Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Video Games & Me Pt. 3

Video Games & Me Pt. 3

I will let you in on a secret, I have never purchased the Playstation 3. It was a gift I received, only in that it would it be used for long distance communication and playing games (to a certain degree). This wasn't used for that aspect, and now sits as a online video streaming box, an optical disc reader, and part time casual digital game machine.

I was impressed with how powerful the Cell processor is, though the system was hamstrung with onboard memory, the idea that this system could be used as a Linux box held strong interest to me. But the cost and the eventual removal of the that option began specific questioning from me about Sony's purpose and practice with open source software.

Being in throes of new technology I went nuts with digital because at that time I felt that why have anything specific with hardcopy due in large of part disc scratching, and sometimes stolen material etc. Though I invested a few hundred dollars into what I felt was the right decision yet later on there were fractures in trusting the entity known as Sony, and finding out much later in how draconian DRM (Digital Rights Management) is with their consoles with regards to media, games, and streaming music in general sense began to irk me.

I had missed out on the first few generations of the PS3 because I couldn't afford the outlandish price, and the lack of backward compatibility with PS2 games. The explanation was because of the code base from the developer side as some titles wouldn't work correctly. Some PSOne titles worked but when Sony announced they were porting many titles to the PSN store, this was an option to take full advantage of.

Using the online format I'd download classic old school game called Q-Bert which is no longer available. TOMBA!, Elephunk, Swarm, Legend of Han Tao (port from Xbox Live), Blade Kitten, Critter Crunch, Earthworm Jim, Jak & Dexter, inFamous, and others.

Something definitely wasn't quite right with digital games. There was always this disconnection of marketing between the two. Sure there were the popular games like Flower, Little Big Planet, Wheelman, and a few others, yet I felt as if smaller named titles were mired and forgotten because of preferred title favoritism.

I also feel Sony failed miserably with the roll out of Playstation@Home application because it was terribly buggy. The console itself would lock up or freeze depending on the network traffic and who was connected.

Which brings me to Spring 2011 and Sony's PSN was attacked by a consortium of hardware hackers through a reverse cracking of the Playstation 3 network algorithm. Since I work around software and hardware technology I was curious.

The details which trickled out showcased how easy it was to break encryption of a console, and this information was placed online for anyone curious enough to patch or exploit. Sony got wind of this and did everything they could to stop the leak. They didn't go in the route of thanking the group but instead attacked the user base who cracked the code as it were. Which in turn resulted in the nastiest and subsequent back and forth with the group until Sony's PSN was compromised.

For two weeks Sony said nothing. Their P.R. and marketing team kept a very tight lid on the corrupted system. How I was made aware was via third party channels, and took steps to fix it. I also learned that anything connected to the PSN is connected via Amazon's cloud service (servers) as is Netflix and others. I took a big step back and recalculated my stance as is it were on consoles, computer, and smartphone technologies.

On the consumer side there are some very frank and disturbing trends, most of which relates to the need to be wound tight by DRM, and that these companies do not trust the user in any capacity. It is about feeding into a always connected aspect with a need to relinquish a little bit of privacy and comfort.

I feel with Sony's complete disregard to its built in user base has soured my continued interest in the console arena. I am convinced that these companies do not have its users information secured, or interested securing any of that data.

I get it...it is a business and money overrules reason and common sense. It is sad that we all are guilty of the dependance upon distant apparatuses for our entertainment, and leisure activity. It is my hope that people are realizing this and are taking steps to not feed into the hyperbolic nonsense these companies are using. But then again we are also unkindly stuck in a machine that either forces us to play into the macabre, or be the outsider.

B.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Video Games & Me Pt. 2

Video Games & Me Pt. 2

Jersey Devil was my first game with the Playstation console. I had worked real hard with the demo, and though I thought it was okay, this seems simple enough, and before long I was knee deep in a platformer designed by a Montreal studio called Behavior Interactive. A cartoony game which has hallmarks to the caped crusader Batman but in a more comical/horror aspect.

After playing and beating the game, something very profound occurred to me, I achieved something in my life that didn't require a lot of bickering, bitching, or fighting. There were goals, dialog, and a kind of direction that gave concrete purpose and point to what I was doing with my time. I was hooked from then on.

Others that I would try: Crash Bandicoot, which annoyed me, Tomba! showed great promise but was very difficult to get stateside. Twisted Metal lost a lot of interest fairly quickly. Intelligent Qube had a very strange design to it I don't know why I never got into the game for the sake of irritation. Pac-Man World pretty much a platformer in style but had a retro feel. Soul Reaver: Legacy Of Kain for all intensive purposes I didn't quite get the aesthetics, I tried many times figuring out various tricks or things to do, but ultimately fell flat for me.  

MediEvil a wickedly funny and twisted game in the vein of The Nightmare Before Christmas design wise there are some quirky elements but it works. Warcraft II: The Dark Saga my first real taste of a RTS (Real Time Strategy) but for whatever the reason the game would always find a way to kill my setup, so I went on a search or had heard about cheats for 'God' mode. Finally all three of the Spyro games. Spyro The Dragon, Spyro 2: Riptor's Rage, and Spyro Year Of The Dragon I liked that Stuart Copeland of The Police composed the music, and what would be my eventual liking of Insomniac Games over the duration of the Sony console evolution.

I would watch my roommate get into Final Fantasy VII, Wild Arms, Wild Arms 2, Colony Wars, Armored Core, Armored Core: Project Phantasma, Blasto, Breath Of Fire III, Wing Commander, Command & Conquer, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Grandia, Chrono Cross, OneLegend of Dragoon, Legend of Legaia, Metal Gear Solid, Star Wars: Dark Forces, Warzone 2100, and Vagrant Story.

When the Playstation 2 arrived in 2000, my old roommate was all giddy with the possibilities. Yet he often would stick with titles of the JRPG flair hence: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Ace Combat 5, Ace Combat Zero, Armored Core 2, Front Mission 5, Legaia 2 Zone Of The Enders, Wild Arms 3, and Wild Arms: Alter Code F.

When I was able to get my own Playstation 2 console I went nuts. I had played the demos for Sly Cooper, which was a different experience in itself. Hiding for the sake of moving the game along, to me was pretty novel. I would eventually get Sly 2: Band Of Thieves, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. The thing with the Sly was they were pretty tough to beat, it would take a full ten years before I could really sink my teeth into the games themselves. I say it was totally worth it.

Then I found Ratchet & Clank. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the style, but I love Sci-Fi aspects, and having a futuristic vibe really sold me on it. This was my second series with Insomniac Games, and I would play and beat mightily Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet & Clank Up Your Arsenal. I liked how each game evolved on the premise of as you played your weaponry evolved. I would try out Ratchet: Deadlocked yet I didn't particularly care for the confined and first person style.

I ended up borrowing a copy of Jak & Dexter: The Precursor Legacy and let me say this it is the most infuriating game I have ever played. While I did successfully beat the damn thing in 2012, the main irritation and concept remained, Naughty Dog Studios makes some very peculiar games.

I would read about various games from Playstation Magazine when I could find a copy via the local library, and Dr. Muto (released by now defunct Midway) was one that I wanted to check out but didn't get a chance to until 2006. I would try for myself the JRPG with Wild Arms 5, to be honest it bored me. I never finished it, to this day I don't really mind. I would check out Tak and the Power Of Juju which at first was cool but lost luster do to the annoying dialog, and controller issues. I would try again with the JRPG in early 2007 with a game called Rogue Galaxy, now this was a game I could play, I beat it and went after all the little lose ends, overall cool vibe, could have been better but, I wasn't familiar with Level 5 so this provided me a jumping off point as it were.

With my experiences with these two consoles, and the games I played they are very much part of my journey.  In my opinion many players don't really care about whether they remember the experiences they have, for me this was as much of a connection as it was being part of something with regards to console generation. I couldn't play every game that came out, as it is near impossible, yet, I personally believe if you know your voice, and the games you play then they will find you.

When the Playstation 3 came out, I was pushed way outside of the price, and that in itself was a sign of things to come.

B.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Inxs - Overall Career (80's and 90's Era)

Members: Kirk Pengilly Sax, Guitar, Keys Michael Hutchence Vox, Andrew Farriss Keys, Guitars, Tim Farriss Guitars, Jon Farriss Drummer, Garry Gary Beers Bassist.

I learned about INXS from a modern music radio station called KJQ. KJQ broadcasted many bands from Australia such as Nick Cave, The DivinylsThe Church, Big Pig, Midnight Oil, Men At Work, (New Zealand's) Split Endz, Crowded House, Hoodoo Gurus, Max Q, and Icehouse.

Hailing from Sydney Australia they were one of many first international bands I took keen interest in. Starting out in the late 1970's with a distinct funky rock and roll vibe, and finishing out in the 90s as a kind of disco revival act.

My first entry into INXS was the Shabooh Shoobah(1982) record. Many of the songs were low key, and constrained. My initial assessment was heightened by a lack of knowledge to what this band was doing at that time.

I've tempered my views in the years since I was first introduced with this record (1988), yet I hold firm this wasn't their best work. What followed afterwards was influenced by a fast paced non-stop energy.

In recent years I finally got into uncovering Underneath the Colours(1981), and their self titled INXS(1980), For what came after Shabooh Shoobah, these records are straight ahead, vibrant, and somewhat carefree before notoriety hit them. Both records to my ears have a carousel aspect, a late 70's roller rink style.

Drum wise it's peppy, guitars are memorable, keyboards have a experimental side but stick to a formula to be recognizable to the early evolution of the band. I specifically enjoy how there is a a kind of fluidity with their composition.

Those records bring together rhythm, and hook. The songs are calculated, and premeditated. There is not a lot of wiggle room with variation (at first), but underneath there is a fatty gristle which grips the listener.

The Swing(1984) has a complete shift in tonality, whereas Shabooh Shoobah had a dry listening complexion. The Swing throws that record aside and pushes through what essentially becomes their 'first' real U.S. breakthrough record. It is pop without any care.

There are very noticeable levels of a last gasp of the post-punk/new wave component before settling into standard modern rock & roll, which Michael Hutchence declares dead with Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, (kind of prophetic in a strange way). The mix has a kind of stomp, pulsation with a deft producers hand. Very premeditated.

Listen Like Thieves(1985) drops a year later. This record piles on a few more memorable beats, vocal harmonies, and adds slabs of gristly punctuation to the production. A forceful core embodying a work ethic and concrete brand recognition. They had a kind of modern music component while balancing out The Swing's gloss.

When Kick arrives in 1987, this record punches the listener in the face. Its not overt, its blatant. Produced by Chris Thomas, each song feels perfected, nothing is subtle, there are calculated tracks which stand out on their own, but for all the international exposure this album got, I began to feel kind of burnt out by the polish elicited.

Their ten year as a band is celebrated with X, arriving in the early 90's giving a glimpse of where the band was morphing into something more contemporary and refined whilst not going outside of the precept set before with Kick.

Again produced by Chris Thomas, this record has a couple decent tracks, I felt the band knew they peaked, and knowing this, they opted to plug along trying out new avenues. Since it's release, I've let it grow, age, and feel confident the entire album has a type of lounge component.

Welcome To Wherever You Are(1992) places them in unknown territory. Much of the material here tries evoking grander things but it falls short of its intention. There are a couple standout tracks, but the overall package kind of lost its mark. I think one of the issues I had with this record was that they tried to push their comfort zone outside of what expected.

Even with the first track giving a traveled vibe, the feel of this record tries to balance out the saccharine but it oozes forth with an unsure template. There are precise tidbits of ideas jelling, but the overall cohesive work feels disjointed, while being a mangled mixture in a uncomfortable manner.

Full Moon, Dirty Hearts(1993), I think throws away any preconceived expectation, and starts from scratch. This record returns them to their roots with a live setting. Out of the 90's material, I like this record the most because it has a warmth, a charm that got me into what I initially liked about them. Having guests like Ray Charles, and Chrissy Hinde of The Pretenders binds them to prior era's of music industry, which gave the record an interesting variation. There is groove dripping all over, it isn't perfect and that I think sells it for me.

Elegantly Wasted released in early 1997 was difficult to get into. I was annoyed by the 90's disco revival component. I still feel a lot of the alternative at the later stages of the 90's was uninteresting, and not as cohesive.

Produced by Bob Clearmountain, INXS were indignantly trying to capture a last breath of relevancy. As I've gone back to this record in the last few years, I definitely can see why the aura was deliberate, but the message didn't capture what made them who they were.

Sure there is a funkiness, and quirky sense to the material, but the palate that was released seemed to encapsulate one last brilliance before  Michael Hutchence died in 1997. His death marked an end of the pop era for me.

Their catch was always about the simple yet accessible frontier. For being one of a few first international acts I grew into, this band had the ability to showcase their culture of Australia yet they elected to go in a route of topical subject matter. INXS held this allure before I started to dig further into the lore, and history. This I felt garnered me the ability to be a kind of global music listener and participant.

I'll close with this: fame can do interesting things to a person who is not equipped for that always on aspect. Through Michael Hutchence ordeals, he left the world something that I still actively listen to. I've uncovered his Max Q, his Dogs In Space work, and his last recordings as a solo artist.

Without INXS there is no world exposure for me. Without the introduction to a big untapped music sphere, I wouldn't have dug, learned, and fused with my growing palate. The one parting piece I leave with this post is appreciate what early material listened forth as that is the gateway to other styles, and viewpoints. Thanks for reading.

B.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Video Games & Me Pt. 1


Video Games & Me

In this post I'm writing about my experiences with gaming, and my passion for them. Games have become an integral part of my life of close to twenty years. I was a late bloomer due in large part by both a lack of disposable income and living circumstances.

My first real introduction to video games wasn't in the 90s but in the mid 1980s with a game called Pong, then the Atari 2600 system was my real exposures with the concept of a dedicated console for  'playable game'. Games like Pac-Man, Chopper Command, Missile Command, Grand Prix, Frogger, Kaboom!, Pitfall, and Crackpots.

When I was in elementary I would have the chance to partake in what were home board games. Dungeons & Dragons, Risk, Monopoly, Sorry, and others took over my curious mind. I have to say the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game threw me for a loop. Magic spells, crazy die, all around the perception of imagination. I was totally unprepared for the experience.

As the 80's wore on I missed out on the Sega revolution as I had no connection to it. I was acutely aware of the system with the many commercials around at the time. I remember many visuals about Sonic The Hedgehog series. I wouldn't play this game until much much later, and to be frank I cannot really keep up with all of the spastic overload.

By the late 80's and the early 90's I would have a brief exposures to the TurboGrafx-16 system, and the Nintendo Entertainment System. Playing Bonks Adventure, Super Mario Bros., Contra, Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past, Punch Out!!, and Paperboy. Then I would have intermittent periods with arcades playing titles like Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, Robocop Vs. The Terminator, Pole Position, and Spy Hunter. Arcades in their own right were a very different access point with needing that always elusive aspect of prized coinage which I didn't always have.

By the mid the 90's a couple friends I knew were already involved in the Personal Computer gaming experience. I got to witness the first foray of Mist, Warcraft, Star Wars, Doom, Duke Nukem, Command & Conquer, Wing Commander, and various beta testing games which never saw full time production. I so badly wanted play but I had no means to enjoy them without having sacrifice food, and bills. Which in all basic sense gave me a very distorted outlook on life. To be honest? I am not a PC gamer, never had an interest in it due in large part lack of funds and I don't have the 'skills' to control keyboard hotkeys, joystick, and mice at the same time. I like it simple. 

Before long I was introduced to the Playstation system in 1998 and everything changed.


B.

Seth - The Howling Spirit

Seth - The Howling Spirit  (r)06/11/2013

I have no prior knowledge of Seth, so this provides me a fresh perspective to gauge forth. I've not been really versed about this French band, in only this year.

Via bandcamp specifically, I checked out The Howling Spirit. It is an album with a mixture of calm, elation, sorrow, melancholy, trouble, unsureness, while bristling forth a dark edge of personal sanity.

Underlying in the theme is a deep fragmentation of humanities faith, wherein supports this philosophical debate about the soul.

In my interpretation I feel this is a record providing a couple singular points and/or pieces into this construction.

Thematically there is a wide crevices, giving a variances of cascading pits of darkness woven with around the music. The thing I enjoy the most about The Howling Spirit is the melody. Sure there are the usual trappings of Black Metal, but this isn't the reason why this record exists, there is something very deep, aware, and presented for the listener to uncover. Thanks for reading.

B.