Nearly Clever Thoughts

I'm a teacher, a tutor, a video game enthusiast, a critical thinker, good-looking, occasionally humorous, and nearly clever in all the best ways.

[nearlyclever-blog]

Some thoughts

Some thoughts and ramblings as I eat an early lunch: to say war is "meaningless" is somewhat of a mistake. War "means" something, always. It may "mean" something we do not like, and it may "mean" something we disagree with-- perhaps something we disagree with to the point of violence, either to the self or others. But war always seems to "mean." That being said, war can almost be viewed as an expression of sorts. In "meaning," war shares a message to those who participate, either as soldiers, civilians, supporters, protesters, or onlookers. I wonder, then, if war is an expression then is war a language? Does war share properties of language? Is there a grammar of war? What would such a grammar entail? On the other hand, what happens when we think of "peace" in similar terms? It would be a mistake, again, I think, to define peace as "The absence of war." Doing so relegates "peace" to a passive role as opposed to something that is enacted, built, and maintained by individuals and their communities. That being said peace, like war, can be considered an expression. Peace, like war, "means" something. So, just as important as the previous questions about war: is peace a language? Does it have grammar? What is the grammar of peace?

[nearlyclever-blog]

A friend of mine's new jewelry webpage

[nearlyclever-blog]

Why Testing?

I woke up thinking about this. It's something I've thought about and written about before but I can't get it out of my head so I decided to write it out again: Imagine you go to your doctor for a regular physical. The doctor makes a huge deal about all sorts of blood tests, x-rays, and other tests that absolutely need to be done. The doctor says it is absolutely critical that these tests be performed. Then imagine yourself, after all these tests, asking the doctor why the tests were done-- why were they so important? What did they test for? What did they hope to find? Imagine your doctor not knowing the answer. Or, even worse, imagine your doctor saying, "Oh, I totally get paid $100 every time someone takes these tests." A pretty reasonable response to this could be never wanting to go to that doctor again. Some might even consider this malpractice. I think we can all agree that every test should test FOR something. Tests, of course, aren't always bad; but we can probably all agree that every person ordering a test should be able to supply an answer as to why the test exists. Now turn your minds to public education. Do a bit of Google research and look up your state's governmental education website. See if they can provide a concise answer as to what the goal of statewide public education tests, such as the ISTEP, test for.  A good question to ask the whole way through is: "Why isn't there a concise explanation as to the goal of this test?" A better question to ask next is: "Who is making money from this?" The best question to finish with is: "Did I spend money on this?"

[nearlyclever-blog]

Sonnet

So, I was sitting in Starbucks doing my reading for my summer independent study and I decided to write a sonnet.  I've never written a sonnet before.

I wanted to see if I could do a Shakespearian sonnet following the format ababcdcdefefgg.  For the first 12 lines I alternated in that format using quotes from theorists-- so line A is from Saussure, line B is from Lacan, etc.   I also tried to keep the rhyme scheme.

It turned out about as well as can be expected-- this is to say, not very well.  But some girl came up to me, seeing me flipping through books manically trying to find quotes, and asked what I was doing.

So I told her.

She looked at me like I was crazy.  And I realized that I am crazy, probably.

Anyways, here's the first sonnet I ever wrote:

  Language is not a function of the speaker The signifier sends forth its light into the shadow The system is always momentary; it varies and will fail to pursue the question further

Immediacy is an illusion It breathes, it heats, it eats. Textuality is the manifestation It shits and fucks. In just the same way They have studied the body of course in relation to sexual life They invest it, train it, torture it

Any admittance creates discrepancies

[nearlyclever-blog]

My facebook liveblog of Microsoft's E3 Presentation:

Is MGS turning into Assassin's Creed feat. Red Dead Redemption? No, there's tanks.

MGS: Tactical Espionage redefined by horses and binoculars!

MGS: Time passes while you smoke cigars!

MGS: Characters are no designed as if they were made for Final Fantasy.

 MGS: jokes aside, graphics are very impressive.

A new xbox 360? interesting.

 Update to Xbox Gold: two free games a month? Actually kind of cool.

Tanks tanks tanks Tanks tanks tanks Tanks tanks tanksTanks tanks tanks Tanks tanks tanksTanks tanks tanks Tanks tanks tanks WORLD OF TANKS. What...?

Some of these 'free' gold games look kinda cool...

Floating status and talk of corruption... what could it be? oh God the stream crashed! what is it? Ryse!

Ryse: Video games always needed more angry looking Romans.

Notice how often they add "At launch" to when they say exclusive...

Killer Instinct is back!

Sunset Overdrive: looks really interesting. It looks like Bulletstorm meets Borderlands meets I don't know what. Curious as to how the 'persistent world' element will affect the game.

I don't like car games, but Forza's concept of a 'drivatar' is really cool. I'd like to see how this plays out in other games.

 Quantum Break: Combining Live Action television based on in-game options...? Not sure if this going to work well. We'll see. The visuals are pretty delightful.

 Quantum Break: Maybe I just don't 'get it'.

Project Spark: Game making... to share with everyone? I doubt it will be as free as they assert-- but it is a really cool concept. The Smart Glass integration is actually pretty cool.

Project Spark: I am afraid it will suffer the same fate as RPGMaker... most things that amateurs will make will suck.

Project Spark: Gamemaking as a gaming mechanic? I like it. A Lot, actually.

 Project Spark: "Little-Big World, where is your God now?!"

Smart Glass makes the Wii-U look as outdated as it is.

KillerInstict: " I can't even block correctly." "No, I don't like this." not the best advertisement.

Xbox Live: Moving from microsoft points to actual money. THANK GOD.

Crimson Dragon: well that's certainly gorgeous.

Dead Rising 3: Graphics are very, very impressive. The previous two have been underwhelming. I question the free world element in a world where travelling might not be fun.

Dead Rising 3: Fighting mechanics look underwhelming. The open world looks impressive but, as stated, it might not be fun to traverse such long distances by foot.

Witcher 3 for XboxOne. Saw that coming. Should be good. Blah, blah, blah. It's good but, Microsoft, we know this. Tell me something new.

Witcher 3 does not need Kinect support...

Why does everything look like Assassin's Creed now?

That aside: it is hard to argue that Witcher 3 won't be awesome. CD Project Red has done well in the past and Witcher 3 looks true to their form.

60 fps? My computer has done that for two years. Stop bragging about the technology, it isn't new.

Battlefield 4: "It will happen, I promise. I'm fine."

And what is this? Indie style games on the XBONE? Below? What is below? No, really, what is it?

 Brand new IP by Black Tusk Studio... but what is it? Microsoft, you can't hype something without telling us what it is...

Can we all just get over dark hoods?

Halo 5 doesn't count as a new IP.

XboxOne: $499 in the US and available this November

Who doesn't love mechs and revenge? Titanfall.

Titanfall looks generic still. It's CoD with mechs. Some of the jumping around is cool, but nothing that hasn't been seen before.

Can we please see some GTAV, Watch Dogs, or Destiny? Please?

TitanFall: Add a double jump to an FPS and call it revolutionary.

Microsoft's E3 presentation: Not the shitshow we all expected but nothing too amazing as of yet. Honestly, go to NewEgg and pick up a gaming rig PC for 600-700. As far as I can tell, you'll have more fun for nearly the same price after Xbox Gold.

7/10, and I'm being generous.

[nearlyclever-blog]

Quotes from the Microsoft E3 Presentation.

"I can't even block... No, I do not like it."  -Ashton while playing Killer Instinct on stage.

[smithysgang-blog]

Battlefield 4: “It will happen, I promise. I’m fine.”

[smithysgang-blog]

“You see, The Founders ain’t nothin’ but weeds: cut em’ down, they’ll just grow right back.  If you wanna get rid of the weed, you got to pull it up from the root.” -Daisy Fitzroy, Bioshock Infinite

[thedailysuperhero]

Disney and Electronic Arts have officially teamed up for future Star Wars video games.

[nearlyclever-blog]

This might not be a bad thing.  EA is sketchy, but Disney did an excellent job with the Avengers.  Don't lose faith.

[nearlyclever-blog]

Can We Just Stop for a Minute and Admire Bioware?

So everyone remembers the Mass Effect 3 ending fiasco.  And Bioware got some shit, but EA got a whole lot more.  I'm not gonna spend too much time talking about that, I just want everyone to reflect on some of the super-high-quality games that Bioware has delivered:

That is one hell of a resume.  Seriously, think about it.  That is goddamn ridiculous.

Even ridiculous enough to make me forgive Dragon Age II...

 If you’d like to read more of my posts about video games, you can click here. 

If you’d like to read some of my better stuff that is not necessarily about video games, you can click here.

And if you’d like to submit something, you can do so by clicking here!

[gaberlungi]

There is a form to modern console games. If you’ve played the recent Bioshock Infinite, you can see the full glory of the vision. These are great games, especially if you know and appreciate the immense skill that goes into their creation. Each element serves a business purpose. First there is a world rendered in lush 3D. This justifies the hardware. Next are intermittent dollops of plot. These are voice acted because it is a quality signal. They feature intricately modeled characters on a virtual stage. This gives the arc narrative momentum and lets you know you’ve finished something meaningful. Filling out the gaps in the 7-12 hours ride are moments of rote game play with all possible feedback knobs tuned to 11. Blood, brains, impact. This makes you feel something visceral. Each element of this form is refined to a most perfect formula. There are crate-raised critics who make subtle distinctions between the 52 historical shades of grey. There are documents and research. If you are a creative working at or within a publisher, your higher purpose is to judge games based off their adherence to the form. The game is a product and consistency, much like that found in McDonalds fries, results in repeat purchases. As a publisher designer, you are someone with taste. You police the act of creation. It is a job. It is a set of orders that come from above. It is your childhood dream.

- Daniel Cook, “Donating my Xbox” (blog post)

  This spoke to me.

[smithysgang-blog]

Bioshock Infinite literally beats the player over the head with quantum physics.

[nearlyclever-blog]

Can We All Just Take a Moment to Appreciate Elizabeth?

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People have been talking about how to fairly represent women in video games for ages.  The essential problem is that we keep ending up with this:

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This:

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and this:

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The thing that is so delightful and sad about Elizabeth is just how wonderfully refreshing she is.  This is sad because it really shouldn't be the case.  

Elizabeth isn't sexualized at all throughout the gameplay.  She does need to be saved, but once that is done, as the Bioshock Infinite so aptly tells the player, "You don't need to protect Elizabeth in combat.  She can take care of herself." As a support character, she doesn't at all feel useless either.  Quite the opposite, actually.  In most games (even good games such as the Mass Effect trilogy) I often disregard my support characters.  I bring them along because I have to or so that they can act as 'meat shields' for my character.  In contrast to nearly every other game I've played with support characters, I actively missed her when she wasn't with me in combat.  She has the ability to pull things from other realities into your world, heal you, give you more ammo, and supply you with 'Salts' and the game is so challenging that I often found that she was saving my life;  as in I would not be able to win the battle without her assistance.  Pair that together with really delightful dialogue and character development and I am starting to find that Elizabeth might be one of my favorite video game characters of all time.  

This is a really bizarre comparison to end with, but I'm gonna do it anyways.  When Fable 2 was in preproduction Molyneux kept rambling on and on about how the dog is the best support character ever and how the player is going to learn to love and care about the dog.  I hated that damn dog.  It was obnoxious, it was always barking, it was almost never useful in combat (even when upgraded all the way), and it kept making me dig up buried condoms (ew).  I wasn't that upset at all when Lucien killed the dog.  But Elizabeth?  Whenever anything remotely bad happened around her I was anxious.  I viewed her as a necessary part of the experience and I really firmly believe that the inclusion of Elizabeth both as a strong female character and a gameplay mechanic is a huge part of why Bioshock Infinite is just so excellent.

Molyneux-- take a lesson from this game.  The rest of video games-- take a lesson from this character.  

(also: did anyone else notice that Elizabeth looks startlingly like Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast?)

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 If you’d like to read more of my posts about video games, you can click here. 

If you’d like to read some of my better stuff that is not necessarily about video games, you can click here.

And if you’d like to submit something, you can do so by clicking here!

[smithysgang-blog]

[nearlyclever-blog]

New Xbox to be Unveiled on May 21st

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Microsoft has sent out invites to the unveiling of their next console.  Unlike the surprise PS4 announcement, Microsoft seems to want to build hype and hold a formal event.  

The event on May 21st will focus on the "vision for Xbox".  Just short of a month later they will reveal their full lineup of upcoming blockbuster titles at E3.

[nearlyclever-blog]

Smithy Gang Blog

Video game stuff for your amusement!

I've created a reblog Tumblr and now I understand how people get so addicted to Tumblr.   Le Sigh.

[nearlyclever-blog]

A Bioshock Infinite Review (Submission Post from Jeff)

My delightful friend, Jeff, has graciously written a review of Bioshock Infinite.  He looks into the story, gameplay, and the pros and cons to how the series has developed since Bioshock.  It's a good read and a great game-- check it out!

To see some more of Jeff's work (which is primarily art), you can check out his Deviant Art page by clicking here.

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The original Bioshock is the sole reason I got an Xbox 360. I was enthralled from the first developer walkthrough I saw of it, and just waited for it to be released. When I finally got it, I found a deep enthralling world and a story that was themed around the choice you have, or lack thereof, in modern games. The original Bioshock was put to my top FPS's of all time, alongside the likes of Half-life, Portal, and Thief. I'll admit: I skipped out on the sequel, because, to me, it felt like a cheap cash-in which was devoid of the originality of the first. However, I got excited again when I saw that first trailer for Infinite. Now here we are. I've played and beaten the game and these are my thoughts:

Story/Setting You play as Booker Dewitt, a man sent to rescue a girl named Elizabeth from the floating City of Columbia so you can “Wipe away your debt”. As you reach the city, you find that it's the personification of the American Dream in all its splendor. So much so that they have turned it into a religion worshiping the founding fathers as saints, and it's all run by a man named Zachary Comstock, who labels himself a prophet. However, you quickly begin to realize that it's actually an unsettling twisted version of The Dream founded on racism and religious brainwashing.

After being labeled as a false prophet, you make a mad dash to find Elizabeth secluded in her tower home.  Elizabeth is special in that she can create tears in reality to parallel dimensions of space and time. After she tries pummeling you with a book labeled 'The Mechanics of Quantum Physics' (Subtle guys), Booker and Elizabeth try to make it off Columbia by ANY means possible.

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Pros It delivers a deep and thought provoking story throughout, and especially at the conclusion of the game...don't worry I won't spoil it, but it brings the entire series to this point full circle. The characters themselves are extremely fun and diverse: Booker's monologues on this twisted dream, Elizabeth's wonderment about the world around her, and even the Lutece siblings provide an interesting commentary on the American Dream, quantum physics, and morality. The setting itself is possibly the best part of the game. It's a place where you can, and should, get lost exploring every nook and cranny and seeing all the little Easter eggs and posters. As the advertisements within the game advise: “Be a Duke, not a dimwit!” whilst enjoying this game.

Cons Some people might be off put by the vague plot similarities to the original. Read: One probably insane guy controlling a city, fighting with a warring faction (The Vox Populi) whose leader may not be all that wholesome as well. 

Gameplay Anyone familiar with the original will feel right at home here. Plasmids and Eve are Vigors and Salts. That's the biggest change, although the gameplay has been tweaked a bit. The number of powers has been decreased and streamlined; instead of being able to carry your whole arsenal, you can only carry your melee weapon and two additional weapons at a time. The additional uses of the melee weapon, the skyhook, also provide interesting new alterations to gameplay.  The skyhook let's you melee attack, but also lets you ride around on Columbia's number one mode of transport: The sky-lines.

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This can be really fun and certainly adds an interesting new element to the combat sequences, but is also a bit disorienting at times. The other addition is Elizabeth herself. During combat she can bring in helpful offensive and defensive items through tears in reality while also supplying you with ammo, salts, and health. Outside of battle, she also provides you with extra money and even picks the locks to doors, provided that you have enough lockpicks.  Instead of Big Daddies this time around, we have Motorized Patriots and the even more deadly handyman. These new additions provide a new, fresh challenge to the repeated ‘kill all humans’ gameplay that is seen in other, less creative FPS games.

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Pros The fun gameplay doesn't stray too far off from the previous formula (which worked delightfully).  Elizabeth is a helpful and well thought out addition to the gameplay.  The game proves to be very challenging, so her giving you ammo, health, and vigors when you might need ends up being very awesome and, at times, very necessary; it’s nice to see such a strong and necessary supporting female character.  The enemy AI is strong, as stated, most battles are a challenge. If you end up dying during a battle, the game has a nice 'restart' feature that gets you right back into the game. The game is also littered with collectibles that offer some deeper explanation into the universe, so it takes awhile for the player to get ‘nothing left to do’ syndrome.

Other Thoughts I found myself saddened by the fact that the scenes we saw in demos weren't in the final game. Like the scene where Elizabeth revives a dead horse, or where Elizabeth and Booker enter the shop and she tries on the giant fake Abe Lincoln head.

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One random, but very specific point: I would honestly like to know who builds the energy core to the city leader's Zeppelin on THE DESK OF THE SHIP, knowing full well that this ship will probably be attacked by the Vox Populi.

Final Verdict: While Bioshock Infinite has some shortcomings (in that the plot and gameplay, with the exception of Elizabeth, hasn't changed much since the original Bioshock), the fantastic mind-bending story, the entire atmosphere of the game that makes the player feel as though they have stepped into some bizarre alternate world, and the intriguing characters such as the Lutece's, Booker, and especially Elizabeth, make it a beyond worthwhile experience.  If you're looking for an FPS that delivers something different from the normal 'military shooter', 'faceless space marine', or 'kill all humans' genre, this option is definitely worth the 60 bucks.

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 If you’d like to read more of my posts about video games, you can click here. 

If you’d like to read some of my better stuff that is not necessarily about video games, you can click here.

And if you’d like to submit something, you can do so by clicking here!

More of Jeff's work can be seen by following this link.