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actualbird · 5 years ago

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nobody asked but here is every unraveled episode (as of may 2020) as how they’d be as a lover | a 2.5k word long post written in the style of an unraveled about unraveled and also love

Ah. Unraveled. Polygon’s golden boy of a video series where Brian David Gilbert is beckoned into a suit, lured into a blackbox studio, and is only granted escape after he has explained to three cameras whatever batshit video game adjacent thesis he has been cursed with this time. Unraveled is a wonderful video series, and we all love it.

But what if it could love us?

If you’ve ever asked this question to yourself, boy, do I have some content for you, because for the past 2 days, I’ve been working on this post where, for entirely too long, I explain to you how each Unraveled episode would be as a lover. And more importantly, which ones would be the best lovers.

Before I fall deep into this unhinged hole and take you down with me, I need to explain some things.

First: I want to make it clear that I am not categorizing BDG as he portrays himself in each Unraveled. I am instead taking each Unraveled episode as a fully formed being, the story, performance, etc, and letting that shape a character of its own. This character is where I extrapolate details from to create an Unraveled episode’s qualities as a lover. What I’m basically doing is anthropomorphizing Polygon dot com video content. And then making you date them. If this doesn’t make sense, don’t worry, it will as you read along. And if it helps you to visualize the Unraveled Episode As A Lover, I invite you to just imagine whomever it is you are most attracted to---or for those who don’t experience attraction, whomever it is you find most aesthetically pleasing---and then just add in the wild personality traits I describe through the course of this post.

Second: I know what you’re thinking. “Avian, the characteristics of what makes a good lover is subjective!” And I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve been through college, and I’ve witnessed my friends whom I love so dearly enter relationships with some of the most wack ass motherfuckers I’ve ever met. I know that people are into different things. But do I judge them for it? Well, kinda, yeah! Yes, what we want in a lover is subjective, but I’ve consumed a metric fuckton of romance media over the course of my life and am also in a wonderful relationship with my own girlfriend, and thus have my own personal idealized ranking for what makes a good lover. Feel free to disagree with my rankings of Unraveled Lovers, but also, I’m writing this post. I say this with as much love as I possibly can, but if you disagree with me, make your own post. If you don’t wanna make your own post, you’re just going to have to trust me for 2.1k more words.

With that out of the way, let me take you on a journey through the 23 Unraveled Lovers, from worst to best.

BAD TIER: I would probably advise you to break up with these Unraveled Lovers as soon as you are emotionally capable of doing so.

Hoo boy, we’re starting at the bottom. The perfectionists, the nitpickers, the emotionally unavailables. These Unraveled Lovers would have good intentions, but just have aspects within their personality that will wear you and your relationship together down until both of you can no longer take it.

“Ranking all 200+ Megaman robots” is a lover obsessed with the concept of “is this worth it?” They would unknowingly but inevitably rank parts of your own personality on a scale of ‘worth the trouble in this relationship’ and ‘not worth the trouble’. Any lover who deals with you with this kind of dichotomy is somebody you should not be with. You should be accepted and loved for all your parts, the beautiful and the ugly.

“How to make the perfect E3 press conference” is a lover who spent years consuming romance media and has a list of what makes the perfect relationship. So not only do they have unrealistic expectations for what a relationship is, but they will be obsessed with reaching that unreachable perfection. That will definitely put a strain on your relationship until the veneer of desired perfection crumbles away, leaving you both tired and sad.

On a less deep note, “How to tell apart all 596 Fire Emblem characters” just won’t remember any of the names of your friends or family. Sure, they’ll try, but they’ll give up in like 15 minutes and you’ll never be able to take this Unraveled Lover to a family reunion or a party with your friends. Probably not a dealbreaker, but as the Spice Girls said “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.” This Unraveled Lover will not. Next.

“No one asked but I found Mortal Kombat’s best cuddler” and “I wasted 3 weeks of my life finding Castlevania’s hottest monster” are two Unraveled Lovers with a similar problem: they both won’t shut the fuck up about their exes. Mortal Kuddler constantly brings up all the other cuddles they’ve experienced and Castlevanias Hottest Monster will tell you you’re beautiful, but also bring up like 69 other monsters they think are also beautiful. This might not be a red flag, but personally, this would tire me out, always being thought of in comparison or contrast to others.

That ends the BAD TIER and brings us to the OKAY TIER where a large chunk of the Unraveled Lovers fall into, so much so that I had to create more specific sub tiers under the OKAY TIER.

So let’s get into the OKAY TIER: These Unraveleds Lovers are alright, you’ll just have a sublimely weird relationship.

These Unraveled Lovers will treat you right but they’re also just very peculiar. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I’m here to explain to you just in what ways these okayest lovers are bizarre. Let’s start with the first sub tier.

OKAY SUB TIER: College Students who are way too into their major

There are a lot of Unraveled Lovers under this subtier, and this shouldn’t surprise you, because Unraveleds are inherently nerdy. These are lovers that will be good to you but also just never fucking shut up about what it is they’re studying.

“I read all 337 books of Skyrim so that you don’t have to” and "Understanding Kingdom Hearts (and every other story" are Creative Writing majors obsessed with analyzing every single thing they read. As a Creative Writing major myself, I would advise you to never date a Creative Writing major unless you are a Creative Writing major yourself. I think that’s the only way the relationship can be ethical. Being sent essays from the New Yorker every day would be torture if you didn’t actively enjoy it.

“We made all 78 Breath of Wild recipes in one day” is a Culinary Arts major and, score, they’re gonna wanna cook for you! A lot! Beware though, because it’ll be a hit or miss on whether or not the food will be good, but you must admit, that there is nothing quite as attractive as your lover making you food (let’s just hope the food doesn’t harm you).

“Smash Bros. owes millions of dollars in OSHA violations” is going to law school and that should be a dealbreaker in itself, but I’ll be a bit lenient because they’re always working towards the safety of everybody. This Unraveled Lover will always remind you to put your seatbelt on and also tell you exactly what laws you are violating.

“Bowser’s military hierarchy” is a Political Science major, and Political Science majors scare me. So I’ll just say they’re okay, and leave it at that.

“Which Dark Souls Boss is the best manager?” is a rare non-evil Management major because they actually truly care for the welfare of employees. They just will always talk about it, even when you guys are on a date. I know worker’s rights are important, but it’s not exactly what I want to talk about in between kisses, yknow?

“I fixed Fallout’s music by creating a totally new genre” is a Music major who keeps accidentally making Ska love songs to you. You didn’t know Ska love songs could be a thing. This Unraveled Lover makes it a thing.

“Scientifically Calculating the Game of the Year” is a Math major so you will never have to worry about calculating bills because they can do it for you.

“Calculate your pet’s HP with my 100% legitimate formula” is a Veterinary Medicine major so if you’re an animal lover, this Unraveled is the one for you! Just beware, because this Unraveled Lover will also spend a lot of time observing you from afar to quantify your health points, but both of you will inexplicably find this activity strengthens your relationship.

And last but not least for this sub tier, “When can Mario retire?” is a disillusioned Accounting and Finance major who chose this line of study to get a job and, through the years, realized what a hellscape capitalism is. You may have to deal with a lot of zoning out and staring off into the distance, with this Unraveled Lover, but a lover who hates capitalism sure is a good egg.

That brings us to our next sub tier!

OKAY SUB TIER: Cultists or Conspiracy Theorists (AKA...College Students who are way too into their extracurriculars)

These Unraveled Lovers are alright! They’re just a little bit off the shits.

“Every Sonic game is blasphemous” will get really really worked up about things and probably try to start a cult. For most, that’s a definite dealbreaker, but what makes Sonic Bible an okay lover is that they eventually calm down from the cult outburst and apologize. So this Unraveled Lover will treat you well, you just have to be ready to ground them when they get a little bit bonkers.

“Solving the Zelda Timeline in 15 minutes” is very similar to Sonic Bible, except instead of starting a cult, every once in a while they’ll just sit you down on a chair and explain to you their latest obsession while slowly and intensely stripping. Which, hey, that could make for a fun night, if you’re into that kinda stuff! Definitely okay in my book.

That brings us to our last okay sub tier.

OKAY SUB TIER: Your Unraveled Lover might need to schedule some sessions with a therapist, and that’s Okay

Listen, we all have baggage. We all have problems. These are Unraveled Lovers who want to be the best for you, but at the same time have issues of their own, and you’re going to have to support them when they pop into their local psych clinic to make themselves better people.

“Waluigi” is an Unraveled Lover who is going through some identity issues. They want to be good for you, but they don’t even know who exactly they are. They may feel as if they are tricking you into being in this relationship, that they aren’t who you think they are, and while these fears are irrational, they wholeheartedly believe it and will never feel fully secure in this relationship until they have made peace with themselves. If you love this Unraveled Lover, you’re going to have to stick with them as they learn more about who they are.

“Kirby” is an Unraveled Lover who, for some reason, is obsessed with the constant quest to make things make sense. This need of theirs bleeds into every aspect of their life and can definitely affect your relationship. This Unraveled Lover may sometimes perhaps cite that they don’t deserve you because they can’t seem to figure out a logical and objective answer for why you are with them. This issue of treating everything like a puzzle to solve is an issue they will have to work out and recover from, and they will be receptive to this process of recovery because they cherish the relationship they have with you and understand that not everything has to be solved; some things can just be felt. If you choose to stay with this Unraveled Lover, you must be prepared to support them when they take a mysterious but needed soul searching journey in the woods. You must be prepared to sit with them along the shores of the beach and reassure them that life is about living, not about answers.

And that, dear readers, ends the OKAY TIERs. Now it’s time for the tier you have all been waiting for.

Drumroll, please!

GOOD TIER: Pop open the champagne, bring out the strawberries dipped in chocolate, and let Spotify play Careless Whisper, baby, because we’re in the Ideal Lover zone.

Welcome to the Ideal Lover Zone. Here, we have three Unraveled Lovers who are just extremely good fellas.

“I used the Sims to perfect my apartment” is an Unraveled Lover who will work their hardest to be the best for you, but unlike the BAD TIER perfectionists, it will naturally dawn to them that perfection is unattainable. After this realization, they will find comfort and happiness in your romantic relationship and the other healthy relationships they have with other people. This Unraveled Lover will be sincere with you when the time calls for it, but will also not be afraid to be goofy for it. Above all, this Unraveled Lover will ask for help when they need it. They may often be shy, at first, but they understand their limits and will openly communicate to you when situations call for it. Communication is the bedrock of any good relationship, and this Unraveled Lover will never keep you guessing.

“The Perfect Pokerap” is similar to the Sims, in the sense that they will at first strive for perfection in the honeymoon phase of your relationship but then understand that that isn’t possible and then set more reasonable and realistic goals. What sets this Unraveled Lover out from the crowd though is just how much they cherish you. How devoted they are to you. The love you will feel in this relationship will be transcendental, and, even if you do break up, this Unraveled Lover will never forget you.

And finally. Who---according to me, a mildly delirious 21 year old rando on the internet---is the most ideal Unraveled Lover?

It’s “Find your Kojima name with my simple 11 page form.” Why? Because this Unraveled Lover wants to know you. They want to know everything about you, the parts you like and the parts you don’t like. This is a lover who will not shy away from any aspect of yourself, but instead, embrace you for who you are as a full fledged person.

They’ll also give you a whack ass pet name, and boy, isn’t that romantic?

Well, there you have it. All (as of May, 2020) of the Unraveled Episodes as 23 Unraveled Lovers. What did I learn from this endeavor? That romantic love is complicated, but if you’re into it, it is definitely worth the trials and tribulations.

...As long as I’m not dating the Castlevania Unraveled. Seriously, when we’re making out, I don’t wanna hear about how sexy the Hyena With Gun is. Learn how to read the room, dude.

(Thanks for reading.)

#reposting because damn it i worked too hard on this that it BETTER FUCKIN SHOW UP IN THE TAG #polygon #bdg #unraveled #brian david gilbert #nobody asked but

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my-sherlock221b · 4 years ago

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Supernatural Rewatch Ramblings: Dead in the Water

This episode is the first one to be directed by Kim Manners. It was written by Raelle Tucker and Sera Gamble. It is still the MoTW format and once again the ‘monster’ is something that was created by human action. Ordinary seeming stories—of bullying, lies, cover up—with deadly consequences.

Read below the cut for more and also watch out for the add-ons by my partner in crime @soulmates-for-real who does the most amazing gifsets and image galleries 😎

It reminded me of this quote:

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956

It is a chilling experience—both the actual monster when we do finally see it and the backstory of what really happened. These monsters are all created by the flawed human beings. Here is another quote from the same source which could well be the underlying bedrock of the two very different approaches we see Sam and Dean take in later episodes to the whole saving people hunting things.

“Since then I have come to understand the truth of all the religions of the world: They struggle with the evil inside a human being (inside every human being). It is impossible to expel evil from the world in its entirety, but it is possible to constrict it within each person.” .

Philosophical overtones aside, we are also getting more glimpses into the heads and hearts of the two leads.

It is already obvious that Dean has put the whole ‘Dad- is- missing- and- hasn’t- been-home-in -a -few-days stuff’ on the back burner till …ummm forever ? cos he has Sammy in front of his eyes who is sitting shotgun and being completely brotherly and sniping and bitching while also being boyfriend- level possessive.

As I said in the earlier review- I was just so swept away by the swashbuckling swagger of Dean that so obviously was an armour for his vulnerability that I almost didn’t notice Sam much. This is the episode where he became something more for me. Someone who was also finding out what Dean was all about at the same time as we were.

Someone who could pull him down to earth with a sharp: ‘People don’t just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them.’

But also reach out to him and remind him that they ‘can’t save everyone’.

In an early scene in the episode Sam scolds Dean for even starting to flirt with the waitress.

He smirks when Andrea shoots Dean down. He mocks Dean’s pick- up line about kids are the best. He seems pleased in a very petty way that Dean’s attempt has failed and that he has no choice now but to hang out with Sam and to give him his full attention.

The episode does have plot holes –that house Lucas draws and the history of the friendship of the two men and the missing boy surely must be well known to everyone in that small town, including Lucas’s mother and how come no one joins the dots etc. etc.

But small quibbles aside, we get to see that the past casts long shadows—whether sins of the past or just events of the past. ( again a parallel to the lives of the Winchesters themselves. And in later seasons we find out just how far back into the past those shadows reach!)

We see that Dean connects with the mute boy, Lucas, but then we learn that he can do this because he had also shut down after he saw his mother die and he knows how scary the world can seem and how he needed to make himself brave to carry on.

Sam watches from the sidelines and we can see him have an ‘oh ok’ moment as he stores away this information because it has clearly never been discussed in the family earlier. Kudos to Jared for being amazing with the ‘active listening’ that Sheila O’Malley references so often.

So despite Sam challenging him to name 3 kids he even knows, we see that Dean actually focusses on the kid throughout. The shared sense of loss aside, maybe Dean also sees himself as the protector of all little kids especially after the Shtriga incident. (which we don’t know anything about yet) (and we do see him bond with kids in every episode that involves kids. It is adorable !!)

In this episode Dean is almost drowning in his dad’s leather jacket and the way the silver ring looks on his hand is just ridiculously sexy…sigh….and that amulet right where it belongs…..deeper sigh. Then the cocky grin, the unsubtle flirting, all macho/manly/me- so- hetero/me- see- me- conquer on the outside but the soft squidgy child- whispering caramel centre, the trauma of being a motherless kid—having become motherless in a brutal way, a missing and probably almost cruel dad, a brother he raised as his own who walked out on him to go seek his own dreams….all these layers are being put together slowly for us.

Dean is not what he seemed to be and that brash swashbuckling exterior hides a very complex and interesting person. The script and direction were excellent of course but Jensen brought to it just the perfect balance of bad-boy + I wuv hugs.

Sam is still finding his way into the story and we are still watching things from Dean’s perspective as narrator which is fascinating to realize during the re-watch. As I have mentioned earlier, I was so swept away by Dean that it took me a very long time to focus on Sam as a separate person.

Ok, now, all together shout--- --WHY do people DO the following things??!!!

Put hands elbow deep into a sink, give lifts to obvious deranged malevolent spirits in human form, ‘let’s split up so we can cover more ground’, go into a shower/bath in a scary scene—can’t they HEAR the dun-dun-dun music score in the background?!! Sheesh.

Anyway. *eyeroll*

In a not- at- all- very- surprising turn of events Sam and Dean’s fake identity is called out and they are asked to leave town, which they do. But ….of course Dean does a very dramatic turn on the highway and takes them back to make sure the kid is ok!

Then Sam rescues the mother from the lethal bath- tub while Dean makes sure the kid is safe. Then they start to connect even more dots and eventually we see an incredible heroic rescue scene in the scary lake with Dean and the boy.

Jensen had described this shot in some interview as the most terrifying scene he had ever done apparently because he was responsible not only for doing the scene right but also for the young boy’s safety underwater.

What a fabulous visual we do get finally, with the boy in his embrace as they shoot out of the water!

That lake with its dark water is one super creepy place. That very first scene where we see the girl swimming from an underwater perspective had me yelling at the screen for her to GET OUT NOW.

So, finally, all is sorted and revenge has been had and bad folks die, good folks live and as they leave the town of course Lucas chats with Dean and they high five and just like the sister in the Wendigo episode, the young mother in this one also gives Dean a kiss on his cheek. Dean of course blushes and goes all gruff and drives off with Sam smirking in the shotgun seat.

The pattern is beginning to be established.

I am loving it!😍

The gag reel of this episode shows Jensen leaping into Jared’s arms.

This is the third episode only. So they have known each other only for a couple of months at this point?! Hmm…my J2 tinhat is also shining. And also wow. I mean Jensen is NOT a tiny guy.

Here are some other possibly more erudite and informed reviews if you would like to go down that rabbit hole like I did.

This one is cool https://the-orbit.net/entequilaesverdad/2016/05/10/supernatural-s1-e3-dead-water-summary/ and gives a fun and interesting score at the end which goes like this

Episode 3 counts:

Woman in the Fridge: 1

For Sophie Carlton being the first to get murdered by the vengeful spirit. It’s obviously meant to hook us harder: I mean, nobody would care as much about obnoxious brother Will, right?

Revenge from Beyond the Grave: 4

Sophie Carlton, Will Carlton, Bill Carlton, and Jake Devins.

Brotherly Love: 2

I had to give one to Sam for cock-blocking his brother right at the start. Another point goes to Dean’s sick-of-your-attitude lecture to his little brother, throwing Sam’s decision to go to college while Dean stayed behind with their dad in his face.

Toxic Masculinity: 1

For Dean downplaying his grief when Sam draws him out about the aftermath of their mother’s death.

Swimming in Sexism: 2

For Will Carlton’s comment to his sister that “guys don’t like buff girls.” I added a point for all the times they had Dean hitting on any available woman. They do want us to be extra-very sure he’s hetero, don’t they?

Cumulative Counts: Dean’s Man Tears: 3

One point awarded for all Dean’s choking up about Mom. We’re now three for three, folks.

This review totally calls out Dean LOL. I love the reviews that were written as first watch because they are without the benefit of hindsight we have on a re-watch.

http://markwatches.net/reviews/2013/11/mark-watches-supernatural-s01e03-dead-in-the-water/

“It was fascinating to me, then, that through this, Sam was able to learn about Dean’s own emotional reasoning behind his hunting. Of course, Dean, being the most stereotypical dude of all dudes who ever duded, has to immediately act like feelings aren’t cool because BLEH. Okay, that is one aspect of Dean that I’m not terribly interested in, especially since he expresses feelings like every five seconds. The whole “I am a straight man and I’m very straight and look at that butt straight I’m straight” thing is already exhausting because I get it. You don’t need to tell me this every five seconds.”

The comments to this review are also super entertaining with gems like this:

“So, if you knew that someone had drowned in the lake recently and their body was never found, WHY WOULD YOU STILL GO SWIMMING IN THE LAKE? Especially if two people had. It wouldn't make you think, "Hey, maybe there's something dangerous in that lake?" This show has some of the least genre savvy people EVER. Like, for example, once this mysterious death thing shows up in a sink, why would anyone want to take a bath or really ever fill any basin with water again? Seriously, is this the Bad Decision Olympics?”

Here is an awesome review from Fangasm also

https://fangasmthebook.com/2021/01/13/looking-back-on-dead-in-the-water-classic-supernatural/

#spn meta #spn #spn review #j2 #j2 tinhat #wincest

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263adder · 4 years ago

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TUA S2 First Impressions

All right, I’m three episodes in. Will likely watch another three tonight. I already have plot predictions and I’m interested to see how many will turn out to be right so I’m writing them down. I wrote each one after seeing that episode so things progress as I learn more. Spoilers for the first three episodes, obviously!

My word this is a lot of new characters!

Lila is so far the only promising one (and the only one whose name I currently remember) though I’m guessing she’s going to turn out evil, all interesting but mysterious characters usually turn out to be evil.

Solid music choices.

Agnes deserves better than a 5 second montage. They didn’t even play the Hazel & Agnes score from S1 which - find it on the soundtrack, it is delightful! But given his appearance I’m guessing the Commission will return in some form.

I’ve seen too many ‘save Kennedy from assassination’ plots, so I know this ain’t gonna end well!

Ah Carmichael! I’m here for this! And the Handler is alive!

Okay, Luther’s boss seems like a good character too. Not sure how that’ll pan out though, given he’s based on a real person. The other newbies still seem a little flat but early days.

I’ve changed my mind about Lila. I think she’ll be evil but redeem herself so she’s not too much of a Leonard 2.0.

The Swedes (I think that’s what they’re being called in promos) seem weird but in a cool way. Not as interesting as Hazel and Cha Cha but still neat. They don’t strike me as the main villains though, just henchmen.

So Diego is going to have another character crisis after meeting Reginald? What is he up to - the mannequins in the home make me think of nuclear bomb tests. Interesting. Baby Pogo is very cute.

Have I mentioned yet how much I dislike amnesia plots? Why did they do this to my joint favourite character? They just stint actual character development. Also, did the people who ran her over ever you know, take her to a hospital! I was expecting after catching up to the “present” she’d be in a hospital. Are they evil? Are they like the really evil people and Lila and Carmichael are red herrings? Or do they work for the Commission? Did they run her over on purpose and move her into a house in the middle of nowhere for a ploy? Would that be too predictable? Hmm, onto episode 3.

I like Allison’s story line but honestly it’s been 3 episodes, how hasn’t she mentioned her daughter yet? Please, talk about Clare (am I spelling that right, or is it Claire?). Either way, she’s found Klaus now, how has she not mentioned she misses her daughter? She talked about her throughout S1!

Klaus meeting Dave feels like the start to a Back to the Future film and he’s going to make himself disappear by meddling in his own past too much. Honestly there has to be some kind of ramification for changing the timeline so much. Same with Allison’s plot. Does it all get undone at the end?

Loving Five protecting Vanya from the knowledge that she caused the apocalypse. He does care about them all deep, deep down. But I guess she’ll find out it was her eventually and maybe run away from her family and back to the other family (I have got to look up their surname but I’m scared of spoilers)?

I’m liking Allison’s husband more now (that scene with Luther was hilarious), but the people who hit Vanya with a car? (There’s too many side characters, it’s going to take at least 2 more episodes before I get all these names down) “Hey you found your missing family, that’s great! But when are you coming back to work?” Give them a moment! I’m convinced they’re the bad guys now, why don’t they want her to discover her real identity?

Does Lila have powers? Is she one of the other children? That would be so cool - I really want to see more of them! Of everything, I hope this prediction is true.

Looking forward to episode 4. Don’t spoil for me, I want to see how much I get right. It’s like reading a murder mystery, I’m trying to guess who the end of season main bad person is and which one of these side characters is going to die (I’m guessing Allison’s husband? Raymond? You know, I had a distant relative in my family whose name began with R and I would always cycle through every name beginning with an R until I would finally remember it was Raymond, and I seem to be having the same problem here. Why am I so bad at names?).

Until tomorrow!

#tua spoilers #tua speculation #tua season 2 spoilers

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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years ago

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WILDCAT

December 17, 1960

Wildcat is a musical comedy about Wildcat Jackson and her sister who come to oil country in 1912 to strike it rich. She runs into the prowess of Joe Dynamite, and a battle of the sexes and the oil tycoons ensues.

Wildcat wasn’t written with the 48 year-old queen of comedy in mind so when she showed interest, the script by N. Richard Nash had to be radically re-written.

At the start of the 1960’s Ball’s career was taking a new direction. She was leaving her TV personae Lucy Ricardo (as well as her real-life husband Desi Arnaz) behind for newer horizons. It was their company Desilu that would produce Wildcat with Lucy having say over who would be cast as her co-star. After several of her first choices proved not available (including Clint Eastwood), she settled on Keith Andes.

Although Ball was not known for her singing (a fact she traded on in “I Love Lucy”) or her dancing (which she was far better at), she had the determination of Wildcat Jackson to attempt it eight times a week.

Director and choreographer Michael Kidd – known for his athletic dances – would put Ball through her paces. The score was by Cy Coleman with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, giving Ball the rousing anthem “Hey, Look Me Over!” and the tuneful “What Takes My Fancy.”

The out-of-town critics were mixed, but obviously adored the red-headed star. The show was headed up the New Jersey Turnpike in trucks headed for Broadway when a serious blizzard stranded the caravan, causing the opening night to be delayed.

With just two previews under their belt, the show opened at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon) on December 17, 1960. Box office sales were buoyed by audiences expecting to see Lucy Ricardo, not Lucille Ball as Wildy Jackson, so eventually Ball interpolated more and more of her trademark comic inflections into her character.

Then Ball took ill. She left the show for a bit with the idea to return and continue the run. But upon her return she collapsed on stage. Producers decided to close the show for as long as it took her to recover and resume when her strength and health had returned. But the musicians union insisted upon payment during the hiatus, which made the wait financially unfeasible.

All in all, Wildcat lasted 171 performances. It wasn’t Ball’s only musical, however. In 1974 she took on the title role in the film of Mame with mixed to poor critical reactions.

"Then I go to New York with the two children, my mother and two maids. We have a seven-room apartment on 69th Street at Lexington. I’ll start rehearsals right away for a Broadway show, 'Wildcat.’ It’s a comedy with music, not a musical comedy, but the music is important. I play a girl wildcatter in the Southwestern oil fields around the turn of the century. It was written by N. Richard Nash, who wrote 'The Rainmaker.’ He is co-producer with Michael Kidd, the director. We’re still looking for a leading man. I want an unknown. He has to be big, husky, around 40. He has to be able to throw me around, and I’m a pretty big girl. He has to be able to sing, at least a little. I have to sing, too. It’s pretty bad. When I practice, I hold my hands over my ears. We open out of town - I don’t know where - and come to New York in December.” ~ Lucille Ball, TV Guide, July 16, 1960

THE SCORE

Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and Music by Cy Coleman

Act I

I Hear - Townspeople

Hey, Look Me Over - Wildy and Jane

Wildcat* - Wildy and Townspeople

You've Come Home - Joe

That's What I Want for Janie* - Wildy

What Takes My Fancy - Wildy and Sookie

You're a Liar - Wildy and Joe

One Day We Dance - Hank and Jane

Give a Little Whistle and I'll Be There - Wildy, Joe, The Crew

Tall Hope - Tattoo, Oney, Sadie, Matt and Crew

Act II

Tippy Tippy Toes - Wildy and Countess

El Sombrero

Corduroy Road

You've Come Home (Reprise) - Joe

(*) Songs cut sometime after opening night.

THE CAST

Lucille Ball (Wildcat Jackson) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Keith Andes (Joe Dynamite) was born John Charles Andes in Ocean City, New Jersey, in 1920. Andes played Lucy Carmichael’s boyfriend Bill King on “The Lucy Show” in “Lucy Goes Duck Hunting” (TLS S2;E6) and “Lucy and the Winter Sports” (TLS S3;E3) and played Brad Collins in “Lucy and Joan” (S4;E4) co-starring Joan Blondell. Andes took his own life in 2005 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Valerie Harper (Dancer, right) became one of television’s most recognizable stars as “Rhoda” (1974-78) a spin-off of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” She appeared in at ��Kennedy Center Presents” honoring Lucy in 1986. She died in August 2019 after a long battle with brain cancer.

Paula Stewart (Janie) appears in the fourth of her six Broadway musicals between 1951 and 1965. Her only series television appearance opposite Lucille Ball was in “Lucy and Harry’s Tonsils” (HL S2;E5) in 1969. In 2017, she published a memoir titled Lucy Loved Me, about her friendship with Lucille Ball.

Hal Linden (Matt, replacement) became one of television’s most recognizable stars as “Barney Miller” (1974-82). He appeared at an “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball” in 1984 and at “Kennedy Center Presents” honoring Lucy in 1986.

Howard Fischer (Sheriff Sam Gore)

Ken Ayers (Barney)

Anthony Saverino (Luke)

Edith King (Countess Emily O'Brien)

Clifford David (Hank)

HF Green (Miguel)

Don Tomkins (Sookie)

Charles Braswell (Matt)

Bill Linton (Corky)

Swen Swenson (Oney)

Ray Mason (Sandy)

Bill Walker (Tattoo)

Al Lanti (Cisco)

Bill Richards (Postman)

Marsha Wagner (Inez)

Wendy Nickerson (Blonde)

Betty Jane Watson (Wildy Understudy)

Dancers: Barbara Beck, Robert Bakanic, Mel Davidson, Penny Ann Green, Lucia Lambert, Ronald Lee, Jacqueline Maria, Frank Pietrie, Adriane Rogers, John Sharpe, Gerald Tiejelo

Singers: Lee Green, Jan Leighton, Urylee Leonardos, Virginia Oswald, Jeanne Steele, Gene Varrone

MRS. MORTON

Lucy met Gary Morton while doing Wildcat on Broadway. She put off their first date due to her rigorous performance schedule. Eventually, he showed up with a pizza just when Lucy was craving one. They married on November 19, 1961.

Comic Jack Carter served as best man at Lucy and Gary’s wedding in 1961. A few weeks later he married Paula Stewart, who played Lucy’s sister Janie in Wildcat. He acted in “Lucy Sues Mooney” (TLS S6;E12).

“HEY LOOK ME OVER!”

On June 4, 1976 Lucille is joined by Valerie Harper and Dinah Shore on “Dinah!” to sing her signature song from Wildcat, “Hey, Look Me Over.”

When Lucille Ball was celebrated at “The Kennedy Center Honors” in December 1986, Valerie Harper, Beatrice Arthur, and Pam Dawber sang a song parody of the “I Love Lucy” theme expressing their affection for Lucy. The medley ends with a specially-tailored “Hey Look Me Over”.

In “Lucy and Carol Burnett: Part 2″ (TLS S6;E15) on December 11, 1967, Lucy, Carol, and the ensemble perform “Hey, Look Me Over” with specially written lyrics to suit the episode’s theme of air travel.

In “Lucy Meets Danny Kaye” (TLS S3;E15) on December 28, 1964, the opening of “The Danny Kaye Show” is underscored with the music to “Hey, Look Me Over.”

While David Frost is trying to sleep during a transatlantic flight, Lucy wears her headset and hums along to “Hey Look Me Over” while tapping it out on the glasses with her cutlery. The scene is from “Lucy Helps David Frost Go Night-Night” (HL S4;E12) aired on November 12, 1971.

In “Lucy and Petula Clark” (HL S5;E8) in 1972, Lucy Carter leaves the office singing “Hey Look Me Over.”

On “Life With Lucy,” Lucy’s grandson Kevin plays on the YMCA soccer team The Wildcats. The name of the team is probably a reference to Lucille Ball’s only Broadway show.

In the second scene of “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” (1986), an un-aired episode of “Life With Lucy”, Lucy comes down the stairs of the living room singing “Hey Look Me Over.”

WILDCAT WILDCARDS

In April 1961, Lucille Ball played softball in Central Park for the Broadway Show League when she was appearing in Wildcat. Julie Andrews (starring in Camelot) was the catcher! The catcher was Joe E. Brown.

In the play Love! Valour! Compassion! Buzz, a gay musical theater aficionado (Nathan Lane on Broadway) breaks the fourth wall (a common conceit of the play) to tell the audience something personal about himself.

The song title was also the title of a 2018 revue about rarely produced musicals at City Center in New York City. Performer Carolee Carmello called it her “hair homage to Lucille Ball.”

~ From the memoir Under the Radar by Clifford David, who played Hal in Wildcat

#Wildcat #Lucille Ball #Lucy #Broadway #Musical #Keith Andes #Gary Morton #Paula Stewart #Valerie Harper #Clifford David #Cy Coleman #Hey Look Me Over #Alvin Theatre #Hal Linden #Richard Nash #Life With Lucy #Here's Lucy #The Lucy Show #TV

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wahbegan · 5 years ago

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Review of HD Spooky Specimens

Yes, after finally giving in and playing the remastered version, a few of them actually merit re-assessment. Not all of them, but some. I wasn’t going to do this but THEN someone reblogged my original so what the fuck

Specimens 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13 all remain the same

#3 (ARACHNIPEDE yeah that’s pretty good right came up with it myself): So, first of all they fixed the “usually in the green room” bug, and now it basically always spawns, and actually comes out of the holes in the ceiling. More pressingly, the mad bastards made it EVEN BIGGER with SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LEGS and, as we’ve established, there is nothing that can’t be made scarier with more shitty little bug legs. Oh yeah, also its speed now seems to indicate it’s just had six cans of monster and a bunch of adderall and it’s about to shit its pants. Then they gave it a really good death screen! One of the only ones where you actually see the process of it killing you! Jesus christ! This thing’s perfect! Firing on all cylinders! They did it, they reached horrible perfection. This thing legitimately scares me now. I fucking hate it. Thank you for that. Previous score: 5/10. New score: 10/10.

#4: (For legal purposes we should clarify it is NOT Samara): The original remains unchanged, but in Endless Mode, which we’ll get to, they put in this new version that has a huge maw of gaping fangs and a bunch of extra arms, plus it twitches all over the damn place like it’s struggling with an epileptic disorder, or possibly Parkinson’s. This is all rather more effective than the usual form, and it has a new power with this weird static overlay effect that ends up basically blinding you before resetting with the sound of a camera, inexplicably, because the devs realized they forgot to suck Fatal Frame’s dick. It does make the chase much more tense, but it also treads that line between hectic and scary and just fucking annoying and frustrating, and occasionally drunkenly tumbles over it. Previous score: 4/10. New score: 6/10.

#6 (Benjamin Puppetfucker): This, i think, is the only one where the changes in the new game made him significantly LESS frightening. More fair, definitely, but much less frightening. See, in the og, when he spawned, no matter where you were, he’d spawn right behind you. And if you looked at him too long he’d decide to just fucking cheat and teleport behind you. Also sometimes if you tried to hit him with the axe he’d decide to call FORCEFIELD like that obnoxious little shit on the playground we all knew and it wouldn’t take. Now he always spawns by the door and waits there like a good boy for you to calmly saunter over and split his fucking head open. Very good for working out my anger issues, but still. Previous score: 9/10. New score: 6/10.

#12 (URBAN EXPLORERS GONE WILD): Yeah, no, literally the only change they made to this guy is that they added a mechanic where when he sees you outside his mansion, a scare chord plays and he just starts fucking BOOKING it at you, like full on fucking Usain Bolt sprinting at you. Very simple tweak, but also it made me drench myself in piss. Only draw-back to scariness is he apparently has smoker’s lung and can only keep it up for like 2 seconds before he gets tired and has to take a breather. Previous score: 2/10. New score: 5/10.

BONUS: ENDLESS MODE-

KH1 (Cop Popeye...Copeye?): Yeah, this guy is so slow and ineffective that he’s not even actually in endless mode, but I felt bad leaving him out. Kinda freaky looking? Idk. ACAB 2/10

KH2 (Body bag on loan from Arkham Asylum): He’s aiight. He’s a decent boy. I mean...the fog’s aiight. He’s pretty fast. I like that he fucks with the environment in KH, but there’s nothing really...special about him. He’s just kinda there. 4/10

KH3 (Excellent argument for abortion): So these things are viscerally extremely gross, and the sounds they make are god-awful, but they just refuse to go away, and the god-awful sounds stop being god-awful in a good way and start being god-awful in a decidedly gross way. They either block your way out of a room completely or just hang out and do nothing. Nuisance. Gross nuisance. 3/10

KH4 (The Incredible Teleporting Mummy in a Gown): Yes, I know it’s a hospital gown, shut up, i’m still technically right. Anyway, this dude’s spooky, teleports basically exactly the same way that Mr. Benjamin Puppetfucker does, but his presentation’s nice. I mean what do you want? It’s functionally the exact same monster, so same score. 6/10

KH5 (Now THAT’S what I call a Mad Cow): One of the coolest and most unique designs across any iteration of the game. I love it, especially in this with the glowing eyes and shit? Ooh, mwah, chef’s kiss. BUT....exact same issue Deer Guardian, Guardian of the Deer had. Unnnnfortunately, once you’re out of its maze, you realize that they put it in a maze because there’s really no other way it’s any kind of credible threat to your safety. Just kinda floats along. Doing its thang. It’s just vibin. 6/10. It gets one less point than Deer Guardian because it can’t even go through walls. Amateur.

KH6 (FUNNY TOPICAL REFERENCE THAT WILL AGE VERY WELL): This thing is legitimately freaky as fuck with its eyeless, grinning face and bloody fingers and weird intestine/floral designs on its dress, and the way it appears in front of exit doors is a nice change of page from the usual chase. Then it kills you and between its nonsense death screen and its name in the game files, you learn it’s a fUCKING Rebecca Black Friday joke. Well, that’s getting your score cut right the fuck in half, missy. 4.5/10 Ah shit, I just remembered that this is one of the like two monsters I legitimately dreaded running into, so FINE, terrible genesis to one side and give her an 8/10. I’m still docking her one point from the 9. I can’t let that shit go unpunished.

E1 (Whiteface. It’s literally Whiteface. You know, from Imscared.exe? Yeah that): Now when I say literally, I do mean quite literally. Like they got permission, i guess. So uh...we won’t judge based on that, i guess, since it is an official cameo. Interface screws are cool, second chance mechanic is unique and gross, I didn’t want to run into it, chase is like a bit overly long to where it starts dragging, though. Also since its supposed to be a sentient computer file that breaks the fourth wall, I get very distracted and hung up on the logistics of what the fuck it’s doing in this castle and it takes me right the fuck out of it. Let’s call it a 7/10.

E2 (Otto the Otter (yes that is its real in-game name)): I, too, hate Five Nights at Freddy’s, and this thing is very obviously not supposed to be scary, it’s supposed to be hilarious and petty and kind of adorable. And he succeeds beautifully. I felt myself cheering for him. I almost wanted to let him kill me so he’d feel good about himself. I love you, Otto. You’re my boy. 10/10

E3 (OH GOD THAT’S NOT E.T.): I fucking love this monster. The soundtrack and interface fuckery are great, the chase mechanic is unlike anything else, it’s truly original, and it’s disturbing in a much more subtle and low-key way that this game is generally sorely lacking. I love this kid infected with an interdimensional parasitoid! At least that’s what I think it is. Hey, if you have a better explanation, I’d love to hear it, smarty pants. (10/10)

E4 (Wolfu, the Wolf Waifu): I’m so conflicted about this thing. I love its gimmick, I love that it sends you to a forest to be ripped apart by wolves, I love the shadow animals. But it’s a fucking anime girl. A FUCKING anime girl!!! I....??? Why is this creature of indeterminate age deliberately drawn to look somewhere between 13 and 16 floating after me? Why does it have catgirl trappings? Why am I suddenly stricken with the unshakable and truly dire knowledge that there is fetish porn of it somewhere? 5/10.

E5 (Lisa it’s just Lisa from P.T.): oKAY, SO. Blatant plagiarism aside (this isn’t like the Whiteface thing, it’s more like the Mermaid Puss being directly lifted out of Amnesia thing), this monster is incredibly effective. Terrifying. Horrible death screen, number one enemy I dreaded seeing. BUT her chase really is obnoxiously long, especially with the looping room number, and eventually you figure out that she doesn’t teleport while you’re looking at her, she just turns invisible to psych you out, so if you just walk backwards she can’t do shit. I’ll still give her a 9/10, but with the caveat that if I wanted to play P.T...I’d just fucking play-Oh. God damn it.

#Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion

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alphabees-writes · 5 years ago

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Glee - S1 E3 (Acafellas)

“I’m excited to watch this one, only because I remember actually really liking the Acafellas covers? Let’s see how hard I cringe now!

I’d have to guzzle wine if I had to have dinner with Terri too, Will’s mom...

“Oh it’s just hamburger casserole! Look out for bones.” Lucky for you she likes her casserole boneful!

Sign #8 That Mr Schuester Is An Asshole: Deciding to announce Terri’s pregnancy to his parents WELL before the 12 week standard, without asking her first. He literally springs it on her. Yeah she’s awful, but so is he right now!

“I started at Zuckerman and Zuckerman while I was in college” Alternate timeline where Lauren Zises and Puck start a business together confirmed?

Is it mean of me to be distracted by how HUGE Will’s dad’s ears are...?

Theme of the day: Placating William Schuester’s ego

Quinn calling Rachel “sweetie” even though it’s dripping with sarcasm just makes my Faberry bones jingle

The way Quinn says “Did you ever perform Mr Schuester?” is a god damn SMACK! DOWN!

Emma roasting John Stamos, who will be her husband in about a season’s time, is golden

Will spends too much time in Emma’s office. Aren’t the students meant to have appointments? There’s no way there’s a single school in the world where the counselling service isn’t totally overwhelmed with a mile long waiting list

The “For he’s a jolly good fellow” scene is me and my sister every time we hang out

Will turning into the camera to kick off “THIS IS HOW WE DO IT” is one of the better transitions on this show, honestly

This is one of the few occasions I actually like Matt Morrison’s delivery a lot. He genuinely sounds like he has no idea how awkward this group would be to watch...

Ahh... Nothing squicks me out quite like the face of William Schuester when he knows he’s about to get some coochie

Sign #9 That Mr Schuester Is An Asshole: Rachel and Quinn tell him his dance moves are old fashioned, and he starts being completely absent in rehearsals... Very professional of you William

The way he says “whatever” to Rachel makes me want to throw him into a bonfire

“Do you see anybody else in here with a plate of ‘I’m sorry’ cookies? BOOM! Smack DOWN!

Again, Finn just straight up not knowing what anything is is making my god damn day

Of COURSE she’s still upset Finn, you bozo! YOU PULLED A KISS-NUT-RUN!

How Many Times Can We Fit The Word Guts Into One Episode Challenge

Quinn and Santana are filling Sue in, but Brittany’s missing. I like to think she’s lost.

Wow for a while I forgot Santana and Puck were ever a thing... Can I re-forget it?

How can Mercedes look at Kurt in THAT jacket and think “yeah, that’s a heterosexual right there” I just. I can’t

Mercedes: Have you ever kissed anybody? Kurt: Yes. If by someone you mean the tender crook of my eLbOw... I’ve never wanted to be an elbow before wow!

Kurt and Mercedes reminding one another that they’re the best people within a 100 mile radius? Perfect.

“Every moment of your life is an opportunity for fashion” is a GREAT philosophy until you’re me and have about as much style as a dumpster raccoon

POISON! I hate that I actually like this cover...

You ready Ken? I’m ready. You ready Oooooonrie? I’m ready Will, are you? Like, just pull the plug RIB

I can’t complain about how supportive Will’s parents are tbh it’s kinda wholesome?

Why was Figgins at this random acapella show...? Nice of him to show up anyway

“Is it too late to call Will Schuester the next Micheal Buble?” YES. Don’t sully the name of Mr Christmas himself

Oh wow. They really dragged Josh Groban into this! I nearly forgot...

MERCEDES LOOKS CUTE AS HELL IN THOSE SUSPENDERS!!! AND TINA’S WEARING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SHIRT??? GIRLS!!!

Ah, the form-fitting sweaters that stop at the knee... Where would we be without them? Well, idk, if Burt Hummel was in charge apparently we’d all have nice cars

Kurt bb you have no idea you’re being asked out do you??? Bless your heart. Also poor Mercedes, she thinks he said yes...

I’m sorry, but NO car wash is going to raise you $8000. I don’t care if you’re washing those cars with caviar, it’s just not gonna happen!

Sign #10 That Mr Schuester Is An Asshole: Henri ends up in the ER because he’s been chugging cough syrup like it’s Redbull and all he cares about is not being able to twerk for Josh Groban :/

Imagine seeing an ad for the Acafellas on fucking craigslist. Sign up now, feet pics optional!

Sign #11 That Mr Schuester Is An Asshole: Belittles Finn for wanting to quit glee, while completely ignoring and neglecting glee.

Imagine your high school Spanish teacher holding you back after class to ask you to join his acapella band ._.

Puck join glee for MILFs and ONLY for MILFs. That’s all he wanted

Santana told Puck she ended it over his credit score but really it was all the heterosexuality

Oh god for a second I thought the first cougar was Santana’s mother I nearly flipped

“I also stopped beating people up so much” is ICONIC

Hey Ken! Maybe stop grabbing your student like that? Thanks! fuckhead

“My BOWELS have better moves than you” God damn it. I want to hate Puck, and I think we all know why, but... I love this character.

ThAt BaSeBaLl ThInG sUrE wAs GoOd Mr ScHuE!

I know this isn’t the point of this scene, but I NEED to see Kurt just walking around school in a corset. Just chilling in his lessons like that? Icon.

Mercedes asking Kurt to be her boyfriend is PAINFUL but also I fucking love her confidence? She knows what she wants! It’s just a shame she vandalises his car right after :/

Kurt’s FACE when Mercedes says “Rachel?!” He can’t believe he lucked out like that oh my goodness

SHE SMASHED THE WINDOW. HIS FACE OH MY GOD. Why are all the half-naked Cheerios polishing the busted car now

Amber busts some MOVES for this number... She kills it. I mean, don’t smash cars up kids, but if you do make sure you know your choreography for after!

It must’ve been so much fun to smash up that car for the dance oh my goodness. Did they have to shoot that in one take? Or did they just have a line of Navigators out back? RIB will never wear form-fitting sweaters that stop at the knee ever again...

“Well you busted my heart!” Ok Mercedes but like... He didn’t put a fucking ROCK through it he just doesn’t know what dates are???

Mercedes sticks up for Artie, and then Kurt sticks up for them both when Dakota Stanley starts being a bitch... They’re wonderful friends! So proud of them

Ok he’s a little gremlin man but “I feel like a WOODLAND CREATURE!” is still something I quote

I know Rachel’s nose is a recurring thing but... It’s not a bad nose? Like, at all? It suits her perfectly, and it’s not noticeably large?

Will you really don’t need to be that close to fix Finn’s tie. In fact, you don’t need to fix it at all?

I know you’re not gonna sing THAT song!

They did NOT pay Josh Groban enough for any of this. Especially not “Josh Groban loves a blousy alcoholic”

“I’m a teacher... And a really good one” Are you, Mr Schue? Are you?

The look on Kurt’s face when he comes out to Mercedes... You can see the panic there. His eyes. Oh god. And then she ACCEPTS HIM because HE’S WONDERFUL THE WAY HE IS and she’s a GOOD FRIEND!!! Oh god he’s tearing up I’m going to cry...

Although I’m not 100% in love with the way she implies that telling everybody in the glee club is as simple as being true to himself. He’s not ashamed, Mercedes, he’s terrified... Although I know her heart is in the right place. She just wants him to know they’ll accept him at the end of the day!

He’s crying... My baby boy...

Sue permanently has old Cheerios footage playing on the TV in her office, because of course she does!

Quinn can say Sue taught her that lesson, but we all know she learned it from Rachel. With whom she is in love, of course.

Ahh, the first real Faberry moment... Delicious. Finally, some good fucking food!

#Glee #Glee Season 1 #Rosie watches things and then says things about the thing

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fridgewheatfield · 5 years ago

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Fridgewheatfield 2019 GOTY Awards

Normally I would go through the TGA nominations and give my thoughts on who the winner of each was for me. But 2019 kinda sucked for games imo, and I didn’t play very many. So instead, I want to highlight 5 games I really loved this year and give them each their own award. So here they are:

Best AAA Game: God of War (2018)

This game really took me by surprise. I got it in the Summer for 50% off and hoped it would scratch an itch that I knew a 3rd BOTW playthrough wouldn’t quite scratch. I didn’t expect much from it except for maybe some fun gameplay, since I had never played another game in the series, but it won a lot of GOTY awards in 2018, so I figured it was worth a try for the discount.

This game floored me. I was enamored from start to finish. The environments, the story, the characters, and especially the gameplay had me glued to this game for 10 hours a day for almost a week. I have never felt such guilt from shafting irl responsibilities in order to play a game. The graphics are among the best of this generation. The world building and main quest line kept me interested and actually listening the entire time. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus was strangely relatable, but never had me siding with one character over the other for too long. And the combat is probably the most immersive, diverse, and fast-paced of any game I’ve played. I fought thousands of enemies and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were only a few enemies that I actually killed in the exact same ways. This game was a huge pleasant surprise for me, and the ending pushed its hypothetical sequel near the top of my list of most anticipated games. 10/10

Most Satisfying: A Hat in Time

A Hat in Time finally came to Switch this year after what felt like an eternity. I was waiting for this game to come to Nintendo since the Kickstarter was announced. Before we knew about Mario Odyssey or Yooka-Laylee, it was refreshing to see that anybody still had interest in reviving the genre of game I loved most as a kid.

This game is EXACTLY what I wanted it to be: A love letter to every Gamecube game I played ad nauseum. A Hat in Time masterfully blends the freeform movement of Mario Sunshine, an art style inspired by Wind Waker, and the charming dialogue of Thousand Year Door to create a game that starts at a 10 and never lets you down. There must have been 20 times during this game where I said to myself, “I hope this game [does this],” and the game followed through with shocking consistency. With customization, easter eggs, references, and humor stuffed into every mission, this game reminded me of everything I loved about the games I grew up with. But this game isn’t just bells and whistles, it also features some of the most engaging level design of any 3D platformer I’ve played. A train murder mystery, a free-roam around a cruise ship paradise run by uwu-speaking seals, and genuinely one of the scariest segments in any game I’ve played were some of the highlights. But none of this game’s 30+ main missions ever disappointed. While the graphical quality and technical performance were less than stellar, everything that the game WANTED to be more than made this game an easy 9/10.

Funniest Game: Untitled Goose Game

I never understood all the buzz about this game leading up to its release. You’re just a goose? What do you even do?

I was skeptical, but this game did not let me down. There was something strangely hilarious about stealing everyone’s stuff and annoying them for no reason other than to cross off a to-do list. Maybe it was imagining the humans’ perspective. Maybe it was the spastic piano score that only played when you did anything. But whatever it was, this game had me cracking up for its entire 2 hour duration. You can’t deny that the price is a bit steep for such a small game, but the amount of enjoyment I got from an afternoon with this game left me satisfied with my purchase. And with fun secret challenges to discover along the way and to struggle with after the credits, leaving me saying “Ohhh I didn’t think to do that!”, Goose Game is just enough of a game to justify everything that it has going on. 9/10

Most Fun Bad Game: Animal Crossing Pocket Camp

The OG followers will remember when this was a New Leaf blog, and you best believe it will be a New Horizons blog when the time comes. I hated this game when it came out in 2017. I thought it was a boring, empty waste of time that did nothing for fans of the series. But after numerous updates and quality of life changes that I totally missed the boat on, Pocket Camp actually became worth spending time on. I jumped back into this game following the post-E3 hype for New Horizons, and I’ve logged in every day since.

I won’t mince words, this game is bad. It’s nefarious, predatory mobile game practices at its most kawaii. But damn if I don’t love these new furniture sets they introduce every few weeks. I love piecing together the new items I get from each set or event to make a camp that I’d enjoy spending time in. I’ve spent more money than I care to admit on Pocket Camp’s take on loot boxes (not bank-breaking, but more than I’m proud of). But I honestly can’t say I regret any microtransaction I’ve made. I’ve had a lot of fun with this game in the past few months, and getting everyone I know back into it alongside me made it even better, just like previous Animal Crossing games. The crux of the enjoyment is still sharing your designs and collections with your friends, just like always. And that was Animal Crossing enough for me. Not giving this one a score because its still a scummy mobile game, but if you haven’t played this game since launch, redownload it and give it a look-through.

Best Game I Played in 2019: Banjo-Kazooie

Everyone knows how good this game is. I played it as a kid, and I’ve known my entire life that this game is great. I’ve reminisced with friends about this game, I’ve watched countless Let’s Plays, and I’ve sung its praises as the best 3D platformer there is.

But I hadn’t ever actually beaten it until this past Summer.

And it turns out that I didn’t even know how right I was all these years. Banjo-Kazooie is a perfect game. Every level is meticulously crafted to be unique, interesting, and just big enough to where they’re fun to explore, but small enough to where there is no empty space. Banjo (and especially Kazooie) control like a dream. The dialogue is the textbook example of charming video game dialogue. And the game is just long enough to feel full, but it never overstays its welcome by retreading old ground for the sake of making the game longer. And don’t even get me started on the soundtrack. There’s a reason Grant Kirkhope left the 2000s as the only household name that came out of Rare. This game could not be improved, and its stood the test of time against the other greats of the genre like Mario 64, A Hat in Time (imo), and Mario Odyssey, to maintain its spot as the game that every 3D platformer wants to be. It’s the best game of the genre, the best game I played this year, and it’s now among my top 5 favorite games of all time. An obvious 10/10.

Thanks for reading this. Feel free to respond, send a message, or send an ask with any of your thoughts on these games, or even some of your games of the year. I’d love to read them. I’ll see you next year for my 10 page review on New Horizons, which will surely double as my GOTY post.

#long #goty #the game awards #tga #2019 #2019 goty #goty 2019 #banjo kazooie #god of war #animal crossing #acpc #a hat in time #ahit #untitled goose game

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theartofmedia · 6 years ago

Text

Kotaku and the Art of Game Leaks

(Full disclosure: this piece was commissioned by a friend. The topic has changed from the initial pitch, but still. I don’t know how that may or may not affect your view on this piece, but I still feel it’s important for me to be transparent about this.) On May 30th, 2019, Laura Kate Dale announced her departure from Kotaku UK. Dale is a controversial figure among the games journalist community for... multiple reasons (please note the latter link lacks any actual evidence and how she apparently didn’t report this Uber driver for ‘nearly kidnapping her’ despite posting it publicly on Twitter, hence the controversy around it), but that’s not what we’re talking about today. What we’re going to be discussing is what she is known for the most: video game leaks.

LKD is most known for leaking video game information prior to their release, from information about Dark Souls Remastered, to unboxing a PS4 Slim before Sony itself even announced its existence, to Switch software. It got to the point where LKD was blacklisted by Nintendo UK, most likely for leaking so much information.

Now as I was researching LKD, there was something I noticed. A lot of people supported LKD’s leaks, calling it “real journalism,” and commending her for doing her job so well. As shown by the link above, many people mocked Nintendo UK for blacklisting her for “doing her job too well.” People are always scrambling for new leaks, new information, though in many cases, this can lead to fake leaks, misinformation, and confusion among players.

And it got me to think: how do leaks really affect both the devs and the consumers of games?

The conclusion I’ve come to about it is: it does more harm than good on both sides, but especially to the devs.

Here we will be defining four categories of leaks (three of which are explained here by Griffin Vacheron of Game Revolution), though our main focus will be on two.

Accidental leaks are just like they sound: they’re accidents. Something happened, something went wrong, and people got a hold of information before they were supposed to. Like when Capcom put all the pictures of the roster of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on their website when a good portion of the roster hadn’t yet been announced, and the unannounced characters could be found via a small URL change. Or when Walmart’s Canadian site revealed around 40 unannounced titles due to a(n alleged) glitch in their system just weeks before E3 2018. Or when Bethesda accidentally streamed their E3 2015 rehearsal which ended up confirming the existence of Dishonored 2. Yeah.

The main component of accidental leaks is just that--accidental. Someone did something wrong, something in a system went wrong, someone didn’t think through the consequences of what probably seemed like a good idea at the time--it happens! Nothing is perfect, people included, and shit happens. But the key part is that it’s not intentional. Someone may (or, really, will) be reprimanded, punished, or even fired depending on the leak, but there was never any intention to reveal this information.

Company leaks are... not entirely proven, from my research. This is the idea that the developers themselves leak information in order to draw attention to their game and hype it up. Often, this will be the other determination of certain leaks--was it an accident, or a PR stunt? There’s no real definitive proof and seems to simply be rumor, but the possibility still exists, as there’s no real way to disprove it, either.

Ethic leaks are generally the exception, not the rule. These are leaks of working conditions, such as an employee from NetherRealm talking about the toxic work environment, or Rockstar employees opening up about how they were mistreated and underpaid and burned to ashes, or Blizzard’s layoff of 800 employees. (Further reading here on the abuse of game devs, as well as what can be done about it.) These are things that need to be talked about, because these relate to the treatment of actual, real people. These aren’t issues then of game content or development, it’s an issue of ethics in the workplace. Same with the leak of this document that details how AI can be used to encourage microtransactions, though that is an issue related to the consumer rather than the workers. Shady tactics and the maltreatment of workers is something that needs to be shown and discussed and talked about, because these things affect the actual workers, as well as the quality of a product and the company’s integrity in relation to the consumer. (Basically, if you intentionally make your game in such a way that players have to use microtransactions to make any significant progress, you’ve ruined your integrity as a company by trying to drain your player base of more money, regardless of the base price they paid for the game anyway. It’s a scummy business practice, and that kind of thing should be revealed to the public that you’re going to try to bleed dry.)

Intentional leaks are just as they sound: they’re the intentional leak of information. This is when people outside the company hack in and reveal secrets, or when people inside the company reveal information (whether directly or indirectly via being sources for journalists) before they are to be officially announced. The information given is given with the knowledge that yes, someone is going to reveal it to the public.

So let’s talk about the ramifications of intentional leaks on game devs.

Remember Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle? The cover image had been leaked before the team had a chance to actually showcase the game. Nobody knew anything about the game other than the cover, and universal reception at the time was: “This is going to be terrible.” Because of a leaked image, the public already had a strong negative opinion about it. However, the showcase that showed off actual gameplay was well-received, and the Metacritic score is 85. So the game itself was pretty damn good, according to the critics. An unlikely crossover turned out well! But the initial reaction was incredibly demoralizing to the team. It’s one thing to have criticism given to a game based on a trailer or gameplay showcase; it’s another to get criticism based on a single image and the concept alone with no other information given. As the director and music composer explain, the dev team was very worried and stressed not just about the game reception but about the showcase, as they were afraid that the reception to the showcase was going to be bad due to the already-negative opinion on the game.

Let’s also talk about how CD Projekt Red had demo gameplay and audio of Cyberpunk 2077 leaked by a journalist (who later complained about not being credited, about how his relationship with CD Projekt Red and the PR person he was friends with) after being asked not to. The company had their trust in the journalists--someone who they had a fifteen year relationship with--used and abused, leading to secrets being leaked. The devs had politely asked the journalists not to do so, but one did, and apparently saw nothing wrong with leaking private information and posting it to the public.

Or let’s talk about how, way back in the day, the entire source code for Half-Life 2 was revealed to the public and Valve (allegedly) lost $250 million dollars. The article actually states some of the effects of the leaked source code: “Meanwhile, the team at Valve, which had been in crunch mode for months, was left reeling by the leak. The game was costing the company $1 million a month to build and the end was still far from sight. The leak had not only caused financial damage but had demotivated a tired team. One young designer asked Newell, "Is this going to destroy the company?" (found under the heading “A Red Letter Day”).

Or we can talk about the Sm4sh leaks back in 2014 and how it led to an employee (allegedly) being fired and sued due to leaking this information. Now, this can very easily be viewed as justice being served to the leaker, and I would agree. But what is the issue here can be summed up by PlatinumGames producer JP Kellams:

The people working for years and years on a project suddenly have parts of their project--that they wanted to surprise players with, this particular instance being the Sm4sh roster--given out to the public before they wanted it to be. Imagine working for years on your life on a project, and then having someone reveal your work to the internet without your knowledge or permission. I know I would feel dejected, exhausted, hopeless, hurt, regardless of any positive reception to what was revealed. You, as someone who has worked so incredibly hard--and, in many cases in the game industry, been thoroughly abused--apparently don’t have the right to reveal the thing you’ve been working on the way you want.

I want to make this clear: I am not talking about “the Big Corporation” here. I don’t care about the higher-ups who put the pressure on the workers. I care about the workers, the little people that are being trampled on and forced to work in abusive, toxic conditions in order to meet a deadline and the outrageous demands of the higher-ups. They are the ones suffering.

Case in point: the Blufever leaks for Final Fantasy XIV. The details are a bit murky, as is with most leaks, but the story as I understand it is: user Blufever is/was an employee at Square Enix who leaked massive amounts of information on upcoming expansions/patches for FFXIV. Then, their account went dark, as they apparently feared for being found out by Square Enix. Vergeben, a known reputable leaker within the Smash community, had this to say about the situation:

Now, of course, there is no way to truly verify these claims. However, due to Vergeben’s reputation as an accurate leaker (and the fact that he was right about one of the upcoming DLC characters being from Square Enix) leads me to believe him. Assuming that his claims are true, someone leaking all of this information to the public put a lot of innocent people in the line of fire--and it’s very possible that these

So, what does this have to do with Kotaku?

Here’s something interesting.

When known E3 leaker WabiSabi was given a cease & desist warning from Nintendo for leaking information, take a look at some of the top replies. (Note that a lot of them are ninja gifs, here’s a sample so I don’t have to do it for every one.)

Not all of the replies are against WabiSabi, however, though a majority seem to be:

(About the above: I can’t really find anything suggesting that LKD was leaking things for “customer advocacy,” other than confirming that the next gen console (now known as the Switch) was not using the Wii branding like its predecessor did, thus easing some fears because of the bombing of the Wii U. Other tweets about that are here, but don’t really sway me in terms of “consumer advocacy.”)

As shown, the replies seem to be pretty divisive on whether or not it was a good or bad thing that WabiSabi got hit with a cease & desist.

However, let’s have a look at some of the replies to LKD’s tweet about how she was blacklisted by Nintendo.

And again, not all are supportive of her:

I actually had to look quite a bit to find any negative comments. Many were supportive of her.

(I would like to take this moment to get unprofessional for a second and unleash my full opinion of this: NO FUCKING SHIT YOU GOT BLACKLISTED, SHERLOCK. THEY TRUST YOU WITH THEIR SECRETS AND THEN YOU DISRESPECT THEM BY REVEALING THEM BEFORE THEY DID. I DO NOT FUCKING UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT’S A COMPANY BEING “SHADY” WHEN IT’S JUST INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING PRODUCTS. NOTHING ABOUT ETHICS OR CONSUMER TRUST OR PRODUCT QUALITY. anyway,)

Now, you can say, “But Sakra! That’s a three-year difference!” And I rebuke with: people still support her to this day in spite of this. Kotaku UK kept her on though all of this and then some. It wasn’t until a kerfuffle happened in April with the “Persona 5 OST Has A Disability Slur” thing happened, and soon after, LKD left. It seems that the immense backlash with that was what fully pushed her off. (Now whether she was forced to resign or legitimately wanted to leave, that’s something only Kotaku UK and she know for sure.) The point is, her departure from Kotaku UK seems to have been completely unrelated to her leaks.

And why would it when Kotaku themselves--not just the UK chapter--are clearly very supportive of video game leaks of this nature?

Just have a look at their recent posts. All I did was put “leaks” in the search box. You may say “they’re just reporting the news of leaks!” But they put some of the leaked information IN the articles. The one on Watch Dogs Legion even confirmed the leaks. “Kotaku can confirm that this one’s real, as we’ve heard the name from several sources plugged into the company.”

Oh, and let’s not forget this lovely fucking article from 2015 where a Kotaku writer apparently speaks for the site and basically victimizes themselves for being blacklisted by Ubisoft and Bethesda. In fact, we’re going to dissect it, just because there is so much bullshit in here from the author, who is clearly speaking for Kotaku as a whole!

Buckle up, kids, your local Sakra is about to get fucking pissed.

The author describes how the Bethesda blackout came after “we reported insiders’ accounts of the troubled development of the still unreleased fourth major Doom game. In May of that year, we reported that Arkane Austin, the Bethesda-owned studio behind Dishonored, would be working on a new version of the long missing-in-action Prey 2 and that some at the studio were not pleased about that. When top people at Bethesda started making statements casting doubt on our reporting, we published a leaked internal e-mail confirming that those statements had misled gamers and that Arkane had indeed been working on a version of Prey 2.”

However, Kotaku at that time had also posted “our December 2013 report detailing the existence of the then-secret Fallout 4.” Reporting on troubled development isn’t an issue. Leaking emails just to confirm a game when Bethesda was desperately trying to preserve their secrecy that you had broken (probably not first, but Kotaku has a lot of mainstream reach) is an issue. I don’t like Bethesda, don’t get me wrong, but they were trying to salvage the secrecy of a project. Do I think trying to lie to the audience in order to keep the existence of a project secret is okay? No, not really. But I understand what they were trying to do. And whether you agree with their choices or not--no shit you would be blacklisted, especially if you have insiders as described here! You can’t go crying victim and martyr yourselves when you do this kind of shit. Especially if you were reporting on Fallout 4, a major fucking entry in a popular franchise!

As for the Ubisoft blackout...

“The current Ubisoft blackout is actually the second in as many years. The company tried a similar approach in the spring of 2014 after we published early images of the then-unannounced Assassin’s Creed Unity—images that had been leaked to us by an independent source. That article confirmed news about the company’s extraordinary plans to release two entirely different AC games in the fall of that year, one for new consoles and one for old. Ubisoft had warmed back to Kotaku by the summer of 2014, several months after the Unity report, but has cold-shouldered us since the Victory story one year ago. It’s possible other articles angered them, too. But that Victory piece is a safe bet.”

Ubisoft actually gave Kotaku another chance after leaking Unity, and the Victory (now Syndicate) story was, guess what, more leaks. You broke Ubisoft’s trust once, then you broke it again. Frankly, it’s fucking disgusting, knowing about how these leaks really affect devs, that Kotaku would dare to turn itself into a “journalism martyr,” as it were, because they were ignored by the devs whose trust they broke.

Now, you can say that maybe they didn’t know the information of how it affects devs--but a) the Sm4sh leaks and the fallout had already happened by then (it was 2014) and the Half-Life 2 source code fiasco had happened in the previous decade. Also, if they had insiders, wouldn’t they know just how serious leaking this information was and how it puts their sources and other devs at risk? Maybe Ubisoft and Bethesda aren’t as strict on their leak policies as Square Enix and Nintendo are--we don’t know. But I can’t imagine that they like it at all.

“I’m sure some people will sympathize with Bethesda and Ubisoft. Some will cheer these companies and hope others follow suit. They will see this kind of reporting as upsetting, as ruining surprises and frustrating creative people. They will claim we are “hurting video games,” and, as so many do, mistake the job of entertainment reporting for the mandate to hype entertainment products.

“We serve our readers, not game companies, and will always do so to the best of our ability, no matter who in the gaming world is or isn’t angry with us at the moment. In some ways, the blacklist has even been instructive—cut off from press access and pre-release review copies, we have doubled down on our post-release “embedding” approach to games coverage. We’ve experienced some of the year’s biggest games from street level, at the same time and in the same way as our readers.”

No.

It isn’t just about “spoilers” and “ruining the surprise.” In some cases, yes, a lot of people don’t like or actively avoid leaks because they do want to be surprised. But that’s not the only thing.

By “serving your readers” and trying to dig for this information, you’re putting devs at risk. You’re putting your “sources” at risk. Now, if you were reporting on development or shady tactics or awful work environments or specific negative incidents behind the scenes or things that should be talked about, I would absolutely agree with you that you should continue digging deeper. But that’s not it. The companies trust you not to reveal something until a certain time, and you go and do it anyway.

By claiming victim and demonizing the “big bad corporation” for blacklisting you, you minimize the actual stress and hardships it put on the smaller guys in the company that the entire company is built on. You completely brush it aside and paint the entire company as irrational. You completely neglect the plight of the actual people working on it, and disrespect them by revealing their information before they do, when they have worked for SO LONG on whatever project it is. Like JP Kellams said, devs earn the right to talk about their product because they worked on it for so long. You haven’t.

And then... this paragraph.

“Too many big game publishers cling to an irrational expectation of secrecy and are rankled when the press shows them how unrealistic they’re being. There will always be a clash between independent reporters and those seek to control information, but many of these companies appear to believe that it is actually possible in 2015 for hundreds of people to work dozens of months on a video game and for no information about the project to seep out. They appear to believe that the general public will not find out about these games until their marketing plans say it’s time. They operate with the assumption that the press will not upend these plans, and should the press defy their assumption, they bring down the hammer. We make our own judgments about what information best serves the news value of a story, and what our readers would prefer not to know—which is why, for example, we omitted key plot details from the Fallout 4 scripts that were leaked to us. We keep covering these companies’ games, of course. Readers expect that. Millions of people still read our stories about them. The companies just leave themselves a little more out of the equation.”

I never thought I’d see the day when video game companies were being victim-blamed.

Frankly, by leaking information, it ruins the relationship between the companies and the journalist, because then the company will start to make generalizations about journalists and not trust them, thinking that they will reveal whatever information they give them, which makes journalists like this press harder for information, and can you see where I’m going with this? It’s a cycle of mistrust, perpetuated by journalists like these who go against the wishes of a company that just wants to keep something a surprise until a certain date.

And then this motherfucker has the audacity to frame companies blacklisting reporters that leak information as bad! “They operate with the assumption that the press will not upend these plans, and should the press defy their assumption, they bring down the hammer.” Why are companies wrong for trusting journalists? Are you implying that all games journalists are untrustworthy, because they won’t respect the wishes of a company that gives them the information in good faith that they won’t leak it? You do say that “it is nearly unfathomable to me that a reporter would sit on true information about what’s really happening in gaming, that we would refrain from telling our readers something because it would mess with a company’s marketing plan,” so I don’t know, maybe you DO think that all games journalists should immediately report on confidential information that the game companies are going to eventually reveal anyway and while only really receiving clout in return. Oh, whoops, got a little bitter there.

“They appear to believe that the general public will not find out about these games until their marketing plans say it’s time.”

Maybe because people like YOU are the ones who leak it! You can just as easily, you know, not fucking do that! This feels more like an excuse to not accept responsibility/deflect criticism, because ‘the companies shouldn’t have expected us to stay quiet!!!’ This is just straight-up victim blaming. Like it’s actually kind of scary.

It’s this ideology that Kotaku seems to stand by, as LKD once stated that higher-ups look over the written articles to approve them, and to my knowledge, Kotaku hasn’t redacted any of these statements, so I’m assuming that they still stand by it. Them spreading this ideology is what perpetuates the idea of game leaks (of the non-accidental, non-ethics-related kind) being “good journalism,” and with how much reach Kotaku has, it has the power to be legitimately damaging.

“They have done so in apparent retaliation for the fact that we did our jobs as reporters and as critics. We told the truth about their games, sometimes in ways that disrupted a marketing plan, other times in ways that shone an unflattering light on their products and company practices. Both publishers’ actions demonstrate contempt for us and, by extension, the whole of the gaming press. They would hamper independent reporting in pursuit of a status quo in which video game journalists are little more than malleable, servile arms of a corporate sales apparatus. It is a state of affairs that we reject.”

And here it is: Kotaku was just the humble, underdog reporter just doing their job, and the publishers show off contempt for the entire industry (rather than just Kotaku itself, I guess blacklisting one site means you hate all of games journalism) for Kotaku simply doing their jobs!

No, you ignorant twat, you broke their trust, so they don’t want to talk to you anymore. You don’t get to play victim when YOU were the one who blew the whistle.

Now, I cannot stress this enough: I am only talking about leaks related to game announcements, content details, etc. that are deliberately leaked to the public from an inside source. I am not talking about leaks related to ethical violations or troubled development or other negative things within companies. Those are things that should be reported on. But that kind of thing isn’t primarily what Kotaku is talking about and promoting; they are promoting the reveal of information because it’s “just good journalism.”

Except, as shown above, it has some very dire, very real consequences for the people you don’t see, and maybe that’s why Kotaku is so adamant about defending themselves in this regard. Maybe they don’t see the living, breathing people who get affected by their leaks, and so they think they’re fighting against the Big Bad Corporation when, in reality, it’s much more complicated than that. It doesn’t feel real to them. Or, maybe they do and they just don’t care. I genuinely cannot say so one way or the other.

I really, truly hope that by reading this, you the reader have a new perspective on how leaks of that kind affect the industry, and the little people whose backs the companies are built on.

As for the article and Kotaku as a whole...

“Kotaku readers always deserve the truth. You deserve our best work. It doesn’t matter which company is mad at us today, or which companies get mad at us in the future. You’ll continue to get it.”

Fuck yourselves.

#kotaku #video games #games #games journalism #hooo BOY this one got angry #but!! it's done and i like it

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english-ext-2 · 6 years ago

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Hi Sophie! Based on your experiences, how hard do you think it is to get a perfect 50/50 both internally and externally for a short story in Extension 2? What kinds of stories and approaches to writing do you think/know get full marks? Additionally, if you were a marker, what features of your piece and others' pieces do you think made/would make them worthy of a 50? Thanks for all your wisdom!

Thanks for such interesting questions! My answers grew rather long, so I’ve thrown them under the cut.

50/50 internal and external

The 50/50 external mark is certainly harder than a 50/50 internal. It may as well be in the hands of the gods for all the influence you have. Unlike your teachers, the markers haven’t seen the blood, sweat and tears you poured into your major. They don’t even know your name. Conversely, you don’t know who they are either, or what their preferences are. Your major arrives at the marking centre as a product that has to stand on its own merits against the entire state EE2 cohort - about which you know nothing - not the forms they’ve chosen, not their concepts, absolutely zip. You’re blind to the competition. This is of course without even mentioning the small but no less insignificant 10% weighting of the Reflection Statement, which needs to be outstanding too. (Scaling also plays a part, but I’m not sufficiently well-versed in that to offer anything beyond this advice: if you want that perfect external, make sure you’re ranked first internally.)

The perfect internal mark is comparatively easier (which I suppose doesn’t say much considering how high I set the bar for the perfect external lol). But keep in mind that a 50/50 internal doesn’t make a 50/50 external any more likely. Some of my peers who did very well internally, with high E4s, were disappointed with their low E4s and sometimes high E3 external marks. Hard as it may be to swallow, it can end up being sheer luck that gets you over the line.

Doing well in the internal assessments comes down to a number of factors, including but not limited to your teachers’ marking preferences, your school cohort, and the effort you put in.

I was quite fortunate that one of the teachers who marked my draft in progress (the third assessment) historically liked my writing style. If possible, get to know the things your English teachers prioritise in their marking beyond what’s listed on the rubrics, and it may (or may not) make a difference in your final mark. As for your EE2 cohort, the better the competition, the harder you have to work. The quality of my cohort was extremely high, and the margins between students were tiny. To give you an idea: I got 9.5/10 on my Viva, full marks on the next two assessments, and squeaked into first in EE2 by 1 to 1.5 marks. It was a struggle the entire way to do my best for the second and third assessments, and I had to get the time management just right. Because yes, a lot boils down to the effort you’re willing to invest into a perfect mark. There’s no need to make a hard process even harder for yourself by not keeping on top of your writing and research.

Stories and approaches that score well

People have all sorts of (sometimes cynical) opinions and hot takes on what stories appeal to markers, e.g. feminist, postmodern, counter-cultural, what have you. I don’t want to speculate on subjects that do or don’t do well, since that’s way out of my league. What I will say is that if you’re sincere and earnest in your approach, whatever the subject, you should be rewarded for it. (Not that you will, but writing in good faith speaks far better for you than cynically selecting a type of story in the belief it’ll maximise your marks.)

For actual evidence of things that markers like, you can’t go wrong with the HSC marking feedback (formerly known as the notes from the marking centre). Two examples from the 2017 cohort:

“Students should avoid the overuse of adjectives and clunky visual descriptions”

Better responses “had a strong and authentic character voice that built and developed throughout the narrative”.

As for approaches:

Originality

Around my time, I think convention had it that outrageously experimental postmodern stories were in vogue and tended to do well with external markers. That belief came in part from the short stories that made it into Showcase, which is a good time to reiterate that Showcase majors aren’t selected on quality alone; they’re a cross-sectional representation of what can be done in EE2. If anything, the postmodernity was not an end in itself but a good way of encapsulating the innovation, originality and “thinking outside the box” that markers like. It probably goes without saying, but clichés in the mould of teenage romances don’t play well. Markers are looking for fresh, interesting perspectives that ideally challenge, interrogate or otherwise question received wisdom. (Caveat: there’s nothing wrong with telling an old story well, though it would have to be technically mind-blowing to get you full marks.)

Complexity

Your concept (and writing) should be complex, nuanced; something you could spend days unpacking. I’ve explained this before as developing a concept that’s deep enough to explore in detail, but not so broad as to be unmanageable. To use my major as an example - the umbrella concept was translation, but under it I explored a) the idea of translating reality into fiction, b) the translator/author relationship, and c) the value of translation in contemporary literature.

As for nuance: black/white approaches to your subject matter aren’t going to get you full marks. To say “war is bad” through your major is fine, but if you’re going to hit your audience over the head with ham-fisted, heavy-handed metaphors and one-dimensional characters who suffer for suffering’s sake to make the point, then you’re not exactly endearing yourself to the markers. Didacticism in fiction can and will come off as condescending, and that’s the last thing you want. Nobody likes being talked down to, or having their intelligence insulted. It’s entirely possible to tell a nuanced story about the various horrors of war, from the immediate impact on civilians to the inter-generational trauma, without throwing characters into a stereotypical war zone and expecting the setting to speak for itself. You want depth and detail, because war is terrible in so many different ways. Don’t use your story as a megaphone to yell the same line over and over at people. Yell a series of images, characters and events that will move them to tears. (Anyway, this is treading onto the grounds of fiction-as-activism, which is another thing altogether.)

Ambitious

As the saying probably doesn’t go, if you aim for the moon you’ll hit a tree, but if you aim just for the tree you’ll never get off the ground. A short story that gets full marks will have vision and ambition. It doesn’t end where the story ends, but opens up a new world of possibility or way of thinking that the reader might never have considered before they read your story. The short of it is: say something!

It’s tempting to believe that ambitious short stories = stories that tackle “heavy” subjects like war, climate change, poverty, inequality, or any one of the social ills afflicting our world today. For what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with writing on those things. Choosing to do so would demonstrate your maturity and willingness to confront difficult issues. But it’s not a golden ticket. Writing about systemic racism alone is not going to get you full marks. It is entirely possible to pick something profound and butcher the execution. When choosing a concept, I would always prioritise things you feel most passionate about rather than their perceived legitimacy on some arbitrary scale of importance.

I wrote about translation, and literary translation at that. It’s not a hot button topic. But it was something very close to my heart; I knew that translation was not just about languages but also reality into fiction, and it was something I wanted to tell the world (or failing that, just the EE2 markers). So I did. A good short story can really be as simple as having something to say.

If I were a marker

Authentic voice

If I were a marker, this would be the most important thing for me. I know voice can be a slippery concept for some, but what I mean here is the distinctness of a student’s style. It goes beyond the words they choose and the order they put them in; it’s the way the student expresses their ideas in their own words, and speaks through their major works. This is why I’m big on students choosing concepts they feel passionately or strongly about, because if you’re writing on something you love with all your heart, the more likely it is that feeling will come through in your particular voice. If you wanted another way to put it, it’s your “brand”, the set of qualities that makes your writing yours. Have you ever read an author enough times to recognise their way of writing? Like, you see a snippet of writing and think, “hm, that sounds a lot like Neil Gaiman.” That’s what you want with your major. Your subject matter might not resonate at all with me, but if through the boldness, clarity and passion of your written voice you can convince me how much you care about it, then I’d be putting you in a higher band.

Originality

To add to what I wrote above on originality, there are several ways to demonstrate original thinking: putting a new spin on or subverting old tropes, choosing to explore a more obscure field, telling historically marginalised and/or overlooked narratives (e.g. I once read part of a major that focused on Dorothy Wordsworth, William Wordsworth’s sister), even stories that resonate with the current social, political and cultural climate.

I think originality was what helped my major stand out. For one, I wrote about literary translation and translators, which wasn’t something that enjoyed much exposure in fiction. Second, most people think poetry when they think translation (the old adage of “lost in translation” most often gets applied to the vagaries of metaphors you commonly find in poetry), so for me to choose the short story form was an interesting subversion. Though tbh, I think people worry disproportionately about how original their stories are at the expense of telling a good story. There’s no need to push yourself into the realm of edginess for the sake of originality. At the end of the day, what you want is essentially a thumping good story. Sometimes it’s easier, and infinitely more fun to rework what you already have in front of you. I like to think of this approach in an Oulipian way - setting yourself restrictions within which you have to work. Surprising, I know, but boundaries can force you to be flexible.

Authorial control

Something that I know markers look out for is authorial control - on the simplest level, they want to see that you’re able to keep your tenses and characterisation consistent; on a higher level, it’s about sustaining your metaphors and ensuring textual integrity. Put another way, your story needs to be coherent and consistent. A character you’ve associated with a crow isn’t suddenly associated with an eagle for no reason.

Another way I’ve heard authorial control described is keeping your story tight, contained. You’re not wasting words, the story progresses logically and smoothly; there’s a sense you know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. If you spend the first ten pages describing the weather and the main character’s appearance without any discernible introduction of a larger theme or concept, that’s a failure of authorial control. (Hot tip: your first draft doesn’t have to be controlled at all, and it’s better to allow yourself to be a hot mess than to get hung up over producing a perfectly poised short story from the get go.)

Evidence of research

EE2 is about research and independent investigation, so naturally I’d want to see evidence of that in a short story that scores full marks. It’s one of those things that’s painfully obvious by its absence, but absolutely scintillating for its presence. For the former: if for example you’ve set your story in modern day Japan and have as your protagonist a typical Tokyo schoolgirl, but provide few, no or incorrect supporting details (e.g. landmarks, street names, the flow of a school day, cultural practices, etc.), then your story wouldn’t hold together and I wouldn’t be inclined to score you well.

Evidence of research usually entails great, sometimes painstaking attention to detail, and a comprehension of the subject matter that’s been fluently integrated into the story. To use my major as an example again, I did a lot of research into how translators related to their translations and to the original author, and incorporated my findings into my main character and how she felt about her translation.

Other posts you may find helpful:

An ask a while back about what I thought made my MW appealing.

Another ask along the same lines as the one above.

What I think the difference is between a 48 and 50.

#asks #answered #Anonymous

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mizunohadouken · 7 years ago

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I didn’t want to like Marvel’s Spider-Man after seeing the non-playable demo for the first time at E3 2017. It just didn’t feel fresh to me, and had a feeling it might be another game in the long line of Spider-Man games that were just “okay.” I decided though, that at E3 2018 this past week, I should give it another chance and try the playable demo. I’m glad I did.

My original thoughts watching the video demo in 2017 was that the game was trying hard to be like the Arkham Series. While not necessarily a bad thing (as the style of Arkham was well received), I just found it a bit odd that Spider-Man had his own “Watch Tower” (Capt Watanabe), stealth combat sequences, and a bag of gadgets (such as web ball mines). Regardless, this year I felt I should have a more open mind and realize characters can change, including Spider-Man.

First Impressions

The nearly 15-minute demo was much better than I expected it to be. Starting the game web-swinging through New York City was immediately immersive. Insomniac’s team did a fantastic job with the precision of the controls and subtle graphical additions (such as the screen visuals slightly distorting when you approach high web-slinging speeds). The audio adds another level of depth, as you can hear the wind rush through the speakers as you sling from building to building. The camera lens flare is a nice touch as well when the sun is within your field of vision.

Combat

The first taste of combat is simple, yet satisfying. I was right about it feeling a bit like Arkham, but again that isn’t a bad thing. Being able to seamlessly switch from pummelling enemy to enemy using a variety of punches, dodges, and webshots was very “Spider-Man.” The occasional slow motion cinematic during a combo finisher was a nice graphical touch. Animations of Spider-Man’s movements were sharp and appropriate. Another thumbs up to the Insomniac team. The music made me feel like I was watching a movie, as it felt similar to the score in the original Raimi Spider-Man trilogy by Danny Elfman. Speaking of sound, the sound of each hit made each pounding impact feel real and heavy. Oh, I can’t forget about the Spider Sense occasionally slowing down the screen, which seemingly gives you the POV of what Spider-Man feels when it is activated.

The Big Apple

Once I reached the open world aspect of the demo, I thought it was a clever concept to perch up on top of a tower and take a panoramic view to see what possible side quests are available. From what I experienced, there are various quests, which include helping out the police stop robbers, various “Spider-Man”-type crime fighting scenarios, and an occasional boss. While I didn’t get to do many since it was only a 15-minute demo, I’m hoping there is more variety and incentive to do the side quests in the game. Sometimes I feel some open world games include side quests just as padding that becomes repetitive, so I would be very pleased if there is some additional incentive for side quests in the full game.

A Shocking Boss Battle with Great Voice Acting

Yep, we got bad puns. The boss battle with Shocker was my final part of the demo. What I haven’t brought up yet is how great the voice acting is throughout the demo, and it really shines in the battle with Shocker. Instead of going through any long, drawn-out cutscenes, the conversation between Shocker and Spider-Man takes place throughout the battle. The script for Spider-Man himself is great – throwing out wisecracks, insults, and sarcastic humor – all through the action. One of my biggest complaints with previous Spider-Man iterations (movie or game) was the lack of humor written in the character script, but I feel what I’ve seen so far from Insomniac’s version is promising.

As for the design of the boss battle itself, while not extremely challenging, I did die a few times before being able to complete it. Instead of button mashing combat, I like to consider the boss battle something that requires more thought and pattern recognition so it was more like a puzzle. After dying a few times and finally successfully combing my (poor) dodging skills with the recognition of the pattern and what I was supposed to do, defeating Shocker felt very rewarding.

Last Thoughts

As the demo ended after the defeating Shocker, I felt glad that I gave the game a chance. I had no intention of buying the game before, but the demo left me wanting to play more and see what else the game and story has to offer. The question I always ask myself when deciding if I want to keep playing a game is: “Did you have fun?” …And with Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac, I definitely did.

You can pre-order the game clicking the image below:

Also, check out the limited edition Days of Play PS4 console here:

Why Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac (PS4) is Worth Being Excited For – An E3 Review I didn't want to like Marvel's Spider-Man after seeing the non-playable demo for the first time at E3 2017.

#e3 #e3 2018 #insomniac games #marvel&039;s spider-man #miles morales #peter parker #playstation #ps4 #review #sie #sony #sony interactive entertainment #spider-man

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aurimeanswind · 7 years ago

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Let’s Make Up—Sunday Chats—4/22/18

So last week I had a Sunday Chats all written and done, and while writing the last two closing paragraphs, my web browser crashed and Tumblr, being the platform with apparently no fail safes at all, completely lost all of what I wrote. I was initially going to just rewrite it the next day or the following Wednesday (my next day off) but then life happened and to be perfectly honest I had what we call in the biz a godawful week, so it didn’t happen. I apologize, I took your questions and selfishly coveted my answers when you had taken your time to submit them, and I am very sorry for that.

To make up for it, this week I am answering all of last week’s questions IN ADDITION to the few I got for this week, so hopefully it’ll be jam packed. Luckily I didn’t have a big editorial thought-piece ready for last week, so for this week...

The 10 out of 10

So I’ve been playing God of War, as I’m sure many of you readers have been, and I’m delighted by it in so many wonderful ways. But I think the reviews definitely set an expectation that is really impossible to meet. I’m not treading new ground here, I think that’s safe to say (as is usually the case with my writing) but it’s just the thought I’ve had the most playing God of War.

I think you get this idea that it’s a series of incredibly brilliant moments that tie together beautifully, and while I think much of that is true, a lot of what you do in God of War is run around and fight dudes. As great as that is, I’ve only had maybe two big moments in my ten or so hours with it. But the quality of what I’ve seen so far just gets me excited to see what moments I have coming up, especially since at this point, I really have absolutely no idea what the hell is going to happen next.

What i think gets understated in such a masterful score is just the sheer volume of production value poured into every inch of a game. I think that’s something that’s hard to convey across an entire review, let alone just a score, but boy, there is just a ton of polish and excellence throughout the game, from the small animations, to how Kratos always grabs a cliff’s face and doesn’t clip through it.

It’s really excellently made, and I hope everyone out there is enjoying it as much as I am.

What’s on Tap

So I finished Kingdom Hearts 1

I re-beat this game again, finally going and doing all the additional content, like synthesis, extra bosses, grinding to level 100, etc.

I dunno... I think Kingdom Hearts is great but its “post-game” content is really underwhelming. I think none of the bosses are truly “special” in a way that they are in Kingdom Hearts 2. They don’t have these strategies seared into my mind, at least.

That being said, the design philosophy in KH1 versus its sequel is so completely different and fascinating. It’s far more Metroidvania in its intent to have you backtrack and re-explore already searched areas. It feels almost like it’s from a completely different franchise.

Like... There is ZERO platforming at all in Kingdom Hearts 2. Like, none. I can’t think of a section where you have to jump from a thing to a thing, except maybe the extra dungeon they added in the Final Mix version.

It makes me hopeful that maybe they’ll revisit some of these ideas in Kingdom Hearts 3 but eh. I doubt it.

Kingdom Hearts 2 on Critical

I started this and it’s about as frustrating as I anticipated. It’s not terrible or world ending, as its essentially just Proud mode difficulty with half your total health.

But I’m about to fight Xaldin in my playthrough so basically it’s all downhill from here.

God of War

So yes, I’ve been playing God of War. It is indeed, a video game.

I mean it’s really great. I talked about it a lot on last night’s podcast if you want some more detailed thoughts. But here are some standouts:

The combat is labored in a way that makes it so much more intense and significant. Of all the things that remind me of The Last of Us, it’s this aspect. It’s the intensity of each hit, the feeling of desperation in every slam and slash, and the violence that goes with it feels justified in the God of War universe where it absolutely never has before.

I get a ton of Darksiders vibes from this game, specifically Darksiders 2. The way it introduces side areas, side dungeons, side puzzles, and especially chests, reminds me a ton of how Darksiders approached formulaic Zelda ideas. It works very well here.

The Axe is, of course, excellent. But I’d say it isn’t the throw of the axe that works, it’s calling it back.

The ambient dialogue between your characters feels pulled straight out of a Naughty Dog game, and it feels so derivative of that that it makes me like it a bit less that I’d personally want to. It just feels almost exactly the same, just with different characters, and so far, outside of Kratos and how “deals” it dialogue, there isn’t enough separating it.

Overall very good. I will eventually be writing a review for IrrationalPassions.com. Look for it someday.

Questions

Remember to look for my tweet with the hashtag #SundayChats every Sunday afternoon, reply to it with your question, and boom. That’s how the magic happens.

Last week’s questions:

Ya know last week I’d have a different answer but I’ll revisit that later. In short: stuff is happening. I’m trying to live my life. Trying to do good. Failing a lot, but I’ll keep trying.

I’ve been crazy busy too. I feel like this is the year I am trying to teach myself different and new things, whether they be on a technical level, or maybe software, or something else along those lines.

Thank you for the kind words. As for the future, I think there is another question asking a bit of something like this, but it’s trying to stay busy and trying to make bigger and better moves. Like, E3 I think is out of the question, but PAX West isn’t, and aiming for something like that is really exciting and it gives us a lot of new options and opportunities. Plus, we’ve been trying to have actual meetings on the reg about what we’re doing and what ideas we have.

A big one that Scott White has been spearheading you’ll probably know more about by the end of this month, and there are some new shows and new styles of pieces I think we are all trying to do. As for me, I just want to get better with video stuff, with supporting the team, and with GA, as that’s my main new project.

I like milk. I drink milk, by itself, or in chocolate form, pretty regularly. I’ve been at a restaurant with friends and asked for a glass of milk and everyone laughed at me. I’ve since never done that.

Milk is good.

I mean the biggest one was assuredly The Messenger, which is like, my #1 most anticipated. But I was lucky that my team got to go out there and see stuff and present it to me with cool thoughts and perspectives on all of them. Like, Solo sounds super cool and I want to see more of it, and City of Brass wasn’t on my radar at all but seems really cool. Mike convinced me to see Omensight and that’s just a really rad new entry from a team I didn’t think had it in them.

I mean, I don’t even really know who Kid Rock is. I mean I know of him, but eh. I’ve never heard his music before a day in my life. I hear he is like, not good? Like, not a good person, not necessarily a bad musician. But I don’t want to assume. Is this libel? Am I getting black balled out of the industry right now?

Also you look hella cute Roger. So proud of you.

It absolutely was not. A big thing was I was planning on getting a 4K TV, and since I had the Xbox One X I was happy with just that and then the HDR that my original PS4 could reach. But there was a good deal and if I was already investing so much I wanted to get the most out of my TV. So I swear to god if a PS5 comes out next fall I’ll be pissed.

Brian. Nabeshin. Jackson. So I can know what it feels like to be the nicest dude in the world and also a great uncle.

It’s really sad. But also nice since I can be alone again. But also sad.

A bit of a mixed bag.

Pretty much anything in Final Fantasy 15 looks amazing and delicious. But that Beef Bowl in Persona 4... Man, I’ve had dreams about that Beef Bowl.

This week’s questions:

Shoutout to Brandon Gann, who is in ALL WEEK’S questions for Sunday Chats.

Yes, God of War is great. I think I got into it pretty well above, but yes, I really enjoy it. The combat, above all else, just feels so great. It reminds me a TON of DmC Devil May Cry in that it is training me well and I feel really good at it. Plus the way the weapons work kind of reminds me of that kind of combat too.

It absolutely has to be the SNES. I think I’ve lost countless hours to that system, and it’s something that, as a gift for me, I had my parents go and buy of eBay waaay past its time so as I could sit down and revisit all these classic games. Something I’m still incredibly appreciative of to this day.

But A Link to the Past and Super Metroid are just so formulative of my current taste in games and the things I seek out the most in video games (see: adventure and backtracking) and that was the console I sank the most time into without a doubt. I think GameBoy is totally a great choice, I didn’t have my own until I got a GameBoy color, but the GBA was the one I fell in love with the most, and I wouldn’t really get deep into that until much later.

Hey like, real talk everyone? Hey? Everyone bring it down, it’s real talk time?

Like, I’m doing suuuuper not good. Like actively very bad, and it’s just a whole lot going on. Last week is like, top three, top four worst weeks ever for me, and I had to make a whole bunch of adult decisions that, while I was prepared for them, I wasn’t happy about anything, and everything seemed to just make the situation more miserable. On top of that, I just feel like I’ve been really shitty and a shitty friend to basically all the people in my life that matter the most, and on top of that I have a lot of stress from work and money and blah.

Like, in the grand scheme of things, I’m doing okay, I’ll be okay, but I feel bad, it all feels bad, and it’s pretty shitty. Like, I know this probably wasn’t the answer expected, but it’s definitely the truth.

I’ll do better next time.

In my defense, it’s what I was doing up until I started writing this, and, while I do need to go do the dishes before I get back into God of War because lord knows no one else will, I’ll be continuing my adventure in Midgard until I pass out tonight.

I mean I feel really good about it, so long as everyone involved feels good. Like we’ve certainly hit a lot more readers and have broadened our audience in a way we’ve never been capable of before, and we have opportunities now that we’ve never had before, and I feel really good about that. I’m not super into the numbers, but I am into opportunity, ability to cover games pre-release, go to events, things like that.

As for the end of the year, I feel like, or at least I hope, there is a bit more cross pollination as far as skill, like more folks will be able to support Social, and more folks will be able to do video, or host shows, or whatever that may be. But I want that to all happen within comfort: like Social is Jurge’s thing, and if he doesn’t want to share that because of his ownership of it, I get that, I respect that, and I’m all about that. People gotta have their territory of expertise, and since I’ve been jack-of-all-trading it alone this whole time, I’m all about doing that for myself.

Even though I kind of already have and that’s editing.

The Ninja Samurai from Ghosts of Tsushima (upcoming, I know) and Sly Cooper, because I’m all about creating the greatest Ninja clan this side of the land of the rising sun.

That’s all I got for this week. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. I’ll do better next time. I will try and continue to do these more consistently. I love you all, thank you for reading and supporting and listening and being great.

Until next time, keep it real.

#video games #god of war #sunday #sunday chats #sundaychats #Alex talks

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h2smedia · 5 years ago

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Best Upcoming PS5 Games for 2020 to keep your eyes on

Along with the launch of Xbox Series X, the Sony PS5 will also launch at the same month, which is holiday 2020. Just like Xbox Series X, the Sony alPS5so bringing their 10th gen gaming console, which is Playstation 5. Though the announcement of the PS5 launch news came to the market earlier than the Xbox Series X, after the news of Series X most of the console lovers started comparing both consoles with each other to determine which is better and which one they should get. As per the looks, Playstation 5 is way better than Xbox Series X, you can take it from an Xbox lover like me. If you compare the specifications Xbox may prove to be better in some cases, to know more about the specifications read other articles & blogs on PS5 and Xbox on this website and decide yourself which is better. But, when the war is between two gaming consoles, the main question arise that which are the main exclusive games offering by these consoles. As we know, even all the Xbox users know that PS5 always comes on top in case of exclusive games, which makes them the fan-favourite. In this article, we are going to discuss the upcoming exclusive games for PS5, for which you should buy PS5 and you won’t regret. Most of those games would also have support for their 9th gen counterpart which is PS4 but with cut-down in graphics and FPS for sure. The biggest titles like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, The Elder Scrolls, etc. have already lined up for PS5 launch. Apart from them, other upcoming titles like Cyberpunk, Lord of the Rings, Horizon Zero Dawn 2, God of War 2, Ghost of Tsushima etc. are also lined up and showing huge promise according to their game trailers. Note: Images are just for reference.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 for PS5

Story-wise Call of Duty: Black Ops 5 is going to be Cold War-related and the game is going to be a loaded FPS game and going be launch at fall 2020. Story is set on the Cold War, unlike any other Call of Duty instalments beforeHeritage FPS shooting gameGoing be launch on both PS4 & PS5Probably going to feature a huge Multiplayer mode as well There is a piece of bad news for some people as this game is going to be a cross-platform game, and going to release both on Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The good thing is the generation of the game would be also cross-generation so that 9th and 10th both generation’s console holders can play this game. But to get the best out of the game you should own the 10th console like Playstation 5 as the game is designed for 10th gen actually.

The project is being headed by the Californian-based game developer Treyarch. If you buy PS5 then you can enjoy the game in higher resolution and in higher FPS. 4K 60 FPS gameplay is conformed in PS5, apart from that the SSD will provide you zero-waiting loading time, and the powerful GPU is going to ensure the highest level of performance.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2 - PlayStation 5 exclusive

As always Horizon Zero Dawn is going to be an exclusive PlayStation game, based on the same futuristic Robot ruled the world, this game is going to explode with the graphics presentation this time with the power of Playstation 5. Exclusive Title for PlayStation onlyOptimized especially for PS5, so out of the world graphics and ultra-level 4K 90 FPS can be expectedLaunching just with the PS5 itself, so it would make a great bundle dealSSD performance would make the gameplay experience even smoother

As last time with the 9th gen console’s marketing, the Xbox lost the battle to the PS4 due to PlayStation’s awesome exclusive game collections, even with the 10th consoles with games like Horizon Zero Dawn 2 on PlayStation’s side, the same could happen again. The game is an original one, no remake of any old classic games, where Horizon features a far-future game world where gigantic robotic machines ruling the Earth, along with that world they feature immersive graphics as well. Along with the awesome graphics and huge explore-able world they feature an addictive open-world role play like Assassin’s Creed or Tomb Raider gameplay. This fully-featured game won the heart of millions of players last time, they are going to do the same with Horizon 2 as well. This time with the next-gen AMD Navi GPU and Octa-core AMD Zen 2 CPU PS5 is more powerful than ever, and it is going to serve you the best possible graphics and performance for sure.

Cyberpunk 2077

This one is a game for which everyone is waiting for since the last E3 conference. This game features some crazy casting like Keanu Reeves and some others. The game features dystopian society and outlawed groups along with an RPG experience. Being developed by the same developers as The WitcherGraphics is not just good actually it is the sate-of-the-art level.A full-fledged RPG experience with a player decisive choice to influence the story outcome.Based on established IP (Intellectual Property) This game is being developed by the CD Projekt Developers, the fine team behind the “The Witcher” series. Cyberpunk 2077 is going to feature a fantasy-based future world of dystopian California. https://youtu.be/qIcTM8WXFjk Like any great RPG game, Cyberpunk 2077 is also going to be an Open world, player based decisive role-playing game, where the players have to select eight different operatives, customize and control them according to the story. Accordance to the players' choices and decisions the outcome and ending will differ in various ways. There are many alternative endings are possible, which the players will have to discover. This game is going to launch on PS5 after the launch of Playstation 5, but officially this game is going to launch on April 2020 and this one not going to be an exclusive game, as it will also be released on various platforms like, Xbox One, PC, PS4, PS5 etc. But, for sure Cyberpunk 2077 is going to one of those very first games to be launched for the PS5 10th gen console. Though according to me if you want to enjoy the Cyberpunk 2077 at its fullest then wait for the PS5 launch. With the powerful specs of Playstation 5, you would be able to unlock all the performance nodes of Cyberpunk's Red Engine 4 based developments. As the art-style is just like the Blade Runner-style, so the PS5 featuring Radeon Navi GPU, Ryzen 7nm Zen 2 CPU, and super-fast SSD are actually the hardware you would need to get the best performance along with the best graphics of this game.

Ghost of Tsushima for PS5

A Samurai styled RPG (Role Playing Game) with a stunning graphics and the outstanding storyline is coming up with the name of Ghost of Tsushima. This game was first teased back at 2017, and at 2019 E3 the trailer and gameplay were launched. This one is a piece of art many players are waiting for. Feudal Japan setting is super cool.Swordplay looks amazing, many players do prefer swordplay than a gunfight.Authentic Japanese score will give you an extra feel.Cinematic presentation makes the game more intuitive.An exclusive for PlayStation only. After the gameplay trailer launched, suddenly this game attracted a lot of attention towards it, but the game was announced for PS4 mainly, however when the PS5 news aroused, the developers of Ghost of Tsushima also turned to more agile towards the cross-gen compatibility. So, it has now been confirmed that this game is going to be launched on PS4 first but afterwards, with the release of PS5, the ghost of Tsushima will also be available for PS5 as well. The game is being developed by Sucker Punch Productions who previously developed the “Infamous” series. https://youtu.be/kSAvzeopPC8 Like I said about Cyberpunk 2077, the same stands for Ghost of Tsushima as well. As this game is very much Artwork and cinematic presentation dependent, the best of this game will be coming out with the best hardware only. So, it would be wise if you buy this game on PS5 instead of PS4, to enjoy the game at max graphics and performance. With Playstation 5 you will have guaranteed 4K 60 FPS and 8K 30 FPS performance. Also, this one is an exclusive PlayStation game, so if you own the game it will be a matter of pride for you as a console gamer.

God of War 2

Here comes one of the biggest PlayStation exclusive of all time, God of War. The God of War 2 (or whatever the name will be) has not been officially announced, but it has been spotted that the developers of Sony Santa Monica, was hiring for their God of war 2 projects through their career website back at the Q4 2018. The first instalment of God of war for PS4 was even better than the originalsPlayStation ExclusiveThe immersive graphics will flourish along with the PS5 specs. If you have played the God of War originals and the reboot version, then you know this for sure that Sony made the reboot version even better than the originals. In terms of gameplay, graphics, aesthetics, sensitivity, story presentation, everything was better with God of War reboot than the already awesome God of War original series.

When the God of War reboot on PS4 got that heartwarming received by the fans around the world, there part 2 is going to happen normally, and anyone can tell that. So yes, the God of War 2 is coming, and most probably it will be a mainstream release for PS5 users. The PS4 version for God of War 2 is still not confirmed. God of War is going to feature best in the industry graphics and going to look awesome with 120Hz display support with 4K 60 FPS and even better in 8K 30 FPS. So, for the PlayStation fans and the God of War fans, this game can be a sole reason to buy a PS5 in the upcoming season. God of war 2 is something which is ought to be 10th gen, therefore if you are still thinking about PS5, it is recommended not to think anymore, and start saving for it.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy is not loved by all kind of gamers, by there is a huge community, who do use PlayStation just to play this exclusive game year after year. The Square Enix president and CEO, Yosuke Matsuda, have officially announced about the launch of Final Fantasy XII Remake, so the JRPG game lovers are waiting impatiently since then. It is a remake of a god-tier JRPG120Hz and 120 FPS gameplay guaranteedPerfectly used the Ray Tracing BusterAnother PS5 exclusive According to the official announcement this game is going to be a cross-gen game, so it will be supported on both the PS4 and PS5. But whether you have played the Final Fantasy VII on PS4, then playing the remake on the same console is just bizarre. As the remake game is meant to be more graphics enthusiast then playing the game with better hardware is recommended any day, hence PS5 is the way for you. https://youtu.be/tEPb8uQ27BI The PS4 version of the game will hit the market at 3rd week of March 2020 but the PS5 version will come up with the launch of the PS5 itself. One more update is there about the new engine of the game which is going to be Unreal Engine 4, so you can expect the maximum from the game along with PS5. Also experiencing the legendary Final Fantasy VII on 4K 120 FPS 120 Hz is something which no Final Fantasy fan would want to miss, plus do not forget that Final Fantasy is a PlayStation exclusive.

The Elder Scrolls VI on PS5

This one is a legendary game, and I myself a big fan of the Elder Scrolls Series. Thus, when it comes to playing Elder Scrolls with intense graphics with 4K HD R and along with 60+FPS, then I would say Hell Yes. A new game engine is being usedThe performance is going to be so optimized that the developers are claiming it to PC-level gameplay experienceThe game is even more expanding, so it will be featuring a bigger map and many more interactions throughout the map. Elder Scrolls VI has been claimed as one of the biggest launches for PS5 at the time of E3 2018. So, this game is going to be worth trying. But there is a point that Elder Scrolls is not an exclusive game, as it is going to be released for Windows PC, Mac PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo switch all the platforms. The game is being developed by their legacy developer Bethesda and going to be a big name on the 10th gen game list. https://youtu.be/OkFdqqyI8y4 When Elder Scrolls VI was first teased at the time of E3 2018, they did not say anything about the PS5 launch, but when both of the 10th console’s release timings have been confirmed, there it can be easily deduced that the developers are making the changes to make this game also a 10th gen console supported. So, with 10th gen consoles like Xbox series X or PS5, this game is going to provide you 4K 60 FPS gameplay, with the intense graphics. For best and optimum gameplay, the developers are suggesting this game should be played on a console rather than PC.

Spider-Man 2

Yes, Spider-Man is coming again to web you up. This time it is meant for 10th gen gameplay mainly. So, playing Spider-Man on PS4 would be a waste of money and you would not get the same performance or experience as PS5 for sure. Till the date of Spider-Man games, this one is going to feature the biggest map.The gameplay is much smoother, and less complex this time. So, pulling off complex stunts using simple button mashing is going to be easier.Due to SSD optimization, this game is going to be a much responsive one this time.PlayStation exclusive As this game is one of the most popular games around the world, and an exclusive one, this game has been always a pressure point on the players because of which they bought PlayStation. That pressure point is still on, and even this time Spider-Man 2 is going to be a PlayStation exclusive game. Actually Spider-Man 2 is going to be a PS5 game, but a PS4 version will also follow. However, playing a 10th gen game on a 9th gen console is not something I would suggest.

The largely non-interactable world of the primary game can be given an actual jolt, with the energy on tap in the PS5 allowing more NPCs, environmental information and, crucially, the capacity to visit each indoor and outdoor local without prolonged loading screens. It might be awfully exceptional to move to get shouted at by way of J. Jonah Jameson at The Daily Bugle, for example, while not having to take a seat via a humdrum you're-going-inside-a-building transition. The fact that Mark Cerny himself has confirmed that the brand new SSD within the PlayStation 5 allows the original Spider-Man to load 18-times faster than on PS4 also shows that the sequel would load, to begin with much faster, too, whilst the reality that greater in-game belongings will be addressed after which loaded much quicker manner than Spider-Man himself ought to be able to move via it quicker and at a smoother frame-rate as well.

Uncharted 5

Uncharted has always been a pinnacle at PlayStation’s library, as it is an exclusive to PlayStation, good story, cinematic gameplay, fun to play fun to watch a game. This time the story will continue from Cassie’s point of view where she picks up Nathan’s love for treasure hunting adventures. So yes, this game is going to be a sequel of Uncharted4: A Thief’s End.

As per the Thief's End epilogue, there were hints about there are more to comeEpic graphics, special effects and cinematic action scenes would look jaw-dropping on PS5Would be PlayStation exclusive for sure. Its developer, Naughty Dog, are currently working hard, and the game is not launched is soon, as the team is working on Last of Us 2, another PlayStation Exclusive. Uncharted 5 is reportedly to be launched at the end of 2021 or at the middle of 2022. Even the name of Uncharted 5 is not confirmed yet.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

The legendary Lord of the Rings is getting another game from the German developers Daedalic Entertainment, which is going to named as lord of the Rings: Gollum and going to feature the legendary fictional character Gollum as the centre character of the game. Features the rich world of Lord of the Rings in an interactive wayGoing to be one of the best Action-Adventure games of the yearA full-fledged RPG where your decision would impact the story-flow of the game directlyWill uncover many other storylines related to Lord of the Rings world and novels which are not covered in movies.

It is not cleared yet that this game is going to be an instalment of Middle Earth series or not, which other franchises based on the same fictional world of the Lord of the Rings. The point is, this game is going to feature a kind of graphics which is going to be so serious that you would be needing a $2500 PC to play the game nicely. There you can grab a Console in a much cheaper price, even the 10th gen console, and can play the same game in 4K 60FPS. So, playing this kind of graphics immersive game on console is sometimes a better deal in terms of money and gaming experience. Yes, this one is not a console exclusive game, as it is going to release on Windows PC, Xbox and PlayStation, but no update for 9th gen console support yet.

Sniper Elite 5

The developer of the Sniper Elite series, Rebellion, has already announced they are working on the post-production of Sniper Elite 5. Sniper Elite is a good game, not a great one, but unlike me, you may be interested in Sniper Elite 5. https://youtu.be/CpW974q2O-8 The game is even better in terms of performance with the PS5 as it is going to be featured as a 10th gen game.This time the mission environments or the maps are going to be even bigger than last time.The audio system is fairly tweaked and upgraded, to make the player aware of the presence of the enemy nearby.This time the game comes with the 4K 60 FPS support, thanks to the 10th gen consoles.Not a console exclusive, but fans are going to try the same on consoles for sure.

GTA 6 (VI) for PS5

Yes, it is Grand Theft Auto or so-called as GTA, and this is the GTA VI this time. Many of the players stared gaming because of GTA. There are still many players who do play GTA regularly and they only play GTA over again and again. GTA probably has the largest fan base of all the games, and especially in RPG games, there is no doubt that GTA is The Most Popular game around the world around all community of gamers. Another huge new and epic map to discoverAnother new story and loads of adventures to experienceOne of the very few RPG which you will play 10 times before you get bored.The graphics are more immersive this time.A true 10th gen flagship gameLaunching just with the PS5 launch, so you can get a great bundle deal. The developers are Rockstar Games, as GTA is their flagship game. This time they are working even harder to put a better storyline this time. Also, another multiplayer universe is going to be featured with this game. GTA will be followed by many other worth experiencing DLC after the launch of the game to take the story and the fun even further. Like always GTA is not an exclusive game, but experiencing a game like GTA is worth it with consoles only. While it PS5 you are going to get the best gaming experience due to the optimization along with 4K 60+FPS gameplay. Though GTA is a very good choice for Xbox lovers as well.

Assassin's Creed: Kingdom

Assassin’s Creed next instalment has been confirmed by multiple sources, even by Kotaku. This time Assassin’s Creed is going to feature the society of Vikings and the expectations are at highest peak already. The new world, new map, new adventures, new story, new uncoverings, new characters.Viking age settings and we all know that Assassin’s Creed is great at presenting any era and historical events.Great Naval combats are induced, this time the naval combats are going to be better than Black FlagThey took the game 2 years two develop, so you can imagine how much hard work and new things have been induced in the game. This time Assassin’s Creed is going to be even better than the last part as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey received mixed reviews. So, this time Ubisoft is not risking their brand name and flagship game’s future again. To get the best experience, of the game and to play this game at 4K 60 FPS in a cheap price, getting a 10th gen console like Xbox series X or PS5 is a better option than investing a fortune in a PC. Other Games announced for PS5 Dragon Age 4 has been announced and set to release in 2022, so not soon. BioWare is making the game. They also said it will be nothing like the previous editions, so the players can expect a lot of changes and new things from this game.Final Fantasy XIV has also been announced and set to release at 2021. This one is going to be an MMO game and is getting developed by Square Enix.League of Legends: Wild Drift with 100 million active players around the world on PC platform of this game, this time it comes to console at last. In the console, the matches will be shorter and faster. This time this game is not only made for a console but for mobile devices and Nintendo also. As the developers are on the verge to beat all the competitors in MOBA games around the world at all platforms. Huge control shifts can be seen to be played on a streamlined control on consoles and mobiles. So, I do not expect much from the game, but there is a lot to discover about the console version of the game. The console gamers who have never tried MOBA games before, this the time for you to turn up. The launch will happen at Q3-Q4 2020. Dying Light 2 is another game which is going to be a survival-horror game and going to be released on Q4 2020, on all the platforms. Other Articles: Top 10 free and offline addictive games for Android device 11 Best free Action Games on Google Play Store for Android How to Install Call of Duty Mobile on PC What is Cloud gaming? Everything about streaming games Read the full article

#bestgames #games #gaming #pcgames #PlayStation5 #PS5upcominggames

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stillunusual · 5 years ago

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LEEDS UNITED 4 MIDDLESBROUGH 0

Leeds United: Casilla, Ayling, White, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips (Berardi 83), Klich, Hernandez, Costa (Alioski 76), Harrison, Bamford (Nketiah 79).

Subs not used: Miazek, Douglas, Clarke, Stevens. This was a brilliant performance by Leeds, which broke the pattern of grinding out results that has characterised most of this season. It was great to finally put another team to the sword for the first time since our away victory at Stoke in August - the three points were never in doubt and it also meant that we finished November with five wins out of five.... I was at Elland Road to witness the first of those victories - 2-0 against QPR on the second day of the month. Next up were Blackburn Rovers, also at home. This game was notable for Patrick Bamford ending his goal drought with a first half penalty. We won the game 2-1 and Jack Harrison scored the winner. The bad news was that captain Liam Cooper had to leave the field during the second half after picking up another injury, with Gaetano Berardi coming on in his place.There was some good news on the injury front in that Barry Douglas and Pablo Hernandez were both fully fit again, and Cooper recovered quickly from his latest setback. He was named as a substitute for our next game, away at Luton, but Gjanni Alioski, Jamie Shackleton, Adam Forshaw and Eddie Nketiah remained on the injury list.... This turned out to be another 2-1 victory, and was in fact our 1919th win since Leeds United came into being just over a hundred years ago on 17th October 1919. Bamford got our opening goal and also claimed the winner, scored in the 90th minute, which was later ruled to be an own goal. Against Blackburn and Luton we created enough chances to win both games by a much bigger margin but were typically wasteful in the final third. Our next fixture, away at Reading, was very different due to the home team's negative tactics. They parked the bus and did everything they could to stifle our attempts to play our normal game. We were unable to break the deadlock until the 87th minute, when Harrison scored the only goal of the game. On the plus side, Cooper was able to start the game and Alioski and Shackleton both came on as second half substitutes. On the minus side, Tyler Roberts was sidelined with a hamstring injury.... Another player who might be absent from the squad in the near future is Kiko Casilla, who has been charged by the Football Association over comments he allegedly made during the game against Charlton Athletic at The Valley in September. Casilla is accused of breaking FA Rule E3 by using "abusive and/or insulting words" towards an opposition player and it is further alleged that the words he used constitute an "aggravated breach", ie that what he said was racist. Casilla will remain available for selection pending a personal hearing, but could be banned for several games if found guilty. He has been very dependable up to now - a big improvement on last season - to the exent that Leeds currently have the best defensive record in the Championship, so it would be a blow to lose him. The win against Middlesbrough was also our tenth clean sheet of the current campaign, although to be fair, Casilla didn't have a great deal to do.... As we arrived at Elland Road I saw a plane in the sky dragging a KAMMY'S ALBUM OUT NOW banner. Although I like the idea of a Chris Kamara Xmas album, I'm not sure if I'd actually want to listen to it. However, I thought it was a good omen, as was the fact that Eddie Nketiah was back on the bench.... This was the first home game since the start of the season in which the score came close to reflecting our dominance of the play. We really demolished a poor Middlesbrough side, now managed by former Leeds favourite Jonathan Woodgate, who must be worrying about his job as his club lingers just above the relegation zone, given that on paper his squad is good enough to be challenging for a play off spot. Our passing and movement was too much for Middlebrough right from the start and when Leeds took the lead in the third minute, Luke Ayling had already come close with a curling effort from the edge of the box that went just wide. Shortly after, Middlesbrough goalkeeper Aynsley Pears (who made several excellent saves during the game, without which their defeat would have been even more embarrassing) stopped a decent Bamford header following a cross by Jack Harrison, but was only able to parry the ball to Pablo Hernandez who sent it back into the box, allowing Bamford to head home with his second attempt. We kept pressing for a second goal and the only surprise was that it took until the third minute of injury time to arrive. This time Bamford provided the assist, with a low cross that Mateusz Klich fired home. Both the cross and the shot reached their targets via deflections off Middlesbrough defenders, but it was a slice of luck that we fully deserved.... The second half continued in the same vein as the first. The atmosphere was electric and Klich, Harrison and Stuart Dallas all had decent attempts saved before Helder Costa worked his way into the area and blasted the ball past Pears in the 67th minute. The fourth goal was a beautiful shot into the top corner from the edge of the box by Klich, on a par with the best of his goals last season. Kalvin Phillips almost added a fifth from a free kick, but was denied by a world class save by Pears. Unfortunately, Phillips also picked up his fifth booking of the season, thus earning himself a one match suspension. He was substituted towards the end and Ben White took his place in midfield. Nketiah was also given a late run out but looked really off the pace. The result took us temporarily to the top of the league but we slipped back to second place after West Brom beat Preston....

#leeds united #soccer #football #championship #marcelo bielsa #elland road #leeds #united #ticket #2019

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spotlightsaga · 8 years ago

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Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Claws (S01E02) Funerary Airdate: June 18, 2017 Ratings: 1.200 Million :: 0.42 18-49 Demo Share Score: 6.5/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********** Murder 101... Never kill somebody then run off to your happy place, especially if that happy place is out of town. This might/WILL arise suspicion... And when the police are the least of you worries and you have Everglades Gangster White Swamp Trash, with full on parades of 'Hoes on Wheels' to account for, then it's 'slow and steady' wins the race. Just think, 'Woosah, Woosah,' and be one with the turtle. Virginia (Karrueche Tran) got it bad man. One second she's gunning a man down and asking to be a 'part of the group'. The next she's flipping out, nowhere to be found. Tell me, Virginia, what about that group you so desperately wanted to be a part of? What's unique about the whole situation is that we're only on S01E02 and I already feel like this is typical Virginia... Proving it's not about what you know about a character, facts, or anything of that nature... It's how that character presents themselves on screen and connects with the audience. Desna Simms (Niecy Nash) is a straight G. She might not necessarily be making all the right moves or even concentrating on all the right areas, but she presents us with a clear and present natural ability to spring into action. Whether it was an attempted drowning at the end of E1 when she was *almost* the person that took Roller's life, to immediately coming up with a plan to dispose of the body (that uncovering of the second body on the boat was so unexpected, I about made 3 dead people I was laughing so hard), to going on the run to chase Virginia down and drag her scary ass back... Desna has proved she can almost handle just about anything that's thrown at her... ALMOST! Unfortunately, at this point, Desna's downfall isn't that she can't handle what's thrown at her, it's that she tries to take on too much. Just like we have a great sense of who Virginia is with just the small amount of screen time that she's had available to get her persona across, Desna had quadruple that time and we know her even better. This cast is lit... And while they might not be reinventing any genre, they are giving us one helluva summer show. If the rest of these women that work with Desna have proved anything in the amount of screen time that they've had to show us exactly who they are, it's that they are as thick as thieves... Sisters with a bond that can't be broken. Actually sitting these women down and telling them the truth of what went down won't be any easy task for Desna, but in the end this is going to turn into a conman, or in this case...a conwoman's game. Think in the key of Amazon Video's 'Sneaky Pete', hopefully without any prison sentences or stolen identities. In the spirit of not posting any cross spoilers (because 'Sneaky Pete' is a great show and if you haven't seen it yet, you should jump on Amazon and watch it), Pete couldn't do all that he had to do without a little bit of help from the people he counted on the most and Desna will soon find out that if she doesn't let her girls in on what's really going on, she's going to drown in the insanity. The women tried their best to keep the show running as it would at the salon without Desna, but it's obviously true that Des is the glue that holds everything together. These women are all strong, but Desna is their fearless leader, no doubt. I love that Desna's character is presented with a traditional weight, holding her down but also propelling her to push forward, with her special needs brother, Dean (Harold Perrineau). It's a bit of a well worn tv trope, but it really does feel like it's presented in a new way and I think that's a good overall metaphor for the show at large as well. 'Claws' feels familiar, but it also feels fresh. And to those that are feeling the show so far, E2 saw a nice little 10% uptick in overall viewers. Keep in mind the show's ratings will definitely vary, as all do in an up and down fashion, but small upticks and and variances (whether up or down) are always a good sign. I've heard a lot of people assuming that the show has been renewed and that's simply not true. 'Claws' hasn't been renewed for S2 until TNT makes that official announcement. As I've said before, TNT is looking for a younger audience and while they aren't getting the big numbers they did with previous series like 'Rizzoli & Isles', they are getting younger numbers... And what do younger numbers lead to?! Better streaming deals! 'Claws' is a summer show, so the ratings won't be massive anyway, but they are right about where 'Animal Kingdom' was last year before they got that S2 renewal. Reps from TNT have filed paperwork to film in Louisiana again if they do choose to create a 2nd season, so while it looks good... Trust me, it's never a done deal until IT IS! Tax write offs can be had from moves like that, especially in the realm of television, so my advice is don't get comfortable. If you like 'Claws', make some noise, keep watching, keep posting, tweeting, and talking about the show. As far as summer shows go, I'm only at E3 and I'm already really digging this series, I want to see it succeed! And can I get a Amen that Niecy Nash is no longer on FOX's travesty 'Scream Queens' and actually on a show where she can show off her range and natural abilities?! 'Claws' is presenting itself as a 'Florida Noir' type thriller, so expect twists and turns and exciting jolts in the core narrative that seemingly come from nowhere. My eyebrow is already raised due to the fact that the police only found one body on that boat, and we all clearly saw that it was two! Desna was quick to dismiss the notion that any foul play was involved, and offered up the 'gator bait' explanation... But I don't know guys, Desna was in a state of shock and react... And Roller (Jack Kesy) seems like a pretty important character. I've got a feeling that either he or that mystery body that was on the boat is very much alive and will have one helluva story to tell if they make it out of The Everglades alive... If that ends up being true, neither will be to happy!

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