White Board Mafia

2009 was a hell of a year, that’s for sure. We saw the release of many albums that will be enjoyed for years to come, and a perfect mood setter for the Halloween season finally saw a release. Wrestlemania 25 went down in Houston, and 3/4 of the White Board Mafia was there to witness it live and in person. A few decent movies were released in theaters, but nothing I went absolutely batshit over. I got to see some incredible live acts as well. Here is a condensed list of my favorite points of 2009.

cKy – Carver City
I’ve been a fan of cKy since 01/02 when I got turned on to the DVDs in high school and I’ve followed them through their career and I can honestly say that no one sound like cKy, they’re simply in a league of their own. This is easily my favorite album from the group, and I highly suggest you scoop it up.

P.O.S. – Never Better
The Junior album from that lovable piece of shit from Minnesota, this album is topping a lot of “Best of 09″ lists. I love this album from front to back, I’m just disappointed I still haven’t seen him live yet.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye
If you take mind altering substances, this is the album for you. A concept album that follows a rollercoaster of a story that you’ll agree is one of the most inventive things you’ve ever heard. Mix that with a solidly written album, and you have a recipe for success.

Insane Clown Posse – Bang Pow Boom
This album was highly touted as the “Return of the Dark Carnival”. Every act has billed their newest album as the darkest, or sounds like the old stuff, or whatever the fans want to hear. The difference is, the wicked clowns got it right. This album brings be back to when I got into ICP around 97, and the live show was brought back in full force as well. 5 dates on the tour including the Hallowicked stop in Detroit on 10/31, and I could have easily done another 5.

Twiztid – W.I.C.K.E.D.
Personally, I think this is Twiztid’s best album since the Mostasteless album(s) dropped. The album flows so well and every track is a banger. There must be something in the water in Detroit Murderous, because both ICP and Twiztid albums this year were worth their weight in gold.

The only movie I’ll mention is Trick ‘r Treat, because it deserves the most attention, by FAR. Originally attached to the DVD of 300, this movie has had a cult following of people that have never seen it, campaigning for its release. Years passed, but the faithful did not forget. This year, it was finally released to smashing reviews and currently sits at an 86%(As of when I wrote this) on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a very high rating for a movie with no promotion that people have every right to be angry at. It’s an incredibly fun set of Halloween stories that’s perfect to get you in the mood for the best season of the year, the Season of the Pumpkin.

This year, I got to see Nine Inch Nails again. Their performance I saw in Philadelphia with A Perfect Circle on tour for The Fragile has topped my list of shows as the best I’ve ever seen. That was, until August 6, when I finally got to see the Don Dada himself, Ice Cube. As the main act for the opening ceremonies of the 10th annual Gathering of the Juggalos, he followed solid sets by the likes of Paradime and MC Chris, and blew the entire crowd away. Not once did the energy stop. EVERY song was a banger, every song had the crowd moving, and dare I say it, it’s the best live performance I’ve ever seen, Gathering or not.

Wrestlemania 25, oh what a trip you were. I can’t really add on to what’s already been said, without repeating that Undertaker vs Shawn Micheals was the best wrestling match I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Live, taped, it makes no difference. That match blew the roof off the dome and blew every other match that night away. I felt every single emotion during that spectacular display, and couldn’t have been prouder when Undertaker sealed the victory.

All in all, 2009 is one of the best years I’ve had in a long time. I made a lot of good memories with a lot of close friends, got more ink, traveled all over the country, and even picked up some nice stuff along the way. 2010, let’s see if you can compare.

59 is a wonderful number, but 60 is even better. I’ve done up the final list of Psychopathic events I’ve been to, and this year’s New Year’s Evil caps it at 59 total. I’d love to end the list at 60, but what can you do? I’ve already got some Twiztid dates planned for 2010, plus the Insane Clown Posse’s Oddball Extravaganza show in Philly on March 20. One time for one off shows in Philly. I’ve taken on new responsibilities lately as an admin over at Psychopathic Traders, come on by and check us out. We rule. I’m currently caught up in Adidas new Star Wars line. Check em out they’re hot as fuck. I’ll be scooping up a pair or 2 of the X-Wings once they drop and I’ve already picked up 2 of the shirts. I’m not one for Christmas so I’m just looking forward to spending new years with my beautiful girlfriend and the Juggalo family up in Cleveland. Shouts to AF, JimmyC, Andy D, and all those homies. On the video game tip I recently picked up a Genesis 2, OG Gameboy, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and a Osaka Pokemon Center GBA, all boxed, and a new/sealed Famicom syle Game Boy Micro. I’ll probably make a post Christmas update but I dunno. Until next time Mafiosos!

One of the things that goes with being a nerd w/an internet connection is trading stories and pickups with like minded people across the web. I had a girl I know from www.psychopathictraders.com tell me she went to a store called Play N Trade and picked up a boxed N64, boxed controller, boxed memory card, and Goldeneye for $55. That’s a STEAL. I was immediately infuriated that store isn’t in my area and I’m unable to partake in their delicious pricing. Earlier this week…and by that I mean yesterday, a friend sent me a link to their site and asked if I’d ever been there. After expressing my anger at no, he tells me a store is open in Marlton. How awesome, that’s between work and home for me. Boomaga and I drove by, and it wasn’t open for business yet, so we drove to another possible location in the Cherry Hill mall and there wasn’t even a storefront. I called the number on the site today, and the district manager answered. He told me they should be opening Mon, Tues, or Wed next week and that I should come by and ask for him when I’m in. I definitely plan on driving by the store every day on the way home from work next week and hopefully I can catch a great deal on some boxed systems. Now if only I don’t spend all my money between now and then. Check em out online at http://www.playntrade.com and see if there is a store in your area. I’ll also post an update after we get in the store.

I’ve been listening to video game music my entire life. Video game music was the first real music for which I had an ear and a passion. Eventually as I grew into a teenager I found my own musical identity, when I became a huge metal fan, listening to the bands which are still my favorites today like Metallica and Iron Maiden. However, before I first heard Master of Puppets, I had been making my own cassette tapes of video game soundtracks for years. Castlevania, Darkstalkers, Mega Man, these were the soundtracks to my early life, and to this day I still listen to the Final Fantasy, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros soundtracks today on my iPod from time to time. So when I heard a few years back that live orchestra concerts that played video game music were being organized, I just crossed my fingers and wished that one would come to Philadelphia. I had tickets to Video Games Live in Philly back in 2005, but the show was unceremoniously cancelled and I didn’t find out until the day of the show. I was disappointed, but I knew that I would get another chance. My time finally came last night, October 11, 2009. Video Games Live hit Philadelphia and I wasn’t going to miss it for anything.

                I approached the show with excitement laced with skepticism, because I had heard from a few people online that it was disappointing and overrated. I can gladly say the moment I took my seat and heard the orchestra start to play, the smile that came across my face wouldn’t wear off for the entire show. Of all the concerts I’ve seen in my time, the voice in the back of my head told me this was the one I had waited the longest part of my lifetime to see. I had gotten to see the video game-themed metal band Powerglove last year, but even their gaming-infused music paled in comparison to the experience that was Video Games Live.

The show started out with a compilation of music from older arcade games including Punch-Out, Gauntlet, and Contra among others and as it continued, the audience was treated to a musical “best-of” of some of the gaming industry’s biggest franchises. From the heavy handed themes to Metal Gear Solid, which I will admit had my eyes welling up in emotion and gamer pride, to the lighter hearted music from Sonic the Hedgehog, the show spanned the scope and history of gaming quite well. While the music was originally composed for video games, it still had the universal appeal similar to movie scores or other classical pieces regardless of the context of how the music was created. While the music may mean more to the gamer audience, it can be appreciated by anyone. The show’s host and co-creator, Tommy Tallarico even commented that one of the pieces was his mother’s favorite in the show.

The show proceeded through game themes new and old. The audience was treated to pieces newer franchises like Halo and World of Warcraft and classic games like the Legend of Zelda and Castlevania. There was something for everyone and even game scores I didn’t recognize, such as Civilization IV were so brilliantly performed and orchestrated that there was never a dull moment, even if I had never heard the music before. I was particularly enthused by some of the less currently mainstream choices, such as classic music from Metroid and Mega Man, which I yelled “YEAH!” out loud upon its introduction and was possibly my favorite part of the night. It’s easy to say that last night was the culmination of my 20 years as a video game music enthusiast.

I will say that there were a few things that bothered me personally, but that’s because of my depth of knowledge and experience with video game music. What bothered me first was a longing for more variety in the music from some of the older franchises. For example, The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario both have long history of rich music and several memorable themes across that time but the orchestra just stuck pretty much to the main themes from the original 20+ year old games and it just felt a little limited like they were playing things a little too safe with those franchises. The screen was showing video footage from Super Mario Galaxy, but they weren’t playing any actual music from that game’s incredible soundtrack. I was also disappointed to see that VGL couldn’t secure rights to any SquareEnix footage to accompany some of the excellent Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy music they played. The music was still fantastic, but it took away from the experience to not have the accompanying visuals like they had for all of the other pieces in the show. These issues might not bother someone who isn’t as close to the original material, but as spoiled as I was the whole night it still left me wanting more. Of course, that just means I’ll be back to see what they play next time.

I feared with the rise of licensed music in gaming and the lack of catchy, memorable themes in most new games that the appreciation of video game music would soon die off. However, with the enthusiastic crowd and phenomenal performance from Video Games Live, I’m glad to say it’s now hotter than ever. Even if the music played isn’t exactly new, Video Games Live provides a whole new way to hear and appreciate it. If you’ve been a gamer for the last 10, 15 or 20 years I cannot give this show a stronger recommendation, and be sure to bring your non-gamer friends and family, because they’ll probably have a good time too. I can think of a few people I’m going to talk into coming with me NEXT time!

See you then, Mr. Tallarico!

This is the big one, for years I’ve written articles on my favorite video games of the previous year, and I fondly remember all my favorite games from years past. I’ve been playing video games since before I can remember, and as great as my favorite movies and albums are, none of them will have the same fond memories that I share with my favorite video games. Before I begin the countdown, let’s look at my faves from the past 10 years…

1998: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

1999: Soul Calibur

2000: Final Fantasy IX

2001: Super Smash Bros Melee

2002: Kingdom Hearts

2003: Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

2004: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eather

2005: Resident Evil 4

2006: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

2007: Super Mario Galaxy

Now, before I get to the list, I want to make a special mention of a game that was excluded from this list. Rock Band 2 is the best music game ever made, I only disqualified it from this list since Rock Band 1 was my 2nd best game of 2007 and while it perfected everything that the first Rock Band started, I feel it’s too similar of a game to its predecessor to make this list. I also feel bad for leaving off the amazing and fun Little Big Planet, but I just didn’t play it enough last year to justify putting it on this list.

And here are YOUR Boomaga’s top games of 2008…

5. Dead Space

Dead Space grabs this slot from a lot of other worthy contenders, beating out the likes of Mario Kart Wii, Soul Calibur 4 and Star Wars: Force Unleashed. Dead Space gets this spot not for doing anything remarkably new, but for polishing what it does right to an insane degree. I don’t scare easily, but Dead Space kept me on edge most of the time through it, with one really, really good scare that literally had me jump out of my seat. The gameplay essentially copies Resident Evil 4, but the original storyline, creepy environment, excellent graphics and sound, innovative HUD and awesome weapons make this one of the best and most underplayed games of 2008. When this game drops in price used at Gamestop, buy it, I guarantee satisfaction.

4. Left 4 Dead

This game only doesn’t nab a higher spot for the same reason Portal didn’t grab a higher spot last year, a lack of content. Otherwise, what we have here is one of the best multiplayer games ever made. Four humans, a shitload of ammo and thousands of zombies… have fun! Valve has given us nothing more than a simple concept brilliantly executed and if you have a few friends to blast away with, the time you spend playing this game just drifts away. Sure, there’s only 4 maps, lasting about an hour each, but I guarantee you’ll lose countless nights to those 4 maps and not regret a single moment. Maybe if Valve had added a few more maps or zombie types, this could’ve been the best game of the year, but the fact that this game reaches such great heights with such little content stands as a testament to Valve’s development staff.

3. Super Smash Bros Brawl

Only Nintendo could release one of the best games of the year and one of my personally most anticipated games of all time and still have it be disappointing. Now, that’s not to say that Brawl isn’t excellent, it takes everything that made Melee my favorite Gamecube game and expanded on it. More characters, more stages, more modes, more trophies, more of everything that have made this one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises. The only thing that holds it back is its own lack of vision. That doesn’t mean this is a bad game, if it were a bad game, it wouldn’t be my 3^rd favorite game of 2008, but it just seems Nintendo stopped a bit short. The online game is extremely limited in a game where it SHOULD be limitless, especially after Mario Kart Wii came out as Nintendo’s best online game a little over a month later. The story mode is drawn out and monotonous, nowhere living up to its potential and once you’ve had a taste of 3^rd party characters like Solid Snake and Sonic, you just want more! Super Smash Bros Brawl is an excellent, addictive, great looking, long-lasting multiplayer and single player experience with the best soundtrack I’ve ever heard in a video game. The only reason it isn’t the top game on this list isn’t because of what the great game turned out to be, but because of what the legendary game it could have been. But then again, maybe I expect too much… it seems Nintendo’s disappointing everyone nowadays…

2. Metal Gear Solid 4

Metal Gear is one of my favorite franchises of all time. I love the characters, the boss battles, the (optional) stealth gameplay, the music, the stories, the social commentary, everything that makes Metal Gear a unique and extremely ingenious series. Having said that, as the first new generation Metal Gear game, MGS4 has a lot to live up to… and I can proudly say that it met all the expectations. Even though he looks like he’s 80, Solid Snake is still as much of a badass as he ever was and one of the most endearing and outstanding characters in gaming. The script is a bit long-winded and there are a LOT of movie cutscenes, but the game goes to extreme lengths to wrap up every untied end in the series’ history. When it comes to gameplay, Metal Gear’s always been “Solid” … lol, and MGS4 takes that formula and adds a fully 3D camera to the series finally. Also, I need to give a shout out to the Octocamo, nothing like blending into ANYTHING in the environment to make stealth killing feel that much extra awesome. I don’t even need to go on about the boss battles, they’ve always been one of the highlights in the series, and the ones in MGS4 are as intense as ever. As for the voice acting, ending and all the little extras, everything here is top notch. If you have a PS3 and haven’t played MGS4 yet, go do so… NOW, if you’re disappointed, then you’re stupid. Also… Shadow Moses… best part of any game in 2008… that’s all I’m saying.

1. Fallout 3

Fallout 3 has a relatively simple concept, but the scale of that concept is mind-blowing. Go anywhere, do anything, be anyone. Want to be good? Go do it. Want to be evil? Go do it. Want to learn to reprogram robots? Go do it. Want to pick locks? Go do it. Want to murder people in their sleep? Go do it. Want to become addicted to drugs? Go do it. Want to be loved? Go do it. Want to be feared? Go do it. This game is utterly massive to its credit and to a fault. While I spent way too much time offing random dogs and scorpions in the wide-open wasteland, I always had a great time when I got to my destination after my long travels. Combining FPS and RPG into a creative little mutant genre, Fallout embodies the best of both worlds. The Capital Wasteland of the most original game worlds I’ve ever experienced, an enormous landscape dotted with diverse points of interest all around, scattered with a variety of missions and characters. In all honesty, this game is so massive I haven’t even finished yet and I don’t want to. I want to find more missions, more weapons, more towns, more everything! Fallout 3 brings so much new to the table it’s easy to find the game overwhelming, as many of my friends have, but if you have the time and commitment you’ll find one of the deepest, richest and most limitless game experiences ever. Fallout 3 may not get everything perfect, gunplay without VATS is kind of lame and the level cap prevents you from maxing out your stats as much as you like, but the effort and imagination that went into creating this game make it more than just the best game of 2008 and the value of this game goes far beyond the $60 it costs. This is the best true “next generation” gaming experience out there. Go anywhere, be anyone, no one has done this concept better in a single-player experience than Fallout 3.

I created a new forum today, Reviews.  Basically, it’s for all users on the forums to go review whatever you want.  Movies, TV, music, video games, it’s all free game.  I’ll start it off later with a review of the new P.O.S. album, Never Better.  I’m not sure how well it will work, but I’m open to giving it a shot.  The link is right below.

http://www.whiteboardmafia.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4

Looks like ROH inked a TV deal with HD Net.  Good for them, they’ve been at it for a long time.  The first tapings look to be taking place the weekend of my non existent birthday, 2/28 and 3/1.  I hope to be in attendance for at least one of the shows, preferably 2/28, I hope to see you there.

February 20th Velocity Pro Wrestling returns to the New Alhambra Arena.  The official press release is below.  The White Board Mafia should be in full force that night for the first time in many months so come on out and support indy wrestling. RAM JAM!

Velocity Pro Wrestling returns to The Arena (formerly the ECW arena)
Friday, February 20th, 8pm Bell Time
7 W. Ritner St., South Philly, PA
Directions: http://newalhambra.com/map.html
ALL TICKETS $15!!!

MAIN EVENT: Elijah Burke vs Jerry Lynn in an New Breed vs Old School rematch
At the fans request, we are bringing these two back to finish what they started. The last time these two faced off, they went through the whole building as Jerry Lynn told the referee that in “this house” we go with OLD SCHOOL, ECW rules which had the two of them going all ove rthe building, through tables and chairs and anything/anyone in their way. The confrontation ended in controversy and Elijah’s win came under scrutiny as he scored the pinfall on Jerry Lynn while his feet were on the ropes)

Josh Daniels vs John Walters
Two of the most impressive, technically gifted talents, not only on the Velocity Pro roster, but independent wrestling today, Josh Daniels will try to pick up his first VPro win against an equally impressive John Walters.

Amazing RED vs Shiima Xion
With an impressive win over Christian York, RED looks to be even more AMAZING in this battle between him and of the best and brightest singles competitors today!

The Logan Brothers vs Team Macktion
Fresh off a victory against the impressive team of Rob Eckos and Billy Bax, the Logan Brothers, Matt & Bryan will lock up with The Hardy Boys’ proteges, Team Macktion -Crazy K and Kirby Mack….(it should be noted that at Rob Eckos and Billy Bax have repeatedly demanded another match against The Logans and should Team Macktion not be able to make it for any reason, Eckos/Bax will be given that spot)

Bobby Fish vs Jay Briscoe
Japanese/NOAH sensation Bobby Fish captured the win in the last 4 way Fury elimination match but not without some fierce resistance and attitude from Jay Briscoe. Fish and Briscoe seemed to taunt each other more than they actually locked up and when Jay Briscoe was eliminated, Bobby Fish and him exchanged some harsh words and even more vicious stares.
Will “Big in Japan” Bobby Fish be able to Man Up when he has to face Jay Briscoe one on one?

Azrieal & Dixie vs Rob Eckos and Billy Bax (Rob/Billy are taking the spot originally occupied by the SAT)
Stipulation: If Eckos/Bax win, Azrieal forefeits his spot in the Final 4 way for the first ever Velocity Pro Championship title.
Rob and Billy can decide to put one of themselves in that final 4 way spot, or give the spot to any active member on the roster.

THE LAST of the FOUR WAY FURY SERIES contender matches….
Christian York vs. Sterling James Kennan vs. “M-Dogg” Matt Cross vs. (fans pick the last participant)???
With the conclusion of this 4 way ….the final 4 will go on to compete for the first ever Velocity Pro Championship title
THE FINAL FOUR: Azrieal (he must win his match to keep his spot) vs Ray Rowe vs Bobby Fish vs ????

After last show’s reunion, the newly reunited BJ Whitmer and Danny Maff return to the Arena, but for what/who????

Also set to appear:
Super Scout to the stars :Marcus Dowling, Phil Boushe, Ethan Page, the Gym Rats and more to be announced!!!

For tickets and general information, go to http://www.vpwrestling.com or call 267.687.7560
THE DVD (and all Velocity Pro DVDs) is now available at Smart Mark Video http://www.smartmarkvideo.com

So my quest for 50 Days of Rock Band has come to an unceremonious end of failure. It happened Saturday, 10/18/08. I awoke at 9 that morning to head out to my Bro’s house to celebrate my niece’s birthday, adorable li’l Becky just turned 2.

Now, normally after the festivities, I would’ve come home and thrown in Rock Band, but that could not come to pass, as I had to also work my 2nd job that day. So after leaving at around 10:30 in the morning and getting home around 4, I had to leave the house by 4:30 to get to work before 5, therefore squeezing out my Rock Band time. My night shift at Gamestop was a slightly hellacious experience, not getting out until about 10, and not getting home until past 10:30. By the time I got home, I was making plans to go out with my friends, and ended up falling asleep waiting for them to get home so I could head over. I woke up at 6:30 in the morning and realized that my quest for glory had ended not with a glorious victory, but with a whimpered defeat.

However, 35 days is nothing to sneer at. Actually, the number was closer to 37, but I was screwed on 2 days. The first came on the day when Xbox Live was down, and the next came later that week when it just decided to not acknowledge that I played the game. The site said, “Our gamerscore was 16746 but somehow it is now 16781 which means that 35 points were mysteriously added!! Like magic! I suspect betrayal… and it makes me want to cry.”

Oh indeed there was betrayal, as the site betrayed me and chose to not acknowledge that I played Rock Band that day! It was the day I finished the impossible bass challenge, that’s how I got that 35 points! Anyway, having now admitted defeat, I have no doubt that one day I will exceed 50 Days of Rock Band 2, but it was not to be right now. I’ll just have to settle with building up streaks for Dead Space, which I’ve been playing for about a week now and Fable II, which comes out tomorrow.

Speaking of games that come out tomorrow, or at least WERE supposed to come out tomorrow, I have an official “What the Fuck?!” for Sony and the delay of LittleBigPlanet. Now, I’m not gonna whine like some little Sony Fanboy Bitch because I have other games to play, but I will give  my take on the “Situation”. LittleBigPlanet looks to be a very original platformer in the vein of the classic Super Mario Bros, but the big differences are that this game can be played by up to 4 Players at once and it provides you with brilliant tools to create your own levels.

Now, LittleBigPlanet was recalled by Sony Worldwide and delayed for a week in the US, and 2 weeks in Europe. Most of the time one of these recalls happens is because of a serious technical glitch, like it will eat all the memory of your Playstation 3, or when you’re trying to load up your custom level, it ends up loading nothing but Japanese Bukkake Porn or a manufacturing defect, like they coated the discs with lead paint in case some stupid child attempted to taste the disc.

But no, LittleBigPlanet was delayed because of a musical track within the game. The track is for a jungle themed level and was a piece of licensed music that Sony bought for the game. The track is actually a pretty beautiful piece of music called “Tapha Niang” by Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra. I’ve listened to it a few times, and I like it. Apparently there are lyrics in it that are referrences to the Qu’ran, but guess what, I never would’ve known. Never. NEVER. I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN THAT THE LYRICS WERE ABOUT THE QU’RAN. One more time, NEVER. As far as the song goes, I’m not offended by it, I think it’s nice, and I don’t know anyone who would be offended by it. Now, if there’s a game out there that I’m not personally offended by, shouldn’t I be able to play it? Should I not have the option of buying the product and drawing my own opinion of whether or not I personally find the material offensive rather than Sony denying me my right as a consumer to buy what I want to buy because someone else out there might be offended by something that is, basically, completely legal, non-vulgar and not obscene.

Now, I don’t mean to belittle the faith of the entire Muslim religion. I actually respect anyone who has enough faith in any god or any religion to be offended by a sentence or two from their holy materials to be put into a generally celebratory song, but I must admit, being offended by such a thing makes you kind of backwards and anal in modern society. I’m sorry, but as an ex-Catholic, I would actually like to hear Jesus’ name brought up in a positive way in pop culture, especially in a time when the media in general is cynical of devout religious people. But apparently certain Muslims don’t feel the same way. And that’s the problem with some Muslims throughout the world, they would rather mourn their religion rather then celebrate it, and thanks to that attitude, a game that emphasizes fun for fun’s sake needs to be delayed.

LittleBigPlanet is not a violent shooter like Halo. It’s not an urban crime epic like Grand Theft Auto. It’s not a sex-laden slaughterfest like God of War. If this song were prominently featured in one of those games, I could understand if the song was used to negatively represent Muslims or associate them with some kind of evil, but that was not the intention here. It’s  nice song for people to listen to while they have fun, if anything, it might even mean something and brighten up the day some of the less fundamentalist Muslims. But unfortunately no, the entire first shipment of the game must be recalled and the release of the game delayed because the potential offense of a people who probably wouldn’t play the game in the first place because they don’t know how to have fun.

Now, the next thing that pisses me off is how all this controversy came about. Sony decided to pull the game before it was even released, which means it never got into the hands of gamers and consumers. Sony never even realized there was a “problem” until days before the game’s release, and it all came from a concerned reviewer from true-gaming.net, an Arabic gaming website, stating “We Muslims consider the mixing of music and words from our Holy Quran deeply offending. We hope you would remove that track from the game immediately via an online update, and make sure that all future shipments of the game disk do not contain it.” To me, that sounds like one person’s opinion representing itself as the masses. That’s the equivalent of me saying back in my Catholic-going days that “We catholics don’t consider the word “Fuck” offensive. Feel free to throw more “fucks” into LittleBigPlanet and none of us will be pissed off!” The post sounds like it’s a warning to Sony to recall the game before the situation gets worse, but nowhere in their letter do they say that they’ve stopped playing the game because of the song. In other words, they’re full of bullshit. Like most people who claim to be offended by religious crap.

Now, I assume had this one reviewer kept their mouth shut, the game probably would have quietly released in the US and Europe and without much of a fuss. But isntead Sony decided to take the coward’s way out and recall the game, therefore making a fuss where no fuss would have come from. And now the media jumped on it, and that never makes a situation happy. I hope Sony is happy, they look like the cowardly censors, recalling a game because of content that would not offend the greater mass of mankind. Oh, by the way, Resistance 2, a game being published by Sony that will be rated Mature by the ESRB for “Blood and Gore”, “Intense Violence” and “Strong Language”, things that most people of most religious backgrounds would find offensive. Unlike Qu’ran words put to music, something that a small amount of people from a specific religous background would find offensive.

I guess my point is it’s amazing what some of the most powerful media companies on Earth are afraid of. Seriously, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Most rational people would still buy LittleBigPlanet, you might have some parents who won’t buy the game for their kids because they’re going to be goddamn retarded and misinterpret reports as the game “Teaching kids the Qu’ran”, and some devout Muslim customers won’t buy the game. Otherwise, business as usual. If Millions upon millions of copies of Grand Theft Auto can be sold with overtly offensive content, you’ll sell a few million LittleBigPlanet with a little, selectively offensive content.

Now, let’s flip the book. Let’s say that LittleBigPlanet featured a song with words from the Bible, perhaps praising Jesus and it was sung in, let’s say, Latin. I’m sure the shitstorm would be thousands of time larger than a song about the Qu’ran. How’s that for some fucking irony? If you turned on LittleBigPlanet and heard some song praising Jesus, most people would cry foul, saying it’s some Christian Propaganda. Yeah, that’s fair. Have some Arabic song with Qu’ran quotes in it, no one cares except some Muslims. Have some Latin song with Bible quotes in it, I’m sure everyone would be offended except Christians. Wonderful how the double standard works, isn’t it?

Sony has made a very poor choice, from the point of view of their fans and from the PR perspective, they took a potential non-issue and turned it into a media storm. Nothing good comes from their decision to enact a worldwide recall to avoid offending a few people. Afterall, this decision makes no one happy, if anything it further draws separation between the Muslim people and the rest of the world, because the rest of the world can’t understand their offense, and now the beliefs of some Muslims are standing in the way of gamers around the world from enjoying one of the heaviest hyped and most anticipated games of the year. If anything, this doesn’t help the rest of us understand or respect the Muslim faith and better, if anything it only makes them more distant and strange to us, and it doesn’t draw us any closer to Muslim beliefs, if anything, it makes us angry and more hateful towards that which we don’t understand, and that doesn’t help anyone.

Well, I guess I’ll leave you with a quote that says it all. This quote comes from M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D, the director of the organization “American Islamic Forum For Democracy”, speaking out against Sony’s decision to recall the game based on trying to keep themselves from offending Muslims: “Muslims cannot benefit from freedom of expression and religion and then turn around and ask that anytime their sensibilities are offended that the freedom of others be restricted. The free market allows for expression of disfavor by simply not purchasing a game that may be offensive.” He goes on to say that the Prophet Mohammed “defended the rights of his enemies to critique him in any way even if it was offensive to his own Islamic sensibilities or respect for Koranic scripture.” Also, regarding the music artist, Toumani Diabate, a Devout Muslim himself, Jasser says, “The fact that the music writer is a devout Muslim should highlight that at the core of this issue is not about offending ‘all Muslims,’ but only about freedom of expression and the free market.” Funny, if the writer of the music is a Muslim himself, how can ALL Muslims be offended by adding Qu’ran passages to music. Oh, how our freedom of expression and the free market are suffering in these ludicrous “politcally correct” times.

Hey, if something offends you, you have every right to be personally offended, please be mad and speak your voice by opting to not buy the game or go see the movie or not listening to the music, but please let the rest of us live our lives as we please. The same goes for you, Sony.

So as I sit, listening to Mastodon, all I can think of are those wonderful little green, red, yellow, blue and orange bars that scroll down the screen towards me as I play “Colony of Birchmen” in Rock Band 2. I’ve been playing Rock Band almost nonstop since the first one came out on Xbox 360 back in November, 2007, and as of last week, there’s an all new world of ROCK to explore.

On another note, perhaps the geekiest internet tool in existence is 360voice.com. For those of you who don’t know, www.360voice.com is a website that creates a daily blog from the perspective of your Xbox 360 based on your Gamertag, mine being Baron Awesome.

Now, while this sounds like the nerdiest tool in existence, it actually does have some neat features. In addition to it’s made up blog, it tracks what days you played certain games and how many achievements you get and your gamerscore on specific dates. If you want to see my blog, it’s http://www.360voice.com/tag/Baron Awesome.

Now, one of the cool things about the site, as I said, is it tracks how many days you’ve played a certain game, and Rock Band still stands as the only game that I’ve played for more than 50 days. but that was an achievement that took me over 6 months to accomplish. I don’t intend on letting Rock Band 2 suffer from the same laziness!

I’m throwing down the Gauntlet right now. I played Rock Band 2 for the first time last Wednesday, and have played every day since, that makes 5 days of playing Rock Band 2 in a row so far, so I’ve got a long way to go! I’m going for 50 days of Rock Band 2 played 50 days in a row! Now through October 30, I cannot miss a single day of Rock Band 2!

Whether playing one song, three songs or endless setlist, I must turn on my Xbox 360 and play at least 1 Rock Band 2 song every day for the next 45 days. I want to have the record of Rock Band 2 days played, and nothing will stand in my way! Now, most of you think that turning on an Xbox 360 is not much of a challenge, but I guess you don’t know me very well.

I have a notoriously short attention span, am generally lethargic when at home and I have FIVE new games coming out before October 30 that I’ll want to play and may skip a day of Rock Band, starting tomorrow with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed! The others being Fable 2, Little Big Planet, Guitar Hero 4 and Fallout 3 for those keeping score.

So, I will fight on fiercely, rocking out to Dream Theater, Foo Fighters, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Metallica, Mastodon, Airbourne, Ratt, Bon Jovi and all the rest for 50 days straight! I want my Rock Band record of 61 total days played to be broken by Rock Band 2 by the end of the year! It’s 50 Days of Rock Band or nothing! Stay tuned to this site and http://www.360voice.com/tag/Baron%20Awesome for all of my personal challenge details!

50 Days of a game played in the shortest amount of time possible. God speed, rock on and ride free!

I’m an old school Street Fighter fan.  I remember the days of going to Fuddrucker’s around the corner from my house for dinner with my parents and running straight to the video games as soon as the food was ordered.  It was there that I have my first memory of Street Fighter 2.  Not Super, Hyper, Mega, or any other of the “Capcom can’t count to 3″ bullshit, just Street Fighter II.  I remember the long lines of people, and the sometimes longer lines of quarters on the machine, stating who was next.  This is the reason that I drove to Philly tonight with Boomaga as my heterosexual co-pilot to finda Street Fighter 4 machine.  They had on at University Pinball on the UPenn campus, not too far into the city.  Simply put, find this game, and play it.  The machine we played had 2 screens and 2 joysticks, no cramping.  It was glorious, but holy shit am I rusty at the old SF.  The kid that repeatedly beat me was well versed in the new character Abel, I’m not a fan of his ability to grab you out of the air.  Hear that Capcom?  Thats crap!  Anyways, enjoy the pictures and the video one everything is uploaded, I’m sure I’ll be adding to this later.  I’m very sad to see arcades die, but this felt just like old times.  Between this, SFII HD, and Resident Evil 5, I think I’m going to attempt to marry Capcom by the end of the year.