On XBOX Live's "Juvenile" quotient...

Those MAG developers had a good point when they talked about how XBOX Live is generally less mature than PSN, but it all boils down to one thing: voice.

Little Johnny may have gotten his mic with his 360 that his parents bought him as a babysitting device, so he can go on Halo and call people "jew-bags" (and many other insults, both real and made up) and teabag those unfortunate enough to be stuck in a game with him for days on end. But if those same parents bought him a PS3 instead, he can't. At least he can't say much while he's playing - because those parents are far more likely to purchase a Live subscription (why, don't ask me...probably the same reason 12-year-old Johnny is playing M-rated Halo in the first place) than buy a headset.

And that, my friends, is that.

夢と現実 (Dreams and reality)

I guess it still hasn't quite settled in yet.

I'm. Going. To. Japan.

Over the last few days I've been doing a lot of research on the area where I'm actually going to be staying, as well as how far away it is from the areas that I have already been to. It turns out that Okazaki is quite spread out, especially considering how densely packed certain areas of Japan are, and getting around there is going to be interesting to say the least. I could rent a bike, but I'm big by even gaijin standards, so finding one that fits is going to be a hassle. Or I could get rollerblades, but I've never seen them worn there, and most of the sidewalks are most likely designed with earthquake prevention in mind - which means they're BUMPY.

Still trying to figure all that out. I do know that I plan to go to Tokyo for approximately three days before classes begin and will probably stay there overnight on my way out of Japan as well, because a direct flight to Nagoya is actually more expensive than taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo, and I'd like to have some time to myself in the big city to get over my jetlag and prepare for the Big Nihongo Immersion Kamehameha homestay blitz. I can't help but be concerned about that.

I mean, what kind of family would volunteer to take on a 27-year-old gaijin doing a study abroad program at Yamasa? What kinds of people are they? Do they expect me to teach their kids English? Will they even have kids? If they do, will those kids be psycho lolis and rockstar wannabes? Are they going to be an older couple who hate gaijin? Will they think I'm crazy? Will they be afraid of me? Will they like me?

I have no idea about any of this stuff, and I'm constantly playing it back in my mind. I sent the university two pictures to aid in homestay matching: one of myself and the girl, and another of myself with my arcade machines. I wanted to send one of my theatre activities, but since I always play a villain character, all the pictures taken of me make me look "scary". *sigh*. I literally have no idea what to expect, and I'm sitting on pins and needles just waiting to receive a profile from Yamasa explaining exactly who my homestay family is. Under normal study abroad programs, I'd most definitely be considered "creepy old", but under this program I'm a spring chicken. This program is actually built with young professionals in mind, which makes it EXTREMELY different from the others I've researched. Which means the homestay families are expecting this. They get to choose which gaijin they house, so the family choosing me would have seen both my profile and my pictures before making that choice.

I guess it doesn't parse in my head. Japanese are typically very reserved, and keep to themselves - ESPECIALLY as far as associating with outsiders is concerned. So the fact that there are not one, not two, but apparently many families in the area willing to house gaijin working on this program is both bizarre and intriguing to me. Yes, they get a stipend. No, it's probably not worth the trouble of having a big, rampaging gaijin taking up a large portion of their living space and nom nom nom nom nomming their food (which is actually part of the contract - two meals daily).

The fact of the matter is, looking at pictures of Okazaki and hearing stories from people who have already gone over, people are not going to be very nice to me on average. They're going to look at me like I came from another world, and even when I'm speaking perfect Japenese to them will probably be subjected to the Gaijin Blackout and not be able to answer me. I need to harden my resolve in order to not be offended by their actions. I have to remember their history and experience with foreigners are (on average) much less than most societies, although it is getting better, and seeing a living, breathing gaijin in areas farther from big cities is very abnormal for a lot of them. So I have to make sure I can take it in stride, and not feel like there's something wrong with me for existing in their space. I'm sure my Gaijin Barrier isn't THAT strong that it would push someone clear across the street. Still, I'm fairly certain that due to this particular town's location, Gaijin Superpowers will be in FULL effect. Well, except for the Gaijin Power. I don't want that one to activate.

Freebies and Health Care

Waking up this morning and looking at CNN, I found that something very, very interesting happened last night. Scott Brown, a Republican, trounced Martha Coakley (arguably a shoe-in) for the vacant Senate seat formerly occupied by the late Senator Ted Kennedy. As many of you know, this has drastic implications for the direction the country is taking, because Democrats can no longer rely on the filibuster-proof 60 vote majority to steamroll legislation through Congress. This basically all but puts an end to the very progressive- but very broken - health care bill. Which is both fortunate and unfortunate, I think.

At this point I want to take a wait-and-see attitude on Brown. Is he going to be like Lieberman and throw a huge spectacle in order to get the bill changed to something in his favor, or is he going to just kill it outright? Or, perhaps, the focus will shift to another Republican senator who may or may not want the fame associated with sending through a chopped up health care bill for the "sake of the American people"? I think just about anyone in Congress right now could begin stirring the pot and make a "power play" to shape whether this legislation is even passable and what form it will take. The next few weeks are going to be very, very interesting indeed.

To me, as a middle-class fully insured taxpayer, and member of the "young invincibles", here's what I want out of the health care bill:

Modification of contract terms regarding pre-existing conditions (see below )

Caps on what costs insurers can pass on to their customers - an accident or serious illness should not result in a hospital or medical provider to be able to bankrupt someone

Measures in place to cut costs of health care, rather than digging for new funds to pay for it. The reason why medical bankruptcy is such a huge problem is because of our inefficiencies in the health care system, and the ability of providers to charge whatever they like since in most cases, insurance picks up the tab.

Coverage rules in place for only qualified US Citizens.

Methods for increasing competition between insurance companies, and methods to reduce the "conflict of interest" that insurance companies have between their shareholders and policyholders. It is not in their best interest to pay claims - it cuts into their bottom line.

Although young, I had a few incidences where I had to use my insurance and fight tooth-and-nail to get the coverage I paid for. This is unacceptable. I had a $2000 hospital bill for a minor TMJ surgery, which sounds like a lot until you realize that this "simple" procedure (as I was told) cost $12000 total, and insurance picked up the other $10k. It makes me sick to my stomach to think what would have happened if my insurance company said "Ehh. We don't feel like paying for that."

That would have caused serious problems for me. And it happens to people every day. People with heart disease, or cancer. People who get into serious accidents - all things completely out of their control. And yet private insurers deny these types of claims on a daily basis - costing many people their lives.

This gets into a debate on whether health care - and what kind of health care - is a privilege or a right. And I'm not going to go there. What I will say, is that insurance companies should not have a right to accept customers into a policy, collect monthly premiums, and then turn around and cancel their policy when a claim is initiated, citing a "pre-existing condition".

Burden of proof should be on the insurance company at the time the policy is initiated to provide the customer with full disclosure regarding what will or will not be covered by their policy. They should do their "digging" in medical records for these conditions up front, when a person applies for a policy, and their premiums can, and should, affect that "digging" (just like with auto insurance, where lots of accidents equal higher premiums). But they should NOT have the right to sign up a customer, continually collect monthly premiums, and then cancel when it "suits them" - when an expensive claim is filed. In short, they don't look at your history extensively until you get sick, and then they try to find any and all reasons your claim may not be valid. That's not fair.

So this gets back to Brown, and what he may or may not bring to the table. My respect for the current government is pretty much at an all-time low right now. To me, it seems like Republicans represent the corporations and the rich and lobby/pass legislation for them, and the Democrats represent the people that can't support themselves, and pass legislation appropriately. Both parties speak extensively to "support" of the middle class, but it really seems like all hot air from here.

I don't want the government interfering with my daily life. But through unchecked support for the rich and their outsourcing initiatives, the Republicans have affected my job security. And through unchecked support for those too lazy to take care of themselves, or got here illegally, my taxes and health care bills are through the roof. People like me are getting squeezed on both sides.

All of these "Obama money" programs? Stimulus? Back To School Funding?
The only one most middle class citizens qualify for is Cash For Clunkers. And we all saw what happened there. Now when half of these people lose their jobs due to the corporate overlords outsourcing more work to India and China, who's going to pay those car bills? Where are those cars going to end up? Exactly where they started - killing our domestic auto industry. We don't need handouts. We need actual reform. We need a system of checks and balances. Throwing money at these problems won't solve them. Look at the banks, and their multimillion dollar bonuses aimed at retaining "talent". Honestly the only real reform I agree with in that damn stimulus was increasing unemployment benefits and reducing COBRA costs. That WAS an initiative aimed at the middle class, enabling them to support themselves while picking themselves up and trying to reenter the workforce.

Politics is a touchy subject for me, because EVERYONE IS WRONG. There is no one supporting us. They need our moneys to fund initiatives to the two groups of people who actually benefit from government. Those that have the sway to stay on top, and those at the bottom continue to sit on their butts and collect at our expense.

Washington is out for no one but themselves. And we're the ones paying.

Miscellaneous ramblings...

I have quite a bit to talk about today, as I just received word that in a few months I will be studying intensive Japanese conversation at a university in Okazaki, Japan. It will be my chance to live in a Japanese home for four weeks - total immersion - and explore the Kansai region of Japan. This is something I've always wanted to do, and I'm very grateful that my boss, his boss, and the Big Boss all granted their approval to let me go on leave. This is going to be the longest few months of my life.

Stay tuned to this blog, as I will be posting A LOT of content here during the trip, which gets underway towards the end of May...

Now, on to the main portion of this entry, and the part which is most likely going to get me in trouble...

First of all, I've been trying really, really hard to keep my mouth shut on this. I've had time to stew on this over the last few days, and I honestly just can't take it anymore. It's been bothering me so much that even though I'm guessing that it's going to impact a couple of the few friendships I currently have right now, I have to say it.

And, like most drama in today's world, it all began with a facebook comment.

My girlfriend drew my attention to something on the news. Apparently, a televangelist named Pat Robertson had the NERVE to blame Haiti's earthquake on a "deal with the devil" (upon further research, the practice of voodoo) which apparently had some sort of effect in kicking out the French and turning the "prosperous" former colony into one of the poorest nations on Earth.

I bristled at this, and left a comment stating my distaste at the far right side of the political spectrum. But, then again, televangelists say a lot of things to keep their followers in check, and even crazier things to get interviews with the media. There are even bigger wacko preachers (like Fred Phelps) out there who say and do things that are a whole lot worse, but the media tends to avoid those guys a bit more than moderate crazies like Robertson.

So there were some comments going back and forth on the story, and we were all getting a pretty good laugh out of the whole thing until ... someone defended the story.

Before I go any further on this, I have to say one thing. The people that defended the validity of Haiti's earthquake possibly being caused by that "voodoo" magic on facebook, at least as far as my friends are concerned, are some of the kindest, most down-to-earth folks I have ever met in my life. Period. They are very religious, but they truly practice what they preach in all walks of life. It is a pleasure to know them, and to be friends with them. If they needed anything, I would most certainly do whatever I could to help them out. And despite our differences in beliefs, they are completely accepting of me. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them.

I guess that's why I'm so disappointed, and maybe even a little disgusted. Not with the people, but with the lack of logic used for deciding one's beliefs on this particular issue.

One of the truly great things about living in this country is to be able to believe in anything you wish, or to not believe at all. I am not disappointed that they choose to believe. I am disappointed that they choose to listen to these kinds of statements, turn blinders on, and not pass them through logic filters which I know to be present in their minds - because they are so logical, and intelligent - brilliant even - on other matters...but when it comes to this kind stuff, anything's fair game.

God's punishing Haiti. He punished New Orleans for Mardi Gras, too... too much debauchery...

So, following that train of logic... where, may I ask, was God during World War II? Was he siding with the Germans? Obviously not, since they lost - badly - but those Jews being oppressed sure could have used a natural disaster or two to break down Nazi order and close those concentration camps. And he definitely wasn't siding with the Japanese - they are by nature polytheistic and do not have Puritan sets of morals (although he did let them bomb Pearl Harbor and kill a few thousand Americans, and many thousands more at the Battle of Okinawa later on - perhaps they were all nonreligious?). Maybe that's why he gave us the A-bomb. God really must have had a beef with Japan.

I could go on, but my point is... God punishing Haiti makes just about as much sense as the situations I listed above. I'm not trying to be spiteful or insulting here, although I may come across as a bit sarcastic... I know that an answer to this (and admittedly one that I can't really debate) is: "God works in mysterious ways, and that he has a reason for doing what he does". That may be so, but what goes on in today's world completely contradicts anything the Bible talked about - in terms of God's involvement in events around the world, I mean. People look for that meaning now...try to find it, search for it. There's no voice from the sky.

I still like the people I'm discussing here. I still respect them. I hope I can still be friends with them. I'm just disappointed.

I was religious at one point - Roman Catholic, to be exact. I went to Sunday school every week, church every Sunday, and my first "solo" act on stage was actually reading a portion of the Nativity story to a Christmas Eve mass in Huntsville, Alabama in 1992. I lost my faith when I began being bullied mercilessly in school after moving to Naperville, and began focusing more on science, which suddenly made the world around me (which admittedly wasn't THAT bad - especially when compared to something like what happened in Haiti, but it was torturous for me) make much more sense. There was nobody "looking out for me". It was me, just me. That's it. I had to take care of myself. And I've lived that way since then.

I get scared sometimes living in red country. People, for the most part, are very nice. Almost too nice, particularly the religious folks. I always wonder how much their attitudes overall would change once you are "exposed" as not "one of them" (i.e. athiest, agnostic, gay, Muslim, etc...). But these folks were, and are, different. I actually went to church a few times here in Minnesota, but was immediately disgusted when the pastor went on a 5 minute rant about how homosexuals are evil and will go to hell. The fact everyone was so kind to me before and after the service made me want to puke. I mean, I can only imagine how I would have felt if I was a homosexual.

I guess I'm just disappointed. And this note may cause issues with friendships, but I really don't care anymore at this point. It's just too much.

Please, please do not say that the people of Haiti deserved what happened to them. I don't care who the fuck you are, or how many followers you have. You have absolutely no right.

Crystal Bearers: Two Hours In...

So I am currently two hours into Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, and although I'm not completely blown away, I am pleasantly surprised. I think a lot of the negative press the game has gotten has been due to unrealistic (and incorrect) expectations about how the game would actually play.

We knew from early announcements that FFCC: TCB was going to be a single player story-driven game, but S-E never stated that it would be a traditional RPG. In fact, we were kept in the dark completely up until the game was due to be released. Upon release in Japan, it got decent (but not great) reviews, with complaints lodged mostly at the controls.

Reviewers here in the States have blasted it as a minigame collection in disguise, which I believe is an unfair assessment. Basically, here's what you have in this psuedo-action-RPG-casual-hybrid game:

* Graphics with a wonderful Square-Enix art style and technology/effects that hold up against some of their later PS2 releases. Sadly, this is a HUGE compliment when you compare the graphics of this game against Chocobo's Dungeon and Dragon Quest Swords. Against Nintendo's finest, the graphics are still competent. Let's see more of this on Wii.

* Varied gameplay. Within the first 2 hours I've had no less than 5 minigames with different sets of controls. Admittedly some are more fun than others. This game was most certainly aimed at Final Fantasy n00bz that may or may not be familiar with the series. They try to use the Wiimote in many different ways, and not all of them work well.

* Battles themselves are...interesting. Those who have played Dawn of Mana will feel at home here, since all battles revolve around grabbing stuff and hurling it at enemies. Because you have to control the camera manually and you can't lock onto enemies while you're holding an object, this creates some serious problems with more difficult battles.

* The physics engine, however, leaves a bit to be desired. Dawn of Mana used HAVOK, which gave objects a sense of weight and mass. All objects in FFCC:TCB react the same when tossed around, which is disappointing. There was a lot of potential here for physics hijinks that is totally unrealized.

* The story is action-packed and there's an open world and tons of sidequests to undertake. I'm just afraid of running up against a minigame or battle that just proves too unfairly frustrating with the controls...

So, overall, not bad. I wouldn't have paid $50 for it, but it's definitely a decent rental. A step in the right direction for S-E development on Wii. Not great - but not terrible either.



If I compare this game against Nintendo's first-party lineup, it holds up graphically but falters with the use of the Wiimote - which is passable but definitely not intuitive and can also be unresponsive at times.

Lucky [FF] 13...

FFXIII's first day sales numbers are in, and they are unsurprisingly limit-breaking.

Over 1 million people bought the game. In other words, 1 out of every 120 people IN THE ENTIRE NATION OF JAPAN went out and bought the game. For 8300 Yen ($90+). On the FIRST DAY of release. With an installed base of slightly over 4 million, that means one out of every four PS3 owners came out for the festivities and returned home with a copy of FFXIII.

What is more surprising, however, is the lack of PS3 shortages and the lack of Lightning Bundle shortages. Apparently over 100,000 Lightning Bundles were sold - but compared to the massive amount of games sold separately, that's a drop in the bucket. I actually expected the game to move more PS3s on the first day of release, and significantly so. The PlayStation 1 didn't have a strong presence in Japan prior to FFVII launching, and immediately afterwards became THE console to own.

This gaming market is a bit more complicated these days than it was back then, particularly in Japan. In Japan, although the PS3 installed base is 75% larger than the 360's installed base, it's still comparatively tiny compared to the installed base of EITHER console in the States and in Europe. Going to Akihabara and trying to find new HD games to buy for either console is a sad, sad affair - most of the shelves filled with either localized Western ports or crappy text-based adventure games. It seems that most Japanese developers are terrified of making games for either HD console, and I had (and still have) high hopes for Final Fantasy XIII to turn that around, even if it did prop up the PS3 as the worldwide first-choice console for Japanese software.

Like most problems these days, I blame the economy.

I already ranted about this last time, but the fact that the majority of well-known series dropping to portables for sequels is an alarming trend. Everything from fighting games to RPGs - both genres that are arguably the LEAST comfortable to play on portable systems - are making the jump. Japanese companies, most of them anyway, remain convinced that the portable market (PSP and DSi ) is the only way to guarantee profit from a release, and as such the big-budget franchises are taking huge risks by changing platform. Don't believe for a second that there wasn't a bunch of Japanese nerd rage when Dragon Quest IX was announced as a DS exclusive. That didn't stop half the country of Japan from buying it, with some people buying multiple copies to have more than one save slot (sadly, the creator of the game actually suggested this in an interview as a solution for the lack of multiple slots).

The lack of Lightning Bundle shortages in Japan ties into marketing. The import shops around the world sent out emails last week stating that the stock was less than expected, and hiked the price of the bundles to a cool $800. For something retailing for less than $400 in Japan proper. The funniest part: nobody EVER said this was a LIMITED edition. And actually it would be a bad move to make it a limited edition, because that would make less people able to buy the game/PS3 bundle, the availability of which is a win-win for Sony and Square Enix. The import shops are certainly taking advantage of the "oversight" and are riding the hype wave. The speed of XIII's localization speaks volumes not only on the new significance of the Western market in terms of console penetration compared to portables, but also of the importance of this title for Square Enix, a company notorious for treating its overseas customers like second-class citizens.

Put simply: we like our portables in the West, but they are NOT a valid replacement for console gaming. And we like our HD games. Final Fantasy XIII is going to do well not only as a FF game, but as a top-tier HD JP console game. There aren't many on the market right now, particularly for the PS3. "MAKE IT RAINNNNNNNNN!"

Another surprising news article that came out over the last few days... "core" game sales are up, and "casual" game sales are down. Some people argue that the "industry darling of the moment" soccer moms and grandmas are moving on past the Wii fad. I say it's more of a difference in how they play games. For us core gamers, gaming is a part of our daily lives. For most people, the Wii won't be used except for special occasions, like board games for example. The 'Fit' line of stuff is a trap, but it's a trap that sells really, really well and gives the casuals an excuse to use their wii more often (before they get lazy and let the Wii Balance Board gather dust in the closet).

All I have to say to game companies: "Remember who's going to keep you in business when the casuals lose interest. Better start learning how to please both audiences at once."

I wanted to come up with a funny personification with the video game industry playing the part of a ditzy high school girl trying to choose between the shallow jock (casual) and her plainer, but more loyal, best friend (core). I just don't have the creativity at the moment to make that happen...

Cheater, Cheater, Sushi Eater!!!

So, for those that were wondering what happened to us this weekend, we made a brief trip to Chicago. The reasoning was twofold:

1.) Celebrate Christmas early with my immediate family and grandparents (freeing Christmas Eve up for the significant other's family), and...

2.) Take the JLPT.

What's the JLPT? JLPT stands for Japanese Language Proficiency Test, the passing of which may assist with overseas assignments down the line. I signed up for Level 3 - basic conversational level, but after finding some sample tests online I found that studying my textbooks from college - even 300 level ones - left me grossly underprepared. So I hit the books hard this week, after returning from Japan I spent a good deal of time both during the day and at night devoted to reviewing grammar points and learning Kanji.

I studied so much that aside from a brief dinner with my best buddy and a brief visit with my grandparents, the vast majority of my time was spent exiled in a room away from my parents and girlfriend, building up my J-vocabulary. I really, really wanted to pass this thing, and found myself more and more nervous as the test approached.

So finally Sunday - the day of the test - comes. My parents drive me down into ghetto Lincoln Park (not to be confused with the angsty punk rock band with the different spelling) to take the test. There was a big sign for the JLPT on the outside of the building, so the location was fairly obvious. Once inside, I spent a little bit of time chatting with another Level 3 examinee and his girlfriend, who both drove up from southern Indiana to take the test. Like myself, they lamented the fact that Chicago is the only midwest test site - it was either drive to Chicago or fly out to San Fran, Seattle, New York, DC, or Atlanta. Since I have family in Chicago it really wasn't a big deal...but still. In any case, he was just as nervous as I was. We went up to our separate rooms for the exam and took our seats. Each room had two proctors: One that knew no Japanese, and a fluent speaker to answer questions (like they'd tell you anything anyways).

So the test starts - Vocab and Kanji was the first part. I started into the test and marked a few answers before noticing unusual movement. I looked up, and the guy in the row in front of me and to my right had placed (what appeared to be) a CHEAT SHEET LOADED WITH KANJI on the floor in front of him. I wasn't close enough to see exactly what was on it, but it appeared to me that he had written a bunch of information on the back of his test voucher/admission ticket. The proctor, completely oblivious continued to sit and look over something completely unrelated to the test. I couldn't have been the only one to see this.

Now normally, if I was in a college class - or a test with a bell curve where it would have actually mattered to have someone gaining an unfair advantage against me - I would have totally reported this guy right away, but I figured it was pointless. First of all, reporting him would cost ME a couple of minutes of test time on this first section - and secondly, getting him kicked out does nothing for my score. Everyone is graded individually and the score to pass is an even 60%. So really, I had nothing to gain by reporting Mr. Kanji Voucher Ninja.

After the first section of the test ends, he appears to scribble more stuff down on his cheat sheet, this time on the front - yep, it was his entrance voucher. Still too far away to see exactly what he was doing, but it was definitely not kosher. In any case, the next part of the test was the Listening portion, and I was hoping it would go better than the previous section - during which I was both distracted and also confused about a few of the questions.

Luckily, last week's vacation in Tokyo listening to tons of real-life speakers going super-speed turbocharged my Nihongo listening skills. I was a Super Saiyan 4 comprehension wizard, and probably only missed a question or two on that entire section. Mr. Ninja was still writing away on his voucher, probably preparing some hints for the next section of the test. I still couldn't believe neither the English nor Japanese proctor could see this guy. He was in the FRONT ROW. And his cheat sheet was placed diagonally in front of him where he could look at it. I mean, COME ON.

The Grammar section was the hardest part of the sample tests, and the real thing was no different. Yet again, down goes the voucher, in plain view of both proctors. Yet again, nobody notices. I plow through, hopefully getting enough answers I need in order to be certified. They collect the test booklets and the test sheets, and tell us it's OK to leave... when one of the proctors goes to the door and proceeds to request all our entry vouchers. HAHAHAHA...busted. So I gather my stuff and head to the door - and who should be in front of me but Voucher Ninja himself, completely oblivious as he hands over his cheat sheet - which I could now plainly see was loaded with test material. Unbelievable. The proctor, shocked, told him he'd have to stay behind, and let the rest of us go. Since my parents were waiting outside the building to pick me up from the test site, I couldn't stay to watch the carnage. But I'm fairly sure he got his entire test voided and wasted an entire afternoon. 残念ですね。

I'm not sure I passed - there seemed to be a lot of tricks, but I know I got a lot of questions right as well. In any case, I'm glad Mr. Kanji Voucher Ninja got what was coming to him...