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Why the New Tomb Raider isn’t that bad

Gaming, thoughts, ,

So, Kotaku posted an article that got people upset, talking about how people will want to “protect” Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, with quotes from executive producer Ron Rosenberg.

There were a couple of disturbing things in there: firstly, the idea that people don’t project themselves into Lara as a character.  The viewpoint presented here is that all gamers are men and therefore don’t identify with Lara, instead they want to protect her.  Later on, there is talk of an attempted rape, where Rosenberg describes her as being like a cornered animal.  Just clumsy language, but ultimately dehumanising.  Tit.

So, why am I here saying that the game itself isn’t that bad?

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Why Sexism in Gaming is Not OK

Gaming, thoughts, ,

I’ve been thinking about this a fair bit over the last couple of weeks and decided to make it the subject of a blog post.  I’m a heterosexual white guy living in Western Europe, and I know that means that in general I have life set to easy mode.  Male privilege, that’s what that means, and Video gaming ably demonstrates how years of male privilege can have a detrimental effect on our relatively new art form.

Sexism is rife within games.  I don’t think anyone would really sensibly argue with that.  There are very few games with female central characters;  those that do have a central female character can fall into the trap of her being a male fantasy type, and using her as eye-candy. Bayonetta I’m looking at you.

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mapextract

Mappe

Art, Writing, , , , ,

So, as you may know, I’m doing my best to write a fantasy epic that I hope to get published properly and be like a real author or something.

All fantasy epics need a map, and that’s what I’ve been working on today.. It’s slow going because I’m effectively making it poster sized (much larger than the cropped extract on the right) and am doing my best to make the quality as good as possible.  Basically I’m a perfectionist..

It got me wondering what other (real) authors do to get their maps worked out.. do they do them themselves? I’m curious.

What’s the deal with Windows 8?

Computers, , , ,

Microsoft has had a funny old time with Windows over the years.  The butt of jokes to many, it’s either unstable or it stole all of its ideas from somewhere or other… but let’s face it, it’s popularity came for a reason.

Windows for a long time has been considered the best option for a general computer used by a normal person.  I don’t think there are many out there who would argue with that.  Certainly *.nix systems are technically superior – including OSX – but seeing as it’s only relatively recently that Linux has become friendly enough to consider an option for general users, and Apple machines are closed and overpriced*, Windows for a long time has been the best option.

Windows has had its ups and downs though; ME was dire, Vista was awful.. and Window 8 looks like being a Frankenstein’s OS with some sort of bizarre mix of tablet OS and desktop OS that excells at neither.

Let’s get this straight, Windows is a desktop OS first and foremost.  I have no issue with Microsoft making a tablet OS, but Windows is not it; the vast majority of their potential user base will be using mice and keyboards and have no desire to put their fingers all over their screens.  People like being able to run whatever web browser they like, to be able to run whatever software they want in whatever size of window they want.

With the current iteration of Windows 8, Microsoft are at serious risk of losing the people who care about flexibility at the expense of their entry into a market that is already crowded with myriad Android options and the iOS market leaders.  I can’t see myself changing away from Windows 7 to anything other than Linux.

*To all Mac fanboys – yes, I know Apple machines are very nice and epically well built, but that doesn’t justify quite as much an increase in price as that. No, it doesn’t.

Galaxies Due To Collide

Science, space,

It’s true, or as true as we can determine anyway… the Milky Way is going to collide with the Andromeda Galaxy… don’t worry though it’s not due to happen for… ooh, about another four or so billion years, and Earth and the Solar System are apparently not in any danger… Oh good.

Series of photo illustrations showing merger between milky way and andromeda

Series of photo illustrations showing merger between milky way and andromeda

source: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/milky-way-collide.html

The Act of Creation

Art,

I live to create.  To produce things that can inspire or move people, or make them laugh.  So, I guess that means I live to create art.

Art; it’s a word that I don’t often use to describe what I do, because part of me worries that others won’t see it that way or that people will find me pretentious or weird.  It can’t be art, it’s not framed, it’s not in a gallery and I haven’t been paid to do it.

But I realise, whether it’s something amusing to put onto a tshirt, or whether I’m referring to the novel I’m part way through at the moment, I can’t deny the truth of it – it is Art.  Capital A, for emphasis.

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Miriam wearing Female Nerd Shirt

More Nerd Lair News

Lair of the Nerd, Self, , , , ,

So, the time came and we all gathered together and headed out while wearing our Lair of the Nerd shirts to try and get some publicity going.

I’ve realised recently that I have trouble with attention; I am much more likely to hide than to allow myself to shine, in part because I fear things going wrong and in part because I just can’t bear the attention.  How much of a factor that is with regards my depression, I do not know, it’s something to continue thinking about.

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New Stuff at the Nerd Lair

Lair of the Nerd,

Have you checked out all the new goings on at our webshop?  Well, here’s some behind the scenes info:

A lot of new web coding has gone into the shop in order to smarten up the displays and improve the menu navigation, as well as allowing folks to sort designs by date or by name as well.  A whole fifteen new designs have been added yesterday, bringing our total to well over a hundred as well.

In other news, we’re looking into publicity, handing out leaflets, etc.. Middlesbrough council seems to have made this difficult because we need permits to hand leaflets out in most of Middlesbrough, which is irritating, though I guess understandable due to littering.

If anyone has any questions about the Lair, feel free to comment.