The Select and Start News Report: 09.03.07
Posted by Vincent Chiucchi on 09.03.2007
Screw BioShock, ESRB getting bashed again, an Atari game gets movie, the end of the 60GB PS3, and oh, screw BioShock
Welcome to the Select and Start News Report, and this week has put me in a very bad mood. Between BioShock, the ESRB bashing, the release of Cryme Tyme, shitty wrestling on both television AND pay-per-view, I feel like just posting this about a hundred times:
Seriously, it's that kind of week folks.
Big News
SCREW BIOSHOCK [credit: Gamespot, 2K Games Forums]
A demo of BioShock. That's all I wanted to download. I don't have and never will get an Xbox 360 and I don't have the money right now to buy the PC game. So I figured the demo would still be pretty cool to have. But then, low and behold, the game installs ROOTKITS into your computer!
Or at least, that was the initial allegations. Ben P. Jet told me what was really going on:
You need to retract the stuff about the rootkit. There is no rootkit.
It is a registry key that holds your activation key, that's all.
Look around the net a little and then laugh at yourself for listening to the tinfoil-hats.
So after looking around a bit like this person suggested, I found out that BioShock does not install a rootkit. It is, however, still a pain in the ass. Here's an excerpt from a GameSpot blog:
While the software in question is still there, the original write-up has been altered with an admission that it is not exactly a rootkit, as it does not have any malice intent, however the inclusion of the software is still a bad move regarding the fact that no one can actually remove that data without a third party tool.
And the people at the 2K Games forums has posted the instructions on how to get rid of the Securom software, which is basically a long and tiresome process.
So the good news is, it doesn't actually install a rootkit that will lead to malware and/or virus infections. The bad news? You have to go through this bullshit process to remove it because 2K Games doesn't want you to copy the demo EVEN THOUGH IT'S FUCKING FREE! The paid version I'd understand, but this is also happening to the FREE DEMO version of the game, and for that I say screw you 2K games, screw you Sony (as if there's not enough reasons to hate them) and screw BioShock.
And if you guys think I'm the only one pissed off about this, just check out the 2K Games forums for BioShock.
THE MANHUNT 2 SAGA: ESRB CAN'T CATCH A BREAK [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily, GameSpot]
And to think I thought last week was FINALLY going to be the end of this stupid saga now that Manhunt 2 got the M rating. But what do you know, the game is back in the news, this time because are bashing the ESRB for changing the rating instead of sticking with the AO rating that they were also getting bashed for. Huh?
California State Senator Leland Yee, a long time critic of ESRB self-regulation, has called for the FTC to investigate the board's rating policy, saying transparency is needed on how the down-rating decision was made. Here's what Yee had to say:
""Parents can't trust a rating system that doesn't even disclose how they come to a particular rating. The ESRB and Rockstar should end this game of secrecy by immediately unveiling what content has been changed to grant the new rating and what correspondence occurred between the ESRB and Rockstar to come to this conclusion. Unfortunately, history shows that we must be quite skeptical of these two entities."
The ESRB released their comment defending the re-rating: "Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis. It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released. What can be said is that the changes that were made to the game, including the depictions themselves and the context in which those depictions were presented, were sufficient to warrant the assignment of an M (Mature 17+) rating by our raters."
They also make mention of parents' trust in the ESRB: "The FTC reports that 89% of parents say they are involved in the purchase or rental of the video games their children play and 85% say they restrict them...further, according to a recent audit by the Federal Trade Commission, the major game retailers, representing approximately 90% of all sales, currently stop the sale of M-rated games to buyers under 17 the vast majority (which turned out to be 62%) of the time, having surpassed the level of enforcement achieved by theatre owners in connection with children's access into R-rated movies."
The ESRB can never fucking win can they? First people bash them for giving the AO rating calling it "censorship against the industry", then they get bashed for changing their mind without releasing specific information.
And now there's this whole "parents can't trust a system that doesn't work" crap? I think these parents that don't trust the ESRB are probably the kind that are fucking stupid to begin with.
I've heard a couple suggestions that the ESRB needs a rating between Teen (13+) and Mature (15+). Why does there need to be a rating between Teen and Mature? Does that mean we're going to need a rating between PG-13 and R? The only true way to guarantee a rating system that works is to give each age it's own individual rating. Imagine: instead of E's and T's, we'd be getting 7's and 8's and 9's and 10's and so on.
I seriously hope Manhunt 2 turns out to be a bad game. I need a really good laugh.
Speaking of Manhunt 2, apparently the game is being sold in it's uncut original format in the Netherlands because there's no specific law stating it can't be sold unrated.
THE END OF PS3...THE 60GB ONE ANYWAY [credit: Gamasutra, GameSpot]
Sony Computer Entertainment America PR boss David Karraker has appeared to confirm that the 60GB hard drive version of the PlayStation 3 is out of stock at internal SCEA warehouses and that once stock at retails runs out the console will no longer be available in North America.
And thus the only PS3's that will be left will be the 80GB version at the dreaded $599 price that kept a lot of the 60GB versions lying on store shelves. So if you want to buy a PS3, get that $599 model while you still can, because that 80GB version is probably not going to see a price drop until the Summer of '08.
AND YOU THOUGHT POSTAL WAS AS BAD AS IT GETS... [credit: GameDaily]
Newly formed Hollywood production company, CP Productions, is bringing a number of new and classic games to the big screen and comic books. In addition, the company will package its sci-fi, fantasy and horror movies with video games. The first of many projects coming from the new production studio is a new imagining of Midway Games' classic Joust arcade game.
Words can not express how really stupid this idea is. So fuck it, here's good old von Karma:
Tidbit News
-It's officially official for good: Video Games had NOTHING to do with the Virgina Tech massacre. Expect this fact to be ignored by Jack Thompson (who started this facade in the first place) and the upcoming violent video games episode of Dr.Phil, followed by another school shooting to tkae place in the next few years and then the few years after that and then the few years after that, because apparently, these people still have no fucking clue how to stop one. [credit: GameDaily]
-For Labor Day, Microsoft is having a sale on four older Xbox Live Arcade games Gauntlet, Dig Dug, Small Arms, and Zuma Deluxe. Gauntlet and Dig Dug will be 200 Microsoft points each, or $2.50. Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will be cut to 400 Microsoft points, or $5 each. [credit: Gamespot]
-Kwari is releasing a new online FPS where you can take the other players real world money by killing them in the game. Oh great, all we need is one hacker to come by to steal everyone's cash easily and ruin the game forever. [credit: Gamasutra]
-Officials from Nintendo UK have announced that the Wii has become the fastest selling home console in the UK ever to reach the one million units sold mark. I guess really love that Wiimote novelty. [credit: Gamasutra]
The Other Crap
THE DIGITAL LIFE EXPO
I'll once again be going to the Digital Life expo taking place here in New York City at the end of September. If you're from the NYC and would like free tickets, here's the insider password: "MACSIMUM".
WEEKLY SMASH BROS. ROUNDUP
Now here's a game I can look forward to without the possibility of screwing up my PC!
-WarioWare. This stage puts you into the crazy microgames of WarioWare.
-Gliding. You can run, but you can't GLIDE~! Characters with wings (such as Pit, Meta Knight, and Charizard) can glide through the stage which works similar to when Mario flys with the cape in Super Mario World.
-Pokemon Trainers moves. Two moves were revealed for each of the Pokemon he uses.
-The Special Moves. An explanation of how to do the special moves, using Meta Knight as an example. So in this update we also wound up learning Meta Knight's moves.
-Andross. Old school Andross from the SNES Star Fox shows up, sucks up anything he can, and blows it back at everyone. {insert obvious suck/blow joke here}
-Superspicy Curry. Eating this item will cause your character to start shooting out flames with their combo attacks.
GAMING CALENDAR
NEW: September 11th - Fatal Inertia to be released
September 20th - Slimlime PSP to launch in Japan
September 25th - Halo 3 to be released
October 9th - Half-Life 2: Episode 2 "orange box" to be released
October 9th - Fury to be released
October 11th - Microsoft to release Xbox 360 Elite in Japan
October 31st
-Hellgate: London to be released
-Dementium: The Ward to be released
November 5th:
-Area 51: Blacksite to be released
-Call of Duty 4 to be released
November 12th - Super Mario Galaxy to be released
November 16th - Crysis to be releaseed
November 20th:
-Rock Band release date?
NEW: -Mass Effect to be released
December 3rd - Smash Bros. Brawl to be released
March 1st, 2008 - Metal Gear Solid 4 to be released
