satire
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The AI Seinfeld show is bugging out harder than Frank Costanza on Festivus
Twitch’s AI Seinfeld show, Nothing Forever, has been riddled with bugs and errors lately, causing characters to repeatedly walk into a refrigerator for five straight days. This has, unsurprisingly, increased traffic.
'Not Tonight 2' tackles capitalism and political greed in an 'alternative' US
The sequel to the original anti-Brexit sim arrives later this year.
We need more tech satire like HBO's 'Silicon Valley'
When Silicon Valley premiered in 2014, it came out swinging as the Office Space of our time: a hilarious and sometimes all-too-real reflection of a tech industry high on its own supply. Over the past five years, the show, created by Mike Judge (Office Space, King of the Hill) and Alex Berg (Barry), lampooned everything from VC Peter Thiel's curious interest in young-blood transfusions to the smugness of Tesla owners. And it did so while weaving a dense (if often crude) tapestry of humor. Who could forget the legendary -- and mathematically sound -- dick-joke algorithm from the first season's finale?
How the creators of 'Ralph Breaks the Internet’ showed two sides to life online
Warning: May contain light spoilers. "Everything is for sale on the internet." Phil Johnston, the director/co-writer of the Oscar nominated Ralph Breaks the Internet, isn't holding back. "From the pop-ups to the videos you watch, commerce is a part of... everything."
Relive the first 11 seasons of 'South Park' on Blu-ray this fall
While we tend to post more about South Park video games around here, television's most crass social satire is equally important, really. To that end, Paramount Pictures has just announced that the first 11 years of South Park will be available on Blu-ray this fall for the first time. The individual seasons will come as a two-disc set, with the first five seasons available on November 21st and the following six seasons available on December 19th.
Ariana Grande channels pop stars to save Tidal on SNL
Things aren't going great at Tidal right now, and it's trying to save itself with exclusive exclusive releases from the likes of Rihanna. But what if a power outage messed up their streams? As SNL humorously imagines, it's Chloe the intern (aka Ariana Grande) to the rescue. As glimpsed on the Tonight Show, the diminutive pop star has got a gigantic voice and flawlessly belted out hits from the likes of Britney Spears, Shakira and Celine Dion until the music was restored.
On the Brink of Greatness, episode one: Virtual reality is the future
Steve Goldbloom has seen the future, and it isn't real. Virtual worlds are the next big thing, but the question remains: with screens strapped to their faces letting them go anywhere they want, where do the people want to go? See inside the conference room where the thought leaders of tomorrow are searching for (and finding?) the answer.
Netflix is producing a satirical war movie starring Brad Pitt
Netflix has scored some big names for its exclusive content in the past, but its latest coup is one of its largest yet. The streaming video service is teaming up with Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment to produce War Machine, a satirical movie about the war in Afghanistan that will have Pitt playing a "rock star" general trying to juggle politics, the press and the realities of combat. The flick will reach Netflix sometime in 2016, although you'll also find it in "select" movie theaters that year if you have to see yet another Brad Pitt war movie on the silver screen.
This is not the iPhone 6
We're almost completely done with summer, and as fall approaches we expect football, TV premieres (and cancellations), the turning of the leaves and of course one more thing: iPhone leaks. Apple's next gen phone is just weeks away from its debut and as usual, the rumor mill is running at full steam with parts, rumors about parts, and the inevitable blurrycam pictures of vague rectangles flying around the internet. As a (self) reminder to not take any of it too seriously we present this video from The Second City Network, providing the exclusive first look at a device that our sources in the manufacturing chain have confirmed is definitely not the iPhone 6.
Facebook is testing a 'satire' tag to help you figure out what's real and what's not
Sure, you're smart enough to know that "New Study Finds Humans Shouldn't Spend More Than 5 Consecutive Hours Together" is a headline from well-known satirical publication The Onion. But not everyone is, which could lead to some misdirected -- and embarrassing -- outrage. That could be a thing of the past, however, as Facebook is currently testing a "Satire" tag that'll distinguish fake news from the real deal. Ars Technica found that if you click through an Onion article, for example, Facebook would then automatically tag related articles with the aforementioned "satire" text in the headline (see screenshot after the break). A Facebook spokesperson confirmed this with the following statement: "We are running a small test which shows the text '[Satire]' in front of links to satirical articles in the related articles unit in News Feed. This is because we received feedback that people wanted a clearer way to distinguish satirical articles from others in these units." As Ars Technica notes, this doesn't seem to apply to all parody sites and is only for related article headlines so far. And, honestly, we're not sure if a "satire" tag is a great idea -- maybe you should be made fun of if you actually think stories like these are true. In the mean time, we're holding out hope for a "Check Snopes before posting" reminder instead.
EVE Online, now in text adventure form
While it came out last July, EVE Online: The Text Adventure has only now come to our attention and so we bring it to yours. This satirical fan project attempts to "look at a day in the life of a grounded pod pilot, poking fun at CCP Games and some of their developmental missteps whilst celebrating the community and the people involved with EVE Online." The adventure takes a few spirited jabs at CCP's "walking in stations" concept while challenging players to explore and perhaps escape their officer's quarters. If you're a fan of the MMO or need a quick diversion from the mundanities of life, give it a whirl and see if you can't beat it.
Apple's War on Christmas continues! Next victim: the Christmas tree.
Apple, it wasn't enough for your to rename your '12 Days of Christmas' app to '12 Days of Gifts,' was it? Now you needed to take your War on Christmas to the next level by attacking the humble Christmas tree. As blogger Phyllis White reports, you've banned the Christmas tree in the beautiful shopping area of the Passage in The Hague: I always love going to the Passage around this time, to see this huge Christmas tree with all those lights. Often on weekends there are Christmas carol singers or children playing Christmas songs on their violins for some pocket money. The acoustic in the Passage is wonderful, which makes it all a bit magical. ...Apparently our beautiful Christmas tree will not return at all anymore. Why? You may think it is because of the economic crisis or lack of money..... but nooooooo that is not the case....... It is because behind those black boards a new Apple Store is being built and the Apple company does not want that tree it front of its Store.............. Apparently in its rental agreement Apple has negotiated that the tree will not be put up any more from now. Instead, visitors to the beautiful Passage will now be greeted with a new hanging ornament, minimalist light chandelier thing that looks like it's how Jony Ive envisions a Christmas tree: And Apple, don't think we're fooled by your latest touchy-feely holiday ad appropriately titled "Misunderstood." It's just cover for your secret War on Christmas. "12 Days of Christmas." The Christmas tree. I fear what you're about to do to Santa Claus.
Lewis Black pokes at the Kinect on The Daily Show
Comedian Lewis Black took to his "Back in Black" segment on Comedy Central's The Daily Show to discuss what he sees as growing privacy concerns related to Microsoft's Xbox One. Black specifically pokes fun at the expected improvements to the Kinect's detection capabilities. Privacy concerns related to the Kinect were addressed by Microsoft earlier this month, which said that users "will determine how responsive and personalized your Xbox One is to you and your family during setup." Black's satirical take on the Kinect, as with his comments related to other products such as Google Glass, still make for an entertaining video to check out, not one to take at face value. Be warned, the video also contains mature language.
DLC Quest takes satirical platforming to Steam with a launch sale
DLC Quest is now available on Steam for PC and Mac, cashing in on its Greenlight success with a 20 percent-off sale, making the entire game just $2.40. DLC Quest on Steam includes the original platformer and new Live Freemium or Die campaign, and of course more than 30 DLC packs, all providing commentary concerning microtransactions and the pared-out state of gaming.But don't fret: All DLC, no matter how essential to the actual gameplay, is purchased with in-game coins. The DLC Quest launch sale runs through March 25 at 10 a.m. PDT, when the game is bumped back up to its regular, super-inflated price of $3.
Google reveals government censorship requests are on the rise
Google's updated its transparency report to show how many times governments worldwide sought to censor search results, drop YouTube videos or look at user data in the second half of last year. Each request is logged and detailed, with the most filings coming from the US, UK and India. The requests varied from censoring a video where a Canadian citizen creatively destroyed his passport (not complied with) through to blogs promoting hate speech and violence (complied with). Mountain View's list makes for interesting reading, but it's not all bad news: where videos were merely critical or satirical of the local authorities, the search giant refused to pull 'em, respecting private citizens right to free speech in a great majority of cases.
Arsegate: Does using the iPad cause hemorrhoids?
It's bad enough that the new iPad causes people to burn their hands, threatens to destroy its own battery in a shower of hot lithium if you leave it plugged in overnight, makes images on the web look terrible, and consumes all of your data faster than you can say "not compatible with Australia's 4G network." Those are all serious issues that every potential iPad owner must face, but it gets worse. According to research from proctologist Dr. Rodrigo Fulano, announced today, using the iPad may cause you to develop hemorrhoids. "We've known for a while that sitting on a Western-style 'throne' toilet for excessive lengths of time can lead to hemorrhoids," Dr. Fulano says. "But iPad usage accelerates the process. People will sit there as if in a trance, sometimes for as long as half an hour, playing Angry Birds or reading news articles rather than [performing actions appropriate to the setting]. All the while they're putting incredible strain on veins and arteries that, once inflamed, develop into hemorrhoids." Dr. Fulano hasn't just pulled this supposition out of thin air. His research shows a correlation between the introduction of the original iPad and an explosion in the number of patients suffering from hemorrhoids. He predicts the problem will only get worse with the newest iPad. "Now that the iPad's display renders text that looks like it's printed on paper, it means people are going to spend a lot more time reading in the bathroom. Also, the fact that this new iPad is so much heavier than the old one means additional strain on [relevant anatomical areas]. Those two factors put together lead directly to a rise in the incidence of hemorrhoids." Inspired by his research, a class action lawsuit has formed demanding compensation for medical bills and "pain and suffering" incurred as a result of excessive iPad use while in the restroom. "Apple knowingly provided its customers with a product that can directly lead to health issues through excessive use," the suit alleges. "Apple does not warn its users of the consequences of excessive iPad use under certain circumstances, and it should therefore provide compensation to those affected." Dr. Fulano has recommendations for how Apple can immediately address "Arsegate." "Apple should give users the option to erect a 'geo-fence' around their bathrooms and issue regular warnings at five minute intervals to prevent excessive iPad usage in that area. It's a bit ribald, but the old folk wisdom is quite true in this case: people really do need to either [go] or get off the pot." Until or unless Apple addresses the problem with a software update, you can easily avoid the consequences of Arsegate by simply leaving the iPad behind when you go to the loo. Although admittedly it can be quite relaxing to have a nice sit n' read first thing in the morning, the consequences can be dire; over time, the iPad can quite literally become a pain in the arse. Apple has yet to comment on the issue.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: DLC Quest
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Ben Kane of Going Loud Studios shows us the satirical side of indie gaming with DLC Quest. Bet you can't guess what it's making fun of. What's your game called and what's it about?It's called DLC Quest, and it's about a quest for DLC. No, really! It's a satirical look at what happens when DLC goes too far, forcing the player to "buy" DLC (using in-game coins) to unlock core features like animation, pausing and moving to the left.What inspired you to make DLC Quest?DLC practices throughout the gaming industry have been rubbing consumers the wrong way for a while now and seem to be getting worse. I wanted to make a dig at some of the worst offenders but by the time I got around to it, there was enough material to make a whole game about the topic.
Not even Link is immune to the recession
When we need money, we do what any upstanding member of society does: we cut lawns and sell lemonade. If you're a game protagonist, you hock your most treasured possessions -- at least, that's what Link does.
Got a question? Try the Onion Magic Answer Ball
Are you the kind of person who is constantly asking for advice? Do you need a little reinforcement before that big decision? The wonderful satirists at The Onion have just the app for you. It's called the Magic Answer Ball. I'd call it a parody of the old round balls you'd find at the gag store that you shake and an answer to your question pops up floating in the liquid goo that is inside. This US$0.99 app dispenses with the gooey liquid and uses your iPhone instead. Ask your question (no voice recognition here), shake your iPhone and a highly irrelevant answer will come up. Just like Siri. Sometimes. You can share it all on Facebook. If you're so indecisive that you can't think of a question, the app generates some new ones every day, like "Should I buy a riverboat?" and "Do my victims ever think about me?" The app is fun, and might be good to break out at a company holiday party when things are going slow, as is often the case at those things. I did ask the app if I should spend money on it. The answer: "Not if we have anything to say about it." So there you are. %Gallery-142233%
Modern Game Journalism: The Movie: The Trailer
The saddest part of Mega64's latest satirical jab at the gaming industry isn't the fact that Modern Game Journalism: The Movie will never be made into a real film, but rather just how startlingly accurate and true-to-life its depiction of review backlash is. Seriously, this may be a hilarious poke at the gaming industry for you at home, but it's the equivalent of an ultra-gritty war drama for us in the field. Once he saw this trailer, our managing editor Justin McElroy had what we can only assume was a post-traumatic episode, at which point he had to be horse-tranquilized. It, uhm, it was a bad scene.
