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Listed below are comments made by Reflectionist between Wednesday, 30th April 2008 and Friday, 19th September 2008.

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Caption Competition 01:36am on 19 Sep 2008 Venus Fly Trap's 21st century makeover unveiled.
The charm of the Championship 01:57am on 22 Jul 2008 All very well the league, the standings, and the relegations and promotions being unpredictable, but at the end of the day, is the core product - the football, as exciting to watch as the higher echolons of the footballing world?

I'd prefer to watch high-fliers like United, Arsenal or Liverpool (God forbid I could ever enjoy Chelsea's "brand" of football), their skilled players, in particular the former two, than the second tier, and by a long shot, too. Arsenal are, as much as it pains me to say it, extremely entertaining to watch at all times, and in more recent times, United are definitely there too.

The league is obviously a fabulous competition, but for me, the beautiful game itself will always come before silverware.
BT iPlayer Homehub issues 8:47pm on 28 May 2008 Let's not forget about the other shoddy and irritating aspects of the sub-par HomeHub - I need only mention Strict NAT Issues in the same sentance as Xbox Live and Internet Connection Sharing.

Get it sorted, BT!
GTA - the outrage fades 7:51pm on 30 Apr 2008 "With the arrival of Grand Theft Auto IV, the mood seems to have changed. This is ten times more realistic, immersive and interactive than the original version - and so, if you believe that games can warp young minds, that much more dangerous. But the chorus of anger and accusation has faded. This launch is being seen more as an economic and cultural event rather than an opportunity for another row between the pro and anti-censorship campaigns.

Perhaps that's because, in the wake of the Byron review, we're all more aware of the video games ratings system - and there's an understanding that an 18 game like Grand Theft Auto is aimed at an adult gaming audience that might equally go out and buy 18-rated movies without anyone making a fuss."

I have to disagree. The very first GTA, way back in 1998 (1997 in the US) had an 18 certificate on it, in the red circle, resemblant of the BBFC badge. The London addons followed suit, as did GTA2, 3, and each subsequent release thereafter. The 18 rating on GTA has never been anything short of visible, and has always been there, plain for all to see. DMA/Take2/Rockstar have never been secretive of the game's violent and adult nature, but the press love to portray otherwise.

I've played GTA games since their conception, even though I was below 18, and in no way have they affected me. I wouldn't DREAM of laying hands on a firearm or offensive weapon with any intent of doing damage, nor would I hijack a vehicle, intentionally run someone over, incite police activity, or any other number of underworld actions. A game is a game, but some people in society have trouble accepting that when you turn off the game, the game stays inside your console/PC.

And these people are the people which make the headlines, unfortunately. Sniping people on an interstate, toying with molotov cocktails, and "playing" with brass knuckles - just a handful of the news stories of offences that the press have accredited to this series - sometimes fairly, sometimes less so. Regardless, these people, I would wager, are damaged by more than video games, perhaps they are just a catalyst, who knows? At the end of the day, video games are entertainment for myself, and millions of others around the world. There's no shortage of people wanting to play this game, but in the same breath, unfortunately, plenty people who try to emulate their latest underworld (and purely fictional) hero. This should not detract from the said millions who DO play responsibly, and who DO know that "off" means off.

Sometimes questionable, often objectional, always controversial. Welcome to Grand Theft Auto.

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