Cassed's Blogs

"What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal; what can be loved in man is that he is a going-across." - Thus Spoke Zarathustra

I've had several thoughts in reading the opening pages of this thoughtful book. It would seem that man is indeed a journey and not a destination. Everything aspires to be greater than it is, whether it's conscious of such behavior or not. Stars endeavor to become bigger, brighter as they burn more and more fuel, converting elements into heavier elements. Planets jockey for the best positions.

A tree in a forest: is it a thing? Is it really an object? The tree can live for decades, sometimes centuries. A tree is a noun, but perhaps there is another view. Trees aspire to be the tallest, to gain the most light and rain to grow. These trees benefit the ecosystem, but does that matter to trees? If a tree could think, would it care if other beings got oxygen from it? A tree can't be a noun, because a noun is an object. Trees aren't objects; they are a bridge and not a goal. Their entire purpose over their decades of life is to grow as big and tall as they can, and then return to the earth. This is not a noun, this is a verb. This is a process, an action. To say that a tree is a noun is to insist that the tree exists in a static state at a specific period in time. Can this be? No, a tree exists across the years, across the weeks, across the days, across the hours, and across the seconds. To point to a tree and say "This is a tree," can one say the next second that "This is the same tree?" How can you call the tree that existed one second ago the same tree it is now? Its chemical state has changed, and you would be wrong to assert that it is indeed a noun. A noun is a static concept, and reality simply does not deal in static concepts.

Obviously this would stretch to almost any noun, as a result. Especially the living nouns. If man is a bridge, then is man a noun? Mankind is a process towards some unknown goal at some unknown time. Time would have to stop completely for the noun to exist, but perhaps that is the point. Time cannot stop otherwise the whole system breaks down. But if man reaches the end, does man achieve control of time? Is the goal to have the ability to say "This tree is a noun?" That would be a great power, indeed.

Cooperation is needed for this journey. All mankind must work together, setting aside the petty differences that divide it. There will be a day when humans no longer care to anger with each other over political debates, or murder each other over land. The money is all ours, the land is all ours, and the power is all ours. We all own it. The bridge can be built much faster with all of mankind's resources instead of arguing technicalities. We can all have the power to declare a tree to be a noun.

Ryan's most anticipated titles coming up in the (relatively) near future:

Modern Warfare 2 - Obviously. If I'm a lemming for it, then so be it.

Elemental: War of Magic - This is a strategy game made by Stardock, using somewhat cel-shaded graphics. This game is an attempt to breathe new life into a genre that Age of Empire and Rise of Nations defined.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - I thoroughly enjoyed the multiplayer in the original Bad Company, and the sequel will not disappoint.

Crackdown 2 - Crackdown was an excellent take on a GTA-style environment, and the sequel proves to be even better, allowing 4 player co-op to rampage around Pacific City.

I'm sure there's more I can't remember....

Repeating in my head
Betrayal
Repeating in my head
Insecurities
Repeating in my head
Dividends

It's not your fault
The well of thought and trust has run dry
Don't be afraid to let go
Don't be afraid to start over when it's over

Let go
Let go
Let go
Let go

Let go of feelings
Let go of compromise
Hollow trunk for shelter
So dark and cold inside
I always seem to find myself alone
Jaded shell of being
Porous as a stone

Calloused
Rigid
Empty
Because of you

Let go of trusting
Lost thought for family
Let go of living
No more concerns of demise
I never seem to find rhythm for life's harmony

Contorted
Twisted broken
Without a reason

Calloused
Rigid
Empty
Because of you

It's all me
All you are
Without me
There's nothing else
There's no one

Brainwash
All you are
Without me
You're by yourself
There's no one

Hope is out of season
Lost sight
No hint of light
Get busy living or get busy dying

Calloused
Rigid
Empty
Because of you

It's all me
All you are
Without me
There's nothing else
There's no one

Brainwash
All you are
Without me
You're by yourself
There's no one

Save me
This loss
Closure my
Answer
So grant it

You owe me all that you are
Without me
You're nothing
You're no one

Terrified
Petrified

Nothing
You're no one
Do you care because I don't
Nothing
You're no one
Nobody cares so just go

Nothing
You're no one
By yourself all alone

It's all me
All you are
Without me
There's nothing else
There's no one

Brainwash
All you are
Without me
You're by yourself
There's no one

Save me
This loss
Closure my
Answer
So grant it
You owe me all that you are
Without me
You're nothing

http://gameconomist.blogspot.com/









That is all.

So yes, I'm studying economics. And video games are a passion of mine. So let's take a look at how the two relate.

Obviously everyone is now aware that we are in a worldwide recession. To be technical, a recession is two quarters (6 months) of a decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I'm not entirely sure this evidence has been produced yet, but the news is at least declaring recession. Revenues for the gaming industry, however, seem to still be increasing. Some reports have put recent revenues at 11% gain, some companies enjoying as high as 35%. While the rest of the global industries take hits and start to fall, why is the gaming industry proving resilient?

Well let's look at the audience for video games. This is a group of people which once lived in obscurity and can now enjoy their activities in the light of day, gathering a lot of momentum on the way. Those who spend money on games have a significant investment to make: they must either purchase one or several consoles and/or a computer capable of some gaming, not to mention the games themselves. Now there are other costs to consider as well, including internet and services such as XBox Live. Neither are required for one to be a gamer, but the cost for these services is minimal compared to the benefit.

A key part of this, in my opinion, is the elasticity of demand. Now obviously I don't have specific numbers for this industry, let alone a single company or studio. In short, the elasticity of demand is a relation between a product's price and the demand for that product. The demand for a product is considered elastic if the change in price is less than the proportional change in the demand for the product. An inelastic demand would be characterized by a change in price being greater than the change in demand.

That is to say that if the price of a product increases by 1%, the product would be elastic if demand decreased by 5%. The quantity sold fell by a greater margin than the price. Graphs give a good visual for any economics issue, so I suggest you take a look at the graphs to illustrate the point.

When it comes to addicts, the demand for a product can be highly inelastic. The producer of this product has a captive audience: the customer wants more of it, even needs more of it, and there are set routes through which to get this product. Drug addicts, for example, may have an inelastic demand for cocaine. They need more of it or they suffer painful withdrawal, and will pay anything to get this drug. A drug dealer can raise prices 300% and lose very few customers in comparison. This makes some sense of the drug industry, and can be easily related to the gaming industry.

A core sect of the gaming industry is a group of hardcore fans and addicts. These people grew up on games, and remain tightly connected to their childhood activity. Another factor is the disposable income this audience has. Generally speaking, gamers are in their early teens to even their 30's, and possibly beyond. The younger groups of gamers are probably not using their own income, but that of their parent's. Older groups of these gamers, while having more financial responsibilities and hardships, are still likely to spend a fair share of disposable income towards gaming activities. Those in high school and college don't exactly have a great amount of disposable income, yet it's this group that so often exercises the greatest image of a gamer in the public eye. The long and short of the issue is that those who game will use their disposable income to feed their entertainment of this product, for various reasons that we could debate forever.

The fact that the demand for games is most likely inelastic among the industry's core audience bolsters their position in a recession economy. Regardless of changes in income and price, a gamer is still inclined to spend their disposable income buying more and newer entertainment. This is a very simplistic look at the situation, but still a good insight into the psychology of spending. I don't proclaim myself to know all there is about economics, but I am a very eager student. All people who play games are by no means addicts, but it has always been a strong component of the industry, and it always will be. This fact will become even more powerful as games continue to rise in popularity.

Foxes Rule

Bill had recently gotten home from school, and had to work in a couple hours, but was feeling a bit sluggish. He decided he should try to nap on the couch. He switched off the TV, turned over, and thought....whatever thoughts help him fall asleep.

Soon he was going through adventures he would later not remember, but did recall being in a car. Suddenly his vision turned negative, the kind one sees on the negatives of film, or in editing a photo. All the colors of the world were reversed, in a blue-and-gray tone. Not only that, Bill could no longer see out the window to begin with. He blinked a few times, the negative color of the world seemed to come and go very rapidly, but what was obscuring his vision out the car? He rubbed his hand on the dash and window and realized it was very thick snow and frost, he wasn't going to be able to wipe it all off easily. It started occurring to him that it didn't make any sense. What could make a person see the negative of the world? No, there wasn't an eye condition that would cause this, it could only be a problem with the world. A problem with the world? It dawned on him; he had fallen asleep, and was now in a dream.

He suddenly recalled falling asleep on the couch, and now he was in a dream. He also noted there didn't seem to be anything around the car, just a blank world, and he wasn't in control of the car. It appeared to be going pretty fast, but it didn't really matter to him so much as the fact that he now knew he was asleep. What if something happened to him in this dream? Would it affect him in real life? He'd better wake himself up to be sure. He turned towards what was apparently the camera (in this dream he had been watching himself in third person, so the camera was his real eyes watching himself in a dreamscape; thus, he was talking to himself) and told himself to wake up. He repeated it three times, each time louder than the last, and got no result.

So he couldn't wake himself up. What did that mean? He thought about it for what seemed like an eternity (time has no bearing in dreams) and though about the consequences. What if something happened to him in his sleep, and he wasn't going to wake up? Was this death? What if he couldn't wake up, if it was a coma or something else? He may very possibly be stuck in this dream world. He started getting scared at the implications of what was going on, and decided he must wake himself up. But if he wasn't listening to himself, how in the world would he force the awakening? He thought about it, and realized that people usually wake up when they die in dreams. Jarring events often wake people up. He opened the door of the car (which was still moving in a blank world) and watched the gray-white road pass very quickly beneath him and the car. He leaned forward and prepared to jump.

Bill suddenly lurched forward on the couch, waking up from his odd dream. What was that about?

Bill in this story, by the way, is me. I had this dream earlier today, and it seemed odd that I could figure out that I was in a dream, much less that I tried, failed, and then succeeded at waking myself up. Or that I could consider such things while in a dream, as I never have before. Odd.

We take this opportunity to deviate from your regularly scheduled program.

R.I.P Scruffy, 1992? - October 3rd, 2005






We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcasts.

The New Exclusivity

It's true, having games exclusive to one system is a dying breed. When one says “exclusive to a system,” it doesn't include the possibility that game is on PC and a console system. It's common practice for games that are on a console to also move to PC, and it's a while different situation. Many games now publish for at least two of the three system, most often Xbox 360 and either PS3 or Wii, or just all three. For the purposes of console exclusivity, it isn't important to go into detail about the difficulty programming for PS3, but it will be discussed shortly later in this article. However, console exclusivity used to be par for the course as far as developing games for consoles went. In fact, systems were so different it was easier not to reprogram it all for a port. So what happened to exclusivity?

1.As the game consoles move forward they become more and more like computers. This topic in itself lends itself to its own discussion, but let's focus on what that means for exclusivity. The systems are now built with highly similar components and programming structure, a lot of standardization has been built into the business. Now the facts that separate consoles are based mostly on software and services as opposed to hardware. Most simply, the code that runs games and consoles isn't that far diverged from normal computers, which means converting isn't as difficult as it once was. True, each system has radically different hardware specifications, but the foundations of the programming aren't far off in most cases, and the programming isn't as hardware-bases as it was back in the days of cartridges and memory cards. It used to be far more difficult to port a game from Playstation to Nintendo 64 and vice versa than it now is to port games in the current generation. However it should be noted that games are difficult to port to Playstation 3 as a result of exotic and unique structure, and many developers are dropping PS3 ports due to the hardship.
2.The language of love: money. A few games can reap big benefits from being console-specific (Mario, Halo, and Metal Gear Solid to name the biggest) but most will not. Console makers only offer big support to games that will boost the console, such as the aforementioned games. It pays well to spread your game over a few platforms to maximize your target audience and profits. It costs far less to develop a game for another platform than it once did, and the result is larger sales than could be achieved on a single console. Example you say? Grand Theft Auto IV. It netted top all-time sales by releasing on both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, the only way it could beat the exclusive Halo 3. Surely there are even more reasons than this, but one can clearly see the issues with exclusivity from just these two major reasons.

So is console exclusivity dead? In the way it once was championed, the old regime is, indeed, dead. But console exclusivity itself thrives in other forms. Playstation Network, Xbox Live, and Virtual Console; these are services exclusive to consoles. These exclusive services offer unique games as well, most notably on the robust Xbox Live. Beyond that, games that are developed for multiple platforms retain exclusive content. On the Xbox 360, one may play as Yoda in Soul Calibur IV, whereas Playstation 3 users may enjoy slashing enemies with Darth Vader. This is an increasing trend in cross-platform games. It allows developers to increase their audience as well as make that audience feel special. It also increases rivalries between systems (I wish I could play as Vader on my Xbox 360), which is somewhat counter-intuitive, but not enough to negate the benefit.
Console exclusivity is here to stay, but not in the in-your-face manner it once was. Developers have more subtle, smaller tool in their hands to make a console stand out. And it seems to be working, with millions of downloads of small games on Xbox Live and surging sales for cross-platform games that include console-specific content. I like having unique content for a game anyone can get on any console, and few would hate it.

-Ryan "Cassed" Lee

The Sound of Games

It seems the category of sound has grown more and more in importance through the years. It wasn't a highly important feature in the beginning of gaming, and through mid-development it started gaining importance. I'm not just talking about soundtrack here folks, that's just the beginning. Sound effects, big and small, make all the difference. Even the ones you never notice, like the dripping of water from a pipe in the background. Why don't we notice? Because it sounds real.

If the sound is done right, you don't really notice it all that much. In fact what you do notice is the music. Some games it's highly noticeable that the music in games is so sophisticated now that certain events cue certain soundtracks. An event may even trigger a different part of the same soundtrack cuing up ominous, suspenseful music or a high crescendo as the plot reaches a climax or a revelation. Video game soundtracks have come so far they have live concerts with the music. Games now win awards for their musical genius, or may get booed down from a lack of, at the least, an adequate soundtrack to accompany the gaming experience.

Game: Halo: Combat Evolved is highly noted for its easily recognizable soundtrack, which has won many awards and is certainly at the forefront of modern gaming soundtracks. Game: Final Fantasy has always been known for its excellent sound engineering and musical expertise, which is evidenced in Video Games Live. One may even point to the games of old that took advantage of soundtrack such as Game: GoldenEye 007 or Game: Super Mario Bros.. Yea, okay, Mario wasn't a symphony of grandeur and a choir, but it did attempt to combine an innovative soundtrack with a video game. It's distinctive theme is known well by gamers and non-gamers alike, a legacy that will last in popular culture for a long time to come.

Sound has taken a backseat to graphics, gameplay and just all-out explosions since gaming has begun. Games that fail to provide an adequate soundtrack haven't been noted historically for failure, but that trend is changing rapidly. Should a game forego giving its players interactive music, realistic sound effects, or zany bonks in modern games, people take notice at the lack of attention paid to a crucial aspect of entertainment. Sound can make or break a game that's teetering on excellent graphics but mediocre gameplay. Game: Fable was highly successful despite its rather short gameplay and lack of real depth in plot. It succeeded mostly due to loyal fans, innovative graphics, and (as this commentator would posit) a large attention to music and sound.

-Ryan "Cassed" Lee

Question 1: The Sample Set = {A, B, C}, Event H = {A, C} and Event L = {B}

a) What is the probability of H ∩ L?
A: P(H ∩ L) = 0, as they share no common elements

b) What is the probability of H?
A: P(H) = 2/3

c) What is the probability of H ∪ L?
A: P(H ∪ L) = 1

Question 2: What is the probability of the intersection of two mutually exclusive sets?
A: P(A ∩ B) = 0, provided A and B share no elements

Question 3: A die is cast. 3 of the sides are blue, and 3 are red. What is the probability that the die will land on blue?
A: P (blue) = 1, if and when Qui-Gon Jinn is near.

http://thehalcyon.napalmriot.com/blog/1355/

+Punch on the stomach = "I'm gonna kick your ass"
+Punch on the Forehead = "That was just funny"
+Punch on the Ear = "I've watched too much Fight Club"
+Punch on the Cheek = "I'm a boxer"
+Punch on the Hand = "We punched at the same time!"
+Punch on the Neck = "Shit, that must REALLY hurt"
+Punch on the Shoulder = "I was aiming for your cheek"
+Punch on the Lips = "Ironically this could be called a kiss"

What the gesture means...
+Punching Hands = "Let's get this thing on"
+Punch on the Butt = "That's mine"
+Holding on tight = "Fucking suffocate"
+Looking into each other's Eyes = "I just plain hate you"
+Playing with Hair = "Tell me I'm pretty"
+Arms around the Waist = "This is an awkward position for two men"
+Laughing while Punching = "Your pain gives me pleasure"
+picking someone up off their feet = "It'll hurt when you land"

Wow this was a bad movie. The dialogue was terrible, the plot was pretty bad. All the voices were different and everyone seemed out of character. The movie really didn't actually go anywhere, it was 2 hours of.....nothing.

Redeeming points: the music and the funny battle droids. I should point out that battle droids aren't supposed to have as much intelligence as they portray, so that was a bit off the mark.

I don't know, I suppose I could go and list off all the examples and details and all, but it really was just a bad movie. For big Star Wars fans I direct them to Obi-Wan's and Anakin's shoulder pads in the beginning of the movie, there's a symbol on them. It appears to me that it's the symbol of the Legacy of the Force era, which is.....extremely out of place in this movie.

I moved into my apartment in DeKalb last week and went to Wisconsin immediately thereafter. There was an error in which apartment I was to get, so I got upgraded for free to a 2-bedroom apartment for free (which they refer to as a 1-bedroom apartment with a study), so that was cool. Gonna hang up some Halo 3 posters, some Star Wars Episode One art, and some prints I got from dA that are badass.

Wisconsin was cool, got pretty tan in a short time. Didn't catch any fish, I've only ever caught one fish there (a Northern Pike, damn slimy things), so my status as a fisherman is being called into question. To be fair, I wasn't really trying that hard as I didn't have my own pole or tackle box with me, I don't really like to borrow other people's equipment and endanger losing their lures or damaging rods/reels. In any case, we got quite some fireworks for the fourth, glad to be in a state where they're legal. Got one called One Bad Mother that was a 500g cake with 16 shells, that was a spectacular show. My Gargantua mortar with 7 shells fizzled out, was very disappointed. We also know to pick up lotsa big Saturn rocket packs for next year. Also, the Roman Candles we got really sucked. Ended up being more like flares instead of shooting colored balls into the sky.

So it's been an interesting week. Still don't have any TV or internet in my apartment, so appearances will be sporadic. Hoping to grab the Comcast double play for TV and Internet. Donate to the get Ryan on the web fund! (just kidding)

I've missed my webcomics

Well it appears another generation of graphics cards is upon us. Is it just me, or does it seem like each generation has less and less to add to the fight? Just seems like trying to suck more money from already cash-strapped consumers.

In any case, the new nVidia top competitor is the GTX 280. This card sports 240 stream processors, 2.2 ghz memory clock speed, 600 odd mhz core clock speed, and a power-sucking system like no other. In fact, it requires both a 6 and an 8-pin power connector, 550 watts minimum for one card and 800 for 2. It seems to run games pretty well on its own, keeping Crysis up at full settings around 30 FPS. The price tag: $650 per card!

The new Radeon is the 4850, containing 800 stream processors, 600 odd mhz core clock speed, and (what I think is) 2 ghz memory clock speed. I see varying numbers on the memory clock speed. I also haven't really seen benchmarks for the 4850, so I can't make any claims for its performance. But it's price tag is a healthy $200 ($170 right now for an ASUS on rebate at Newegg). For a $200 price tag, I'd rather pick up 2 or 3 of these and still be ahead of the nVidia GTX 280 price. In fact I may pick up just one and still be fine in my gaming. I'm sure it really doesn't beat the GTX 280, but I can't argue for that price point.

So, World At War has been announced and skepticism rides high about returning to World War II after playing Modern Combat. Even more so, Treyarch is developing the next Call of Duty, not the series creator Infinity Ward. So where is Infinity Ward?

I would speculate Infinity Ward is working on a Call of Duty MMO. Early after the success of Call of Duty 4 two rumors came out of the woodwork: that the next Call of Duty would return to World War II, and that they're working on a Call of Duty MMO. One of these rumors already proved to be true, and in Infinity Ward's absence from Call of Duty 5, it seems reasonable they're working on a bigger project. That makes them too busy to do World At War themselves.

After Call of Duty 4 made records in sales and Xbox Live activity, Activision rose to become the biggest third-party publisher on the planet. Much to EA's dismay, Call of Duty is one of the most successful franchises out there, setting the bar for upcoming FPS games. This also means that Activision's revenues and budgets have been rising. It would seem they have the resources to make Infinity Ward's budget a fair amount larger, yet the developer is still not working on World At War. With all these resources, what else could they be doing?

And what about the Activision/Vivendi merger? These two will form one monolithic game company, with even larger revenues and avenues to explore. So what does Vivendi bring to Activision? Obviously, Vivendi brings MMO experience to the fight. Blizzard is owned by Vivendi, and Blizzard knows more than anyone what it takes to run the world's largest and most successful MMO. The experience they have could help Infinity Ward develop the first and most successful MMOFPS in the gaming world.

In fact, all of these reasons and facts put together make the rumor fairly plausible for me. This could all be completely wrong, but I for one hope it all adds up to the Call of Duty MMO.

I've been exploring the issue of Gamercards to be displayed here at NapalmRiot for some time now and have very few solutions. It's taken me a bit of time to design an experimental card, and I'm not terribly happy with the results.



It only works with gamertags registered with their service, and even then is quirky in its formatting. Still, it was an attempt. I'm sure there are coders who can do what I'm attempting to with a fair amount of ease, this is me attempting a NapalmRiot Gamercard using no coding knowledge.

The culture of video games and gamers has been under attack for years. Tides seem to be turning in the legal and sociological systems in the U.S., with the latest announcement that Jack Thompson may be facing misconduct charges in Florida. Even more recently, Thompson may be facing disbarment. Gamers here in the United States should jump up and down for joy, on Thompson's picture...while wearing cleats.

Even more in the legal system, the United State's first female supreme court judge is headed into video games, deciding to educate Americans on the intricate legal system of their country through games. The game is primarily designed for law students and will provide realistic situations for the law hopefuls. Sandra Day O'Connor hopes that such an interactive game will provide quality experience for law students who have never experienced a court case in reality.

On the culture side, a recent study indicates that gamers suffer from social behavior issues as previously thought. The Austrialian-born study of an honors research program found that there is no direct connection between video games and low social skill and self-esteem.

It's a few steps closer for games and gamers around the world. Any support from top-level sources lends credence to video games and the people that play them. I, for one, consider myself a hardcore gamer, and won't allow anyone to take my games from me no matter how gory, violent, or gratuitously nude their characters may be.

Ironically I saw an article in the paper about the space shuttle Discovery (referring to the title). </nonsense>

Anyway, I'm glad to be here at NapalmRiot. This site looks to have great promise and there's lots of things that can be added. For those that know me, I'm `Cassed at DeviantArt, and look forward to running into many friendly faces here. I hope sometime we can have a more robust link system to games, blogs, reviews, etc (not sure how, but it'll need some brainstorming). Maybe some heavier moderation to keep retarded banter down as it plagues so many other potentially good sites.

Picked up The Golden Compass on DVD today, enjoyed the movie in theaters. I hope the bonus content on this second disc is worth it as much as Lord of the Rings extended cuts were. That was some quality bonus content and the behind the scenes documentary of all the movies was fantastic, hard to match. I was just discussing recent movies with some friends (maybe sometime we should add some sort of movie ratings or commentaries to NR? It's in the same realm of entertainment) and I loved I Am Legend, Cloverfield and Iron Man. In fact, Iron Man is probably my favorite superhero movie. Besides that I like Spiderman 2 and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I saw Spiderman 3, but there were too many problems for me to really like it (i.e. Venom blew).

Anyone else enjoy Golden Compass (NOT Northern Lights )?