September 16 - September 22

Section: 

This week is a huge week for GWJ, but before we get into that, it's worth mentioning that for better or worse, it's also a huge week for video games. Love or loathe them, Rockstar knows how to deliver a mega-blockbuster. Grand Theft Auto 5 is inevitably the only thing anyone will be talking about for the next couple of weeks, so let's hope it's a game that's deserving of the hype.

I am on record as having a less than stellar perception of prior offerings delivered from Rockstar, but where the rubber hits the road is where you will find me still shelling out my 60 bucks for my own copy. It's certainly not that I expect it to be even half as fun as Saints Row IV, but hopefully what it lacks in joy it makes up for in grandeur and scale.

Meanwhile, here at Gamers With Jobs, we launch our 11th annual donation drive. To get things started, just a couple of hours after I post this, we will be putting up the result of our big stretch goal from last year, the Gamers With Jobs Magazine, featuring articles from GWJ writers current and past, as well as a few special guest contributors. We've been working on this thing for, well, a long time, and we're tinkering with it right to the last, but seeing it all come together over the past few months has been amazing.

Looking at our final proofs, this work is immediately among the things I'm most proud of in my professional life. I am so excited to show it to you guys, and I hope you like it as much as we do.

One last note, the donation drive contribution tiers have a little something special for those of you who have ever thought, "My God, if only someone who knew what they were doing got to pick the Game of the Week, the whole world would be a better place."

PC
- Dragon's Prophet (free-to-play)
- Foul Play (download)
- Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver
- Ironclad Tactics (download - $15)
- MechWarrior Online (free-to-play)
- Takedown: Red Sabre (download - $15)
- Urban Trial Freestyle (download - $15)

Xbox 360
- Foul Play (XBLA)
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver
- Takedown: Red Sabre (XBLA - $15)

PS3
- Capcom Fighting Evolution (PSN - PS2 Classic)
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver

Wii U
- Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (eShop)

Wii
- We Sing 80s

Vita
- Real Boxing (PSN)

3DS
- AiRace Speed (eShop - $5)
- Hot Wheels: World's Best Driver
- Star Wars Pinball (eShop - $7)

Comments

This is a big one! GTA V will be mine!!!!!

Not sure how my wallet is going to make it through this week, between the donation drive and GTA5. I see Ramen in my future!

I am on record as having a less than stellar perception of prior offerings delivered from Rockstar, but where the rubber hits the road is where you will find me still shelling out my $60 bucks for my own copy.

I am of a similar opinion of the series, and in fact my favorite Rockstar game is actually L.A. Noire, which was made by Team Bondi. Nevertheless, I am tempted, so I'm looking forward to the reviews hitting the net tomorrow.

So excited for GTAV and it just gets better in another 2 weeks when GTA Online goes live.

But I also can't wait to see what the donation drive brings. I've never participated before and I'm really looking forward to finally giving back something for all the years of entertainment I've got from the GWJ crew.

All I know is I'm trying to keep my cool for the Wii-U deluxe price drop this Friday that I already paid off, in addition to a copy of Wonderful 101. I actually considered picking up my copy today, but I figured I'd just be torturing myself looking at the box without a system to play it on.

I look forward to hearing about all the glitches and poor design choices this inevitably 10/10 Grand Theft Auto game has, just like all the others.

Yeah, I don't tend to get too many games at release, the pile is far too huge and I'd rather get most of 'em a little later on when the price comes down. That being said, I will be picking up GTA 5 this week. Odds are it won't quite live up to the hype, but man. This one looks ambitious as hell and I hope it is 75% as good as advertised. Can't wait!

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

It's a weird position to be in, because I myself am extremely desensitized to all of that. But I'm honoring her wishes.

So maybe you guys can play it, tell me it's totally not sexist, and then I'll be allowed to play it. Mmmkay? Thanks!

Oh great. You realise that this means that Quintin will be picking the Game of the Week at some point? I'm not sure that I can stand seeing Sparkle Ponies as GotW.

Demiurge wrote:

So maybe you guys can play it, tell me it's totally not sexist, and then I'll be allowed to play it. Mmmkay? Thanks!

The (admittedly, rumoured) "grope the stripper while the bouncers aren't looking" minigame would suggest otherwise, I'm afraid.

I'll be skipping this one I think, at least until I know more about the content involved - the "kidnap the teenage girl" mission from GTAIV has soured that series for me considerably.

Apparently, from what I've read, it's even worse than that, it's "grope the stripper while the bouncers watch and thus increase her 'like' meter." I thought everyone knew that strip clubs have a "look, don't touch" policy?!
Yeah, definitely skipping GTA5 myself. I tried getting into the GTA games, I own almost all of them thanks to ludicrous Steam sales, but I kinda regret giving them money. I'll be waiting to play SR4 myself (yes, I know it's out, but I haven't gotten around to buying it yet, because, well, the pile still holds Dishonored and Tomb Raider, and I'd like to knock those out first).

And to be honest, I feel your GotW pics usually make lots of sense, Mr. Sands, not that I'm sucking up or anything. For real.

I fell for the hype around GTA IV. Never again. I'll carry on flying around virtual Steelport as a virtual avatar of my soon to be wife.

Nothing for me this week (last GTA game I played to completion was Vice City), although the trailer I saw last week for Foul Play has me intrigued because I've been feeling nostalgic for old school Beat-em-ups recently (thanks River City Ransom 2 kickstarter!).

I'm still enjoying Mechwarrior Online, for what it is worth.

I doubt I can ever go back to GTA (or take it seriously) after Saint's Row has so superbly mocked the genre.

Coldstream wrote:

Oh great. You realise that this means that Quintin will be picking the Game of the Week at some point? I'm not sure that I can stand seeing Sparkle Ponies as GotW. :D

Elysium wrote:

I am on record as having a less than stellar perception of prior offerings delivered from Rockstar

"A blight on the gaming industry" is how I believe you put it.

I'm going to pick up GTA5 tomorrow, but am not enthusiastic about it. The plan is to play what I want of it, and trade it back in while it is still worth something.

Haven't played GTA since the 1st one with overhead view. The one that was actually about stealing cars.

Pile beckons. But the Wii U price drop and Zelda bundle is tempting...

Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

From the gamespot review.

Caroline Petit wrote:

On a less positive note, it’s deeply frustrating that, while its central and supporting male characters are flawed and complex characters, with a few extremely minor exceptions (such as the aforementioned optional getaway driver), GTA V has little room for women except to portray them as strippers, prostitutes, long-suffering wives, humorless girlfriends and goofy, new-age feminists we’re meant to laugh at.

Characters constantly spout lines that glorify male sexuality while demeaning women, and the billboards and radio stations of the world reinforce this misogyny, with ads that equate manhood with sleek sports cars while encouraging women to purchase a fragrance that will make them “smell like a Female Doggo.” Yes, these are exaggerations of misogynistic undercurrents in our own society, but not satirical ones.

On the plus side, just think of all that extra free time you'll have!

* Also don't read the comments on that review - to say it's ugly in there would be a DRAMATIC understatement.

Hmm, gonna check the reviews for Real Boxing. Could be fun

stevenmack wrote:
Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

From the gamespot review.

Caroline Petit wrote:

On a less positive note, it’s deeply frustrating that, while its central and supporting male characters are flawed and complex characters, with a few extremely minor exceptions (such as the aforementioned optional getaway driver), GTA V has little room for women except to portray them as strippers, prostitutes, long-suffering wives, humorless girlfriends and goofy, new-age feminists we’re meant to laugh at.

Characters constantly spout lines that glorify male sexuality while demeaning women, and the billboards and radio stations of the world reinforce this misogyny, with ads that equate manhood with sleek sports cars while encouraging women to purchase a fragrance that will make them “smell like a Female Doggo.” Yes, these are exaggerations of misogynistic undercurrents in our own society, but not satirical ones.

On the plus side, just think of all that extra free time you'll have!

* Also don't read the comments on that review - to say it's ugly in there would be a DRAMATIC understatement.

Yeah, Carolyn Petit wrote it so I'd stay away from the comment section. Horrible things were said.

Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

It's a weird position to be in, because I myself am extremely desensitized to all of that. But I'm honoring her wishes.

So maybe you guys can play it, tell me it's totally not sexist, and then I'll be allowed to play it. Mmmkay? Thanks!

How about we just fund a donation for a GWJ plays for GTA5?

Or just wait for the PC release and tell her you have to play it "for work"

I'm curious to see if Julian plays GTAV. Didn't he say within the last month that he's always been uncomfortable with what the series asks his PC to do (even leaving aside the misogyny)?

Only good GTA is GTA1! /hipsteralert
And of course the setting for Miami Vice was fun even if the game wasn't so much.

Tried GTA4 for a short time but it seems like the series embody everything I don't like about open world games.
Lets do 10000 things mediocre instead of a few things brilliantly.

some review wrote:

You can play tennis, go parachuting, take part in all sorts of races, hold up shops, tow vehicles, hunt deer and try to legalise marijuana, among many, many other things.

Really?

tldr: We Sing 80s was robbed. I guess.

stevenmack wrote:

On the plus side, just think of all that extra free time you'll have! :P

I rolled my eyes a bit this morning when NPR had a segment on GTA V that said all "serious gamers" would be playing it tonight. Maybe it's the fake geek girl thing, but the GTA series in general, and this one in particular, hasn't got much positive attention from me for precisely the reasons that Gamespot review mentions.

All serious gamers are playing GTA5 the same way all serious film buffs will rush to see Avengers 2. It's going to be a long time before games are thought of in the same way as other modern arts.

Shadout wrote:

tldr: We Sing 80s was robbed. I guess.

QFT

Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

Aww, I just want to hug you both. Don't worry! There are other games that aren't "for the masses" or "a blight on the industry."

wordsmythe wrote:
Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

Aww, I just want to hug you both. Don't worry! There are other games that aren't "for the masses" or "a blight on the industry."

My question is: does she make you carry her purse too, Cory?

Quintin_Stone wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

Aww, I just want to hug you both. Don't worry! There are other games that aren't "for the masses" or "a blight on the industry."

My question is: does she make you carry her purse too, Cory?

Quintin, your neck's looking a little red. Time to get out of the sun.

wordsmythe wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
Demiurge wrote:

I am not buying GTAV because my girlfriend asked me not to. She's not into the traditionally sexist content and gratuitous violence.

Aww, I just want to hug you both. Don't worry! There are other games that aren't "for the masses" or "a blight on the industry."

My question is: does she make you carry her purse too, Cory?

Quintin, your neck's looking a little red. Time to get out of the sun.

That's not from the sun. That's from the stranglin'.

To be fair Quintin classes it up with big words and calls it auto-erotic asphyxiation.