What Would Matt Do

That’s an absolutely horrible statement to make in justifying anything. I know it is, and yet, this guy makes me want to hold him down and write it on his forehead:

But goddamit, am I the only one who think it’s morally disturbing to make a game that celebrates COLONIZATION? It’s ironic, actually, because just a few months ago a friend sent me a link to some information about the original "Colonization" game from 1994 (pictured left) that this one updates. At first, I thought it had to be a joke, but sure enough, it was real. However, I dismissed it as a relic from a time when neither developers nor players took videogames seriously as media with moral implications.

But the idea that 2K and Firaxis and Sid Meier himself would make and release a game in the year 2008 that is not only about colonization, but celebrates it by having the player control the people doing the colonizing is truly mind boggling.

There are more than a few ways to refute this argument.

You could go with, I didn’t hear you say anything as you played WWII games where you celebrated the killing of other human beings over and over in a very grotesque manner (some call it war). I didn’t hear you complaining when you played Civilization where you potentially do almost the same thing you’re going to be doing Colonization, but it’s called a different name. I didn’t hear you complaining as you played evil races doing evil things in numerous games. I didn’t hear you complaining when you played any of the Age of Empires games.

Or you could go with, it’s just a game. No matter the subject matter, it is what you make of it. If you find it personally offensive, don’t play it. It’s not actually real you don’t actually have to do any raping and pillaging. You don’t have spread diseases to wipe out whole nations and you don’t have to get your PC panties all in a bunch about it.

What I’d really say though, don’t be dumb. Just like FPS games aren’t murder simulators, this isn’t a genocide simulator. If you really can’t see that, the least you can do is stop posting your trollish type posts on the internet where I’m subjected to reading them. I mean, I know the 1st amendment protects your freedom of speech, but if you had any morals, you wouldn’t post things like this:

And yes, before anyone brings it up, I believe in the First Amendment. Of course 2K has the right to release it. Nobody should stop them from doing so. But I think personally think they shouldn’t release it, if it’s at all what it appears to be based on the early marketing.

What Would Matt Do: Your forehead, my marker, bitchlips.

This is amazing stuff. Maybe it won’t be as wicked awesome (this is for you, sweets) as it appears on the videos, but damn me if I’m not excited. I don’t remember the last time I was as interested in a remake of a childhood game as I am for this one.

And even if you haven’t played Bionic Commando in the past (and if you haven’t, you probably shouldn’t call yourself a gamer), this game bring multiple multiplayer modes (there was no multiplayer in the original) to the table along with what looks like a particulary tight single player game. I’m in lust without ever having touched the controller’s colorful buttons to use my mechanical arm of doom.

What Would Matt Do: I’d utter something like, "Daddy likes!"

I really would love it if I had a president I could at least attempt to believe in, and believe in general. If Obama makes it past the primary, I could actually vote for a president I liked, instead of the lesser of two evils.

Sure, I knew he was a politician (i.e. - jackass), but I didn't realize just how funny he could be. This is a short video on Lieberman with much lying, on tape and mucho denying. Fun!

Awesome video