New song from Trivium, and it just might be one of my favorites. They have gone to new musical heights since recruiting Alex Bent for the drums, and I fucking love it.
Disney's upcoming movie this Fall: Encanto.
About a young woman who lives in a fantasy version of Colombia, where everyone has some sort of magical superpower Except her.
Looks like it'll be a load of fun.
And it looks like Disney's teaming up with Lin Manuel Miranda again, and that's all okay with me. The music here sounds great.
After the disaster of the Clementine Lives comic, I cannot in good conscience continue to use my previous Gravatar picture. In 12 pages, Walden created a character I can no longer support or display proudly. So now, I revert back to a classic…RHYSHA METALLICA.
After the disaster of the Clementine Lives comic, I cannot in good conscience continue to use my previous Gravatar picture. In 12 pages, Wal… moreden created a character I can no longer support or display proudly. So now, I revert back to a classic…RHYSHA METALLICA.
...Gosh, it's so weird how we know they're still active, but in this weird state of game-development limbo.
Barely a peep from them about development lately, just gotta cross our fingers that they can hold out funds or whatever until they're ready to release Wolf 2.
So I've read a story on Double Fine implementing an invincible mode for Psychonauts 2, and thought I'd read the comments because they're always so insightful I've seen comments about how From Software should have implemented and easy mode into Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, all three being notoriously hard games.
There were some comments that were very adamant in the games maintaining a high level of difficulty, for reasons like "sense of accomplishment, developers adhering to their vision" and such.
For a sense of accomplishment, I get that, to some degree, but the developer adhering to their vision part... this stuck with me. Why? Because I feel it's a bit of a cop out, and say the game made a narrative decision that was, as some say, "forcing an agenda", would they be as understanding to the developer adhering to their vision? I feel it's a bit hypocritical, because it's an inconsistent standard, if it's something that causes an inconvenience for other players that are physically impaired, or players that just seek to play the game without pulling their hair out, the developer shouldn't make it easy for them, quite the opposite, those players should "git gud" or players should play other games, but that same energy is non-existent when the developer wants to tell a different story and go against industry norms in the form of a diverse, inclusive protagonist, that's when developers adhering to their vision is not welcomed. See where the hypocrisy lies?
Now there has been players that are physically impaired that managed to beat these games, but truth is, just because they can, doesn't mean others can, now not to disregard their unique impairments that impact them, I commend them for being able to accomplish such a feat, but I don't think they should be used as "You see?! There doesn't need to be an easy mode because they did this, git gud!"
Like adding a difficulty toggle doesn't detract from an experience, it adds to it by opening the doors to more people. Games should be for everyone, not an exclusive club.
Now I'll say that adding these accessibility features isn't cheap, I know that, but though they're not cheap, they're necessary, they're needed, video games are only continuing to grow, and the barriers of entry are being knocked down, all but the barriers of physical impairment. The Last of Us Part II made strides in accessibility and set a standard that should be met, they essentially made a blueprint of what a game needs, Microsoft has the Adaptive Controller, both are remarkable strides, but it isn't enough, and that's not to downplay their efforts, it just needs to be normalized, it should be an expectation, not something that is on a wish list.
But yeah, I think these sorts of games need to be more accessible and have varying levels of difficulty, and if people are all for developers adhering to their vision when it comes to design, consider being consistent and maintain that same idea and energy when a developer adheres to their vision of the story, especially if it's going for a diverse, inclusive cast or protagonist
...Gosh, it's so weird how we know they're still active, but in this weird state of game-development limbo.
Barely a peep from them about… more development lately, just gotta cross our fingers that they can hold out funds or whatever until they're ready to release Wolf 2.
This is one strange comeback story.
After the disaster of the Clementine Lives comic, I cannot in good conscience continue to use my previous Gravatar picture. In 12 pages, Wal… moreden created a character I can no longer support or display proudly. So now, I revert back to a classic…RHYSHA METALLICA.
Gotta say getting some mixed views on what it is you want said with this. To me it seems you are every bit ss hypocritical as the rest, only the other way around. You suggest people should adhere to the story of a game because its the developers vision, but one shouldn"t adhere to developers visions to make a game hard?
Not every game is for everyone, it's that simple. Point and click puzzle games like Grim Fandango never had a hint system for example. And thank god for that. The whole point of the game is that it's hard to solve. And I assume the same goes for a game like Dark Souls or Bloodborne. It's supposed to be hard, that's the point of the games. It rewards you for finally cracking a puzzle or killing a boss.
So I've read a story on Double Fine implementing an invincible mode for Psychonauts 2, and thought I'd read the comments because they're alw… moreays so insightful I've seen comments about how From Software should have implemented and easy mode into Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, all three being notoriously hard games.
There were some comments that were very adamant in the games maintaining a high level of difficulty, for reasons like "sense of accomplishment, developers adhering to their vision" and such.
For a sense of accomplishment, I get that, to some degree, but the developer adhering to their vision part... this stuck with me. Why? Because I feel it's a bit of a cop out, and say the game made a narrative decision that was, as some say, "forcing an agenda", would they be as understanding to the developer adhering to their vision? I feel it's a bit hypocritical, because it's an inconsistent standard, if it's somethin… [view original content]
I wrote a reply but decided not to post it before, but I would agree that it is a bit of a hypocritical statement, or at least a bit unaware that what is being asked for fundamentally changes that games design. I'm not a fan of Souls-like games, but adding something like an easy mode does immediately kill pretty much that game's entire appeal among the other design choice changes needed to accommodate. It's not like a disabled person looks at Sekiro and wants to play it not because of the same appeal everyone else does.
I mean you wouldn't tell the MLB they need to allow physically disabled players to play because they can't, which is really shitty but I'm not sure how else to really say that lightly. And video games are a good place where being able to help disabled players play is much more of a possibility, but a lot of that is going to lie with the controllers rather than needing to change the game's design, and its not like that is an easy task. I am sure in the future there will be more efficient controllers for those with physical disabilities than the ones we have now, and once that happens games with certain designs will become more accessible without needing to change core mechanics and design. And obviously accessibility options are good, like I really don't think anyone is out there saying Dark Souls shouldn't have visibility options for those with eyesight disabilities.
Gotta say getting some mixed views on what it is you want said with this. To me it seems you are every bit ss hypocritical as the rest, only… more the other way around. You suggest people should adhere to the story of a game because its the developers vision, but one shouldn"t adhere to developers visions to make a game hard?
Not every game is for everyone, it's that simple. Point and click puzzle games like Grim Fandango never had a hint system for example. And thank god for that. The whole point of the game is that it's hard to solve. And I assume the same goes for a game like Dark Souls or Bloodborne. It's supposed to be hard, that's the point of the games. It rewards you for finally cracking a puzzle or killing a boss.
This movie is directed by Domee Shi, who previously directed the Pixar short, Bao, which followed a Chinese woman taking care of her newly born son, which made me feel all kinds of feels so I’m very excited for this. Not to mention that this is Pixar’s first Asian led movie.
According to the films poster, this movie will take place in 2003 which is really interesting. Also the main character, Mei Lee, has black hair in the poster so it seems like she’s cursed or something, turning her into a ginger giving her Hulk like powers but instead of turning into a big green man when stressed, she turns into a big red panda.
I decided to finally change my avatar for the first time since I dunno how many years I kept that Predator pic. Thisnew one is just outstanding. It's a Bloodborne fan art in case you couldn't figure.
Gosh, this looks super fun and adorable. The colour palette is real nice, the round-ish character designs are all cute. definitely can't wait for the-
holy f***, we're only in the trailer and Domee Shi is already breaking out the Toronto references, yeeesssss!!
Ah, though I feel I should address the large elephant in the writing room, again. My sister pointed out to me this is yet again another animated feature that turns its main PoC character into a non-human thing... oof, yeah, that's kinda disappointing. But does Domee Shi directing this make it better? Or is she also at fault for propagating the pattern. Agh, this is a loaded issue. Sorry.
Trailer for Turning Red is out!
This movie is directed by Domee Shi, who previously directed the Pixar short, Bao, which followed a C… morehinese woman taking care of her newly born son, which made me feel all kinds of feels so I’m very excited for this. Not to mention that this is Pixar’s first Asian led movie.
According to the films poster, this movie will take place in 2003 which is really interesting. Also the main character, Mei Lee, has black hair in the poster so it seems like she’s cursed or something, turning her into a ginger giving her Hulk like powers but instead of turning into a big green man when stressed, she turns into a big red panda.
Poster below. Spoiler tagged to save space.
(Spoiler)
holy f***, we're only in the trailer and Domee Shi is already breaking out the Toronto references, yeeesssss!!
She grew up in Toronto so she probably wanted to write around a location she knows best. Her short, Bao, also took place there.
As for the turning into a non-human thing…
Yeah that is a worry I had while watching the trailer. While I don’t know how much of the movie she’ll be spending in that form, her power/curse works on Hulk logic rather than being a permanent change so I personally don’t think she’ll be spending too much of the film as a red panda because of this. While ultimately I don’t think it’s really in my place to deem whether or not it was acceptable, I had similar worries about Soul, but a majority of that movie was actually spent with the main character on Earth with a majority POC cast sharing screen time. If this movie is in a similar vein I won’t be too disappointed.
Gosh, this looks super fun and adorable. The colour palette is real nice, the round-ish character designs are all cute. definitely can't wai… moret for the-
holy f***, we're only in the trailer and Domee Shi is already breaking out the Toronto references, yeeesssss!!
(Spoiler)
She grew up in Toronto so she probably wanted to write around a location she knows best. Her short, Bao, also took place there.
Oh, I am well, well aware, of that.
And yeah, you're probably right that this trope probably won't be used as bad as it has in the past.
I just felt the need to bring it up is all, just wanted to be socially conscious about that. Even if it's a bit mood-killing
holy f***, we're only in the trailer and Domee Shi is already breaking out the Toronto references, yeeesssss!!
She grew up in Toront… moreo so she probably wanted to write around a location she knows best. Her short, Bao, also took place there.
As for the turning into a non-human thing…
Yeah that is a worry I had while watching the trailer. While I don’t know how much of the movie she’ll be spending in that form, her power/curse works on Hulk logic rather than being a permanent change so I personally don’t think she’ll be spending too much of the film as a red panda because of this. While ultimately I don’t think it’s really in my place to deem whether or not it was acceptable, I had similar worries about Soul, but a majority of that movie was actually spent with the main character on Earth with a majority POC cast sharing screen time. If this movie is in a similar vein I won’t be too disappointed.
@captainivy1 My comment states how when it comes to gameplay design, and the debate on whether or not it should be more accessible, it's always "well they should maintain their vision for the game", and I get that, if a developer wants to make a game hard, by all means, but that same energy is nowhere to be seen when it comes to a narrative decision. Personally, I'd like to see the Industry move towards more accessibility, and I'm sure that the majority of studios do want it, but lack time/resources to do it. So I understand that. Compared to like, a decade ago, there are strides made in accessibility that I acknowledged, and do suggest it's becoming baked into the development process more frequently. My bone to pick with this incident is the response from players and the general attitude to making a game easier to enter for groups that are physically impaired.
To put it simply, I want games to be more accessible, but want developers to adhere to their vision, but I doubt their vision is to make it impossibly hard for those with physical disabilities, they probably just don't have the time or the budget to do it.
I agree with not every game being for everyone, but that shouldn't boil down to being because someone with a specific disability can't move their hands fast enough to dodge boss attacks on Dark Souls, it should, in my eyes, boil down to a game just not being one's preference. If a game brings in a difficulty slider, it causes no harm to the overall experience, it opens up that door for them to jump into a new world and a style of game they may grow to like, or not, but that should come as a result of playing the game and determining if it clicks for you at the pace you play at, not if it ruthlessly puts your ass on a plate and coldly drops you in on your own with no support. Again, I get the whole achievement and sense of satisfaction part, playing Halo on Legendary difficulty is a pain but it's a relief to finally beat a level on that difficulty, though it gave me the option to play that difficulty. And like, easy difficulty may be considered legendary difficulty depending on the specific impairment that someone displays, but it's all about accomodating and giving them the tools to enjoy the game.
@Poogers555 I'm aware that it would change the design of the game, by no means is it as easy as "throw in an easy difficulty", for each difficulty the AI has to be finely tuned so it presents a formidable challenge on that difficulty level, and with that is going to come hundreds of hours of trying to balance the AI so it gives a challenge, but not so much a beating that makes it remarkably OP and discourages further use of the difficulty. But ideally, games should be accessible for everyone.
And I agree, a physically impaired person may be drawn into these games based on their difficulty, they know it'll be a challenge, and want to have a crack anyways, and in my original comment, I did refer back to how there are some video game players with physical disabilities that did beat the games mentioned, but it's not a case of "well they're living proof you and your kind don't need an easy mode, quit crying and play the game, git gud, or play something else", it's a rare instance, as you know, disabilities and conditions vary from person to person. Like for me I have dyspraxia, it affects my fine and gross motor skills, my condition is somewhat problematic for me, I can still play games though. I haven't touched the Souls games, but I'd like to think that I could beat it with enough time and effort, but I'm fortunate in that sense, it doesn't ring true for others with more complex impairments, and there are others with the condition that have it much worse, it just varies between person to person. And please don't take what I said as you not giving a care, hardly, I bet you care, but I don't get the analogy of the MLB and disabled players, like if it's going to cause harm, then by all means, they shouldn't be allowed to play for their own wellbeing, no pun intended, it's a much different playing field with video games though where anything and everything is programmed into existence, it is possible to make a game be more accessible as it causes no harm and doesn't place wellbeing at risk like a baseball hurdling at you at 60 miles per hour.
And sure, I too strongly doubt there's someone out there adamant on Dark Souls not having a feature to accommodate the visibly impaired, but there are folks that look at this Psychonauts 2 situation, and look at the invincibility toggle, and respond "git gud, don't play the game, go play something else, they shouldn't get achievements if they play with that setting", what I'll do is share a Twitter thread from Steven Spohn, the COO of AbleGamers, showing some of the comments.
Here's an example, an incredibly brash one, but an example nonetheless, say a building lacks an elevator, it lacks steps to access the building, now that presents a challenge to someone who may be in a wheelchair, as they can't access it how they'd prefer to access it: without having to crawl up steps and several flights of stairs to reach where they want to go. What they could do is crawl up all those stairs, I mean, its design is for the use of fully functional legs to utilise them, the architect drawing up the plans and the construction crew had a vision for their work to include stairs and no elevators, ramps or anything accessible. But, the "sense of achievement that the disabled person will feel when they climb flights of stairs to reach their office on the top floor... Elevators are only for lazy people", it hardly compromises anything, it just gives another route for those who can't take the usual and the original route another way to reach their goal, just to point out, that's hardly what you two are saying, don't take it as that, but like I'm failing to grasp the opposition to accessibility, like I genuinely try to think of it, and my brain gives me an error screen and a phone number to contact Windows Support.
What's the solution here? Do they go get another job? Do they advocate for more accessibility? The latter, and that's what happened, and now, over here in Ireland at least, it's legally required of a premises to be accessible to everyone. Again I do think a developer should adhere to their vision, but should that come at the cost at excluding people? When it comes to a narrative decision, people exclude themselves because they hate the idea of seeing a transgender character being playable, disabled people don't exclude themselves, they're excluded. There is a very big difference in that instance.
My words are all over the shop, but can you two make out what I'm saying here? If I'm considered a hypocrite for advocating for more accessibility and encouraging developers to adjust their vision so it includes disabled video game players, as well as criticising the audience that don't want developers to stick to their vision in making a game with an inclusive and diverse cast, then I'll take that and wear it proudly, making games accessible is a necessary change, not some New World Order, Illuminati power grab by the shadowy elite that is often the narrative for when a unique protagonist and an inclusive cast are put into a game.
Decided to just restart my original response as I didn't really like it or how it was said.
Basically I think I would say that I think a greater focus on making accessible controllers for the disabled is a better solution than changing game designs. Changing game design feels more like a band-aid to fixing this problem, when the major barrier to entry for a disabled person is being able to send input to a game. So I think focusing on innovating controllers that allow disabled players to play with the same ease as a non-disabled player is something that should be focused on much more. Because a game like Psychonaught's having an invincibility mode makes it more accessible without changing the game at its core, but doing so for a game like Dark Souls is not nearly as simple. Making the game easier doesn't matter that much if the person playing is struggling to send inputs in the first place. If Fromsoft wants to make an easy mode, they can go ahead and do so as end of the day it is optional so it shouldn't matter. However, I am sure innovating and making better controllers for the disabled so disabled players can play a game like Dark Souls with the same amount of ease would be much more preferred.
@captainivy1 My comment states how when it comes to gameplay design, and the debate on whether or not it should be more accessible, it's alw… moreays "well they should maintain their vision for the game", and I get that, if a developer wants to make a game hard, by all means, but that same energy is nowhere to be seen when it comes to a narrative decision. Personally, I'd like to see the Industry move towards more accessibility, and I'm sure that the majority of studios do want it, but lack time/resources to do it. So I understand that. Compared to like, a decade ago, there are strides made in accessibility that I acknowledged, and do suggest it's becoming baked into the development process more frequently. My bone to pick with this incident is the response from players and the general attitude to making a game easier to enter for groups that are physically impaired.
To put it simply, I want games to be more accessible, but want developers to ad… [view original content]
Oh man, it seems I should rewatch the series because it's really hard for me to memorize these characters. I can't remember who is who except for the Crown Prince.
90 minutes? This feels more like a movie than an episode. Is it a prequel or a continuation of Season 2?
@AronDracula
A special episode of the Korean zombie drama Kingdom is coming to Netflix on July 23rd.
It'll be a 90-minute special, called "Ashin of the North".
Well, you see, Jobin's throwing it around to attract a rock human named Dolomite who has no hands or legs, he's doing this as he needs a favor because Dolomite has a Stand power named Blue Hawaii, it allows Dolomite to control people who touch a part of him, which then acts as an infection as they chase down his orders, Jobin needs this because he needs to find a sailor before he finds the Rokakaka fruit, which can cure any malady so long as there's someone else to transfer to.
Fair point with the controller's, that is something that has seen progress, like the example I gave with Microsoft and the Xbox adaptive controller. But it only solves part of the problem, the controller does register input, but the content of the game determines the sort of input that is required on the controller, now that's not to say advancements in controllers aren't welcomed, they solve one half of the problem.
The controller can be made in a fashion that input is easier, but if the content doesn't alter to accommodate too, then the problem still persists, probably not as much as it currently does, but it's still there. The game can still be what it is at its core with a varying difficulty that can be chosen by players, it can still present a challenge. Even then, not everyone goes into a game for a challenge, some go in for the story, for the exploration, the essence of what makes these ultra difficult and punishing games can still be retained through a rethinking of how difficulty is going to be implemented.
I just think it's unfair to leave impaired video game players out when there can be adjustments made to accommodate them. Like gaming should be for everyone, as should every game, by that I mean accessible to everyone, if the game doesn't meet their taste, that's fine, but they should be able to experience any game how they wish without being pushed away from the software.
Decided to just restart my original response as I didn't really like it or how it was said.
Basically I think I would say that I think a … moregreater focus on making accessible controllers for the disabled is a better solution than changing game designs. Changing game design feels more like a band-aid to fixing this problem, when the major barrier to entry for a disabled person is being able to send input to a game. So I think focusing on innovating controllers that allow disabled players to play with the same ease as a non-disabled player is something that should be focused on much more. Because a game like Psychonaught's having an invincibility mode makes it more accessible without changing the game at its core, but doing so for a game like Dark Souls is not nearly as simple. Making the game easier doesn't matter that much if the person playing is struggling to send inputs in the first place. If Fromsoft wants to make an easy mode, they can g… [view original content]
So there is a Family Time Sale going on Xbox, and wouldn't you know it, Fast & Furious Crossroads is part of the sale. Whoever at Microsoft made sure that made it into the sale, they are well deserving of a raise, they brightened my week
What a great day today turned out to be. Not only did the NJ Devils resign Michael McLeod, they also got Ryan Graves, a much needed defensemen, from the Colorado Avalanche, and Iron Maiden released new music for the first time in 6 years.
Well, you see, Jobin's throwing it around to attract a rock human named Dolomite who has no hands or legs, he's doing this as he needs a fav… moreor because Dolomite has a Stand power named Blue Hawaii, it allows Dolomite to control people who touch a part of him, which then acts as an infection as they chase down his orders, Jobin needs this because he needs to find a sailor before he finds the Rokakaka fruit, which can cure any malady so long as there's someone else to transfer to.
I fucking love Jojo.
So Skybound had some sort of panel today with Tillie Walden going over some stuff in regards to the Clementine Lives comic and Clementine: Book One graphic novel for next year. I did not watch it live, and this info is being given by someone who did, but here's what I can gather.
There will apparently be a focus on Clementine's past, which could actually be pretty interesting. Would have preferred a comic that didn't involve Clementine abandoning everyone she cares about, but this still yields some interesting growth opportunities. Could play a role in why Clem feels unhappy, maybe learn how to deal with traumatic parts of the past to appreciate the present and the time you have/people around you, culminating in a return to Ericson's and AJ. I've said for years there's some deep rooted survivor's guilt concerning Lee and others, so if this is the direction it goes, it could be good to see if executed properly.
What has my red flags going off is another point Tillie mentions, and that’s this part. “It's really exciting to me to be working with her as a queer character and to get a chance to dig into what it means to be queer in the apocalypse.” Now obviously, it’s been long confirmed Clementine is bi. They gave players the choice to pursue either a male or female love interest in Louis or Violet, and it was handled pretty well. Not perfect, but after the shitty romance of ANF, I’ll take it. Both characters were established and developed well, both got a fair amount of screen time with Clem to establish a possible platonic/romantic connection, but it wasn’t at the front and center and was allowed to play out in a way that benefitted all characters involved. It was touched upon, but it wasn’t the focus, and better yet, it was a choice up to the players as to who she would be with. They didn’t make Clem a bi character, they made her a character who just happened to be bi, and that should be the way all representation is done. Clem herself didn’t have any reservations or trouble accepting this part of herself, and that to me was a much bigger stride than what other shows, games, and movies have done where they make it this big deal. And generally speaking, I don’t tend to enjoy things where romance is the most important aspect of a narrative, it’s a big reason why ANF fell flat for me.
This statement makes it seem like it’s going in the complete opposite direction of how TFS handled the romance, and instead, is going to not only make the romance, but Clementine’s sexuality, a major focal point of the narrative. I don’t know how many times it needs to be said, but being gay, or being queer, or being bi, or being straight doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make a character better or worse. It doesn’t add depth, it doesn’t add personality, and it doesn’t add any complexity to a character. What a character is should not matter, but who a character is, their actions means more than who they are attracted to. And this applies to the real world too, being gay doesn’t define you, being straight doesn’t define you, etc. It reeks of milking a confirmed bisexual character to make money, and not only is that insulting to Clementine and fans of the original series, but it should be insulting to those who want good forms of representation in fiction as it comes off as pandering. Plus, I’m pretty sure being queer in a zombie apocalypse is pretty similar to not being queer in a zombie apocalypse, you still have to struggle for survival. The way this sounds is that she’s going to have Clementine seriously wrestle and come to terms with this part of herself, and I just don’t understand why, she didn’t need to in the original game. Not to mention that in doing this and in focusing on her being queer, you possibly broke up an established w/w relationship between her and Violet, that was left to the players’ choices, just to possibly put her with someone else without any input from the audience. I feel like that’s a bit counter intuitive.
The rest of the discussion pretty much solidified what I thought, it’s a rehash of TFS, but in Vermont (group of teens, isolated area, evil twins/siblings, etc.). The only thing that grabs me is the stuff about dealing with Clementine’s past, the rest sounds like a very hard pass.
So Skybound had some sort of panel today with Tillie Walden going over some stuff in regards to the Clementine Lives comic and Clementine: B… moreook One graphic novel for next year. I did not watch it live, and this info is being given by someone who did, but here's what I can gather.
There will apparently be a focus on Clementine's past, which could actually be pretty interesting. Would have preferred a comic that didn't involve Clementine abandoning everyone she cares about, but this still yields some interesting growth opportunities. Could play a role in why Clem feels unhappy, maybe learn how to deal with traumatic parts of the past to appreciate the present and the time you have/people around you, culminating in a return to Ericson's and AJ. I've said for years there's some deep rooted survivor's guilt concerning Lee and others, so if this is the direction it goes, it could be good to see if executed properly.
What has my red flags goin… [view original content]
Comments
GET SKYBOUND!
Edit: oh shit, we were talking about The Last of Us, not the Clem comic. Okay, um…
GET NAUGHTY DOG!
New song from Trivium, and it just might be one of my favorites. They have gone to new musical heights since recruiting Alex Bent for the drums, and I fucking love it.
I took my first shot of COVID vaccine. It wasn't as painful as I expected it to be and I will have my second one next month.
I haven't seen this mentioned ANYWHERE
Disney's upcoming movie this Fall: Encanto.
About a young woman who lives in a fantasy version of Colombia, where everyone has some sort of magical superpower Except her.
Looks like it'll be a load of fun.
And it looks like Disney's teaming up with Lin Manuel Miranda again, and that's all okay with me. The music here sounds great.
I guess football's not coming home. Ouch.
After the disaster of the Clementine Lives comic, I cannot in good conscience continue to use my previous Gravatar picture. In 12 pages, Walden created a character I can no longer support or display proudly. So now, I revert back to a classic…RHYSHA METALLICA.
Cool Cool. Rhyiona is where it's at tho
Hey guys, is there gonna be a Mass effect 4 with main characters such as Shepherd?
rhyiona and rhysha posting in 2021?
Nice to see
...Gosh, it's so weird how we know they're still active, but in this weird state of game-development limbo.
Barely a peep from them about development lately, just gotta cross our fingers that they can hold out funds or whatever until they're ready to release Wolf 2.
This is one strange comeback story.
So I've read a story on Double Fine implementing an invincible mode for Psychonauts 2, and thought I'd read the comments because they're always so insightful
I've seen comments about how From Software should have implemented and easy mode into Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, all three being notoriously hard games.
There were some comments that were very adamant in the games maintaining a high level of difficulty, for reasons like "sense of accomplishment, developers adhering to their vision" and such.
For a sense of accomplishment, I get that, to some degree, but the developer adhering to their vision part... this stuck with me. Why? Because I feel it's a bit of a cop out, and say the game made a narrative decision that was, as some say, "forcing an agenda", would they be as understanding to the developer adhering to their vision? I feel it's a bit hypocritical, because it's an inconsistent standard, if it's something that causes an inconvenience for other players that are physically impaired, or players that just seek to play the game without pulling their hair out, the developer shouldn't make it easy for them, quite the opposite, those players should "git gud" or players should play other games, but that same energy is non-existent when the developer wants to tell a different story and go against industry norms in the form of a diverse, inclusive protagonist, that's when developers adhering to their vision is not welcomed. See where the hypocrisy lies?
Now there has been players that are physically impaired that managed to beat these games, but truth is, just because they can, doesn't mean others can, now not to disregard their unique impairments that impact them, I commend them for being able to accomplish such a feat, but I don't think they should be used as "You see?! There doesn't need to be an easy mode because they did this, git gud!"
Like adding a difficulty toggle doesn't detract from an experience, it adds to it by opening the doors to more people. Games should be for everyone, not an exclusive club.
Now I'll say that adding these accessibility features isn't cheap, I know that, but though they're not cheap, they're necessary, they're needed, video games are only continuing to grow, and the barriers of entry are being knocked down, all but the barriers of physical impairment. The Last of Us Part II made strides in accessibility and set a standard that should be met, they essentially made a blueprint of what a game needs, Microsoft has the Adaptive Controller, both are remarkable strides, but it isn't enough, and that's not to downplay their efforts, it just needs to be normalized, it should be an expectation, not something that is on a wish list.
But yeah, I think these sorts of games need to be more accessible and have varying levels of difficulty, and if people are all for developers adhering to their vision when it comes to design, consider being consistent and maintain that same idea and energy when a developer adheres to their vision of the story, especially if it's going for a diverse, inclusive cast or protagonist
when the wolf among us 2 first update is revealed later this year (100% truth - NO LIE)
👀👀👀 Hell Yeah!!! Rhysha Forever
We do a little Rhyiona posting in the year 2021
Gotta say getting some mixed views on what it is you want said with this. To me it seems you are every bit ss hypocritical as the rest, only the other way around. You suggest people should adhere to the story of a game because its the developers vision, but one shouldn"t adhere to developers visions to make a game hard?
Not every game is for everyone, it's that simple. Point and click puzzle games like Grim Fandango never had a hint system for example. And thank god for that. The whole point of the game is that it's hard to solve. And I assume the same goes for a game like Dark Souls or Bloodborne. It's supposed to be hard, that's the point of the games. It rewards you for finally cracking a puzzle or killing a boss.
I wrote a reply but decided not to post it before, but I would agree that it is a bit of a hypocritical statement, or at least a bit unaware that what is being asked for fundamentally changes that games design. I'm not a fan of Souls-like games, but adding something like an easy mode does immediately kill pretty much that game's entire appeal among the other design choice changes needed to accommodate. It's not like a disabled person looks at Sekiro and wants to play it not because of the same appeal everyone else does.
I mean you wouldn't tell the MLB they need to allow physically disabled players to play because they can't, which is really shitty but I'm not sure how else to really say that lightly. And video games are a good place where being able to help disabled players play is much more of a possibility, but a lot of that is going to lie with the controllers rather than needing to change the game's design, and its not like that is an easy task. I am sure in the future there will be more efficient controllers for those with physical disabilities than the ones we have now, and once that happens games with certain designs will become more accessible without needing to change core mechanics and design. And obviously accessibility options are good, like I really don't think anyone is out there saying Dark Souls shouldn't have visibility options for those with eyesight disabilities.
When you nut but she keeps succin
Let's go!
Trailer for Turning Red is out!
This movie is directed by Domee Shi, who previously directed the Pixar short, Bao, which followed a Chinese woman taking care of her newly born son, which made me feel all kinds of feels so I’m very excited for this. Not to mention that this is Pixar’s first Asian led movie.
According to the films poster, this movie will take place in 2003 which is really interesting. Also the main character, Mei Lee, has black hair in the poster so it seems like she’s cursed or something, turning her into a ginger giving her Hulk like powers but instead of turning into a big green man when stressed, she turns into a big red panda.
Poster below. Spoiler tagged to save space.
I decided to finally change my avatar for the first time since I dunno how many years I kept that Predator pic. Thisnew one is just outstanding. It's a Bloodborne fan art in case you couldn't figure.
Gosh, this looks super fun and adorable. The colour palette is real nice, the round-ish character designs are all cute. definitely can't wait for the-
holy f***, we're only in the trailer and Domee Shi is already breaking out the Toronto references, yeeesssss!!
Ah, though I feel I should address the large elephant in the writing room, again. My sister pointed out to me this is yet again another animated feature that turns its main PoC character into a non-human thing... oof, yeah, that's kinda disappointing. But does Domee Shi directing this make it better? Or is she also at fault for propagating the pattern. Agh, this is a loaded issue. Sorry.
She grew up in Toronto so she probably wanted to write around a location she knows best. Her short, Bao, also took place there.
As for the turning into a non-human thing…
Yeah that is a worry I had while watching the trailer. While I don’t know how much of the movie she’ll be spending in that form, her power/curse works on Hulk logic rather than being a permanent change so I personally don’t think she’ll be spending too much of the film as a red panda because of this. While ultimately I don’t think it’s really in my place to deem whether or not it was acceptable, I had similar worries about Soul, but a majority of that movie was actually spent with the main character on Earth with a majority POC cast sharing screen time. If this movie is in a similar vein I won’t be too disappointed.
Oh, I am well, well aware, of that.
And yeah, you're probably right that this trope probably won't be used as bad as it has in the past.
I just felt the need to bring it up is all, just wanted to be socially conscious about that. Even if it's a bit mood-killing
Damn you, ethics.
@captainivy1 My comment states how when it comes to gameplay design, and the debate on whether or not it should be more accessible, it's always "well they should maintain their vision for the game", and I get that, if a developer wants to make a game hard, by all means, but that same energy is nowhere to be seen when it comes to a narrative decision. Personally, I'd like to see the Industry move towards more accessibility, and I'm sure that the majority of studios do want it, but lack time/resources to do it. So I understand that. Compared to like, a decade ago, there are strides made in accessibility that I acknowledged, and do suggest it's becoming baked into the development process more frequently. My bone to pick with this incident is the response from players and the general attitude to making a game easier to enter for groups that are physically impaired.
To put it simply, I want games to be more accessible, but want developers to adhere to their vision, but I doubt their vision is to make it impossibly hard for those with physical disabilities, they probably just don't have the time or the budget to do it.
I agree with not every game being for everyone, but that shouldn't boil down to being because someone with a specific disability can't move their hands fast enough to dodge boss attacks on Dark Souls, it should, in my eyes, boil down to a game just not being one's preference. If a game brings in a difficulty slider, it causes no harm to the overall experience, it opens up that door for them to jump into a new world and a style of game they may grow to like, or not, but that should come as a result of playing the game and determining if it clicks for you at the pace you play at, not if it ruthlessly puts your ass on a plate and coldly drops you in on your own with no support. Again, I get the whole achievement and sense of satisfaction part, playing Halo on Legendary difficulty is a pain but it's a relief to finally beat a level on that difficulty, though it gave me the option to play that difficulty. And like, easy difficulty may be considered legendary difficulty depending on the specific impairment that someone displays, but it's all about accomodating and giving them the tools to enjoy the game.
@Poogers555 I'm aware that it would change the design of the game, by no means is it as easy as "throw in an easy difficulty", for each difficulty the AI has to be finely tuned so it presents a formidable challenge on that difficulty level, and with that is going to come hundreds of hours of trying to balance the AI so it gives a challenge, but not so much a beating that makes it remarkably OP and discourages further use of the difficulty. But ideally, games should be accessible for everyone.
And I agree, a physically impaired person may be drawn into these games based on their difficulty, they know it'll be a challenge, and want to have a crack anyways, and in my original comment, I did refer back to how there are some video game players with physical disabilities that did beat the games mentioned, but it's not a case of "well they're living proof you and your kind don't need an easy mode, quit crying and play the game, git gud, or play something else", it's a rare instance, as you know, disabilities and conditions vary from person to person. Like for me I have dyspraxia, it affects my fine and gross motor skills, my condition is somewhat problematic for me, I can still play games though. I haven't touched the Souls games, but I'd like to think that I could beat it with enough time and effort, but I'm fortunate in that sense, it doesn't ring true for others with more complex impairments, and there are others with the condition that have it much worse, it just varies between person to person. And please don't take what I said as you not giving a care, hardly, I bet you care, but I don't get the analogy of the MLB and disabled players, like if it's going to cause harm, then by all means, they shouldn't be allowed to play for their own wellbeing, no pun intended, it's a much different playing field with video games though where anything and everything is programmed into existence, it is possible to make a game be more accessible as it causes no harm and doesn't place wellbeing at risk like a baseball hurdling at you at 60 miles per hour.
And sure, I too strongly doubt there's someone out there adamant on Dark Souls not having a feature to accommodate the visibly impaired, but there are folks that look at this Psychonauts 2 situation, and look at the invincibility toggle, and respond "git gud, don't play the game, go play something else, they shouldn't get achievements if they play with that setting", what I'll do is share a Twitter thread from Steven Spohn, the COO of AbleGamers, showing some of the comments.
Here's an example, an incredibly brash one, but an example nonetheless, say a building lacks an elevator, it lacks steps to access the building, now that presents a challenge to someone who may be in a wheelchair, as they can't access it how they'd prefer to access it: without having to crawl up steps and several flights of stairs to reach where they want to go. What they could do is crawl up all those stairs, I mean, its design is for the use of fully functional legs to utilise them, the architect drawing up the plans and the construction crew had a vision for their work to include stairs and no elevators, ramps or anything accessible. But, the "sense of achievement that the disabled person will feel when they climb flights of stairs to reach their office on the top floor... Elevators are only for lazy people", it hardly compromises anything, it just gives another route for those who can't take the usual and the original route another way to reach their goal, just to point out, that's hardly what you two are saying, don't take it as that, but like I'm failing to grasp the opposition to accessibility, like I genuinely try to think of it, and my brain gives me an error screen and a phone number to contact Windows Support.
What's the solution here? Do they go get another job? Do they advocate for more accessibility? The latter, and that's what happened, and now, over here in Ireland at least, it's legally required of a premises to be accessible to everyone. Again I do think a developer should adhere to their vision, but should that come at the cost at excluding people? When it comes to a narrative decision, people exclude themselves because they hate the idea of seeing a transgender character being playable, disabled people don't exclude themselves, they're excluded. There is a very big difference in that instance.
My words are all over the shop, but can you two make out what I'm saying here? If I'm considered a hypocrite for advocating for more accessibility and encouraging developers to adjust their vision so it includes disabled video game players, as well as criticising the audience that don't want developers to stick to their vision in making a game with an inclusive and diverse cast, then I'll take that and wear it proudly, making games accessible is a necessary change, not some New World Order, Illuminati power grab by the shadowy elite that is often the narrative for when a unique protagonist and an inclusive cast are put into a game.
Decided to just restart my original response as I didn't really like it or how it was said.
Basically I think I would say that I think a greater focus on making accessible controllers for the disabled is a better solution than changing game designs. Changing game design feels more like a band-aid to fixing this problem, when the major barrier to entry for a disabled person is being able to send input to a game. So I think focusing on innovating controllers that allow disabled players to play with the same ease as a non-disabled player is something that should be focused on much more. Because a game like Psychonaught's having an invincibility mode makes it more accessible without changing the game at its core, but doing so for a game like Dark Souls is not nearly as simple. Making the game easier doesn't matter that much if the person playing is struggling to send inputs in the first place. If Fromsoft wants to make an easy mode, they can go ahead and do so as end of the day it is optional so it shouldn't matter. However, I am sure innovating and making better controllers for the disabled so disabled players can play a game like Dark Souls with the same amount of ease would be much more preferred.
@AronDracula
A special episode of the Korean zombie drama Kingdom is coming to Netflix on July 23rd.
It'll be a 90-minute special, called "Ashin of the North".
Oh man, it seems I should rewatch the series because it's really hard for me to memorize these characters. I can't remember who is who except for the Crown Prince.
90 minutes? This feels more like a movie than an episode. Is it a prequel or a continuation of Season 2?
Part 8 of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is ending in August, now's a good time to experience the entire series:
I would like to know the context behind that guy throwing KFC around.
Well, you see, Jobin's throwing it around to attract a rock human named Dolomite who has no hands or legs, he's doing this as he needs a favor because Dolomite has a Stand power named Blue Hawaii, it allows Dolomite to control people who touch a part of him, which then acts as an infection as they chase down his orders, Jobin needs this because he needs to find a sailor before he finds the Rokakaka fruit, which can cure any malady so long as there's someone else to transfer to.
I fucking love Jojo.
Fair point with the controller's, that is something that has seen progress, like the example I gave with Microsoft and the Xbox adaptive controller. But it only solves part of the problem, the controller does register input, but the content of the game determines the sort of input that is required on the controller, now that's not to say advancements in controllers aren't welcomed, they solve one half of the problem.
The controller can be made in a fashion that input is easier, but if the content doesn't alter to accommodate too, then the problem still persists, probably not as much as it currently does, but it's still there. The game can still be what it is at its core with a varying difficulty that can be chosen by players, it can still present a challenge. Even then, not everyone goes into a game for a challenge, some go in for the story, for the exploration, the essence of what makes these ultra difficult and punishing games can still be retained through a rethinking of how difficulty is going to be implemented.
I just think it's unfair to leave impaired video game players out when there can be adjustments made to accommodate them. Like gaming should be for everyone, as should every game, by that I mean accessible to everyone, if the game doesn't meet their taste, that's fine, but they should be able to experience any game how they wish without being pushed away from the software.
So there is a Family Time Sale going on Xbox, and wouldn't you know it, Fast & Furious Crossroads is part of the sale. Whoever at Microsoft made sure that made it into the sale, they are well deserving of a raise, they brightened my week
Nintendo explaining why charging $350 for a Switch with 0 processing power upgrades is a good investment
Valve selling their own Switch for 50 dollars more with massively better specs
What a great day today turned out to be. Not only did the NJ Devils resign Michael McLeod, they also got Ryan Graves, a much needed defensemen, from the Colorado Avalanche, and Iron Maiden released new music for the first time in 6 years.
Ah yes, I understood some of those words.
If you want to understand them all I highly recommend Jojo.
So Skybound had some sort of panel today with Tillie Walden going over some stuff in regards to the Clementine Lives comic and Clementine: Book One graphic novel for next year. I did not watch it live, and this info is being given by someone who did, but here's what I can gather.
There will apparently be a focus on Clementine's past, which could actually be pretty interesting. Would have preferred a comic that didn't involve Clementine abandoning everyone she cares about, but this still yields some interesting growth opportunities. Could play a role in why Clem feels unhappy, maybe learn how to deal with traumatic parts of the past to appreciate the present and the time you have/people around you, culminating in a return to Ericson's and AJ. I've said for years there's some deep rooted survivor's guilt concerning Lee and others, so if this is the direction it goes, it could be good to see if executed properly.
What has my red flags going off is another point Tillie mentions, and that’s this part. “It's really exciting to me to be working with her as a queer character and to get a chance to dig into what it means to be queer in the apocalypse.” Now obviously, it’s been long confirmed Clementine is bi. They gave players the choice to pursue either a male or female love interest in Louis or Violet, and it was handled pretty well. Not perfect, but after the shitty romance of ANF, I’ll take it. Both characters were established and developed well, both got a fair amount of screen time with Clem to establish a possible platonic/romantic connection, but it wasn’t at the front and center and was allowed to play out in a way that benefitted all characters involved. It was touched upon, but it wasn’t the focus, and better yet, it was a choice up to the players as to who she would be with. They didn’t make Clem a bi character, they made her a character who just happened to be bi, and that should be the way all representation is done. Clem herself didn’t have any reservations or trouble accepting this part of herself, and that to me was a much bigger stride than what other shows, games, and movies have done where they make it this big deal. And generally speaking, I don’t tend to enjoy things where romance is the most important aspect of a narrative, it’s a big reason why ANF fell flat for me.
This statement makes it seem like it’s going in the complete opposite direction of how TFS handled the romance, and instead, is going to not only make the romance, but Clementine’s sexuality, a major focal point of the narrative. I don’t know how many times it needs to be said, but being gay, or being queer, or being bi, or being straight doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make a character better or worse. It doesn’t add depth, it doesn’t add personality, and it doesn’t add any complexity to a character. What a character is should not matter, but who a character is, their actions means more than who they are attracted to. And this applies to the real world too, being gay doesn’t define you, being straight doesn’t define you, etc. It reeks of milking a confirmed bisexual character to make money, and not only is that insulting to Clementine and fans of the original series, but it should be insulting to those who want good forms of representation in fiction as it comes off as pandering. Plus, I’m pretty sure being queer in a zombie apocalypse is pretty similar to not being queer in a zombie apocalypse, you still have to struggle for survival. The way this sounds is that she’s going to have Clementine seriously wrestle and come to terms with this part of herself, and I just don’t understand why, she didn’t need to in the original game. Not to mention that in doing this and in focusing on her being queer, you possibly broke up an established w/w relationship between her and Violet, that was left to the players’ choices, just to possibly put her with someone else without any input from the audience. I feel like that’s a bit counter intuitive.
The rest of the discussion pretty much solidified what I thought, it’s a rehash of TFS, but in Vermont (group of teens, isolated area, evil twins/siblings, etc.). The only thing that grabs me is the stuff about dealing with Clementine’s past, the rest sounds like a very hard pass.
Nothing to say exactly. Just not impressed at all
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Hilda won two Daytime Emmy awards! One for Outstanding Children’s Animated Series and one for Editing for a Daytime Animated Program.