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Jimquisition: Linearity versus Replayability
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I have to point out a flaw in your logic here, Portal 2 was an amazing game for me, but yet I never played it more than once, played the co op only once through too. I just can't be bothered to play it again, however much I liked it. Puzzle games (or puzzles in general) have no replay value. Once you have finished them, they are redundant.
Also, I find him more annoying now than before, why are people taking a shine to someone who is trying his hardest to insult them? It doesn't make sense. He's also just trying to say what people are already thinking subconsciously, thus making people think he is smart.
Thank God, for me :/
When Jim's right, he's right.
I've always thought of online multiplayer not as replayability, but the illusion of replayability.
I maintain the world would be a better place if games were SP or MP only. I hate getting watered down nonsensical SP games because 3/4ths of the resources went to the multiplayer. Have your COD MP game. Go for it. Just dont pretent its a standalone game s well.
Ah, the voice of cold hard reason! Totally agree as usual. All of my favorite games became such for their single player campaigns, not their multiplayer--Mass Effect, Fallout 3, RE 1-4, Silent Hill (all of them), etc.
Thank god for Jim!
Whether he intends it or not, Jim Sterling is falling under what I call the "Kaufmanesque" brand of satire and comedy. I can't take umbrage with him, because I know he's hamming it up, making it outrageous and (amidst all the showmanship) making a good point. It's apparently something the internet has a hard time recognizing for what it is: putting on a good show, sometimes at the willing expense of the audience.
Think of it like this: you go to a stand up comedy show, and the guy on stage is integrating jokes with the audience, making fun of some individuals. It's part of his act, and most of us recognize it. It may not seem so obvious here (thus why I liken him to Andy Kaufman, who had a habit in his shows of blurring the lines between reality and performance) but attacking im for doing what he does is comparable to getting pissed at the comedian on stage and attacking him with a beer bottle.
There's a place for this in comedy and stage, and to be honest Jim and Yatzhee both do variants of it, and it works.
i agree strongly with him. i always get sick when i hear people say that the game sucks just because it has no MP.
Y'know, I actually had an argument about someone about this just a few days ago. We were debating whether or not Persona 5 would improve the series if they jammed in an alignment meter that some of the other MegaTen games have which could lead to Lawful, Neutral and Chaos endings.
I argued against it and tried to explain that there is nothing wrong with a game being linear, and I did basically quote Jim exactly and said that games just needed to be good.
Oddly enough he did pull out the "but it'll add replayability to it" but the newer Persona titles already do a pretty good job of that with their NG+ option.
So...thanks Jim, I guess. I admit, I was a bit thrown by your show at first, but after seeing this one and last weeks, it's really growing on me.
Keep it up.
EDIT: For some reason I did let out a small nerd squeal of excitement when you mentioned Final Fantasy 9 under the good games list. I'm not sure why I was surprised since I was already happy you use music from it for your show...
Nope, don't think I missed the point. I was focusing on what I consider to be a problem with Jim's videos writ large that shows up again this week: a lot of his time gets spent telling people how games that critics liked are good games. They get used as examples in various arguments he makes, but what's the challenge in using critically acclaimed games to explain your point? How about some indie titles that do something really well, or even a shitty game that has one bright spot in its favor?
Fact is, I worry sometimes that his show really is pitched to the viewer of average intelligence.
Egocentric bell-end has a point.
You know, when I was eight, I would play Spyro the Dragon for four hours straight, get to the end credits, quit, lose my data, and start all over again at a later date. And I didn't mind, because the game was EXCELLENT!
FINALLY! Someone else who doesn't give a shit about multiplayer and mainly plays games for their storyline!
Lemme try to remember here:
Half Life 1+2+both episodes
Not all of them, but most I can think of at the top of my head. I guess you got a point there Jim.
Oh man, Jim can sing! I mean, his voice is somewhat angelic!
I mean, um, good manly episode there, Jim! You sure a man... OHH GOD SING AN OPERA FOR ME JIM STERLING <3
Yup, Agree with him 100% with him.
If a game is just plain FUN, then that alone offers incentive to replay it. I've replayed Sonic 3 and Knuckles so many times I know many of the levels by heart. I spent over 20 hours beating Sonic colors the first time around because I was too busy replaying some of the really good levels over and over for high scores. I replayed Kingdom hearts because it was so freakin good and......ok fine, so I also got to experience the awesomeness of playing a mage-centric hero instead of a melee-focused one, but the point still stands.
If a game is really fun, that offers replay value. If it's got extra incentives, like more classes to try, or branchinc story arcs, or co-op or whatever, then great. But it's not like it's NEEDED. And in some games, throwing in online is stupid. Did Dead Space REALLY need a crappy multiplayer mode?
Haven't really enjoyed any of the other episodes, but this one I liked.
I agree 100%. It's just weird seeing all these great single player games adding in these pointless, tacked on multiplayer modes when everyone is just going to go back to COD after 3 or 4 hours on it.
Put more time into getting the single player right... looking at you, F.3.A.R. fa-three-er.
The fact this needs to be said makes me weep a bit. Back in the SNES and NES days we didn't have multiple modes for 30 hours games in a large library. We often had only a few games we played the shit out of to kill time between going out to rent something new for the weekend. There was a time I could make it through some levels of Mega Man 2 blindfolded because I played it so much. If we needed something new we invented odd challenges, ie: beat A Link to the Past with no optional sword, sheild and armor upgrades and no bottles, Beat Super Mario Bros always tunning, or beat Final Fantasy with a party of white mages. There was always something new because we could always better our game. And the previous generation went further. Rent King of Kong and see how many hours people have gotten from a game with four fucking screens, even after 25 - 30 years.
Then there's the story aspect. I used to love playing Ninja Gaiden on the NES for the cinematics, even after seeing them seeral times. I must have been through Final Fantasies 4 and 6 20 times each over the years and still read the dialog each time. Same with the Metal Gear solid games and their cinemas. Even camp like the Resident Evil games is a lot of fun to re-experience. Heck, that's when you really know is you got something good. Any story can be iteresting the first time when you keep going to findout what happens. It's a realy strong story you still enjoy after it's all been revealed.
Then again, I'm not surprised game companies appeal to this new ADD generation. They make their money off new game sales, so it's best to foster the mindset that needs something new every couple of weeks.
Last two weeks were better. I believe this issue is subjective. Call me whatever you want, but I find repeating single player games pretty boring(unless they have a sandbox world/alternate options).
As long as it doesn't affect the quality of the product...bring on the multiplayer/replay value.
I mean look at Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Some of the best sandbox/single player ever. But also a masterfully unique multiplayer mode.
Second week in a row that Jim completely nails it. Down with shoehorned in online multiplayer!
The 9/11 first responder of video games line is absolutely classic!
Of all the ways you could have argued this, you pick the simplest. Brilliant! Usually these arguments boil down to defining what is linear, showing that in some ways every game is linear and non-linear: you follow one path from beginning to end and you have freedom to play that path differently each time you play. But you skipped over the hassle of arguing what is linear and simply acknowledged that linear entertainment has always had replay value. That's pretty hard to argue against.
Think anyone will get enjoyment from re-watching this video?
I'm beginning to find him a bit more enjoyable now, actually... And I can't remember how many times I've played through BioShock, Final Fantasy VII, Half-Life 2, Painkiller, Tony Hawk's Underground, and many other games. Multiplayer is ruined by campers or poor servers most the time, but a great single player game can live forever.
Personal preferences directly affect re-playability.
For you friend Bad Company has replay-ability for you not so much.
Also about the things you mentioned so if a game doesn't have those things then it has no re-playability? Do you see how skewed your view is. Take Ratchet & Clank for example it has none of those things and tons of people replay it. Same thing with Chrono Trigger or any Mario game in existence.
Just for semantics...
The quote that you took out of context, from a logical standpoint, actually makes perfect sense. Replay value means you want to replay something. Why does it have to be right after you just finished playing it? I find that games get more replay value as time passes, because there is less I will remember and more I will be able to re-discover in the game world.
Also, the entire point of the video that this thread is for was arguing that a linear game (Such as CoD Modern Warfare 2) can still have replay value despite its linear story and scripted encounters, and if the story is good enough it doesn't need a tacked-on multiplayer mode.
You say "imho" so I suppose I will respect your opinion, but don't try to push your opinion on other people. Don't tell them what they should have said. And don't use a strawman argument like "Oh, it's illogical." when the quote you took makes more logical sense than a human drinking water. Realize that it is only your opinion, and many other people (myself included) are not likely to share your opinion.
He mentioned Metro2033 for being an amazing game. Infinite respect.
another great show Jim Its so true I've sunk more hours into silent hill 2 than any multiplayer game
I agree generally with what your saying, but people just demanding more from games and developers doesnt make them stupid. If I pay for a game I want it to be good but also worth my money. Im not gunna pay $60 for a game only a few hours long even a great game like portal came as part of a box set, games like CoD and halo do really well with short campains but endless hours of multiplayer enjoyment. games like dragon age and oblivion need things like choices and side plot because they would be kinda boreing otherwise. Some of my favorite games had a tight linear story lines and are still fun for me but those are older and cheaper games. now days gamers demand more for there money and there is really nothing wrong with that.
The new Metro game going to have multiplayer? The hell!? Who's fucktard decision was that? They couldn't even get SP properly polished first time 'round and that is the entire appeal of the title; the game was a good experience, not a good game.
I've replayed Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 so many times. Some may say 'too many' :) In fact, if it is an engaging SP experience I will generally play it at least a half dozen times.
Thank god for Jim :)
....Not everyone likes to play a game over again.....so it doesn't preovide universal replay ability
Also calm down there, no reason to call people names
Name one game that doesn't have extra stuff in it to make it challenging enough. Portal is repeative once you complete it so the only thing that make me play twice was the achievements. Halo has multiple difficultly levels. Even without the multilayer options games do need additional stuff added on to make them fun enough to play again.
Yes, thank you... I agree 100% just like sonic youth... and I pray to you every night... or rather I would but I absolutely hate Ace of Base...
I've been following Bob since the early days on Youtube and that really is him, he IS a Nerd. Yahtzee IS a cynical critic.
Jim is not a fascist-dick, yet he dresses and acts like one for Jimquisition, why? I don't know, you may find it amusing be you cannot tell me that I should find it amusing. You haven't really explained why you do find this fascist-dick routine so interesting.
Ascorbic and opinionated Jim I like, he reminds me of The Spoony One. Noah Antwiler admits that for is spoony reviews he does dial things up for comedic effect but he doesn't take on a ridiculously irrelevant persona.
"by saying ignorant arrogant things as they rant about stuff they know little about or stuff they know a lot about but has so little value that in the grand scheme of things makes that person look like a big idiot"
So you watch Jimquisition like a freak show, like a trash TV talk show like Maurey Povitch you don't give a hoot about the issues, you just like to see someone embarrass themselves going on a rant?
That's shameful.
1) Why do I sound like I'm taking a shit?
oh dear, i must be coming down with something because i actually agreed with jim
Once again another perfectly valid point ruined by the fact that it's being made by an obnoxious horrifically (and staggeringly unjustifiably) arrogant man. Jim, stop trying to be 'clever' by swearing every other word, it doesn't make you sound like a grown up it just makes you sound like you have a lack of imagination and/or a poor vocabulary.
The constant ego tripping is also frankly nauseating and makes me utterly appalled at myself that I just wasted 4 minutes of my life watching it.
But the damnable fact remains that the REASON I watched and keep coming back and hoping that 'maybe he'll learn' is that you actually make very good points that I more often than not agree with what you're trying to say wholeheartedly.
For the love of god though try to grow up and speak to your audience with some degree of respect and civility, constantly insulting us and and throwing out the sort of language I'd expect from a school kid who thinks he's being 'edgy' does not make you seem superior it makes you come across as utterly laughable and for me at least makes me far less likely to be swayed by anything that comes out of your mouth.
All that said, please take this as it is intended which is to say, constructive criticism, you have a very 'keen nose' for the issues in the games industry today and I would love to see you reach a wider audience but if you carry on this way your only going to drive most folks away.
I love this guy's (intentional) condescending attitude, it's pretty damn funny, and he makes some pretty good points (though I don't always agree with everything he says)
Also, hooray for that "Puppet Master" cameo.
Maybe you should watch the whole thing.
Perhaps Awesome Possum was an indie game? Maybe if there's an indie vs mainstream episode he'll humour you, but that's not what this episode was about. I have no idea why listing games that would make a viewer go 'what the hell were those games?' instead of 'oh yeah I played those' would improve the quality of the video, but sime you seem to think that's the case perhaps you could enlighten us.
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Previously on Pretty Little Liars, Paige threw Emily a surprise party and tried to give her the gift of dead Jenna and future Olympics gold medals, but Emily's been acting like a real grouch ever since she had to start rescuing everyone she loves from cars driving into them, so she did not reward Paige's efforts with puffy drapes. Pastor Ted hocked the church bell for one million dollars, which he used to bail Ashley out of jail after Mona confessed to killing Wilden. Spencer went back to Radley to chat with Eddie Lamb about Marion Cavenaugh and discovered that Wilden, who falsified information in Marion's death investigation, was a crooked jerky jockey long before he blackmailed Ashley Marin into sexual slavery. And Aria convinced Kung Fu Jake to break his ninja-client privilege and explain why Mike signed up for self-defense classes down at It's Tang Soo Do Time. And then he took of his shirt and she lost her mind.
The Liars have skived off class to tiptoe around the hallway and discuss the possibility that it really was Cece Drake who tried to drown Jenna in Face Lake at Emily's birthday party. It would be a lot easier to know for sure if it was Cece Drake if they could actually find Cece Drake and talk to Cece Drake, but Toby's been following Tippi the Bird's feather trail up and down the eastern seaboard for weeks now with no luck, and that phone number Caleb stole from Nigel just rings and rings and rings with no answer at all. Emily comes to a screeching halt in the middle of the hallway, gasps aloud, gawks at her phone. The Liars think it's just another A text, but oh, no. This is much better. Much, much, much better. Mrs. DiLaurentis has texted to offer Emily respite from her homelessness. She is welcome to move into the bedroom where her first two murdered girlfriends once lived.
Emily doesn't want to do it because that house is a lesbian death trap of epic proportions. And plus there's metaphorical ghosts in that place and literal ghosts in that place and Mrs. D shuffles around there all day and all night, rattling chains and whistling phone numbers and wearing Ali's old clothes. But the Liars say she has to do it because there's no telling how many clues Ali hid in the stuff she knew her mom would use to set up her post-death shrine. They're so excited about it, in fact, that they get kind of loud. Aria asks them to please keep it down because she doesn't want to get in trouble for skipping class because she still wants to graduate. Since she's the only one who will actually survive the next three months, it's a valid concern for her.
After the Liars split-up, Spencer spots Ezra trying to break into his own classroom. She asks if he wants some help, or to come to one of her lock-picking seminars some time, and he looks at her like she has three heads or something, bursts into tears, grabs his messenger bag and runs away sobbing.
Hanna accosts Caleb and asks him why he's at school instead of in Philly staking out that P.O. Box that is attached to that phone number that was in that phone that Caleb and Toby pick-pocketed from Nigel. Caleb goes, "HOT SPOT FIREWALL BANDWIDTH CAPTCHA ETHERNET HYPERTEXT GIGABYTE, HANNA!" Translation: He's got a physical address in Philly for the apartment where Cece Drake probably lives and watches cable television.
Aria meets Kung Fu Jake at the Brew to show him some Kung Fu action shots she took of him doing Kung Fu. He's so pleased with them that he wishes he'd had them sooner so he could have submitted them to the photo program of tonight's Kung Fu game. Sadly, the game he is talking about is not that underground fight club where Holden almost got his heart exploded, but a legitimate, professional battle of martial arts. They do that thing you do when you're first dating someone that's like: "Oh, that sounds cool." "Do you want to come?" "Do you want me to come?" "Do you want me to want you to come?" Aria decides that yes, she will attend. Probably those guys take their shirts off, right? One more chance to see Jake naked and it's not like her best friends need any moral support tonight or anything, what with Hanna wanting to break into Radley to do who knows what with Mona and Emily sleeping in the bedroom of all her dead girlfriends. They're good. They're fine. Tang Soo Do it is!
Dr. Wren Kingston is back at Radley to do Mona's mental evaluation. Where was your sexy/creepy British ass when Emily needed a doctor who wouldn't report her parents to the authorities, dude? He's giving Mona a test to see if she's a sociopath, showing her drawings of humans having emotions and seeing if she can register what they're feeling. For example, this one family of farmers is grinning and tossing their child around in the air. Mona's like, "They're happy. They're a happy family. All happy families are the same, right? Isn't that what Tolstoy said? Anyway, just out of the frame is the ghost of a girl wearing a mask of her own face and tossing a lighter onto a bale of hay while her twin-prop airplane whirs in the background and a wing-camera records the impending fire storm." Wren says he knows Mona is keeping secrets. Mona says she's locked 'em in her pocket, gonna take 'em them to the grave. He's like, "You're off your meds." And she's all, "And you're off your game."
He doesn't think she killed Wilden, but she doesn't give a red-coated fuck what he thinks. Radley is her candy store and he's just the guy who shelves the peanut butter. "Wotcher!"


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Ever wondered how those bulky weight lifters got so big? While some may have gotten their muscles through a strict regimen of weightlifting and diet, others may have gotten that way through the illegal use of anabolic-androgenic steroids. "Anabolic" refers to a steroid's ability to help build muscle, and "androgenic" refers to their role in promoting the development of male sexual characteristics. Other types of steroids, like cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone, do not build muscle, are not anabolic, and therefore do not have the same harmful effects.
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In addition, the Treatment Referral Helpline (1-800-662-HELP)—offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—refers callers to treatment facilities, support groups, and other local organizations that can provide help for their specific need. You can also locate treatment centers in your state by going to www.samhsa.gov/treatment.


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Nintendo is replacing a series of ads for its Wii console this Christmas, despite the games machine being the subject of the most searched for term on eBay.
A spokesman for the company told Marketing Week that demand for the console is already too high and that it wants to take a "responsible stance this Christmas and not fuel demand".
The adverts, scheduled to run on TV and in print, will be replaced with ones for its DS Lite handheld console.
eBay's UK website last week logged nearly 30,000 searches for the terms 'Wii' and 'Nintendo Wii' and, while we were writing this, the website had consoles for sale with prices ranging from about £150 to £500.
However, if you've really got money to burn, then one intrepid seller has even been trying to make the most of the Wii shortage and offload his console for a staggering £1m.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime recently claimed that the company wasn't limiting availability of consoles to keep demand high. "Anyone who suggests that a shortage is good for business really doesn't understand business," he told MSNBC. Apparently, it's just "highly unfortunate that consumers cannot find a Wii to purchase".
Sponsored: Ransomware has gone nuclear


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Located in Pittsfield Township, The 14A-1 District Court presides over Pittsfield Township for all Criminal Misdemeanor and Civil Infraction (traffic cases). It also presides over Pittsfield Township, Augusta Township, Superior Township, the Village of Barton Hills and the City of Ypsilanti for all General Civil, Landlord Tennant and Small Claims matters.
The Honorable J. Cedric Simpson has presided at this location since 1999.
For public information on 14A-1 cases go to https://mcap.courts.michigan.gov/CaseSearch/Court/D14A .
Not sure which Court to go to? Try our �Am I in the Right Court� page


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32,850 days give or take a few, that is how long Jason's grandparents have been alive. And even more incredible is that they have been married about 25,550 of those days. Russell and Ruth Day are celebrating their 90th birthdays and 70th anniversary this weekend with all the family that is able to gather with them in Oregon. My husband is flying out but I will be staying home with the kids. I have been contemplating their legacy.
Russ and Ruth are part of the "greatest generation":
"Every generation has its share of men who fully live the art of manliness. But there may never have been a generation when the ratio of honorable men to slackers was higher than the one born between 1914 and 1929. These were the men that grew up during the Great Depression. They're the men who went off to fight in the Big One. And they're the men who came home from that war and built the nations of the Western world into economic powerhouses. They knew the meaning of sacrifice, both in terms of material possessions and of real blood, sweat, and tears. They were humble men who never bragged about what they had done or been through. They were loyal, patriotic, and level-headed. They were our Greatest Generation. "http://artofmanliness.com/2009/04/30/7-lessons-in-manliness-from-the-greatest-generation (I would say men and women as the women in this generation were pretty strong as well)
Jason's grandparent's were there for him and his mom when she was
trying to raise him as a single mom. They have always been his strongest role models. They believe in working hard and being careful with your money. Two things that Jason definitely learned from them.
Russell is a Pearl Harbor Survivor and served in the Navy throughout WWII. And it turns out that there has been a Day ancestor fighting in about every American conflict prior to WWII. His dad, Doyle, fought in WWI. His great grandpa, another Russell, fought in the Civil War. His 4th great-grandfather, Daniel Day, was a Revolutionary War Soldier and his 5th great grandpa, Captain Benjamin Day fought in the French and Indian War. His 8th great grandpa, Robert Day, immigrated to America on the Bark "Elizabeth" in 1634 landing in Massachusetts but in 1635 he went with Thomas Hooker into the Wilderness of what would become Connecticut. Robert Day's name is inscribed on the Adventurer's Boulder in Hartford, Connecticut. Russell comes from a long line of Adventurer's, soldiers, and Russells. And I believe he carries forth that tradition to the next generation.
Ruth Buchanan Day's, paternal ancestors came to California, via Canada, from County Argyle, Ireland. Her mom's side came to California from the midwest. And I even found an Oklahoma connection. Her great grandfather, John Sylvanus Fore, who lived previously in Brown County, Illinois was living in Payne County, Oklahoma in the 1900 census. Probably trying to get some land run land. In 1910 he was back in Brown County, Illinois but by 1920 he had moved to Sonoma, California. I'd say, Ruth herself comes from a long line of hard working adventurer's.


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Hey Everyone!
We've got a new patch coming your way in the weeks ahead!
First, I want to thank you all for your support over the past few years and for continuing to play Atlas Reactor! Below are the changes you will see in upcoming patches.
2019 Season:
This next Season will not be numbered, but will be named after the current year. This next season is planned to be at least 5-6 months long instead of the usual 3-4 months.
We have revamped the rewards from Season levels to include rewards from the entire history of Atlas Reactor. You will find rewards up to level 500! If you reach a level with a reward that you have already collected, you will be given a Legendary Loot Matrix instead. These Legendary Loot Matrixes are full of rare and legacy skins, taunts, emojis, overcons and more. We have also added the ability to purchase season levels, and you will receive all the rewards given for those levels at once. Since every season level has the reward of a Loot Matrix, we will be removing the Loot Matrix packs since they are mostly redundant, though the packs we offer during special events will still return.
New Skin! Commando Zuki will be released as a reward for reaching level 500 or purchase with Prestige Points. The two offered will be different variants, so you can collect both!
New Mods for all Freelancers! Over this season we plan to release new mods periodically. One thing we were concerned about was how a large influx of mods would affect ranked balance, so some mods will not be available in ranked mode initially.
End of Season Ranked rewards will now be given based on the highest rank achieved instead of some rewards being given based on standing at the end of the season. New rewards are being added for purchase with Prestige Points. We are also increasing the amount of Prestige Points given per match to make up for seasons being longer.
I also wanted to respond to some of the questions/concerns I've been seeing:
During 2018 we released both Vonn and Lex, while popular characters, they didn't help bring new players into the game. We love adding new Freelancers to the game, but currently we are focusing on adding sustainable progression and variety to gameplay.
Players have mentioned long queue times for ranked during non-primetime hours, we are hoping that the new ranked rewards will give players an incentive to queue up. This is something we will continue keeping an eye on.
Hexcellence and Oblivion will be returning to the PVP queues with the patch. We are also planning to run more alternate game mode weekends like the one we ran late last year for extraction.
Thank you for playing Atlas Reactor!
Matthew "NotShyguy" Walsh
Producer, Atlas Reactor