Rants

Why am I not an axe murderer even though I play video games?

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First off, if you don’t want to read a rant about how stupid people are when it comes to their views on computer games being the root of all evil, back away now.

I often post about this kind of thing. I get so angry at idiots who seem to blame computer games for everything.   The latest thing I have read that made my blood boil is all of the nonsense about the Foxnews.com editorial about Epics Bulletstorm. It was basically a very one sided item titled “Is Bulletstorm the Worst Video Game in the World?” (Nothing like a provocative title!) This is the kind of crap I would expect from the likes of the Daily Mail, but not a well respected media giant like Fox.  http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/08/bulletstorm-worst-game-kids/ Read More ...

If anyone can set up a website and publish news and reviews, is the traditional games press doomed?

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The internet is saturated with sites and blogs that publish games news and reviews at a phenomenal rate. Within seconds of press releases being sent out, they appear on the internet in a dozen different ways. Technologies like Twitter and Facebook allow us to release snippets of information without even needing to write a full article. Games reviews get published on the internet days, weeks or sometimes months before the traditional printed press have a chance to release theirs. I spoke to one very unhappy staff writer recently, who was complaining that he needed to have reviews written for a magazine that was to be published in 2 months time. He could not convince his editor that it would be pointless releasing reviews of games 2 whole months after everybody else. At any given second of the day there is more information being uploaded than anyone could feasibly read.
So what does this mean for games magazines and the like? If they cannot keep up with the speed at which the internet can get information out, what place do they have in our world? Read More ...

If you want good review scores, make good products.

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This is a bit of a rant, but here goes.

I was recently questioned about my ability to review a product objectively (possible inadvertently).  Now as someone who has written one or two reviews, this came as a bit of a shock.  I always thought I was impartial.  I write reviews based on their merit and compared to other products I know.

So I got to thinking what could have spawned this question.  Then I looked at the links I sent them, quite a few of which were Steelseries reviews.  And then I understood. Read More ...

Martial Arts and me

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Martial arts and me

Here I am, 31 with about 10 years of Martial arts experience, a 3rd dan black belt, until recently my own club and a real problem with it all! You see until a few days ago I thought I was doing it all for the wrong reasons. I have not trained properly for nearly a year, I have not taught for about 6 months so have had time to think about what it all means to me.

My fear has been that I was doing it just to collect a black belt. See, there is a group of Martial artists out there who I call belt collectors. They strive to get as many belts in as many arts as they can, not that there is anything wrong with that if your motivation is to learn. But a lot are motivated by that elusive black belt and the power that comes with it! I guarantee that most of them would rather die than step on the mat with another coloured belt on! Part of my problem has been I have never felt that I deserved my black belt. Sure I have trained regularly for years, taught for years and have several permanent injuries! But was that enough? For some it is about physical achievement, but for me and many others it is more than that, I have changed and grown as a person. Then it struck me, I hadn’t wanted to go back, it was no longer fun. I kept feeling like I had to achieve something every day! So in the new year I shall go back with a fresh set of eyes and a less jaded opinion of what it all means. I will go back knowing that if I didn’t deserve my 3rd dan I would never have got it. Most of all I will go back because I want to and enjoy it! Read More ...

Swine Flu coverage and my rant!

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Dear World

First off, please ignore this as I am just having a rant! I wish I had more followers so that this would be noticed by a few people!!At this moment in time, my daughter is lying in bed with a temperature of 39.5 C. This is pretty high and a bit worrying!What is a bit more worrying is that my daughters nursery has had a confirmed case of swine flu.Now as a sensible person I do not tend to worry about things that are sensationalised by the papers and the news. Bird flu etc. I could just let pass by as I knew the news was blowing it out of proportion.But this is different, this is my little girl and all I can see in any paper or on any channel is people saying we are all going to die from swine flu. This is very scary to me right at this moment. Not so much because of the press coverage, although I do believe that it is irrisponsible and just plain wrong the way the press is handling it, but because I can not get through to talk to anyone who may know some answers!NHS direct has melted down entirely, and are not taking calls. The GP will call me back some time today and I have no information about the swine flu hotline that is of any use.All I want is the truth and some advice that will put my mind at ease.As for the way the press cover things like this, you should be ashamed of scaremongering. I really hope none of you have to deal with something like this and then have to read the arse gravy you are spreading about it.And relax.