Week in Review #2

1. New York State has passed legislation that bans sex offenders from using any type of social gaming. I'm not pro sex offender by any stretch of the idea, but to me this just seems like a way for politicians to congratulate themselves. All social gaming has systems in place for you to mute or block another member, and you can report anyone for inappropriate behavior. I know politicians like Eric Schneiderman place this in the guise of "the greater good", but at what point does a sex offender get to prove themselves rehabilitated?

The other issue here is kids on Xbox Live and any other service with voice chat in the first place, parents seriously need to start putting a stop to it. There isn't a more vile place in the world than Xbox Live, and a big reason for that is impressionable 12 year olds. I've been called a fag by so many dumb kids online, and to me... that's a far greater problem. Close down Xbox Live and any similar service to anyone that's under 16 and maybe you wouldn't have pedophiles using it to cruise for young dick.

2. The Futureheads new album is completely A Capella. I give them credit for being willing to try something different than poppy post punk, but really? I guess the memory of these guys being a decent band is just going to keep fading. Perhaps everyone just forgot how to play their instruments?

3. Google unveiled Project Glass, which included a video of their goals for the final working prototype. The idea is basically having smart phone type functionality on a pair of glasses, allowing you to get all sorts of information put directly onto your field of vision. While I'm kind of split on this being a good idea, the fact is that it's absolutely going to happen whether or not google is the company to do it. I feel like (if this is even possible), that it could be distracting for people and could make all of us even more plugged out of reality. What's next after project glass? are we going to see a surgery emerge that turns us into a smart phone? I completely understand that this is going to happen some day, but I also want to know when the robots are going to kill all of us.

4. Some of my favorite April Fools gags that various websites did this year.

Google Tap, Google Maps for the NES, Google Fiber Bar, Mass Effect 3 Cartoon, Adult Swim brings back Toonami, Sony Vaio Q, Adblock becomes Catblock

5. Bioware is releasing an "extended cut" of their ending to Mass Effect 3 due to fan outrage over the current ending. I for one am absolutely astounded that people cared enough to make this happen. I don't think it sets a good precedent, I don't want the public to have the power to change an artistic vision. The very fact that Bioware is giving into fan demand is a huge blow to video games as an art form and vehicle for storytelling. I'm really sad that it's come to this.

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1. NY moves to ban sex offenders from gaming websites

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