Jace Hall Show Season 4 Episode 16: “Rage and Gaikai Envy”
Monday, 28th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: cloud gaming, david perry, donald faison, gaikai, gakai, id software, rage the video game, video games
Written by: Paul Nyhart
This week’s episode gives more exclusive access into one of the latest video games to hit the market. From the people that brought you Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake comes the latest FPS from id software, Rage. The game is scheduled to be released this coming September, and will take place in a post-apocalyptic world. Jace keeps the lead designers honest, and gets a feel why this game will be different than id software’s Quake and Doom franchises.
Actor Donald Faison stops by and plugs his prospective web-series, requesting 50,000 bucks in the process. Jace counters and tries to get the 50 bucks that Donald owes him (which Donald supposedly smoked).
Speaking of smoked, that is exactly what David Perry and Gaikai intend to do to the video game competition, as he continues to discuss with Jace the future in cloud gaming. Companies are already investing big money in other cloud gaming ventures, wouldn’t it be nice if gaming companies started investing in gamers, too? In other words, might it be possible to play video games AND make money off of them? Gaikai intends to make that happen with the ability to embed games into your own site, view how they intend to pull it off in David Perry’s interview with Jace.
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Simulated Stardom: What It’s Probably Like to Be a Star At The Academy Awards
Monday, 28th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: 83rd annual academy awards, anne hathaway oscar host, colin firth, hollywood simulation, james franco oscar host, luke matheny, the sims video game
Written by: Paul Nyhart
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By Paul Nyhart
Wouldn’t it be interesting to create a version of “The Sims” which allows you to go into the world of Hollywood during a night out at The Oscars? The game would be fake of course, but what would it be like to simulate and presumably act out the life of a movie star on one of Hollywood’s biggest nights? Let’s find out and enter the “The Sims: Hollywood Oscar Night!”
It starts with the proverbial walk down the Red Carpet, blowing kisses at people screaming your name, rubbing elbows with stars wearing shades and holding purses that cost more than the limo that just dropped them off. Interviewers ask you all the tough questions: “how are you doing” and “what are you wearing?”
Your publicist ushers you along like a chaperon at your first Junior Prom, navigating you through the minefield of over-caffeinated hosts pretending to be Ryan Seacrest, and trigger happy cameramen, all shouting at you like you stole their car. Donald Trump stares at you, wondering, what the heck you’re doing there? You stare back at him, wondering the same damn thing. Still, you continue waving, pointing at random people, and giving high fives to whoever sees that the camera is in your general vicinity, then file your way into the theater.
You find your seat in the fifth row of the audience, marked “The Sims Hollywood Actor” (yes…they spelled Sims right). The show begins and you realize you have the pleasure of watching a seemingly drunk Anne Hathaway cheering/yelling like an older sister at her younger brother’s graduation, for the foreseeable future. A complacent and most-likely stoned James Franco chips in every now and then, to give his school a shout out and to make fun of nerds. The show does its best to milk a handful of awards into 4 hours, moving along with the pace of a prodding Show Horse. Frequent movie clips of the Academy’s more promising days blanket the screen at random intervals, reminding you, the Sims Hollywood Actor, that film has evolved tremendously since the days of Gone with The Wind, and Citizen Cane (so have show hosts…as the Bob Hope clip so poignantly displays).
You get up to stretch your legs, and look behind at the company you’re in. You meet eyes with Matthew McConaughey and notice that he’s about as tan as most girls on Spring Break. Nice enough guy, though, as he gives you some dynamite tips on charcoaling steak. Mark Wahlberg gives you a simple peace sign, Christian Bale gives you a smile while giving you the middle finger, and Annette Benning finds a way to yell at you about something for seemingly no reason. The “Sims Hollywood Actor” simulation is in full force on Oscar night; it’s everything you thought it’d be and so much more.
You choose to relieve yourself of the stress of watching so many bright lights and bright egos, and head to the bathroom to take a leak. A caterer offers you a glass of champagne on your way into the bathroom, in case you wanted to quench your thirst with France’s finest bubbly while using the john. You avoid the risk of getting your suit dirty so you politely decline, but do end up taking several chocolate Altoids from the paper towel guy guarding the sink. You acknowledge his assistance, but do not tip him for his effort. You’re The Sims Hollywood Actor, the only tip you give is via twitter, and it always has the hashtag #HowToBeInspiring.
You return to your seat where your Sims Actress girlfriend, a 5’9 Swedish Model named Elsa, is now being hit on by Ryan Phillipe. You tell him to bugger off, and for good measure, that Cruel Intentions still sucks, and he goes back to sitting quietly with Rihanna. You wish that you could abort the simulation, but decide to sit out the rest of the awards. Anne Hathaway really tempts you to make an early exit, when she begins singing for absolutely no reason. Hugh Jackman says he knows where this is going and asks you if you want to go grab a smoke. Elsa, tells you to stay, concerned now that Warren Beatty won’t stop winking at her…
Sandra Bullock whips through her intro, while Colin Firth nails his Oscar acceptance speech, and in between, a young filmmaker named Luke Matheny has a great moment. But finally, the awards come to a fitting close when roughly a hundred elementary school students surround the stage, sending the show out with a fusion of Glee and The Mickey Mouse Club. You head for the exit, navigating your way through pissed off runner-ups and reach the stairwell leading out to the theater. You finally hit the escape button and exit the game. Simulations over.
But how far off was the simulation? Based on last night’s Academy Awards. You’d think Hollywood was on life support, but artists like Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, and Luke Matheny will always keep the industry from flatlining. That’s my simulation and I’m sticking to it. What does yours look like?
Ray J Officially Takes Blame for Creating Kim Kardashian
Sunday, 27th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: kim kardashian sex tape, michael jackson moonwalker, ray j
Written by: Paul Nyhart
In a decisive move, Ray J officially announced that he’s responsible for creating Kim Kardashian. Never mind a higher Creator, or even Kim Kardashian’s parents–Ray J is going to go ahead and say he created the hottest reality television star since Joe Millionaire spilled the beans.
“I don’t hang with stars, I create stars. So you know Kim was created…now I’m off to a new project,” said Ray J in a statement.
Bragging that you created Kim Kardashian is like the State of California boasting about its debt or Mark McGuire publicly declaring that he was proud to take steroids. If Kim Kardashian is a star than Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker is the best Sega Genesis game of all-time. Let’s clear the record, what Ray J created was a sex video; what resulted was Kim Kardashian’s appalling run at stardom.
It’s not exactly a “chicken and egg” argument—before the sex tape, no one had ever heard of Kim Kardashian. After the sex tape, she’s on every magazine cover from Los Angeles to New Orleans, with a free sample of her perfume on the inside and an application to sign up for the Kardashian debit card (it was eventually pulled because of its ridiculously high rates). Let’s get one thing straight, Kim Kardashian is not a star. She is a commodity. Her image is being marketed, not any talent. She is the poster child for all things synthetic in Hollywood and practically the world in general. She made 5 million on the sex tape and never looked back….good for her.
But while Kim Kardashian has managed to overtake the world in less time than it took Facebook to get 500 million users, there is one 
industry where Kim Kardashian hasn’t reached: video games. It’s simple really, people who play video games don’t care about the commodity associated with the product, we care about the quality of the product itself. That’s why television shows like the Kardashians, and many other shows in the same vein, suck. They force feed us concepts built entirely around pointless celebrities and say, ‘here, this is what’s on right now, you can either watch it or go read a book.’
Or you can go play a video game…
Quality always wins in video games because the appearance of the product doesn’t matter, the experience is all gamers care about. I use the Moonwalker example above because it had the biggest star of all-time attached to it, but the game was lame. Yea it sold some copies after Michael Jackson’s death, but what gamer seriously spends their time playing the freaking game? It’s a small example but it’s enough to almost guarantee the “Kim Kardashians,” “Jersey Shores,” and the “Justin Biebers” (jeepers creepers) will stay out of mainstream video games.
Ray J can continue creating stars all he wants, but at the end of the day, it’s only killing people’s perception of television and making consumers clamor for an experience that doesn’t reek of hedonism (even though kids continue to look up to these “stars” as role models, which is arguably more damaging than any video game). Should he be given credit or be taking blame? On to the next project, I guess–here’s hoping they’re smart enough to not make it a video game.
If You Could Have Any Superpower What Would it Be?
Thursday, 24th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Offbeat
Tags: comic book heros, super hero powers, super heroes, superheroes
Written by: Paul Nyhart
It’s a loaded question: if you could have any super hero power, which would you choose? How about Wolverine and his powers? He’s one of the most popular comic heroes out there, even though his latest movie kind of sucked. His super hero power to mutate, heal, and outlive almost anyone is swell, but considering that I have no desire to live to be 125, and can still claw my way through most battles, puts this one goes into the “would be nice to have” category, but still isn’t quite where I’d want to be.
I would love to have the genius of Mr. Fantastic and the strength of The Hulk, but again, it’s a superhero power, not a wonder drug. It’s a tough decision, but it’s still a decisive one. If I had to choose any superpower it would be: Keep Reading
“Angry Birds” Goes From Video Game To Birthday Cake…Is “Mario Kart” Next?
Wednesday, 23rd February 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Offbeat
Tags: angry birds birthday cake, angry birds iphone game, angry birds playable cake, mario kart video, technology
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Please excuse me for being a little late to the party, but what exactly is a “playable birthday cake?” Last time I checked, Angry Birds was a video game…but now, it’s apparently a birthday cake, too. People have been overtaken by the YouTube video that re-creates the popular video game as a cake, allowing a confused 6 year old boy play to play with his food for the first time in his life.
The video makes much ado about the cake recipe and its construction, which is swell and all if you didn’t care about originality or duplicating someone else’s masterpiece. I’ll give props to the original cake-maker and say that the creation is quite unique, but I’d be more impressed if the next “playable cake” wasn’t modeled after Angry Birds but was instead a playable representation of a more advanced video game. Say…Mario Kart? Keep Reading
Call of Juarez: The Cartel…Should It Be Banned?
Tuesday, 22nd February 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: call of juarez banned, juarez drug cartel, juarez violence, ubisoft call of juarez, video game censorship
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Video game censorship is becoming the hottest trend since wireless keyboards, although wireless keyboards seem to be more practical. It’s not surprising that Ubisoft’s latest game, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, is under heavy criticism, given the game’s storyline: Embark on a bloody road trip from Los Angeles to Juarez, Mexico immersing yourself in a gritty plot with interesting characters and a wide variety of game play options.
In other words, you’re going to be shooting the living hell out of everything from Dodger stadium to Benito Juarez Stadium and you’re going to be taking no mercy along the way. Oh, and it all takes place in one of the most damaged and dangerous cities in the world…
What’s most unique about the game is that it’s based in an actual city, which just so happens to be presently immersed in devastating conflicts amongst Drug cartels (the name doesn’t lie). Some 3,000 people have been killed during the past year in the Mexican city of 1.3 million people. How is the game influencing that, you ask?
“…(the game) is something that those of us who love our city don’t like at all,” Jose Reyes-Ferriz, the former mayor of Juarez, told CNN on Monday. “It’s something that demeans our city…It affects (people’s) perception of the city for many, many years to come.”
It’s not as much how Call of Juarez is influencing the problem as much as its influencing the appearance of the problem. Call of Juarez is being censored, amongst other things, because it’s terrible PR for the Mexican town. Call of Juarez is being accused of injecting poison into the problem, when in reality, the problem has been going on years before the game was even developed (the game isn’t even slotted to be released until this Summer). Is the game glorifying the situation in bad taste? It would seem that Ubisoft has their work cut out for them on this one, as the timing of the game does seem to be “curious.”
“As a general trend, by bringing it into modern day or real day conflicts you can get more publicity to the game and it makes them more relevant,” says Sam Kennedy, Editorial Director for 1UP.com.
Eureka…
This begs the proverbial question most critics are posing via the game’s facebook page:
“Doesn’t it seem a little socially irresponsible to capitalize and/or glorify what is ACTUALLY happening (violence, murder) because of the illegal drug trade in North America?”
Perhaps, but since when are video games the canon for social responsibility? Movies, musicians, and politicians often aren’t held responsible for the social impact they make on society, why are video games (yes, games) mainly criticized for making a negative impact, let alone, any impact, when society itself is in disarray? What good will banning a game like this do for the people of Mexico? I’m only asking because I tried finding information on the drug situation in Juarez and all I got was news on why a video game should be banned and how far video games continue to push the envelope (I did find this). I’d like to find more information on the situation itself, what’s being done about it, and how any of us could help. Ironically enough, it took a video game which censors’ claim could potentially make people violent, to bring attention to ACTUAL acts of violence that has transpired for years. I don’t know if that says more about video games or those that are hellbent on censoring video games into oblivion. I do know it’s a bigger story right now than banning a video game that can’t possibly make a situation any worse than it already is.
The Jace Hall Show: Season 4, Episode 15 “Fuzzbuddy Friction”
Monday, 21st February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: cloud gaming, dc universe online, duke nukem announcement, duke nukem forever, randy pitchford, steam software
Written by: Paul Nyhart
The latest episode of The Jace Hall Show has its fearless host getting destroyed in one of the latest MMORPG video games to hit the market, and if that’s not enough, pubed by a child who isn’t old enough to drive his own car (or Duke Nukem Forever Hummer limo, for that matter).
Jace and Tood were up until 7am working on this episode, and despite the dubious distinctions above, it offers plenty of hilarity, and of course, some insight into some of the latest games and features about to hit the game industry. Have you struggled trying to buy games online or even downloading products/updates to your console (in other words, are you one of the 30 million people who actively use Steam?) Video game consoles have been common ever since, well, video games, but does the future hold something else different in its card? Could we be playing and downloading all of our games in the future from a magical “cloud” that is just one click away? Considering it took this writer two days just so that he could procure his own copy of a game he bought via Steam, I’m certainly not against any improvements.
“It’s like YouTube for video games?”
Something like that. What it might ultimately become is the proverbial panic button that drives traditional video game consoles into their respective corners trying to figure out how they don’t end up falling through the clouds (streaming Netflix is cool and all, but…) Speaking of panicking, Jace takes on Chris Gao, Studio Creative Director for DC Universe Online, in an ultimate video gaming battle that has Chris talking some serious smack.
And how could we mention anything about all-nighters without talking about the show’s’ swift trip to Vegas, talking DNF with Randy Pitchford of Gearbox (it was a work trip). The two talk about the upcoming release of Duke Nukem Forever, which is now being announced on everything from Hummers to Nightclubs (so it’s official, right?). However, the unofficial announcement that it’s the birthday of Randy’s son, via a “phone call,” is unfortunately a Jace Hall exclusive.
Pubes!
The Smoking Jacket Guy has something he wants to let out, while Cung finishes off some more ninjas (and we do mean “finish”). Steam goes under the microscope as a digital platform–is it causing too much friction for consumers, or does the heat just come with the territory? Prank phone calls, 7-hour Vegas Vacations, industry exclusives, and, oh…Duke Nukem, Duke Nukem, and more Duke Nukem! It’s the latest episode of The Jace Hall Show. Try not to panic, people.
Jace Hall’s Top Video Game Battles
Sunday, 20th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: cung le, ea sports mma, felicia day, josh thomson fighter, red dead redemption, seth macfarlane
Written by: Paul Nyhart
In the latest (dare we say greatest?) episode of the Jace Hall Show, Jace takes on the task of challenging Studio Creative Director Chris Gao to a “friendly game” of DC Universe Online. The outcome wasn’t so good–well for Jace, at least. It’s no secret that Jace is used to schooling noobs, but how has he fared in some of his past video game battles against “stiffer competition?” Let’s take a look at some of Jace Hall’s Top Video Game Battles.
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3 PWNAGE Things You Can Tell Your Family and Friends and Look Awesome
Sunday, 20th February 2011Posted in Ask Jace, Blog Archive, Greatest Hits, Keeping it Real
Tags: food for thought, how to be successful, Jace Hall Show, keys to success, motivation, share, truth
Written by: Jace Hall
There are a lot of things that are wrong with the world, some of them we can’t fix, but most of them we can. This is because most of the things that are actually wrong relate to the cumulative effect of the many choices we all make as individuals on a day to day basis.
How we act, what we value, the orientation of our priorities, our fears, our hopes, the disconnect between what we truly feel inside versus what we choose to present to others… It all conspires together and can leave us feeling lost, confused, angry, depressed, etc.
So in the meanwhile, we medicate in our own different ways…
We want to look to others for guidance, but who? Our politicians? Movie stars? Sports stars? Maybe? Or maybe not…
What lessons do they really teach? What stories do they really tell?
Something has changed over the last 50 years – Something besides technology and the other obvious advancements.
On average, people have more conveniences than ever, more access to information, more awareness of themselves and the world… but yet, it seems to me people are more confused and unhappy than ever before. What is happening? No, I mean really?
I’ve always felt that if someone in the know would just say SOMETHING – no, not just SOMETHING, but some honest, usable TRUTH that we all can use to help make sense of things and provide some kind of structure or thought process, it would be greatly appreciated by many.
Yet no one really says anything. Not really….
Then it occurred to me. Maybe I should say something.
Not that I think I am “in the know” or anything special really. In fact, who am I to say anything? Right?
But isn’t that the question? We all have been trained to think that way, and I am just playing along with it – which results in people not really saying anything…. And the wheel goes round and round…
So I am going to start sharing things that I have learned. Things that I see. Things that I know. I do this with the hope that it is useful for at least ONE person out there. So that maybe, ONE person’s life can be improved a little because they learned something from me, which I had to learn the hard way.
Now some of the things that I will say may completely contradict things that you have been taught by the conventional system. I don’t know what to say about that. You can either believe me, or believe the conventional system that taught you.
But before you disregard what I say, please consider that the conventional system is what has left you confused, probably in debt, probably stressed, and most assuredly feeling trapped on some level. The conventional system benefits from you behaving according to it’s rules – well, I should say that the people who control the conventional system’s rules benefit from you sticking to plan.
I, on the other hand, gain nothing from you and am just trying to share what little I have.
It’s up to you – but please know that everything I say, I believe – and I am able to prove, debate, and support. And I accept all challenges to my statements.
So with all that being said, here are three random beginner things you can tell your family and friends and you can rest assured that what you are telling them is true:
1.) Going to college only guarantees ONE thing – and that is you (or someone) will be paying the college in order to attend.
2.) Our system teaches you to define yourself internally by what you CANT do. It teaches you that the further you define yourself by the things you are NOT, the better your life will be. In fact, that is what an EXPERT is considered to be – a person who knows all the things that can’t be done in their area of expertise.
Imagine a newborn baby, who knows nothing, ALL possibilities are available to its thought process when trying to solve a problem it has never faced before. It doesn’t know what CANT be done, so the likelihood of that baby coming up with a solution that was never before realized is MUCH higher than an adult expert who already has set rules and limitations in place with their thoughts.
Don’t define yourself by what you CANT do. Keep that newborn baby example in mind and try to define yourself by what you CAN do, and know that you can continually add to that list of things and ever broaden the definition of yourself.
We literally live in an infinite universe, with infinite possibilities – don’t believe for one second that things that one person has achieved are beyond your reach. The only real factor is time. It might take you longer than someone else, but you CAN do whatever you focus on.
3.) Whenever you tell a lie, a big one or small one, it doesn’t matter if you get away with it. It always hurts you. It hurts you because you know you lied. You cannot escape it and it will hurt your self-esteem. A lowered self-esteem causes people to sometimes make poor choices for themselves, which in turn can sometimes cause more lies to be told.
The system teaches us that lying or misrepresenting ourselves can be a good thing. It teaches us that it can be a justified thing (think of the end of “The Dark Knight”) In fact, on occasion we are told that doing things covertly is the best choice.
I am here to tell you that you that this is flat out wrong and you will get better results on average if you choose to act OVERTLY rather than COVERTLY. In all areas of your life. Period. More on this later…
This article has run long, so I will stop here.
Let me know what you think. If you think I should just shut up – let me know that too…
Jace
Battle Grows Over Video Game Censorship: Who’s In The Driver’s Seat?
Thursday, 17th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: duke nukem censorship, senator yee, senator yee wife, video game censorship, video game first amendment rights, video games and violence
Written by: Paul Nyhart
All Video Game Censorship Must Go Through This Guy...
I can’t help but recall the days when I played Duck Hunt on my NES. Pointing an orange, plastic gun at every mallard duck that clumsily flew across my fifteen-inch screen, I was probably no older than eight and here I was simulating the act of hunting (oh heavens!). Some would call that a fun and an enjoyable means for a young child to explore their imagination. Others, would try and call it dangerous. Ever since video game players could pretend to be Kano and rip the beating heart out of their “finished opponent” critics have speculated that video games may be causing severe damage to children. It’s been a subject that’s gone back and forth for years, but has gained some serious steam recently, with legislation intended to put the kibosh to ultra-violent video games.
Driving the vehicle (more on this in a bit) is California State Senator Leland Yee, P.H.D. Senator Lee has become one of the main faces quarterbacking the campaign to censor ultra violent video games, based on their inherent, interactive nature.
“The fact that you can push a button and make certain horrific things happen. If you demonstrate to a child that you can do these things, it becomes part of their repertoire for dealing with anger,” says the California State Senator.
But what are we really talking about here? The fact that you manipulate the actions of characters in video games, be it shooting ducks or whacking crooks in San Andreas, means these actions will carry over into real life?
“I have seen individuals using a baseball bat and bludgeoning a hooker to death, or taking a gun and shooting a cop. Those are the direct result of someone pushing a button and making a conscious decision. I can see that that kind of connection between your action and the consequent behavior is dangerous.”
But using the word “dangerous” is just a means of predicting a possible scenario–what playing violent video games MIGHT result in. Basically, what’s being said here is that children are stupid (“undeveloped” is usually the hip term) and can’t think for themselves, so the government is going to step in and play thought police. Certainly, there are games that aren’t targeted for children, and thus have a rating which reflects that (just like movies). But rarely does the conversation revolve around the enforcement of ratings, rather it’s more or less to thrown the baby out with the bath water and censor “violent” video games as a whole.
But let’s look at a simple FACT ABOUT VIDEO GAMES: it’s a huge business which employs tens of thousands of people (The Bureau of Labor predicts careers in software development will increase 29% and artists/multimedia specialists 14% by 2018). If the Government continues to play thought police and go ahead with the legislation, it would have a devastating impact on the video game industry. As Ted Price (Insomniac Games) explains in episode 6, season 4 of The Jace Hall Show (the video to the right) the issue is one of the most influential decisions to ever affect the game industry and First Amendment rights. It’s no secret that video game makers are heavily against it. Do we want to destroy an increase of thousands of jobs and tear down a huge industry, in a down economy no less, just because some BELIEVE video games are dangerous? That’s exactly what game censorship would be doing.
But the plot thickens…there’s another story in play here, involving a car that mysteriously keeps managing to crash. A Toyota Highlander driven by the wife of State Senator Yee, and was previously helmed by former California State Senator Carole Migden, has cost state taxpayers over $400,000 in less than four years. You could play Gran Turismo for a decade
Practice Makes Perfect
and not spend that much on your ride. How the heck does this keep happening? Either these ladies have apparently been playing too much Grand Theft Auto, or they’re just having trouble finding the right radio station. Regardless, the car they miraculously keep managing to crash, but thankfully not getting hurt in, is running up a bill that no one seems to care about. Yet, violence in video games still holds the spotlight. What is more dangerous–a video game that allows people to interact in a pretend environment or a car that people can’t seem to properly drive? Should we be cracking down on video games or drivers licenses, here?
If step one is to take down the video game industry, and step two is to crash a car enough times to send the world into chaos, perhaps creating enough lawsuits that taxpayers money runs dry and they can’t even afford to buy video games (I smell conspiracy…) than step three must be to re-name San Fransisco, San Fierro, every time a car gets jacked. Well, we here at The Jace Hall Show aren’t buying any of these scare tactics, especially the claims that video games should be censored. It would be one thing if people were turning off their PS3, Xbox’s, and PC’s, immediately running out onto the streets and going gangbusters on the first person they see–all the result of playing a violent video game. Heck, I live in Hollywood, and I’ve never even seen that kind of thing happen (unless they were in costume and it was part of a sketch…but that’s a different kind of “dangerous”).
There’s always going to be a case here or there where people take a game too far, but if we want to get psychological (dare I say philosophical) let’s pose the question as to whether that’s a by-product of the game or the actual environment the person lives in. Senator Yee holds a P.H.D. in Psychology so he knows more about this stuff than I do, but the point is that the overwhelming majority of people love video games, know that they are not real, and realize that just because you can trigger something in a video game doesn’t allow you to do so in real life (duh). Until kids are running around the street like they’re playing Gears of War, or until Need For Speed style police chases are common on every freeway (Mrs. Yee and her husband’s predecessor certainly seem to be doing their part) game censorship only serves to hurt one of America’s few booming industries, and limit First Amendment rights.
Ice-T Turns “Jace Hall Show Performance” into “Gears of War 3 Reality”
Thursday, 17th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: coco, ice t gamer, ice t gears of war 3, ice t video game, ice-t, jace hall ice-t, Jace Hall Show
Written by: Paul Nyhart
There are a lot of things that can be said about Ice-T. For starters, he’s an artist that’s accomplished an enormous amount of success, with record selling albums, starring television roles, and a number of film performances. But there is another passion that fuels his fire, which you won’t find on his IMDB resume or on iTunes. He’s an avid gamer. Not only that, he’s set to be a featured voice in the upcoming release of the Gears of War series.
Ice-T recently gave The Jace Hall Show props for helping him score the role in Gears of War 3. What did The Jace Hall Show have to do with Ice-T getting a part in Gears of War 3? The legend unfolded in a past episode of The Jace Hall Show (pssttttt…scroll down below).
It started off simple enough, Jace was looking through “online photo albums” and admiring his new “squat poster,” a gift from Ice-T’s wife, Coco Austin. All the while, Ice-T was busy in the neighboring room, voicing displeasure from his gaming chair.
“Get me a Snapple!” he yelled, seemingly at no one in particular. Jace obliged, knowing that he meant business, and handed him a bottle of the Greatest Stuff on Earth. Who can blame Ice-T for feeling upset? It’s no easy task, trudging through the heated battles of Call of Duty: World at War, especially when your taking friendly fire from NOOBS.
“It relaxes me!” he claimed. “Mother F—er!” he shouted…in between sips of his drink.
Jace couldn’t help changing the subject. “Have you, uh, played Gears of War 2…I’m in that game.”
In the video game world, much like in Hollywood or anything else, its doesn’t hurt to know the owner if you want to get into a game. In this case, Jace mentioned Cliffy (KABOOM!) created the character of, well, “Jace” after him. It was a matter Ice-T didn’t take lightly, wondering why he didn’t get his chance to star in the game. As if fate was listening, it seems Ice-T’s dream has come true…well, one of them at least.
Ice-T tells Game Informer about landing a character in Gears of War 3 doing voice work, and how The Jace Hall Show played a role in making it happen:
Jace Hall has a web series called the Jace Hall Show…A long time ago, he did a video game and I did the voiceovers, it was called Sanity. That was back in the day…He told me that he was in Gears of War, and I was like, “Bull—-, how you get in Gears of War?” He said, “I know the owner; I know Cliffy.” I said, “Call Cliffy, tell him I should be in the game.” So, on the show we did this thing where I told Cliffy, “Why the f— is Jace in the game, no one knows who the f— he is, use me instead.” So, Cliff says, “You never know, maybe in Gears 3.” Now, this was just a skit – this was bulls—, we were just f—in’ with it. But sure enough, the game came around and I got a call saying “would you be interested in doing voice work?” So, a joke turned into reality.
Having his Snapple and drinking it too, the performance turned into quite the reality.
Charade, skit, or just a good performance, two guys having a little fun with each other on The Jace Hall Show, turned into a real opportunity for Ice-T to be a voice in Gears of War 3. Welcome to Hollywood and the world of video games. Hey, you just never know.
Some of The Best (and Worst) Marriage Proposals Ever Caught on Video
Wednesday, 16th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: funny marriage proposals, girl rejects boyfriend, guy proposes to girlfriend, marriage proposal ideas, marriage proposals gone bad, wedding rejection
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Episode 14 of The Jace Hall “The Indecent Proposal” recently showed how glorious proposals can be, especially when you’re dressed in costume as your favorite video game character. With every proposal, there is one of two things that can happen: she can break down, cry, and say yes….or she can sprint the other direction as fast as possible, call her girlfriend and “best guy friend” (that always wanted to date her but never could) and tell them what the heck just happened (he did what?!).
While I have never asked a girl to marry me, or even been close to going “ring shopping” (I did get frozen yogurt twice in one day and I had a girl almost convince me to go skydiving…I’m still up for the latter), I’d like to think I know a memorable and precious wedding moment when I see one (yea, I just said precious).
Here are some videos of the most memorable and disastrous wedding proposals ever recorded on camera:
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Tale of The Tape: EverQuest Versus World of Warcraft
Tuesday, 15th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: difference between everquest and world of warcraft, everquest subscribers, everquest versus world of warcraft, free trial everquest, free trial world of warcraft, world of warcraft subscribers, wow
Written by: Paul Nyhart
He was introduced to the stage like a rock-star, the host of the Annual Sony Fan Faire Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The crowd whistled and applauded, as Jace held his arms in triumph, climbing the steps onto the stage like a captain commandeering his epic voyage.
“I brought a surprise…a Video!” Jace told the crowd of thousands, as the cameras began to flash away and the curtain went up.
That’s when things went bad.
A chorus of boos rained down on the stage like rotten tomatoes at a comedy festival. The crowd went from warm to disgruntled, and Jace temporarily went from “man of the hour” to goat. Why? Well, the video he was playing was the I Play Wow Music Video and the crowd was, of course, filled with fans of the MMORPG EverQuest (the video on the right will show you how it all went down).
If you’re a fan of World of Warcraft or EverQuest (and don’t be fooled, the distinction is almost always mutually exclusive), you know the drill. Players of the respective games are bitter rivals, in the same vein as Yankees vs. Red Sox, Nintendo vs. Sega, Hybrid vs. S.U.V. (eh, so I had some fun with the last one). Jace and the crowd obviously knew the video was a joke and were having some fun with each other but still, what draws the line between these two brands of gamers? What separates these two games, which fit in the same genre, but are so far apart in the eyes of their respective fan bases?
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The New Era Begins…
Tuesday, 15th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: blog, Jace Hall, online business, video games, welcome
Written by: Jace Hall
I'M BACK!
Well where do I start?
I guess that the first thing I should say is “WELCOME” to Paul Nyhart!
For those that don’t know, Paul is the guy who has been doing a great job keeping the site updated and managed recently. His goal is to help build the JACE NATION (heh heh) and join the fight in eliminating NOOBITRY worldwide.
Although Paul will be writing most of the articles that you see on the website, please rest assured that I will be personally updating the site as well whenever I have time to do so. So I haven’t gone anywhere.
…and even if you haven’t seen an article from me in a while, please know that I am reading everything on the site, ESPECIALLY your comments and feedback (which I encourage you to do more of.)
Generally speaking, the kinds of articles I look forward to writing will fall into 1 of 3 categories:
1.) Video Game / Technology Culture Related
2.) Online Content Development / Business Model / Industry Related
3.) My Viewpoints on World, Society, Community and Individual Issues.
Based on the community feedback I will focus on whichever topics seem to interest people most.
For now, I would just like to simply explain why I have gotten behind in my site updates. The bottom line is that I simply run out of time in my day to do it!
HDFILMS is a company that is focused on the future of entertainment, and the future is all about people having direct and immediate access to content wherever, however, and whenever they want it. All devices, in all forms. The challenge with that is virtually every traditional media business model relies on creating value through “scarcity” and that “scarcity” has historically been created by the result of direct manipulation and control of distribution.
Blah Blah Blah… The above is just a long way of saying that there are tough challenges for me in my job because not only to I need to oversee the creation of new and cool content, but I also have to figure out entirely new business models from front to back in order for that content to reach people and hopefully become profitable!
So it means I have to wear a lot of different hats and that keeps me scrambling. In fact, everyone who works at HDFILMS does. We all have to think creatively and push the limits of our understanding of certain things, sometimes even leaping into the void with just the faith of success!
I dont really have typical days. Each one is different. I guess I could say my typical work day is for it to not be typical!
HDFILMS hasn’t really announced all the stuff that it is working on. We sort of keep a quiet profile when compared to other companies that like to blast messaging out to the world whenever they close a deal, but please know that we do have numerous cool projects in the works! Which again, is why I’ve been a little out of touch…
Anyway, I just wanted to say “Hello” to everyone, and let you know that I’m still here and preparing some cool personal articles to write and add along with Paul’s contributions.
As an aside, I’ve been working on the new JACE HALL MORTAL KOMBAT SONG, and it is basically PURE AWESOMENESS!
Lastly, if there is anything in particular you want me to write about, let me know in the comment section of this article!
Stay tuned!
Jace
The Jace Hall Show: Season 4, Episode 14 “Indecent Proposal”
Monday, 14th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: dc marvel online, impulsive froglok, Jace Hall Show
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Jace co-hosts the Sony Fan Faire Convention, and one of his most popular videos doesn’t exactly draw a round of applause. The Impulsive Froglok also makes his glorious, Jace Hall Show return, this time, he has bigger fish to fry than jumping into swimming pools, he’s about to propose to his girlfriend (and they’ve been down this road before).
Jace talks politics with President Obama, while The Smoking Jacket Guy ponders whether or not you can lick your elbow (both topics are equally as dangerous). Jace also checks out another SOE MMORPG, DC Universe Online, and takes on what was supposed to be a noob (does he get more than he bargained for?). Video games, marriage proposals, Frogloks, and so much more, it’s the latest episode of The Jace Hall Show.
“The Impulsive Froglok” Who Married The Same Woman Twice, and The Video Game That Brought Them Back Together
Monday, 14th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: everquest froglok, sony fan faire convention, sony video games
Written by: Paul Nyhart
On the outside, he is a man dressed in an eccentric and elaborate costume, which took six months to construct, displaying his affinity for the Froglok character in the video game, EverQuest. Jumping into swimming pools, hopping around the stage at the Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire convention in Las Vegas, NV, one might mistake him for an actual Froglok—he certainly seems to act the part. But who really is this man–this person who has appeared on several episodes of the Jace Hall show, recently making his biggest splash when he proposed to his completely unaware, and subsequently shocked, girlfriend on stage in front of two-thousand observers (she said yes). You can call him Phil, one because that’s his name, and two, because it’s shorter than his official title when he’s dressed in full, Froglok attire: Snickers, The Shadow Knight Froglok.
“I’m a Froglok, we’re impulsive!”
How impulsive, you ask? You have no idea…
Phillip Simmons is a retired RV and Mobile Home repairman, who also was the proud owner of a Slot Car Racetrack. Needless to say, he is also an avid player of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing (MMORPG) game, EverQuest. He and his wife Mary were married for fifteen years before they separated and divorced. After the divorce, Phil began playing the game even more, using it to cope with the struggle of the divorce, not being able to work and having to collect disability. It so happens that the game not only gave Phil, or Snickers, something to escape into, but it also gave him the chance to connect with other people. Little did Phil know who he was going to connect with and who was also escaping into the same world…
After a fifteen-year marriage that ended when “things started to go bad” Phil decided to jump back into the waters and propose to his girlfriend at the SOE convention, seen on the
"The Moment of Truth
past episode of the Jace Hall Show. Who is the new girl that has Snickers down on one knee declaring his eternal and undying love? It turns out she’s not new at all, in fact, both have been here before (well, not in front of thousands of people). Phil isn’t simply proposing to his girlfriend; he’s marrying the same women, Mary, he was divorced to for three years, his previous wife of fifteen years.
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Triple Beard Interviews Jace Hall
Friday, 11th February 2011Posted in Press
Tags: jace hall interview
Written by: Paul Nyhart
After putting Producer Todd Roy’s feet to the fire, Brandon Wolfe, from TripleBear.com interviews Jace Hall on his experience in the business, from Chadam to V. Check out the interview, and his site, and give Brandon some props.
Just Another Day at the (Jace Hall Show) Office
Thursday, 10th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: behind the jace hall show, Jace Hall, Jace Hall Show, JACE HALL SHOW EPISODES, jace todd, jason hall, making a web series, pubes, Todd Roy
Written by: Paul Nyhart
There are night owls and then there are the producers and the crew at The Jace Hall Show. For those of you who watch the show religiously (first off, thank you), you know all about the people that appear on the show and the adventures they go on. What you might not know is how much goes into the show, which is about to hit its 75th episode milestone. It’s no surprise that Jace Hall and Todd Roy handle the overwhelming majority of the tasks. Both manage to direct and write the show together, but interestingly enough, improvise some of their decisions on–location. Still, there are a number of unsung heroes that make the show happen, one in particular is Ashley, who keeps track of meetings, books travel, and secures interviews. Needless to say, there are a lot of moving parts to producing a weekly show.
In the zone.
I snuck into Todd’s editing bay to get a glimpse of how he cut the show, a process that is a show in and of itself. Todd controls roughly 80% of the editing process. Once the show comes together and reaches a certain point, both Todd and Jace put the finishing touches on the episodes, with Jace adding in many of the video game references and final details. For those of you who are unfamiliar with editing, it can be something of a “tedious” process. For Jace and Todd, the show is an endeavor that spans 7 days a week, and a huge portion of that time is spent in the editing room, arguing, compromising, and coming together to make a final decision on what is the best overall product for the show. It’s just part of what it takes to be a successful producer in Hollywood.
I sat in Todd’s neighboring chair, watching as his eyes gazed back and forth between two 24-inch screens, balancing the art of editing the Jace Hall Show with keeping up to date with his Facebook news feed. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it, and Todd does it well. He’s also a halfway decent editor, too. Having a fair amount of editing experience myself, I had a tremendous amount of appreciation for Todd’s work, and was easily entertained as I watched him annihilate his Apple keyboard, replaying the same clip hundreds of times, making sure every minute cut was done to perfection.
One of the office assistants comes in and places a piece of paper in front of Todd, signaling that it’s time for him to make the most important decision he’ll make of the day. Lunch.
He goes with the #41 and he does it with a hint of decisiveness. It’s no black box or red button, but it’s a decision nevertheless and Todd makes it swiftly.
I, for one, struggled, and frantically chose the #113, Chicken Chow Mein. The numbers went up to #150 so I debated heavily and, frankly, lost my composure.
Todd did his part to entertain me and make me feel welcome, letting me read his Everquest 10th Anniversary Collectors Edition and also filling me in on some insider knowledge of how the word “pubes” became such a prominent staple on the show.
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“Get in The Game with Resistance 3″ Character Contest
Wednesday, 9th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: be in a video game, resistance 3 contest, video game contest
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Ever wanted to appear in a video game? Well, that depends on what capacity you appeared, most likely. Still, let’s be honest, it would be pretty cool to see your mug in any video game, let alone one that’s part of a major franchise. Resistance 3 is set four years after Resistance 2 (spoiler alert for those of you who haven’t played Resistance 2 yet) where dishonorably discharged Sentinel Joseph Capelli is in hiding from the invading Chimeran menace with a pocket of survivors (“Forgive me sir, It was an honor…”)
Insomniac Games is offering gamers the chance to appear as a survivor in Resistance 3, the Playstation 3 exclusive which is expected to be released this September (just 7 short months now…)
If all that isn’t enough, Insomniac will fit the bill to fly you and a friend (choose wisely) out to San Diego in an all expense paid trip.So, what do you need to do? Find a screen-shot and upload it to the link listed below, of you in a “survival scenario” during any game (a little much?). Use your creativity, find that perfect moment and send it off to the makers at Insomniac, and you might just get the chance to be in your own video game.
Click here for the Resistance 3 Character Contest
“OnLive Game System” Gets 40 Million Dollar Investment
Tuesday, 8th February 2011Posted in Blog Archive
Tags: cloud gaming, htc invests in onlive, onlive game system
Written by: Paul Nyhart
What would you do with 40 million dollars? I’d use it to buy myself a new desk-chair, maybe fancy up my room a little, and if I had enough leftover, put it towards my college loans. If you’re the Smart Phone developer HTC, you invest 40 million bucks in what you hope is the future of of more seamless mobile gaming. The OnLive Game System was one of the first batch of companies to bring the concept of Cloud Gaming, the ability to play games on your PC, Mac, TV, or mobile device, without the need of a disk, to mainstream audiences. The system comes with a wireless controller and it’s own console which hooks up via Ethernet to your internet connection.
The irony is that the relatively new company, which controller and console models itself in the same fashion as an Xbox 360 or PS3, is beginning to dedicate more of it’s influence towards gameplay on mobile devices, which would seemingly make the console and wireless controller almost moot. The investment by HTC helps solidify the assumption that the OnLive Game System may be focusing on being more of a mobile based system. It’s not exactly rocket science, with the influx in devices that we hold in our hands, including the recent announcement of the iPad 2 perhaps being on the horizon, investors are bound to continue their investment in mobile gaming
Early critics of the OnLive Game System have pointed out that the system is reliant on a high speed internet connection (usually 10mbps or above, and even that can be spotty). The fact that the console also has roughly the same titles that you find on the major consoles, seems to also reduce much of the need for the device, especially since the console has yet to make the shift towards being a predominant system for mobile gaming. How, or if, this changes the way other consoles “interact” with mobile devices, is something that will be interesting to see as the future of gaming continues to evolve.
SEASON 5 IS COMING…
More Music From Jace Hall
