Editorial: A Little Bit About Myself

For those of you who are new to the Malacast Editorial, I am Malacast Agent the lead, and most times; only writer of the blog. Blogger is the host, and have been good to me all these years, so I don’t ever try to replace this blog with a private one. For those of you who have been surfing around, and seeing that it is all over the place, I assure you I will be doing more video game posts, and most likely movie posts, whenever they become available. I haven’t done a television post in a long while, mostly because I’ve not seen anything relatively new on television. This is an editorial, I do one every so-often to kind of displace it from the rest of the blog. Normally it’s on a random topic of my choosing, and yes, this could considerably a random topic for me. Mostly I’m going to talk about myself a little bit, because every time I try to, I usually fail, because I feel it’s not interesting enough to post, or the post gets completely overlooked. So this time I’m going to try something different. I’m going to talk about he things I ice, because I find our psychology and sociology has instinct have taught us to enjoy the random likings of other people, because it is what we use to make a fond connection. Personally, I find it disturbing that a lot of our parents, and even grandparents are together because they share an uninhibited love for Cherry 7Up. Just thin k, that you, or your mother or father is here because two people found a similar taste of Cherry 7Up better than al the other six billion, or less back then; people in the world. Granted, there are other subconscious factors as to why we connect with another human being, sometimes it’s because they complete a part of ourselves that we cannot ever essentially be, like friends who vote for different philosophies in politics, or even for different acts on America’s Got Talent. Isn’t it strange to think that if two people find common ground on something they truly believe in, it’ll keep them together longer than most? Even two people who hold a lot of loves in common can drift apart if that one ever represent uninhibited passion isn’t agreed upon, let-alone loved. I find that interesting to think about. Granted, it’s all theory, there’s no evidence as to what makes people like one-another, relationship, r an other –ship, but it’s universally accepted as a potential reason why we choose the friends we do. Studies say that location, and time is really important in deciding whom we love, and why we love them. Ironically, things like the internet trick the brain into thinking that so-and-so is just down the street, because I’m talking to them online, or on the phone, hence why phone sex lines were so popular: it gave you the notion that the person could be over in just a hop, skip, and a jump. But I’m not going to discuss myself because I want to make you feel like I want you to like me, I’m doing it so many of those who read my work can perhaps see something as to what inspires me to write as I do, and perhaps gain some enlightenment on who I am as a person. Yes, people may think this catty of me, perhaps narcissistic, and I’d be the first to tell you I probably am a narcissist, but honestly, I’m also a realist, and I quite don’t take criticism harshly, in-fact; I rather welcome it on all parts, so long as those who make their point are willing to discuss it in a sound, and rational mind. Sadly, those people are far-and-few in-between the masses that tend to wise up, and say less. I’ll start with the obvious: I love reading, and writing, that’s the most prevalent, constant in my life, which has been there since I was a child. I used to go to the book fairs at school, and spend over a hundred dollars on books, but I would read all of them, and I can still to this day recall a great deal of the books I’ve read. A lot of them were Goosebumps, which was probably my favorite book series as a child. R.L. Stine found a way to commercialize books, but JK. Rowling mastered the art into a legitimate business. A rather lucrative one at that as well, as I’ve touché don in other posts. Having read a great deal, I always go back and read Strunk’s book The Elements of Style, which is probably the most acclaimed book on style writing, and developing an adamant voice I writing. I’ve read so many books on style, and how to formulate style by the set guidelines in books like a Pocket Style Manual b Diana Hacker, that I almost find myself ignoring the rules, because the Elephants of Style, and Lapsing into a Comma by Bill Pullman probably have taught me more about writing than a thousand times through Elements. Another shocker, I enjoy video games, but rather writing about them more than playing them. Exception of course being Mortal Kombat, I will always, always enjoy playing Mortal Kombat, even for the billionth time through. I find that gaming magazines, and even blogs and sites like Rant Gamer, and Kotaku try to enrapture some collegiate skill f form to the writing process, yet it doesn’t tell you a damn thing about the game that would have you make a rational decision over whether or not you want to play it! The reason for this is because they have to be broad because all the gaming companies pay these so-called journalists, and it’s a joke to even call them so, to write mediocre reviews, so you will go and make o your own mind. Obviously it’s about selling clicks and not about giving you a legitimate yes or now, unless the game is so obviously terrible, they have to pin it down as a dog, and shoot it in the proverbial muzzle. I’ve always hoped to grade games with integrity, as I have done with books I’m brutal to books I’ve hated, and why I’ve hated them, and yet, I can appreciate that other people can love them, so I do my best to list the redeeming factors, but I do not flip-flop often. Let’s be honest: in the last few decades, journalism as a whole has been allowing no-name bloggers, and indies, because blogs weren’t around nearly twenty years ago, to come up, and give alternative news. The same could be said with the integrity of the jokingly pathetic video game journalism field. I’ve written o a short extent on this subject in past posts as well, but mostly because the modern perspective of gaming journalism is a two-fold system: you either applaud the normally left-leaning progressive movement of so-called open-minded gamers, while laughing at the obviously superficial word smiting they do to make them seem like they were honest journalists who actually are writing for say, the New York Times. I get you should do something to an extent, but damn, can we NOT politicize a medium that makes billions off of ray guns blowing up alien heads in gore-splattering glory? I know I’m a hypocrite, because what I’ve just written could be seen as politically motivated, and that couldn’t be further form the truth. I believe that in-all-honesty, write what you damn well want, but let’s not make gaming about something more than what it is, unless the game entailed IS about more than just gaming, and sadly, many games try to be that way, and it’s a shame. So off of vide games for now, because I think it’s obviously clear that if they weren’t a passion of mine, I wouldn’t have started this bog, and turned it into what it has become so quickly. I write short stories, and honestly I’ve tried to sell some of them, and yes, some of them don’t make sense, but I do give out a completed, or at least a part of a completed short story weekly now and I’ve been doing so in-hopes of improving my writing, while also giving me a ridiculous goal to meet. I’ve sent off work to get published so many times, and I’ve been published in newspapers, and magazines, but not for my fiction, but rather several non-fiction articles. It’s rough to do something like write continuously and more-often-than-not, write a short story weekly, but I’m doing it so far. Today I’ll be releasing part 1 of 2, and I’ll have a while shorter short story to go up next week as well, so not to make anyone feel like I’ve cheated. This post of course is just an editorial, and doesn’t count either. I’ve recently found another passion f mine to be obtuse to most others in my country: Koi-Koi. I’m obsessed with eh card game so much so, that I’ve bought my own cards, and am trying to master the game, and memorize every detail. I’ve only been playing a few years now, but have only bought the cards this year. They were directly from Nintendo, and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Koi-Koi is a Japanese Card game, using the Western card game style as it’s base, but including the eastern influences, and point system that’s found in many Japanese games. Hachi-Hachi is perhaps more Japanese, and frankly more widely played in Japan than Koi-Koi, but it’s still a fun game, and a wicked way to gamble. I am also a fan of anime, if it’s good. For example, I stick with the classics: Ghost in the Shell is a great one that truly was futuristic for the year it came out, and probably one of my favorite stories, let-alone animes of all time. Akira is also standard, and really, every kid growing up with Dragon Ball Z, or Inuyasha, owe Akria for breaking into the mainstream back in the early nineties. I’m not obsessed with anime like so many fans are, but I can respect fandoms for what they do for the economy, but even with my love of Mortal Kombat, I don’t consider myself to be an obsessed fan, because I don’t go crazy, vying for tournaments, nor do I buy a bunch of MK gear, or obsessed over DLC. In-truth, I don’t hold any allegiances, expect for Sony, that is, until they make a system I don’t like, and then I’ll switch to the next best thing. Nobody should hold a brand up to the accolades of a god. I’m one of those people who really don’t know themselves well enough to go into every vivid detail of what makes them tick. If you had to ask me today what I’d label myself, I’d say labels are for inefficient douchebags that can’t decide for themselves where they stand in this world. Granted, I’m one of those in many aspects, but I do know who I am well enough to as that I can’t possibly through a label on myself. I don’t care much for the spotlight, ad I love to be critiqued and criticized, because I like to hear feedback, even on the obvious (why does your spelling suck? You suck! You’ll never be a writer! My spelling sucks mostly because what I’m normally typing on isn’t really the best for my hands and also I have pains in my wrists, and it doesn’t help when you’re trying to type over ten thousand words a day. Today I’ve written about sixteen pages, so I’m nearly down to m ten thousand words. Like some people use a pedometer to track their walking, I track my writing with a certain number. Ten thousand words a day means the average person can write a book in less than ten days at that pace by-the-way) So what else makes me tick? I love bubble tea now, it’s become one of my favorite new drink snacks. I also love sushi, burgers, and pizza. I especially love veggie burgers. I know they’re terrible for you; believe it or not, they’re less healthy than a regular burger with no ketchup! Still, I enjoy certain foods that are avant-garde. For example I love: whelk; or sea snail, escargot, anchovies, liver, soft-shell crab, and a host of other oddball foods that are both seafood, and well, not. I also think Miley Cyrus is one of the most capable performers when it comes to self-promotion, and although I do feel most of it is not an act, I do believe she knows exactly what she’s doing, what she can do to push the limits, and also what she’ll do to make herself bigger and bigger every year. The irony is that the singing aspect of her show is the most minute of talents she utilizes, and quite frankly, she has everyone fooled. I guess I could tell you who my biggest crush is, or what’s my favorite color, but this isn’t a thirteen year old slumber party, but I will end on this tasty bit of information: I am a huge fan of the band Cattle Decapitation, and if they ever need another vocalist, or songwriter, I will completely jump on board. Well that’s it for this long, obviously insane post about me. I’m sure you’ve learned very little, and that’s okay, it’s hard for me to open up to whoever stalks my pages, but know that I took the time, and I love each and every one of you for reading my posts. Enjoy part 1 of Brightside, the ending second half will be out next Wednesday, and I will have a second short story up by Friday, scout’s honor!

Is Technology Really the Most Important Educative Tool for the Future?

Is Technology Really the Most Important Educative Tool for the Future?

            People may believe in their hearts that humankind must have some basic fundamentally reason for existence, some main goal that needs to be completed in a lifetime, some even can stress the point further by saying we are all set down on this magnificent ball of flora and fauna to reign supreme in a growing light, outreaching to even the darkest of continents, and fend off the wild nature that is best in us all. Survival, that seems to be the stagnant answer humankind uses as the reason for our existence, the proverbial end-all-be-all for our reason to make stake on this planet. We are all here to work, be entertained, and go-about our daily lives in this belief that nothing is greater than the survival of the species in the never-ending, insurmountable string of hodgepodge chaos that is life.

            We are partly orderly, and wholly ascending to reach goals we have set out to gain, battling mentally across the vast plains to reach that pinnacle of greatness, the perfection we strive to all grasp, even if it means for just a stitch in the course of history. Most of us, sadly, never gain that notoriety, and those who do are swimming in a much larger pond, with albeit, much grander beasts than themselves. So how do we rely on an outlet for this natural instinct for achieving those unascertainable feats? Some think outside the box, and head towards the patent offices for pushing conglomerate variables into an invention to change the world. Others head off to higher learning, in-hopes the knowledge they can attain will then be used to cause wonder, and aspire them to new heights, mounting new frontiers, so they too can plant their hypothetic flags of new discovery among the peaks that make up the limitations of our world, enticing us that limits are truly in the imagination and ingenuity of the mystified gaze of the beholder. Some simply start a revolutionary blog, or website, and gain millions of followers who hold sacred the same values as those expressed, and others just get to talking to those with the know-how becoming public or silent partners.

            The ends the goals we set as men and women are basically the same ones we all attempt to meet in the modern world, those the variables of how we get there are as complicated as they are accumulative. We truly are an imaginative being, perhaps the most imaginative, and most skilled to twist the natural world around us to meet our needs. No other creature, not even in prehistoric times, has left such an extensive impact on the Earth, ever. We rival Mother Nature in her destructive, and creative force, we stand like gods over insects, and fight off bacterial infections, and virus plagues, all so we can expand our literal, and theoretical spheres of influence all about the continents, and we institutionalize our mediums at the forefront, never faltering from any form of suppression, or stifled from any hindrance.

            Our goals as the human race seem a bit trifle in the spectrum of history, as we were not the first dominator, and more-than-likely not the last, but we have overcome in our minute time is stellar, that we forget most great advancements come from the few, and are institutionalized by the many, and so it is true with one of our newest institutions: video game systems, and computers.

           

            Most serious tech aficionados will banter over whether-or-not video games are a seriously important use of technology, and most are fair in their debacle over this form of mass media outlet. Others might be confused at the intent of what the point this article is making: “why would someone try to link greatness of all of mankind’s atonements, including everything from aqueducts to space rockets, to something as laymen as video games? How does Pac-Man factor into the importance of  Man’s creations, such as the Apollo missions?”

            The truth is, I’m not saying that space exploration is any more-or-less important as Space Invaders, that is not the intent of this editorial. My core belief is that just like other forms of mass media, and I cannot stress this enough that video game systems as they are today are by-far one of the largest upcoming form of mass media, we do not initialize our use of it enough.

           

            I recall several editorials of the past, many stating that video games will be as frequent in the classrooms, as they are now in the living rooms and bedrooms of the modern home. Some have even stated that text and video, as it is literally today, will have the addition of interactive media, like video game software, to help explain, or even teach certain subjects. I’m not of the extremities of the above statements being truth, but what I do believe is that if this is to become a standard, and that people can start to gain the notoriety they so desire from simply downloading cloud software from the giant, infinite space that is the internet, or buying a hardcopy disc from a retail outlet, I find it quite interesting to see how it will be incorporated so demographics of all-kinds can understand just how to utilize such a technology in the education area.

            I’m not sure if I can picture a world where we rediscover history through a first-person perspective, where World War I is fought in over-and-over to help dignify further than text how brave men would gallantly cross over No-Man’s Land all to fight off the Kaiser’s advancements, dodging landmines and gunfire. I’m not sure a virtual envisioning of the signing of the Declaration of Independence through a first-person perspective would be enough to keep even the most drawl student enticed long-enough. What I can imagine is utilizing interactive virtual characters from history to explain, perhaps in their own words, or reenact their own lives out in some holographic, three-dimensional form, similar to something like the animatronics of the Epcot Center, or virtual reality  where the user enters the world for the first time through the courses of history as we’ve laid them out.

            Surely gathering up the letters of great historical figures, and turning those words into lectures and insight perhaps not easily taught in the main classroom could be interesting, if not ecstatic, but the time and resources to turn a medium into a way of inspiring the youthful masses to then turn imagination into future technologies seems cost-disruptive, and a basic waste of technology and funds. So can video games, or more precisely, interactive technology ever be utilized for more than just mere sophomoric entertainment? I believe it already has, and can be even further in the future.

            I am a gamer, it’s a label that I wear not so-much with pride, but with conviction. I believe video games are for more than just blasting unrealistic-sized holes into one’s enemies, and fighting off surreal space aliens on floating vessels, I believe they can have a bit of truth, but it is how you intend to use that truth. I feel games featuring famous historical figures are interesting, and can be made interesting to the masses, perhaps even teach people more than they’d expect from a few hours of ample game play. I believe we can also efficiently turn the same technology we have today, and in the speculated future into useful tools that can educate and entertain.

            In a world where high schools would rather teach students how to proficiently use skills to benefit them in the future, which is great, but to then cut out the teaching of important literature for twang, robotic writing, are video games going to be the last resort for imagination? Are we going to be limited by the choices we are given as to how the public education systems will teach in the twenty-first century? I say no! I say we can indoctrinate new styles of teaching, and still maintain the dignity we would expect from new-age ways of educating. It may perhaps even grow to further the education of the masses greater than the old system. I might understand humanity’s desire to complete unrealistic goals, even to at times complete some extraordinary feats, but lets all be reminded that Einstein had found most of his greatest discoveries while working in a patent office, and barely a college education under his belt. There was no television in his day, the radio was practically the biggest invention of his era when it came to mass media, and he did his best thinking while riding the trolley, and placing pen to paper.

            So is technology always the answer to the stifled minds of the generation who thinks them  the greatest yet to have come down the pipes? Perhaps not, but I find that we will strive for greatness, and not always some manufactured greatness of a new phone, or new application to be placed on that phone, but it will be spectacular, and change the course of history again, and I’m sure all that person will need to make such a discovery will only need be as technologically advanced as a pen, paper, and an extraordinary imagination.

  

Editorial: The Short-sided Opinion on the likes of DLC and Digital Distribution

The last time I checked, it was illegal to digitally downloaded material that was considered by the RIAA as "pirated" software. Recently, I've taken notice that many companies, big and small, are allowing free distribution of certain copyrighted materials, and are using the global marketplace as a think tank for freely marketing original content by struggling artists who are not getting the proper pay and to me this is promoting the very illegal distribution that so many feel hurts the entertainment industry. Sadly, you have to deal with contemporary mediums for outsourcing materials like new albums, digital books, and even podcasts in the form of free samples, which hardly ever help the "little guy/gal" indie entertainer. This mostly relates to advertisers taking hard-working entertainers to the cleaners more heavily than ever before.
In recent months, there have been so many digitally distributed resources for people to manage to transfer via the world wide net, that it is almost impossible to imagine there being any income or capital of any sort for the modern-day musician. The art is thrown around by mega structures, that the artist is starving more now than ever before. I am not talking about the likes of Lady Gaga, although she is digitally downloaded enough that she losses hundereds of thousands of monies from income, but her work is so wildly popular with the demographic, it becomes pennies on the dollar.
Digital Distribution, whether through a source such as iTunes, or Bit Torrent for the illgeal distributer, pirating is now a threat more to the start-up artist, rather than the hit-making machines that are artistic elite. Granted, stealing from any artist who has actually put the thought and heart into their achievements should be wrong on levels from both sides of the spectrum, but I worry mostly for the likes of the classic independent, struggling artist who has no means to survive except for the fruit of their own labor. In this modern digital age, we see the likes of film, music, and even pirated software for videogames going against the developers who try the best to make the most out of what they can. Most monies are made within the first month of release for most games, films, and albums, after that, it's back to the drawing board, and the artist must struggle to rise to the top again.
Game developers use a tatic that sometimes pays off, and that is downloadable content. This is used for most gamers, who spend a lot on new-age technology to support their favorite passtime,to further enhance the gameplay of their favorite games. Developers do at times insult gamers who feel that DLC stands for vapor-ware, or uncompleted software, but in the struggling times, such as is with the music industry, developers and producers simply try to give the best possible experience with their software, in hopes of having gamers and sometimes new gamers to a said genre or series, to come back ravenously for more.
In the spectrum of gaming, the internet has at times allowed for positive conditions to the entertainment platform, considerably in the aspect of updates, and patches to fix all bugs in a game. For some, this is seen as a "lazy" form of developing, but meeting unrealistic deadlines for encoding thousands of lines of information can sometimes be haphazardous to those who try to get the best version of the game on the market. Most people do complain games should be finished before being shipped onto the shelves, but considering that the games patches and updates are usually free, complaints are respected, but not taking as serious as with the prices of DLC.
In the lines of the DLC, this is where games are usually made better with added bonus content that will run a gamer a full $75 to $100 (including purchase of the said game disc) when all content is officially uploaded onto stores like the PSN Store or Xbox Live. Content is not needed to experience the full-fledged game, but what once was included in most games on previous systems, now cost the player extended investments, and is rarely available in another format other than digitally downloaded versions. For some, although a rare minority, DLC is impossible do to internet scarcity, or the sort of connection only available in their area. Believe it or not, some places in the world, even the United States, are without the access to broadband or cable.
The gamers left out of the DLC movement, can at times find certain DLC available to buy on disc format at their local videogame store, but these options are scarce, if ever existant. The worst part is that developers who do deserve the extra services are bound to find, even at the lowest minority, pirating of the above software outlets, hence much money spent to distribution, but more importantly development, is taken out of the hands of those who create these billion dollar titles, and they recieve and even lower portion of the slave wage already the minimum.
Over the years, I have always been pro business to these, and other individuals who spend much of their lives developing the entertainmetns we now take for granted. The monies poured in are never the return, and if only for the love of the job do the individuals who create such entertainments continue to go along, and continue creating these amazing games, albums, and films. Although I do not talk much about the banking industry that is Hollywood here, I will say that even the highest paid director sometimes develops a movie worth his salary.
Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial, I hope you've enjoyed this short editiorial on the basis of DLC and Digital Distribution, its pros and cons, and why examples of commisions like the RIAA are sometimes right about pirating digital content. I will give a further analysis on this topic, as it's always a blowhard one I deal with and am questioned about on the more-than-rarest of occasions. Thank you again for reading.