Hey who doesn't like Free stuff? Who doesn't like T-shirts? Who doesn't like free T-shirts? If you don't like free t-shirts, then this contest isn't for you.
Over on our facebook we have a new tab button, that currently looks like a button. It's primitive, it's more of a test than anything, go press that button. If you have liked our facebook, you will be taken to the Rafflecopter running the contest automatically... if you have not liked us, well do that now so you can access the contest. You don't have facebook? Well tough luck for entering this one then because you need it. This contest will run for two weeks, after that, who knows what the future may hold, so stay tuned. (HINT: We will be running another T-shirt contest)
The winner will be able to choose either a charcoal or cardinal t-shirt (Pictured above) in whatever size they need to cover up their gamer body (XXL Max). Once the winner let's us know what size and color is desired, we will drop it in the nearest thing that looks like a mailbox and send it on its way.
Can't see the tab button on facebook for some weird reason? Click the picture above to be taken directly to the tab in question. Promote the contest on your favorite non-RWS related site, and get bonus entries! That's right, we are rewarding you to spam!
Can't wait to see if you win? You can go here and just buy one! Better yet, just buy two! That way you don't have to choose which color to get. No commitment issues!
Edit: Where in the World can enter? Answer from on high! "I'm sure we could do international postage too, as many (if not a majority) of our fans are in Europe and Russia."
Our Mike is back in the studio today with Sherm and Tic-Tac for another broadcast of KLPX's World Famous Frank Show. It will boradcast at 7:30AM PST.
Some of you may have heard Mike J's tech talk on there before, and those of you that haven't can check out the archived clips as well as the latest instalment by clicking the banner above.
In this edition of Tech Talk we expect Mike to give his 2 cents on all the happenings at E3.
Ever have that feeling that someone is watching you but you look around and see no one around? Did you see a weird flash that you couldn't explain? Does your TV or any other device have a camera? Own any "smart" devices? Ever been on the Internet? Well then get your tin foil hats ready, your feelings were correct someone or something was watching you!
You may recognise the pictures I chose for the image above as Don Adams as Maxwell Smart Agent 86, a Spy from the old television show Get Smart. As an Agent for CONTROL (the good guys), 86 often used bugging devices to get information from KAOS (the bad guys). These would often be hidden in plants, on lights, in pens or concealed in other ways. Well everyone is making the CIA (and other organizations) life easier by bugging their own homes for them. The modern day spies are utilizing the Internet and Smart devices to monitor you, and everyone else in the world... other than those in USA, at least the CIA claims they are not doing it in the USA...yet. Everything from remote controls to clock radios can now be controlled via apps, and those apps in turn gather your information and bundle it off to whoever wants to look at it. A chip company named ARM recently unveiled low-powered chips which will be used in everything from fridges and ovens to doorbells...pretty much no device is safe! Even social networks...especially social networks... spew information that people willingly posted up for their friends to see are being collected by the spies.... is this a bad time to ask you to like our Facebook and follow our Twitter?
The reason why they are doing this is as an anti-terrorist measure...you never know when terrorists might want to know where you ate yesterday, so the spies (who are totally just there to protect you) need that information too... thus PRISM and Boundless Informant were born! Now turning to the most credible and reliable source of information every created, Wikipedia, here is a little about PRISM and Boundless Informant!
Quote from: Wikipedia
PRISM is a clandestine national security electronic surveillance program operated by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) since 2007. PRISM is a government codename for a data collection effort known officially as US-984XN.
Documents leaked by Edward Snowden in June 2013 describe the PRISM program as enabling in-depth surveillance on live communications and stored information. It provides for the targeting of any customers of participating corporations who live outside the United States, or American citizens whose communications include web content of people outside the United States. Data which the NSA is able to obtain with the PRISM program includes email, video and voice chat, videos, photos, voice over IP conversations, file transfers, login notifications and social networking details.
According to the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, PRISM cannot be used to intentionally target any Americans or anyone in the United States. Clapper said a special court, Congress, and the executive branch oversee the program and extensive procedures ensure the acquisition, retention, and dissemination of data accidentally collected about Americans is kept to a minimum. Clapper issued a statement and "fact sheet" to correct what he characterized as "significant misimpressions" in articles by The Washington Post and Guardian newspapers. Former intelligence officials told the Associated Press that sometimes intelligence agencies must destroy material on U.S. citizens they should not have seen, passed to them inappropriately by the NSA.
Boundless Informant is a big data mining computer system and electronic surveillance program, classified as top secret, run by the United States National Security Agency (NSA). According to documents about the program, almost 3 billion data elements from inside the United States were analyzed or captured in the Boundless Informant system over a 30-day period ending in March 2013.
Related to PRISM, the Boundless Informant computer system is used to analyze electronic information captured globally by the NSA
This seems like a move towards Totalitarianism...
So what the heck does this have to do with Running With Scissors? Well nothing, other than RWS stands behind the First Amendment and spying on what we have to say to the point people feel the need to censor what they online or near a smart device seems like infringing on the freedom of speech to us! Do you feel your freedom is being violated? Do you care? Do you think Edward Snowden is a hero of the people for informing the public of this breach of privacy? Do you think he is a traitor for revealing Government secrets? Or did you always suspect this was going on anyway and all a confirmation does is make the less informed masses panic for nothing. Speak you mind below! There are certain people on our forums who I look forward to reading what they say, you know who you are...
What is this? Another Poll? Already? About a similar thing as what was up before? Is this a sign? Should I read a lot in to this? Is RWS just messing with me? All of these questions and more won't be answered here.
You probably have encountered Downloadable Content (DLC) if you have played any game made in the last decade. Prior to that it was expansion packs. I used to love expansion packs, adding new content, new stuff to do and basically making a good thing better. Usually these expansions really added to the title, like Brood War to StarCraft 1. It basically doubled the length of the game, added to the story and was fun in general. Even POSTAL 2 had expansions. Times were good.
Around that time there were also the lazy expansions otherwise known as add-on packs. Sure it added game play, but it lost the atmosphere. Instead of adding a campaign with full cinematics and spoken briefing before the mission and after like had been done before in the base game, now you are just given a list of additional missions to do. Which basically amounted to playing skirmish style matches with no hidden scripted surprises like in the original. Basically stuff that you could have done with the base game anyway and that had no immersion at all. StarCraft had two add-on packs, Insurrection and Retribution. (You may not even have known that, they were never released as part of the Battle Chest, and had a very limited printing. I do own both of them, and I can tell you, you are not missing that much.)
Now fast forward to the present. Expansions and Add-ons have evolved and merged in to one title, DLC. Many games use them, many games abuse them. In the post about Collectables, where I talked about Game of the Year editions and what not, I mentioned Saints Row 3 a couple of times and today I will be doing that again. Saints Row 3 (and anything under the sinking THQ banner at the time) can easily be picked on for DLC abuse. Let me start by saying Saints Row 3 is an awesome game, better than it's better known counterpart Grand Theft Auto in many ways, mostly due to the fact that it doesn't even try to keep sanity or make sense. Just like Saints Row 2 before it... I never played the first due to not having an Xbox, but I can only assume it was another gem. The missions often had you doing things that came to almost POSTAL level of insanity, such as doing a drive-by through a high value neighbourhood with a septic truck and spraying down the buildings with the truck's hose to lower property value. Deliberately getting hit by cars so a crooked Doctor could commit insurance fraud, driving though a city with a tiger taking swings at you from the passenger seat and so on. Now why did I just mention all that stuff about Saints Row? I simply wanted to let you know I actually played that game to death. I bought almost all the DLC without question... and then I realized what I had done. All that this wonderful DLC did was just add more costumes in to the game. Different ways to dress up your character even though I already had tons of option... it didn't even add a lot of new options, like 4 things per DLC. The new guns were all just basic guns that you quickly outgrew because, unlike the normal weapons, you couldn't upgrade them. The Shark gun was still worth it, as was the Octopus gun... the rest not so much. Same with the vehicles. Sure you got access to new vehicles sooner by buying the DLC, you could fly around in your garish purple plane long before you got the normal one in the game, same with the purple tank. Half the fun though was stealing those vehicles in the game and trying to get out of there alive.... so I found myself leaving the DLC cars (other than the Genki ones) in the garage and just playing normally. Didn't even really use the DLC costumes either, I liked the ones already in the game better. Lesson learned, not all DLC are worth getting. Game of the Year editions solve this issue by just giving you this extra content so you don't feel so ripped off but then you have to wait so much longer to play that you may end up skipping the game. SR3 did have some content DLCs, these were rather short, but still worth playing, so I have no issue with those DLC contained in the Season Pass.
Ah... the Season Pass... glad I mentioned that. A new way to sell you DLC. Wrap it up in a bundle, put a bow on it, and promise that you will get the DLCs cheaper that way than if you bought them on their own. I bought the SR3 season pass unquestioningly. Fair enough, I liked season passes for a time. Unfortunately, some of them have gotten to the point where a season pass costs more than a new game itself (I'm looking at you Black Ops II), might be worth it if it adds a ton of new stuff to the game and not just re-skins, but odds are I will pass on the entire game if it gets to that point (and wait for a Complete edition to come out to even reconsider it).
All right, I said my bit, time to get to the point.
Do you like DLC? Do you hate DLC? Do you wish that you could date DLC first before committing to it?
Personally I like DLC that is worthwhile, I do like some cosmetic DLC but mostly like it when it adds new content, or fun stuff to the game like the Octopus and Shark Guns mentioned earlier. I have no problem supporting the further development of a game, I just don't like it when it is cut-content that is actually in the game already, just locked out. I always feel my game is incomplete if I don't buy the DLC for it, so often I buy the DLC just so I don't see the ghost outlines of the content in the game (looking at you Killing Floor)....stupid effective marketing tricks... I'm sure there are people out there who love cosmetic DLC. Probably wished they could dress up as more kinds of dogs in Fable 3, I don't know. That's why I'm asking. State your opinions below and/or vote above.
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Before the tin-foil hat people out there assume that this is a sign that RWS is up to something, I assure you that this should not be taken as a confirmation or a denial that anything may be up. It's just here for the ride.
Well after the mildly entertaining poll about how you like your games delivered, figured it was time for a new poll. So here is the 50-150 dollar question! Do collectables and bonuses sway you to spend more on a game you have yet to play? In case you have no idea what I mean, here is a description of each type.
Quite a few games now-a-days are starting to come out in multiple flavors. There is the standard Vanilla, you get the game... if you are lucky you may even get a box for the game if you buy it off the shelf, that is about it. I don't care about extras, I'm perfectly happy to just play the game.
Then there are deluxe editions. These often come with some bonus content like a digital art book, maybe a digital soundtrack, and some extra skins that add no value to gameplay other than letting your dress up and feel pretty and slightly superior to others. Take that everyone who didn't pay the extra $20, you can't wear this neon pink armor that is only good while you are level 1, you are all stuck with the plain shiny silver armor! N00bs!
Then there are collector's editions. These usually come in at around $100 (about double the price of the game itself). These come with the deluxe edition items except usually you get physical copies of the soundtrack and maybe the art book, and usually a statue of some character in the game or a fancy metal box (or both!), sometimes it even comes with some DLC that will be sold separately later. Hah! All you regular edition and deluxe edition fools, you are going to have to pay $5 more to get the first DLC, I got it free since I bought the double priced Collector's edition suckers!
Since collector's editions were starting to get a little old, the ultimate collector's editions were introduced. These are around triple the price of the base game ($150) and includes everything that was in the collector's edition, but also adds more stuff. Almost always gets a fancy box to stuff the game in to (sometimes to even stuff the rest of the worthless junk highly collectable items in. Usually gives a season pass so you get all the DLCs free (which is later turned in to just content DLCs free, none of the other ton of DLCs released, I'm looking at you Saints Row 3) and some physical stuff like maybe a t-shirt, hat, deck of cards, some buttons, some scale model weapon/item/toy action figure based on the game, maybe some postcards, and the all important individually numbered certificate of stupidity authenticity to show that this is a genuine ultimate collector's edition, and not just an ultimate collector's edition you put together some how on your own. Some of them actually have had cool stuff, like a remote control camera car.... I bet that has never been misused by anyone. Hey dweebs, check out my epic button that perfectly covers the mustard stains on my home-made Pursuant costume from Boundary Regions' Ultimate Mo Ne Gra bee Collector's Edition!
Well those are the different versions typically available with any new game that has even an iota of popularity. Which do you like best? Just to get the game? Get the game and a few digital extras? Get some physical swag? Get every little scrap of paper and plastic that even remotely resembles something from the game? Now there is only one other way to get some kind of extra for buying the game when it first comes out.
Preorder bonuses. You sometimes get something for preordering. There has been a wide range of things given away as a bonus for buying early. Art books sometimes, mini-guides, some exclusive never to be sold separately DLC (which is later sold anyway... looking at you again Saints Row 3... Genki Fun pack....). Some preorder bonuses are not even for the game you are buying. Steam games sometimes give you items in Team Fortress 2. These items are just like the regular items, but say Genuine on them, and have a green border which increases their value exponentially! (even if they work the same as their common counterparts.) Other times you get a free costume for the game (which is sold day 1 in the store for those that didn't preorder), or a free upgrade to collector's edition. Sometimes you even get a physical thing, like an inflatable chainsaw. -Generic video game nerd is unable to comment on the pre-order bonuses as he is passed out from trying to inflate the chainsaw...he really should get out and exercise more play more POSTAL instead-
I've always went for the deluxe edition if it is cheap enough, I rather like getting the bonuses unless they are just cosmetic. If the bonus is completely meaningless to me (one time use only item that gives a limited time boost, etc.), I would typically just go with the regular edition. I do like pre-order bonuses and I admit I have bought things sooner than I would have just so I could get the bonus... (then they don't have the pre-order bonus available when it arrives or only get like 5 in to cover the 100 preorders so I cancel my preorder... then wait for a sale and buy the better version for the same price, might not be the same bonus... but at least I get a bonus dammit.)
There is another way to get the game with bonuses, this one even includes a bonus game... the waiting game! Waiting for the Game of the Year, Legendary Edition, Ultimate Edition (not related to the Ultimate Collector's Edition), Complete Edition of the game to be released so you can get the game and every scrap of DLC all at once for a lower price than buying separately. Pfft... everyone knows that by the time a game releases a complete edition, all the cool kids have moved on to a new game. I don't even play Boundary Regions any more, Boundary Regions 2 is out now...hey... wanna buy some Boundary Regions 1 swag? If you scrape the cheese off, you can see I have Ultimate Box 4288699/5000000 that's totally the most awesome one of them all
That's all I have to say on that, I will let you have at this post now. I wonder how long before it gets side tracked into questioning Heather's taste in adult literature again or some other completely random off-topic topic.
Perhaps I am an "Old School" gamer. I prefer to have the physical box sitting on a shelf some place in my room collecting dust. Being able to open it, touch the books, disc and case has a certain appeal to me. Like I actually just bought something. That weird smell you find in the box sometimes if it had been shrink wrapped is sort of like new car smell of video games. I never really liked having to swap discs because that often led to inadvertent scratches and usually meant I had to install a couple extra DVD/CD drives into my computer if I wanted to play multiple games the lazy way.
In the Store there is the Fudge Pack, a nice physical boxed copy of POSTAL 1 and POSTAL 2 and all sorts of extra content. I personally don't own it yet (even though I work here... I feel ashamed) although I have been considering ordering a copy of it for myself even though I have it already on Desura, Steam and an old physical copy of just Postal 2 that no longer works. If I bought it, I may not even open it, might just display it triumphantly on the shelf along side the RWS sign and Krotchy Doll I have been eyeing in the store too. Mind you I might open it so I can play all that bonus content not yet available on Steam. Might complete the package with a t-shirt to wear while playing it.
I feel like I have been spoiled by services like Steam and Desura. No longer do I need to hunt down patches on each of the games random sites, or finding backups of the patches if the main site has died, Steam/Desura patches them for me. That hunt was part of the fun of playing old games off of discs.
I think it was the highest point in gaming for me when I could get a game, install it off the disc, and without resorting to any kind of naughty code manipulation or virtual drives, play it without keeping the disc in the drive. Portal (not a typo there, GLaDOS is to blame) was the game that got me to use Steam. I knew about Steam then but was avoiding it. I was like "take that Valve, I won't use your stupid service, I will just buy Portal off the shelf at the local Best Buy!" I opened my box, got my disc out, stuck it in the drive all excited to play... and the disc installed the Steam Client, which then proceeded to download the game. Valve had won the battle.
Since then I have become slightly estranged from my old ways. Now I seek out games that provide me Steam copies since it makes it easier to track patches, and I no longer need to hunt for the disc for the game I want to play. I still will always favour a boxed copy over a purely digital copy, but I have come to welcome purely digital games. I do like it if I have the option of DRM-Free in the off chance Valve decides they are tired of making boatloads of money from Steam daily and shut the service down, but I am still willing to accept the Steam DRM if it is the only way I can play it on PC. Desura service is nice too because often it does let you have a DRM-Free copy of the game too.
So you read my long ramble on what my opinions are, what are your opinions?
BTW This wasn't just a sneaky way to make a post that subliminally suggests that you should buy from our store to make your collection complete.
Today we bring you something new, an up and coming writer named Logan. Rather than giving you the usual business, trying to get you to buy our stuff, like us, follow us, go out with us... we are going to begin what could become another weekly column...except unlike "This Week in Paradise" it isn't just a collection of all the other news that was posted during the week in a format even the laziest of readers can digest. Without further delay, here is Logan's first submission to our news reel.
Quote from: Logan B.
Rememeber how much E.T. for Atari 2600 sucked? Atari is About to get a Reminder
In the 1980’s, the video game industry wasn't on the forefront of the public eye as it is today. The cutting edge of technology of the time was ports of coin operated games such as Tetris and Pac-Man to home TV’s through consoles such as the Atari 2600. Long before we were blowing up heads and peeing on strangers, we were being chased by ghosts while trying to eat blips or blowing up asteroids in a simple triangle space ship (Personally I am glad for the advancement, I quite enjoy the occasional exploding head).
In 1982, Atari released their adaptation of Steven Spielberg’s hit, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial for the Atari 2600. Unlike their previous titles, E.T. flopped. Of the 5 million copies produced, little over a million were sold. The end of the same year would be the last year that Atari would post improved earnings under Warner Communications. In 1983 money was being flushed down the drain by the bagful over at Atari. E.T. is now known as one of the worst video games of all time, king of the shit stack. Sales crumbled and retailers were left with millions of copies of unsold games that the demanded refunded by Atari. In September of 1983, Atari sent numerous semi trucks to Alamogordo, New Mexico with loads full of unsold video games and consoles. The unsold games and now outdated Atari 2600’s were crushed and sent to a landfill in the city.
Now, no one actually knows the specifics of exactly what is buried out in New Mexico, but there is a heap of speculation. The strongest theory is that Atari dumped the millions of unsold E.T. games.
Now you may be asking yourself, why are you talking about a crappy game that was buried in the desert 30 years ago? Well the answer is a good one. On May 28th, Alamogordo city commission granted the Canada based fuel industries the access to the landfill site to film a documentary about uncovering the mysterious contents of the 1983 Atari dump.
An answer 30 years in the making will finally be unveiled to us, my fellow nerds. Some may doubt the idea of millions of copies of the worst video game of all time being buried in New Mexico, but I for one am excited to find this treasure trove of failure.
Thank you Logan for your Extraterrestrial Garbage related post! For those that are not familiar with this game, lucky you, here are a couple of screenshots from it.
Please leave Logan feedback below if you want to encourage more posts!
Andrew Scott Reisse (Age 33), computer graphics engineer and cofounder of Oculus VR, was killed in Santa Ana, California on Thursday while crossing on a sidewalk. Police reports indicate that Andrew was struck and killed by a Dodge Charger that was being pursued during a high speed police chase. The reason for why the Charger was being pursued and why it necessitated a high speed chase in a residential area has not been disclosed at this time. Allegedly the Charger had ran several red lights prior to hitting Andrew Reisse. Andrew was a lead on the Oculus SDK, the Unreal Engine integration, Hawken VR, and most of the OR demos to date.
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset which originally sought funding via Kickstarter. From their Kickstarter: "The Oculus Rift is a new virtual reality (VR) headset designed specifically for video games that will change the way you think about gaming forever. With an incredibly wide field of view, high resolution display, and ultra-low latency head tracking, the Rift provides a truly immersive experience that allows you to step inside your favorite game and explore new worlds like never before."
Authorities say the incident began when officers saw two vehicles full of people involved in some type of criminal activity in the 1000 block of Rosewood Court Thursday. When officers went to investigate, there was a physical altercation between police and 26-year-old Gerardo Diego Ayala that ended with a fatal officer-involved shooting. Police say a gun was located at the scene.
Investigators allege 21-year-old Victor Sanchez and two other suspects then took off in a Dodge Charger. With Sanchez at the wheel, the Charger slammed into two vehicles during the pursuit before hitting Reisse, police said.
"They ran through several red lights, including the one where they struck our victim," said Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
The suspects were taken into custody. Police say all are gang members on probation, with outstanding warrants for their arrest. Sanchez is recovering in the hospital from injuries suffered during the crash. The two other suspects are not yet being identified due to the ongoing investigation.
Alright, we have been trying to get you to like our facebook and some of you listen to that, for those that didn't well we have special plans for you. You won't get the invitation to the special place, that isn't just a totally made up place invented solely to get you to like us out of fear of being left out. Honest!
Well our friends over at Skewed & Reviewed have launched another facebook page of their own, and looking for a little support. If you click the image above you can see their brand new page, less than a day old, still innocent and has that new page smell. There isn't too much there right now, but it is sure to grow into something good seeing as though they have posted multiple times in the time it took me to write this post. You can see all the covers from all their magazines, Issue 3 features the Postal Dude, unfortunately also features the Russian POSTAL spin-off where Gareth von Kallenbach actually did lines for the Uwe Boill part, but Skewed & Reviewed can be forgiven for that. They are even looking for someone to write up game reviews for them so if you have any interest head on over to their facebook too.
I'd tell you to head on over to their main page too and take a look around, but they were recently the victim of a rather nasty hack attack, so their site is on life support. If you bare with the fact it looks even more primitive than our own site right now, then go ahead and check out all the TV, movie and game reviews and interviews that are over there. There is quite the archive to get through.
To help offset the costs of the aforementioned hacker attack, Skewed & Reviewed has launched a fundraising campaign. Help pay for the damaged and you can get yourself some fun stuff too. Check it out, I'm sure there is something there worth your funds! Like for $25 they will send you a DVD or a Game code!
So asking nicely to get you to like us only gets us so for, dropping keys only worked until the ninjas came in, so we are resorting to the lowest common denominator... Cat Pictures.
As some of you likely seen, we made a fan tumblr where we can showcase the best and the funniest POSTAL related images and videos. We opened it to submissions so that you could send in your favorite POSTAL related videos and images.... and none of you bothered had time. That's quite fine though, we know you from the forums and understand that you lack any creativity whatsoever are busy people, but we just wanted to remind you can submit anything interesting you find on the Internet too, unless you are too lazy busy to do that too. You have to be fast with some of those videos though, because like Postal 2: Gore Anthem, they can get removed from YouTube if you used copyrighted music or are just too awesome (Darn you EMI for killing our fan's creativity!) Here are some of the videos featured on the tumblr as of today:
Why POSTAL 2 should be banned was the first post to the tumblr
This Lego one is a little low quality, but that is okay with us. Why not try making your own Lego POSTAL video?
Going POSTAL is a series made by this user. Check them all out! This is the link to the first one.
Krotchy's Funeral was posted at the same time as Champ's just because the tumblr (and Krotchy's ghost) was feeling left out.
This Montage was posted just because the poster claimed it was the "BEST MOMTAGE EVA." that and all the tag abuse on that video amused me.
Boom De Yada
That's about it for now, show us your favorite videos and images. Get them featured!
Memorial Day in the USA is the final Monday of May, this year being May 27th. We are going to take a break from trying to get you to follow us on the social networks, and trying to get you to buy our merchandise to honor those that have fallen while serving their country. Today, tomorrow and Monday we will be updating this post with User quotes (if any are submitted) and stories and quotes pertaining to those that have fallen. If you would like to submit a photo, a story or a quote you like please leave it in the comments below, or if you would like it to be anonymous please send it in a private message to RWS.
Quote from: Robin Hayes
"Memorial Day this year is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Services make to defend our way of life."
To get the User posts started, here is one from a moderator.
Quote from: Psygineer
Most of my great uncles and my grand parents served in WWII. My family was lucky enough that almost all of them came back alive. My one uncle came back with shrapnel near his spine that couldn't be removed. Something he had to live with and still lives with to this day. Sadly he is now my only remaining great uncle since his brother passed away last night.
Quote from: Bergen Evans
Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt.
Quote from: John F. Kennedy
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty
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Quote from: Joseph Drake
And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier's tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.
Quote from: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Heroism is latent in every human soul. However humble or unknown, they (the veterans) have renounced what are accounted pleasures and cheerfully undertaken all self-denials; privations, toils, dangers, sufferings, sicknesses, mutilations, life-long hurts and losses, death itself ? For some great good, dimly seen but dearly held.
Memorial Day Update:
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.
A picture is worth a 1000 words they say.... sure it's been a bit of slow news week, but that doesn't stop us from reporting it anyway!
First and foremost, if you have not already visited Champ's post head on over there now and tell us all about your fallen pets There is no need to kill your current pet to mention it on there, still living pets can be talked about too.
On the note of memorials, Memorial Day is coming up for the American Fans, so why not say what Memorial Day means to you below, and perhaps we will feature some of them in the upcoming Memorial Day Post (foreshadowing!).
Since you are on our page, we have to assume you like video games... or maybe you are just here for the Postal Babes, either way. You might want to check out Video Games Live™ to hear all your favorite video game classics played by real instruments! Sure real instruments in a game isn't that uncommon now, but you have not truly heard Tetris until you heard it played by an orchestra!
Time to get serious for a moment, you know The Life of Postal is in the balance now*, one of it's keep players has decided to go AWOL and see the world. No, Vince and Jon and the rest of the people behind RWS are still there doing what they do, whatever it is they do.... I'm sure they do something. I'm talking about the pixels that make up the game, one of them has gone missing. I'm sure you all have had a electronic device with a dead pixel (I'm looking at you PSP-3000) and how annoying that can be... well without your help, The Life of this Pixel will end. This particular pixel has become tired of being just another pixel in the screen and has gone on a mission to visit it's history. It's looking for you to help flip the bill for it's travel expenses as it leaves it PS Mobile world and heads to PC, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.
Speaking of Jon, time for more foreshadowing. I'm sure Jon would absolutely love you to go to Rezzed this year and bug him for an autograph. It would likely make his day to sign his name a thousand times over and get a camera flash to the eyes that many times too. He will be the one running away the fastest as you approach, so you know who to look for. Stay tuned as we may give you more information on how to stalk Jon more effectively later.
Now for the real news. Thanks to a massive trickery campaign through giveaways our social media efforts, the RWS facebook has finally managed to reach over 2000 likes. Took you guys long enough, I bet most of you still have not liked us... well we have plans for that coming soon... what is with all this foreshadowing today... The Steam Group has reached over a 1000 members. That actually isn't so bad since we just made it, unlike our Twitter which is only at a little over 500 followers... odd that that is only a quarter of our facebook... get to it lazy slackers and follow us on there. You all remind me of Postal Dude's wife, we don't feel your love.
*Postal is unaffected by this campaign, we just think that is a swell game and group who deserves your support too.
Many of you probably recognize Champ as the first Pit Bull you meet in the Postal 2 and the Postal movie.
You may or may not be aware that there was actually a real Champ that the in-game Champ was based off of. Vince Desi's Pitbull Terrier! Two years ago today the real Champ, the iconic RWS dog, lost the eight month battle against cancer and passed away at the age of 12 years old. You can see a close up of Champ's gravestone image above, and a picture of Champ's entire grave below.
At the time, RWS was about to produce an animated series revolving around Champ, called “What Would Champ Do?”, and how the dog would solve different world issues.
I'm sure many of you have had pets come and go from your life, and I'm sure you still miss them like we miss Champ. So why don't we start a fallen pet tribute here. Post a picture of your pet, tell a story about it if you like. It's okay if it is still alive, you can still share. To get the ball rolling, here is the aforementioned "What would Champ Do?"
Also, here are a couple of fan tribute videos to Champ. Why not load up Postal 2, and play with virtual Champ for a while. Make a video and share it. If you make a really good video, we may even link it to our Tumblr, facebook and twitter.
An old friend and long time POSTAL/Running With Scissors supporter Tommy Tallarico, has composed concerts based on your favourite non-POSTAL related video games (we don't feel left out, honest). These family friendly concerts are designed to introduce and entertain the audience with video footage, synchronized lighting, live action and original scores from some of the most popular and recognized video games (other than POSTAL, not bitter though).
Video Games Live™ (VGL) was founded in 2002 by video game composers and game industry veterans Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall under the parent company Mystical Stone Entertainment, LLC. Tommy & Jack have over 35 years experience in the game industry and utilize all of their personal contacts, friends and knowledge in the industry to help create the show. When creating a segment for VGL, the actual game composers, designers, creators, artists, producers and marketing teams all join in to help produce and ensure the highest quality. Their main goal for creating Video Games Live was to show the world how culturally significant and artist video games have become. Aside from being a celebration of the entire gaming industry, VGL also wanted to create a unique entertainment experience for the non-gamers and/or casual gamers as well. By utilizing incredible visuals and interactive segments in such a unique way, VGL is attempting to draw in an audience that may normally not be interested in attending a game music production.
Find out when Video Games Live™ is coming to a town near you by checking out the tour schedule.
Video Games Live™ is an immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time (some how POSTAL was "accidentally" left off that list). Top orchestras & choirs perform along with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, solo performers, electronic percussionists, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive entertainment experience!
This is a concert event put on by the video game industry to help encourage and support the culture and art that video games have become. Video Games Live™ bridges a gap for entertainment by exposing new generations of music lovers and fans to the symphonic orchestral experience while also providing a completely new and unique experience for families and/or non-gamers. The show is heralded and enjoyed by the entire family. It's the power & emotion of a symphony orchestra mixed with the excitement and energy of a rock concert and the technology and interactivity of a video game all completely synchronized to amazing cutting edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience.
If you or someone you know is into video games you won't want to miss this highly acclaimed one-of-a-kind concert experience. Or maybe you are looking for something cultural and exciting that the whole family will enjoy? Video Games Live™ is not just a concert, but a celebration of the entire video game industry that people of all ages will adore.
Video Games Live™ is created and produced by industry veteran and world famous video game composer Tommy Tallarico.
Video Games Live™ features the best music and exclusive synchronized video clips from the most popular games from the beginning of video gaming to the present. Game franchises include:
Mario™
Zelda™
Halo®
Final Fantasy®
Warcraft®
StarCraft®
Diablo®
Sonic™
Metal Gear Solid®
Kingdom Hearts
Chrono Trigger™
Chrono Cross™
Mega Man™
Myst®
Tron
Castlevania®
Metroid®
Interactive Frogger
Interactive Space Invaders
Interactive Guitar Hero™
Interactive Donkey Kong™
Medal of Honor™
God of War™
BioShock™
Civilization IV
Tomb Raider®
Beyond Good & Evil™
Advent Rising
EverQuest® II
Mass Effect™
Shadow of the Colossus
Silent Hill™
Crysis®
Monkey Island
Earthworm Jim
End of Nations™
Afrika™
Assassin's Creed™ II
Uncharted™ II
Portal™
Lair
Conan
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Headhunter
Splinter Cell®
Ghost Recon™
Rainbow Six®
Jade Empire
Contra
OutRun
Gears of War
Need For Speed®: Undercover
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™
Classic Arcade Medley featuring over 20+ games from Pong® to Donkey Kong® including such classics as Dragon's Lair, Tetris, Duck Hunt, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gauntlet, Punch-Out, OutRun and MANY MORE!
Whether it’s the power and passion of the more recent blockbusters or the excitement of remembering the sentimental classics you played growing up, Video Games Live™ will truly be a special night to remember. Meet and bond with new friends as you help to celebrate a pastime which has truly evolved into our culture. Even if you have never played a video game you’ve never heard or seen an orchestral performance quite like this. Show includes synchronized performances of the music, video and specially designed special fx & light sequences showcasing over 60 different games in a wide variety of styles.
History & Accomplishments
Video Games Live quickly became the biggest and most popular game concert in the world. The debut performance was launched on July 6th, 2005 at the world famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles with the LA Philharmonic. Over 11,000 people attended making it the biggest video game concert in the world. Most of the game music played (Halo, Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Mario, Zelda, Warcraft, Tomb Raider, Myst, Kingdom Hearts, Tron, God of War, EverQuest II, Medal of Honor, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil, Advent Rising, etc.) had never been performed live. On October 30, 2005 they broke new ground once again by putting on the very first video game concert in Canada (Vancouver). They followed with groundbreaking first ever game concert performances in countries such as England, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, France, Taiwan and China. Video Games Live was also the very first American video game concert to perform in Asia (Korea). In 2007 they were recipients of a major industry award in Brazil for "Special Breakthrough Achievement" following their performances in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo the year before. On October 22, 2007 Video Games Live was the FIRST and ONLY show to sell out the Royal Festival Hall (Philharmonia Orchestra) since the refurbishment earlier in the year.
The Video Games Live: Volume One album (EMI Classics) was released worldwide in the summer of 2008 and debuted on the Billboard Charts at #10. It was the first video game compilation album to be released worldwide and by a major label. The Video Games Live: Volume One album received the “Best Soundtrack of the Year” and Editor’s Choice Awards from IGN.com as well as the BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUM from the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.).
Video Games Live was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2008 for having performed the most video game concerts in a one year period (43). They are currently in the midst of breaking their record!
Come early!
As part of the experience, special festival events surround the show for those who want to come early where guests will enjoy interactive game demos, a costume contest, prize give-a-ways, game competitions and the very popular meet-and-greet with top game composers and designers.
Music Hear your favorite video game music played live for the first time ever right in front of your ears by a full orchestra and choir.
Video See exclusive footage of your favorite games synchronized perfectly to the music and lights on giant interactive screens.
Theatrical Stage Show Certain performances and segments will include live action, stage performers, special fx and a fully designed synchronized light show.
An Interactive Video Game A handful of lucky audience members will be selected to come up on stage and actually play a video game while the orchestra plays interactively with them for a chance to win valuable prizes!
Pre-Show Festival Each show features meet and greets with top composers and game designers in select cities as well as a costume event, gaming competitions and more! Unlike other concerts, the entire pre and post show festival is completely FREE OF CHARGE and open to ANY ticket holder.
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