Rant: Diablo III ONLINE.

DRM.

Client/Server Program.

Interesting Fact: Diablo III is the later and all you're doing when you sit there and bitch about the "always online DRM" is demonstrate your lack of knowledge of how things work and why.

The reason for the "Always Online" requirement is that all your character information is now going to be stored remotely on the Battlenet servers instead of locally on your computer and without access to create or load your character info, the game will be really hard to play*. Why is this being done? Because when they allowed local storage Joe Jackass would hack the fuck out of his characters and make online play miserable for everyone else. Take away local storage, problem solved (likely).

So, while I can understand that folks are annoyed that their "single player game" is now... not, in a sense, sitting there and going apeshit about "DRM!!!!!!!" is so far up the misguided tree you've run out of branches and are now swinging from the clouds 60's Spiderman style. Limit your complaints to the fact that you don't want to have to be online to play the game and I'll have much more sympathy for your position instead of thinking you're a posturing idiot throwing out fanboy curse words in an effort to drown out legitimate discussion over the pro's and con's of this change.

* I especially love the people sitting there going: "I'm going to wait until pirates hack out the always online DRM!!!!". While this is not impossible - the existence of private servers for WoW demonstrates that - I often wonder if they do realize that said hack will require installing an entire back end database application on their computer to replicate the D3 server functions that's going to be provided from... shall we say... questionable sources...

Lazy Friday: Nice Official Mashup....

Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright.

That sound you hear? Millions of adventure/puzzle gamers collectively orgasming.

TLU: Some Personal Responsibility Required

Her: I want my first time to be with someone who wants me so much they just take me no matter what I say...
Me: ... how do you expect that to work when you tell every guy you date rather implicitly that you're waiting and throw up stop signs at every stage? You really want them to just go ahead anyways?
Her: Yes.
Me: You do realize your position is functionally equivalent to expecting someone who's supposed to be "in love with you" to rape you, right?
Her: Well, I wouldn't file charges if I like them...
Me: Unhuh... I'd normally think the appropriate response here is: "good luck with that" if not for the fact that I wouldn't wish that kinda luck on anyone....

TyL: A More Apt Address I Could not Imagine...

The website for Dark Souls is at PrepareToDie.com.

You could make an argument that this is a reference to the gameplay mechanic that will see you spend time in the game as a "soul"; an astral being like state lacking in a physical body because it has died.

Anyone who's played Demon's Souls will shatter this delusion. The real reference here is to the reality that these games are utterly unforgiving and you are going to die. A lot.

The first game was awesome though; with some unparalleled atmosphere and compelling gameplay. If they've boxed any of that in here it's ending up on my shelf in short order.

Lazy Friday: Let Your Inner Child DragOn....

They're having way too much fun here. This gives me hope.

TotD: There are...

... two Snow White inspired movies coming out next year featuring ass kicking Snow Whites seeking to overthrow an evil witch of a queen.

Anyone who tells you this has nothing to do with Hanna is selling something.

CBCR3: Fall(ing out of Favour) Update 2011

Been a whole year since I did this originally. Time to take a serious pile of stuff behind the barn and... um... let it go off into the woods... exploring...

Yes....

Those cracks? Celebratory fireworks as they move onto a new phase in life...

What?

Out With the Old
Rah Rah - Betrayal pt. 1
Darrelle London - Understand
Carbon Dating Service - Light Up The Synchrotron
Meredith Grant - Stars
Memphis - I'll Do Whatever You Want
Ben Globerman - Pirate Games
Racoon Bandit - Train Song
Beast - Mr. Hurricane
Janet Panic - Lousy Wife
Buck 65 - Indestructible Sam
The Wheat Pool - Lefty
Luke Doucet - Broken One
Julie Doiron - Consolation Prize
Sam Roberts - The Canadian Dream
Young Rival - Poisonous Moves
David Vertesi - Gentlemen Say
HotKid - Yours and Mine
Attack In Black - Half Moon On The City High
The Creepshow - Creatures of the Night
Great Lake Swimmers - Gonna Make it Through This Year
Blurtonia - Foxy by Proxy
Laura Peek and the Winning Hearts - Stay Sharp
The Love Machine - Love Is On Your Side
Elk - Shaking Hands 3:46 CBC Radio 3
Tacoma Hellfarm Tragedy - True Love Killed My True Love's Love For Me
J.J. Ipsen - DaDaDa
The Five Hole Band - (Thinking 'Bout Your) Five Hole
Gramercy Riffs - Call Me

Yeah... Bit of a purge there of stuff that I'd basically started just skipping past to get to the meat. 28 songs heading off on new adventures to be replaced by...

In With the New
The Super Friendz - 10lbs.
Mocky - Birds Of A Feather
Blue Hawaii - Blue Gowns
Extra Happy Ghost - So At One
Long Long Long - Mandarin Collars With Women
Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Royal Canoe - Me Loving Your Money
The Organ - Memorize The City
Suuns - Gaze
Imaginary Cities - Marry The Sea
Oh No! Yoko - 90s Kids
Young Liars - Marathon
Braids - Same Mum
Yukon Blonde - Brides Song
Handsome Furs - Repatriated
Austra - Lose It
Pure - Chocolate Bar
Junior Battles - Birthdayparties Vs. Punkroutine
Arcade Fire - Empty Room
Two Hours Traffic - Better Sorry Than Safe
The Bicycles - Won't She Be Surprised
Zeus - Permanent Scar
The Sadies - Another Year Again
Slow Down, Molasses - Light
Metal Kites - The Missionary
Adaline - Famous For Fire
The Swallows - Not To Be In Love
Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On - fastest drop ever. On further play through, want nothing to do with it.

28 27 new songs. The purge was coming anyways, but the fact that it's been a really productive few months certainly didn't hurt things.

As always, to be found over here