Monobrow

Nice. Yeah, definitely way too close to the original. Did you use a midi? Enjoyable though. I found myself wanting more grit, you went for a more clear tone. Contra 3 is definitely a massively amazing OST. And I mean massive as in, it's a monstrous musical entity

Me. Excite. Starting.

Shnabubula makes some of the most insane awesome chiptunes, but that goes without saying.

Not to nitpick back or anything, but this wasn't intended to be taken the way you did. This my personal, and extremely safe-to-assume guarantee that if you talk to a woman about this, and she has the time/comfort level to give this some thought and understanding, also assuming she is presented with the correct information and facts, she will conclude that there is a problem with the situation in some shape/form. This is a guarantee from me. I am willing to bet money on it. I never said "Because I am a woman, I speak for all women when I say that they have a problem with it." So I think you read into this and turned it into something it wasn't. This is instead, me throwing it out there, that I understand the situation, the argument, the facts, how they all relate, and a person's ability to deduct and reason enough to assume as much, and therefore outright vouch for my conclusion. Being a woman has nothing to do with it. Furthermore, I think the real question should be, why did I bring up a woman's "comfort level" as a main factor for her being able to discuss whether or not she'd have a problem? The answer is that it was my point within a response to Darangen. My initial problem with his example had a great deal to do with whether or not the nine women he talked to were actually in a valid setting for discussion of this topic, that is, can he factually conclude "See? These women did not have a problem!" in this setting? My counter (ganging up on) to this conclusion was first that it is not a valid example. And secondly, I was personally bothered by its use. Furthermore, to solidify what I was saying, I guaranteed that to not only these 9 women, but to all women, it would be a problem under my premise, (comfort/time/information), the most important part of this premise being "comfort", as goes without saying when there is any kind of oppression of a group of people whatsoever. We can get into the "everyone's opinions is subjective" and "everything is relative" argument, but I'd rather not, as IMO as the end-all defense, it can be a destructive stance within active and progressive discussions. When people are actually discussing certain issues, where facts and information are being established, and examples are used to reinforce one's assertions, it is important sometimes to not always be all guns blazing when someone makes a broad statement, especially when your own personal opinion actually lends support to it. To me, it was rather obvious I wasn't speaking for all women when I said that. I was speaking for myself, and what I believe to be true. It was you that took me as speaking for all women there. But I'd also like to note that you've said that you do actually have a problem with it in some shape/form, and you are comfortable enough to talk about it here, therefore as far as you go, I am right.

I know rite? Alien 3 would have been better as a non-Alien movie. It feels nothing like Alien or Aliens, at all. It feels more like your run-of-the-mill space prison movies, and not even a good one at that. I agree that the rape scene was just awful and uncomfortable, and not in any kind of redeeming way, as was the autopsy, which was just in horrible taste. You should see some of the previous scripts and drafts for it, they are hilarious. Some are so fucking weird that I can't even describe them. Also I like to think of Alien 3 as a bad dream ER had on the trip back to earth. It feels like a dream to me, it doesn't make any goddamn sense any other way really. The director went for a shock, to shake up a franchise that honestly didn't really need it, and ended up terminating two of the most important characters, which ultimately has been pointed as happening, just because they couldn't get the same actors back for it, that's not a good reason to kill them off, especially if you can't think of a good reason to make the movie in the first place, they were essential, not only emotionally, but they represented a message, and when they were taken away, it was seriously like a big fuck you. So yeah, it's a bad dream, which makes sense, even in the context of Aliens

Thanks for the clarification Darangen. On a few side notes, I'm gonna talk about Samus a little more, I guess I also can say that I sort of feel like, Samus with the suit on is MY video game fantasy world, where her gender doesn't matter, where I am aware she's a woman, but I don't really think of it in a sexualized manner, which IMO fits with her character completely. She's a bounty hunter that has saved the galaxy, as opposed to her different and inevitable portrayal as being all vulnerable and "sexy" with the suit off, which is probably more along the lines of a dude's fantasy, and has zero to actually do with who she is. Before the Zero Suit, Samus was the untouchable character in a way, fan-art with her just taking her helmet off was a big deal back then. The word that came to mind was a character that you could "respect". But now, just google search "Samus". Fifty percent of my search shows Zero Suit, and most of them over-sexualized like this: Does it piss me off? No. Do I find it kind of offensive? Just a little bit. Do I understand that she has to take her clothes off sometime, and doesn't have to wear the suit? I guess so. But do I demand that of Link or Mario or Cloud? Of course not and neither does anyone else. And while I understand her suitless at the end of games, it wasn't a big deal at the time. And while I see the reasoning for why she lost her suit at the reveal in Zero Mission, I don't think the story would have been portrayed that way in the first place if she were a man. At one point before they went in-depth about her "past" and who she is, I felt that maybe the suit was somehow a part of her body, I don't know where I got that impression, but I honestly think that's a way cooler concept, an alien suit that you can't exactly take off for better or worse. There's a woman underneath there, but you don't have to see her naked to know that. I find it to be much more interesting, but I feel that when there is a woman that isn't exactly sexualized involved as the hero, with a demographic of avid fanboys to please, it's a bigger money-maker to give them a "money-shot" where they get the ass and the breasts eventually. It's a big reason why unsexualized women characters have "other" costumes that you unlock as a reward in say, fighting games. I also find it ironic that Taki had a more "traditional" second costume that wasn't highly sexualized... And how much, when playing Soul Calibur II, I would use Taki's alternate costume instead. It really seemed like her alternate costume should have been the first one, but they just choose the boobs mcgee because they knew it would shock and sell. The tits just seriously were distracting. On a side note, I don't really find Tifa as offensive. Yes, her boobs were huge, (I felt like she'd tip over in the FMVs) but in comparison, there weren't many other huge-boobed Final Fantasy characters prior or even after. They were all very similar in design, even awesome characters like Celes, in that they had that Amano touch of being dainty and doll-like. Aeris was more of an archetype to me, the support character, in a dress, anime-esque "innocent" and pure-hearted. Tifa is a bit of an anomaly, she's "more mature" because she's actually a bit weaker, less-than-perfect and more cynical. She has flaws and therefore is more personable. In a weird way, the big boobs fit. But I had that option in FFVII. There was more than one kind of female character portrayed, and they weren't oversexualized, Tifa being the worst offender as it has been stated her "assets" were emphasized to be more pleasing. In a way, I was happy about her dumbed down breasts in AC, but on the flip side, women with large breasts exist, and from what I noticed, what she was wearing flattened her chest a bit, it was more sporty. Her outfit overall though, was "hot tomboy and sporty", the plain shirt, the mini skirt (I honestly think they should have just been short shorts, which would make more sense but that's just me), and the boots, which are good for kicking. The gloves, good for punching. Okay, makes sense. Her hair was long, but was sort of tied back, I mean not in a really sensible way, but you have to give these kind of characters excuses, most of their hair is unrealistic anyway, not just Tifa. Stuff like this is borderline, but it doesn't spell out "please have sex with me I am a sex object". It doesn't affect me as much as Zero Suit Samus does, because the initial portrayal of Samus is almost in a way defied by what she's become, and just how much we will see of the Zero Suit from now on. In contrast, Tifa covered up more over time. Really I'm just arguing how certain images make me feel here though, it's an association game based on specifics, character purpose, how they fit in their environment, and how they come across to me at the end. At the end of the day, I respect Tifa as a character even with her big-ass boobs over the latest iteration of Samus in her Zero Suit. One I've accepted, the other I feel is kind of a cop-out.

Prophecy, that sounds pretty cool, but right now I actually have a ton of things on my plate and should NOT be posting this stuff, but I am having an "off" day. Maybe later though, when some things start coming together. So basically, the problem perpetuates itself, so you can't blame the company for exploiting it because if it's happening, then people must want it in the end, and you can't blame the companies for making money and therefore perpetuating it. I guess that works, but let's put this perspective to the test. There was a time when corporations exploited a certain demographic of worker to produce goods. This demographic fit very easily into the mold of making good products, they had a ton of energy, and neither questioned authority or minded bad working conditions. Oh yeah and they also happened to be children. I guess we would do well with children making our shoes for us, I mean they are a demographic that was basically sitting around, ready to work, however there's something that stopped us from doing that. We realized that it's unfair to make children work, outlawed child labor, and prevented the industry from exploiting them, why? Because maybe it's society's responsibility to strive to stop exploitation, even if it sells, even if some children liked working. The fact that it is selling or is profitable doesn't make it right, or even remotely justifiable. Did we stop buying shoes? No of course not, but we realized that how we got those shoes was bad news. There is complaint, and a current debate right now, and people do have a problem with it, but that's not going to stop them from playing video games. Putting the responsibility on the consumer is like telling them to put out a fire when they live in the tundra and handing them gasoline. With that kind of attitude, it will never be fixed, and we will never progress, so how about instead, we hold companies that make trite shit and their defenders accountable, be open to observations, and keep discussing it? IMO this is blame the victim mentality. Here's another example. There were some black people that didn't have a problem with being slaves. They were complacent with their place in society, and didn't speak up about it. They viewed that they were being taken care of as individuals, and maybe they had owners that were nice people. But I think most people agree that slavery is wrong regardless of what these people think, and we also can agree that they were just trying to live their lives within the scope of what they were presented with. If given the choice I am sure they would take not being slaves, but why talk about it when you're not given that choice or are made to feel uncomfortable if you speak up? The problem with your example is that a lot of women don't even know they have been victimized in this way. It's about priorities. Obviously child labor and slavery have bigger impacts in the lives of people than the effects of video games on a woman, but that doesn't change the fact there might be something wrong in how they are presented to the point that they do not play something that on a primitive basis can be fun to ANYONE. Little girls right now are being exposed to all sorts of messages that tell them how to be. My niece for example, she is six years old, the other day she stated to me sarcastically "I'm HAWT and all I care about is being HAWT."... Where did she get that? Maybe it's an underlying message she got from somewhere, I found it amazing she said that, and for a six year-old, had the capability to say it in such a way as to mock basically the gist of what is presented to young females on what they must strive to be above all else. As for video games, if you didn't get into it, for whatever reason, you're not going to miss it, or care when people discuss the problem. Some people are aware, others not so much, but the point is, it's not ideal to talk about it, to make a fuss about it, out of fear on how your peers see you, no matter how subconscious or small that fear is. It was the same at one time about slavery, child labor, women's suffrage, homosexuality, etc... Let's not even make this into a "thing" but talk about subconscious defense mechanisms within people, especially in social situations, safe discussion territory. AFAIK, Darangen didn't even mention any of these women were close friends. Why didn't he ask a close friend in a more intimate setting, or a sister, or even one of us here? I feel that his example was very much used to illustrate an inherent innaccuracy, but also fit my previous example on what it's like to be a woman presented with this scenario. I for sure disagree with him wholeheartedly, but I admit that in that situation, if he even presented my qualms in an even remotely skewed way that I perceived as would negatively impact me for speaking up, I may be less inclined to talk about it. I can also tell when someone asks a question for the purpose of hearing only what they want to hear too. I have a feeling that even though I have expounded on it much more than any other woman he probably talked to, the 9 women, in their innocent complacency, will inevitably invalidate to him what I have to say here. I think we can all agree that there are things about society we don't like, but have had to accept. I understand there is unfairness to dudes as well for the same reasons, but from a different perspective. Women and men have certain pressures that we can all acknowledge, that don't seem at all good for them. What's worse, we seem to accept them readily. Why? Well there are ways to condition mice into wanting to be around cats as well. Women (and men too) are used to society dictating to them what they like, what they want out of life, etc. etc. They buy makeup because they are told to be prettier, they work-out and diet, in abusive cycles, because they don't want to be fat and unattractive. Negative reinforcements. They may act dramatic in certain destructive ways just because their parents, or television told them they are supposed to act this way. Just in the same way that people in general, make stupid financial decisions because of an ideal they were conditioned to believe in, over practicality. Math came up in this discussion. Women and math is NEW. Our partnership together is only NOW beginning, "smart women" and their roles in society. Women and education is also relatively new. That has changed somewhat, it's been shown to society that women do not want to be constrained within their role in society no more than men do. But give us some credit here, it has only been within this past century that women have had more options in their role in society, and they are slowly but surely branching out where they can. Women were given the right to vote in 1919. That's not even 100 years ago. Things do not change overnight, or even within a century. Progress is slow, but the point is, it's progress. It has not always been this way. I'm honestly surprised that you aren't seeming to take into account that this is brand new territory when it comes to sex and gender roles, that we are in right now for human beings. Video games are the tip of the iceberg, but they still speak volumes when we see 90% of characters as sex objects in various shapes or forms. As someone who has felt like a minority on the basis of my gender on numerous occasions, it is hard to be vocal when you feel you are on shaky ground for being so. So far in my lifetime alone, I can tell differences in perceptions of women that to me are drastically different compared to when I was born. But the point is, no one wants to rock the boat. So here I am, a woman, telling you that it's wrong, how it has affected me, and you're using an example of a bunch of girls in a social setting that I've been exposed to and have acknowledged, saying they have no problem, as if they are to blame when you're really only proving my point for me. Which is when you are oppressed, even in the slightest of ways, that means you are having trouble representing yourself. It shouldn't matter that we are women, it should only matter that there is a problem. But as someone that has been a victim of this, I am stating to you that I have made a point all this time to resist this social focus that has been put upon me since I was a small child, and do what I want, even if it has been harder on me, even if in the grand scheme of things, this is a first world problem, it's still symptomatic of very real and disturbing problems in the perceptions of women around the world. And I think it's a human problem, to feel constrained by these kinds of rules, anyone that has had any problem in this way can tell you what it's like. I like video games even though they do not seemed aimed towards me. And when this discussion has come up from time to time online, I've made it a point to speak up about it when I can. I've even found a way to bypass this subconsciously by viewing myself as a male in FPS setting. These women could care less about video games because they are not aimed towards them. But as we all know, people are individuals, what they care about differs drastically, and when we get to know them, interests and what people can and do get into, when they are given the chance or are willing to try, differs greatly from our "expectations" of them. Get any woman talking about this subject where she feels comfortable, and has the ability to expound, she will tell you that she has a problem in some shape/form. Lastly, women will only be told to buy video games when it is profitable, it's not considered as profitable right now because we were not conditioned to like them, but I guarantee that it will change, it's a huge and vastly untapped market. As social roles change, little girls are being exposed to video games in a different way than the generation before. Just like you were told to buy Power Wheels when you were a kid, when that's all you wanted. I was never told to buy Power Wheels. I was told to buy Barbie, and therefore will tell my children to buy Barbie, because I have fond memories of it. We have problems currently in society where there are boys that want to buy Barbie but their parents are forcing them to buy "male" toys. So what exactly is he saying then, because his example has to imply something. Nope, I never implied we need to get rid of it entirely, you're putting words into my mouth. I'm saying that it's a problem, it should be discussed, here's why and how it has affected me, and we should be both reasonable and truthful with each other instead of convoluted responses that imply fault in having a problem in the first place.

I think the point is, they would never find a scenario to show it, and no one cares what's under his suit. But believe me, they care what's under Samus'. That's my point. They found scenarios to expose her that way. Suddenly she's "vulnerable". It doesn't matter that she starts out unpowered already

Hi I'm female, and I want to point out that Irish (who is also female) posted a bunch of very valid complaints and observations and no one responded to them. Way to go. Anyway here I go: 1. Just like there is sexism in many other aspects of society, there is sexism in video games, within the video game industry, in video game culture, in forums, social hierarchy, in character development, in story, aesthetics, ratios, etc. It's there, in so many different ways, and not just the obvious ones. It's up to us to be able to differentiate one from another, and not overgeneralize and deny different aspects of why sexism exists today. To those that are: Stop saying that it's not happening, or that these things aren't sexist. It makes you look ignorant. Just because many women don't spend their time complaining doesn't mean that we don't care, or wouldn't care when challenged to talk about it, and even if some are content with the status quo, or have legitimately found comfort in our role, couldn't it also mean we've had to get over it, even on a subconscious level, so many times over by now, that we don't consider it important enough to address every day? I think that it's something that most women, if they sat down and thought about it, would find offensive in some shape/form, or at least would prefer it to be changed, or portrayed another way, and I think a lot of you guys would prefer some differences at the end of the day as well. (as evidence in this thread) Even if we don't personally mind these things, because we possibly have been conditioned to accept them, doesn't mean that they aren't offensive or should not be considered so. The easiest way to move forward and progress in society is to acknowledge that there is a problem in the first place, who knows, things may eventually change for the better of everyone. Furthermore, stop saying that just because males are having problems with this as well, that their arguments are invalid because they are not women. Very dumb. Also, I for one didn't know you could "white knight" for every woman on the planet when having a problem with sexism, I thought it was just pertaining to individuals? Anyway, you can make a point or an observation about a problem, even if you are not directly involved, and I'd argue to an extent we all are. It's just that so many of you guys, I honestly think, haven't felt the negative affects of the problem (at face value) enough to care either way, so that you attempt to justify why it's not a big deal or doesn't exist. Please understand, it's not a big deal to you, but it should be okay for it to be a big deal to others, and if it makes you feel uncomfortable to the point where you pretend that it shouldn't be, couldn't that mean that it may actually bother you more than you thought? You like video games, therefore when people have a problem with the source of your happiness (the fantasy world people keep talking about),could it be possible that you want them to stop because you are afraid of being labelled as someone who enjoys something at the expense of others? Let me for one, say I have no problem with people enjoying even sexist video games, because I understand they are made for enjoyment. What I have a problem with is people attaching that feeling to the video game so much that they glue every emotional response to whether or not the video game is good or bad. You pretend the game didn't use sexism to get there, that there's no grey area or room for improvement, that it couldn't give you that good feeling if done another way. FYI I play them too, but I have some problems here and there. 2. I like all sorts of video games, but it's funny that these debates always come down to FPS discussions and somehow it's used as a subtle tool to unravel women from being true gamers. My first FPS was Goldeneye 64, and it was a lot more appealing to me than say, Call of Duty (all of which I have played and beaten as well). Goldeneye, it was appealing to everyone, I could get into it because I understood the game, the motivation, and the shoot and kill, even with a male lead character. But as FPS games progressed, so did the slant against women. It's also funny, I enjoy the first Duke Nukem, it was over the top, almost tongue in cheek. But on a side note, I friggin' hate Duke Nukem forever, besides it just sucking, some of the jokes were seriously completely tasteless, as if they forgot the joke was the joke. But anyway, as games progressed, I noticed that as more details were produced, these games became less appealing to me, because they felt like they were not for me. For instance, Frost or Soap in CoD gruff dudes with zero personality that show little or no actual reaction or emotion to the stuff going on around them. They are portrayed as the silent protagonists, staying calm during duress, explosions, there are dead bodies everywhere, America is being invaded, they don't scream, they remain calm. But when you do see them, they are gruff, do what they gotta do, completely stereotypical. This game is G.I. Joe on steroids, things all you dudes were conditioned to want from a very early age, your Dad and Mom bought you these toys, my parents made it a point not to, and I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is when guys act like there is a problem with me that I don't get it. That I just don't like an FPS game because I am a girl. That none of this should matter because it's got little real story and you're just made to shoot things everywhere so get over it Think of it like this. Call of Duty is the scenario in that fantasy world where WWIII happens. Suddenly you find yourself in a full tilt invasion of America. In the US military, after so many attempts to change this, women are still not even allowed into combat. I can't see myself in that position. I can still appreciate the game, the details, feel in awe when I see the invasion and war in something that resembles a US neighborhood. However I can't help but feeling that it wasn't made for me to experience, I can get over that and still play however. But there are no virtually no females whatsoever in these games that I can identify, even in supporting roles. I think there might have been one, but you don't even see her face. One of my personal favorite FPS games is Half Life 2, and all the episodes. (My boyfriend got me into it, apparently that somehow denotes that I'm not a legit gamer though if my boyfriend got me into it!) Alyx is a great character. Yeah a lot of dudes stare at her ass (especially making a point to in runs), but she's fully clothed, smart, and sensitive. In fact, she's got a pretty cool personality, she's not a super hero, she gets saved quite often. But she's not typical either. Also fun fact: When I play Portal and Portal 2, I don't even think about the fact that the protagonist is female. Almost every fps game I play, I imagine myself as male, because I am used to it that way. Even when I make female characters in Morrowind (I kinda make a point to when I can get away with it) etc, I catch myself from my weird pseudo male perspective. I'm not like this with anything other than video games, and I think it's because of exposure. If I think about the story in Portal though, I get the female thing, it's done very well, GLaDOS is an awesome character. There are interesting female protagonist and female boss elements in other things such as Metroid and Silent Hill 3. 3. Darangen, your example of talking to 9 girls in a restaurant is so ludicrous on just a logical level that I don't even think I need to address that, but on a personal level it actually kind of angers me a little bit. Did that conversation somehow enable you to feel more validated in your opinion that big boobs are okay because these women seemed to not care? I could just as easily take everything people say at face value, but I realize I'd be tailoring incomplete data towards a false conclusion. The foundation of the question and observation is weak at best. For one, I guarantee that almost every girl you talked to probably has not picked up a game since age 10, as society told them that it wasn't for them a long time ago. As a woman who is 30 years old, I struggled to find people who would talk about video games with me. It wasn't until I got on the internet when I was 18 that I felt comfortable talking about it, but not until I changed my moniker to a non-gender-specific one in 2004 because of how crappy this scene has been in regards to gender. But as a kid, being a girl, I was considered a weirdo because I loved video games, it was my secret life, and not even in an unhealthy way, but something you guys would consider probably very regular by your parents. I was socially pressured from an early age to not like them, but I still played them anyway. I would ask my little brother to ask for them for me, because my parents would buy them for him but it'd be a battle for me. I felt isolated from my peers, there were many times in high school when guys were talking about video games I knew and loved, and I was too embarrassed to talk about them because I had associated talking about them with being ridiculed earlier or social groups of females that were not well liked, even though it was perfectly normal for males to like these things, it wasn't for me. When I was a kid, I had girlfriends who loved video games that do not play them today, and do not care, but when I talk about "old times" and things we used to play together, suddenly a light goes on, and they remember, "Yeah wow I really thought that was fun!" I had a circle of friends when I was ten that talked about video games on a regular basis. We also talked about girl stuff at sleepovers, but we'd play Ninja Turtles, or Mega Man, have magazines with cheat codes as well as magazines about boys. I can't help feeling that a lot of the female "turn off" is nurtured. It is true that some girls really never find them appealing, but I also know many dudes who don't as well. Why that is should come down to personal preference, not what gender you are. This brings me to my point. The fact that women don't play as many video games as men doesn't mean that portraying women in some demeaning ways (how demeaning varies) isn't a problem. You cannot and shouldn't attempt to equate the two, but instead we should understand why they would be found demeaning. There are many reasons as to why women shouldn't be playing video games, it's really not a vessel of entertainment made to appeal to them. But we do anyway, regardless, and our numbers are rising. I feel envious that I wasn't born ten years later, and wish I wasn't exposed to so much societal pressure about computers and video games, because it's more accepted now. But portraying them as slutty boobs with a face only reinforces the notion that they are not made for us. I get tired of being reminded that I'm not the woman on the magazine daily, I hear lots of guys complaining about us reading that kind of trash, and I agree... But when it comes to video games, suddenly I'm taking it too seriously... Do I have to be reminded in every other video game too? It's not that I mind this specifically, it's that I mind this being the case for 90% of all female characters out there. 4. There is another HUGE problem, that is, boobs (heh). In video games, they are usually at least C cup. Most women who are in good shape are B or even A. Huge boobs and a great body are RARE. It's no surprise then that every other woman in Hollywood has some sort of boob job, and it's not a surprise to me that video games have even bigger boobs, you can just design them, weight doesn't matter, give them jiggle physics. I can't help but thinking how a man would feel if we put jiggle physics on his crotch. Anyway, I do consider it off-putting, one, since their bodies are designed by men, so are their clothes, and honestly I find so many female heroine's attires insanely tacky. Some of the stuff people link is just... Wow... Boobs is one thing, but the clothing these women wear is UGLY. It's like every other female heroine is a dominatrix, wearing the most uncomfortable shit possible, and not even for the sake of protection. I wouldn't call what they are wearing armor, I'd call it lingerie, the kind of stuff women buy to impress their dudes in the bedroom, conveniently titled "chain mail". Protection has nothing to do with it (unless she tells you to use a condom). ENTER ZERO FASHION SENSE Rachel from Ninja Gaiden. I felt vaguely annoyed every time I saw her. At the end, you can tell she wants Ryu, but he just walks away. She's literally just breasts with a face, and serves no purpose in the game. Breast candy. Nice clothes, fit the environment, smart, fun personality: A lot of people like Alyx, and guess what, Alyx probably beats Rachel for a lot of dudes (I mean there is naked mod), but the point is, she's something I prefer 100% and guys get to undress her regardless! HELLO NURSE! Heather is a 17 year old. She's very typical, but the creators emphasized on her looks for a purpose. They wanted to make you feel more vulnerable as you play her, because she is a rebellious, naive young teenager. She is not dressed for battling monsters or facing sexually explicit violence, she's clothed for the mall, where the game starts out, and then she makes due. By the end of the game you don't care what she is wearing. SAMUS BUSTS OUT And as for Zero Suit Samus, I can't help but feeling that the Samus I thought was cool as a kid came apart when she busted out of her suit with skin tight boobs and pouty lips. Yes it's tame compared to some other stuff, but you have to acknowledge that Nintendo did what everyone wanted them to for years. They sexualized her on a new level. Why don't we do that to Master Chief? Put him in his underwear, see how you feel about that, when he's "exposed". And as for letting you guys have your fantasy world and it being what video games are about. I kinda wish sometimes that I could have mine too, just stuff catered to me a little more without dumbing down what I'm playing. But I don't, that's just the way things are right now. At least don't pretend we (anyone who notices it) can't have legitimate complaints about it. In the grand scheme of things, no it's not really a big deal, and I still play video games, but things could always be better. IMO this is a symptom of society, but negativity can only perpetuate itself.

Awesome. Get them to me when you've made some progress. I will give feedback promptly. If my pm box is full for any reason, I can also be found on IRC (or msg Protricity/Prot if I am not around). Thanks guys!

Happy Barthday!

Well, all I can say is that it's very full. Needs a wider sound. Like you already said, EQ love. I think I hear lower piano throughout the song? Am I right? If so maybe that could be removed somewhat to help w/ clutter, or EQ'd heavily, because I think it's cool in concept, but may be competing just way too much for the effect it's going for... Maybe separate your high piano from your low piano by channel, so you can get more specific with EQ for each spectrum. Anyway, this song, it's so full that I can't hear everything that's playing in order to tell you specifically what to EQ... But I will say, I think it wouldn't hurt if the Sephiroth choir were to be more prominent. Bring it to the forefront more, EQ, whatever else, because when other synths come in, it sounds very weak, loses its drive, so work on building the song around it. I think the Orchestral elements may have too much reverb/release on them, or are just a bit too far away in room size. They need to sound tighter too, or maybe EQ'd into some sweet spots so they are not competing as much. The intent of this song IMO is to really snap at you w/ the stac notes, keep a rhythm to them. Phatten the bass, and the drop. And tighten those drums... And then I think you're good to go. Just keep having fun around the theme. Some synths playing the source melody more could be nice, and possibly some nods to other FF7 sources, who knows. Have fun!

Haha... The concept. So anyway, I like the idea. The beat is pretty phresh. My problem is that it's way too loud compared to everything else. Turn it down a little bit, let your leads/backgrounds in to the forefront. Overall, it's a bit cluttered. I think I hear you yelling the notes? SO yeah, not much else to say because it's so short, but get a handle on that instrument balance, widen the sound, turn down the drums a bit, and p.s. I want some organ breakdowns

Okay listening. I think the piano starts a bit too dry honestly, for the atmosphere. The organ as well. It doesn't feel big/epic enough. Overall I think the bass notes on the piano are very flat, you need to tweak them, let them resonate a bit. The organ, same thing. It feels that the intro chords are only being played by the right hand... Add some bass notes to that chord, make the organ sound fuller. You then switch up to some Hyrule Castle. Very quirky. The piano writing is complex, but it gets lost easily. It's got that same flatness from the intro. Maybe some EQ in the mid-highs, and a different reverb room size setting could help? Also I think honestly, this song suffers from, not the actual writing, but the sample choices. It's like this weird hybrid, organic/electro mix that's very unorthodox, not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not hitting its mark. For example, the writing for most of the song makes me think of a more atmospheric booming sound, but the drum kit is a quirky electro kit. You have low-quality flutes and trumpets juxtapositioned with electronic background and faux violins that pitch bend way more than possible. So here's my suggestion... Work on what you want this song to sound like. Get the samples/instruments to have a more similar vibe across the board, so they work with each other. If you go organic, go all the way, if you go more electronic, embrace it. This doesn't mean you can't have a mixture of both, but unfortunately in this mix, something needs to change either way. I really do like what you're going for, but push yourself and don't be afraid to repick instruments/samples around themselves. Find something that you really like, like possibly that dubstep area, pick a couple instruments that really stand out as leads, and build your mix around them. Good luck!

Really nice medley. I like how you tied them all together neatly. The playing is mostly straight forward, but you let tag along some nice touches here and there that seem so simple, but belie some forethought. In other words, it's mild yet intimate I like this. Also peace to your brother. A great tribute.

I would have left this or this.

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Not going to this but whoever suggested Cedar Point, great idea. Wish I was going.

His set was BANANAS. The energy was fantastic and that loco drink he gave me had me hyper as hell even though it was only a little bit. So I think he had the same energy as me x 10 which means he should drink it before shows lol.

Yeah. Ari and I got pretty used to the booze leeching. We always buy and I guess don't really expect others to provide. But when they do its always a pleasant surprise. Some people are super awesome such as Lukas and Walan though I always find that no matter how you try to syphon your booze, people sniff it out. Literally this year, five minutes after we bought ours and got to the room like thirty people showed up lol. Didn't even have to invite. Magfest lol.

Thanks Brushfire for hosting the pre-mag party last night. My highlight was the banana pudding and all the dirty minds there. Guests included myself and ari, deia, oa, jade, stevo, val, global trance, etc etc etc. Also thanks to Stevo and Val for putting up our sick asses for three nights. I'm finally feeling better, I think, I hope. The crepes were delish too!

I lost my voice and am sick right now so yay! We both are, but hopefully we will feel better tomorrow and can be healthy again in time for Mag. Also Amy we have a collection of cold/flu medicine as well as cough drops and painkillers to add to the pool, and some chai tea. Oh yeah and plenty of booze So do me a favor, all of you. Drink water. More than you regularly do. Get hydrated, you'll be thankful you did before coming to mag.

Attempting to download this on the road. Shnabubula music is always great for roadtrips. Yay! Your improvs are the best!

Quoted for truth. Not enough people realize this!

Hey guys! This is my remix I made for the webcomic "Homestuck". I recently read it and caught all up, so yeah I had to do Doctor of course, nothing else It's not technically a video game, although I actually put some video game motifs throughout this song (if you can spot them), and it's definitely not an original so I guess I'll post it here. Monobrow - Cosmic Surgeon (Homestuck Doctor Remix) I also made a YouTube video. Also this features both sixto and snappleman on guitar. Enjoy!