June 25th 2009 marked a day that will be remembered in history as the day that one of the worlds greatest entertainers died at the ripe age of 50. Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson was not only one of the most talented, and influential entertainers in history, but also the most successful solo artist of all time.
Bursting on the scene at the young age of ten, Jackson instantly showed a flair for show business as the frontman of The Jackson 5, winning the hearts of the fans and the praise of the critics. His amazing vocal talent made him stand out, and with a series of number one hits behind him and his brothers, in the 1970’s he stepped out on his own to launch a solo career that would launch him to super-stardom.
A series of successful hits from his early efforts, it was the 1982 release Thriller that cemented him as a formidable force. It spawned seven hit singles (there were only nine songs on the album!), won Jackson a total of seven Grammy Awards and still to this day, is the best selling album of all time (It has held that spot for over twenty years!)
Jackson went from strength to strength, releasing juggernaut after juggernaut, becoming an icon for hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, eventually being dubbed “The King Of Pop”.
Of course many of you will be aware of the allegations, the rumors and the controversy that has plagued Jackson over the later section of his career. Believe the tabloid reports or not, Jackson was acquitted of all charges, and this blog isn’t at all about that.
This blog is to reflect on the influence that Jackson has had on the world. He broke down racial barriers in the United States, the immense success of Thriller backed up by MTV airtime paved the way not only for the station, but african-american artists everywhere to be featured on the airwaves. The video clip for Thriller paved the way for music videos as a storytelling art-form.
Michael Jackson was a humble philanthropist, starting up the Heal The World foundation, along with donating many of his concert proceedings to other charities across the globe. His Neverland ranch was constantly in use to bring joy and happiness to thousands of terminally ill children, as a place they could have everything they ever dreamed of at their fingertips.
There is no question that Michael Jackson was eccentric and strange, but writing this article has given me a chance to reflect on exactly what this man meant to the world, and what bearing his passing has on me, someone who never has been a fan of his music. I remember that Friday morning I was standing in the bank, had not even checked the news online and a teller simply blurted out “did you hear about Michael Jackson?”. I wondered “why the hell would she ask that?” so I replied no, to which she told me the news. At first I was shocked, but soon got on with my day and didn’t have another thought about it.
After talking with my parents, and reading up on what this artist achieved, and also listening to a little of his music I can now see what this world has lost. Michael Jackson continually brought us heart and soul through his music, music that melded so many forms of the craft, whether it be soul, rock, R&B or jazz, his unique vocal stylings and often haunting lyrics will be remembered through the ages.
Think what you will, but there is no denying that we will never see another artist of his caliber again. Michael Jackson was the 1980’s Elvis, that just happened to be performing for nearly five decades of his life. He was the pinnacle of what an entertainer could accomplish, and nothing will overshadow the stamp he has had on the entertainment industry.
03/07/2009
Welcome to another edition of Heller's Desk. I hope you all had a safe and happy Easter break with family and friends, and you are now back ready for some great gaming....
First title sitting on my desk this week was the newly released Episodic title from Telltale Games, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures: Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees. Fans of adventure games should know that Telltale always deliver an exceptional experience, and nothing less should be expected from the first episode in what looks like it will be a landmark series for the developer. It captures the look, feel and charm of the beloved TV series/Movies and plays more like an interactive TV program than a game. You can purchase the game from the Telltale Games website and it will be launching on Xbox Live in the near future. A featured review will be up on Myfrag and My360 in the next few days
It seems an eternity ago when Silent Hill V: Homecoming was released and then banned in Australia, but after a long wait it finally was released last week across store shelves. Silent Hill has always been a leader in the survival horror genre, and being the first in the series on this generation of consoles, it has big shoes to fill. Keep your eyes peeled for the featured review this week, but in the mean time why don't you brush up on your Survival Horror Origins
Chronicles of Riddick is dropping this week on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 and will be keeping many of you busy I'm sure. It includes the critically acclaimed Escape from Butcher Bay on the disc, which will give many of those who never had the chance to play the original, a chance to do so with fresh graphics. Gaetano is working on a featured review which will launch in the next few weeks.
Last but not least The Voice will be returning after a short break over the Easter holidays. We will be hitting it hard bringing you the latest news and reviews, and even have some interviews in the works. Also we will be bringing back the beloved Retrograde segment with our good friend Guyver!
A sudden urge to play Bioshock has washed over me so I'm off to do that, what are you guys playing this week?
28/04/2009
Back once again for an action packed, rant filled Heller's Desk this week with lots of events, gaming and non gaming related taking up my time and space.
First item was going to see The Watchmen at the movies. A fantastic movie based on a fantastic graphic novel. A lot of people have been waiting a long time for this movie, and I'll be the first to say I hope it doesn't let you down. Truly great film and well worth checking out if you have some spare cash. Our very own Mordillo92 has done a nice blog which can explain a little about what The Watchmen is all about over here
Killzone 2 is still spinning in my PS3 and has me blasting the Helghast for the third time round the single player campaign, and wasting countless hours online. This is seriously one mammoth title, and regardless of your pre-concieved ideas based on hearsay, please do yourself a favour PS3 owners, this is the flagship title we have all been waiting for. Featured review can be found over here
Tano and I have been working hard, very hard on the fifth episode of The Voice for our listening fans. It seems gremlins are at bay and just don't want this podcast to go ahead. First time we tried to record it, the earthquake happened and Tano's power went out for hours. Then last night we got half way through and the computer system chucked a fit and stopped recording and deleted everything we had done. The final attempt will be tonight when we get it in the bag and up for your listening pleasure! It's a big show this week so make sure you give it a listen!
No time to slow down though, Resident Evil 5 is here and even though I've had it for a few days I've still yet to really get into it. The visuals are outstanding, and once again Capcom deliver a first rate experience. Expect Tano to deliver an excellent Featured Review very soon!
MadWorld is about to drop for the Nintendo Wii which is very exciting. This is shaping up to be one of my most hotly anticipated titles of 2009. I love the visual presentation and the fact that it's a mature game, for real gamers, something that us Wii owners have been CRAVING!
But I've also managed to find some time for a personal life these past few weeks. Soundwave Festival was attended and rocked out to! I also have been recording some solo work for an EP that I will be releasing April this year which is very exciting. Into the studio in two weeks to layout the six tracks and then it's off to Myspace to try and book some gigs and sell off some copies. To top off all this excitement Hellerphant finally found himself a Girlfriend (Ally-Gator), that's right fans, I convinced some poor girl I wasn't too bad! Crazy I know!
So until next week let me know what games you are looking forward to, what you have been playing! Also Twitter fans, start following me (username hellerphant). I release all the mymedia reviews and important stories on there as soon as they break :)
12/03/2009
Some of you have seen the Justin Potter videos floating around the site, and while I have got some great feedback on what people are taking away from them, I thought it was time that I explained my motivations for making these videos.
We are one of the only developed nations NOT to have an R18+ rating for video games. This is a worrying trend, studies have proven that the average gamer is aged in their late 20's in Australia, and with games becoming more complex, the lack of an R18+ rating could slowly stifle what games we actually get out here
In 2008 alone we saw games refused classification, and these weren't just small games, these were huge titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3, Silent Hill Homecoming and many more. Instead we are given watered down, censored versions, which essential take away from the developers intention on how the games are meant to be played.
There have been many discussions about implementing such a rating, but one man stand in the way, Michael Atkinson, and by the looks of it things aren't going to change.
So I guess I made the first video mainly as a way to vent my frustration, but as I started to write down my ideas, news that F.E.A.R 2 had been refused classification broke and the material just started pouring out. I was at the chemist and I saw a black rimmed pair of reading glasses for $14.95, Justin Potter was born.
I intentionally made Justin with an American accent, to show that an American is working for an Australian board of classification. In theory he is not Australian, so he doesn't know what the Australian public wants or needs. This was done to highlight the fact that even though the OFLC have the information to see what the Australian people want, nothing is being done about it.
Also the videos were to show the inadequacies for the boards approval ratings. One minute F.E.A.R 2 is banned, the next week the exact same copy is put to the board and it is passed, inconsistencies don't stop there people. GTA IV was banned for consoles early 2008, we received a censored version, that's fine the damage is done we can deal with that. In November 2008 the game is released on PC, totally uncensored and no question of the board. WHY IS THIS SO? If they try to use the argument that children have easier access to consoles than PC's that is bogus!
That would be just like saying that it's ok to have R18+ Porn movies on Blu-Ray but not on DVD as more children have access to DVD. Time and time again the OFLC fail us, and it's about time things change.
So that is what Justin Potter is meant to represent. I hope now after reading this, you will go watch the videos and leave some comments
21/01/2009