Geeklings, Movies/TV

No Sonic Screwdrivers Allowed?

Whovians around the world were buzzing about the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor.” The simulcast on November 23 was a huge success, then fans got a chance to re-watch it (or see it for the first time) in theaters on November 25, thanks to Fathom Events; it was even shown in 3-D.

Nerdy events like this are not complete without cosplay, a fact Fathom acknowledged on the event’s website with added restrictions:

“Doctor Who Fans: We want you to have a fun on 11/25 – but safety is paramount. Please note that attending the event in costume is fine; however, masks, elaborate or face-concealing make up, fake weapons, tools, accessories (like sonic screwdrivers), and other related memorabilia as well as any costumes that conceal what you are carrying, your natural body shape, or face are strictly prohibited.”

So, Daleks, Cybermen, and other aliens are not allowed. If you dressed as a Doctor who (no pun intended) carried a sonic screwdriver—which was all but four of them—you had to go without the most important tool; that’s like dressing as Captain Kirk without a communicator. A few people on Fathom’s Facebook page understood why sonic screwdrivers should be put away during the screening: it’s the same courtesy as shutting off a cell phone in a theater. However, several of the Doctors wear long coats (most notably David Tennant as the 10th Doctor), but cosplayers were kept from zipping it up because concealed their “natural body shape.”

Undoubtedly, it is the Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting last year that inspired these rules. Precautions are always warranted, but these rules are absolutely Draconian. The “no masks” rule at least seems reasonable, and perhaps even the clothing rule, but how could someone make a sonic screwdriver into a weapon?

What Fathom has forgotten is the shooter at Aurora wasn’t one of the moviegoers. He snuck in through the back door. That doesn’t mean a would-be assailant couldn’t be a moviegoer, though. Still, such drastic prohibitions seem extreme when such occurrences are rare. It’s yet another case of good people suffering because of the actions of a few evil idiots.

The biggest problem is where should people of authority draw the line? Say, God forbid, another shooting happens at an event like this, and it was perpetrated by someone in costume. Does that mean cosplay should be banned? For many fans, that’s half the fun. This becomes a catch-22 for theaters and studios: While they must be sensitive to safety, such strict regulations may make fans forego events like this, causing venues to lose money.

What do you think?

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Action, Adventure, Games and Software, Indie Pennant, Multiplayer

Indie Game Alert: Skyjacker

A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon an indie game in development, Skyjacker. The closest I’ve ever come to a space simulator is Mass Effect, so this kind of game is new to me. After reading “You play Ael, the most feared and ruthless space-pirate human,” I was instantly intrigued. The main character was abducted by aliens, raised by space pirates, and is now the lone human in this dangerous galaxy.

You are not a hero; you will have to sabotage, kidnap, rob, infiltrate and extract your way to the top. Without a linear path to follow, players can pick and choose which jobs they want to complete. Want to upgrade your ship? Salvage and use weapons, engines, and other parts from ships you hijack. Depending on the type of parts you put on your ship, you can change the way you play the game: “. . . play it like an arcade game, like a classic space game, or with full inertia and momentum.” Ship customization is a welcome change to a flight game of this type. It appears to have a lot of depth to the customization; you can see each piece of your ship, allowing you to pick and choose the parts you want to equip.

To build your crew, you will be able to choose from various A.I. or  invite your friends. With the co-op feature, players will be able to work with friends to become stronger and take on riskier missions. Along with the single-player and co-op modes, there is a multiplayer mode, which will include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Last Man Standing. Skyjacker will also allow players to create their own missions (no coding knowledge necessary) using art assets and a design framework.

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Just by looking at the demo, I can tell a lot of thought has been put into this game. The universe is vibrant with colors instead of just being dark and cold. Space is littered with various asteroids and debris, and the planets stand out. The ships you encounter are well detailed and unique. You will fight against (or along side) 10 very different alien races. Each race has unique looks, abilities, technologies and histories.

If you’re looking for something different with a lot of potential, then you should back Skyjacker on its Kickstarter page. Funding ends on November 22, 2013, so you have to be quick. For more information, screenshots, and videos, checkout the Skyjacker website (download playable demo)and Eugene Zhukov’s (project lead) YouTube page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VifzGCYW3M

Game File, Games and Software, Industry Now

Am I a Bad Female Gamer?

When I was a hardcore Battlefield 3 addict (now a hardcore Battlefield 4 addict) and needed a good laugh, I would peruse the Battlefield forum. One day, I came across a female player complaining about the lack of female soldiers in multiplayer. I felt bad, not because I too wanted to play as a kick-ass female soldier, but because it never crossed my mind. I tried to justify my lack of feminism by thinking, “Well, [at that time] female soldiers are not allowed to serve in combat, so it would only make sense to not have a female soldier in multiplayer.” Yes, it is just a game, but DICE does pride itself on how realistic Battlefield is compared to other FPS’s. Besides, you can’t even see your character while playing.

Then it happened again. I stumbled upon an article about how Rockstar missed out on the opportunity to cast a female lead in GTA V. After reading the article, I again thought to myself, “Hmm, I didn’t even think about that.” Even though the author (a guy) is right—it would have been interesting to have a female main character in GTA for once—it never crossed my mind and it didn’t bother me. Why? I’m starting to think I’m just a horrible representative for female gamers. No I’m not taking scantily clad “geek” pictures or recording my boobs on twitch and flirting for a donation, but I still feel ashamed, guilty. I should be standing on a mountain top shouting, “We need more women in games!” but I’m not. I’m quietly enjoying these games as is, as long as they don’t reinforce any negative (“You should be in the kitchen blah, blah, blah”) stereotypes.

Some female gamers have a hard time connecting with the male characters they are forced to play as. Maybe I’m just used to playing as a male, so it doesn’t bother me as much. To me, playing a video game is like reading a book; as long as the story is good, I don’t care about the sex of the characters. I can still make a connection because the story intrigues me or because I sympathize with their situation. I’m reading this book or playing this game because I want to learn about the characters and their story. A female lead doesn’t create an automatic connection; it’s still someone else’s story and whether I enjoy it or not doesn’t depend on the character’s sex. It’s great to see a kick-ass female lead in video games, but it’s not the first complaint I think of if she is missing.

Character creation is becoming more popular in games. Creating my own character gives me the chance to play as a woman and create my own story. That is more satisfying to me because I can make the decisions and create my own path. No there isn’t a female lead in GTA V, but I can create one and choose whether or not I want to go skydiving with Dom or help out Lamar on one of his missions (unlike in the story).

Maybe I’m just ill-prepared to fight for women in games because of how I grew up. My sister (who is ten years older than me) introduced me to video games when I was very young. We had all the systems: NES to PlayStation 1. In middle school and high school, my two best friends (who are sisters and have no brothers) were also gamers. We spent—what had to be—thousands of hours playing GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. Female gamers were the norm for me growing up. All of the women (including my mom) in my life played video games, and we were never told they are for boys only. Though this issue existed then, I completely missed out on it and am now confused by the outcry of feminism in the gaming world.

I’m not saying I’m against having more positive female characters in gaming, far from it. I’m just saying I suck at being a feminist. Sometimes I don’t see things the same way other women see things.

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Game of the Year Editions: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Being that I love fighting games and comic books, I bought the deluxe edition of NetherRealm’s Injustice: Gods Among Us at a midnight release, complete with free DLC and a statue. I’ve also purchased most of the DLC that has been released. I even downloaded the mobile game in order to unlock some special content. Then a few weeks ago WB Games announced Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, which will include all of the DLC that have been released and the original game for only $60. This, of course, annoyed me.

Honestly, this was something I hoped wouldn’t happen, which is ironic because I own several “game of the year” (GOTY) edition games, all of which I got at bargain prices. I was grateful for that since I’m not made of money. However, like when I bought Marvel vs. Capcom 3, I wish I had known this would happen, so I could decide if I’d rather spend more money upfront or wait and pay less later.

There are benefits to GOTY editions, both for developers and gamers. There are some annoying downsides to them, too. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good: For developers, this is great marketing. Some players may not have the awareness or ability to purchase DLC. Some may wait to see if the game is worth playing, and seeing that the game has won awards will tell them is worth purchasing. In some ways, it’s like the seemingly “old-fashioned” price drop that would happen with game titles six to twelve months after its release. This has been true of games like Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, and the Batman: Arkham titles.

Some games have issues with their net code or gameplay mechanics, which have to be fixed via updates. GOTY’s come with those patches.

The Bad: Unfortunately, some GOTY editions do not offer bonus content. They’re simply re-packaged versions of the original game with a reduced price. Then there are those oddities like Mortal Kombat (2011 version), which get later editions that aren’t labeled “game of the year.” They’re popular and may have won awards, but these new versions seem to be made strictly for marketing purposes.

One benefit of buying early is getting more practice on the online multiplayer. Players who wait might find themselves getting trounced or disrespected by “veteran” players who have had the game since day one. This steepens their learning curve a bit.

Another downside is it dramatically decreases the resale value of the original version. A game that once would have had a $30 trade-in value at GameStop will drop to a $10 trade-in value.

The Ugly: The catch-22, however, is these editions of games aren’t made unless the original does well. A game usually must win multiple awards from recognized publications or websites and sell well to warrant a GOTY. Hence why such versions aren’t announced until about six to eight weeks prior to release. By then, months have passed and most players have purchased all the DLC, in some cases, doubling the amount of money they have invested in the game.

Gamers must face a dilemma: pay more day one or spend less later. Strapped for cash? The answer is obvious, but for those who can afford games day one, what should they do? This anemic economy has made everyone more money-conscious. Some gamers feel cheated to have purchased a game and its DLC only to see it re-packaged with DLC at a lower price. It not only saved people money, but it also saved them hard drive space.

Conclusion: I’ve been on both sides of the issue. As I mentioned, I bought Injustice day one, but I bought GOTY editions of  Mortal Kombat (the 2011 version) and the Arkham games; I even bought them when they were on sale for twenty dollars! For a penny-pincher like myself, it was great.

Ultimately, players must decide which option is best for them or the one they would prefer. That may be the best thing about the GOTY concept: it opens up more possibilities for gamers.

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Sports-SGN

Week 8 NFC Recap

Panthers 31 (4-3) @ Buccaneers 13 (0-7)

Its true, its true!! These Carolina Panthers are 4-3 and in 2nd place in the NFC South. You saw that coming? I did not. Part of there early season success  as a team is that the 1st 7 games of the season, the defense has allowed zero 1st half touchdowns. Panthers running back Williams had 8 carries for 43 yards with his 1st TD of the season. QB Cam Newton handled business on the big stage. He had 50 rushing yards in the game with his 25th rushing TD of his career. That made him the 1st player in NFL history to get 50 or more passing TD’s and 25 or more rushing TD’s in a span of 3 seasons. Newton’s total tally for the game was 271 yards total with 3 TD’s. Wide Out T. Ginn had 5 receptions for 80 yards. Carolina is at home next week against the Falcons.

The Buccaneers are playing nothing less than stinky boo boo football. They played 7 games and lost all 7 of them. Quarterback M. Glennon went 30 of 51 for 275 yards with one touchdown. Running back M. James ran the ball 10 times for 39 yards. Wide receiver V. Jackson had 5 catches for 79 yards. Lets all wish the win less Buccaneers the best when the travel to Seattle next week.

Cowboys 30 (4-4) @ Lions 31 (5-3)

The Lions are very well in the mix in the NFC North. The Stafford to Johnson combination has to be the best in the NFL today. Speaking  of Calvin Johnson, he had 14 receptions for 329 yards and a touchdown. With that Johnson had his 5th career game with 200 plus yards receiving witch ties an NFL record. That was also the 2nd most receiving yards in a game all-time. Quarterback M. Stafford went silly with 488 yards passing on 33 of 48 completions with a touchdown with 2 interceptions. The running game was lead by Mr. Bush with 21 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. The Lions will take this win and rest next week.

Don’t you just hate it when you lead a ball game then lose it at the end? Whelp, that actually happen. With that being said, the Cowboys still have chance to win the NFC East. Wide Receiver T. Williams had 2 catches for 64 yards and one TD. Williams now has 4 straight games with a TD. That is a Rookie record by the way. Wide out mate Dez Bryant had 3 receptions for 72 yards with 2 TD’s. Romo went 14 of 30 for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns passes. Randle ran the ball 14 times for 26 yards. The Boys will welcome the Vikings next week.

Bills 17 (3-5) @ Saints 35 (6-1)

The NFC South division leading  Saints offense is ranked 6th in the NFL. TE Jimmy Graham had 2 TD catches . Rookie WR Kenny Stills had caught 2 TD passes himself. Bress was cash money as usual going 26 of 34 for 332 yards with 5 touchdown passes on the day. New Orleans will keep it marching to the Meadowland  to play dem J-E-T-S  JETS! JETS! JETS!

Fred Jackson had 45 yards rushing and a touchdown. QB Thad Lewis had 234 yards passing with 3 turnovers. Threw the ball 39 times and completed 22 of those attempts with one touchdown pass and one interception. Now after the Bills get there ends handed to them by the Saints, next week they go home to face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. It should be a fun one……. for the Chiefs that is.

Giants 15 (2-6) @ Eagles 7 (3-5)

Nothing negative to report on the Giants for once. New York won there 1st road game in 8 trys.  Eli Manning didn’t throw an intersection! But the 2 time Superbowl champ didn’t throw a touchdown pass either. He went 25 of 39 for 246 yards. The G-Men can take this win and celebrate with a bye.

Then there are the Eagles. Coming to find out, Vick is still not healthy and was pulled from the game…….. again. Vick had 3 interceptions on the season with another in the game before before leaving. He also went 6 of 9 for 31 yards. This means QB Matt Barkley would have to come in the game in the 2nd quarter. Barkley went 17 of 26 for 158 yards and a pick. The Eagles have lost there last 10 games at home and haven’t scored an offensive TD in 8 quarters. With the Eagles quarterbacks being not healthy, not good or both, the Raiders have a chance to win at home in the O-A-K.
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Falcons 13 (2-5) @ Cardinals 27 (4-4)

Matt Ryan is a quarterback Arizona likes to play apparently. They picked the man off 5 times alone last season. Rashad Johnson had 2 picks himself. I will get to Ryan in a moment. Andre Ellington ran the ball 15 times for 154 yards and a touchdown. 80 of those 154 yards was a touchdown run that is tied for the 3rd longest run in Cardinals history. In other history making news, Larry Fitzgerald became the youngest player to reach 800 career receptions at the age of 30. The man had 4 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. So what will the Cardinals be doing next week? Resting.

The dirty birds have been nothing less than a mess. As for Mr. Ryan, 34 of 61 passing for 301 yards, one touchdown pass but 4 interceptions. The Falcons QB’s 1st 6 games of the season only recorded 3 INT’s by the way. Now the Falcons will travel back to the other side of America to visit a surprising Carolina Panthers team.

Packers 44 (5-2) @ Vikings 31 (1-6)

Aaron Rodgers  was on Que with his passing completions. 24 of 29 for 285 yards with 2 TD passes. Green Bay scored everytime they had the ball until there final possession that sealed there victory with a kneel down. The Packers will battle another division team known as the Chicago Bears next week at home.

Rookie WR Cordarrellle Patterson had an 109 yard TD return on the opening kickoff. That’s an NFL record. In other Viking news, Christian Ponder went 14 of 21 for 145 yards. Now the Vikings will take a road trip to Jerry’s world to face the Cowboys next week.

Seahawks 14 (7-1) @ Rams 9 (3-5)

The Seahawks continue to fly high even on the big stage of Monday Night Football. Sherman continues to catch passes like a receiver. He now has 4 interceptions on the season. Russell Wilson had 10 passes completed out of 18 attempts for 2 touchdowns. Now Seattle will go home to face the Buccaneers next week. I smell another win for the Seahawks………..

Besides the Rams overall losing the game, QB Kellen Clemens had 2 turnovers in the 1st half. Overall Clemens went 15 of 31 for 158 yards with 2 INT’s. As for the good news, St. Louis defense had 7 sacks. Chris Long had 3 sacks. Robert Quinn had 7 sacks on the season entering there PRIMETIME  contest. Quinn had 3 sacks himself on the night. Next week the Rams will welcome the Titans.