an online comic strip called Penny Arcade. They both are now married and have their own children now. Seeing how children suffer without toys or entertainment when stuck in a hospital, they sought to change that. They formed Child's Play.
Every Christmas, they ask the kindness of video gamers over the internet to purchase and donate either a game, system or other type of toy. Even money. Every year, they break their records in donations and give thousands of sick children a wonderful holiday even when they can't be home to enjoy it with their families. Hundreds of gamers donate to this cause every year.
Even publishers and developers will donate to this cause.
I could list hundreds of thousands of sources and ways but we'd be here all day. So, Katie Couric, are video gamers and the people who created them still "evil?"
In truth, to call anything evil, is in terrible taste. Nothing is truely evil. People create the material and bring it out for people to play or use. It is the person that holds it in their hand is what turns it either good or evil. Its the same thing with a gun. Yes, it isn't the gun that kills. It is the person that wields it and uses it for "good and evil." And even then, the real world is filled with such a shade of gray that the lines are blurred on whats good and what is evil.
Don't get me wrong though. I want to see this get researched. We shouldn't condemn video games or the people that make them. We need to work together. To combat the potential violence and piracy, every gamer, parent, developer, publisher, government and more need to work together hand in hand to do what is right for our children and get them the care they need. We also need to make piracy on the internet harder. We need to research this and no one is against this. We hate censorship but that doesn't mean we don't acknowledge the problem. We know there's a problem and we want to research it and combat it in different ways.
These days. parents are gamers too and they care just as much about children as does everyone else. We shouldn't villainize them. We shouldn't instill utter fear and use victims. We should work together and until people like Katie stop bringing fear and start working together to find the answer, we're never going to get there.
That is why video games aren't evil. They never have been. They never will be. It is the people, like the one who shot at that man's family, that is the true culprit.
I don't know why I write this. I'm just a consumer and I don't want to attack EA or Peter Moore in any way. I know I had, long ago, wrote a hilarious satire break up letter to EA over when Origins was formed and was willing to not make another purchase under their logo.
Sadly, I became a fan of the Mass Effect series.
Mass Effect 3 was strictly Origins only and not on Steam. I had no other choice and I was willing to ignore that claim in much hope that I could write good things about EA and the games they publish. I used to love EA and I used to feel joy when I saw that logo and I really want to feel that way again.
I had to write this blog after Peter Moore made several points on his blog. He admitted EA had made several mistakes but there was a list he wrote on there. A link will be provided below to the source but I'll quote them from his blog if you do not wish to go there.
Below:
Many continue to claim the Always-On function in SimCity is a DRM scheme. It’s not. People still want to argue about it. We can’t be any clearer – it’s not. Period.
Some claim there’s no room for Origin as a competitor to Steam. 45 million registered users are proving that wrong.
Some people think that free-to-play games and micro-transactions are a pox on gaming. Tens of millions more are playing and loving those games.
We’ve seen mailing lists that direct people to vote for EA because they disagree with the choice of the cover athlete on Madden NFL. Yes, really…
In the past year, we have received thousands of emails and postcards protesting against EA for allowing players to create LGBT characters in our games. This week, we’re seeing posts on conservative web sites urging people to protest our LGBT policy by voting EA the Worst Company in America.
What is highlighted is what bothers me the most with his claim.
I have nothing to prove whether or not SimCity is a DRM scheme. I don't agree with the always online mechanics but that is what EA and Maxis chose to do. I believe in micro-transactions so long as it isn't pay to win with the free to play game since I do believe in giving people my hard earned cash if I wish to invest in their product. I remember the news reporting about the disagreement over who would appear on the EA's Madden NFL and I'm with them. Yes, that is silly. Very silly. If an athlete is good, he deserves to be on the box.
I am also for creating LGBT characters in games so long as it isn't thrown in people's faces and is done in good taste. I think the complaint from people is the fact it is not done in good taste and is done forcefully. Not everyone agrees with LGBTs. It is something a company will have to remember. If done with taste and not forced down their throat, the complaints wouldn't be so high.
... but that one claim that 'forty five million registered viewers say otherwise?'
You are a COO and I am just a currently unemployed woman who raises her nephew. I could never do your job but, as a consumer of your product, I'd like to know the full statistics of that number. How many of those 45 million people are legitimately using Origins as their service of choice and not because it is the only way they could be able to play their favorite game of choice?
I know I never wanted to use Origins. I was happy to purchase their product on Steam. I didn't want to install multiple services on my computer and wished to stick to one service... Steam. I had no choice but to install Origins because your company would not give me the choice otherwise.
I am not alone.
Even on their own forums, people have been crying out that they have no choice but to use Origins.
But we will clear the elephant in the room... I know Steam isn't perfect and some of the choices they've made wasn't very good. I know they had also changed their terms of service and forced companies to put their DLC as well as their product in the Steam store which was partially the reason why Origins was made in the first place.
I know some of their games are on Steam, as well... but not all of them are.
So if you want to end the debate now then please send out a full number of how many are legitimately using Origins as their server of choice and not forced to do so. I believe in competition. If Origins wants any ground to stand on, it needs to put all their products on all their services. Origins, Steam, and any other game sharing service out there. People deserve to choose where to purchase their product and what program they should feel comfortable in using. Nobody likes to be forced to use something just to play what they love.
If EA wants to really prove people wrong, they need to trust us... the consumer. If their product is selling more on Origins then it is on Steam and people are actually more happy to use it, then I can say that statement can be made with pride.
Now don't get me wrong... I am not attacking Peter Moore or the company of EA. I want to see some of their old tactics disappear and become the lovable gaming publisher I remember fondly as a kid. I want to see them make a come back and not be the pink elephant in the gaming room. We know EA is capable of doing better and we know it can perform great things.
... but you guys are still in my time out corner with the dunce hat. I never got the final battle I wanted against Harbinger in Mass Effect 3. And prove that one particular reaper wrong about humanity. I drew a frown face on that dunce hat too. I want my fight with Harbinger... and the same voice actor who voiced that cool voice of his. You bantha heads. :(
