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Commander Shepard wakes with a start. You okay? asks his lover, stirring next to him. Got a lot on my mind, he answers gruffly. His lover responds with comforting words, gently laying a hand against his back.

As a scene from an epic role-playing video game, it seems surprisingly tender. Even more surprising, though, is the fact that the commanders companion is a naked black man with a body-builders physique.

The romance between the rugged starship commander and his comrade Cortez is only one of many relationship options available to players of the much anticipated Mass Effect 3, launched last week by Edmonton-based BioWare. But its the one that has sparked a flame war on gamer sites all over the world.

BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka told mega gaming blog Kotaku last fall that the games gay element was in response to compelling feedback from fans requesting more choice in romantic scenarios. While critics have delivered glowing reviews, commenters on the popular review aggregator Metacritic are complaining about the games homosexual content.

What were they thinking? Putting gay scenes into video games? wrote one Metacritic user. The homosexual views of this game are very offensive to my Christian beliefs. I think Bioware should be much more aware of how many of their fans are Christians, wrote another.

Kevin VanOrd, a gay man who writes for one of the Webs top video game sites, Gamespot, said he received homophobic responses from readers after posting his positive review of Mass Effect 3.

BioWare has hardly burdened the unwitting masses with explicit gay subject matter, he notes in a blog on the Huffington Post, theyve simply allowed me to see my in-game character as I see myself.

BioWare regularly delivers some of the most compelling action available in modern role-playing games, but its the Canadian studios penchant for creating rich, multi-dimensional characters that consistently brings their games into the spotlight.

Thats never been truer than in the companys sci-fi-themed Mass Effect series, which allows players to create complex avatars and to build nuanced relationships romantic and sexual with other characters. Commander Shepard can also be played as a woman, with players able to guide her into a romantic relationship with either male or female characters.

The franchise also examines racism, in the form of extraterrestrial discrimination. The theme of ethics in scientific experimentation when do the ends justify the means? runs through the series. It even reflects tensions in the Middle East through a homeland war that has rendered an entire species nomadic.

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Video game's gay characters spark flame war

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 08:59 EST, 15 March 2012 | UPDATED: 10:11 EST, 15 March 2012

A spring break party which was meant to emulate the hit movie 'Project X' turned deadly after several revellers fired guns as police shut it down.

A teenage boy, who has not been identified, died from multiple gunshot wounds in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The rave at a Houston mansion, which copied the film about an out-of-control house party, attracted up to 1,000 guests.

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The party at a Houston mansion, which was meant to emulate the hit movie 'Project X', turned deadly after several revellers fired guns as police shut it down

Around 1,000 revellers turned out for the party at the mansion in Houston which is surrounded by a field and believed to be in foreclosure, pictured

The victim, aged between 17 and 19, was found outside the party house and later died at hospital, Houston police told ABCNews.com.

Having been advertised on Facebook and Twitter, large numbers turned out at the home which is surrounded by a field and believed to be in foreclosure.

Read more:
Teen killed at 'Project X' inspired party

A spring break rave in a Houston mansion that was meant to emulate a movie turned deadly early Wednesday morning after several attendees fired guns, killing one person as police tried to break up the party.

The unidentified male victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston police told ABCNews.com.

The party, which attracted between 500 and 1,000 guests, was meant to copy the party thrown in "Project X".

The 2012 movie follows three high school students who throw the ultimate "anything goes" party that spirals out of control. While a damaged home and a bad hangover may be the only consequences partygoers faced in the movie, a string of copycat parties have caused over $100,000 in real damage, handfuls of arrests and the Houston fatality.

Daniel Menjivara, a 22-year-old college student, said "Project X" and the fact it was spring break were the reasons he and many others attended the Houston house party. Menjivara said he was "the exception" at the party and was surprised to find the crowd was mostly composed of teenagers.

"The house got pretty full. You could barely move around," he said.

Trash cans full of spiked punch were set out for partygoers. Wet foam blanketed the floor. Women who wore bathing suits were granted free entry to the party, according to the flyer.

News of the party spread quickly on Facebook and Twitter, attracting a large turnout to the home, which is surrounded by a field. It's not clear if it is occupied during the day. The nearest neighbor is down the street.

Around midnight, police responded to a noise disturbance at the home and shut down the party.

"Kids took to the streets, but the parking lot was overpacked so you couldn't get out," Menjivar said. "It was just people in the actual street. They got into arguments and started shooting each other."

See the article here:
'Project X' Copycats: Parties Bring Damage, Death

The first hands-on reviews of the new iPad make it clear not only that Apple keeps the tablet crown but why it continues to do so.

On the surface, the leap from the second-generation iPad to the third-generation would appear to be relatively modest," writes USA Today reviewer Edward Baig. But the leap changes an array of things that keep the iPad's overall "user experience" well ahead of its Android rivals.

The display: "spectacular"

The new display, with resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, for a total of 3.1 million pixels or four times the number on iPad 2, is the thing everyone notices first. It's better than the high definition flat panel TVs used in homes.

"The display is spectacular," Baig writes. "Examine the new screen side-by-side with one of its near-10-inch predecessors [the iPad 2], and you'll swear you just had Lasik surgery. Text on Web pages or in books is so crisp and sharp that you don't want to go back to reading on an older iPad."

MORE IPAD: 10 Terrific Apps for the New iPad

The contrast between the new iPad display and that of its predecessors struck many reviewers. "Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription you suddenly realize what you thought looked sharp before wasn't nearly as sharp as it could be," says Walter Mossberg, reviewing for The Wall Street Journal. As MG Sielger, at TechCrunch says, "After using the new iPad for an extended period of time then switching back to an iPad 2 (or 1, for that matter), you'll cringe at the pixelated cloud that appears to surround every app icon. Text will look murky. Colors will look muted."

Apple didn't rely on just the raw number of pixels to impress. Instead it updated its own on-board apps, and is encouraging third-party developers to do the same, to fully exploit the new iPad's Retina Display technology. "All of Apple's own apps have been updated to suit the higher resolution, with more detailed iconography and text," says Vincent Nguyen, writing at Slashgear. "However, third-party apps also look good, even if they've not been polished to suit the new hardware, though they aren't quite as refined as Apple's own handiwork."

The screen shows vivid 1080p video and high-def photos "though the 4:3 aspect ratio means there are black bars top and bottom," Nguyen says. "Nonetheless, the level of detail is incredibly impressive...."

On the new iPad itself, says Siegler, "Web pages look almost as if they're being displayed in a high-quality glossy magazine. Photos look like photos the printed out kind. Text is razor sharp and crisp, just like print."

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New iPad wins rave reviews

Smart911 to Recognize Public Safety Pros During National Telecommunicators Week

Framingham, Mass. (PRWEB) March 14, 2012

Individuals are encouraged to nominate 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers they feel deserve to be recognized for leadership, performance, compassion for callers, ability to inspire co-workers and overall contributions to their Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). Winners will be announced during National Telecommunicators Week, April 8-14, in order to highlight the critical public safety role these telecommunicators play.

9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers alleviate stressful situations and save lives throughout each and every day, ensuring citizens immediately get the help they need, said Tom Axbey, CEO of Rave Mobile Safety. Effective emergency response requires strong public-private partnerships. Whereas telecommunicators play such a vital role, we want to ensure the public has the opportunity to recognize them for the positive impact they have on their communities.

The public may submit nominees for the Smart Telecommunicator Awards at http://www.ravemobilesafety.com/smarttelecommunicator through March 21 at 11:59 PM EDT. On March 26, finalist nominations will be posted online, kicking off a public vote that will run through March 30. Smart911 will name a national winner at a ceremony during National Telecommunicators Week, and make a donation of $1,000 to the charity of the winners choice. Four regional honorees will also receive awards, along with a $500 donation to the charities of their choosing.

Both Smart911 and iCERT continually work towards improving 9-1-1 services across the U.S. We know that without these talented and dedicated telecommunicators, our efforts would be for naught. This is our way of thanking them for all that they do, stated iCERT Executive Director, George Rice.

Smart911 is a national system that provides citizens with the ability to enter information that they want to make available to 9-1-1 telecommunicators through a secure website at http://www.Smart911.com. Information can include childrens photos, medical conditions, disabilities, home addresses of cellphone callers, or other rescue-related information. Smart911 delivers this information automatically with a 9-1-1 call to participating PSAPs. Smart911 enables emergency responders to be more effective because they have access to a rich source of critical health and logistics information before arriving at the scene of an emergency. Smart911 also supports the critical need to effectively capture and manage data for special needs citizens.

About Rave Mobile Safety

Rave Mobile Safety is the most trusted software partner for campus and public safety. Used by leading Institutes of Higher Education and State and Local Agencies, the award-winning portfolio of RaveAlert, RaveGuardian, Eyewitness, Smart911 and SmartPrepare enables millions to feel safe, secure and connected. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information please visit http://www.ravemobilesafety.com.

About iCERT- the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance

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Only One Week Remains to Nominate 9-1-1 Professionals for Smart Telecommunicator Awards