First off, a quick brief on what the Forelli Factor is:
For Gamespotters who don't know me from 1UP (as if there are any who do) the Forelli Factor (the title anyway) came as a result of my defense of Sony systems stirring much hatred against me and my person. I have been called all kinds of disgusting names simply because I tried to provide a proper defense for the PS3 as is required in proper courts of law. Of course, being the kind of guy that enjoys spiting people, I decided to provide my enlightened (fanbigot translation: blind, biased, retarded, lies, any combination etc.) views on the state of gaming to the world.
Now, it's coming to Gamespot. Liberals* beware. (Previous "webisodes" can be found on my 1UP webpage. And because the liberals* on 1UP think my posts are just too long, the second part of this editorial will be released on Friday.)
*Oh, and unlike Papa Bear, I use the term "liberals" very liberally to almost anybody of any political ideology. My general definition is anybody who disagrees with me, and it is more intensely applied to whiners and opposing-console fanatics. I'm more of a Colbert Report kinda guy.
Impact
Because there is an outside world whose news affects us gamers too.
Yesterday, a crazed maniac decided to take a couple of weapons and shoot up (the people at) Virginia Tech. Being the heartless, insensitive cynic I am, I'm going to be in a groaning state becuase I can imagine how much vultures like Jack Thompson will capitalize on the opportunities afforded by this tragedy, even before the crying's done.
Really, the VTech shooting was a tragedy and my condolences go out to all those affected, but what vultures like JT (let alone the gun-control hippies) can do with it will make anybody angry.
(Note: Shortly after I wrote this, I googled "jack thompson virginia tech," and I quickly proved that I am an oracle, and/or that Jacko is just too predictable.)
One factor that might discourage Wacko Jacko would be the fact that this all took place in a college, and very likely by a college-age person, and thus the shooter would be much more culpable (at least in legal terms regarding his age) than the Columbine Doom kids. Then again, it might push Thumpson to have ALL M-deserving video games banned from sale outright...though I'm hoping that decent, non-gaming Americans will still have the common decency not to follow along with his dogma.
For now, you heard my view, and I hope the gaming community will share it too. You can also write in and give your opinion on potential political developments. Once again, my condolences go out to the victims of this senseless tragedy. And to be honest...I kinda feel sorry for the shooter. Often the most heinous crimes are committed by the most oppressed/neglected people.
Demo Points
I've downloaded a number of demos for my PSP covering a wide variety of genres. I review a number of these on each special...though I'm trying to keep that number down before I run out of demos to download.
TOCA Race Driver 3 Challenge - Three different cars (from three different decades!?), three different "challenges." No exhibition races here, these are all GT-license-****challenges Of course, just like everything in the Race Driver series, you'll be expected to handle these like a pro racer. This one's not for beginners or intermediates...and I'm an intermediate.
Of course, I could bear with the difficulty for quite a while (I remember being obsessed with the Pro Race Driver on the PS2!) and the sounds and damage effects are pretty detailed for a racer on a portable system, too. But the graphics...I'm not so sure. The cars actually look LESS detailed than Ridge Racers, damage models included. You know they could at least come out with more high-res textures...
Would I get the full game? Meh, probably. See the parentheses above. Of course, I'll definitely decide if and when the GT Portable data comes out.
MotoGP - This tiny demo puts you in control of Valentino Rossi's #46 bike on a few laps around the track at Valencia (familiar to Tourist Trophy racers.) The graphics are astounding for a motorcycle game...if only the control was more friendly. The switch from four to two wheels apparently is much harder than in L/VCS, lawl.
Now, being a fan of racing games, I don't always automatically assume that these games are as bad as I say the demos are. The problem is with these demos you really have to be good (and by good I mean better-than-me-and-I'm-pretty-good!) at the genre already to properly race the demos alone. Eerily enough, this has been my demo experience with racing games as far back as Formula 1 for the PS One. Others would provide easy or tutorial levels.
Not that there are exceptions. Go! Sudoku and Ridge Racers 2, for instance. The first provided very easy Sudoku puzzles while the second put you in an average car on a fairly short track whose drifting curves you could easily figure out. Others such as Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and MOH Heroes gave you the control schemes so at least you knew what to press, and their respective genres are far more familiar.
I say if you're going to make demos, make them of levels that people of other genres can get interested in. I'd include "people of other systems," but you'd obviously have to own that system in order to get the demos for it, no?
(Source: PSPImages - http://www.pspimages.net/pspdemos.php )
Part 2 coming soon. Maybe if people bother to read this then maybe I'll run another one next week. Stay tuned!