Issue : Post Launch : Need For Speed : The Run

Need For Speed : The Run is about a guy that needs to speed because he is on the run from an organised crime syndicate, and he also needs to speed because he joined a cross country automobile race from San Francisco to New York in order to negate his debt to a crime syndicate.

But to make his debt go away he has to come in first, so even more so he needs to speed in order to pass all of the other racers that are in front of him, hence the title. "The Run" part of the title isn't bullshitting either, you do get out of the car from time to time and run, if only to another car. I was hoping that portions of the game involved a marathon style mini game, but  no dice.

It's the 18th title in the Need for speed franchise, and created by veteran Need For Speed Developer EA Black Box, also creators of the Skate Series, so most of the game mechanics that got the Need For Speed franchise to the 18th title are still in attendance if only in that EA way that makes them appear a bit more tightly "Produced," in an edgy, midnight club-ish, street racer cliche' type situation.

There are famous people voicing the main characters in Sean Faris and Christina Hendrix, and so far into the test cycle all I can say with absolute certainty is that the game promised fast paced racing and delivers racing at a fast pace, although the need for such a fast pace is debatable, and also this is a video game that people can and would and did probably play.

I also started up a pass in DT for bugs, finished the campaign mode yesterday, and plan on having a post launch report up in the games suite forum after digging into the multi next week. Any brave souls that own or have stolen the game and have some time to help me knock out these multiplayer achievements hit me up on the ... sigh... origin network under J4RMZ as per usual.

The Protoculture Mixtape V.83 Issue : Games : Smokey Bandits

Issue : People : Printing Press Releases

As far as human life has gone there seems to be only two types of world changers, the type you read about in history books, and the type that invented the type of history book you are using to read about the other person. Not a lot of shine goes to the former type, mostly because the way they go about changing the world is boring as shit, just as they live their lives in a way that implies all they care about is what they are doing, and ain't really worried about who's making a big deal about what it is they are doing at the moment.

Take for instance Egypt's new situation and how it came to pass, there you have Julian Assange running around in a limited edition V mask taking admittedly deserved credit for his part in helping the Egyptian people earn the right to vote for the first time in 5000 years, but barely any a news story's got run about the Egyptian people that literally revolted to make that happen, not even a "Thanks for suffering those lock downs and taking them bullets, twice. Glad it worked out for you" The world was all about the build up, as for the reward, meh.

Same with space, everybody got so butt hurt when the government pulled funding for the space program and we made much noise about it, but one rich nerd saw what was happening, turned off his probably floating hologram tv, called up some other rich nerds, and a few months later the first private spacecraft is on rails to dock at the damn space station. Get-ur-dun styleee. And the worlds response? "Ah, pretty cool, nerd, but what are we gonna do about government funding for the space program!?" Cmo'n, Sun! (punny)...

Now I see exactly how a singularity type event could happen. How the whole world could miss the social and technological giant steps that happen in a generation, and how the majority of people that become enduring legend are not those who actually bring these things to pass, but those who sing or dance or say funny or inspirational things.

Actually I'm lyin', I still don't quite understand why it's like that, and think it's backwards and dumb, but I also think it's hilariously funny, in a sad way of course. Whatever, as long as the human race advancement issues that need to get done get done what does it matter who's names are on the bugs? Earth is probably gonna get hit by an asteroid anyway.

The Protoculture Mixtape V.82 Issue : Games : Variance

Issue : People : Recalls

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an action/adventure game that didn't sell very well, even though it had a great pedigree. R. A. Salvatore created the game universe, Todd McFarlane did the artwork, Grant Kirkhope did the score, those types of people. People played the demo and liked it, myself included. I said I was going to pick it up when some money came along, but some money didn't come along, which is what I am guessing happened to a lot of people. 

So the company that made the game is shit out of luck, because they took out a loan from an entire state to make it, using the game itself as collateral. That right there is a big risk, and they rolled snake eyes, but hey, it happens. 

Things fall apart all the time, and projects don't move, but something seems off about where gaming is when Curt Schilling, a guy from outside the industry, but more vocal and passionate about video games than most in it, creates a great game, sent it out into the world, and has that happen, and a legendary game guy like Tim Schafer, albeit someone with an axe to grind with the industry he has been butting heads with for decades, can promise the idea of a future game, and get millions to make it just off of a name and a promise. Well, not off I guess, just askew.

It's like video games is becoming rap. The last of the video game old guard are dying, with gaming just a small but lucrative portion of the new money players corporate portfolios, there are more video game creators, critics, and stakeholders than there are fans, a hot name can ship your album platinum off of pre orders with quality content being more luxury than necessity if the hype is right, and actually it may even be a detriment, because these days it seems like work, better to go with violence. I wonder if this is how it starts.

The Protoculture Mixtape V.81 Issue : Games : Shnype