On Monday, a story broke about Microsoft doing away with the Microsoft Points, which are used to buy games and other products on the Xbox 360. Most people assumed that this would lead to Microsoft going to a system where actual money is used instead of points. However, in an exclusive interview with this outlet, Microsoft Xbox Community Manager Larry Hrb has stated that the new Microsoft Points system will not be based on real money amounts. Rather, the newly titled "Advanced Microsoft Points" system will utilize the Quadratic Equation.
Mr. Hrb said, "We want to reward our customers for their loyalty to our service, as well as frequent use of our service. To that end, we will be using things like Total Points Spent, Consecutive Time Spent Subscribing To Xbox Live Gold, and Gamerscore Points Accrued. This will lead to some customers being charged more for the new Advanced Microsoft Points system, while some will be charged less. In fact, the way that the equation is set up, some of our most loyal customers will be charged next to nothing for the new Advanced Microsoft Points."
I played around with the new Advanced Microsoft Points equation, and the results were staggering. Plugging in my current stats into this equation results in me paying only fifty cents for every one hundred Advanced Microsoft Point. I also ran the numbers in preparation for letting my Microsoft Live Gold subscription lapse in March. This resulted in me paying $9.54 for every one hundred Advanced Microsoft Point.
It will be interesting to see how the gaming public will react to this move. I am predicting the same reaction that gamers have to everything that ever happens to anyone at anytime: White Hot Rage.
Perhaps it is the way that I criticize myself more than I criticize anyone else, but I've noticed over the past couple of weeks that the quality of my blogs has been slipping. Unlike when this has happened in the past, where I require long, exhaustive introspection to find the cause of my loss of quality, I can say right away what is causing this. In addition to my work for The Redertainment Corporation Of America, I have taken on side projects in order to supplement my income so that I can my more and higher qualities of beer.
To this end, I have taken a job as the Communications Director for a politician in my area. Unfortunately, I have taken a job with a politician who's political viewpoints I do not agree with. As a result, this job has required me to say things that require a high level of effort on my part, resulting in the loss of quality of my blogs.
An example of this is the recent survey sent out on behalf of my employer, Utah State Senator Grand Shaw. Grand Shaw is a Republican representing the thirtieth Senatorial district, which is located is the area near Amaron, Utah. This survey reflects what he wants to do as in his capacity as a State Senator, as well as his general world view.
Senator Grand Shaw 2012 Voter Questionnaire
Question 1: Email Address Of The Respondent
(Email addresses used for Legislative and Party purposes)
Question 2: Due in part to our state's efforts to remain fiscally responsible, there is a projected state budget for this year. However, due to the growth in public education and the restraints put on us my Obamacare, our budget will still be tight. Please list the following budget priorities from 1 to 10, 1 being the highest priority:
Fund Growth In Public Education
No Tax Increases
Maintain Roads
Fund Growth For Higher Education
Public Education Teacher Salary Raises
Higher Education Teacher Salary Raises
State Employee Raises
Vigorously Fight Obamacare
Reduce Taxes
Judicial Appeal Of Roe Vs. Wade
Question 3: The state legislature is set to revisit their approach to the State Alcohol Laws. How would you like to see these laws changed?
Nothing, I'm Happy With The Current System
Harsher Penalties For DUI Arrests
Further Restriction Of Alcohol Sales
Giving Alcohol To Minors
Question 4: The Utah Legislature has a proposal to remove Utah from the Daylight Savings Time, similar to Arizona and Hawaii. Do you support this?
Yes
No
Question 5: A bill has been drafted that would have Utah join the National Popular Vote Compact. This compact would compell Utah to have their Electoral College representatives vote for whichever Presidential candidate won the national vote, as opposed to which Presidential Candidate won the vote in Utah. Do you agree with this?
Yes
No
Question 6: There is a proposal to once again affirm the State of Utah's belief in traditional marriage. What do you think of this proposal?
Yes, Traditional Marriage Is Important To Me
Yes, We Need To Send A Message That Utah Is On The Right Side Of This Issue
No, Message Bills Are An Unnecessary Waste Of Taxpayer's Time
No, I Believe In Anarchy
Question 7: What do you think of the proposed amendment to the US Constitution asserting that corporations are not people?
I Disagree With It
I Strongly Disagree With It
I Believe In The Power Of Freedom
I Hate Capitalism And Yearn For Socialism
Question 8: Your Comments
That is the survey that I have been working on for Utah State Senator Grand Shaw. I hope now you understand why the quality of my blog posts have been going down lately, and why I haven't been getting much sleep lately.
How To Abuse Google Translate
On Wednesday, stories started circulating about a possible sequel to Square Enix's 2009 release Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. The reports of this game, rumored to be named Kane & Lynch: Sleeping Dogs, are based on copyright filing as well as a job listing looking for people to work on an unannounced Triple A title. A little digging into this job listing reveals more about this upcoming game.
This job listing was made by a newly created division of Square Enix, Osoroshi Aidea. It appears that this game will be Osoroshi Aieda's first acknowledged title, although it appears that they have also done work on other Square Enix titles. Most notably, Osoroshi Aieda appears to be responsible for the battle system utilized in Final Fantasy XIII.
Upon finding the contact page for Osoroshi Aieda, I reached out to their Director Of Communications about the possible upcoming Kane & Lynch title, as well as other titles this division may be working on. What was sent back to me was a statement in Japanese. Not being adept in reading Japanese, I ran the statement through Google Translate. This is what came back. There may be grammatical errors as well as improper word usage, but that is what usually happens when you use Google Translate.
We at Terrible Idea are proud to bring unique and innovative ideas to our open market in the end. Terrible idea is a game studio and try to achieve a dynamic new ideas to open the minds of the public who share our gaming products. We have games like Final Fantasy franchise and Kane and Lynch, we feel that you can give a shot in the arm in an effort put into them. Square Enix's future leaders in the Terrible Idea that is very excited to see what it can produce a very bright idea is horrible.
Upon research, "Osoroshi Aieda" translates to Terrible Ideas.
Visiting The Realm Of Colour
by Hunter Red
I spent some time today in a realm not typical of mine. This is a realm that, while not far removed from mine, seems to live in another world entirely. I spent time in this realm, drinking in the very essence of what was around me. I sat in this realm and was enriched, invigorated, enlightened, just by being there. Being in this place sets my mind at ease in a way that is not possible in the world where I come from.
There are building, diverse in age and design, that challenge the very definition of what kind of building can hold what kind of business, school, or home. There are people here, not bound down by the expectations of who they have to be and what they have to do, who just be in the way that one would be if they could just be. There is art here, diverse in kind, media, and colour, adorning every building, openly displayed on every street corner, imbedded into every place where people can see.
Unfortunately, there comes a time when I feel compelled to leave the realm of the colour, the realm that fills me with such life, culture, and humanity, and go home, go home to the world of gray. The world where all the homes fit neatly and orderly into each other, where all the businesses fit neatly and orderly into each other, where all the people too fit neatly and orderly into each other. Home is a place where nothing is allowed to be, instead they are compelled to be normal.
Perhaps it is the fact that I only visit the realm of the colour that I think of it as so. Perhaps I think of the world of gray as gray because I have lived there for a long time. Perhaps if I visited the realm of the colour more often, or even maybe lived there, the colour would slowly become gray. Perhaps. Perhaps. I may never know if this is so, because, due to circumstances outside yet completely inside my sphere of control, I am stuck living in the gray.
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