Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Raid Gaza!

Oh boy!

Newgrounds has long been a bastion for edgy, political, and humorous interactive media and its newest edition is no slouch.

Raid Gaza! puts you in the shoes of the Israelis trying to maximize Palestinian casualties by building barracks, missile silos, and airports. Your score is determined by just how much death and destruction you can rain on the Gaza Strip. What's more...whenever you run out of sheqel to spend on WMDs, you can just call up Uncle Sam on the Red Phone and replenish your funds! Hooray foreign aid!

Despite the controversial nature of this game, it's a pretty well-crafted strategy game with colorful graphics and a strangely addictive quality. It casts the Isrealis in a rather unpleasant light and makes us Americans look like assholes (as if we needed any help!). This game is not for the Israelite, but if you can stomach the dark humor and political nature, definitely give it a whirl. If nothing else, you'll learn something pretty despicable about the Israeli interim Prime Minister.

As Operation Ivy says, "...so stupid. Killin' each other. Don't we learn nothin'?"

Thanks to Kotaku for the heads up.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Great Mighty Poo

Best video game boss ever?


Best video game boss ever.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Masters in Gaming

New York University is becoming the latest school to join the handful of institutions that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in video games and interactive media.

As reported by Crain's New York Business:

"NYU announced Tuesday that it has launched the NYU Game Center, which will offer long-term undergraduate and graduate degrees in the research, design and development of digital games. NYU will become the first New York City college to offer a degree in video games."


"The center will offer about 70 courses on game design and development. In the fall 2009, 10 to 12 NYU students will have the opportunity to choose a minor, major or double major in gaming. Beginning in the fall 2010, about six graduate students a year will be admitted to a two-year Master’s program and certificate program."

Sounds like NYU is getting while the getting's good. The gaming industry made around $38 billion last year. Eat your heart out, Hollywood.

Now if only I could come up with the $50 grand a year or so needed for tuition, fees, room and board.

Thanks to Kotaku.

Monday, December 8, 2008

TEBOWNED!

Friday, December 5, 2008

You're Fired!


In honor of the 12 people that were layed off at my place of work today, I'm linking to a rather timely Gawker entry (posted today!) about why (besides the current economic depression, duh) so many people are getting the axe these days. Did you know that 533,000 Americans lost their jobs last month? That is staggering. I'm completely staggered.

The Cold Timing of Layoffs

I'm one of the lucky ones (today) and I'm thankful for that. Condolences to all of those less fortunate.

Django, this is Mario. Mario, Django.


This is nothing short of fantastic. I'd forgotten what a great little ditty (from the city) the Super Mario Bros. 2 theme is. Furthermore, I'll be listening to Django Reinhardt on Pandora at work all morning, of that you can be assured. (And if you're not yet aware of Pandora...what's wrong with you?)

I can only hope to be as awesome at anything someday as this guy (whose name is
Adrian Holovaty
) is at playing guitar. Bravo.

Thanks to Kotaku.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Mario Kart IRL



Genius.

Check Kotaku for more.

The Quotable NES

The boys at SydLexia are back at it.

I'm a huge fan of their lists and their oh-so-wrong-yet-oh-so-right brand of humor. Their newest creation (besides the recent rash of Lessons Learned from entries...seriously, what's the deal with that show? It was like
Are You Afraid of the Dark?Goosebumps for TV...wait...Goosebumps had its own show too. Whatever. I'm not a fan.) is 50 NES Quotes Every Gamer Should Know. Seems self-explanatory enough. There are some pretty humorous ones as well that stand out from your typical Japanese/Engrish translations. Lots from the original Legend of Zelda too.

Enjoy. I know I did.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

SHAME!

COCKS!

If you were one of the unfortunate souls who watched the Carolina-Clemson (non) rivalry game this past weekend, you know that the bad guys won...again (and yes, they are the bad guys and they know it. Ask any Clemson fan. They know that we are good and they are evil. They eat that shit up.). This year was a little different though in that the Gamecocks...never really took the field. And no, I'm not in denial.

Saturday's game was an absolutely piss poor showing by Steve Spurrier and the Cocks. Only a handful of Gamecocks played like they gave two shits about the outcome of the game. The only reason Spurrier appeared frustrated was because he couldn't give the quarterback carousel a spin due to Stephen Garcia's illness (flu...not stupidity) and Tommy Beecher's ineptness (no joke necessary...Beecher's spot on the team is humorous enough). Not that Chris Smelley isn't inept as well. Clemson should have given Smelley the game ball. His four (4!) interceptions led to 21 points for the Tigers.

David Cloninger of Rivals.com's Gamecock Central wrote an excellent piece on Saturday's debacle entitled Re-Start the Rivalry. Cloninger makes some excellent points about the nature of the beast that is Gamecock football. Here are some of my favorite quotes from his blog:

  • What struck me most about Saturday’s 31-14 USC loss at Clemson was the aftermath. Not one player I saw leaving the field had tears in his eyes or was down on the ground frustratedly ripping up turf. A few were smiling and shaking hands, handing out gloves and wristbands to all the kids – some of the recipients wearing Clemson clothing.
  • “They’re a better team,” Spurrier said. “Better coach, better team.”
    That one really stuck.
    Simply, no. I refuse to believe an interim-soon-to-be-permanent head coach with six games of experience is better than a national championship winner.
  • It’s fine if the Gamecocks want to concentrate on winning the SEC first and foremost. I said last week that beating Clemson every year and losing all the rest of the games would not be a good approach – some fans would be pleased, sure, but the coach would probably be checking the want ads. But if the SEC championship is a wish and not a realistic goal, as it is this year and most every other year USC has been in the league, then the goal must turn to beating Clemson.
  • Here’s a suggestion. Make four giant signs, two with the phrase “31-14” and two with the phrase “65-37-4.” Hang them at each end of the Bluff Road practice fields and at each end of Williams-Brice Stadium. They can come down when the Gamecocks prove they are worthy of having them taken down. If not, then the first sign gets updated with the score of the latest Clemson win and the first part of the second becomes “66.”
Well said, sir. This is essential reading if you're a Gamecock fan. Let's not forget the 2008 Clemson game. The Head Ball Coach better not forget it either. That's not a threat (You don't fire Steve Spurrier...he fires you), it just means that we are as frustrated with him as he is with us.

The '08 Gamecocks have one last chance in this year's Outback Bowl. Redemption is at hand.

Go. Fucking. Cocks.