Well not completely…but its worth announcing. So I’m going off to visit the capital of the United States of America. I promised myself that I would go to D.C. eventually and it seemed fitting for this year. So now I finally am going to do it , but I’ll be away from June 3-7. I’m really looking forward to the trip but I’m just warning all of you now that seeing how I’m going to be off the Community Spotlight probably isn’t going to be updated while I’m away. I’ll try my best to get an internet connection if I can but don’t be surprised if the thread goes dead on those days. The other thing that I’m slightly disappointed about is the fact that I’m going to miss a good chunk of E3, but hey information trickles quickly these days so I guess it’s no biggie.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

So one of the real reasons why I’m doing this blog is because I want to Spend some time talking about the Community Spotlight…because I know you all really care that much. So one of the issues that you may have noticed now is that the number of podcasts on the Spotlight has grown exponentially.  Now I have always maintained an open door policy when it has come to the podcasts on the Spotlight, but now I’m starting to reconsider that policy. Part of the issue that I have about this stems from the fact that some of the podcasts come from users that don’t really use the site very often and also that I’m spending my time having to stay up-to-date for most of the smaller podcasts. Part of the latter issues is my own fault. I happen to be one of the few Zune owners on the site which makes my life even harder because a lot of the podcasts aren't on the Zune marketplace! So I have to check everyone's goddamn blog/website every day because no one seems to have a discernible or easy to follow time schedule. So in order to know when everyone's podcasts is being released I find myself having to check everyone's website or RSS feed. So I’m thinking of delisting some of the unnecessary podcasts. It seems like the Spotlight is getting cluttered with the podcast table, but everyone is against that idea then I won’t do it.

As for the rest of the Spotlight, I’m eliminating the rule that prevents users from nominating their own stuff that they feel is worth plugging. Originally I wanted to establish this sense of community by having other people explore other people's content. However, I now feel like there’s nothing wrong with feeling proud of something you made or contributed to. It just doesn't make sense for me to punish you for having a little pride about your work. However to prevent the Spotlight from being flooded by one user I’m making it a rule for only one piece of content per user to be nominated for a single category in a single week. Also I’m thinking about doing a Best of Blog feature, but I think Sweep beat me to it with his Blogosphere thread.

As for everything else—it’s going great!  GiantBomb Community Twitter Account (which I also manage) has reached 80 followers, up from 26 users. So if you have a twitter account and aren't already following the Community Account, then go to it! Also the Spotlight has reached over 5,000 views…so I must be doing something right.

Oh well I guess that’s all I want to say! If you have any suggestions for the Spotlight or have any comments feel free to contact me. Also have a great E3 without me! Hopefully I won’t miss out in too much...and I'm still your czar...

In the short run the sale of used video games may prove to be problematic for publishers and could possibly hurt revenue for large and small publishers. However as the used video game market grows I have no doubt that this will encourage more developers to invest in digital distribution, which I still must concede has its problems. Yet from a publisher standpoint going digital may prove to be one of the few avenues that avoids the pitfalls of the used game market e.g. you gain revenue from a game regardless.

Let's just admit it; the God of War franchise has always prided itself with its violence, but Sony Computer Entertainment Studios Santa Monica plan to take it to the next level. Now touting their new zipper system, which realistically depicts the slicing of animated skin, the deaths of Kratos's enemies are definitely getting a graphical overhaul in the next installment of the God of War franchise. So much so that the studio has declared that they aren't publishing some of the content from the game on the internet, because they feel its "just not appropriate for some audiences," (statement can be found here)

Personally I can see why, it's tough for me to watch.... I'm not shy when I say this but, I've always been a little squeamish when it comes to blood, and watching Kratos disembowel a centaur in all its gory madness made me wince It also doesn't help that there appears to be more blood whenever you make contact. It’s weird because I could play the last two games without any gut wrenching problems. Yet whenever I watch the latest trailer for the game, I just can’t finish it.

I know, I know, it fits in the context of the game, and I shouldn't expect rainbows and pixie dust to pour out of their bodies. Also the target audience is probably amped to see this bloody turn of events.

But I'm squeamish, I can't change that. I just can’t handle that kind of gore in a video game even if it’s animated.

However let’s get one thing straight, I don’t blame the developers, what they want to do with their game is up to them to decide. But I want to make another point about the gore. 

So far from a story perspective we know that eventually we will have to eventually kill the gods of (and everyone else, but they're the ones we already know), and they will look very human. This may prove to be problematic in the long run, as once your enemies cross the line from being fantasy themed or animal like to human like, the gore becomes problematic. So I hate to say this but don't be surprised if the game is refused classification in some countries (e.g. Australia) unless it's edited.

So the growing realistic nature of games, rivaling that of live action films, may be the real culprit to what is fueling the fire to the debate over their influence.

Hey maybe you don’t agree with that last statement, but let’s just admit that it at least doesn’t help.

 Final Note: For all of you who are worried that GOW 3 might not get published in your nation, don’t worry. While it may be necessary from a plot perspective I'm pretty sure that Sony doesn't want to not get their next big game published in or the , especially when they are in the position they are in.

So I've just started watching the Endurance Runs on Persona 4 on this site (just got my copy today) and a part of the game reminded me of a faux pas I sadly committed early in my college life. So this is the set up: I'm a U.S. history major and Economics minor, and I'm also in the honors program at my college. So a few students from Japanese, using the exchange program, come over for a semester. One of them was taking US history and needed help, so the Honors program Director sent me an email asking me if I was interested in helping him, and I was.

So I help him, he speaks fluent English, I tell him all about the Antebellum Crisis and the dawn of American lit. and all that stuff. So eventually he calls for one of the other exchange students to come pick him up, and I overheard him call me a "Senpai," and for whatever reasons (AND I DON'T KNOW WHY) I think he's just insulted me. So convinced that he's called me an SOB, I get all angry and say that he's rude, has no manners, and I call him all of these terrible names that I now regret. So when his friends come over to my dorm he runs to them in tears, he's like bawling. So one of them approaches me and I explain why I reacted the way I did, and then he explained what he said, and I realized how much of a dumbass I was.

So needless to say I was their tutor for their entire semester until they left and I still keep in touch with them, and whenever the word Senpai is used on the Endurance Run I just feel this horrible pang of embarrassment. But don't think that this experience has taught me, I'm still a dumbass. When I hung out with these guys, I mistook wasbai for guacamole and they tricked me into eating parts of sea critters that no human being should ever eat.

So there's no real moral, it's just a funny anecdote, get use to it....

NO WAIT THERE IS A MORAL!!!
DON'T BE A DUMBASS LIKE ME!!!