Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=882https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3438In my final session of Super Columbine I got to the part of the game where you enter hell. As I progressed through this part I found it to be very odd. I would think there would be copyright infringement with using DOOM enemies and I just found it weird that a bunch of random cartoon characters are in hell. To me this cheapened the game as a whole. Before this it seemed to take the events of Columbine somewhat seriously and at first it continued this with assuming the boys would go to hell for their deeds, but hell is made so cheesy its unbearable. It seems to promote this moral view that bad people may go to hell, but they still can have fun while they are there. It totally messes with the seriousness of the game and makes it very dissatisfying.Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:11:04 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3438&iddiary=6467https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3438After playing Super Columbine Massacre RPG again, it got me thinking about the role stereotypes play in the game. The people you meet (and possibly kill) in the school have no flavor. They are described only by a stereotype name, such as "jock". This seems to reflect how most people view real high school. A teen isn't really their own person, but a member of a certain group with certain stereotypes they must live up to. The characters you play have invented their own stereotype: the crazy outcast. In the game they live up to this role. I also found it interesting how the game uses real footage to amp up the tension. Seeing some of what really happened that day adds an element of tension and drama that can't be ignored. It certainly seems that whatever the creator's intentions behind making this game, he is determined to make sure you never forget what happened.Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:12:07 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3438&iddiary=6442https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3438Super Columbine Massacre RPG. What a title. Before I describe my experience playing the game, I would like to dispute the title a bit. I don't believe this game really qualifies as what I would consider an RPG. Usually this type of game allows the player to create their own character and decide what he or she will do. In this game, however, the player is forced to play as the two murderers and carry out their evil plan. Not very RPG-like at all. As I started playing the game I noticed a pattern of ethical decisions. While you must complete the mission, you can decide how much damage to do in the meantime. Should you kill everyone you come across? Or should you kill certain people only? It is a question you can only answer for yourself. Also, another thing I noticed was what happened when you killed people. While you go into combat with a deadly arsenal, the game seems to dance around the actual killing of people. Very little blood is shown (with the exception of pictures of the actual event) and when you defeat someone it says they merely "collapse". This was not at all what I was expecting from this game.Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:21:13 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3438&iddiary=6428https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3388In my last session of GTA: San Andreas I took a closer look at the characters. Throughout my experience playing the game I found many of the characters to be very interesting and somewhat deep. They felt more like actual people that really mattered instead of just plot pieces to move the story along. However, what was interesting was how they all conformed to worldly stereotypes. The vast majority of the gang members are black or hispanic, which conforms to most people's idea of gangs. And with the exception of Officer Tenpenny, there are many cops and government agents that are white. This seems to reflect how American society still views different ethnic groups. San Andreas also does this with women. They are viewed more as possessions or sexual conquests of gang members then as actual people that matter. CJ has many sexual encounters with women and he doesn't actually care about a lot of those women. Many of them are just there for sex. I believe this too reflects our society's beliefs. While we acknowledge that women are people and not just toys, some guys do just use them for their own pleasure.Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:06:40 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3388&iddiary=6330https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3388After playing through GTA: San Andreas some more, another thing I have found interesting is Rockstar has woven health and physical fitness into the game. In almost all other video games a player does not have to worry about keeping their character fit. All they have to worry about is making sure that their character survives and level up. Not so with San Andreas. CJ (the main character) will deteriorate if not taken care of properly. A combination of eating just enough food, walking instead of riding, and going to the gym keep him from becoming obese and being able to do less on missions. I find this neat because I believe it says something about our health conscious society. It is not just enough for people to be concerned with their own health; now they have to be careful even in their video games. I think it encourages kids who play to take some of this health knowledge they gain and apply it in their own lives. What makes this even more intriguing is that Rockstar Games, a company hardly known for making ethical games, chose to put into their controversial franchise a lesson on health. I guess that no matter what you think about letting players kill cops and innocent civilians, everyone agrees that you should at least be healthy while doing it.Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:33:19 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3388&iddiary=6326https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3388One of the things that struck me as I was playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is its dependance on police corruption. This theme starts from the beginning when the main character is confronted by two corrupt cops named Frank Tenpenny and Eddie Pulaski, who threaten to frame him with murder. As the game progresses, police corruption becomes increasingly rampant as the player must kill many people who are a threat to Tenpenny. I believe this showing of bad cops is a view of the current American society's beliefs. To many Americans the police are no longer seen as their friends and protectors. They have been put into a category of an annoyance, if not a downright threat to ordinary people. The honor of the job of policeman has been buried under a pile of arrogant police stories and corruption scandals. While not as bad as most cases in real life, GTA's story does reflect this tendancy to believe that sometimes cops are no better than the criminals they are supposed to be fighting against.Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:02:38 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3388&iddiary=6300