John Walker's Electronic House

Yes, there is no doubt that there are far too many blogs. Yes, there is no doubt that ‘blog’ is a ghastly term. But once in a while, children of the internet, something a little bit special comes along.

If, like me and many others, you’ve often found your enjoyment of gaming hindered by the consistent and quite deliberate exclusion of owls, then I’m pleased to tell you at last some fine, upstanding, virile and remarkably attractive people are doing something about it.

Not Enough Owls is the beginning of what will be a very powerful campaign to end this strigiformiphobia that has been dirtying the industry for over thirty years. Thank you for your time.

**UPDATE**

Not Enough Owls now has a proper home!

A new radio programme by Triforce Hero Ste Curran and friends started this week in That London.

Called One Life Left, it is the meandering conversations of Ste, Robert Howells and Ann “The Hound” Scantlebury, discussing videogames and associated culture, with various guests, features and bits.

Once such ‘bit’ features me, doing a silly voice, in the guise of Dr. Watch. On alternate weeks, Jim and I will be presenting entries from Professor Game and Dr. Watch’s Lexicon of Gameography.

The programme is to be ‘podcast‘ (or as old relics like me call it, ‘stuck up as an mp3 on the internet’ – be sure this will constitute a future entry in the Lexicon) shortly after each week, and available for your listenage here.

#34 Anyone who uses “110%” (or any number over 100) to imply a degree of effort will be charged with a month’s community service and a £1100 fine.

#35 No talking to people when they’ve gone into a stall/cubicle in a public bathroom/toilet. When I’m in a cubicle/stall, don’t talk to me about anything – especially if I don’t know you or we weren’t already having a discussion before I went in there. (Suggested by Rulefinder General KM)

(From the start, it’s probably best to establish that this is a single-player review of World Poker Tour, despite its online capabilities. There are two good reasons for this. First, I played it on PS2 and I’m not a witch. Second, if you want to play online poker, there are ridiculous numbers of far easier ways to do it, with infinitely more appropriate interfaces, making the online options of WPT entirely defunct from the off.)

We do seem to be rather lacking a decent poker game. The continuing international phenomenon of Texas Hold ‘Em (such that you can’t turn on Rich Man’s Telly without at least one channel showing a game, any time of day) means that everyone’s trying to find ways to make a buck (so long as it doesn’t involve actually playing Texas Hold ‘Em) before the fad fades away.

I’m going to prove that you’re a really sick puppy: You want serial killers to kill again.

But it’s only you that thinks that way, and the rest of us are sickened by you.

Keeping Sundays special.

3WK has been one of my major sources for discovering new music for about six years. It’s an internet radio station, broadcasting free (but you can pay for a higher bandwidth stream, which you should, because they need the money) new “indie music”.

It’s the best selection of music I’m aware of, online or on radio, anywhere. The hit to miss ratio is astronomically better than anything else I’ve listened to. And it DOESN’T HAVE ADVERTS.

But that’s not the only reason to love them (although it’s enough). For years they have been in the frontlines of the battle against the RIAA’s attempts to destroy internet radio.

In fact, there was a time when they didn’t charge for their best streams. The RIAA’s forcing of “pay per play” rates on advertising-free internet broadcasters was something 3WK fought hard to prevent, but in the end the organisation (Nick points out that the RIAA are peculiar in their unashamed purely evil existence – they have literally no merit, no positive influence on anything in the music industry, or indeed in the world, and instead behave like comic book baddies) bought the laws they needed in order to win the court cases. There’s nothing the little guy can do in the face of billion dollar organisations simply purchasing the laws they want.

But that wasn’t enough. The RIAA now want more money from the few stations that were able to survive their last attack. 3WK depends upon the donations of its listeners to continue, and its listeners kept it going. Further entirely needless increases will likely kill off even the most resiliant. And remember, these are perfectly legitimate broadcasters, following the rules.

Once again, 3WK are heavily involved in the court battles to protect internet radio. But it’s costing them a fortune. They need money, and they deserve money. These guys are heroes.

Head on over and donate.

I am a crybaby. And I don’t care what you think. Well, that’s simply not true, is it? If I didn’t care what you think, I wouldn’t be setting out to write a piece, on a widely read website, explaining why the crybaby gets the best deal. I deeply care what you think. In fact, if you don’t like me, I may… sniffle… come on, let’s get on with it.

This week’s titular question is obviously a silly one. Answer: Yes. Next issue please! I think anyone who might take the stance that games cannot make you cry is either a sociopath, has never played Angel of Darkness and tried to walk in a straight line, or simply a big, lying coward. Begone, cowards! Today is the day of the ludicrously emotional – we shall triumph and probably get all weepy as we accept our victory.

New piece up on The Escapist. It starts to make sense eventually. And hidden within is a splendid interview with (Uncle) Charles Cecil – the nicest man in the whole games industry.

New Brian at the weekend, folks.

While musicing, I want to mention the splendid new project by Bishop Allen.

In case anyone is wise enough to sit up and take notice at the name, the band features Christian Rudder. He was the co-creator of The Spark, many years ago before it became an advertising hoarding for Barnes & Noble, and the writer of the extraordinarily funny Science experiments. It was he that orchestrated the Fat Project, seeing if people could gain 30lb in 30 days, and the Stinkyfeet Project, in which he attempted to contract the most unpleasant illness possible by scooching around in the shower of the Boston Y, then sealing his feet in plastic bags for a month. He got trenchfoot.

The Spark was also famous for its hugely funny Tests, some of which remain in horribly sanitised forms, most gone completely. Rudder left as the ship sank into corporate evil, set up the never-used Crudder.com (which usually just links to current projects, but now appears to be a confessional about his swimming ability), and then, completely by surprise, revealed Bishop Allen.

Their first album, Charm School, is utter joy, and rarely sees a month go by without a listen, two years later. And this year they are launching a monthly project, releasing a four track EP diary entry, and posting it right to your house. February finally arrived this morning, after a broken disc came a couple of weeks back, and once more it’s four completely splendid tracks of intelligent, witty and sympathetic simplicity. I’m about to order March. (The discs aren’t named after the month they arrive in, but are biographically about the month itself).

There are mp3s on their site, and naturally they have a MySpace site for those who can’t cope with the regular internet any more.

Rudder also went on to co-launch the very splendid OK Cupid dating site-come-test site, which has the best Personality Test on the internet, and plays host to my horrible test from the end of last year.

He’s my favourite internet person. I celebrate him, while listening to his band’s fantastic music.

So now we know why The Beta Band lost their magic after the 3 EPs: They needed to break up.

The Aliens’ single, ‘Robot Man’, created by a couple of the former members, is the best song ever in the whole history of all time this week, and if the Universe is even vaguely correctly balanced, will bring back The Robot dance craze in a manner that will be both horrendous and joyful. To be lazy, it’s Daft Punk meets Primal Scream, with harmonies. And that’s all you need.