Earlier this month, the E3 conference was held in Los Angeles. Same days, same time and every year. I did not watch as much as E3 as I should, considering that I'm blogging about it at this moment. However, I would say that I am slightly disappointed in the titles that are released this year. I believe that online gaming as completely dimished the quality of videogames the same way reality TV and Michael Bay movies dimished the American entertainment.
So, originally, I was going to post what I liked and would not buy until I read this article on Cracked.com . It somewhat made me think twice about which videogames I do purchase, because it's all the same. When I first started playing videogames frequently in 2001, it was "choose as many as you want. They are all different". It's now well into 2011, literally ten years later and it's more like "pick your poison because they are all the same". On message boards and video comments, hardcore fanboys fight over which title is the best such as Call of Duty, Halo and Battle Field to name a few. I saw footage of both Modern Warfare 3 and BattleField 3. Both games are first person shooters. They have nice graphics and compelling continuations of storylines. However, they are both distinct. If you want a realistic and yet cineatic experience, then Call of Duty is perfect title for the experience. If you want an ultra realistic storyline and gameplay, then BattleField 3 is the perfect game.
Some people would read the beginning of this and ask why I think online gaming has ruined everything for the game industry. I am not saying that the industry is loosing money. I would admit sells for games have dropped about 14% within the past year. Although online gaming is holding the industry afloat, the lack off creativity and over-reliance on online gaming and sequels will sink the gaming world.
Overall, if I can make a commentary about the videogame world and compare it with other forms of entertainment, I would honestly say that at least the advertisers do not have a direct influence on the creative process in the industry the same way they do with the movie and television world. There was a push at one point to add advertisement into videogames. It was considered for Halo 2. However, it did not go through. Instead, Bungie placed its name various products and companies. It would be impractical to cancel the sequel of a game because the advertisers are not happy with it. We see on television and in some cases movies this happens frequently. Series or shows are cancelled because cannot pull ratings and companies look at ratings to determine whether not they should sponsor a program.
There was a time when I did believe in the world of gaming. As I get older and start to see things from an artist perspective, I learned not to put other people or their ideas on a pedestal. As I'm taking painting classes and other types of art classes where content is placed above execution, I learned not to elevate people's ideas above my own. I had this discussion with a classmate the other day, and I think I told him it's one of the reasons why I did not get involved in the fashion industry. I can say for the most part the videogame world is not as bad as the music industry. For the sake of this article, I will post the titles that I believe have stood out fron other games at E3.
*More games will be added soon!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Welcome Back/ The Earthquake-Tsunami in Japan
I thought I'd take the time to post more blogs since I haven't been here since the end of December. With two art classes and two philosophy classes, I have been pretty busy. Also, there are so many things that I want to post that have nothing to do with videogames, entertainment or technology. So, I'm going to turn my blog that was originally meant to showcase my art into a place that will let my opinions be known, unscripted. It may not be what others may like, at least it will give readers something to think about. I am glad that I am finally able to make time to post here about all my adventures in gaming, entertainment and technology.
First, I want to let it be known that there will be a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game release in November of this year. I am seriously looking forward to it considering that there has been internal conflict with Infinity Ward. Although I have found some minor story issues with MW2 (the semi- anticlimatic ending), I wholeheartedly stick by this franchise.
Second, very soon I will put something together to finally write something about the Assassin's Creed series. I'm afraid that like the CDMW series, this will another sequel due to the way it has ended. I want to mention that I LOVE the soundtrack. It is amazing, because it is able to recapture the essence of the Rennaisance and blend it with modern music. If there is another game after Brotherhood, then I am certain that Jesper Kyd will hit it out of the ballpark with the new soundtrack. So, the review of those games will be here soon.
Also, I have to mention I'm on Spring Break. It's uneventful as usual. I am planning on getting Call of Duty Black Ops this week. I was going to protest this game because of the Infinity Ward fiasco, but I saw the gameplay and it was amazing. It only makes sense to invest in this series, despite what the Halo fanboys say about it.
Earthquake-Tsunami Disaster in Japan
Last Thursday, I had the misfortune to witness one of the worst contastrophes in Japan's history live on television. It caught me off guard and moved me in tears. Unfortunately, not everyone in my hall felt the way I did about what happened. Everyone else treated the disaster as though it was a movie scene, despite it being aired live. I was angry at everyone in the hall, but a friend of mine told me that we live in an image based culture that is desensitized by anything on television, real or not. I find it pretty strange that I play videogames, I watch videos on youtube and online, I love action films and I watch TV as often as I can, and I'm still moved by what happened. When 9/11 happened, I was 16. It took me a few days to fully understand what happened. I went to school that day and there were people trying to contact everyone they know in New York just to see if they are okay. There are main differences between the way I viewed 9/11 and the way I view the contastrophe in Japan. First, although I watched less tv and played less videogames when I was 16, I was *still* 16. My perception of the world was different then. Second, earthquake in Japan, or Haiti or anywhere else is a natural disaster. It was not a tragedy that was caused by anyone, whereas the 9/11 incident was caused by a group of fundamentalist muslims. Still, Japan lost so over 10,000 people over this natural disaster and 3,000 people lost their lives in 9/11. I want to mention the way Americans handle tragedies of epic proportions compared to other countries like Japan. Although I've never been to Japan, Korea or Northeast Asia before, I would say based on what is portrayed by others and the media about their culture, they are some of the most organized and well structured people in the world. They went from being thrid world countries to being first world countries in decades. I don't think the same can be said about anywhere else in the world. I also do not believe that people in those countries will dwell on this the same way Americans and other Western countries dwell on 9/11 or WWII. Sept. 11 happened over ten years ago and media still dwell on it. There's even a day dedicated to this event. If Japan bounces back from this, I do not think they would dwell on it the way Americans would. I also believe that the recovery in their country would be much faster than it was when Hurricane Katrina happened. People in that region are still homeless. I understand that the life lost is a life worth mourning about, but the point that I'm trying to make here is that there is a bias in whose life is more deserving of being mourned.
If the students downstairs saw on the news that it was America, or more specifically, their hometowns being ravaged by the forces of nature, then they would mourn for those people. I noticed also that when Haiti was struck with a massive earthquake that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced countless many people, there were some Christians who believed and still believe that Haiti deserved it, because they practice the "religion of the devil". It makes me not like Christians even more and somewhat wish that Christianity and Islam never existed. They would say "real Christians would never say that", but history and comments in the media and political groups dedicated to taking away basic rights of citizens say otherwise.
I don't know what it is, maybe it's because of my age or the fact that I'm a "bleeding heart liberal" to them, when really my views are centered pretty much in the middle. Maybe they will grow up or maybe not, I certainly hope so if they are going to be people that the future will look up to some day.
First, I want to let it be known that there will be a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game release in November of this year. I am seriously looking forward to it considering that there has been internal conflict with Infinity Ward. Although I have found some minor story issues with MW2 (the semi- anticlimatic ending), I wholeheartedly stick by this franchise.
Second, very soon I will put something together to finally write something about the Assassin's Creed series. I'm afraid that like the CDMW series, this will another sequel due to the way it has ended. I want to mention that I LOVE the soundtrack. It is amazing, because it is able to recapture the essence of the Rennaisance and blend it with modern music. If there is another game after Brotherhood, then I am certain that Jesper Kyd will hit it out of the ballpark with the new soundtrack. So, the review of those games will be here soon.
Also, I have to mention I'm on Spring Break. It's uneventful as usual. I am planning on getting Call of Duty Black Ops this week. I was going to protest this game because of the Infinity Ward fiasco, but I saw the gameplay and it was amazing. It only makes sense to invest in this series, despite what the Halo fanboys say about it.
Earthquake-Tsunami Disaster in Japan
Last Thursday, I had the misfortune to witness one of the worst contastrophes in Japan's history live on television. It caught me off guard and moved me in tears. Unfortunately, not everyone in my hall felt the way I did about what happened. Everyone else treated the disaster as though it was a movie scene, despite it being aired live. I was angry at everyone in the hall, but a friend of mine told me that we live in an image based culture that is desensitized by anything on television, real or not. I find it pretty strange that I play videogames, I watch videos on youtube and online, I love action films and I watch TV as often as I can, and I'm still moved by what happened. When 9/11 happened, I was 16. It took me a few days to fully understand what happened. I went to school that day and there were people trying to contact everyone they know in New York just to see if they are okay. There are main differences between the way I viewed 9/11 and the way I view the contastrophe in Japan. First, although I watched less tv and played less videogames when I was 16, I was *still* 16. My perception of the world was different then. Second, earthquake in Japan, or Haiti or anywhere else is a natural disaster. It was not a tragedy that was caused by anyone, whereas the 9/11 incident was caused by a group of fundamentalist muslims. Still, Japan lost so over 10,000 people over this natural disaster and 3,000 people lost their lives in 9/11. I want to mention the way Americans handle tragedies of epic proportions compared to other countries like Japan. Although I've never been to Japan, Korea or Northeast Asia before, I would say based on what is portrayed by others and the media about their culture, they are some of the most organized and well structured people in the world. They went from being thrid world countries to being first world countries in decades. I don't think the same can be said about anywhere else in the world. I also do not believe that people in those countries will dwell on this the same way Americans and other Western countries dwell on 9/11 or WWII. Sept. 11 happened over ten years ago and media still dwell on it. There's even a day dedicated to this event. If Japan bounces back from this, I do not think they would dwell on it the way Americans would. I also believe that the recovery in their country would be much faster than it was when Hurricane Katrina happened. People in that region are still homeless. I understand that the life lost is a life worth mourning about, but the point that I'm trying to make here is that there is a bias in whose life is more deserving of being mourned.
If the students downstairs saw on the news that it was America, or more specifically, their hometowns being ravaged by the forces of nature, then they would mourn for those people. I noticed also that when Haiti was struck with a massive earthquake that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced countless many people, there were some Christians who believed and still believe that Haiti deserved it, because they practice the "religion of the devil". It makes me not like Christians even more and somewhat wish that Christianity and Islam never existed. They would say "real Christians would never say that", but history and comments in the media and political groups dedicated to taking away basic rights of citizens say otherwise.
I don't know what it is, maybe it's because of my age or the fact that I'm a "bleeding heart liberal" to them, when really my views are centered pretty much in the middle. Maybe they will grow up or maybe not, I certainly hope so if they are going to be people that the future will look up to some day.
Friday, December 17, 2010
The End of Fall '10/ Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
School is finally over until the end of winter break. I'm hoping that I get a passible grade considering that I didn't do as well as I could have. I think it woud be a good idea to not take anymore philosophy classes for a while. I will need one more philosophy class for my minor in Women's Studies (I decided to declare women's studies as a minor, instead of computer science, because anyone can go to a community college and get computer skills. I came to this conclusion considering that the school I go to is not really the most prestigious). I think writing about how social attitudes toward art and how art affects the standard of beauty in every culture can't be that bad. I should have written my research paper on women in art instead of prostitution. Considering that I didn't do the best on my paper, I got a good grade on it. I turned it in raw, uncut and uneditted. That works for shooting a dickflick, but not for academic research. I think from now on, I'm going to work on my papers early so another pair of eyes can look at them for me. I'm a procastinator, so I think setting a fake early deadline will work.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood...
I beat the game and it took about three weeks of interrupted gameplay. Assassin's Creed 2 took about a week. Overall, it's not a bad game. It goes back to what I posted about sequels, though. I believe that Brotherhood is the end of the series. I don't believe that Ubisoft is going to make another Assassin's Creed game. If Brotherhood is the end, it still left alot of holes in the plot. There is a love interests between Ezio and Christina, but the story does not answer for Desmond being Ezio's descendent. There is no emotional growth from any characters. Overall, I expected more from the storyline. I like Assassin's Creed 2 more than Brotherhood, because the storyline and gameplay are more thorough and fluid. I plan on making a review on both games soon.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood...
I beat the game and it took about three weeks of interrupted gameplay. Assassin's Creed 2 took about a week. Overall, it's not a bad game. It goes back to what I posted about sequels, though. I believe that Brotherhood is the end of the series. I don't believe that Ubisoft is going to make another Assassin's Creed game. If Brotherhood is the end, it still left alot of holes in the plot. There is a love interests between Ezio and Christina, but the story does not answer for Desmond being Ezio's descendent. There is no emotional growth from any characters. Overall, I expected more from the storyline. I like Assassin's Creed 2 more than Brotherhood, because the storyline and gameplay are more thorough and fluid. I plan on making a review on both games soon.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Caprica Review
I know that the show is cancelled, and there might be a good chance that they won't air the remaining eight episodes, or even the series on Syfy again. I just thought it would be nice to write a review anyway, because of the circumstances the show faced.
First off, I am a BSG fan. I fell in love with the series and I plan on watching it again. Everything works for that show. Caprica is the prequel to BSG and it's supposed to explain how the Cylons came to be and why they hated the humans ( revenge for their enslavement, just like in Terminator and Matrix series). I think for this reason, it's a cliche. I'm not saying that the series is not good. It's well written, but it's not written for the BSG fans. The writers were looking for a new fanbase. This whole situation with cancelling shows and writing crappy movies and such are reasons why I play videogames. In some cases even the game developers can fall short at times. Unlike the movie and television industries, the gaming industry actually does a good job listening to the fans and try to create a fanbase with gamer who otherwise passover the said genre. Caprica failed to bring in a different fanbase for its show. There are fans, but like more famous science fiction series (BSG, Stargate and Star Trek), they are cultbased.
The Good: Caprica so far has a good set of actors, futuristic settings and a nice plot for character development. I find the philosophical aspect of the series to be deep and the show brings up issues that someday humanity will face as we advance scientifically and technologically ( artificial life, the idea of creating an afterlife from virtual space).
The Bad: This show is not designed for BSG fans. I do not expect this show to cater to them, because most BSG fans are male and they want more action and less back story. Not to mention that some people feel like there is a "gay agenda" when the creators chose to have Joseph's brother be a masculine gay man who has a stable relationship with his husband. Personally, that's where the viewers began to be alienated. When a marginalized group is portrayed as stable and accepted, the American people of mainstream culture do not like it, especially when they show gay men in a loving relationship. I personally like that the creators chose to show Caprica as an accepting society. They also portray Clarice Willow as a head of a plural marriage household and a the future leader of STO. The focus on Clarice and the religious aspect of the show alienated viewers.
The Ugly: I give the show a 3 out of 5. Not only because they cancelled the show before it had a chance to establish a plot, but because the series had too many story arcs, they waited too long between season one and 1.5. Common sense would tell these producers show the whole season and then see what happens. Instead, they used the same tactics that made BSG successful and it backfired. What works for one show, may not work for another. I read some comments that said that advertisers played a role in getting the show cancelled. That's partially true. I think that Americans do not know good television. We cannot see anything on TV that makes us think. When it comes to taste, we have it backwards. This is the real reason why the show got cancelled. I also blame Americans for allowing corporations to take over our lives. We have ourselves to blame when it comes to entertainment and influence.
Conclusion: They are making a show based on William Adama's younger years in the military. I do not think they should make another series based on BSG. There are too many sequels out there in movies, books, tv shows and videogames. Unless it was intended to be a series from the beginning, there should not be any sequels or prequels. If it's over, then it's over.
First off, I am a BSG fan. I fell in love with the series and I plan on watching it again. Everything works for that show. Caprica is the prequel to BSG and it's supposed to explain how the Cylons came to be and why they hated the humans ( revenge for their enslavement, just like in Terminator and Matrix series). I think for this reason, it's a cliche. I'm not saying that the series is not good. It's well written, but it's not written for the BSG fans. The writers were looking for a new fanbase. This whole situation with cancelling shows and writing crappy movies and such are reasons why I play videogames. In some cases even the game developers can fall short at times. Unlike the movie and television industries, the gaming industry actually does a good job listening to the fans and try to create a fanbase with gamer who otherwise passover the said genre. Caprica failed to bring in a different fanbase for its show. There are fans, but like more famous science fiction series (BSG, Stargate and Star Trek), they are cultbased.
The Good: Caprica so far has a good set of actors, futuristic settings and a nice plot for character development. I find the philosophical aspect of the series to be deep and the show brings up issues that someday humanity will face as we advance scientifically and technologically ( artificial life, the idea of creating an afterlife from virtual space).
The Bad: This show is not designed for BSG fans. I do not expect this show to cater to them, because most BSG fans are male and they want more action and less back story. Not to mention that some people feel like there is a "gay agenda" when the creators chose to have Joseph's brother be a masculine gay man who has a stable relationship with his husband. Personally, that's where the viewers began to be alienated. When a marginalized group is portrayed as stable and accepted, the American people of mainstream culture do not like it, especially when they show gay men in a loving relationship. I personally like that the creators chose to show Caprica as an accepting society. They also portray Clarice Willow as a head of a plural marriage household and a the future leader of STO. The focus on Clarice and the religious aspect of the show alienated viewers.
The Ugly: I give the show a 3 out of 5. Not only because they cancelled the show before it had a chance to establish a plot, but because the series had too many story arcs, they waited too long between season one and 1.5. Common sense would tell these producers show the whole season and then see what happens. Instead, they used the same tactics that made BSG successful and it backfired. What works for one show, may not work for another. I read some comments that said that advertisers played a role in getting the show cancelled. That's partially true. I think that Americans do not know good television. We cannot see anything on TV that makes us think. When it comes to taste, we have it backwards. This is the real reason why the show got cancelled. I also blame Americans for allowing corporations to take over our lives. We have ourselves to blame when it comes to entertainment and influence.
Conclusion: They are making a show based on William Adama's younger years in the military. I do not think they should make another series based on BSG. There are too many sequels out there in movies, books, tv shows and videogames. Unless it was intended to be a series from the beginning, there should not be any sequels or prequels. If it's over, then it's over.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Syfy pulled the plug on Caprica
On Oct 27th, a few days before making the previous post, Syfy announced that they are cancelling Caprica. At first I was a little disappointed. The network could have sold the rights to the series to another network. They could have also hired better writers and make the series more coherent. Instead, they pull the plug on the show. It reminds me of why I do not like American television. On the other hand, I can understand why the show was pulled and the BSG's fan's disappointment in it (I'll be doing a review on Caprica). BSG fans expect the show to be like BSG. They do not understand that Caprica is a prequel, but it's also a whole different type of science fiction show. What I learned from this is that most Americans (myself included) love action films. We do not like shows that actually make us think. I watched a review online about Caprica. I do agree with the reviewer that in the second half of the first season, too much attention was placed on Clarice Willow and the religious aspect on the show. What they should have done was place more attention on Zoe and Tamera in New Cap City or they should have less story arcs and reveal the soul plot of the whole series. To me it was a good show, but it seemed like it wasn't getting anywhere. It was nothing like Odyssey 5 (Showtime pulled the plug on that show in 2003 just before the last episode).
The show is an example demostrates the frustration that the audience have with the creators of shows, movies and videogames. It also shows the disconnect that writers and producers have with the audience. I feel like the writers and producers present what they want in a show and not so much what the audience wants. It makes me glad that I'm a gamer by hobby. If I feel a game might fall short, I just won't buy it. I remember Halo ODST fell short compared to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. I borrowed the game from a hallmate, played it and was seriously disappointed. It's not like that with TV. Shows get pulled or get another season based on concensus. I kind of wish they gave/give Caprica another chance by hiring another writer/director. They could expand plots in other areas. If advertisers are pulling their products from this show, I can see why. Battlestar Galactica fans dominate syfy and are their main viewers. They will be replacing the time slot that Caprica held with wrestling. Networks such as Syfy, USA, and G4TV are geared toward American men between the ages of 18 and 35. Caprica is too slow for their attention spans. Maybe if they tied up loose ends in another possible prequel to BSG (I heard they are replacing Caprica with a story about William Adama in his younger years) then the mistakes with Caprica won't happen in another scifi series.
The show is an example demostrates the frustration that the audience have with the creators of shows, movies and videogames. It also shows the disconnect that writers and producers have with the audience. I feel like the writers and producers present what they want in a show and not so much what the audience wants. It makes me glad that I'm a gamer by hobby. If I feel a game might fall short, I just won't buy it. I remember Halo ODST fell short compared to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. I borrowed the game from a hallmate, played it and was seriously disappointed. It's not like that with TV. Shows get pulled or get another season based on concensus. I kind of wish they gave/give Caprica another chance by hiring another writer/director. They could expand plots in other areas. If advertisers are pulling their products from this show, I can see why. Battlestar Galactica fans dominate syfy and are their main viewers. They will be replacing the time slot that Caprica held with wrestling. Networks such as Syfy, USA, and G4TV are geared toward American men between the ages of 18 and 35. Caprica is too slow for their attention spans. Maybe if they tied up loose ends in another possible prequel to BSG (I heard they are replacing Caprica with a story about William Adama in his younger years) then the mistakes with Caprica won't happen in another scifi series.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Science Fiction Shows and Games/ Things Going On In Life
I haven't been posting here for a few weeks, partially due to my focus on my other blog, but I thought it would be nice to mix things up a bit.
Scifi Shows and Games
The second half of season one of Caprica is airing. I heard that the new episodes were going to be available in January, but I guess this show airs every fall. What I do like about it is that there are more female characters heroic roles than in Battlestar Galactica. I also like that it seems to cater to a female audience a bit more than BSG. I do not like that the show falls a bit short in some episodes. Later episodes will fix that. For some reason, I do see a bit of cliche in all the science fiction shows and movies. It seems like every last one of them has a sequel, a prequel or a major corporation is the source of all the problems humanity has with technology. I see this in the Matrix series, Terminator, Battlestar Galactica and some videogames. The whole sequel/prequel problem is in videogames as well and what makes videogames worse with this is the whole expansion pack turned full fledge videogame. I understand why Caprica/BSG fell into the cliches. Science fiction is a broad genre, but a writer/director can only go so far with it for the audience to understand the plot. I remember in the late nineties and early 2000's that movies and tv series about hackers and hacking were popular. When 9/11 happened the shows and movies about hacking such as Antitrust (movie), Matrix, Odyssey 5 (tv show) and Jake 2.0 fell out of popularity, movies and tv shows about terrorism became more popular. Directors of science fiction films and designers of science fiction videogames have been incorporating religion (cults), ethics and the apocalypse into their storylines. In Caprica, the religious themes and the question of ethics in a technologically advance society are common. It gives it a sort of Terminator reminiscence to the series. I give the show some credit for answering plot holes that the BSG reimagined series left.
Speaking of sequels, prequels and science fiction in the gaming world, I got a glimpse at the gameplay of Halo Reach. It was released on Sept 15, 2010. So far, out of honest, I want to say that the game is the most different from all the previous Halo installments by Bungie. I said by Bungie, because the real time strategy version of Halo is not made by Bungie but another gaming company instead. When school is over, I will post the history/ review of the Halo series and I will lend commentary to each game to determine which one is the best and the worst in the series. Halo Reach distinguishes itself from the other games because it is a direct prequel from the previous installments. I do not understand the whole idea of prequels and side stories to games. There are some gamers who love storylines. I understand. I am one of those gamers. I read the books also, except for the recently released books and the graphic novels. I still do not see a need for a prequel to a series that is almost eleven years old. I could be wrong about that. It could be the best videogame in the series.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood will be released in a couple of weeks. This is a game that I plan on buying, more so than the newest Call of Duty Modern Warfare game. I decided to rent games, instead of collecting them due to financial costs. I am just too cheap to buy a new game that I may not play in a long time due to school. I think I chose this game to buy brand new over other games, because it's the most compelling. When I play Halo, I love the idea of shooting aliens on a planet in a remote part of the galaxy, but I also want to learn something. Videogames already have a bad reputation for being a time waster. Why not add a good story to a game? When I play Assassin's Creed and I watched the gameplay to the second installment, I was interested in its history. I wanted to know who the assassins were and the lives of the characters in that game. Fortunately, there's something called Wikipedia. Majority of the characters except for the main playable character and the npc Masayif are real people who once lived. Assassin's Creed 2 also has characters that once lived in real life. I did some research and the most interesting character so far is the womanizing Pope Alexander (Rodrigo Borja/Borgio). Answers.com said that he died of a severe cardiac arrest due to possibly being poisoned, but he was a Spanish pope, who acknowleged all of his illegitimate children while being in a position that requires celibacy. He was not considered to be a good person, nor a good pope. I'd guess he probably died of an unknown STD or something. Spaniards in history are portrayed in a bias light due to the influence they had on Western Europe and the discovery of the New World and their role in the Inquisition. The Spain was not the only country to have an Inquisition, because France, England and countries as far east as Poland and Russia had an Inquisition or something similar. I think Spain is also an easy target for bad portrayal because of influence on the House of Tudor and the English monarchy during Henry VIII's rule.
I will be placing a game review for Halo Reach, Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood when I get a chance.
What's Going On In Life
Life is that four letter word that can have a strong, weak or neutral meaning. Today it's going to have a weak meaning, because not much is going on. Living in this city still sucks. Living off campus sucks balls, because of the place I chose to live, which made me hate this city. I went from loving this city in Spring 2009, to feeling indifferent and thinking it's better than living at home in Fall 2009 to actually loathing and considering moving back home when I stayed here over the summer a few months ago. Now I hate living here. Maybe if I lived closer to campus and/or had a roommate, I'd be a little happier. I have a kitchen where I live that I share with others, but also these walls are thin. My neighbor can hear my tv from the next room even on low decibel. Not to mention that I have evening classes and walking home can be a challenge because it's dangerous when you're a single woman alone at night.
If I could find an artist community here, in this city, I'd live there until I graduate from college. I considered going to another university at home and still live with my mom when she moves. There is an artist community in LA. I thought about trying to go there. What I really need to do is start making more artwork and present what I make to various galleries. Then again, I'm a very competive person. I have to stand out, because if I don't, I'll lose a sense of identity. The only problem I have with the artworld today is mediocre work is accepted because there is a need for an artist to make a name for himself or herself. I want to do work that is more compelling than what is in the average museum. I find pop art to be annoying. It's everywhere. Outside of school, including this winter I'll be working on my portfolio.
About going home to visit- My grandmother annoyed me so much that I'll only visit home as long as if she's out of town. She does not know this because if I told her, then she may never leave. She may end up staying home just so I would be forced to visit. I understand that there is this unwritten code of honor in most cultures and respecting your elder or the elderly is one of them. It's not that I do not love the older members of my family. It's the fact that I am now 25 years old and they still see me as someone incapable of making decisions due to them being way older. I think that if I start calling people out on the way they act toward me or the way they treat me then I'll feel better. I will be empowered. I think I'm going to start doing that.
10/30/10-10/31/10
I did not understand why I sleep in during the day until today when I had to get up early so I can pay the rent. The post office was closed, so ended up going to the bank for a money order. Professionals think that a chemical imabalance is a cause of depression, but I think it's boredom and loneliness. I know psychology majors who believe that changing a person's behavior is the be all end all cure for everything. That's like saying tea heals everything or water heals everything. I hope to get over myself soon and make my life more productive. When I feel bad, I sometimes go to an outing on my own such as the movies or a restaurant. I think on Wednesday or Friday I'll go to the movies and my favorite restaurant after (if they will still have me. I left my debit card in there, came back to get it and I'm not sure if they still want me there. Long story) instead of celebrating Holloween. Like Fourth of July, Holloween can be a dangerous holiday. If The Town is still playing, I'll watch that. If it's not, then I'll watch something else.
Scifi Shows and Games
The second half of season one of Caprica is airing. I heard that the new episodes were going to be available in January, but I guess this show airs every fall. What I do like about it is that there are more female characters heroic roles than in Battlestar Galactica. I also like that it seems to cater to a female audience a bit more than BSG. I do not like that the show falls a bit short in some episodes. Later episodes will fix that. For some reason, I do see a bit of cliche in all the science fiction shows and movies. It seems like every last one of them has a sequel, a prequel or a major corporation is the source of all the problems humanity has with technology. I see this in the Matrix series, Terminator, Battlestar Galactica and some videogames. The whole sequel/prequel problem is in videogames as well and what makes videogames worse with this is the whole expansion pack turned full fledge videogame. I understand why Caprica/BSG fell into the cliches. Science fiction is a broad genre, but a writer/director can only go so far with it for the audience to understand the plot. I remember in the late nineties and early 2000's that movies and tv series about hackers and hacking were popular. When 9/11 happened the shows and movies about hacking such as Antitrust (movie), Matrix, Odyssey 5 (tv show) and Jake 2.0 fell out of popularity, movies and tv shows about terrorism became more popular. Directors of science fiction films and designers of science fiction videogames have been incorporating religion (cults), ethics and the apocalypse into their storylines. In Caprica, the religious themes and the question of ethics in a technologically advance society are common. It gives it a sort of Terminator reminiscence to the series. I give the show some credit for answering plot holes that the BSG reimagined series left.
Speaking of sequels, prequels and science fiction in the gaming world, I got a glimpse at the gameplay of Halo Reach. It was released on Sept 15, 2010. So far, out of honest, I want to say that the game is the most different from all the previous Halo installments by Bungie. I said by Bungie, because the real time strategy version of Halo is not made by Bungie but another gaming company instead. When school is over, I will post the history/ review of the Halo series and I will lend commentary to each game to determine which one is the best and the worst in the series. Halo Reach distinguishes itself from the other games because it is a direct prequel from the previous installments. I do not understand the whole idea of prequels and side stories to games. There are some gamers who love storylines. I understand. I am one of those gamers. I read the books also, except for the recently released books and the graphic novels. I still do not see a need for a prequel to a series that is almost eleven years old. I could be wrong about that. It could be the best videogame in the series.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood will be released in a couple of weeks. This is a game that I plan on buying, more so than the newest Call of Duty Modern Warfare game. I decided to rent games, instead of collecting them due to financial costs. I am just too cheap to buy a new game that I may not play in a long time due to school. I think I chose this game to buy brand new over other games, because it's the most compelling. When I play Halo, I love the idea of shooting aliens on a planet in a remote part of the galaxy, but I also want to learn something. Videogames already have a bad reputation for being a time waster. Why not add a good story to a game? When I play Assassin's Creed and I watched the gameplay to the second installment, I was interested in its history. I wanted to know who the assassins were and the lives of the characters in that game. Fortunately, there's something called Wikipedia. Majority of the characters except for the main playable character and the npc Masayif are real people who once lived. Assassin's Creed 2 also has characters that once lived in real life. I did some research and the most interesting character so far is the womanizing Pope Alexander (Rodrigo Borja/Borgio). Answers.com said that he died of a severe cardiac arrest due to possibly being poisoned, but he was a Spanish pope, who acknowleged all of his illegitimate children while being in a position that requires celibacy. He was not considered to be a good person, nor a good pope. I'd guess he probably died of an unknown STD or something. Spaniards in history are portrayed in a bias light due to the influence they had on Western Europe and the discovery of the New World and their role in the Inquisition. The Spain was not the only country to have an Inquisition, because France, England and countries as far east as Poland and Russia had an Inquisition or something similar. I think Spain is also an easy target for bad portrayal because of influence on the House of Tudor and the English monarchy during Henry VIII's rule.
I will be placing a game review for Halo Reach, Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood when I get a chance.
What's Going On In Life
Life is that four letter word that can have a strong, weak or neutral meaning. Today it's going to have a weak meaning, because not much is going on. Living in this city still sucks. Living off campus sucks balls, because of the place I chose to live, which made me hate this city. I went from loving this city in Spring 2009, to feeling indifferent and thinking it's better than living at home in Fall 2009 to actually loathing and considering moving back home when I stayed here over the summer a few months ago. Now I hate living here. Maybe if I lived closer to campus and/or had a roommate, I'd be a little happier. I have a kitchen where I live that I share with others, but also these walls are thin. My neighbor can hear my tv from the next room even on low decibel. Not to mention that I have evening classes and walking home can be a challenge because it's dangerous when you're a single woman alone at night.
If I could find an artist community here, in this city, I'd live there until I graduate from college. I considered going to another university at home and still live with my mom when she moves. There is an artist community in LA. I thought about trying to go there. What I really need to do is start making more artwork and present what I make to various galleries. Then again, I'm a very competive person. I have to stand out, because if I don't, I'll lose a sense of identity. The only problem I have with the artworld today is mediocre work is accepted because there is a need for an artist to make a name for himself or herself. I want to do work that is more compelling than what is in the average museum. I find pop art to be annoying. It's everywhere. Outside of school, including this winter I'll be working on my portfolio.
About going home to visit- My grandmother annoyed me so much that I'll only visit home as long as if she's out of town. She does not know this because if I told her, then she may never leave. She may end up staying home just so I would be forced to visit. I understand that there is this unwritten code of honor in most cultures and respecting your elder or the elderly is one of them. It's not that I do not love the older members of my family. It's the fact that I am now 25 years old and they still see me as someone incapable of making decisions due to them being way older. I think that if I start calling people out on the way they act toward me or the way they treat me then I'll feel better. I will be empowered. I think I'm going to start doing that.
10/30/10-10/31/10
I did not understand why I sleep in during the day until today when I had to get up early so I can pay the rent. The post office was closed, so ended up going to the bank for a money order. Professionals think that a chemical imabalance is a cause of depression, but I think it's boredom and loneliness. I know psychology majors who believe that changing a person's behavior is the be all end all cure for everything. That's like saying tea heals everything or water heals everything. I hope to get over myself soon and make my life more productive. When I feel bad, I sometimes go to an outing on my own such as the movies or a restaurant. I think on Wednesday or Friday I'll go to the movies and my favorite restaurant after (if they will still have me. I left my debit card in there, came back to get it and I'm not sure if they still want me there. Long story) instead of celebrating Holloween. Like Fourth of July, Holloween can be a dangerous holiday. If The Town is still playing, I'll watch that. If it's not, then I'll watch something else.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
When Art Gets Annoying (Random Rant)
On Thursday after my art class, I went to an artist lecture of three sculptors. I left thinking that of the three artists that presented their work, I only like the first one. The other two artists did not have work that I would consider to art. I was disappointed enough not to go to the exhibit afterwards.
I thought about the the digital media classes I was enrolled in and realized that in this postmodern culture, anything can be art. I believe that after the abstract expressionist movement anyone can call anything art. On one had, this would leave me room to create anything and call it art, but on the other hand, it diminishes the definition of art. I do not believe that an everyday household item, like say a spray bottle should be displayed in The Getty's Museum or the Huntington Library.
I am somewhat on an artist block. In my artclasses I'm already feeling a burnout on drawing. Maybe if I go home this summer, I'll have space to create art. I plan on teaching classical techniques used by the Masters.
I know that when I get a studio, no one but students and those interested in displaying my work in their shows will be allowed, especially my mom and grandmother. I know that seems rather cruel, but I feel like everytime I make a nude piece, my mom always has something to say about it like it's a problem. She's say something like "oh, you and your nudes" and "you sure like your nudes". Had it been anyone else, I'd tell that person to shut his or her pie hole and if they didn't like it, then don't look. But because it's my mom, it's a little more difficult. I am very sensitive about art. If I can do anything differently about my early adult life, I'd go into art when I graduated from highschool. Now that I know that I want to instruct in art, I know better now. I'd probably only allow my mom and my sister to go to my gallery shows.
My mom and grandmother won't be allowed in my art studio, because if I had a show coming up, they will try to tell me what pieces I should and should not put into the gallery. My grandmother has very little experience in art. She believed and still does believe that I'm a "beginner" and that I should basically sell my work for crumbs. My grandmother annoys me when it comes to my work. She wants to buy every piece I make for like $20 when I need to build a portfolio. Hence, having a low expectation of my work. My mom on the other hand is the complete opposite. She believes that I should display every piece, no matter how crappy it is and that I should never throw away anything I make. I believe in throwing away pieces that do not work. It's the only way an artist can grow as an artist. Holding on to the past is not going to make someone a better person. It will only make that person worse, because of lack of growth.
Because I live in an apartment that does not allow me to keep oil paint and thinners, It does not allow anyone to use their apartment as any type of work space. Looking for another apartment is so hard, especially if I am only a student that does not have a job. The artists lofts are always full which is why I want to build a community of only visual artists. I rather paint and I don't know what to do. On one hand, I can break my lease and start buying the art supplies, but on the other hand, when I move to another apartment, I don't want the people here to say that I broke the lease and that I'm not a good tenant. This city is nothing like home. At least at home, it seems like I have more options. I can rent a studio in LA for about $500 a month and it would be in a grungy abandoned warehouse. Maybe someday when I go back home I can look for an abandon warehouse and turn it into an artist community.
I guess I can try to paint on paper here. When I do not have any space I usually draw, but I'm getting tired of only drawing. Maybe if I use a different medium it might workout. I don't really know anymore. I'm just completely annoyed.
Another thing I find annoying is that when I tell someone I'm not happy about something and I want to change my condition, they tell me that I need to see something beyond what I see. If I'm not happy in this city because it's not aesthetically inspiring, then I have every right to move. It's not my responsibility to make a place a better place. The people in this city are very small-minded, very redneck, they hate anyone who is different and it's nothing like living in a city like LA or Long Beach where at least everyone is different. I want to go home, but I do not want to move back home. I guess if I have to, then I rather live in my car. I like the idea of having my own space and the freedom to do what I want.
I also find it annoying when I tell someone that I do not like a particular kind of art and that person tries to convince me that it's the only art in the future. I HATE digital art, unless it's videogames. I don't think it should be called art at all. It should not even exist. Period. I am not even close to being convinced that it's the only art that will exist in the future. Without fine art such as drawing, painting sculpting and even ceramics, the digital medium would not be successful. I do not believe that a digital artist can really call him or herself an artist if he or she does not know the concept of movement, color, line or proper placement of object. In my digital media class last year, I knew kids who could work with a computer and can't draw worth crap. Maybe they won't be called artist when technology collapses.
Probably in the future I'll try not to get as annoyed or jealous of others when they say that they are going to paint in their studio, even when they have crappy work.
I thought about the the digital media classes I was enrolled in and realized that in this postmodern culture, anything can be art. I believe that after the abstract expressionist movement anyone can call anything art. On one had, this would leave me room to create anything and call it art, but on the other hand, it diminishes the definition of art. I do not believe that an everyday household item, like say a spray bottle should be displayed in The Getty's Museum or the Huntington Library.
I am somewhat on an artist block. In my artclasses I'm already feeling a burnout on drawing. Maybe if I go home this summer, I'll have space to create art. I plan on teaching classical techniques used by the Masters.
I know that when I get a studio, no one but students and those interested in displaying my work in their shows will be allowed, especially my mom and grandmother. I know that seems rather cruel, but I feel like everytime I make a nude piece, my mom always has something to say about it like it's a problem. She's say something like "oh, you and your nudes" and "you sure like your nudes". Had it been anyone else, I'd tell that person to shut his or her pie hole and if they didn't like it, then don't look. But because it's my mom, it's a little more difficult. I am very sensitive about art. If I can do anything differently about my early adult life, I'd go into art when I graduated from highschool. Now that I know that I want to instruct in art, I know better now. I'd probably only allow my mom and my sister to go to my gallery shows.
My mom and grandmother won't be allowed in my art studio, because if I had a show coming up, they will try to tell me what pieces I should and should not put into the gallery. My grandmother has very little experience in art. She believed and still does believe that I'm a "beginner" and that I should basically sell my work for crumbs. My grandmother annoys me when it comes to my work. She wants to buy every piece I make for like $20 when I need to build a portfolio. Hence, having a low expectation of my work. My mom on the other hand is the complete opposite. She believes that I should display every piece, no matter how crappy it is and that I should never throw away anything I make. I believe in throwing away pieces that do not work. It's the only way an artist can grow as an artist. Holding on to the past is not going to make someone a better person. It will only make that person worse, because of lack of growth.
Because I live in an apartment that does not allow me to keep oil paint and thinners, It does not allow anyone to use their apartment as any type of work space. Looking for another apartment is so hard, especially if I am only a student that does not have a job. The artists lofts are always full which is why I want to build a community of only visual artists. I rather paint and I don't know what to do. On one hand, I can break my lease and start buying the art supplies, but on the other hand, when I move to another apartment, I don't want the people here to say that I broke the lease and that I'm not a good tenant. This city is nothing like home. At least at home, it seems like I have more options. I can rent a studio in LA for about $500 a month and it would be in a grungy abandoned warehouse. Maybe someday when I go back home I can look for an abandon warehouse and turn it into an artist community.
I guess I can try to paint on paper here. When I do not have any space I usually draw, but I'm getting tired of only drawing. Maybe if I use a different medium it might workout. I don't really know anymore. I'm just completely annoyed.
Another thing I find annoying is that when I tell someone I'm not happy about something and I want to change my condition, they tell me that I need to see something beyond what I see. If I'm not happy in this city because it's not aesthetically inspiring, then I have every right to move. It's not my responsibility to make a place a better place. The people in this city are very small-minded, very redneck, they hate anyone who is different and it's nothing like living in a city like LA or Long Beach where at least everyone is different. I want to go home, but I do not want to move back home. I guess if I have to, then I rather live in my car. I like the idea of having my own space and the freedom to do what I want.
I also find it annoying when I tell someone that I do not like a particular kind of art and that person tries to convince me that it's the only art in the future. I HATE digital art, unless it's videogames. I don't think it should be called art at all. It should not even exist. Period. I am not even close to being convinced that it's the only art that will exist in the future. Without fine art such as drawing, painting sculpting and even ceramics, the digital medium would not be successful. I do not believe that a digital artist can really call him or herself an artist if he or she does not know the concept of movement, color, line or proper placement of object. In my digital media class last year, I knew kids who could work with a computer and can't draw worth crap. Maybe they won't be called artist when technology collapses.
Probably in the future I'll try not to get as annoyed or jealous of others when they say that they are going to paint in their studio, even when they have crappy work.
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