I have been pretty busy lately, so busy that it completely slipped my mind that exactly three years ago today, Toronto Thumbs was launched. If not for Shaun Hatton, who mentioned our anniversary at Gamercamp this morning, it would have completely slipped my mind.
A beautiful image borrowed from Military Times.
As gamers we play lots of titles in which death and destruction run rampant; we sit on the safety of our couches in our warm homes to settle back and deal virtual punishment to people around the world, people we have never even met.
Take a moment today to remember those who fought so that we might be able to live in a world where we are able to sit back and enjoy the things that we like; also take time to pay respects to those who are defending us at this very moment.
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Growing up with technology gains one a reputation; labeled as ‘nerds’ and ‘geeks’, we trudge on, keeping up with technology with almost mythic levels of dogged determination. We shrug the name-calling aside; orn as is more often the case these days, we accept these labels, opting to wear them as badges of honour.
Happy Father’s Day! Some of us on staff at Toronto Thumbs are lucky enough to have progeny. That’s right! We actually managed to tear ourselves away from our consoles/PCs/handhelds for at least two minutes to procreate! Well, maybe not all handhelds. All the best!
From Kat
I don’t know why I was so reluctant to start writing this, my first article for Toronto Thumbs. Was it because I hold both Shaun and Jorge in such high regard for their excellent ability to deconstruct and properly examine the core of any game, thus writing an excellent review?
Sorry, guys, but no.
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 – After two years of publishing articles about video games, Toronto Thumbs has published a game of its own. DEERTASE puts players in the shoes of an officer of the law with one goal: Subdue a wild deer that has appeared in the Downtown Core and save the day. Based on an actual news event that took place on November 24, 2009, DEERTASE subverts the sensationalizing nature of news headlines simply by being a sensational game. Players seem to agree. Within 24 hours of it being published online at torontothumbs.com, the game received over 600 plays.
Critiquing the actions of the Metro Toronto Police by forcing players to use a taser as the only means of successfully finishing the game was not the intention of the game’s developer, the ever-stylish Shaun Hatton (who is also the Editor of Toronto Thumbs), but is nonetheless a happy consequence.
“I just thought it was absurd that an officer would use a taser on an animal,” Hatton said. “If you look at the footage, you actually see the deer is just sitting there not bothering anyone. They basically tased her like she was an unruly thug.”
DEERTASE went from concept to final product within four hours and was developed in Flash. The short turnaround time meant that the game would still remain relevant in the face of the ever-changing new media landscape, but it also meant that some features had to be excluded from the initial release. Because of this, free updates are already planned and are in production, as is a proper sequel.
Toronto chiptunes artists Oxvylu and DJ Finish Him provided unreleased tracks for the soundtrack, with the Oxvylu track being the reward for completing the game properly. Under certain conditions, players will get the opportunity to download the game’s soundtrack album.
“People have asked about the soundtrack already,” Hatton explained. “We may put it up eventually but for now if players can meet the insane requirements needed to do so, they can actually be rewarded with the download link for it right in the game itself.”
For more information on DEERTASE, or to play the game free, visit torontothumbs.com/deertase
