Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was listed as the most controversial game of the last decade

In December 2009, techland.com released the list of the top 10 most controversial video games of the last decade and the list reads as follows:
1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
2. Super Columbine Massacre RPG (2005)
3. Manhunt (2003)
4. RapeLay (2006)
5. Mass Effect (2007)
6. Left Behind: Eternal Forces (2006)
7. Bully (2006)
8. Ethnic Cleansing (2002)
9. Resident Evil 5 (2009)
10. Six Days in Fallujah (2009)

I remember when the big controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas emerged. There was this secret mini-game called "hot coffee" where the main character and his girlfriend engage in various sex acts. This was a big deal because the ESRB reviewed the game without seeing the hot coffee segment and gave the game an improper rating, requiring the game to be shelved, the mini game removed, and the rating changed. Although this is very controversial, I still believe that creating a game replicating the columbine massacre of '99 is above and beyond controversial. Until viewing this list, I had no clue that such a game would even be created, and cannot fathom someone sitting in a room and thinking that would make a great idea. Sick, very sick. I'm guessing the reason that the columbine game remains in the number two spot because the San Andreas controversy was more highly publicized as the Grand Theft Auto series was extremely popular at the time.

Development Plan

This week we are putting together our development plan on Globaloria. A lot of the questions in the exercise were pretty basic, and similar to what we've been asked in previous exercises. However, some other questions couldn't fully be answered at this point in time. There are still some aspects of our game that we have to discuss. For example, we're not sure how a player should be rewarded for winning, and we're also not completely clear on our scoring system. Developing a game requires a lot of detail, which is something that is more apparent this semester. This week, I'm hoping that my group can come together and make a few decisions so we can keep the ball rolling.
I also plan to start working on the programming practices, learning from others, and finding solutions exercises for the rest of the week. For now, that's all I got...

South Carolina urging parents to examine video game ratings

I went to the official ESRB website and stumbled across this press release. . . South Carolina Attorney General, Henry McMaster, launched a campaign encouraging parents to use the video game ratings as an aid for making purchasing decisions for their children. I agree that parents should know about the ratings and use them accordingly, however I believe that most parents already understand the meaning of the ratings because they are pretty self explanatory, (i.e. E for Everyone, M for Mature,etc). I feel that the clarity within the rating leaves no need for a PSA and is a waste of time. In general, I feel that there are much more important issues requiring PSAs for parents aside from being able to translate the game ratings on video games.

Tying some lose ends

There are a few different areas that will be covered this week in Game Design/Flash Games. Joel and I got together in class to help design the first scene of "Food Forecast" on our Team Awesome page. It has become apparent that there are still things that need to be considered for the development of our game. Sound seems to be a challenge, as we have not done any exercises with sounds and therefore do not really know what we will be able to produce for our game. We are also trying to figure out strategies to make the game more challenging as the years progress, as well as toying with the idea of granting the player special privelages within the game in lieu of a reward. We are coming up with some pretty good ideas, and although we've made a number of decisions, there is still a bit of brainstorming involved.
I have also been doing work on the Intro to Actionscript exercise. I am happy to see that Globaloria has responded to the class's request to make the exercises more cut and dry. I step by step format, which made everything very clear. I felt that it was easier for me to understand how things work, and apply the codes. After last semester, I was really nervous about how I was going to complete the exercises and furthermore, how it was going to effect our game. This makes me feel better, enabling me to feel more confident about the rest of the semester!
As a follow up to my brainstorming post, I have decided to do my weekly post relating to censorship and the ESRB! It's good to feel like I'm getting organized, so I can develop a game plan to get everything accomplished throughout this semester!

My Expectations For The Semester

This semester, I hope to get "food forecast" up and running. Team awesome is the only group returning from last semester which puts us ahead of the rest of the class. I think the extra time provided will ensure that our game will be completed by the end of the semester. I look forward to gaining feedback from other classmates and iron out whatever kinks were left over.
I hope to improve my knowledge of flash and illustrator, so our game can reach its full potential, and we all can make solid contributions. I've heard that Globaloria has made some changes and I hope that the flash exercises are easier to follow this time around, as it was my biggest challenge last semester. Overall, I am excited to return this semester and look forward to continue working with team awesome as well as Globaloria.

Brainstorming a topic...

This semester we have been asked to change our blogging format. In our 2 posts per week, we are asked to make one post about our progress in class, and the second blog on a specific subject related to gaming and expanding on it each week. I am currently thinking about two different ideas. The first idea would be to discuss the ratings and censorship of video games. I feel like the topic is interesting and I feel there is a lot to expand on which is important because I need enough content to fill 16 entries. Another topic I'm considering is the latest trend using game consoles for home exercise. Because this is a recent trend, there is a lot to report regarding the latest games as well as the success of these programs. I'm not sure which one I'm going to use, so any sort of feedback is welcome.