I was speaking to a coworker today who had just gotten an Xbox Live account, and when I commented to her that I’d seen it, she wondered how I knew. The answer was simple: “I saw you in a party with [another person on my friends list], and it looked just like you! Who else would it be?” It then hit me that my own avatar looked like me, and it didn’t stop there, either.

Ultimately, it seems like in every game in which you get a decent amount of creative control over what your character looks like, the first thing I do is attempt to model myself. Given that it’s my first time using the system, it usually doesn’t turn out all that well, but subsequent revisions get me something close to what I think I look like (I not going to lie; I’m always slightly surprised that I don’t look exactly like my own mental image. I have a defined chin in my own mind.) Sure, I can play with the system later and start creating people / freaks of genetic tampering for fun, the the first time I play, it’s with myself. Wait, that sounds horrible. I mean, as myself.

Part of it lies in the way I play in-depth roleplaying games like Fallout 3. The first time, I’ll play as myself, giving natural answers and letting my conscience be the guide. Frequently this ends up in the “goody-two shoes” camp, because I’d much rather talk my way out of a jam than shoot, and I more or less meander up the path of goodness (about halfway through, I usually decide that violence is the answer to most arguments, but I at least try starting things in a civilized manner). After that, I’ll play the depraved route just for kicks to see how terrible the game lets me be. After that, if I’m still interested, I’ll start doing gimmick runs, doing the weird, offbeat things and exploring character paths that I hadn’t considered before. The important thing here is that for the first time through, I’m trying to stay true to myself and to my decisions. Don’t shoot the sheriff, don’t wipe out the ghouls, but don’t take crap from the slavers either. Can’t we all just… leave each other alone for five seconds? No? *BLAM*

The thing of it is, and the real reason I’m writing this, is that I know I’m not alone. When the Wii first came out, message boards were abuzz with people posting Miis back and forth to each other, stocking up on their friends. In fact, when my friend’s stepparents got a Wii for Christmas last year, the very first thing they did (after shoving all the furniture out of the way and recruiting me to hook them up with batteries) was hold a Mii-fest in which they made avatars resembling everyone in the family. Of course, nobody got to make their own Mii, leading to some fun times. (“Don’t give me that hair.” “That’s the hair that looks most like yours.” “No, you’re making me look like a moron.” “Hey, it’s not my fault you have moron hair.” *fighting ensues*)

That’s not limited to the happy non-gaming gamers, either. When Microsoft unveiled their new avatars, people whined and moaned about their systems getting kiddified, then went and did it anyway. I only see a few folks who go out of their way to make a crazy-looking persona for their 360; most avatars are of people who look like people. It isn’t just avatars; my first Sims, my first The Movies actor (he died before I invented color film, so I had to plastic surgerize a different actor into being me when I had the technology… How’s THAT for extreme self-obsession?), my first Fallout 3 character, any number of characters you can throw a goatee and glasses on get my face on them when I first send them out into the world… Where does this come from? Why do I have to star in my adventures? Am I really so conceited that every story has to involve myself, like those video storybooks you can get with little [insert name here] fighting off the Martians and saving Christmas?

I can’t be the only person who does this, though. Speak, you denizens of the Spwugbase! Share your addictions to putting your own mug on your virtual selves! I leave you now with a taste of my disease…

About the author: Mike Meeker recently made a bet and has to shave his beard off. He hasn’t seen his bare chin in six years. He’s kind of worried about it.

The neat thing about having an actual career, as opposed to just a job, is that you get to network with people to expand the scope of the application of your abilities. That may sound like a load of horse pucky, but it’ll make sense when it actually happens to you, I swear. Coincidentally, it also explains what I’m doing here.

You can call me Mike, because that’s my name today, and like Scott and Jennifer a few weeks ago, I’m a coworker of sorts with Richard Kim. That’s what led to him approaching me after a meeting and asking if I wanted to contribute to this site. At first, I didn’t think I had any particular special knowledge of “geek culture” that wasn’t already covered, so I didn’t have any idea of what to contribute, but he asserted that I probably had something worth reading about within me (and not in a medical journal sense, either). I had just had lunch and was -10 to Charm at the time, so I agreed.

My focus tends to be in video games, naturally, and literature. Let’s all see if I have something fascinating to contribute. Hope to keep seeing you here!

So last week, I realized my post was getting on in length and decided to split it up into two parts, this, being the second. As you may recall, we were discussing game music composition. A blogger over on Destructoid had written extensively on the downfall of game music, and I use this as a forum to say, “Not so, my fellow appreciator of the arts!” …But what am I doing? That post is only a few entries down at this point, so if you aren’t with me, scroll down and read it, ya lazy bums.

Everyone up to speed? Good. So this week I’d like to take some time to discuss some specific examples of composers I think are doing it right, and I’m not even going to depend on the examples I already provided last week to do so. All of my choices come from games released in (the states in) 2008, further proving that game music is not in fact, less interesting than it used to be.

But what do I mean by “doing it right?” A lot of things. Firstly, the music stands on it’s own from the game as a work of art in and of itself. If someone were to listen to it outside of the game’s context, while perhaps being unable to grasp the significance in its entirety, the listener can appreciate the music. This is of course, speaking regardless of genre preferences and simply appreciating music for what it is.

Secondly, the music added to the game’s presentation value. I’ll explain. Some moments in gaming wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for the seemingly innocuous music in the background fueling the player’s emotions. A battle hard fought and won, a gripping scene in an RPG, or a section of the game meant to induce panic – Yes, a ticking timer can do that alone, but what the player rarely realizes is how much the music is contributing to that heightened state of experience and response. That is, if the music is doing its job.

Third and finally, and this is important, is that the soundtrack as a whole is cohesive. This is what I was talking about last week: Composers who step forward in a game and introduce their own style. A single, stand-out song won’t cut it. I mean that every track does its job to contribute to a whole, whether that be via certain instrumentation, a single person’s voice, or a leitmotif that runs throughout the work.

But enough criteria. On with the show. My first example is a relative unknown, a man named Yoshito Hirano. So unknown, in fact, that he doesn’t even have his own page on wikipedia! But a quick googling reveals thus: Hirano is a composer for Intelligent Systems, a sub-dev of Nintendo. He participated in the scoring for a number of notable games, including Smash Brothers and Fire Emblem, but my case in point, as the sole composer for Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. Say what you will about the game – I didn’t think it had half the heart of its predecessors – but the music in that game was literally a driving factor in my desire to complete the story mode. This is Proud Soldier – Gage. Hit play, and keep reading.

As he has done throughout the series, Hirano roots Advance Wars in heavy metal and layers on the melodies from there. Well, it’s as metal as the Nintendo DS can get, anyway. But my hat goes off to him for Days of Ruin, where I think his themes for each of the characters help to define them in ways the game couldn’t even do through dialog.  Not only that, they make one of the slowest moving genres ever, the Strategy RPG, feel like it’s all occurring at breakneck speed. His cuts inspire the player to strategize, but to do so at the speed of war.  I would love to see this soundtrack fully realized by a Japanese rock band.

Also check out: Flight of the Coward – Waylon

The second guy I’m offering up has picked up slightly more mainstream notoriety, because he worked on the soundtrack to one of the most mainstream RPGs on the Sony PSP – Takeharu Ishimoto, for Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. Anyone who says the music at Square-Enix died when Uematsu left obviously hasn’t played Crisis Core. Ishimoto has only recently stepped up from being a synthesizer programmer for Square into a full-fledged composer, and his debut has been nothing short of ground breaking. This is “Under the Apple Tree.”

It’s hard to call anything ground breaking in a series that has gone above and beyond the saturation point and is now being milked for all it’s worth. But I think the best part of what Ishimoto did for this title was bring his own game to the plate. Let’s face it: We’ve heard the tunes of Final Fantasy VII remixed, recycled, and reiterated over and over ever since Square-Enix realized how much money the now 10 year old FF7 can pull in from the fans. As one of those fans myself, I think it’s safe to say we’re tired of it.

What Ishimoto did, though, was breathe life into a tired soundtrack. He took the FF7 tracks and made them sit under HIS schematic of twangy, acoustic guitars, singing violins, and a theme exclusive to Crisis Core that runs throughout the game, overpowering the Uematsu melodies. A ballsy move to be certain, and one that paid off in spades. You don’t mess with those themes unless you’re going to get them right. But by the time we’d heard the numerous iterations of this tune, I doubt many of us cared what he did with Aeris’s theme, and I for one, forgot all about the dude with the silver hair.

Also check out: The Price of Freedom, Night of Seclusion

Looks like I’m already going over my self-imposed line here, but my final shout out is to Simon Viklund, composer and creative director for Bionic Commando: Rearmed, a downloadable throwback to better times on PS3 and Xbox 360. Talk about a soundtrack that is both 100% faithful to the source material as well as being a complete modernization. It has to be heard to be believed.  I know for fact that the Rearmed soundtrack is available on Itunes.

The print version of Spwug has the great honor of carrying Captain Space, written by Mookie Terracciano of Dominic Deegan fame. When we last saw Captain Space he had just boarded a hijacked trade ship and was battling his way to the bridge to confront the leader of the infamous Void Angels!

RESUME TRANSMISSION OF SPACE JOURNAL ENTRY 2RKX.62
The Void Angels, a band of space mercenaries hired to keep the Beldarian Trade Belt safe from criminal activity, were no better than a murderous gang of outlaws themselves. They had hijacked the trader class space cruiser Treasure Chest, captured the acclaimed Captain John Courage, and had been running illegal operations out of the very Trade Belt they were commissioned to protect. One of their number, a teenage girl named Grex Obil, had summoned me to stop her comrades for reasons yet unknown to me.

I was on board the Treasure Chest when the badly wounded Grex Obil informed me that Captain Courage was being held hostage on the bridge, and he did not have much longer to live. If I didn’t act quickly, young Grex would also perish from her injuries.

There was little time to formulate a plan. I set my Space Blaster to Stun and approached the bridge. The doors slid open and I found myself staring at two space assault rifles. Two Void Angels were preparing to pull the triggers. With only space-seconds to react, I ducked under their deadly guns and delivered two vicious blows to their abdomens. The mercenaries doubled over and dropped their space rifles. Unfortunately for me, space rifles are terrible weapons with no setting besides Kill. Fortunately for me, as a trained member of the Space Patrol, my greatest weapons are my mind and body.

I had a precious few space-seconds to assess the situation. There were five Void Angels with space assault rifles. The command crew of the Treasure Chest remained at their stations, flying the hijacked ship. The leader of the Void Angels, an imposing Fleggarian known as Bamrukku, stood over the bound and motionless form of Captain John Courage. They all looked to me as I strode over their incapacitated comrades.

“It’s Captain Space!”

Laser beams sizzled over my head as I ducked behind a computer console. This was going to be difficult. I had to subdue the Void Angels without harming the Treasure Chest’s command crew, or else there would be no one to fly the space cruiser to safety! And if the Void Angels became desperate, there was a strong chance they would turn their deadly rifles on the innocent crew.

“Surrender, Captain Space!” Bamrukku barked. “Give up, or I will blast Captain Courage into cosmic debris!”

There seemed little option for me then. I slid my Space Blaster out from behind the computer console and stood with my hands raised in surrender, but not before flipping a small switch under my helmet. What little hope I had sparked in the command crew of the Treasure Chest fizzled out as the space mercenaries approached me with their assault rifles.

“Bwa ha ha ha!” Bamrukku guffawed. “That’s the problem with you Space Patrol pansies! Just threaten someone’s precious little life and you’ll do anything to keep them alive! Even surrender!”

“What’s your game, Bamrukku?” I demanded as the Void Angels moved to bind my hands behind my back. “Why are you doing this?”

“Why else? For money!” He arrogantly swaggered over to me, leaving Captain Courage unattended. “The Beldarian Merchant Guild will easily turn the other cheek to illegal operations in their Trade Belt if you give them enough incentive. We do their ‘protection work’ for no cost to them at all, and they let us make our money in whatever way we see fit!”

“You’ll never get away with this. The Space Patrol will not allow it.”

“Bwa ha ha ha! Somehow I doubt that. By the time your precious Space Pansies find you and Captain Courage, you’ll be cosmic corpses and no one will know who destroyed you!”

I could not help but smirk. “Is that so?”

The Void Angels cried out as a massive battleship appeared on the bridge’s main screen. It bore the symbol of the Space Patrol proudly on its hull and aimed its impressive array of guns at the Treasure Chest. It was the pride of the Space Patrol fleet, the Shining Star. A familiar voice came through the open channel.

“This is Admiral Orbit, commanding officer of the Space Patrol! Stand down and surrender! I repeat, stand down and surrender!”

I watched realization dawn on Bamrukku’s face. He was so proud of himself for capturing two members of the Space Patrol that he had neglected to check if I had activated my own emergency distress signal. Fortunately for me, the warp drives on Space Patrol ships are the most advanced in the galaxy.

“You’ll never take us alive!” Bamrukku roared. “Void Angels! Kill them all!”

There was little choice for me then. I escaped the untrained clutches of the Void Angels that flanked me and knocked them out with little effort. I snatched up their space assault rifles and opened fire on the space mercenaries. Fortunately for them and the crew of the Treasure Chest, I am an excellent shot. They found themselves suddenly unarmed as their weapons were blown out of their hands. They quickly surrendered.

Bamrukku was not so easily spooked. When the shooting started, he quickly returned to Captain Courage’s side and hoisted him up as a shield. By the time I wheeled the space assault rifle on the Void Angel leader, he was cowering behind the beaten and weakened body of Captain Courage.

“Let me pass, Captain Space!” Bamrukku bellowed. “Let me off this ship or I’ll blast Captain Courage into cosmic–!”

“Stop shouting, you cosmic coward!” Captain Courage snapped. He suddenly whipped his head backwards and I heard the eerie sound of a Fleggarian nose breaking. Bamrukku clutched at his face and dropped to his knees. I took the opportunity to retrieve my Space Blaster and subdue the mercenary leader with a single Stun shot.

“Looks like you weren’t as close to death as I had been lead to believe,” I said to Captain Courage.

“I’ve been closer,” he replied.

“Everything under control, Captain Space?” Admiral Orbit asked through the open channel.

“The Treasure Chest is secure, Admiral,” I said.

The Void Angels were quickly rounded up and put into the prison holds aboard the Shining Star. Medical cruisers whisked Captain Courage and Grex Obil to the nearest space hospital. Authorities from Planet Zanatar, the closest planet to the Beldarian Trade Belt, were brought in to help the Space Patrol with an investigation into the Beldarian Merchant Guild’s notorious activities. Even with Bamrukku’s confession, it has been difficult to find further evidence against the Guild. They are a slippery bunch with an impressive team of space lawyers.

Captain Courage recovered more quickly than anyone had anticipated and returned to active duty less than one space week later.

I visited Grex Obil in the hospital once she was permitted visitors. I asked her why she betrayed the Void Angels. She said she’d joined the space mercenaries to protect the Beldarian Trade Belt, but became disillusioned with the group once she discovered their criminal intentions. I told her that she was brave to do the right thing in the face of frightening opposition.

“But Captain Space,” she said just before I left, “now that the Void Angels are out of commission, who will guard the Trade Belt? The Beldarians may be corrupt, but there are still people there who need protection.”

“Don’t worry, Grex. I think I know someone just right for the job.”

The Space Patrol saw fit to leave a small garrison of soldiers at the Beldarian Trade Belt. Now we could keep a watchful eye on the Beldarians as well as on the innocent people who may be in danger. Members of the Space Patrol are stationed there on rotation, except for one very eager new recruit who wishes nothing more than to remain at the garrison and protect the people there. I think Cadet Grex Obil will do well in the Space Patrol.

As for me, I resumed my tireless patrol with a smile. It is always nice to find others who believe that there is always a need for heroes…

…in space!
END OF TRANSMISSION

Another installment of Spwug 4 articles! This one is written by Marco Soto, and if you need a reason to avoid MMORPGs and are tired of having your standard reasons refuted by the hardcore gamers, he’s here to help.

Speaking as someone from “The Big City,” I’m rather used to panhandlers, beggars, and the homeless. Those individuals that always seem to be on the wrong side of town when their car runs out of gas, or who haven’t eaten in days (even though they had a burger in their hands just 15 minutes ago).

So, I wasn’t that taken aback to find the same situation going on in most MMORPGs. What DID strike me as odd, though, was the sheer laziness of the beggars that I found. People asking for 5 gold in Guild Wars just struck me dumbfounded. Especially when you could walk out the front gate and kill the first thing you saw and it would drop 5 gold or the equivalent. Requests for beginner swords would go up and you can get those weapons for free from certain NPCs.

Now, there are always the enterprising beggars that will be willing to entertain for their handout. The “Will dance naked for gold” women are always a laugh. Every once in a while you’ll get someone who gives an in game reason for needing money. “Seering Vet down on his luck. Dwayna bless you” has always been my favorite.

But, really, do we need the streets of Ascalon to be so lined with beggars that the sidewalks are soft? Does Ironforge need a dwarf on every corner with a cardboard sign?
Do the City of Villans and City of Heros need another emote of someone with a tin cup?

As with the RL version of the problem, the MMO version can be tracked back to those certain individuals who, just to shut people up, end up paying off the beggars and thus, perpetuate the problem. Come on, people, stop giving in. Help is one thing, but are you really helping someone by giving them something instead of letting them get it by *gasp* playing the game?!

Sure, when someone asks a question, by all means, help them out by providing an answer. After all, we were all noobs once. But when it comes to money and items, especially ones that could be picked up off of the ground not ten feet away, let those grubby little street urchins fend for themselves. Heck, you can even help them out by telling them where they can get what they’re looking for, on their own. Just so long as they go out and get it for themselves instead of just asking for it. Make them play the game, for crying out loud.

Or you could just play their character for them. Cut out the middle man and just tell them if they sign over their character to you, they can go to bed knowing that little Timmy will become a big and strong leader of men (orcs, elves, whatever) and they don’t have to worry about a thing. They don’t even have to play the game, and that’s what they’re really asking for, isn’t it?

Thought I’d lead this off with an exerpt from a 2005 interview by user ”Cacophanus” for a U.K. gaming mag, <a href=”http://forums.insertcredit.com/viewtopic.php?p=281726#281703″ mce_href=”http://forums.insertcredit.com/viewtopic.php?p=281726#281703″>with Kazuma Kujo</a>, of IREM (R-Type III, Delta & Final, Bumpy Trot)

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Q: “Would you deem games as an artform, if so why?”
Kujo-san: “I think defining Art itself is difficult, but I prefer to call games as public entertainment, or something enjoyable. Viewing games this way, I think, fit better. When I am working on a game, I try to prepare something users want to see or touch rather than conveying my opinions to others. And if such game can surprise users, that would be best.”

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Interesting viewpoint!  And, admittedly with this author being a crazed shmup fan, it’s always good to hear from the sages.  Anyways, I’d like to find more creator quotes and words from industry professionals instead of relying on random conjecture and shaky definitions.  People like David Jaffe (God of War), Lorne Lanning (Oddworld series), Toru Iwatani (PacMan) or Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Lumines) all have very different ideas about both what constitutes a game, and where that intersects with the arts. 

I leave the investigations to you, readers.  Got a game you stand by as ‘art?’  Heard or read a philosophy that speaks to you as a noble direction for game development?  Or should I say, did a game director just say what you were thinking?

Give us some feedback!

Here’s a game review from Joe Chan. Lineage II looks very shiney, but you don’t have to take MY word for it!

It turns out there’s this little-known MMORPG out there that only about 1.5 million people worldwide play called Lineage II. I first checked out this game a little over a year ago where I was greeted with breathtakingly stunning visuals and PC archer fire from the treelines which kept me from ever getting past the boundaries of my starting city. But there was one thing in particular that caught my eye — and I’m not talking about that last arrow that bounced me back to the spawn point.

I’m talking cheesecake.

I mean, dang, there’re some drop-dead gorgeous female avatars kicking my butt in that game.

So, when my friends at NCSoft invited me and a few other press folks to take a personalized tour of their newest Lineage II campaign arc, The Chaotic Throne: The Kamael, I was ecstatic. I mean, now I could check out those hotties without getting beaten to a pulp.

Lineage II has always been heavy on the PvP, though they have been adding more features to make it friendlier towards solo-play as well. However, to truly enjoy the bulk of the game, you’d have to join in the PC genocide and slaughter player avatars alongside your fellow gamers. Join in a clan and participate in a planned castle siege, or take down some of the epic bosses in the game. There’s a ton of stuff to do that you can’t accomplish on your own.

This latest installment of the Lineage II saga introduces the rediscovery of a race known as the Kamael, winged war machines that were once so badass, they had to get one of their wings clipped to seal the bulk of their power away. New to the game are features such as fortress sieges, which allow you to put together parties to take on strongholds 24/7, new armor slots, transformations, and, of course, a new playable race: The Kamael.

But, c’mon now. I wasn’t there for the new feeps. Though I smiled and nodded graciously at my hosts’ words, I was really there for the hands-on demo that would finally grant me the chance I’ve been waiting for and I know it wasn’t just me. I exchanged knowing glances with my fellow journalists, and we knew that soon we would catch a glimpse of hot elf booty.

Finally, the long-awaited moment had arrived. I was seated in front of a brand-spankin’ new Dell Dimension XPS with a 24-inch widescreen LCD as my guiding light, and as the game revved up, I slid down my chair to mask my giddy glee. There it was: the world of Lineage II and all it had to offer at my fingertips, and let me tell you, my friends, I was not disappointed.

cheesecake

After giving us a brief moment to run around to check out some of the new game features, greeting us at our rendezvous point was our host and tour guide, a pale elf lass in silk and lace. I didn’t want to seem like I was ogling, so I complemented her on the spiffy hat she was wearing while my eyes drifted lower. I was instantly teleported elsewhere. I forgot she had GM powers.

orc!

I found myself outdoors, near the entrance to one of the instanced dungeon areas, where before me stood a towering orc gal who looked like she could easily kick my ass and eat it too, with a side of fava beans and a glass of chianti. But my, she had some impressive assets. I chose to side with caution and tried to avoid staring for too long, but she still noticed me looking and growled. I never knew a game avatar could piss itself.

elf

The tour guide took pity on me and brought me back to the rendezvous area. She shooed me off towards the rest of the group after admonishing me, and I slunk back in feigned defeat. After all, I had caught sight of another looker. Another elf, this time decked out in glittering white armor. As I edged closer towards my companion while preparing a few choice pickup lines, a voice not unlike Barry White’s issued forth and … oh for crying out loud, it was a guy! Curse those elves for all looking too pretty. I ran down the corridor, crying.

female human

I suppose that due to my reaction, my fellow party members thought that I had encountered a mob. They chased after me thinking they were rushing to my rescue. I turned back towards the sound of armored feet clanking on the stone floor and caught sight of a mini-skirt-clad human woman in a most vulnerable upskirt position. I grinned stupidly as she paused long enough to beat me to a pulp. It was worth every cut and bruise.

fight!

As it turns out, there really was a mob right there in the room with me. The redhead left just enough life in me to let the monster finish me off, before she proceeded to beat on it with almost everyone else. I say almost everyone, because there was a second human girl that just stood there, staring at my broken, bleeding body while the others were fighting for their lives. I weakly raised my hand to beg for a heal plz!!!, but she just giggled and walked off. Damn her. Those cat ears were a nice touch though.

winged cheesecake

I awoke to find myself in a chamber surrounded by strange creatures. As it turns out, they were actually one of the newer features of the game, temporary transformations so that players could take on other forms. Of course, from my vantage point, all I saw was this scary four-winged Amazon hovering above me. For a brief moment, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven, but I couldn’t see under that scale mail loincloth, so it had to be hell. Then she kicked me in the head and forced me to get back into the game.

dwarf… girl

After some aimless wandering, I found myself staring at a most incongruous sight. There, in the middle of the room was a dwarf… girl — the problem is that those dwarf women look way too cute to belong in this game — and yet there she was, twirling and sparkling like some anime magical girl. And the kicker is the sight of her in a birthday hat and a full-metal chastity suit. Talk about mixed signals! I only stared long enough to gawk since that hammer really scared me. Oh, and if anyone discovers where the key is supposed to go, I’ll give you $10.

female Kamael

Turning away from the diabetes-inducing sight, I literally ran smack dab into one of the new denizens of the game — a female Kamael in all her one-winged, battle bikini hottie goodness. This time, I couldn’t help but to gaze; after all, my head had bounced right off her steel bustier. She just perched there, smiling, hand at her hip. You’re looking at exactly what I saw right before I learned that the female Kamael specialize in crossbows.

She laughed, shot me in the face, and sent me back to the spawn point.

The first in our series of articles from what would have been our next print issue. Here, with more of his ranty stylings, is an article from our very own Angry Zen Master. -Neomera

The morning of September 11, 2001, I sat in my living room starring unblinkingly at the television. I had just seen the second tower fall live on CNN and I needed someone to explain just what the hell was going on. My mind could not perceive such horrors let alone process seeing it all happen in real time. I needed more information. And for the next few hours, for the next few days, CNN streamed information into my brain meats faster than I could absorb.

The September 11 attacks really put news organizations on the front page. Never before had the twenty-four hour news cycle been so challenged with keeping a frightened, angry, and hurt public as informed as humanly possible. They did their best to stream information to the public as quickly and efficiently as possible without tainting stories with spin or punditry.

The twenty-four hour news cycle was working, keeping the public well armed with raw information. Thusly armed, we gradually recovered from our initial fears.

It’s now more than six years later and when I turn on CNN, I’m subjected to uninterrupted coverage of OJ Simpson’s pre-trial hearing, Miss Teen South Carolina’s gaff when asked a geography question, Britney’s latest public humiliation, Tay Zonday singing about Cherry Chocolate Rain. The same twenty-four hour news cycle that calmed a terrified people is now filling hours with sensationalist tabloid fluff. They’ve traded journalism for entertainment.

Cable network news is all about ratings. They will do anything to appear to be relevant. There’s no better example than CNN’s YouTube Presidential candidate debates. On paper, it certainly seemed like a good idea. Young people complain all the time that Presidential candidates and politicians are truly out of touch, that they don’t care about the issues that are important to the average citizen, that they’ve sold our government out to special interests. What better way to prove these conceptions wrong than by giving the public the opportunity to address the candidates themselves. Sure, that’s a winner of an idea.

I have never witnessed so many softball questions at any sort of debate ever. Instead of taking the candidates to task for the failures of the past six years, the questions presented the candidates the perfect opportunity to reiterate all their campaign rhetoric. There was no real debate, no real discussion, no real information. CNN might as well have aired three hours of campaign ads.

The twenty-four hour news cycle has completely destroyed news journalism. Gone are the days of in-depth investigative reporting. Objectivism has given way to opinion pieces, punditry, and ultimately, sensationalism. The latest hit on YouTube is given as much air time as Bush’s insistence that Iran is still pursuing nuclear weapons. It’s nearly impossible to take the cable news networks seriously.

These days, I can’t help but smirk every time I hear James Earl Jones recite CNN’s tagline, “The most trusted name in news.” It should read, “The most trusted name in tabloid news entertainment.”

Greetings, faithful Spwug readers!

We’ve got a new writer, a young lady by the name of Mei Ling. She’s going to start with a short, to-the-point intro, then shoot straight into her main topic. Take it away, Mei Ling!

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My focus is going to be TV and occasionally other media, and being nitpicky about what I see.

This was last week’s CSI:NY. The story revolved around Second Life. When I saw the preview, I thought, “Oh, another online community case.” There have been a couple cases on different shows that deal with various aspects of the Internet. Law & Order: SVU did a virtual reality one earlier, too. But this CSI:NY episode was different than the previous ones. For one, it used a real site: Second Life. Previous cases had entities that were clearly modeled off of something real, but never the real thing. Two, it featured the site A LOT. I swear, 25% of the footage was in-game footage (this number is totally not based on any statistic). And three, previous cases almost always involved going to the office of the entity and demanding information on its users. This CSI:NY episode never even contacted Linden Lab.

The reason for all of these differences is clear: CSI:NY and Second Life have partnered up to offer some kind of CSI experience in Second Life. Thus, they allowed CSI:NY to use their real name and wanted to be heavily featured in the show to promote the site. And yet, they didn’t want to be seen divulging their users’ private information. But really, did that have to involve going through avatar creation, including explicitly pointing out that you can choose whatever gender you want to be and that using a generic model would mark you a n00b? And a gratuitous, lengthy gladiatorial battle to get into some restricted area? On a huge wall-size screen in a darkened room with a hand-held controller? And tracking down IP addresses of the players they met in order to track down their geographic location?

But wait… can you actually just track the IP addresses of the people you run into in Second Life? Wouldn’t you need access to the Linden Lab servers? Does that mean they were hacking into Linden Lab? Was that really better than just showing that if you do criminal things involving Second Life, that they will cooperate with law enforcement (given appropriate evidence and warrants), thus making Second Life a safe environment? Or perhaps they don’t want to seem too safe…

Personally, I tend to find product placement in TV shows and movies rather amusing. I like spotting somewhat subtle, but clearly displayed product placement that doesn’t intrude into the story. Like the Bravia ad in the web browser in Casino Royale (okay, that one was really fleeting, but it definitely didn’t intrude on the story). Even more blatant ones like the Minis in The Italian Job are okay. But this was like the epitome of what not to do with product placement. Not only was this product placement prominent, it basically took over its host show and ran amok, like some parasite… Aliens comes to mind.

So, what do you think about product placement? Love it? Hate it? Necessary evil? Any examples that you thought were particularly clever or disgustingly blatant?