Japan, the West, and Videogames

For roughly 5 years now, the Japanese gaming industry has been experiencing a decline in its overall share of the video games industry worldwide. Numerous developers, creators, and directors have weighed in on this trend, including Tomonobu Itagaki who laid the blame on Japan's 'humorlessness.'

Bear in mind that the most iconic stars of the video game universe are still predominantly Japanese: Mario, Link, Sonic to name a few. But the last decade has seen a seismic shift in the buying patterns of consumers all over the globe. At the turn of the century, the pattern of demand was inverted, with Japanese games being highly demanded in the west, while western efforts, or gaika, went largely ignored in Japan. But much is being made today of Japan's shrinking presence in western consumption habits, even as the video game industry as a whole grows exponentially. And, while Mr. Itagaki is entitled to his opinion, it seems to me Japan has always been a niche market in the west.

The Tyler Cowen

1. The silver-lining of destruction.
2. Cognitive bias in our appreciation of LeBron James. Via Marginal Revolution.
3. Stunning steam-punk. Via The Awesomer.
   

Halo Review

Is the Halo franchise on the wane? Perhaps. It no longer dominates the Xbox live online stats, it's records for largest entertainment launches in history have been eclipsed and re-eclipsed by Modern Warfare sequels, and the fever-pitch of a new iteration's announcement has taken a cold shower compared to the initial teasers for Halo 2.

But, while it doesn't generate the same buzz that it once did, it has aged, like a fine wine, into an iconic franchise. A staple in the modern buffet of video games. A hero with a look so recognizable as to be placed in the elite branded leagues of Mario, Sonic, and Lara Croft. We here at BofHam enjoy our Halo, though our affection is certainly tempered by the franchise's more questionable decisions. (Halo 2 tried a bit too much graphically, Halo 3 jumped the shark story-wise, etc.) But with the rumor mill whirling full-tilt with speculation about a re-release of Combat Evolved, we decided to sit down and blow through the first iteration of Bungie's cash-cow.

And boy, were we ever blown away all over again.

The Tyler Cowen

1. More of the worst video game voice-overs from the best guy to do them.
   
2. OECD infographic from lots of different places on the internet. 
3. The complicated state of Pakistan.
4. Before Bungie was famous.
5. Another wide-spread splash on the internet today, women like men who don't smile.
6. Another massive panorama photo, this one of Wembly Stadium.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Kim Jong-il heads to China on his armored train again.
2. Incredible Lego diorama. Via The Awesomer.
3. The Bible in video-game form. Or at least content inspired by the Bible. Or at least not another Greek / Norse romp. Can't wait until Fox gets their grubby little mitts on this. 
4. Dennis Rodman is more valuable than Michael Jordan? Via Marginal Revolution.

The Tyler Cowen - Fun and Stuff Edition

We're back after getting some sweat on a Filipino dance floor. There's a lot of fun stuff that's happened in the past 5 days. As such, we're breaking today's edition of links into pieces. The Fun and Stuff Edition summarizes the best things on the internet in the past five days.

The Tyler Cowen

1. iPhone owners...you're being watched. 
2. Genetic modification promises to save us all. Not to be a cold-hearted pragmatist, but effectively stopping 1M human deaths a year isn't going to help our over-population problem now is it?
3. OKCupid parses through it's wealth of information. Via Marginal Revolution.
4. How to talk to a North Korean.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Portal Kombat. Via Joystiq.
   
2. Transiency. Via Marginal Revolution.
3. Simple but effective infographics. Also via Marginal Revolution.
4. Sexist assholes getting taken to task.

The Tyler Cowen

1. The use of honorifics in Japan and it's impact on the national psyche. Via Marginal Revolution.
2. The power that is Google.
3. Great interactive infographic for all you US tax-payers out there.
4. Mario propaganda. Via Kotaku.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Richard Branson shoots for the depths in a submarine named 'Virgin Oceanic.' Wasn't Oceanic the fictitious airline that got it all started on Lost?
2. How fast are professional athletes? Really. Effing. Fast. Via The Awesomer.
   

The Tyler Cowen

1. How has this slipped past my radar? This is truly the uncanniest valley I've been in.
   

The Tyler Cowen

1. Fun article from 38 North on Christopher Hill that packs a punch regardless of its levity. 
2. Wonderful video shot using GTA IV's engine. Via The Awesomer.
   
3. I normally hate glorifying gangsters but c'mon...

The Tyler Cowen

1. More great Portal 2 commercials.
2. Traveling is good for the soul. 
3. Few things better than a good Daily Show rant. (Even though this one seems oddly edited.)
4. Really interesting rant about Google from an ex-Googler. Via The Browser. 

The Tyler Cowen

1. Funny recap of the Half Life story thus far.
   
2. Breaking down how hard it is to connect the Deepwater Horizon to the oil cap 5,000 feet below the ocean's surface. 
3. A not-so-rosy future for Libya.

Homefront is a Joke

IGN recently published an interview with some of the advisors for THQ's upcoming video game Homefront. The game, set roughly fifteen years in the future, envisions a United States occupied by North Korean forces. In the interview, the advisors detail some of their theoretical assumptions which pave the way for such a situation. While both the advisors and the author dutifully pepper their ideas with caveats and reminders that this is all for the sake of entertainment and shouldn't be taken seriously, the article's title ("Is Homefront Possible?") irks me enough to deconstruct their theories in order.

The article relies on two basic fear-mongering facts: 1) historical precedent and 2) economic decline. The first basically follows the logic that no one predicted the inflation-ravaged Germany would sweep through Europe in the late 1930's, so it might happen again. The second falls back on the current cries of American economic and military decline thanks to a volatile Middle East and our reliance on oil. In unpacking each step of North Korea's hypothetical expansion, we will attack each of these parts as they crop up.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Two articles on North Korea, both from Marginal Revolution. The first regarding a North Korean restaurant in Virginia which spring-boards nicely into a biography of the owner. The second is about studying abroad in North Korea which seems like a handful of trouble if you ask me. 

The Great Gatsby

http://greatgatsbygame.com/

"...face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate with his capacity for wonder."

The Legend of Zelda meets Ferris, the Breakfast Club, and a young John Cusack

Via Joystiq.

Mythbusting Zombies

Rooster Teeth on how easy surviving a zombie apocalypse would be with guns. I've always thought the classic, shambling zombies would be a cinch to survive. They shamble for chrissakes! I've had a herd of 5 year olds chasing me before but managed to escape unharmed. Zombies, if anything should be easier. (Granted, the zippy zombies from 28 Days and Weeks later scare the ever-living crap out of me.)

In any event, it appears that I'm not far wrong. Three non-military types (sorta) manage to fare quite well against the shambling hordes the myth-busting scenario comes up with. Even a young lass with zero experience using a shotgun can easily dispatch her aggressor in three shots...more than enough time to survive his advances. (Via Kotaku.)

HUMOR!!

Funny stuff.

Via Kotaku. Japan, sort your shit out indeed.


Bluetooth Assholes via The Awesomer:


Bulletstorm Parodying Halo:


aaaaaaand some slapstick to round it out: