Well, after logging onto AIM and checking some new articles on the "AIM Today" Site, I ran across this...

Most Controversial Games of All Time

Now, my rant will follow the games in order of appearance on there, so feel free to read this while going through their list.

Mortal Kombat: Now, this isnt really included in my rant. Their reason, which is the over-the-top violence and gore is a staple of the series, and well, everyone knows about it.

GTA: Well, another game not really included in my rant at this point. Though the fact that people hate the idea of the game being based in NY City is rather annoying, specially with the upcoming "Prototype" game, which has you fiest upon and kill those around you while destroying parts of the environment, seems a bit worse than this.

Manhunt Two: Noooow this is where my ranting starts... First, let me include a small quote, which is crucial to this part.
~Manhunt games follow a killer that finds creative ways to use everyday objects as weapons of mass execution~
Now, those who have played the first game know that this is wrong. The first followed a man who was forced into some underground show, having to kill gang members and other crazies in order to reach and eventually save his family, as well as himself. The fact that he uses 'everyday weapons' to execute is really a way to convey the "Desperation" the man had, having to resort to using a simple bag, wire, or even shard of glass to survive in a place where guns are rather useless (something that Condemned took up a notch, even though it isnt on the list... maybe because the main guy in it was a cop...). Another point about the series is the unnecessary blurring effects for virtually the same thing in Manhunt. While the first game got away with its gruesome execution moves, the second game was labeled AO thanks to them, and had to include a hastily added blur to lower the rating whose difference between M and AO is one year. Now if the blurring was thought out, I wouldnt mind, but the effects seem like it was pulled from their asses, and to me, generally ruins the stealth aspect of the game. Now, a hack has surfaced that removes the blurring. Fortunately, Rockstar isnt being blamed this time, unlike the infamous "Hot Coffee" hack from GTA: San Andreas. Now, i see little difference in this. The coding for the hot coffee mod, and the models used for the executiosn of Manhunt2, were still in the game. Yet, the ESRB reacts completely differently to each aspect. While San Andreas had a recall to 'fix' the hot coffee mod, and recently this year are offering a $35 rebate for those "Hurt" by the knowledge of the mod's existence (Heh), the ESRB, for manhunt two, stated that the hacker was to blame because he altered and removed the blurring effect. Little difference between the two, no? Moving on...

Doom: Nothing to say here, though I find it laughable that people would blame the original Doom, an old shooter game and was available on floppy discs, would be blamed for the Columbine shooting, which was several years later, so I doubt those kids had even played the game. And the idea of the game being a secret military training program is also comedic, because when was the last time our soldiers had to face off against a legion of fire spewing, laser pewing, bunch of regular and cybernetically enhanced demonic beings... what's that? Never? Thought so...

Now, the next three games I have never heard of, or played. Each was a game that used fully rendered, Full motion video (FMV) scenes. An interesting concept no doubt, but met with little success, in part that though its okay to see two teens fuckin each other in a tent, then get impaled on a pole (no pun intended) was alright in a 80s Friday the 13nth movie, it isnt okay to see rape or blood in a FMV scene in a game equally as old, and, with actors who have never touched the big screens, or possibly the small screen as well heh. Now, the only game that still uses FMV scinemas is Command and Conquer, which is rather well done, despite a few actors hamming it up heh.

Mass Effect: Heeere we go. Now, I'm sure many have by now heard of the recent Fox Network's discussion about the games allegidly "Full frontal nudity and easily obtainable sex scene". Well, I am also sure that people have also heard about the uproar that rose directly afterwards. Though this particular game doesnt have me ranting right now, it has me grinning thanks to this little tid-bit

Thrill Kill: An old ps1 game, not even released, and yet it had such contreversy around it. A shame it was cancelled, else I'd of played it just to see what the issue was. Though apparently the game had a download leaked on the internet, I have yet to find it.

Hitman: Blood Money: Once again, let me start this off with a quote.
~The suggestion of sexualized violence against women surpassed the game's actual violent content~
Now, looking at the picture, you see a woman laid out on the bed, dead, a magazine advertisement for this game. Now, this bit is based on the 'sexist' point of it. If that was a man there, no guy would go "That's sexist! Im offended!", and why? Because, we just wouldnt. Now, women find that offensive because it's showing a woman dead. How this supports violence against women I dont know, but its those women's rights crazies that drive me insane. Though they fight and fight to be more equal with men, when something pops up like this, they go crazy. To me, they are just pulling both ways on a topic. How can women hope to be equal when they dont like pictures above. Obviously the woman in the picture wasnt complaining, else she wouldnt have done it. It's over-zealous of them to assume this picture is 'sexist'. When's the last time women have complained about all the girls getting beat up on Lifetime, or killed in a movie? Never. So why start now about a bloody advertisement in what is most likely a gaming magazine.

Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: Now, this game was an unexpected addition to the list. The reason? A nudity mod some hacker made to let you strip the women's tops off... yeah... The blood and gore claimed to be in the game isnt enough to encourage an M rating to me, though this is coming from someone (me), who has played M rated games since he was 10. Now, I dont know about anyone else, but I personally have never heard of the said mod, but honestly who would want it? I am pretty sure the developers, while creating the skins and textures for the models, never created a full skin. Thus, this most likely means that the hacker had to further alter the game, by including full separation and the nipples, which I am sure were rather horribly done. So the major complaint? Why is this game on the list? For the same damn reason, God of War should be on there, yes its representive of ancient greek mythology and society, but it still had plenty of rendered breasts to be seen, top and topless, as well as some asses been thrown about in it. Even the sex minigames werent enough to place it in this list. How this works, I dont know, but god of war easily deserves to be on this list and not this game. I love god of war and oblivion, and to me, this is just as unfair to the Elder Scrolls game as the Fox Network was to Mass Effect.

Obviously the rant couldnt cover all the games, since some deserved it. Yet games like Manhunt, Mass Effect, and Oblivion, were unfairly treated in a market full of over-the-top violence and nudity. Hell, several games were made and rated M that's sole purpose was to see breasts and porn, such as "The Man Game" and a few others.
The main reason of this rant is also because of how crazy the media is going right now, studies popping up saying Violence in videogames are to blame, not the parents and their poor parenting skills. Like I've said, I've played M rated games when I was ten, my parents bought the game for me. Now, people have said that playing those games at that age make it hard for the kids to figure whats real and whats imaginary. Now, the most violent thing I've done my entire life has been defending myself in a fight i got dragged into at school. I havent thought I coul go around and chop off heads, or rape women, or shoot up places, and get away with it like those game characters. I know there are some people who just cant handle the violence, or have the most stable of minds, but games arent to be blamed. Parents who know their kids arent stable are, parents who have guns just laying around are, parents who dont take it in their hands to make sure their kids are mature enough, and even old enough for the game's rating are to blame!

If you've actually read this entire thing and followed along, give a hand to yourself and pat your back, this took me an hour of typing to do! XD

http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/charact ers/sonic.html

Finally, sonic joins the fray in Super Smash Bros. Is it just a way for nintendo to honor a character from a dieing game, or is it their way to settle a question of who would win, mario or sonic?

All I know is, my bet is on sonic from what I saw in the video.

Well, I am posting this as a way to motivate myself. After finally getting a good flash program, I have been searching extensively for tutorials, which, thanks to the flash tuts series i discovered on here, among other sites, I have begun to just figure out how flash works. My next goal is to get a tablet to use, as being left handed, i cant draw or anything with my right hand lol, and holding a mouse with my left is just not comfortable. After I acquire one (god hopefully soon) I'll work on the intro to this, as that will be my first post, and will only require music and animations, something more simple then trying a full blown episode in my eyes. Voice acting is still to be decided, as I am trying to figure that portion out still, and will most likely do most of the voice acting early on... XD

The series follows my character, Seishi, from childhood (or rather early teens/preteens) to adulthood, which seems dumb I know, but it'll introduce key characters as it continues on. It is a story of fantasy mixed with the modern world, which will seem hard to believe at first, but it'll be easier to understand as it goes on. It is a story of love, and a story of friend's betraying each other.

I do have the comic series up to like 14 posted somewhere, but i need to find them. 15 and 16 are done, but not scanned. In case anyone couldn't figure it out, the series will be directly based off this series.

Now about progress:
1) I have the opening song already chosen, and all planned out in terms of what will happen during when in the song.
2) Already have a basic understanding of how to animate, but very poorly, so that will be worked on.
3) Once a tablet is gotten, I'll be able to draw alot faster in flash and better as well.

I'll make another entry when further things develope, till then, peace!

~CursedSeishi~

Okay, like my post says, i know i am a noob for asking, but that is the truth. I am interested in doing flash cartoons and such, yet in all honesty, i do not know what programs, (if there are different ones) to use. None of my friends know anything about flash, so when I asked them things like "Hey, do you know any programs I could use to make cartoons and games, and could add in music and sounds." The only reply i got was "Visual Basics dude". Now, I have no real problem with VB, but the program itself is old as hell, and from my experience, just isn't right for me. So yeah, I know I'm asking to get flamed for this post, but if anyone does know what to use that's good, could you please pm me it's link or something, much appreciated and thanks.

~CursedSeishi~