Conversation With Hesser: Wii, Spore, Violent Games

Conversation with Hesser on May 20th, 2006

LakelandHm [3:47 PM]: Hello.
Norwegian Yah [3:47 PM]: Hiya
LakelandHm [3:47 PM]: Do you think it's strange that I'm starting to have dreams about the Nintendo Wii?
Norwegian Yah [3:48 PM]: Sorta. Maybe.
LakelandHm [3:49 PM]: I want the console so badly...
Norwegian Yah [3:49 PM]: While I must admit I'm looking forward to the Wii, the one game I'm really looking forward to is Spore, for the PC
LakelandHm [3:50 PM]: I wish my PC was powerful enough for Spore. I'll have to get Spore on the Wii.
Norwegian Yah [3:50 PM]: I saw a 40 minute video of it being played, then Robin Williams creating a creature, I totally can't wait for that
LakelandHm [3:50 PM]: Spore would be too overwhelming for me
LakelandHm [3:51 PM]: I wouldn't know what to make
Norwegian Yah [3:51 PM]: I already have basic plans of what I want to make
LakelandHm [3:52 PM]: And what would those be?
Norwegian Yah [3:52 PM]: i'm thinking something small and weak and peaceful. And see how long that will last
LakelandHm [3:52 PM]: I'm thinking of something that devours it's prey alive and whole.
LakelandHm [3:53 PM]: If that's possible
Norwegian Yah [3:54 PM]: Not sure if it can do it in like, one bite. That would sort of make it super powerful. But I don't know that for a fact.
LakelandHm [3:54 PM]: I bet you'd like to blow up other's planets
LakelandHm [3:55 PM]: I think that's stupid. You work for hours on a planet and then somebody can come and blow it up...
Norwegian Yah [3:55 PM]: Well, a human player can't actually attack you
Norwegian Yah [3:55 PM]: The computer just copies the playing styles of all the players of Spore
Norwegian Yah [3:56 PM]: then it uses their creatures and planets in the game
Norwegian Yah [3:56 PM]: So you can blow up a planet that had a players creatures on it, but it wouldn't afffect their particular game
Norwegian Yah [3:56 PM]: On the contrary, if you do get attacked by a computer opponent, you would have a good army.
Norwegian Yah [3:56 PM]: Because the computer will go with your "difficulty level" depending how you play
LakelandHm [3:57 PM]: So that's the whole 'smart code'?
Norwegian Yah [3:57 PM]: If you're weak and want to focus on culture and science and not war, then you won't be bombared by attacks.
Norwegian Yah [3:57 PM]: Yeah
LakelandHm [3:57 PM]: Now that IS very smart AI
LakelandHm [3:57 PM]: Imagine The Sims 3 or Sim City 5
LakelandHm [3:58 PM]: They'll probably put that code in those games
LakelandHm [3:58 PM]: For some usage in the improvement of AI
Norwegian Yah [3:58 PM]: Yeah. But still, those games won't have the vast exploration Spore will have
LakelandHm [3:58 PM]: As of what we know now (which is nothing), that's true
LakelandHm [3:59 PM]: I wish they'd have a 'smart code' similar to that in the GTA series
Norwegian Yah [3:59 PM]: They showed a zoomed out view, which had I'd say, 60 star's on screen. Go to each indiviudal star, theres a solar system with planets you can visit.
Norwegian Yah [4:00 PM]: And then you can zoom out, and there are literally thousands of stars, and millions of planets
Norwegian Yah [4:00 PM]: and it would literallly be impossible for a player to explore every single planet
LakelandHm [4:00 PM]: There's a new game coming out for the PS3 (?) similar to GTA but it has better features and you can create your own character, plus improved AI
LakelandHm [4:00 PM]: WOW
LakelandHm [4:00 PM]: I really want that game now. Darn you, now I'll be dreaming about Spore.
Norwegian Yah [4:01 PM]: And the best part is, each planet is unique. Nothing will be the same, no creatures will be the same(unless of course, the colonize another planet and you find them there)
LakelandHm [4:02 PM]: I really want the Wii though. I was never hyped up about a video game console like this before. Normally it's, "Hey, look at those graphics that system can promise! I want that!" But in this case, it's the innovative new gameplay
LakelandHm [4:02 PM]: Spore looks amazing, really
LakelandHm [4:03 PM]: But could you imagine the system specs your computer would need?
Norwegian Yah [4:03 PM]: I agree with the Wii. I'm already seeing the "hardcore Playstation" people started to get converted to the Wii side.
Norwegian Yah [4:03 PM]: They actually won't be super great
Norwegian Yah [4:03 PM]: each creature will be only 3 k in size.
LakelandHm [4:04 PM]: Do you think a computer with 528 MB RAM and 100 GB hard drive (with all my stuff included on it) would work?
LakelandHm [4:05 PM]: I mean, games like Doom 3 had a hard time working on computers. I think that was the game...
Norwegian Yah [4:05 PM]: Not sure.
LakelandHm [4:05 PM]: I wish technolgy could convert any file to a smaller size without reducing quality...
Norwegian Yah [4:05 PM]: We'll see when the system requirements get released, eh?
LakelandHm [4:05 PM]: Yep
LakelandHm [4:07 PM]: Did you ever play the Sim City series? (I think we talked about this before but I have long term memory loss.)
Norwegian Yah [4:07 PM]: I played the first two, but not when they started getting good and advanced.
LakelandHm [4:08 PM]: SimCity 4 with the expansion pack is amazing
LakelandHm [4:08 PM]: I downloaded it off of Limewire and it works like a dream
Norwegian Yah [4:08 PM]: I'm downloading a Sim 2 Torrent.
Norwegian Yah [4:08 PM]: I always wanted to play that
Norwegian Yah [4:08 PM]: 15 hours to go..
LakelandHm [4:09 PM]: I want to play Sims 2 too
LakelandHm [4:09 PM]: Torrents take forever on my computer
LakelandHm [4:10 PM]: San Andreas took about a week without turning my computer off at night
Norwegian Yah [4:10 PM]: They go fairly fast on mine. I started last night at about 8.
LakelandHm [4:11 PM]: I always had to come up with an excuse to give to my father to not turn the computer off. For example, I'd leave a wordpad window up saying that there's a big virus scan going on or adware scan
LakelandHm [4:11 PM]: It worked, until the fifth day or so
LakelandHm [4:13 PM]: Can I ask you your personal imput on a somewhat controlversal topic that I have to write a speech final on, which is due Tuesday, and I have nothing written down yet?
Norwegian Yah [4:13 PM]: Computers should always be left on, unless theres a violent thunderstorm.
Norwegian Yah [4:13 PM]: alright.
LakelandHm [4:13 PM]: My father thinks that when computers are left on at night that they're more vulnerable to viruses
LakelandHm [4:13 PM]: Anyway...
LakelandHm [4:14 PM]: Do you think violent video games cause people to become violent?
Norwegian Yah [4:14 PM]: no
LakelandHm [4:14 PM]: And why?
Norwegian Yah [4:16 PM]: Well, I saw a graph once that charted youth violence now, when violent video games are common, and youth violence in the 50's, then there were none, and the 50's was much bigger than modern times.
LakelandHm [4:16 PM]: I saw something similar once
LakelandHm [4:16 PM]: Well, here's my two main points
LakelandHm [4:18 PM]: One, video games act as a stress reliever of some sort. Remember those old stress balls you used to squeeze? Well, video games are sort of the same thing. You can take your stress or anger out on jumping on a Goomba's head or blowing some guys head off besides taking it out on somebody else in the household or a friend.
LakelandHm [4:18 PM]: Agree?
Norwegian Yah [4:18 PM]: Yep
LakelandHm [4:18 PM]: Have anything else to add concerning that one point?
Norwegian Yah [4:19 PM]: Not really.
LakelandHm [4:20 PM]: But do you think it's good enough as a point supporting that violent games do not cause violence?
LakelandHm [4:20 PM]: Even though I have another
Norwegian Yah [4:20 PM]: Well, I think you need some points, so you should go for it
Norwegian Yah [4:21 PM]: It's not like your debating.
LakelandHm [4:21 PM]: But isn't that a vivid point by itself?
LakelandHm [4:21 PM]: We only need two main points
Norwegian Yah [4:21 PM]: Well, whats the other
LakelandHm [4:24 PM]: Second, what's the different between watching a death on TV and watching a death on a video game? Anti-game persons say that you have the option to shoot that guy, killing him, because you're interacting with the game whereas when you see it on TV, you're just watching. Well, no matter what, it's the same context. If you play the game you may not choose to shoot a guy. Because you play, say GTA, does that mean that you're going to run around chopping people up with a chainsaw? No. Continued...
LakelandHm [4:24 PM]: You can cruise around the desert on a motor bike, you can parachute off of a mountain, etc.
Norwegian Yah [4:25 PM]: But the main point of a lot of games is to kill people.
Norwegian Yah [4:25 PM]: You can't get far in GTA without killing people
LakelandHm [4:26 PM]: Unless you have mental problems or you're already involved in violence, then I doubt you're going to be influenced by a video game, looking at it as a murder simulator.
Norwegian Yah [4:26 PM]: Right
LakelandHm [4:27 PM]: They have a better chance seeing how a murder killed somebody on TV so cleverly on a detective show than on a video game, sniping from a rooftop
LakelandHm [4:27 PM]: *murderer
Norwegian Yah [4:27 PM]: Good point.
Norwegian Yah [4:28 PM]: which in turn, would make them more knowledgeable on how to kill someone and get away with it
LakelandHm [4:28 PM]: Also most violence in video games is fantasy related, besides the urban games like San Andreas
LakelandHm [4:29 PM]: Yes, because if you need a detective to solve a case, then the murder must've been played/planned out pretty well
LakelandHm [4:29 PM]: Even watching the news can give them some idea!
LakelandHm [4:30 PM]: Arson in Scranton! Well, that's reality. Reality influences people more than non-reality things. Well you be more influenced by a real guy or a fake guy on a video game?
LakelandHm [4:30 PM]: *Will you
Norwegian Yah [4:30 PM]: Real!
LakelandHm [4:31 PM]: Of course!
LakelandHm [4:31 PM]: Wow...I got about three points
Norwegian Yah [4:31 PM]: you're se
Norwegian Yah [4:31 PM]: t
LakelandHm [4:32 PM]: I am
Norwegian Yah [4:32 PM]: I must now start working on a powerpoint
LakelandHm [4:33 PM]: But it has to be one to two minutes, and that of course includes the introduction and the conclusion...
LakelandHm [4:33 PM]: On what?
Norwegian Yah [4:33 PM]: Middle Ages
LakelandHm [4:33 PM]: For what class?
Norwegian Yah [4:33 PM]: World Cultures
LakelandHm [4:34 PM]: Make sure you include dragons.
LakelandHm [4:34 PM]: And their folklores of them
Norwegian Yah [4:35 PM]: This is supposed to be serious and it will double as a senior project
LakelandHm [4:36 PM]: Yes but wasn't folk tales of dragons and the whatnot popular in those times?
LakelandHm [4:36 PM]: How does it double as a senior project?
Norwegian Yah [4:36 PM]: Not sure, but Morcom told us to do a good job on it, because then we'll be done with our senior project
LakelandHm [4:36 PM]: You can do a senior project on the Middle Ages? O.o
Norwegian Yah [4:37 PM]: and while yes, dragons were in folklore, this is supposed to be facts and the history of what happened
LakelandHm [4:37 PM]: I thought projects had to be stuff like ice cream sales or volleyball tornuments
Norwegian Yah [4:38 PM]: I don't know.
Norwegian Yah [4:38 PM]: I just know what Morcom told us
LakelandHm [4:39 PM]: Isn't it fact that the people of that time told tales of dragons?
Norwegian Yah [4:40 PM]: Yes.
Norwegian Yah [4:40 PM]: But it wouldn't make sense to talk about dragons
Norwegian Yah [4:41 PM]: It would be like
500's, middle ages began with fall ofrome
High middle ages- relgion rules
OH! DRAGONS!
Late middle ages-, yada yada
Norwegian Yah [4:41 PM]: it wouldn't make sense
LakelandHm [4:41 PM]: Yes, it wouldn't
LakelandHm [4:43 PM]: This is a little off-topic but could you go to jail if I happened to make the $100 needed to get a check for the ads on my site and they take income tax out and because I'm too young to file income tax and...?
LakelandHm [4:44 PM]: Well, could I go to jail
Norwegian Yah [4:44 PM]: No idea at all
Norwegian Yah [4:44 PM]: maybe?
Norwegian Yah [4:44 PM]: Well, I doubt jail
LakelandHm [4:44 PM]: Hopefully I'll be 18 before I ever reach that milestone
LakelandHm [4:46 PM]: Darn, I need to think up an introduction...
Norwegian Yah [4:46 PM]: I hate working.
LakelandHm [4:47 PM]: You aren't too specific
LakelandHm [4:48 PM]: As in school work or job work?
Norwegian Yah [4:48 PM]: Both.
LakelandHm [4:48 PM]: Or thinking logically work?
Norwegian Yah [4:48 PM]: Work that I don't like doing
LakelandHm [4:48 PM]: I agree
LakelandHm [4:48 PM]: I'd rather sit here and talk about Wii, Spore, etc. than write a speech
LakelandHm [4:49 PM]: And the downfall of Sony
LakelandHm [4:49 PM]: Heh, Sony's doing the Sega. Didn't one of their consoles right before the Dreamcast cost about $700?
Norwegian Yah [4:49 PM]: Yeah
Norwegian Yah [4:50 PM]: Although, I doubt Sony will die
Norwegian Yah [4:50 PM]: They make loads of money of electronics
Norwegian Yah [4:50 PM]: and Microsoft is really safe
LakelandHm [4:50 PM]: That's the thing! Microsoft and Sony have other products to back them up! Nintendo has their games, consoles, accesories, and Pokemon trading cards
LakelandHm [4:52 PM]: That could've been a whole other speech.
Norwegian Yah [4:52 PM]: It could hae
LakelandHm [4:52 PM]: Plus Nintendo's doing pretty good just having their games.
LakelandHm [4:53 PM]: The DS has better sales than the PSP
LakelandHm [4:53 PM]: Same will go for Wii
LakelandHm [4:54 PM]: See, people probably see me, and maybe you, as Nintendo fanboys. Well, I'm not really a fanboy. I just see Sony's system being too expensive and a rip-off (the guy who made it said he was doing us a favor having the price as low as it is!) and I thought the Xbox controller was always too complicated for me
Norwegian Yah [4:55 PM]: Personally, I've been a long time supporter of the PC
Norwegian Yah [4:55 PM]: I prefer the customization you get
LakelandHm [4:56 PM]: Well, I'm talking console-wise. You can argue that the PC is a console though...
Norwegian Yah [4:57 PM]: You could. And I support it
LakelandHm [4:58 PM]: I like the PC too then. I spend my life on it.
Norwegian Yah [4:58 PM]: Well, I'm talking PC Games
Norwegian Yah [4:58 PM]: I think they're better than console games the majority of the time
Norwegian Yah [4:59 PM]: Although now the Wii will have something the PC can't do, with the controller.
Norwegian Yah [4:59 PM]: You know what was funny?
LakelandHm [5:00 PM]: PC is the best FPS console
LakelandHm [5:00 PM]: What?
Norwegian Yah [5:00 PM]: I was talking to Jordan Hine the other day, and he was all like "The PS3 will have better sales, everyone wants to get one" so then I started showing him polls on various gaming sites, that showed how many people were chooisng the Wii over the PS3.
Norwegian Yah [5:00 PM]: Then I showed him a video of E3, where it took a guy 3 minutes to walk from the end of the Wii line(where people got to play it) to the beginning
LakelandHm [5:00 PM]: 63% or more
Norwegian Yah [5:00 PM]: whcih would equal a couple hours standing in line waiting.
Norwegian Yah [5:01 PM]: Then I showed another video of them openign the doors at E3, and a whole bunch of people running right toward the Wii set up...and right past Sony's PS3 set up
LakelandHm [5:01 PM]: I heard the wait was the longest in E3 history
Norwegian Yah [5:01 PM]: I wouldn't be surprised. It looked huge. It kept goign adn going and going
LakelandHm [5:02 PM]: Joystiq had a post showing the last guy in line -- the "unlucky soul"
Norwegian Yah [5:03 PM]: Would suck royally to be him
LakelandHm [5:03 PM]: He was too ashmed to give his name
Norwegian Yah [5:03 PM]: heh
Norwegian Yah [5:03 PM]: Wonder if he got to play it
LakelandHm [5:03 PM]: I hope -- it was the last day
LakelandHm [5:04 PM]: I had a dream that the Wii was out and world peace occured
Norwegian Yah [5:04 PM]: I doubt that will happen
LakelandHm [5:05 PM]: My favorite gutarist has a new band "Angels and Airwaves" and John told me that he said that their new album will bring world peace and will be better than the second coming of Christ
LakelandHm [5:05 PM]: .....
Norwegian Yah [5:06 PM]: I...highly doubt that
LakelandHm [5:06 PM]: I highly doubt it also
LakelandHm [5:07 PM]: Y
Norwegian Yah [5:07 PM]: Isn't the second coming of Christ when we all die?
LakelandHm [5:07 PM]: You can't kid around about that stuff
LakelandHm [5:07 PM]: Yes
Norwegian Yah [5:07 PM]: Ok, then maybe it will be better than the second coming. But I doubt it will be world peace.
LakelandHm [5:08 PM]: Wait...I think that's when Jesus kills the Anti-Christ and a big war between good and evil takes place, but I think all the good people are taken to heaven by then
LakelandHm [5:09 PM]: They had a huge special on the History channel about it one night
Norwegian Yah [5:09 PM]: I hope that happens a long time from now.
LakelandHm [5:09 PM]: People say 2012...
Norwegian Yah [5:09 PM]: And by a long time, I hope that I'd be alive to have the technology to have my brain put into a computer and living on another planet and then it happens here
Norwegian Yah [5:09 PM]: NO
Norwegian Yah [5:10 PM]: 2012 is when the aliens come to earth to colonize the planet
LakelandHm [5:10 PM]: Is that a bad thing?
LakelandHm [5:10 PM]: Well, I hope their 2012 is different than ours
Norwegian Yah [5:11 PM]: CSM: Ten centuries ago the Mayans were so afraid that their calendar stopped on the exact date that my story begins. December 22, the year 2012. The date of the final alien invasion. Mulder can confirm the date. He saw it at Mount Weather ... ...where our own "Secret Government" will be hiding when it all comes down.
(SCULLY looks at MULDER. He doesn't take his eyes off of CSM. CSM has a wild glint in his eye - almost a crazed look.)
MULDER: Yeah, you smile ... feeling drunk with power. The power to do nothing.
CSM: My power comes from telling you. Seeing your powerlessness hearing it. They wanted to kill you, Fox. I protected you all these years ... waiting for this moment ... to see you broken. Afraid.
(MULDER lifts his head and schools his features to reveal nothing.)
CSM: Now you can die.
LakelandHm [5:12 PM]: O.o
Norwegian Yah [5:12 PM]: And before that, actually.
(Back inside the pueblo, CSM takes a drag from his cigarette.)
CSM: It leaves me to tell you what Mulder's afraid to, Agent Scully.
MULDER: Come on, let's go.
(SCULLY doesn't budge,)
CSM: It's a scary story. You want to come sit on my lap?
SCULLY: You don't scare me.
CSM: My story's scared every president since Truman in '47.
MULDER: You don't have to hear this.
SCULLY: No, I want to hear it, Mulder.
Norwegian Yah [5:12 PM]: then we go into that next line
LakelandHm [5:13 PM]: I hope that's false...
Norwegian Yah [5:14 PM]: Everything on the X-Files is true
Norwegian Yah [5:14 PM]: We need another movie to happen though
Norwegian Yah [5:14 PM]: So mulder and scully can combat it
Norwegian Yah [5:14 PM]: and technically, their son, william(who turns 5 today actually) has the ability to stop it.
LakelandHm [5:14 PM]: Today's May 20th
LakelandHm [5:14 PM]: Not the date yesterday
Norwegian Yah [5:15 PM]: Yes
Norwegian Yah [5:15 PM]: Yesterday was the 5th year anniversary the x-files ended
Norwegian Yah [5:15 PM]: and today is William's birthday
LakelandHm [5:16 PM]: I doubt an alien invasion would ever happen
Norwegian Yah [5:16 PM]: It will happen
Norwegian Yah [5:16 PM]: Unless william stops them
LakelandHm [5:16 PM]: The greys?
Norwegian Yah [5:16 PM]: but he can't, cause they put him up for adoption
Norwegian Yah [5:16 PM]: Yes
Norwegian Yah [5:16 PM]: But if William can get reunited with Mulder and Scully, the world can be saved
LakelandHm [5:16 PM]: I meant in reality\\Norwegian Yah [5:17 PM]: Yeah, me too.
LakelandHm [5:17 PM]: I'm confused now
Norwegian Yah [5:17 PM]: We're talking about reality..
LakelandHm [5:19 PM]: My sister and I were watching this Flash thing before which was freaky. It had a sublimial message of this scary as all hell voice saying the Lord's Prayer and 1/4 through it these images pop up and a scream is heard
Norwegian Yah [5:19 PM]: A screamer.
Norwegian Yah [5:19 PM]: I hate those things
LakelandHm [5:20 PM]: Then it says, "Don't trust strange Flash files that talk about weird sublimal messages
Norwegian Yah [5:21 PM]: Trust no one.
LakelandHm [5:21 PM]: I had a feeling that would happen to, and I expected it, so I wasn't as frightened as my sister was
LakelandHm [5:22 PM]: Just that voice scared me, not the screaming part
Norwegian Yah [5:23 PM]: Really quickly, I think I may include dragons in my power point.
Norwegian Yah [5:23 PM]: 1 Intro
2. early middle ages.
3. middle middle ages
4. ending middle ages
5. Post Middle Ages/ Renaissance
6.religion
7. knights
8. peasants
9. merchants
10. mythology
11. Vikings
12. Exit
Norwegian Yah [5:23 PM]: That's how I plan to do it
Norwegian Yah [5:23 PM]: a slide on each one
LakelandHm [5:23 PM]: So in the mythology?
Norwegian Yah [5:24 PM]: Yeah
LakelandHm [5:24 PM]: That's a good outline
LakelandHm [5:26 PM]: Vikings? Never knew they had a relation.
Norwegian Yah [5:26 PM]: Yeah
Norwegian Yah [5:26 PM]: I think I'll actually go and change them with Knights
Norwegian Yah [5:26 PM]: switch the spots
Norwegian Yah [5:26 PM]: cause the vikings were related to religious movement a bit
LakelandHm [5:27 PM]: Yes, knights would go better I think
Norwegian Yah [5:27 PM]: I'm keeping both
LakelandHm [5:27 PM]: Okay
Norwegian Yah [5:28 PM]: But I'm putting Vikings over in the spot that's next to religion
Norwegian Yah [5:28 PM]: because it connects with it
LakelandHm [5:29 PM]: I understand the basics of making a Powerpoint but is it complex at all in any departments?
Norwegian Yah [5:30 PM]: I don't think it is
Norwegian Yah [5:30 PM]: You just choose some stuff and some other stuff and make some stuff
LakelandHm [5:31 PM]: Got'cha
LakelandHm [5:33 PM]: Did you just make the outline or do you have the body of it too?
Norwegian Yah [5:34 PM]: Out line
Norwegian Yah [5:34 PM]: my body is off wikipedia, and picking and choosing info
Norwegian Yah [5:34 PM]: then I just need about 4 sentences for each
LakelandHm [5:35 PM]: I do the same thing with Wik
LakelandHm [5:39 PM]: Well, I'm going to head off
LakelandHm [5:40 PM]: Mind if I blog this?
Norwegian Yah [5:41 PM]: alright
LakelandHm [5:42 PM]: Have a good day.
Norwegian Yah [5:42 PM]: I will