@soulcake: It is deeply unfortunate that that has happened and I hope your friends can find the help they need in ways that are not destructive to themselves and the people around them. That's not really a compelling reason to keep sending nonviolent people to prison over it, though.
I know your comment about cocaine is hyperbole, but I'd much rather see decriminalization and treatment than mandatory jail time for people who suffer from addiction.
So fun fact: The VA, an organization that refuses to look into the benefits of cannabis for veterans suffering from chronic pain and PTSD, is now asking for volunteers to research the potential benefits of ketamine for treating severe PTSD.
@fezrock: Yeah. It was critically acclaimed at the time of release, but around a year or so after it came out, there was some pushback against it in the more academically-minded games writing circles.
"Infinite keeps the soul of BioShock at its core, but it isn't afraid to strike out in some very exciting new directions." That's from the summary of Jeff's 5-star review of the game. Obviously our views of media can change over time. As far as games go, BioShock Infinite is the single greatest (and most sudden) example of this that I can think of.
Yeah, I gotta agree with others here. This isn't offensively bad or anything--it looks functional, even if the movement and targeting look pretty bad--but the $60 price tag is just mind-blowing.
@spindini: I'm listening to this part now, and it's not nearly as negative as that. Brad is literally agreeing with Jeff about certain elements of the game being frustrating and ridiculous. Jeff also says that parts of it are improved over previous games.
@bisonhero: Yeah. I really agree with everything you said here. There is a difference between the first and second halves of the 20th century, and part of that is values, part of it is technology. Culture changes in weird and unpredictable ways.
Of course, the REAL reason that RPO is so 80s focused is because that's what the author likes, and he created a story and character to justify that.
...and then he created another story and character to justify it again in his second book. Heh.
The Last Nostalgia is the name of my 80s cover band.
It's not necessarily unbelievable that people in 2045 might be into the 1980s. Things like the SCA exist. People aren't limited to appreciating stuff that they remember themselves. But it's what Alex said: it's the cynicism here. RPO reads like lists of things the author liked. It's funny, Armada is terrible, too, but I actually buy the main character's motivation for being obsessed with the 1980s way more in that book.
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