The 'Dumbing-Down' debate continues

For those of you who are unsure, or haven't studied media, the 'Dumbing-Down' debate is essentially the view that today's TV shows, films, books and whatnot are being too simple, and less intelligent and thought-provoking, thus lowering the intelligence of the users or 'dumbing' them down.
As a through-and-through gamer, along the years I've always thought that the video game industry was exempt from this. But today, after a little nostalgic moment, I sadly had to admit that it isn't.

Today I bought Ultimate Sega Mega drive collection - essentially a large database of retro yet brilliant early arcade games that have been adapted and you can now play on the PS3.
As Sonic 2 was my all time favourite, that was the reason I bought the game, and was the one I played for the majority of today.

And it is insanely difficult as you go on. The fourth to last level is stressfully difficult. The penultimate levels boss is borderline impossible. And the final boss level IS impossible.
So while I was getting more and more annoyed, that I still couldn't complete my favourite childhood game nearly 10yrs later, I had time to think.
None of my current games are this difficult, and don't make me as annoyed. In the good old PS1 game days, I used to get angry nearly every time I played a game.
But modern games like Call of Duty with endless lives, or LittleBigPlanet with fewer deadly obstacles, or Batman Arkham Asylum with constant in-game hints. They're all so much easier.
Not like the logical Abe's Oddworld or infuriating Croc's World both on PS1. Croc's World was sometimes so bad it could have you spitting with rage at his constant deaths and failures.

So, there you have it really. Games are becoming easier and 'dumber'.....or gamers are becoming cleverer....or game consoles' controls are simpler.
Either way, I'm still glad to have Sonic 2 back. No matter how maddening it is.

Have I been asleep for two years?

Less than two years ago, I was sat on a smelly, cramped 6-wheeled double decker bus my way to the first day of college. I was with Charlotte and Stacey - who was bugging Charlotte with the "yellow car" game.
That was day 1.

Today was the last day. I had an  English exam, a driving lesson and ate a kitkat.

Everything else in between was essentially a brilliant, yet unfortunate blur. College, going against what so many others are saying, was brilliant. And fantastic, great - all the positive adjectives you want. And I recommend Symonds to absolutely everyone. From there I recommend media, and then you gotta hope you get a teacher called Lucas. He's awesome.

Anyway, I wanna take a moment to thank everyone who was friends with me throughout the years. I won't name specifics because then I'll be accused of favouritism.
All my new friends and great teachers made Symonds so unforgettable, and so much fun, it's probably why there two years went by so fast.
For any younger readers, really focus at college. You'll probably get this a lot, but nothing prepares you for the speed of it all.

I am sad to leave. The independent side was nice, the fact that I dropped maths and sciences forever [Woo!] and just generally how fun it was.
Except exams. They can go and die :P

So, conclusively. College was 2 excellent years of my life, and I am sad to be leaving.
I recommend Symonds to everyone. Be prepared for time flying.
And have fun. Just have 2 great years :D

[PS: when I share this on facebook, like the link if you agree]

4 words never to say to me

A few of my closer friends may have picked up on the fact that if they say to me jokingly "It's all your fault", I immediately act defensively and tell them to not say that.
I think it's about time to explain why; on here, because blogs are good listeners. One warning: it's by far not a happy read. If you wish to be happy for the remainder

I'm five years old. It's the 2nd of october, 1998. And not far past midday, I get summoned to the headmaster's office, to be told that my father has passed away.
So, yeah. Life changes forever, psychological episodes probably set in and our family becomes sadly unique.

Less than a week later, the nightmares set in.
A monster, or a demon, or a devil or whatever has my father in a cage, suspended over spikes, lava, water, acid anything. I am set one or more truly impossible tasks - the true details are sketchy.
I always get back not in time to save him, but in time to see the monster or whatever declare that I failed, and releases the lever, releasing the cage.
My father dies, and an assortment of voices, coming from relatives, friends or just truly terrifying possessed voices bombard me with "it's all your fault. it's all your fault. it's all your fault" again and again, echoing about my mind, sometime even after I woke up.

It's horrible what your own mind can do. But you can see how a scary psychological episode in your childhood like that can stick around for a while.
So, 4 words that I don't like. Just one of those things.