Today Was a Sad Day…
Not only because Heath Ledger died from an accidental/overdose/suicide/whatever, but because Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft has 10 million players. I guess it’s like an online forum…it only continues to grow. On the other hand, I don’t know any online forum that costs 15 bucks a month. Many PC gamers rag on Xbox Live, but you can usually get a deal on a 12+1 month card for $40 if you’re smart. That amounts to pretty much 1/5 the cost of WoW. For an entire system of games and online features. Granted, a lot of those games and features you can get and play online for free on the PC, but making a rig capable of playing Call of Duty 4 at the level it looks like on the 360 is an expensive task.
So yeah, screw WoW. The majority of people that play it end up barely playing other games at all since they’re so entrenched in their guild and leveling up. (Veronica Belmont, I know you’re reading this. Stop playing!) Honestly, I know the same would happen to me. I’ve spent more hours I care to imagine on a couple of internet forums. Since I want to actually play a variety of games, I know I can never touch WoW, or else my gaming life will be destroyed. Not to mention I’d be a massive hypocrite after railing against it for its entire lifespan. It probably pushed Starcraft II back at least 3 years. Horrific.
Enough about that.
Of course, Heath Ledger’s shocking death is the news of the day. I really don’t have much to say. In fact, I usually deal with these types of things with humor, as the internet has completely desensitized me to these situations. Or maybe the fact that I’ve dealt with the surprising deaths of two people I actually knew for basically my whole life has shaped my emotions towards celebrity deaths. I just know that I found this exchange a bit too amusing:
(10:36:46 PM) CajoleJuice: batman went too far this time
(10:36:56 PM) SlimJD747: indeed
(10:37:06 PM) SlimJD747: he saw him taking all those pills
(10:37:07 PM) SlimJD747: he said
(10:37:19 PM) SlimJD747: i’m not gonna kill you, but that doesnt mean i have to save you
(10:37:24 PM) SlimJD747: then he shut the apartment door
Yes, I’m a heartless bastard. I didn’t make the joke though. I guess I’m just incapable of feeling empathy towards people I’ve only seen playing roles in movies. I only feel bad for his daughter who will grow up never knowing her father.
And in case you were wondering, Ledger had finished up his post-production work for The Dark Knight. I hope The Joker wasn’t being planned as character in the third film. And I hope Ledger went out with a bang with his performance in The Dark Knight. Judging by the trailer and epilogue, he most definitely did. I guess I am kinda sad, thinking about it. He was just hitting his acting stride.
In happier news, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin was released today. Online Advance Wars FTW. I didn’t buy Burnout Paradise because the demo was freaking awful. I’ve been a massive Burnout fan since the original, and the demo completely destroyed my anticipation for this game. The reviews and initial impressions from gamers I trust (some that also hated the demo) seem to be pretty positive, though. I’ll probably end up buying it down the line. I’m still pissed about the open-world. Burnout is about just crazy arcade gaming. I want to press A in some menus, and then just RACE or CRASH. I don’t want gas stations and body shops. And the crashes aren’t as hilariously over-the-top as they used to be. Bleh.
And while I’m at it, Darth Vader and Yoda being in Soul Calibur IV blows too. I know Soul Calibur II had a bunch of extra, stupid characters, but at least that sequel was coming off arguably the greatest fighting game ever. This game is on the heels of a PS2-only game that was totally forgettable. I think I’m done with that series. Soul Calibur is still the best. R.I.P. Dreamcast.
And R.I.P. Heath Ledger.
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