"I pity the fool who don't play this game!"
-- Barret Wallace, Final Fantasy VII
nope. i refuse to overwhelm myself with politics and philosophies these days as i've practically discussed everything under the sun in my previous posts. i'll let other bloggers do the thinking for me -- for now.
what caught my attention was this. when i saw my best friend (yeah yeah, that entry was all mushy and stuff), he gave me "quite possibly the greatest game ever made", according to gamefan magazine, and i'm positive most of the guys would agree. i have been spellbound by the creative use of intellect and skill by grown men who turn into giddy little boys when they start battling the virtual world. take for instance, the mercenary, cloud strife, whose enormous sword can cut almost anything in two -- wouldn't that be every guy's final fantasy? but video games aren't just for able-bodied men (and women). apparently, when stroke victims played virtual reality games in which they imagined they were diving with sharks or snowboarding down a narrow slope, their ability to walk eventually improved, researchers reported in a small study.
"This was a group of people that you would not expect to improve, and that's what made it interesting that they did."
-- Dr. Robert Felberg, Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans
i know final fantasy VII had curative effects on my best friend's uncle, a stroke victim. (btw, the guys were a tad more emotional when a beloved character died). brilliant plot, stunning animation, awesome soundtrack, fascinating characters... moi can't wait to join Avalanche, and give aeris and tifa a run for their money.
did you know... in
1971-72: Computer Space and the Odyssey are released; Atari is officially established; Atari releases first game, PONG; Gregory Yob creates Hunt the Wumpus; Willie Crowther creates original Adventure game
1975: Atari releases home version of PONG
1977: Atari releases VCS; Blank and Lebling co-write original ZORK at MIT
1980: Namco/Midway releases Pac-Man to arcades; Mattel launches Intellivision Master Component; Atari releases Space Invaders for the VCS; Ken and Roberta Williams start On-line Systems; Zork I released for Apple II
1983-84: Atari releases I, Robot and Star Wars; Cinematronics releases Dragon's Lair; Mattel's Aquarius computer hits the market; Nintendo introduces the Famicon in Japan; Coleco's ADAM computer debuts; Sierra releases King's Quest; Jack Tramiel resigns from Commodore; United Artists releases WarGames
since 2004.10