Ask Surfer Girl X

1) Any more info on Ready At Dawn's first original IP?
It is a departure for RAD, and if how it was described to me was any indication, it should be capable of going mano a mano with any of the franchises they have previously tackled and stand out amidst the superabundant normalcy. It sounds like something magical.
2) What do you think of Susan O'Connor?
She's one of the more awesome Austinites. Tremendously versatile, as evidenced by her gameography, which includes BioShock, Far Cry 2, Gears of War, the vastly underrated BlackSite: Area 51, an unannounced title that is radically different from any of the aforementioned, amongst others.
3) What is your favorite John Hughes film?
Does Jaws 3/People 0 count? If not, Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
4) What will you post for April Fool's?
I was going to post a text adventure entitled Amy Winehouse Meanders Through Numerous Crackhouses: A Text-Based Adventure, in which you are Amy Winehouse going through various crackhouses, but the process of making that would have been too time-consuming. I am not kidding, that is what I was going to do. So I am posting something else.
5) If you could write an Aquaman comic book, what would be about?
What Aquaman does with his spare time.



UPDATE: If you are interested in making a text adventure entitled Amy Winehouse Meanders Through Numerous Crackhouses: A Text-Based Adventure, feel free do so, if you do a really good job, maybe I mention it.

Stand with Tibet

After decades of repression, the Tibetan people are crying out to the world for change. The Olympic spotlight is now on China, and Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama is calling to end all riots and violence through restraint and dialogue.

China's hardliners are lashing out publicly at the Dalai Lama--but many Chinese leaders believe dialogue is the best hope for stability in Tibet. The government is right now considering a crucial choice between repression and dialogue that could determine Tibet's--and China's--future.

We can affect this historic choice--President Hu Jintao values China's reputation, and he needs to hear from us that the 'Made in China' brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will succeed only if he chooses dialogue over the hardliners' repression. An avalanche of global people power is moving to get his attention. In just one week, over 1 million people have signed our petition, which will be delivered in rallies at Chinese embassies worldwide on Monday--click below to join the global outcry, and then forward this petition to friends and family right away:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/

China's economy is dependent on "Made in China" exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new and respected China. China is also a sprawling, diverse country with much brutality in its past, so it has good reasons to be concerned about stability--some of Tibet's rioters killed innocent people. But President Hu must recognize that the greatest danger to Chinese stability and development today comes from hardliners who advocate escalating repression, not from those Tibetans seeking dialogue and reform.

The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak--we must help them be heard.

Would you guys please hurry up? I'm breaking like 30 major laws here.

Was looking at the slides of "Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Recommendation of the Board of Directors to Reject Electronic Arts Inc.’s Tender Offer March 2008" and noticed this.

I learned a few days ago it was a sequel, not spiritual successor (yes, that information was wrong), coming to PS360, official announcement later this year, release next year. I chose to believe this and not believe the new Swordfish-developed UE3-powered 50 Cent game is set in the Middle East featuring gameplay similar to Gears of War.

In a similar fashion, I am going to continue to believe that John Hughes' comeback is imminent even though such is very unlikely (although a somewhat reliable one recently told me otherwise),

Speaking of comebacks, there is word going around that Ken Williams will be returning.

Finally, Ubisoft has a fashion design casual title and a team at EA RS is currently working away at a new Simpsons title.

Thanks to Peter for the tip on the following very cool musical video.

Step to the rythem of a sho' 'nuff winner.

1) Starcraft was originally going to be a Star Wars title, but the Lucas camp rejected the idea. So the Blizz just had to rip off draw inspiration from some other source.
2) Turns out Namco Bandai is quite fond of my taxonomic abilities. Deft folks in marketing, I shall help you with naming the inevitable localization of Namco Carnival, so here's a few suggestions: We Party, Let's Play, Let's Party, or Amy Winehouse Trades Crack for Acid and Designs a Video Game.
3) Coming this holiday season is Raving Rabbids 3, presumably with less Pikachu clouds and seemingly less Rayman is in the title.
4) The Digipen alumni at NST's current Wii title is an action game apparently featuring many lasers that is shaping up to be better than Project H.A.M.M.E.R., fairly original too.
5) In case you are wondering why Treyarch's Call of Duty 5 is an historical shooter, it started production following the completion of Call of Duty 3 (which Activision assured Infinity Ward would not be called Call of Duty 3 and would be a spin-off rather than an entry in the main series because they respected the work of Infinity Ward so much) when Call of Duty 4 was still a year from completion and not too many at Activision were confident that this modern warfare thing was going to be successful. Yes, unlike the nine month cycle for both Call of Duty 2: Big Red One and Call of Duty 3, the development of Call of Duty 5 is about two years long, so expect this to be far better their previous attempts.


Dear 2K Marin/Ken Levine/whoever else in working on BioShock 2,

Please make BioShock 2 less Atlas Shrugged and more Brazil, a satirical edge would complement the game perfectly.

Sincerely,
surfer girl