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Forget Next-Gen, We Want Geriatric-Gen!
Do you still have your old PC games stored on a floppy disk? Do you even own a computer that still has a floppy disk drive? Do you have video games that are older than me? Then the Library of Congress wants you! Along with several American universities and Linden Lab, creators of the PC game Second Life, the Library wants to preserve the games of old for future generations. As floppy disks and Ataris fall by the way side in favor of newer systems, old classics are left to be completely forgotten, a travesty which they seek to prevent. Complicating these efforts are, as with any preservation effort, funding, as not many people see the same value in video games as we do in literature, not to mention a problem known as ‘bit rot,’ where old cartridges and disks essentially erode, leaving holes in the data. Unfortunately, even the game developers themselves are hesitant, though for selfish reasons, as releasing development information and program design specifics could infringe upon their patents. If you still have your ancient technological wonders and would like to get involved, you can visit the Library of Congress site about digital preservation here and find an affiliate near you.
So we cannot understand the concept of hostess cafes... but we are okay with the giant penis monster?
The West Can’t Handle Japan
Even in our video games, Western civilization cannot wrap our head around Japan and its cultural differences. That is why Yakuza 3, we which discussed was awesome on the last podcast, actually had a few cuts before being prepped for grubby non-Asian fingers to pry open. Notably missing are quizzes based on Japanese history, as well as hostess clubs. Not to fear, the strip clubs were kept in; Westerners may not understand hostesses, but we understand nudity just fine. Sega claims that, despite these removals, the game will release with 99% of its original content intact. The game releases in March for both NA and EU markets, but what if you cannot wait all of two weeks? Then you can buy Like a Dragon, a 2007 movie made based off of the first Yakuza game, that was released by Media Blasters on Tuesday. Enjoy, weeaboos.
"No one cares about me anymore? Bawwwwww."
Your Weekly Reason to Kick SquareEnix in the Balls
Last week brought us news of both Final Fantasy XIII and the beaten-horse Final Fantasy VII, and because XIII is nearing its Western release dates, there is no doubt every week will bring more horrible news to report. To begin, Squeenix continued to dick around the subject of re-releasing the classic VII, pulling a douche move by saying they would do it if it could be redone within a year. Coming soon, Square’s announcement that they commit to end world hunger, but only if they can do it in three weeks, as they have much better things to do. However, a Thai man does not have better things to do, so he created this lovely video for us of what it may look like if Square ever decides that this cow still has milk left to be squeezed. There is no word as to what system he owns, but we can bet if it is an XBox 360, he won’t be losing any of that free time to XIII. New numbers released show the 360 port of the game has a reduced size of almost half, 18GB compared to the 38GB PS3 version. Unfortunately, the likelihood of this being a cut of the introduction tunnel is low, instead fairing poorly for graphics that are already said to be lesser quality than the Playstation counterpart. If you needed another reminder, the game is expected to release in Western markets in March with Asian releases in May.
Does /b/ really count as reality? If it does, I may need to reconsider suicide, I hear it is nice.
Australia, the New China!
The newest country to crack down on internet crime is, amusingly enough, the nation founded by Britain’s unwanted criminals. The concept is only in the proposal stage right now, but the land of kangaroos and Nutella wants to make it mandatory that all internet providers submit to the government’s filtering program which, though a system of filing complaints, would compile a database of websites that are refused classification. In comparison to the strict filtering of China, Australia’s proposed system seems hardly helpful at all, with games being left mostly untouched in the initial ideas, and internet guidelines lax as well. Here is a hint, Aussies: it all begins with 4chan. Start banning there and radiate outward… though you then run the risk of those people contaminating the internet elsewhere. Bottom line, the internet can’t be controlled, for better or for worse.
Posted by Jenifer 