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Bartle calls Blizzard out on torture quest in Wrath of the Lich King
Richard Bartle, co-creator of the first multi-user dungeon MUD, has expressed his displeasure with Blizzard over a Wrath of the Lich King quest -- titled, "The Art of Persuasion" -- that involves the torture of a character for information. "I'm not at all happy with this. I was expecting for there to be some way to tell the guy who gave you the quest that no, actually I don't want to torture a prisoner, but there didn't seem to be any way to do that." said Bartle on his feelings about the quest. He also said that a player must complete this quest in order to proceed into an instance called Nexus, but those we've spoken to have told us the quest is merely part of a chain that can be completed in the instance.We mostly feel disappointed in Blizzard, because they've missed an opportunity to make something thought provoking. Players are simply given one option with no real consequence instead of pointing out the cruelty of torture or letting a player decide whether or not to do it and find another way to complete the quest. Beyond even that, this quest does kind of break the lore aspect of being a good guy (Alliance) or a misunderstood good guy (Horde) when you're doing exceptionally evil things.[via IncGamers] One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
VIA's PX5000EG Pico-ITX motherboard is no match for a hair dryer
It's been far too long since we've seen a gizmo from any walk of life get torture tested, but the wait for another is over at long last. As part of the Naked Pico Challenge, the crazy cats over at TechnoVoyance set out to see just how long the VIA PX5000EG Pico-ITX board could operate without any cooling whatsoever. After it hummed along for a fortnight without even a hiccup, the line had been drawn, and it was finally time to see precisely what could shut this thing down. We hate to spoil things, but suffice it to say, even this athlete-of-a-motherboard couldn't withstand the pressure of an 1,800-watt hair dryer for more than a minute or two. Head on past the break to see the softcore abuse on video.
Blood Pact: The Warlock's way ahead, part 1
Most of you would have already sneaked a peek at the leaked details of the Wrath of the Lich King alpha. It's really premature now to decide on your new leveling build or comment on the level 80 endgame, but the new info is a good indication of the direction of the Warlock class in terms of class design and role. Is the new stuff PvP or PvE? Which tree is going to be the DPS king? Let's take a two-part look at some of our new, not-so-secret abilities, and whether some of our dark wishes are fulfilled.
Asus' Eee PC gets torture tested on video
For those that had no qualms kicking Teddy to the curb and cuddling with Asus' Eee PC throughout the night just as soon as it was released, you may want to utilize your scroll wheel right about now. For those with a tough stomach and a perverse appetite for destruction, you can most definitely stay put. In the video posted after the jump, the Eee PC is pushed from great heights onto solid floors, forced to sit in extreme temperatures and repeatedly prodded to see if it still functioned. Interested? You're just one click away from a clip sure to make gadget aficionados everywhere cringe.[Thanks, Roman]
Tase me, baby: Taser responds to the UN, says tasers aren't torture
Looks like the Taser parties are back on -- Taser issued a terse rebuttal to the UN today, finding fault with its conclusion that being hit with a taser is equivalent to torture. Saying that the committee is "out of touch with the reality that confronts law enforcement officers every day worldwide," Taser also noted that the criteria used to define torture, "extreme pain," also rules out other common police implements like pepper spray and batons. Like some other reports we've seen, Taser says that since their products don't actually electrocute people, the main danger involved in being struck with a taser is an "unassisted fall," which seems to us like pretty much the only kind of fall there is -- but we're not getting in the middle of this one. Looks like this is going to be a long fight -- everybody got their popcorn?
Don't tase me, bro! The UN says it's torture!
In a month that has seen several people killed after being tasered, a UN committee of ten experts has ruled that tasers constitute torture and are capable of killing. This flies in the face of the manufacturer's statement, which is that any resulting deaths after a taser is used are "attributable to other factors." Intended to prevent officers from having to use lethal firearms, the taser has arguably become well established as just another tool in a regular officer's arsenal for use in scenarios where a firearm would never be considered. As for what effect this ruling will have on the sale of tasers, we're guessing "not much" until all the involved parties come into agreement about the lethality (or lack thereof) of the taser.
PSP helped save a kidnap and torture victim
Jose Ignacio Ortega Garcia, a recent victim of a horrifying kidnapping and torture, managed to survive his horrifying experience by using a PSP to distract his captors. According to a local news report, it appears the kidnappers were distracted by the PSP. "On June 21, Gonzales gave Sanchez a hand-held video game that would prove to be Garcia's savior," the report explains. Sanchez supposedly played "virtually all day that day and much of the night."Garcia was able to loosen his bindings while his kidnappers were playing, and was able to run away, screaming for help. Although he received serious physical and mental injury, we're glad to report that he's alive.We want to offer our sympathy to Mr. Garcia, and hope he makes a full recovery. We hope that any comments made on this story are respectful to Mr. Garcia and his family. Thank you.[Via Joystiq]
