I don’t usually go in for award ceremonies, whatever the medium. Corporate back-slapping is pretty repugnant in my book. To me, awards ceremonies are just cynical unit shifting propaganda. Events aimed more at lining shareholders’ pockets than recognising true talent and the hard work of people in whichever industry the awards supposedly represent. I could be wrong of course. I may just be someone jaded by each year’s god-awful Brits, TV awards and the myriad other award ceremonies beamed into our living rooms. Rightly or wrongly I never get involved in award polls – until this year anyway.

Earlier today I noticed a tweet by games journalist Scott Munro, retweeting Rising Star notifying followers that their cult title, Deadly Premonition is up for a Golden Joystick Award. If you’re not aware, the Golden Joysticks are the videogame industry’s Oscars. Sort of.

The fact that Deadly Premonition is up for an award in the best action/adventure game category is fairly remarkable. It’s not a title that was exactly lauded by the mainstream videogame press. In fact it wasn’t even intended for release in PAL regions at all at one point. The title’s relative success was born from the vocal support of a small cult following. As word of mouth spread more and more gamers looking for something a bit different decided to check Deadly Premonition out. The game is now a bona fide cult classic – and deservedly so. It’s a game that’s ambition is greater than its execution. Genuinely ugly to look at and archaic to play, it charms the player with compelling narrative and memorable characters. Leaving the player unable to help but admire creator SWERY’s vision of an open-world survival horror just about realised.

As you can see, I’m a fan. Deadly Premonition is genuinely one of the most compelling games I’ve ever played. Oh, and utterly hilarious too. With this in mind I thought; “what the heck” and registered my vote for Deadly Premonition as the best action/adventure game of 2011. Out of curiosity I thought I’d check out the other categories, voting in a few of them – I mean, I LOVE the PSP remake of Tactics Ogre so felt obliged to vote in that category for a start. After making my way through all the categories I came to the final selection, the nominations for the “One to Watch” category. To my disappointment all the titles are either sequels or games relating to hard-hitting licences. Now I’m aware that the whole “too many sequels” thing is a hoary old chestnut so I’m not going to bleat about that. What it did make me think however, is that are the curators of these awards missing a trick?

Earlier I mentioned that my feelings towards award ceremonies are pretty negative. My main gripe being that they are a cynical device to shift units. In the videogame industry the likes of Call of Duty, etc don’t need this sort of shot in the arm. Such franchises are huge cash cows. Huge cash cows with red raw udders from over-milking it must be said – but that’s an adenoidal whine for another day. The games that would really benefit from a little Golden Joystick Award Winner sticker on the case are the new IP that are struggling to make an impression. I can think of a number of games from the past twelve months that deserve better commercial success; Enslaved, Child of Eden and Shadows of the Damned to name but three. In my opinion a category such as “Ones to Watch” should be akin to the ubiquitous “Best Newcomers” award at music industry ceremonies. A chance for new, otherwise off radar games to have the spotlight. Credit where credit is due, all three of the titles I mention are up for awards. As are a number of other titles I wouldn’t exactly describe as commercial juggernauts. My feeling is simply that they would also benefit from a category all of their own.

Now I don’t know who chooses the nominees. I asked the hive-mind that is Twitter and all I got was Patrick Moore. “Thanks” Campfire Burning. Anyway, whoever it is, I really think they need to look at how they can support those that need and deserve it in what is a super competitive market. I hope you agree,  as ultimately it’s us as gamers who will benefit the most.

Andy Hayman - The Times

Andy Hayman CBE, QPM; Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations at the Metropolitan Police – the Copper who led the initial investigation into News of the World phone hacking situation.

His recent appearance before the Home Affairs Select Committee (12th July 2011) was reminiscent of a small but aggressive child accused of raiding the biscuit barrel. When asked by Lorraine Fullbrook (MP for South Ribble) if he – while a police officer – had accepted money from News of the World parent company, News International, Mr Hayman (CBE, QPM; Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations at the Metropolitan Police) replied with biscuit barrel indignation:

“Good god! Absolutely not, I can’t believe you suggested that! That is a real attack on my integrity!”

Before we have a look, the image used to illustrate this piece is from the News International (well, NewsCorp) The Times newspaper and shows all the writing that Mr Hayman must have done for that paper after he retired from the police force of course.

Podcast: Play in new window

What? That? Pffft!

Spending day after day reading and writing about people who are apparently in their jobs in order to communicate has inevitably lead me to distraction. Here are some of the reasons I think this is occurring.

I am listing them in no particular order other than when they strike me.

• JULY 15th
  Vertical Mentoring Group: Seriously, this mean ‘Form’ or ‘Tutor’ group.
• Going forward: this translates to “in the future” or, more specifically, “at some totally intangible point”. It is a replacement for the word ‘progress’, which is too weighed down with value qualifications.
• I/we will effect an outcome: No you won’t mate, you will “Do” or rather you won’t. You will excrete more words.
• That’s just not in our DNA: as per one Dennis Durkin, COO and CFO of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. What he means here by using a simultaneously scientific, natural and permanent sounding piece of language is: “It’s not what we want you to think our company does”. It’s a replacement for the now derided “Mission Statement.
• We architect our products: Again, Mr Durkin. No you don’t, you simply ‘make’.
• Value Proposition: easily translated to ‘our product that we are selling you, for money that you give to us.”
• Our People Resource: Again, Mr Durkin. He means “Staff” or “Human beings who work for us and have lives and families and don’t think of themselves as spreadsheet line items.”
• Challenge: That means ‘Problem’. Not all problems have solutions and can therefore be simplified into ‘challenges’.
• Ecosystem that we leverage: I must admit the sheer audacity of adopting a term like ‘ecosystem’ by any corporation that is divorced from ecosystems is bravura stuff. What is meant here is “our suppliers and clients”. But that phrase, once again, assumes a financial and legal transaction. Those things are unpleasant.
• Experience: This means “Product that we sell to you for money that you earned.

More coming as soon as I become angered by them.

Of course, as my esteemed editor has pointed out: Get the readers to submit their personal ‘Proper Corporate’ terms for translation.

Okay, send me an email at: royston@gashead.net with the subject line: ‘Please Translate this Utter Bollocks’ and I’ll see what I can do.

Paul McMullan1

The show was Sunday Live. A usually quite lightweight outing. The event was McMullan owning up to the fact that he hadn’t been home for five days because the police want him to come in for questioning.

Enjoy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Embed

The Sun

The Guardian has broken a story regarding Gordon Brown’s statement regarding hacking and blagging by The Sun and The Sunday Times.

It details depraved reporting and methods. The image here shows what resulted. The Sun editor at the time: Rebekah Wade.

Among the accusations:

• Abbey National bank found evidence suggesting that a “blagger” acting for the Sunday Times on six occasions posed as Brown and gained details from his account;

• Brown’s London lawyers, Allen & Overy, were tricked into handing over details from his file by a conman working for the Sunday Times;

• Details from his infant son’s medical records were obtained by the Sun, who published a story about the child’s serious illness.

Source: The Guardian

UPDATE: Let’s hope that Gordon Brown hasn’t handed NewsCorp a tiny sight of defence.

The Sun issued the following statement today July 12th 2011:

• Following allegations made yesterday by Gordon Brown against The Sun, we have been conducting an inquiry. This is in line with normal practice and procedure.

  We are able to assure the Brown family that we did not access the medical records of their son, nor did we commission anyone to do so.

  The story The Sun ran about their son originated from a member of the public whose family has also experienced cystic fibrosis. He came to The Sun with this information voluntarily because he wanted to highlight the cause of those afflicted by the disease. The individual has provided a written affidavit this afternoon to a lawyer confirming this.

  On receipt of the information, The Sun approached Mr Brown and discussed with his colleagues how best to present it. Those colleagues provided quotes which were used in the published piece which indicated his consent to it.

  We believe that the article was written sensitively and appropriately. We are not aware of Mr Brown, nor any of his colleagues to whom we spoke, making any complaint about it at the time.

  The publication of the story and the further responsible, sympathetic and informative coverage The Sun continued to give to the disease resulted in renewed interest for those affected by it. Donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust nearly doubled over the next year.

  We continue to inquire in to other allegations made by Mr Brown, and implore him to provide details to us so we can establish the facts.

Source: Channel 4

Rebekah Brooks Cashing Up

You don’t? Here it is again.

Macbeth Ripley Castle

It’s the story of a woman made insane by over-arching ambition for herself and the man who she would first make and then maintain as king. In so doing she destroys the people and the things around her. Oh, The News of the World was also closed yesterday.

As yet Rebekah – Lady McMurdoch – Brook maintains herself in some fortification built up by straw men and maintained by her master. She has already sacrificed the small players, the staff at the NOTW (which will surely be replaced by The SunDay or The Sunday Sun. She’s also sacrificed her previously best friend with Andy Coulson delivering himself to the police today.

She has one supporter or, if David Cameron attempts to protect her, maybe two. And the final insanity is that she may have put a stop to his ambition to own the prize of British Sky Broadcasting.

Lady Buscombe

My story, “Grief Intrusion by the Daily Mail” questioned how TDM could make the link.

Here is the response from Simon Yip at the PCC. I’m making limited comment on it for now until I’ve thought some more. One thing stands out, however, is this:

“As such, we contacted Cambridgeshire Police, and the college she attended, immediately after the story broke to offer our support, and make clear how we can assist in all press-related issues.”

Why? Surely it is not for the PCC to ‘offer to assist on all press-related issues or offer support to the Police or the College?’ Surely this is a waste of the PCC’s time?

“Thank you for making a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission about coverage of the tragic death of Sophie Howard.

We have received numerous complaints about the article in the Daily Mail, most of which relate to the headline of the article as it originally appeared online. The complaints have been lodged primarily under Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 5 (Intrusion into grief or shock) of the Editors’ Code.

As you would expect, we will, in the first instance, have to consider the wishes of the family of Miss Howard before we take forward any complaint relating to her death, with particular regard to intrusion. As such, we contacted Cambridgeshire Police, and the college she attended, immediately after the story broke to offer our support, and make clear how we can assist in all press-related issues.

In addition, the PCC contacted the Daily Mail in regard to the online headline, and it responded on Friday afternoon to make clear that – even before we had made contact – the headline to the online article had been amended in view of direct concerns raised. The article in the newspaper, which appeared on 2 July, did not have the same headline.

In the circumstances, we will determine whether the Howard family wishes to complain about the article, and revert to you shortly once the position has become clear.

A copy of the Code of Practice can be accessed using this web link: http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/practice.html .

Further information about the PCC can be found on our website www.pcc.org.uk .

Simon Yip
Administrator

Press Complaints Commission
Halton House
20/23 Holborn
London EC1N 2JD

Tel: 020 7831 0022
Website: www.pcc.org.uk”

A Little Bit of News International Fun

Imagine if The Independent had got the picture wrong in its story this morning entitled: ‘The bare-faced truth about big fat liars‘?

That would have caused all kinds of embarrassment at the subs desk and the picture editor would probably have had to consider its position. I imagine that some advertisers might also be reflecting on their onward positions regarding placing revenues with the paper.

I’d imagine that NewsCorp or Mr Murdoch’s own lawyers would have gone in hard stating that Mr Murdoch certainly does not have a wide face and, therefore, cannot be used to illustrate this story.

So, it’s a damned good idea all round that The Independent didn’t get its picture wrong in this story and used a picture of Richard Nixon instead.

Source: The Independent.

Milly Dowler and the News of the World

Journalists at the car-crash chasing tabloid, The News of the World are being accused by the left-leaning Guardian of hacking murdered teen Milly Dowler’s voicemail and deleting messages.

The Guardian states that the NoW, which is already embroiled in phone hacking scandals involving glittering celebrities and Andy Gray, deleted voicemails, “…in the first few days after Milly’s disappearance so as to free up space for more messages.”

The report also states that, “As a result friends and relatives of Milly concluded wrongly that she might still be alive. Police feared evidence may have been destroyed.”

No comment from NoW yet.

Read the story at The Guardian.