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EXP Podcast #84: Dropping in on ODST
"Alright Browncoats: we break atmo in five minutes and we've got a whole mess of ruttin' hostiles lining up to meet us. Get your fancy pants and grab your guns, we don't want to disappoint our hosts. Stick together, make your shots count and everything will be shiny..."
Oh, sorry everybody. I think I'm getting my sci-fi universes mixed up. But if you've played Halo 3: ODST, you probably understand. This week, Jorge and I discuss this unique entry in the Halo franchise. Part expansion pack, part sequel, and part spin-off, ODST is an interesting beast. We discuss everything from the mission structure, the gameplay, and the storytelling approach. As always, feel free to drop into the comments with your thoughts.
- For those of you who played it, what did you think? How does ODST compare with the Master Chief trilogy?
- Did the story and its characters draw you into the plot? What are your thoughts on the silent protagonist and the rest of the crew?
- ODST is a rare example of a "spin-off" game: it uses an established mythology and gameplay system as a base from which to branch off into something new. What other franchises would yield enjoyable spin-offs?
Written by Scott Juster at 6/30/2010 07:38:00 PM 2 comments:
Labels: game design, narrative, podcast, reviews
The Sensationalist: To Be Young
This post is part of "The Sensationalist," a continuing series here at Experience Points in which we examine games' abilities to evoke emotions and sensations in video game players. Please have a look at the series' introduction as well its previous entries. As always, we welcome your thoughts on all the matters we discuss, and look forward to analyzing one of gaming's most powerful, yet intangible, abilities.
Many would give all they own to find the fountain of youth, the fabled spring that will grant eternal health and vigor to whomever drinks its water. But reversing the affects of time does not actually recreate youth. There is an essence to childhood entirely its own - being young does not just mean you have low cholesterol. Being a kid, particularly a small child, is at times frustrating, exhilarating, confusing, and joyous. Capturing such a strange emotional state in a videogame is no easy task.
What sensations are we to equate with childhood? Many sensations reoccur across children's literature, from spry curiosity to social shame. There is also a common feeling of isolation from adults. Adults are larger, more experienced, and carry the weight of authority. A small kid can feel alienated and undervalued, despite feeling as much like an agency wielding individual as her parents. Who has never felt trapped by adolescence? As many of us can remember, navigating a confusing world run by adults can be a disheartening experience.
No game evokes a stronger sense of child-like frailty than Ico. The game's titular protagonist is a small boy in a clearly adult-sized castle. His movements always seem a little more strained than usual, and the sound of his panting and huffing depict a child out of his league. Ico, unlike many other videogame heroes, is constantly struggling to overcome his stature. A very early Sensationalist post discussed this very topic in greater detail. Suffice it to say this protagonist evokes, through sound and visuals, the sensation of being overwhelmed and inexperienced - the reality a child would face in such a dangerous situation.
Nintendo similarly captures this feeling of dwarfed ability in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. While Link is still a very capable warrior, his abilities are altered depending on his physical form. In the first game, young link can fit through small passages, but also cowers under his shield instead of wearing it properly. In Majora's Mask, the citizens of Clocktown make reference to Link as a young "deku scrub," calling him out and isolating him from his peers. Guards will not allow Link to leave town as he is just a boy, despite his many accomplishments. He can, however, ingratiate himself amongst another band of young miscreants, evoking a sense of youth comraderie - a pleasant result of unfortunate circumstances. Until Link can change his physical form, being a child means navigating an adult world with very particular strategies.
The sense of separation between kids and adults also appears in Double Fine's Psychonauts. Raz, the game's protagonist, joins a psychic training summer camp as an effort to prove himself to his father. The aesthetics of the game are imaginative romps through distorted environments. One level combines Raz's childhood memories of a circus with another characters childhood fears of his butcher father. In Psychonauts, imagined anxieties become real, mirroring the uneasy fantasies of children. In these mindscapes, adults become caricatures of themselves. For example, the road crew in The Milk Man Conspiracy level are mockeries of FBI agents and roadside workers, giving themselves authority with strange and arbitrary symbols. As a child, adults can seem just as strange as the over-the-top inhabitants of Psychonauts.
Raz enters the world of adulthood eagerly. Perhaps a child's perpetual curiosity and forward progress is played out mechanically in Lucidity from Lucas Arts. Sofi, the game's little girl protagonist, is always happily skipping forward. Players must place objects in her path, steering her clear of hazards and obstacles. While the mechanics make the player less like a child and more like Sofi's guardian, the aesthetics of the game beautifully evoke a child-like perception of reality. Lucidity is very much like a children's novel dealing with mature themes. As Sofi confronts the death of her grandmother, players feel a heightened sense of anxiety and confusion in increasingly difficult levels. When Sofi cowers in fear at an encroaching darkness, and players are reminded of the tragedy for which the game is a metaphor, the game evokes some of the very adult emotions children wrestle with as they mature.
One aspect of growing up is confronting adult ideas, sometimes too soon, and learning about consequence. Fable 2 conveys a child's involvement in adult affairs with the games aptly named introduction, "Childhood." The player's decisions, while innocuous for a child, have long lasting consequences many years later. Tale of Tales creates an even deeper sense of child-like exploration coupled with deep foreboding in The Path, a dark retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Robin, the youngest of six playable sisters featured in the game, is just nine years old. She approaches objects innocently, and objects we associate with adult ideas - like bullet casings - she may bypass altogether. Yet as she plays in this strange environment, her actions hint at the woman she may become and any number of tragedies that might befall her. Amazingly, the game evokes a sense of child-like wonder right alongside a child-like fear of the mysterious and unknown.
It is inherently difficult to depict the experience of youth from an adult perspective. But that need not be our goal. Adolescence is inextricably tied to our perceptions about adulthood. While there are quite a few games that feature children gleefully exploring their world, some even recreating the joyful pleasure of independent wandering (Pokemon for example), few conjure the complex emotions of youth in transition.
None of my examples should be considered "coming of age" tales per se. Yet all of them portray youth in relation to growth, both physical and emotional. They successfully isolate small aspects of childhood and with them engender interesting emotions. They open a mixed bag of sensations, from imaginative play to weary frustration, and give us a chance to be young again.
Written by Jorge Albor at 6/28/2010 10:40:00 PM 2 comments:
Labels: features, The Sensationalist
Conventional Storytelling
For those of you that have not already heard it, Michael Abbott's recently posted a great interview with author Tom Bissell. It is great hearing smart minds wrestle with the best way to articulate the artistry in games. Much of the conversation dealt with what Tom referred to as the "inevitable tension" in games: the relationship between their gameplay and their developer-authored plot.
Both Michael and Tom wandered back and forth between lamenting the prevalence of arbitrary collection tasks and fetch quests in story-driven games and lauding games for dealing with these conventions in clever ways. In many ways, their conversation articulated the growing pains of a medium trying to find its identity.
In hopes of furthering the understanding of that identity, I would like to suggest that it is time we shift our thinking away from how games "disguise" gameplay conventions. As both Michael and Tom point out, in the right hands, these rule systems tell stories in a way unlike any other art form. Instead of expecting the plot to justify the gameplay, we should embrace the gameplay conventions and their narrative potential. Rather than expecting a game's ludic conventions to fit an authored plot, we should expect the plot to draw its strength from the gameplay.
Instead of thinking of specific gaming tropes as "good" or "bad," we should look at how they convey the story. In the interview, Tom comments that "our reigning method of gameplay is to say 'Here's a story and here's an obstacle course that the recipient of the story has to endure to see more of the story'" (36:48). Could this same charge not be leveled at the conventions in any other medium? Is the dense prose of Herman Melville not an obstacle course that tests our linguistic skills? Is the slow pacing and tantalizing buildup of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly not an obstacle course for our patience? Is the contrivance of a Shakespearean soliloquy not an obstacle course that tests our suspension of disbelief?
Of course, video games differ from these examples in that their metaphorical obstacle courses are often literal. Players must literally test their agility and reflexes to experience the story. In many games, the most complex story is the way in which the player gains a mastery over their environment and the best games have authored plots that mold themselves around this process.
Tom and I agree that Portal is an outstanding piece of storytelling. However, it is an obstacle course at every level: the player must navigate a world that requires both mental and physical skill. At the same time, the themes of the world are challenging the player's perception and facilitating their empathy with their avatar. It is an exquisite marriage of plot and gameplay, but it is one that relies on gameplay. At its core, Portal is a story about transcending the conventional ways of dealing with space. Aperture Science is an entertaining backdrop that serves mainly to enhance that concept.
Shadow of the Colossus blends the conventions of games as obstacle courses with the old trope of the "boss battle" to convey a story about blind perseverance in the face of overwhelming opposition. The battles require poise under pressure. The player must be intelligent and confident when attacking and screen out distractions that might cause them to miss a killing blow. At the same time, the story supports these themes by slowly revealing that Wander is screening out the moral ambiguity of his mission. The single-mindedness of the gameplay is reflected by the unsettling, yet understandable focus of the character.
Finally, in Mirror's Edge, uses one of the oldest gaming conventions to tell its story: platforming. Like her long-lost cousin, Mario, Faith undermines her enemies by refusing to play to their strengths. Instead of fighting them face to face, the successful player will continually dance around shotgun wielding soldiers. Instead of meeting enemies on level ground, players can vault across buildings and over cars to negate their enemies' advantages. In a world defined by barriers and clean lines, the player finds shortcuts that subvert the meticulously crafted buildings. Faith and her small band of clever resistance fighters reflect this convention: they fight their opponents by exploiting weaknesses rather than trying to match power.
Both Michael and Tom shared a familiar sense of exasperation and admiration when discussing Red Dead Redemption. For both of them the game reached the precipice of a transcendent storytelling experience only to jar them back to reality with incongruities between the gameplay and plot. For Michael and Tom, the culprit was a "fetch quest" in the middle of a heated chase.
It is a shame this happened, but I am hesitant to vilify the fetch quest in this situation. It was only performing its duty and playing to the strengths of the medium: exploration and emergent storytelling. By failing to defer to the gameplay narrative, the plot was the source of its own undoing.
Labels: features, game design
EXP Podcast #83: E3 2010 Restrospective
This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone, leaving in its wake rumors, exciting announcements, technical innovations, and underpaid "booth babes." I was fortunate enough to attend the three day event, getting to see some unreleased creations a few months early and bask in corporate self-aggrandizement. This week on the podcast, Scott and I discuss the ins-and-outs of E3, from motion controls and 3D technology, to Zelda and SOCOM 4. Let us know your thoughts in on all the E3 announcements in the comments section below.
- Run time: 38 mins 59 secs
- Music provided by Brad Sucks Read more!
Ed. note: I know, Twilight Princess is a Zelda game on the Wii. Also, 3DS ships March 2011, not this fall. Sorry to get your hopes up.
Labels: E3, hype, podcast, technology
Motion in Public
The Nintendo Wii launched nearly four years ago and it undoubtedly changed how we view and approach gaming. Even now, its influence is demonstrably strong on Microsoft and Sony. This fall, both companies are launching their own motion control hardware, wrangling in the remaining consumers eager to shake their dongle or their booty at the TV.
For some time now I have considered myself a motion control skeptic. The household Wii gets so little use, it has given me little reason to believe the PS Move of Kinect will herald in the dawn of a new age in interactivity. After seeing the merchandise at this year's E3, and given some brief hands on (and off) time with both devices, my opinion has swayed. Motion controls interest me not for the stellar "hard core" titles in the works, but for the possibility they mark a growing trend in normalizing public play.
One of my problems with motion controls is their disconnect between their marketing and their actual purpose. Sony and Microsoft would have us believe the Move and Kinect are technological advancements, leaps forward along a linear progression for the game's industry. At long last, the future is nigh upon us and its name is what exactly? Do these devices solve a long established problem for gamers? Have we been tragically confined to the counter-immersive system of buttons? No, of course not. For the vast majority of current gamers, the status quo is working just fine.
We should call the Move and Kinect what they are: as of yet untested methods of interaction with digital realms, just two among many. They are optional and on occasion, like all input methods, completely superfluous. There will certainly be great games that require motion tracking, but they will not replace or define the industry. Sony seems keenly aware of this fact, and many of the titles that will feature Move compatibility will also include non-Move options on the same disc.
Accessibility is a buzzword around motion controls. By responding to an individuals bodily movement instead of their dexterous fingers, newcomers to gaming may find the systems more hospitable. This is a silly idea. One, there are already a large catalog of "noob" friendly games designed with that purpose in mind. It is actually a bit insulting to presume your non-gaming friends are so absurdly ignorant that only waving their arms about in front of the screen will allow them to enjoy gaming. Secondly, there are serious accessibility concerns with this new hardware. We know little about how well the Move and the Kinect can pick up subtle movements from less-abled players. There are even doubts Kinect can recognize someone sitting down - sad news for those unable to stand on their own.
Accessibility is increased, however, with two elements of motion control: transparency and public play. Put simply, anyone unfamiliar with gaming can see how an individuals actions correlate to on-screen action. Most importantly, it normalizes a form of public recreation. At E3 I saw grown adults, many in work attire, happily flailing about with plenty of strangers watching their every move. They were playing, in public, and did not seem even slightly self-conscious. I do not think this behavior would be so readily accepted ten years ago. The Move, and the Kinect even more so, widen the visible space and lay bare the act of play for its own sake.
Both motion controls are in some ways targeted towards an adult audience. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute of Play and an expert on the science of play, affirms the notion that adult play, unattached from specific goals, is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle:
"Adults, for example, who have either forgotten or lost its joys, or put play in their back pocket, are people who, as a result of their own adult play deprivation regardless of how much play they may have had as kids, will be rigid, narrow in their thinking, brittle in their response to stress, and much less open to handling the curve balls life throws us."
Humans are inclined towards play, even as adults. Too often we ignore opportunities for play, or convert play opportunities into competitive and goal oriented tasks. Keeping monthly totals for how long you have walked may help you maintain an exercise routine, but it might also sap the activity of playful vigor. Opening up public space for play is incredibly valuable in fitting play into our schedules, which is why I liked Artist Bruno Taylor's installation of a swing set at a bus stop (top). Public play space reminds us to take a break now and then. Motion controls offer the possibility of normalized recreation, among friends and in our own home, widening and creating new venues for play, especially for non-gamers.
Dance Dance Revolution exposed entertainment years ago, but now games like Dance Central from Harmonix may openly display revelry to a wider audience, thereby encouraging participation. Harmonix also continues to accomplish this with Rockband, getting people to sing in front of their friends loudly, openly, and with only a little bit of shame if any.
Converting your living room into a stage may have a lasting affect. Maybe someone more comfortable performing in front of friends, will find themselves performing better in other social situations. Maybe someone willing to "drop it like its hot" in Dance Central will more easily overcome stressful situations at the office. Even without a wide range of must-purchase software in the near future, we should look forward to the unforeseen consequences of normalized public play. Motion controls may not change the games industry, but they might just change how we all incorporate play into our day-to-day lives. Now that is a prospect that will get me moving.
Labels: culture, features, technology
E3 State of Mind
As E3 week wraps up, I find myself with conflicting thoughts on its importance. It is obviously a thinly-disguised, week-long commercial created to draw players into the hype vortex. Even so, I (and many others, judging by my Twitter stream) just can't help but absorb every piece of carefully packaged news.
E3 lets us lust after the newest, shiniest toys but it also serves as an important cultural event for gaming. For better or worse, E3 possesses specific traits that both mirror and define the culture of a specific subset of gamers.
Since its inception, E3 has provided us with the soap opera-style drama that all us sophisticated critics decry, but secretly enjoy. One of my favorite examples comes from way back in the distant year of 1995. Sega came to E3 looking to win the fifth-generation console war through an blitzkrieg strategy. Instead of its fall release date, they shocked everyone by revealing that, rather than the expected fall release date, the Saturn would be available in the US immediately. Not to be outdone, Sony turned around and announced that their upcoming PlayStation would retail for a full $100 less than the Saturn.
These types of machinations both feed off and contribute to the unusual culture of secrecy in video game culture. No other form of art or entertainment is as clandestine. Only in the gaming world would someone like David Jaffe explicitly deny working on a new Twisted Metal game only to then reveal at E3 that he was doing exactly that. It would be like Michael Bay disavowing knowledge of a new Transformers movie.
Regardless of their necessity, E3 drama provides a spark of unpredictability that appeals to our sensationalist tendencies. Today's surprises become tomorrow's stories, which in turn help define gaming culture.
Perhaps no other event is as influential in defining our relationship with game companies. The minute a key note ends, generalized, convenient narratives begin to form about companies and their relationship to gamers.
This year, Nintendo did an about-face away from its soccer-mom oriented strategy and delivered a suite of traditional games targeted at a traditional audience. A lineup that included Zelda, Kid Icarus, Donkey Kong, and Samus was accompanied by what appears to be the first and only elegant 3D gaming solution. In a strange twist, gamers that once felt left behind during the Wii's ascendancy can now look at Nintendo as a safe harbor in which to wait out the growing storm of slap-dash motion control and 3D gimmickry being introduced by Sony and Microsoft.
Microsoft, the champion of the "hardcore" gamer, now casts its eye towards Nintendo territory. However, there seems to be an undercurrent of worry among many that expanding the Xbox empire into Wii-land will mean taking on the very characteristics that have fundamentally changed Nintendo's identity. After all, janky motion-control minigames in 1080p are ultimately just as shallow as janky motion-control minigames in 480p.
Off to the side, we have the remains of a vast empire that brought down by its own hubris. By launching an expensive, technically complex, and thinly supported console, Sony and the PlayStation 3 embody many of the factors that led to Sega and the Saturn's downfall. Now, a once-mighty leader is relegated to a defensive strategy of iteration rather than innovation. Improving the Wii Remote and emulating Xbox Live are logical goals, but it may be some time before Sony regains its heroic posture.
Of course, there is always PC gaming. Standing in the corner, shaking its head with a knowing grin, it waits for the consoles to catch up to its technology and Internet-focused approach. Sony's partnership with Valve, PC gaming's messiah, hints at a future where difference between today's heroes may be largely be in name only.
E is for Exclusive
Perhaps the strangest thing about E3 is that it caters to a small, yet extremely vocal population of gamers. Some might call them "core" but I think another apt (perhaps less complementary) title is "stereotypical." While the number of Farmville players likely dwarfs the number of World of Warcraft, Halo, and Call of Duty players combined, Facebook is basically a non-entity at the show. Zynga may have been the bogeyman at GDC 2010, but at E3 it is a ghost.
E3 is an event for geeks dedicated to the concept of gaming as it existed in the 1980s and 1990s: a separate subculture that required specialized knowledge and enthusiasm. Theirs is a world of longstanding game designs, an emphasis on technology, and preference towards dedicated gaming experiences. E3 is a place for people to gather and defend themselves against perceived attacks by the rise of "casual" games and social media.
More innocently, it is a time for these folks to share a common experience. People usually separated by platform or genre come together to discuss the daily bombshells and reminisce on those of years past. Together, we suffer through the vacuous, stilted PR-speak and share an ironic eye roll at the expense of the suits.
On some level, we know that E3 is monstrously silly, but at the same time we must recognize that its silliness is fed by aspects of the culture we help create. Through some combination of our attention and our money, we tacitly endorse E3 as a defining force in the culture surrounding games. It should not be written off as pure fluff, as it is clear that it reflects and influences the way we think of the medium, but at the same time we cannot take it too seriously. Secrets are titillating but ultimately not very meaningful. The heroic "winners" and villainous "losers" are defined by quarterly earnings, not bloggers. Thinking of E3 as a "gaming" event is myopic in today's demographics.
Still there is something fun about the whole bloated, awkward spectacle. Of course I'm sure sitting through the Kennedy incident was only fun in retrospect.
Written by Scott Juster at 6/18/2010 11:03:00 PM No comments:
Labels: features, gamer culture
EXP Podcast #82: Space Jesus
While they may not always do so in the most graceful fashion, even even the most mainstream games address complex issues like sex and violence. Religion, however, remains a relatively understudied topic. This week, we draw inspiration from Richard Clark and Jason Killingsworth, two authors who examine the ways religion is manifested in games and how theology impacts our relationship with them. Over the course of the discussion we touch upon faith as a game mechanic, how religion impacts cultural expression, the deity's of Dungeons and Dragons, as well as the inspiration for this episode's silly title. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
- In which games has religion played a major role?
- Can issues like faith and spirituality be conveyed with game systems or should religion be explored through thematic details?
- How does your religious background affect your response to religion in games? How do you want to see the subject addressed, if at all?
- "Not Beyond Belief - How Religion And Gaming Interact," by Richard Clark, via Gamasutra
- "In Your Game We Play," by Jason Killingsworth
Labels: culture, game design, podcast, religion
Fate and the Frontier
Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, as well as minor spoilers for Red Dead Redemption.
The mythological American West is a unique venue for protagonists. The border lands create opportunities to transgress normative behavior, shake up the onset of civilization, and eek out a dangerous living in a lawless land. But it is also a doomed environment. From our modern perspective, we know how the frontier ends. Thus, the heroes of Westerns often represent a nostalgic moment in time, before civilization claimed the unknown for itself. Red Dead Redemption's John Marston sits uncomfortably in this position, caught between the freedom of an open world game and the traditional fate of the tragic Western martyr.
Rockstar has successfully developed a character with all the aesthetic fixings associated with iconic Western outlaws. John Marston is a criminal with a heart of gold. Like the leads of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he is a charming and relatively honorable fellow. His gruff voice, rugged physical features, and soiled attire mirror the likes of Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly or Russel Crow in the 3:10 to Yuma remake. Visually speaking, he is well representative of the Western protagonists we know and love.
One of the most interesting aspects of Western heroes is their common inability to escape their past identity and live in the modern world. John Ford's two films, The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance best exemplify this characteristic. Both films star John Wayne as a melancholy hero from bygone days. Ethan Edwards of The Searchers is an ex-confederate soldier with a questionable past. Unable to settle down, he spends years in a fanatical pursuit of his kidnapped niece, only to end up once again aimless on the rapidly changing frontier. Similarly, Tom Doniphon of Liberty Valance is a traditional gun-toting cowboy with little faith in the power of law and honorable conduct to tame the west. In an act of sacrifice, Tom commits an unlawful murder and in doing so, speeds up the process of Western civilization. As a result, Tom eventually dies secluded and alone. John Wayne's characters expertly straddled the space between historical inevitability and idealized freedom.
From Doc of Tombstone, who dies with his boots off, to reluctant murderer William Munny of Unforgiven, Western heroes are victims of fate and their own past, and they often know it. As Chris Adams remarks at the end of The Magnificent Seven: "We lost. We always lose." But this is where Red Dead deviates slightly from the norm. Marston never seems aware of the unique venue in which he finds himself. I have yet to see any inkling of awareness of what he represents.
I should say, I have not yet finished Red Dead Redemption. Thanks to an inadvertent spoiler, however, I do know of John Marston's fate. How well the conclusion succeeds remains to be seen. Thus far, however, Marston stills seems to exist half in the world of Western tragedy and half in the realm of video game freedom.
Although Marston certainly has a criminal past, he also seems just as capable of living in the modern world as the old. According to the well established and geographically settled Bonnie MacFarlane, he would do just as well as a cattle rancher than as an outlaw. Similarly, his proficiency in hocking the snake-oil remedies of N.W. Dickens seems to indicate at least a fluid relationship with modern-day hucksters. He could also just as easily join the Marshall's attempt establishing the rule of law, considering how skilled he is with dispensing justice.
A more interesting aspect of his character, however, is its relationship to the player. In a player-controlled open-world environment, Marston can behave in an assortment of different ways. He can be an excessive drinker who assaults women, cheats as poker, and murders law men indiscriminately. Or he can be an upstanding citizen, coming to the rescue of helpless citizens, eager to tie up criminals and let the law sort them out. His character is up to the player - until it isn't.
Key story elements are immutable. John Marston will always help N.W. Dickson con easily exploitable farm hands, no matter how much it conflicts with the moral character of a traditional cowboy. Also, he will always ask Bonnie to one day buy some cattle off of her to start a ranch, even if players have already resigned him to a life of crime. These moments of conflicting stories can be unsettling, particularly when they contrast so starkly with characters in other Westerns.
Red Dead Redemption need not rehash old Western stories. I am perfectly fine with a diversely skilled protagonist, with a complex morality system. Yet Marston does share many similarities with his genre compatriots. While his fate might be sealed, his character is not packaged as such. On the frontier, where anything goes, destiny is a powerful narrative tool. Thus far, it seems wasted on the likes of John Marston, a man caught between being a Western hero, a modern hero, and our own playable character.
Labels: features, narrative
A Prince's Story
This post contains spoilers for the movie and the game: The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Most of the time, video game movies buckle under the pressure of creating solid plots, as some of the most popular games also have some of the flimsiest premises. Video games engage the audience by involving them in the action, a luxury that films do not have. Instead, a movie has to draw its audience in with a compelling plot or relatable characters. Since games often suffer from a dearth of such things, franchises like Super Mario and Street Fighter must be altered, padded, and reworked to make it to the theater. Often the end results are altered beyond recognition and appeal.
The Sands of Time breaks from this pattern in a surprising way. Instead of having to expand the game's story into something that can carry a movie, the film was pressed into simplifying the game's narrative.
The Sands of Time is game that deals directly with the medium's elasticity. Although many games have liner plots, their execution is one of looping experimentation. Players fail certain challenges or replay levels, adding their story on top of the one the designer creates. Rewinding time is simply an immediate, stylized representation of the story a player is implicitly telling in a game like Mario.
Instead of ignoring this complex phenomenon, the game addresses it by adding another layer of authorial control to the story. Because the Prince is narrating the story in hindsight, he is able to comment on the scripted events as well as the player's modifications. Both the player and the Prince are aware of the fact that you just slipped off a ledge to your doom. Instead of ignoring it, he explains "That's not what really happened," or "Let me begin again," mirroring the internal knowledge of the player. We know that is not how the story is "really" supposed to go, yet it is undeniable that those events transpired.
By narrating the game, the Prince is confirming what we already know: the Prince will get through adventure and we are to enact this forgone conclusion. The tension comes from the physical challenge of reaching the end, rather than the possibility of that end not existing. Additionally, the looping nature of the game symbolizes the many facets of storytelling. Each person recounts the past in a slightly different way, even if the end result is the same. As the game shows, there are nearly infinite ways to remember the past and recount history. In the film there is no narrator, we are meant to feel as if we were Dastan, and we are given knowledge as he learns it. Because we are locked into one perspective, the film presents itself as the one true version of a single story, something the game undermines with every button push.
Even when the player is not actively replaying events, they are engaged in interpreting the game's plot. The mysterious sanctuaries the Prince stumbles into give him strength, yet are never explained. Farah claims not to notice when the prince disappears, which could make them hallucinations or magical events. The exact nature of Farah and the Prince's relationship is also debatable. While it appears they become lovers, their union takes place in what could easily be a dream.
Regardless of what actually happens, everything is reset at end when the Prince rewinds time to prevent the circumstances that brought them together. Unlike his movie alter-ego, the Prince is a hero who does not get the girl and ride off into the sunset. While the Farah of the past may look and act like the one he grew to care for, that person has yet to exist. His princess is more than simply "in another castle," she is in a different story entirely. Rather than deal with the irony and loneliness this evokes, the movie coddles us by suggesting that Tamina and Dastan will still inexplicably live happily ever after.
The Sands of Time is more than a nice pun and a nifty game mechanic, it is also a metaphor about the nature of storytelling. Once an event has transpired, history soon works to obscure it, which requires storytellers to step in to craft meaningful narratives. Time wipes away the memory of what the Prince and player accomplish as easily as one deletes a saved game from a memory card, but that does not make the experience any less true. The game challenges us to participate in storytelling while also driving home the point that narratives are inherently malleable and ethereal.
Film lacks the potential for such participation and variation, therefore it must this simply lead us through plot points. While it is unfair to fault it for this innate limitation, it is disappointing that the Prince of Persia film feels the need to reassure us that the story we are hearing is the "true" version, that it ends unambiguously, and that everyone will be happy in the end.
Prince of Persia teaches us, "Time is an ocean in a storm." Such an ocean can be crossed by many routes and such a storm can be weathered in different ways. The game allows us to act as navigators of our own vessels while the film can only make us passengers on a cruise ship.
Labels: culture, features, film, game design
EXP Podcast #81: Morality Dilemma
In an effort to explore the depths of choice and human ethics, morality systems have become commonly used tool in game design. Morality can be a deeply complicated and heated topic of discussion, so how do games successfully tackle this subject with players? Recently J. Matthew Zoss asked this question of some influential game designers in his piece on Gamasutra. Fittingly, GameSetWatch's (and Gamasutra's) Andrew Vanden Bossche joins us this week as a guest host to delve into the "rights and wrongs" of morality in games. As usual, you can find the inspirational article in the show notes, as well as links to more of Andrews work. We encourage you to check it out and leave your thoughts in the comments section.
- Are moral dilemmas weakened when tied to in-game rewards/punishments?
- Does isolating moral decision making, and announcing it as such, devalue the decision?
- Morality systems seem very popular. Is this a passing fad or is it here to stay?
- "Ethics 101: Designing Morality in Games," by J. Matthew Zoss via Gamasutra
- Design Diversions, biweekly column by Andrew Vanden Bossche via GameSetWatch
- Mammon Machine
Labels: guest, podcast
Last November, after a brief tryst with Riot Game's League of Legends, I wrote an article about player behavior as it relates to the game's design. When teams lose, players often engage in an illogical blame game. Afterward, I put away LoL permanently - or so I thought. Recently, I have been getting back into the game, doubling the number of matches I had played in just a couple months. Of all the games at my fingertips, and some new single-player experiences waiting to be played, what brought me back? What gives this game a siren call?
All the games I consistently return to are team-based. The best of these provide enough emergent moments to create memorable scenarios I can share with friends - something akin to a tabletop RPG scenario. While I do occasionally play Modern Warfare 2 again, it does not emphasize team cooperation enough. In fact, most games seem to be won by a couple amazingly skilled individuals acting like Rambo.
Like Left 4 Dead 2, one of my gaming staples, League of Legends demands excellent cohesion and cooperation to succeed. Interestingly, how players interact with their teammates changes over time. A typical five versus five match consists of two teams of two pushing a top and bottom lane, with another covering their own. Early gameplay consists of two champions adjusting their play styles to match each other's strategies and unique abilities. Midway through the game, pairings start to shift with small skirmishes occurring sporadically around the map - this requires a great deal of on-the-fly teamwork. Finally, the last stage generally consists of large team battle, which require each player to understand party roles and how best to engage in combat as a team. Few games can evoke such a strong sense of team pride than a well won round of LoL.
Something LoL has over many competitors? It is completely free to play. Of course the games I already own are, in a sense, free. But LoL is designed and distributed in such a way as to consistently add value free of charge. Since the game's release last October, Riot Games has released eleven new champions - almost two per month. Malzahar was released a little over a week ago and already Olaf, The Berserker has been announced. Each new playable characters creates the prospect of game changing combinations between champions, creating a consistently dynamic battlefield.
Although new players cannot access the entire game immediately, Riot implements a rotating champion roster of free-to-play characters. Each week, a medley of ten champions are available to everyone. Overtime, players can experiment with all the characters LoL has to offer. Meanwhile, players earn "Influence Points" to purchase the avatars they've enjoyed using the most. I find myself eager to return to LoL to see what new experiences they concoct on a weekly basis.
Level With me
League of Legends rewards repeat visits with a multifaceted leveling system. As discussed above, players can increase the size of their personal character roster over time - allowing them to "level up" in a way. There is also a persistent "Summoner" profile for each player with a rune and mastery system. Masteries are the more traditional leveling element, similar to World of Warcraft's Talent Points. They allow players to specialize themselves by spending points in three skills trees: Offense, Defense, and Utility. Players also have two separate pages in which they can slot runes to further specialize and enhance their play style. Runes can be purchased with Influence Points, once again rewarding continued play with gradual and measurable progression.
Oddly enough, I am generally opposed to leveling systems. They tend to arbitrarily extend game length and encourage grinding as a favorable way to earn experience - essentially converting play to work. However, in LoL, the persistent profile has no limiting effect. While the rune and mastery system are certainly influential, Riot's matchmaking system is such that teams encounter their Summoner equals. Meaning all games start on a relatively level playing field, with all character abilities accessible during the match. The leveling system, while artificial, still only rewards the player, offering a new depth of specialization on top of the same basic gameplay.
Player behavior has not changed all that much since my first impressions of the game. Although I try to do my part, wishing players a friendly good luck before the match. Regardless, LoL has a continual appeal. I can jump into a game quickly, play a relatively short match, and know it is designed to encourage dedicated team-play and disincentivize "rage quits." I have gotten enough enjoyable time from LoL that I even purchased myself a character skin. I know, it sounds lame, but I had no qualms about the purchase. Those sea nymphs at Riot games deserve plenty for their success.
Being Kratos
This post contains spoilers for God of War I, II, and III.
Defending God of War's artistic merit is tricky. The story is rife with plot holes, continuity problems, and cheesy dialogue. Much of the violence and character interactions can be viewed as juvenile and gratuitous, if not obscene and misogynistic. As a character, Kratos appears to operate on a narrow emotional spectrum that spans from "angry" to "super angry."
Despite all this, Kratos is actually an extremely well-realized character and his story is an example of outstanding single-player narrative design. The themes (regardless of their maturity or complexity) explored in God of War's story and those conveyed through its gameplay complement each other. When playing a God of War game, the player is both digesting and actively constructing the game's narrative through their actions.
Violence is the strongest motif in God of War, and it pervades every situation in which Kratos and the player find themselves. By selling his soul in exchange for becoming an unstoppable warrior, Kratos ushers himself into a world in which things exist only to be destroyed. His hubris leads him to tragically kill his family, which causes him to channel his despair into punishing others rather than changing himself. His world becomes one of brutal utilitarianism: Anything that cannot be used as a weapon or a tool against his enemies is destroyed, and anyone whose death would advance his goal is a target.
The games' rules mirror this singular focus. With few exceptions, if something is on the screen, it is meant either to be destroyed or to be used to destroy something else. Devoid of any stealth, cover, or dialogue mechanics, the games makes every enemy that appears a target to attack. Any humans unfortunate enough to cross the player's path are killed and exploited for extra health, experience, or as gruesome objects that aid in solving environmental puzzles. Collateral damage is, at worst, neutral: at the very least, crushing optional enemies and pieces of the environment does nothing. Usually, it rewards the player's thorough and inventive destructive tendencies through narrative progression and ability enhancement. It is in the player's best interest to adopt Kratos' willingness to devastate the world and its inhabitants. Such behavior both matches and enhances the player's understanding of the Kratos they see in the cutscenes.
Like Kratos, the player interprets the world through combat. The game's dominant mode of expression is using the controller buttons in various combinations to kill beasts and people. Even when the action cools, the player still uses combat skills to interact with world: a door that must be forced open requires the player to mash the circle button in the same way they would when they are trying to ram a knife down a Minotaur's mouth. If a path is obscured by debris, the same deadly attacks used against enemies are used to destroy inanimate objects. Operating a simple switch or opening a treasure chest is done with the same forceful movements and angry vocalizations that happen during battle, which suggests that Kratos and the player are at war everything around them.
The tendency to interpret the world through violence is uncomfortably apparent during the infamous sex mini-games. As the camera pans a away from Kratos and his mate (or mates), button prompts identical to those used when killing enemies begin to appear. The player uses the same gameplay techniques during sex that are used to tearing peoples' heads off, and Kratos' grunts of exertion are largely indistinguishable from those made while slaughtering foes. When the encounter ends, the player is rewarded with experience points that are used to make Kratos even more deadly. Not only are women treated in the same way as the beasts Kratos and the player kill, they yield an identical reward when conquered. Like everything else in the game, their interaction with Kratos and the player is expressed through the language of violence and combat.
The quicktime events found throughout the game represent Kratos' reactionary, brutal nature and train the player to adopt his mindset. God of War is the story of a perpetual soldier who constantly performs deadly actions in order to survive and accomplish his goals. Kratos' predisposition to kill first and ask questions later caused the death of his loved ones and allies, but it is also what keeps him alive and striving towards his revenge. By the end of the game, the player has been trained to identify split-second opportunities for violence and to capitalize on them without having to think. Kratos inhabits a binary world governed by the law "kill or be killed." This rule is conveyed through games' rules: on a large scale, success is defined by killing enemies before they can kill the player. Peppered within the experience are quicktime events that distill the binary nature of success to its most basic form. Success is always measured in absolute terms.
In God of War III, the player and Kratos are tasked with ending the seemingly infinite cycle of destruction that takes place within the gameplay and the plot. Ultimately, Kratos accepts that his battle will only end when he abandons his need to fight. During the last fight against Zeus, the player is forced to come to a similar realization. As the player assumes a first person perspective, they are prompted to mash the circle button to mercilessly pummel Zeus to death. Each successful punch causes blood to spring from his face, and Kratos' (along with the player's) sight is soon completely obscured by a red wall of gore.
The player is free to keep pounding away and can still hear every successful punch land on the Zeus' lifeless corpse. The player can continue punishing their nemesis long after he utters his last pathetic groan, but it soon becomes apparent that if they continue fighting, the game will never end. Both Kratos and the player must accept that their bloodlust leads to an endless chain of violence. Such a chain has been demonstrated throughout the series by the many violent plot points and by the hundreds of massacres committed by the player. Ultimately, the only way to end Kratos' story is by forsaking the mindset that originally created it.
Of course, even Kratos' attempts at peace are violent. In God of War I, the player watches as he attempts to end his suffering by committing suicide. Instead of dying, he is saved and then tempted with the promise of more power and the opportunity to exact revenge. God of War II illustrates the escalating consequences of this temptation, and both Kratos and player are continually teased with the prospect of success. In God of War III, things come full circle and Kratos finally succeeds in ending his own life. However, he needs the player's help to do so. In order to finish the game, the player must not only abandon violence towards their enemy, they must actively turn it towards themselves. Using a button command previously reserved for vanquishing enemies, the player ends the game by causing the event they have spent the entire series trying to prevent: the death of Kratos, their avatar.
While the content and execution of God of War's themes may be morally questionable, the plot and gameplay are uniquely congruent. In a story about killing gods, nothing is sacred, and so it is consistent that the player is prompted to callously exploit and destroy everything they encounter. Chaining together vicious combos and learning to win quicktime events is how the player interacts with everything and everyone in the game. The game defines everything in terms of combat, which serves to reflect Kratos' character: he is a single-minded, reactionary figure whose efforts to rectify violence with more violence only serves to victimize those around him. In the end, Kratos and the player must turn this violence against themselves to end the story.
The moment the sword pierces Kratos the story as told by the plot and the story as told by the player's actions converge. Kratos may not be an overly-complex, noble, or even likable character, but he is understandable because the game requires the player to personify him through action. The player is both constrained and rewarded by the same violence that defines the character, which adds a depth of knowledge unique to performance art. To successfully play God of War is more than simply understanding or believing Kratos as a character; to succeed with Kratos is to be Kratos.
Labels: culture, features, game design
EXP Podcast #80: Prince of Persia: The Movie: The Podcast
It was a long holiday weekend here in the U.S., but don't think that Jorge and I were taking a break. On the contrary, we engaged in some some field research by trekking to the local movie theater to see the latest video game-to-film adaptation: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. As long time admirers of the franchise, we proceeded hopefully, yet cautiously. Would the Sands of Time live up to the quality of its source material? Would we be left wishing we could rewind time to before our money left our wallets? Would Nolan North dub over Jake Gyllenhaal's voice? Check out the show to find out.
- For those of you who saw the movie, what did you think? For those of you who haven't, what makes you hesitant?
- Do you have any favorite video game films? What games do you think would work well on the silver screen?
- Given that the player's ability to actively interact with a game largely defines the narrative, can a film do justice to a game's themes?
Labels: film, podcast
EXP Podcast #80: Prince of Persia: The Movie: The ...


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Research & Analysis Topics
Next Level SEO Marketing Strategies from the Former SVP of Marketing at Overstock.com
Next Level SEO Marketing Strategies with Jeremy & the Former SVP of Marketing at Overstock.com, Geoff Atkinson. Geoff Atkinson is the Founder-CEO of Huckabuy. Prior to Huckabuy, Geoff was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Analytics at Overstock.com where he developed expertise in SEO and grew the channel from $0 to $300 million in the late 2000s. In addition to SEO, Geoff managed everything from pricing algorithms and content generation, to buying rain jackets in New York City's garment district. Jeremy & Geoff touch on Geoff's background in the industry, why the technical part of SEO is important, how[...]
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The Big Tech War with Rich Schefren
Tune in to this week's episode with Jeremy and Rich Schefren. Rich Schefren is a CEO, Visionary, Coach, Award-Winning Author, and entrepreneur with an education in accountancy and strategic planning. He has a proven track record of business development and marketing excellence. Working as both an Internet marketer, and a consultant to Internet marketers has enabled Rich Schefren to identify all of the problems those who wish to market on-line face. There is much that current and aspiring business owners and marketers may learn from Rich Schefren's examples, and wisdom. He delivers a lot of invaluable information, and his talks[...]
Inside the Mind of Millionaire Marketer Neil Patel
Neil Patel is a New York Times Bestselling author. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. He was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations. Tune in to this week's episode to get inside the mind of millionaire marketer Neil Patel. Links Mentioned on the Show: Secrets of Marketers Instagram Neil[...]
Erin Gargan King – On Digital Persuasion
Erin Gargan King knows how challenging it is for sales, marketing and event professionals to attract attention and communicate persuasively in today's congested online world. Erin sold her first two companies, Jump Digital Media and PMS.com (featured in Forbes) before the age of 30. In 2010, she launched Socialite Agency, an award-winning social media marketing firm. Erin and Jeremy dive into how digital persuasion is personal, how to get your customer to say yes, what the pub method is and much much more! Links Mentioned on the Show: Secrets of Marketers Instagram Erin Gargan King's Instagram Digital Persuasion: Sell Smarter[...]
5 Tips Millionaire Marketers Use in Their Campaigns
In this weeks episode, Jeremy explains how you can win even when you lose when it comes to building and testing your marketing campaigns. Listen now to learn Jeremy's 5 major ingredients that you need to implement into all of your campaigns to ensure success.  Links Mentioned on the Show: Secrets of Marketers Instagram Show Notes: Introduction: how do millionaire marketers approach a campaign? The phase that gives marketers the most trouble. "You can always win when you lose when it comes to building a marketing campaign.." What should be done before building the campaign? Grab a pen! Who[...]
The Never-Ending Story: How To Keep Your Customers Engaged
Creating content that someone wants to read every day is something every marketer will struggle with at some point in their career. Here's Jeremy's strategy for consistently remaining relevant.  Links Mentioned on the Show: Secrets of Marketers Instagram Full Transcript: Introduction. An important detail marketers must follow. The actions of a customer that pay no attention. What is a never-ending story? One of Jeremy's favorite ways to create a never-ending story. Example on how to use an existing brand to reel in an already existing demographic. How does incorporating humor help a never-ending story? A recipe for amazing content[...]
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Game review: Calico
Brendan Quinn
Calico is an abstract strategy game for one to four players where you're independently sewing a patchwork quilt of tiles in an attempt to form point-scoring patterns. Place tiles correctly, and you'll be able to meet end-game objectives, sew on some bonus point buttons, and even entice some cats to come lay down on your quilt.
To start, three cats are selected and then randomly assigned two pattern tiles to let players know which patterns they prefer. Cats with a higher point value require more connected tiles on a player's tableau of a particular pattern. Then, players select a board with a recessed area for placing tiles.
The board consists of an outer ring of colored and patterned hexes that can be used to start sets of tiles. Additionally, players select three board objective tiles that will score them bonus points if they are able to surround those tiles with the appropriate quilt tiles during the game. Players take two quilt tiles from the community bag to make up their hand. Finally, players form a community draw pile of three tiles.
Players take turns placing a tile from their hand onto their tableau, pulling a replacement tile from the community draw pile, and then pulling a tile from the community bag to bring the draw pile back up to three. If, upon tile placement, players complete a continuous section of three or more tiles of the same color, they receive a button of that color to place onto their tableau. If a player has completed all six of the color objectives, they receive a bonus rainbow button. If, upon placement, the player's quilt satisfies a cat's requirement for continuous pattern of certain number, they then place a cat token onto that section of their quilt.
Once all players have completed their quilt, all points from buttons and cat tokens are added up and combined with points granted by completing their board objective tiles. Most points wins.
Virtually every component in the game—from the tableaus, to the tokens, to the cats—are of extremely sturdy chipboard. The tiles fit extremely well into player tableaus, and everything just feels like a significant amount of thought and care went into the game's crafting. Additionally, all components have been illustrated by the extremely skilled Beth Sobel (whose work includes the beautifully illustrated Wingspan). Calico's graphic design is clear and easily understood for new players. It's really a lovely game to have on the table.
Calico is deceptively rewarding for a game about quilts and cats. While simple enough to dive into, mid- and late-game requires a large amount of planning to ensure that remaining sections of tableaus are filled out in the most advantageous ways. The choices are not enough to cause analysis paralysis (since there are really only a handful of options to any given decision), but are enough to make players have to decide if the risk of getting just the right piece out of the bag is worth forgoing immediate and guaranteed points. Grab it if you can find a copy.
Designed by: Kevin Russ (and I'd be remiss here if I didn't mention that TAG's own David Iezzi was part of the design team that brought this game to life).
Player Count: 1–4
Playtime: 30–45 minutes
Time to Learn: 10 minutes
Complexity: 2/5
Replayability: 4/5
Am I happy I bought it?: Yes. We backed the Kickstarter and were delighted when it showed up. It's been a great game to set up and play quickly (and Bebo has a great explainer video).
Written by Brendan Quinn; President of Tri-City Area Gaming. We're playing games on Discord while COVID's keeping us home. Come play with us!
More in Games
Game review: Planet Unknown
Running better games with Session Zero and safety tools
3 Dec 2022 – 4 min read
Game review: Turncoats
The November 2020 issue with the TRICITIESVOTE.COM guide is here!
"No shrugs allowed for voters or candidates—just decisions."
A COVID-19 story
"While in the hospital, she received no PT or OT to help keep up her muscle or bone strength. She was not allowed to leave that room at all. I could hear the frustration in her voice as she tried to shrug off the idea that, 'No one wants me.'"


Millennials were also fairly directed in their viewing habits, with 34% of them saying that they are most likely to go to a specific show on a streaming service when they sit down to watch TV. The report also said that attitudinally, millennials were big fans of quality programming and see streaming services as the producers of the best shows "on TV" - an indication of how SVOD services' massive investments in original content appear to be paying off.
As shown below, 60% of overall cord-nevers also stream video, with a median age of 31 years-old. The number one reason among all cord-nevers for not having pay-TV service is "I am watching streaming services instead" cited by 38%, of respondents, with "I am trying to keep my expenses down" cited by 28%.
Nobody should be surprised by the shifting behaviors of millennials away from expensive pay-TV bundles and toward cheaper, more flexible online options. A perfect example of the impact of millennials' changing viewership was detailed in a WSJ story about A+E Networks just yesterday. Citing Nielsen data, the WSJ said that primetime viewing for A+E and History Channel among 18-49 year-olds dropped by half from 2013 to 2016, though both have rebounded a bit recently. No doubt a big share of that viewing has moved online.
The double whammy for the TV industry is that even as millennials' interest in pay-TV and linear TV viewing has shrunk, so too has their tolerance for advertising. Last week eMarketer predicted that 43% of millennials are now ad-blocking online, an indication of how expectations are being re-shaped by ad-free SVOD experiences.
No doubt we'll see further cord-nevering and cord-cutting research as the year progresses, showing the trend deepening among millennials.


Rahbaran Hürzeler is an architecture office founded by Shadi Rahbaran and Ursula Hürzeler in Basel, Switzerland. The work ranges in all scales and programs from object design to architectural planning and urban strategy.
Shadi Rahbaran studied at the University of Toronto, and then went on to work at various offices including Bruce Mau Design and OMA. She has been involved in teaching and urban research at ETH Studio Basel with Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron from 2007 to 2013, has taught at Cornell University and has been a guest critic at various other schools. She is currently involved in teaching and urban research at the Design Lab of Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan.
Ursula Hürzeler received her degree from ETH Zürich, and has worked at a variety of offices in Switzerland and Spain, being project manager for the Beirut Terraces high rise for Herzog & De Meuron in Lebanon, as well as other large-scale projects. She has been involved in the design of the Jungkunst art exhibitions in Switzerland, and currently teaches at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Basel.
Shadi and Ursula co-founded their office in 2011 in Basel, and have since been working on a variety of projects.The offices was nominated for several awards including Beton Suisse Awards for different projects.


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The Children and Family Services Center (The Center) opened March 2003, but planning began more than five years earlier. The vision was led by a steering committee made of executive directors and board members from nine Charlotte non-profit agencies serving children and families. The Center was officially created by these nine founding agencies in 2000. A public-private partnership was formed when the City of Charlotte agreed to ground lease the site for the Center at 5th and Davidson Streets.
Hugh McColl, retired Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, led the capital campaign for construction of the Center. As a result of Mr. McColl's leadership, the capital campaign raised nearly $9 million of the $11 million needed to build the 100,000 square foot Center. In addition to the money raised from private individuals, corporate donors, and foundations, contributions included in-kind and reduced-price services and materials from many of community partners.
In 2003, the nine founding agencies relocated to the fully-furnished and fully-equipped premises in a new, first-class office building in the center of Charlotte. The Center was established as a separate 501(c)(3) governed by the Board of Directors made up of representatives from each of the participating agencies as well as at-large community leaders.
The Center enables the partner agencies to co-locate and collaborate in a modern, fully equipped building close to the social service, public education and court facilities serving their clients and is also easily accessible on public transportation.
The Center allows the partner agencies to make differences in the lives of many more families than was once possible. Many of the families and children who receive the services provided at the partner agencies face multiple challenges on a daily basis. A family trying to escape the bonds of poverty and homelessness may find it difficult, if not impossible, to provide quality child care or work to insure their child's school readiness.
Our nonprofit partner agencies strive to be a safe, supportive, and dynamic community, achieving our respective missions and serving our clients more creatively, efficiently, and cost-effectively. We believe that we are far better together than we could ever be individually.
The vision of the nine founding agencies was only partially realized with their own facility. The creation of a wholly-owned subsidiary, CFSC Shared Services, LLC, was formed to provide finance and human resource services to the partner agencies at a cost substantially below market. The combination of below market rent, technology, finance and human resources services produced collective agency savings in excess of $11,000,000 in the first decade of operation. This has resulted in more funds available for programs and services to children and families.
While the Center offers a central, easily accessible location, contains finance, human resources and technological services and systems that result in greater operational efficiencies, the true differentiation is driven by the agencies working and planning together to build new models of service.
The partner agency executive directors and the Center's Board have begun implementing a sustainable cooperative structure for training the partner agencies' program managers and staff members to understand the other agencies services and to recognize opportunities for the intentional collaborative inter-agency provision of services to children and families.
The client-centered goal is, "Clients working with any one of the partner agencies receive meaningful, accurate, and timely referrals to other partner agencies." The agency-centered goal is, "Essential staff members are equipped with the information they need to make meaningful, accurate, and timely referrals to other partner agencies."
We have created a welcoming environment where clients, volunteers and employees feel valued and respected.
The Center is more than a building, it is 100,000 square feet of office, client service and meeting space that allows nine collaborating agencies to share ideas, space, technology, and administrative and program services in an effort to maximize resources, reduce costs, and redirect savings to support and expand programs. The Center helps to increase the partner agencies' capacity and enhance their services to children and families.
Reach Out to CFSC
If you are interested in learning more about CFSC, click here!


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Q: During boot, I only see a dark aubergine screen - how can I make plymouth work? In Natty, during boot I only see a dark aubergine screen, nothing on it. That is irritating, because I don't know whether the computer still runs or not.
So how can I display the normal "ubuntu" plymouth bootscreen?
(I use the nvidia proprietary driver.)

A: http://www.webupd8.org/2010/03/how-to-get-plymouth-working-with-nvidia.htmlThis has always worked for me.But if it's really only about knowing if the computer is still running, just remove the quiet and splash parameters from grub.cfg.

A: If you use the open source drivers, you'll have a poor performance? I mean, according on what you usually do in your PC, nouveau drivers are a solution for you?
Regards!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Nate (Tishuan Scott) and Will (Ashton Sanders) in a scene from Chris Eska's The Retrieval. {Photo: VARIANCE FILMS}
The Retrieval (Chris Eska, 2013)
May 09, 2014 by Daniel Nava in The Retrieval, Chris Eska, 2013, Review
The Retrieval opens exclusively to Chicago's AMC River East 21 today. Actors Aston Sanders and Tishuan Scott are scheduled to attend select screenings for Q&A sessions.
The production of spectacle in contemporary blockbusters, particularly of the superhero variety, has become such a crutch that it often times fails to produce the intended imagery. Millions of dollars are dispensed into producing artificial Playstation-esque universes that it often times feels like a regression in visual construction rather than one that progresses the art. So when a microbudget film like Chris Eska's The Retrieval attempts to produce a sense of spectacle through limited economic means, there's an immediate sense of intimacy to his creations. It's through this spectacle of economy that Eska impresses most; where there's an independent spirit of sincerity and grit that pervades every frame of The Retrieval.
Eska's film explores the in-flux period of slavery and emancipation, where a young black man named Will (Aston Sanders) works for a bounty hunter rounding up runaway slaves. A particularly lucrative bounty is to be collected by Will and his uncle Marcus (Keston John). Relying on Will's air of innocence and Marcus' ability to exploit that quality, they meet a fugitive freedman with a story about his dying brother requesting his presence, Nate (Tishuan Scott) meets the two with a sense of reluctance but is convinced of Will's false sincerity. What follows is an articulate study of masculinity through the Texas forestland. Marcus' mantra of egoism gives way to the more noble aspects of Nate's character, whereby Will's still fluid identity and perception of masculinity are reshaped.
The Retrieval's not so much a coming-of-age as it is an exercise in emphasizing choice. Eska writes The Retrieval as a series of contrasts that places Will at the center of a moral tug-of-war. Marcus' capitalistic perspective has its share of<-- benefits but strips Will of a conscious whereas Nate's virtues leads to a measure of self-sufficiency but possesses its own share of personal struggles. It's a cleverly written screenplay that utilizes genre without submitting to its recurrent tropes.
Despite the strengths of the film's writing, The Retrieval does succumb to issues that are largely outside of Eska's control. Given the specificity of its subject matter, it's easy to see why this film is functioning on a shoe-string budget - but with that, there's a clear sense that the film simply lacks the visual finesse that a period piece of this type most benefits from. While the Texan landscapes are impressive sights, the film's cold digital look rarely does them justice. It's an even greater obstacle when Eska shoots the three men in conversation - the artificiality and general aesthetic that the film fosters through its obsolete digitalism proves to be an incredible hurdle to get past.
Yet it's tough to be too hard on a film clearly working under its own sense of ambition with a filmmaker clearly so committed to giving his subject fair treatment. The independent spirit of The Retrieval, coupled with the strength of performances and the significance of its narrative, overcomes most of its economic shortcomings.
May 09, 2014 /Daniel Nava
The Retrieval, Chris Eska, 2013, Review


The Hero Honda Splendor is a motorcycle manufactured in India by Hero Honda. It has an electronic ignition and a tubular double cradle type frame with a 97.2 cc engine. As of 2009, Splendor models were selling at a rate of one million per year. In 2004, Hero Honda launched the upgraded version of the Splendor, the Splendor+. This version features multi-reflector headlight, tail light and turn signal lights, and new graphics. In 2007, Hero Honda launched the Splendor plus with changes in body fairings and including alloy wheels and other improvements. In 2011, Hero Honda launched the Splendor Pro with changes in body fairings, self-start features, alloy wheels and other improvements. After the separation of Hero group and Honda motor company, the Splendor is now manufactured by Hero group only.


There's something wonderful about race mornings. Getting up early, usually before the sun, filled with anticipation and excitement, knowing that by the time first light breaks, you're miles deep in a challenge and ready to take on the rest of the day.
Also? There is something absolutely magical about sunrise. Especially when it's over the ocean.
Kristin had generously offered to drive those of us staying at the Ritz over to the starting line. That way, we wouldn't have to take the shuttle and we could also stay in the warm car for as long as we wanted. It was an offer we couldn't refuse. She would be joining my mom and me for lunch later so we would be able to drop her back at her vehicle.
Our group was ready to go!
Fortunately, the temperature at the start line was about ten degrees warmer than last year. I actually debated a while about whether or not to bring a jacket and gloves, and whether or not to check anything. All game time decisions.
We arrived at the start, and had a grand old time hanging in the car!
Everything was really low key. The starting line was about 20 feet away, so no need to rush. There were portapotties set up a little distance from there, but I didn't need to go (miraculous, no?). I want to say there was even a DJ leading some dances to keep the waiting runners warm and loose.
It's nice to be able to start a race without my stomach being tied into knots.
Some of our crew hopped out to join the bathroom line, while a few new arrivals hopped in to take advantage of the heat. And then it was time to line up.
I made the executive decision to keep the jacket and leave the gloves. Having run the Walt Disney World Marathon just six days earlier, I had registered for the all-new 12K distance instead of the half marathon. I figured that even if I got too warm, I wouldn't be out there all that long and could manage any potential discomfort. It turned out to be a good call.
We started on time and the half marathoners and 12Kers surged forward along the waterfront. I noticed a few stragglers hustling up the side of the road to cross the timing mat at the start line, and I hope they got there on time.
We turned right onto Center Street in downtown Fernandina and continued past the shops and restaurants. I like the small-town-main-street vibe the beginning of this race offers – it's something a little different in terms of scenery. The runners from both distances hung together for a while, and then we reached the split: 12Kers continued straight to A1A while the half marathoners hooked a left where they would log a big chunk of miles in the gorgeous Fort Clinch State Park.
I just took my time, enjoying the views and glad that I wasn't feeling any pain. Last year, somehow, my entire left side completely failed me and I ended up with a whopping case of plantar fasciitis that took months to overcome. This year was a different story. I didn't push it because I was still in "marathon recovery" mode, but I also reveled in feeling good physically.
The 12K course was slightly more hilly than I remember the half marathon being, but it was ok. I turned right onto A1A, and even though I was warming up, I was glad I had my long sleeves to protect me from the wind coming off the ocean. The gorgeous beachfront houses also provided shade, which made it feel colder than it was.
Not long after, I caught up with Meghan. She was an absolute rockstar, still coming back from a broken toe and some illness! We started chatting and since we both do intervals, decided it only made sense to finish out the race together. I'm getting used to this whole "running buddy" thing.
The entire course is open to traffic, and we had only a narrow lane, separated from the few cars by traffic cones and some volunteers. It can get tricky passing people, since the lane can only comfortably fit two across, and the only options for passing is into traffic on the right or picking through uneven, broken up terrain on the left. We made it work.
At long last, we made the left that would lead us through the Ritz Carlton parking lot, then on to the beach and the finish line.
I'm going to be honest. The beach is my absolute least favorite part of this race. Last year, the course led us between the dunes, and we had to slog through soft, unpacked sand. This year, the race volunteers directed us down to the actual beach, where the tide had packed the sand into a more suitable running surface.
It was still a little softer than I prefer for running, but what a view!
Meghan thought I was taking a selfie, so we had to get one of those, too.
Finally, we cut back up the beach and headed for the finish line!
Whoo hoo! Our first 12K!
I had somehow forgotten to pack a pre-race breakfast, so I was pretty excited for that banana.
We had a gorgeous view of the finish line as we started up the walkway back to the hotel.
But it was time to party!
The Great Lawn was spread with vendor booths, dining tables and chairs, yoga area, photo backdrop and a live band.
Everything was in full swing and the finished runners seemed to be having a great time!
We grabbed snack boxes and glasses of Barefoot Wine, then found a table to enjoy our sandwiches (I really want to say they were Publix subs), accompanied by pretzels or chips and cookies, while we waited for Char, Mary Beth and Sharon, who had taken on the half marathon (let's hear it for Char and Mary Beth – it was the first half for both of these awesome ladies!) that morning.
We spent a lovely morning together (this was such a fantastic group of women), and then it was time to say goodbye.
The next order of business? Hot shower and lunch!
After changing into some clean clothes, we grabbed Kristin and headed to Tasty's. After all our hard work, we deserved to treat ourselves to delicious burgers and fries.
And then we got Kristin back to her car, and my mom and I explored the little shops around town.
We may have stopped in the oldest, consistently serving saloon in Florida for a beer.
And we also might have grabbed fresh waffle cones of ice cream from Fantastic Fudge for the walk back to the car.
Even though it was cold and windy, we ventured back to the beach for another stroll.
The sunset was just as gorgeous as the sunrise.
And so ended another ZOOMA Florida weekend.
I had a blast. Of course, warmer weather helped immensely, but I also really loved the addition of the 12K distance and the fact that runners can download free finish line photos with their results. What a great perk! For the north Floridians, it's nice to get out of the Jacksonville area and race in a different venue, while for those traveling from elsewhere, I'm sure the idea of racing on the sandy beaches in the middle of January is a huge bonus. There were plenty of well stocked water stops (with water and Gatorade) and lots of goodies for everyone after the race ended.
The race was definitely on the smaller side, but the intimacy was nice. And, of course, the Ritz Carlton was on point with their service and hospitality. It really is one of my favorite hotels, and I'm so glad I got to enjoy it with my mom and friends.
Thanks to all the staff and volunteers who helped make this weekend one to remember!
Do you enjoy a fabulous post-race party or do you prefer to collect your banana and medal and go?
When is the last time you traveled to a race? Where did you go?
Just got back from West Palm Beach. Your race looked so pretty.
Yay! How was it down there? I need to run a race or two down south. For some reason, I never look in that direction.
This looks like such a great event! May have to round up some of my girls for a runcation next year! I hope it grows so they keep holding it.
You absolutely should! There are a lot of great races down here, but there are some definite perks to a destination like Amelia Island in January.
Looks like it was an awesome race. That beach is beautiful!! Maybe someday I'll be able to run a race I have to travel too. Right now the furthest I've traveled for a race is 2 hours. There's no way I could convince my husband to travel just so I could run!
It's a great way to do a "date weekend." You could certainly find an awesome destination with a race you want to run and then the actual running is just a couple hours out of the weekend.
Also, travel for the burger. It's totally worth it.
It sounds like a fun weekend, but I am still unsure about running on sand. That is why I didn't register for Donna either.
Sand is hard, no matter how you slice it. It was much easier this year with the more packed variety.


text:
Invisible Matters
Body bags and Anthrax
by Rabbi Avi Shafran
Am Echad Resources
https://www.jewishmediaresources.com/312/invisible-matters
Much puzzlement - and even more merriment - greeted the story, reported by the Associated Press and others, of some observant Jews' reluctance to fly El Al planes from Tel Aviv to New York because their flight path at take off passes directly over a cemetery in the town of Holon.
What engendered the concern of observant cohanim, or descendants of Moses'
brother Aaron, about boarding the flights was the halachic stricture forbidding them from certain contact with, including passing above, dead bodies. Such contact, according to Jewish religious law deriving from a number of verses in Leviticus, confers a spiritual contamination of sorts (a respected Reform rabbi and scholar with whom I was friendly, William Braude, once even suggested that the word "contaminate" may itself be sourced in the Hebrew word for that effect, tum'ah). While enclosures of various sorts can "insulate" a cohein from such contamination, whether the alloys that comprise the body of a modern aircraft might do so is a complex halachic issue.
At least one major halachic authority ruled that they cannot, and so some cohanim opted not to fly the airline. Others, much to the amusement of some in the media, requested to be permitted to enclose themselves on the plane in various ways, including, reportedly, in body bags - which, sadly, are well-stocked in Israel these days.
It has been reported that Israeli Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh has made efforts to reroute El Al's planes to accommodate its observant passengers. If that indeed proves to be the case, the problem for observant travelers will have been solved.
The media snickering, though, over the image of rational human beings so concerned with something imperceptible that they would go so far to wrap themselves in insulation made me think about a very similar scene that unfolded recently in a number of venues. There, too, otherwise reasonable men had encased themselves in body bags (they called them "suits") to protect themselves against an entirely invisible danger, in places like the Hart Senate Office Building and a number of post office facilities in Washington, New York and elsewhere.
Now, needless to say, anthrax germs, while invisible to the human eye, are still physical entities and detectable in other ways. And they are capable of causing very apparent disease and death. Tum'ah, by contrast, is invisible to even the most powerful microscope, and has no evident physical effects. But that does not make it unreal, and therein lies important food for Jewish thought.
The Jewish people might best be described, from a historical perspective, as the vehicle for teaching the world about the invisible. Our ancestors faced a world filled with idols of every substance and worshippers of stars, and forced it to confront a new and outrageous idea: that the true God transcends all His creations and is unseen.
And there were other invisibles that our forbears introduced, too, ideals like justice, education, empathy and peace.
What is more, Judaism, while it lives and breathes in the "real" world of our physical existence, is steeped in the idea that what we think and say and do makes a difference not only in the familiar world but also - and perhaps most of all - in a spiritual realm largely imperceptible to us.
When we perform a mitzvah, we affect that spiritual realm, as well as the spiritual within us. We may have done nothing more than heard a shofar's cry on Rosh Hashana or taken an esrog and lulav on Sukkot; nothing more than circumcised a Jewish baby or made a blessing on a food; nothing more than
refrained from eating a forbidden food or from speaking ill of others. But we have created a powerful effect, even if it is one not readily noticeable.
There is much else in the rich realm of the invisible, including puzzling things like tum'ah. But Jews sensitive to Jewish tradition do not seek to ridicule or dismiss them, but rather to endeavor, through study of Jewish sources, to better understand them.
Because they realize that, whether in the realm of sickness or of spirit, sometimes what is invisible matters.
[Rabbi Avi Shafran is director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of
America]
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Can the Pistons cause a major upset agains the Bucks?
That seems tough after Milwaukee beat Detroit four times during the regular season.
Milwaukee are ranked #1 after a 60-22 record this season. Detroit are raked #8 after they ended the season 41-41.
The Pistons start the playoffs with just one injury problem. Blake Griffin is questionable with a knee issue.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be with Tony Snell (ankle) and Malcolm Brogden (foot), while Nikola Mirotic is a doubt with a thumb issue.
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text:
Ludres () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département in north-eastern France.

The inhabitants are called Ludréens. In the past, inhabitants of Ludres were known by their neighbours as rôtisseurs ("roast meat sellers"), having once turned out en masse to watch their adulterous priest burned at the stake.

Population

Twin towns
Ludres is twinned with:

  Furth im Wald, Germany
  Furth bei Göttweig, Austria
  Domažlice, Czech Republic

See also
 Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department

References

External links

 Official Ludres website

Communes of Meurthe-et-Moselle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The truth is my clients always put a lot of trust into me as their engagement session and wedding photographer. It's not easy driving an hour or more to a session to meet someone you've only chatted on the phone with. And it's definitely not easy to trust that someone is going to arrive at your session or wedding, on time and ready to capture your love story in the best way possible. These are some of the biggest and most cherished moments of your life. And I get that. I understand that 100%. Which is why I consistently check in with you and support you through your wedding journey. It's why I actually get to know you, your partner and your individual and authentic love story. And this is why my clients turn into friends and we almost always keep in touch after the wedding. This romantic, snowy engagement session up in Mt Hood, Oregon is a great example of my sweet clients putting their trust in me to tell their love story.
Viktoria and I had chatted about engagement session outfits, her vision for the session and two locations where I wanted us to do the session. PNW weather is crazy though, and that is where the trust comes in. I didn't have an exact location until I had scouted which area would be best for that day. Of course I drove out there hours before our session was going to begin so I could send her road conditions and the exact location before she even needed to get in the car. The snow at Trillium Lake was the winner. This place is stunning!
No matter how nervous or "awkward" people tell me they are in front of the camera, I always tell them, "by the end of our session, you are going to just flow comfortably right into the posing naturally." And that's when we get these romantic and candid moments. When we've shared a few laughs, you're comfortable with me and you can just enjoy being in love with your one and only. Trust me.
I've probably told you this a few too many times, but Viktoria and Maksim, you two are GORGEOUS, and I am so excited to celebrate with you at your Portland, Oregon wedding in a couple months!


Zach Links of MLBTR reports that the Phillies claimed Rockies southpaw Ken Roberts off waivers. In the same report, Roberts was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Roberts has not had the greatest season for Triple-A Albuquerque which is known as a hitters atmosphere with a 5.12 ERA but has a 28-4 K/BB ratio. His FIP was also 3.43 which suggests bad luck for Roberts.
Despite the struggles, Roberts had a brief stint in the majors for the Rockies where over nine games he struck out five and walked two with a 5.79 ERA. Again the FIP was much lower at 3.01 for another organization not known to be the best environment for pitchers.
We'll see if he gets a look in September in the majors for it seems like Roberts is much better than his ERA would suggest.
At 76-56, the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils are closing in on the playoffs, three games ahead of second place Binghamton in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. While the team has lost prospects Roman Quinn, Cam Perkins and most recently Nick Williams, they've managed to maintain a ton of offensive firepower through the entire season. Having a dominant pitching staff helps too. Reading first baseman Brock Stassi, one of the most consistent pieces of their offense, was named Eastern League MVP while manager Dusty Wathan took home Manager of the Year honors.
Stassi, 26, was a 33rd round pick of the Phillies in 2011 and he emerged this season as one of the best hitters in the Double-A Eastern League. Stassi is the seventh player in Reading's history to win the award and joins the likes of Darin Ruf (2012), Ryan Howard (2004), Marlon Byrd (2001), Jeff Stone (1983), Mark Davis(1980), and Greg Luzinski (1970).
This season for the Fightin Phils, he's slashing .312/.399./480 with 32 doubles, one triple, 14 homers, 88 RBI's and 73 runs scored. He's also demonstrated really good plate discipline, walking 72 times and striking out 60 in 446 at-bats this season. He has 39 multi-hit games this season and also got the win as a pitcher on June 11th, striking out three in an 18-inning victory against Altoona. Stassi leads the league in RBI's, doubles, total bases (211) and OPS (.882). He ranks second in on-base percentage, walks, extra-base hits (46) and runs scored. Stassi was also named to the Eastern League end of the season All-Star Team and he started this year's All-Star Game at first base for Reading.
Meanwhile, Fightin Phils manager Dusty Wathan joins Gary Varsho (2000), Al LeBeouf (1997), Bill Dancy (1995 & 1983), and Bob Wellman (1975) as Reading Manager of the Year recipients. Wathan is in his fourth season with Reading, compiling a 280-277 record in that span, including a playoff appearance in 2012. Wathan has spent time managing in the Phillies organization since 2008, when he began as the manager for the Phils short season affiliate in Williamsport. He led Class 'A' Lakewood to the 2009 Championship. Over his eight seasons of managing, he's 538-507. Prior to managing, Wathan had a 14-year playing career. He played with six different teams during his career, reaching the big leagues with Kansas City in 2002.
Jesse Biddle's rocky Phillies career has taken another U-Turn. The 2010 first-round selection has been placed on the disabled list with a strain in his left shoulder that will likely end his 2015 season.
Jesse Biddle has been placed on the DL (shoulder strain) with triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Biddle has struggled mightily with Lehigh Valley, going 2-4, with a 6.25 ERA in nine games, all starts. In his last outing on Thursday the 27th, the southpaw gave up five runs on 10 hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work. Combined between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Biddle is 9-6 with an ERA of 4.95.
Once considered a future ace, Biddle will need to turn things around fairly quickly, once healthy, as he has been surpassed on the depth chart by prospects Zach Eflin, Aaron Nola and Nick Pivetta. With Adam Morgan pitching well and recently acquired Jake Thompson, Jerad Eickoff, and Alec Asher on the rise, Biddle's performance when he returns may decide his future with the Phillies organization.
Philadelphia, PA - This afternoon in the series finale matinee against the San Diego Padres (62-67), right hander Alec Asher will be making his major league debut for the Philadelphia Phillies (52-78) as they seek their fifth series sweep of the season.
Asher, 23, is the second return from the Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman trade to the Texas Rangers to make his big-league debut this season. The other, right hander Jerad Eickhoff, has allowed just three earned runs on 11 hits and two walks over 12.0 innings.
"It's awesome. It's a dream come true. I've worked my whole life for this since I was a little boy," said Asher in an interview with reporters prior to Saturday night's game. "It's awesome to finally get here."
Asher had Tommy John surgery at the age of 14, which he has said enabled him to learn early on what it takes to achieve his goals and how to obtain 'a good work ethic'.
The Lakeland, Florida-native continued, commenting on the current state of the team and how he can contribute with just over 30 games remaining in the season.
"There's a lot of young talent on this team. A lot of good guys. You just try to be a part of it and try to do what you can to make the team better."
Philadelphia, PA - The first runs of the night were scored by the Philadelphia Phillies (52-78) in the bottom of the second inning. Behind timely hitting and an effective bullpen, the Phillies went on to hold the lead for the rest of the evening against the San Diego Padres (62-67), as rookie left hander Adam Morgan earned his 5th career victory.
Following a lead-off single by first baseman Ryan Howard in the bottom of the second inning, second baseman Darnell Sweeney drove a 91 mph, two-seam fastball into the center field stands for the second home run of his major league career.
Sweeney, 24, was acquired on August 19 in the trade that sent perennial Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tonight's victory for the Phillies secured their seventh consecutive win against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park, and their 12th series victory of the 2015 season.