I Just Don't Kinect

Dear Microsoft,

I see your marketing budget was put to good use. Who would have thought a million Kinect's would be sold in 10 days? The real question is how many of these people will by playing with their Kinect in six months? The PlayStation Move lasted me two months before it was time to return it. That was one expensive rental. Almost as expensive as it would have been to buy the 3D Sony TV for the optimal experience of Sony Gaming.

I still have my doubts about Kinect. I haven't heard a word about any interesting Kinect games since Dance Central. I'm not impressed by the million units you've sold. I want to see how many people are still Kinecting on your birthday.

Sincerely,
Errol James

P.S. I've haven't played Kinect as of the time I'm writing this. I'm not exactly running out of my lab to go buy it either. If Kinect deserves my attention it will come to me.

The Blueprint

I've always wondered what life would be like as a successful rapper. How much would the day I signed my record deal change my life? How does it feel when you're single is number one, and your ringtones are platinum? I also wonder about the stress that comes with the life. How would I convince the world to take me seriously as an artist? Kanye fought that stigma by using the last 7 minutes of his debut album The College Dropout to explain his come up as an artist. He describes the frustration he had with convincing the world that a man wearing a pink Polo Shirt was the Greatest Rapper of All Time. Yeah I said it. I learned about how he almost signed to Capital Records, but had deal was taken away at the last minute. Kanye West went on to sign to Rocafella Records and the rest is history.

Soulja Boy is the first artist from the Internet to become a success in the music industry.  The ability to watch his career from his the days of walking aimlessly around WalMart to riding a Lamborghini chain speaks volumes to me. He introduced me to the black diamonds trend that was in before the diamond encrusted bottom teeth. Soulja Boy is rocking canary diamonds now and they are oh so pretty. Justin Bieber even showed respect by making a song with him. We'll probably never see it performed live, but it exists. Which direction Soulja Boy's career is going next is anybody's guess.

Some speculate his scandal involving Kat Stacks was the beginning of the end for Soulja Boy's career.  Pretty Boy Swag was hot, but it wasn't exactly a hit outside of Atlanta. Nothing wrong with that. He could do shows in the South and Midwest once his career slows down. Maybe the Kat Stacks scandal was a blessing in disguise. Kat Stacks is allegedly getting deported back to Venezula, and is also allegedly pregnant with Soulja Boy's child. Do I smell a marriage? Kat Stacks did say she wanted to be with a boss. Ha, but if Soulja Boy is to fail then they'd both be off the radar which would make the haters happy. All he needs is that hit single.

The journey will become clearer after his third album The DeAndre Way is in stores November 30. How many fans are going to support this album? His last album iSouljaBoyTellEm sold less than 50,000 units first week and eventually sold over 250,000 units. Not exactly the platinum sales of his first album SouljaBoyTellEm.com. He was doomed to be a one hit wonder with his single "Crank That," but he has a powerful friend, YouTube. He used it to fight his record labels, Interscope Records, decision to promote the single Bird Walk by promoting his song "iDance." The single never took off, but you can see the drive Soulja Boy had to win. With disappointing first week sales haters were certain Soulja Boy would be remembered as a one hit wonder. That was when Soulja Boy went in with a Kiss. "Kiss Me Thru The Phone" featuring Sammy became a hit single peaking at #3 on the Hot 100. The single went on to sell over 2 million digital downloads. He followed that up with the top 20 hit "Turn My Swag On" which he premiered in a video on YouTube of his first platinum plaque. Was this moment the peak of Soulja Boy's career?

He's still a force in the rap game. He's got over 2.4 million followers on Twitter which is not too shabby. He's starring in a movie directed by Nick Cannon that's expected to be released next year. He also has a book titled Teenage Millionaire that is expected to be released the same day as his album. I'm interested in grabbing a copy to see what the young entrepreneur has to say for himself. Wherever Soulja Boy's career is going he'll always have YouTube to document the journey. Kids might one day be studying his YouTube videos for college courses. Maybe they'll inspire the next success story that's out there. The Internet is a blessing. Soulja Boy proved that.

Psycho Sid

 

What's Up. Errol James

back killing the track.

Calling these Brian Pumper rappers wack

Cause I Don't Give a Motherfucking Crap

I will put the slap on these corny little chaps

Start with your fucking jaw

dog we're above the law

Pokemon Snap your neck

punch your chest

no respect

leave you sleeping with the fishes like Jaws.

I'm The Fucking Boss

better come correct

Either your a bitch or we're cutting up checks.

One of the effects

of what happens when I show love and get no respect.

Fuck That Bitch the Hip Hop Gamer.

yo i've never seen hip hop get so lamer.

you claim your a gamer and this and that,

but you're about to get hit w/the disclamer

Here's exactly how we're gonna play it.

I Look At You & I See Self Hatred.

You claim to be a gamer, rapper

I Sit Back & I Think You're An Actor

Who Cooned His Way Right Into The Biz

with no idea of who you is

Thinkin you the shit but your really not

Think You're Shawn Michaels, boy you better stop

cause I'll roll up on you like I'm Psycho Sid

hit you with a PowerBomb

i think i just did

Your Writing Sucks

& So Do Your Rhymes.

I've heard better shit from little kids

in the 1st Grade.

u think u got it made

but you're a Scared Little Bitch to battle
Yo

$500 dollars says I'll beat you in a battle

$500 dollars says I'll beat you in a battle

$500 Dollars Says I'll Beat You in a Battle.

Bitch

Produced by Soulja Boy

A Crack in Time

A Crack in Time is the 8th game in the Ratchet and Clank series. By this point I've come up with a way to approach a new R&C game. The first six to ten hours are going to be boring as the game holds my hand while I level up each weapons I want to use. After that the game will be fun. The enemies will be nonstop, and I'll have the firepower for anybody who wants it. I'm usually too caught up in the fun to realize the moment when the game stops being boring, but the moment is clear in A Crack in Time. A Crack in Time doesn't really get fun until you get to play as both Ratchet & Clank.

The time spent playing as Ratchet & Clank individually really tested my patience. The series is not the same playing as either Ratchet or Clank. You start off playing as Clank which was beyond annoying for me. I did not enjoy Clank's missions of recording movements, and playing with Clank's time wand. I'd rather listen to Clank's jokes and have him there whenever I need to platform with Ratchet. Ratchet would not be a gaming superstar without Clank. He can use the coolest weapons, but his movement without Clank is strange. He can't jump as high or stay in the air as long without Clank. I could not stand A Quest for Booty because you spend the game platforming without Clank. It's not that much fun.

Once Ratchet & Clank get together the game really takes off. I found myself using the Buzz Blades a lot. I really liked that weapon. If used properly the Buzz Blades are a good way of preventing enemies from shooting at you. They're too busy worried about the sharp blades cutting them in every direction to do anything else. The story is still funny and entertaining after all of these sequels which is impressive. All that said I still think Tools of Destruction is the best R&C adventure on the PlayStation 3. The amount of time I had enjoying A Crack in Time was shorter than it was on Tools of Destruction. By the time Ratchet & Clank finally meet up in A Crack in Time the characters are talking about "ending this" implying the game is about to end. I was lost in Tools of Destruction before it ended. By the time I beat it I had to play through it again to really enjoy it. I tried to restart A Crack In Time, and after a long cut scene I realized I had to play as Clank again. No thank you.

It's the Holiday Season. Where are the games?

Labor Day Weekend is approaching in the United States which signals the end of the summer. I use this time to get my checklist ready for the upcoming holiday season of gaming. The holiday season is the best time to be a gamer. After a summer of mediocre titles and downloadable content, gamers are blessed with the return of awesome games. Last year we saw Uncharted 2, Demon's Souls, Borderlands, Assassin's Creed 2, and many other games that made the 2009 holiday season great. This year the only games I have on my radar are Fallout: New Vegas and LittleBigPlanet 2. Am I missing something?

I blame it on this motion control craze that's sweeping over the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Sony & Microsoft are trying to profit from the casual audience Nintendo has banking off since 2006. They got so caught up in adding motion controls they forgot about the hardcore gamers, much like what Nintendo did with the Wii. Microsoft's presentation of Kinect at E3 consisted of a bunch of casual games that could be found on the Wii, and Dance Central. Sony is hoping the September release of the PS Move proves to be a success by bundling it with "Sports Champions" which looks like Wii Sports HD. I'm already bored.

It's not all bad. 2011 is also shaping up to be an excellent year in gaming. Off the top I can name Dead Space 2, Batman: Arkham City, Gears of War 3, Mortal Kombat, and Madden 2012. We just have to deal with an abysmal 2010 holiday season. Microsoft is dropping Halo: Reach in two weeks so they'll be all right. Sony is hoping we all buy a PlayStation Move so we can replay games with motion controls. It worked with Resident Evil 4 on the Wii, but will I want to play Heavy Rain with the PS Move? Probably.

The Racism in Mafia II

Mafia II takes place during a time when segregation was a norm in American Society. The developers of Mafia II use that time to exploit many racist views and ideas throughout the story. I felt uneasy as I was asked to steal a car from what Vito Scaletta refers to as a "moolie" neighborhood. I was uncomfortable listening to Joe describe how all blacks do is smoke dope and kill each other as I drove around Empire City. I had to tell myself "It's the 40's" to rationalize the insensitivity. When I found myself repeating that phrase over and over I knew there was a problem.

One of the more offensive moments happened when I was shooting my way through a restaurant in Chinatown. After successfully killing every last Chinese person in the place I received the achievement "Chop Chop!" I was disgusted. The name "Chop Chop" is a reference to a comic book character from the 40's and 50's. His image was that of a stereotypical Chinese caricature as you can see in the picture on the right. It's just insulting to for a game to take pride in killing a bunch of characters then rewarding the player with a shout out to an offensive character.

The racism in Mafia II is not necessary. Red Dead Redemption focuses on an earlier time in American History and manages to do it without being offensive. The game brings us to Mexico and embraces the culture as it tells us a story. If we let a game like Mafia II slide it's only going to open the door for more offensive games. What's going to stop the next game that's set in the 40's and 50's from being offensive? Before we know it we could end up with another Ethnic Cleansing on our hands.

Letter to the Hip Hop Gamer

Mafia II is the most racist game I've ever played. A product of this nature coming from an industry that is predominately white makes me question why nobody has spoken up. I figured I'd ask the Hip Hop Gamer how he feels about The Situation. After a day without a response I discovered he made a song in support of Mafia II. How is the only black journalist in the gaming industry going to support this racist mess? Mafia Music? You and I both know your not Vito Scaletta. You have to be Italian or Sicilian which is a requirement to join according to the blurb I read on a Load Screen.

I've been trying to talk to this guy on Twitter, and he won't answer me back. The only response I get from the guy is:

Like it or not you are the only black voice in the gaming industry. When something racial shows up people are going to look at you to see what you have to say. You've got to speak up. If you don't you're avoiding the issue in support of a racist agenda. It makes you look like a coon.