Straight Up Gaming

Is Next-Gen Gaming Bad for Gamers?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 03:06:00 +0000

A great article, more after the jump:

The list of broken promises is as long as a spoiled kid's Christmas list: no load times, more features, more innovative games, user-created content. But let's go down that list carefully. Whoever promised the elimination of loading must've been half dog and had no sense of time. The Xbox 360 version of Splinter Cell Double Agent is a prime example: There's a loading screen when you go from the intro screen to the game menu. A loading screen when you click on "single-player" or "multiplayer" to get to the appropriate mode's menu. An excruciating load time when you actually fire-up your single-player progress. And then, depending on the size of the level, a mid-mission loading screen as you get the latest checkpoint. And this is a second-generation Xbox 360 game.

Don't think it's just the Xbox 360, though; the PS3 will have more than its share of load times. With all that data on those much-touted Blu-Ray Disks, something will have to give, and I highly doubt it's going to be content. What's ironic is that the only thing to deliver on the next-gen promise of no load times is Xbox Live Arcade. And forgive me for pointing out that Microsoft probably didn't have Frogger in mind when it talked about a world without delay.

Halo 3 News

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:57:00 +0000

Via a sweedish magazine comes some Halo 3 information:

Weapons
Spiker - a new Brute weapon
Spartan laser - a laser that tears vehicles apart
Nail Grenade - sticks into walls and sends nails everywhere

Vehicles
The Mongoose is in! This is the ATV that was cut from Halo 2. It seats two and has no weapons. Designed from recon and quick travel.

Multiplayer goodies
The "Man Cannon" - Spartans do their best Human Bullet impersonations for some extremely rapid transport. Players can still shoot in the air, and can be shot down.

Controls
The X button has a new, still secret feature. Reloading has now been allocated to the bumper buttons. Right bumper reloads the right weapon, and the left bumper reloads the left. Genius.

Miscellaneous
You can now see your secondary weapon when it's not in use. In other words, it's actually slung over your shoulder instead of magically appearing out of thin air. Also, a 4 DVD "Legendary" edition is planned that will have material from Red Vs. Blue, documentaries, and a collection of all cut scenes from the game (possibly the whole series?).

Where does the time go?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:04:00 +0000

My deepest appologies for the lack of updates, I recently moved (as in last weekend) and had a lot of cordinating to do. Doesn't help that the wife is pregnant either. Ah, real life...won't you ever stop being annoying! Anywhoo... i'm working on a podcast review of gears of war, so that should be pretty swanky. Hang tight folks!

Mega Gears of War Post

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 02:20:00 +0000

Multiplayer Footage Compilation:
http://www.jeux-france.com/downloads6660_mov1_video-gears-of-war.html

Co-op Footage:
http://www.jeux-france.com/downloads6626_video-gears-of-war.html

Great Screenshot:
http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/4052/786_0001.jpg

9 Multiplayer Videos from an event:
http://leech.thewopples.com/gow/

Great video interview with Cliffy B:
http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/6688

Gears of War will ship with 10 MP maps :
http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=552954

Not really Gears related but it was a very cool 360 commercial:
http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/2275FA37-F255-4BE8-B814-05AF5D7B34E0/0/vidcopsnrobbersHi.asx

Burned Out By Gaming?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 12:35:00 +0000

Are you burned out by gaming? Are you tired of the endless "console wars"? Are you jaded by what the "next generation" has to offer? TELL US ABOUT IT!

Please write it to my email address silentwolf@gmail.com, or leave a comment on the website. We look forward to hearing your complaints!

Homogenized - Rant # 1

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:09:00 +0000

It doesn’t matter what dance you show up to these days, your still going to have the same ball. During the X06 event I realized during my incessant web surfing for news, that it doesn’t really matter which website I go to for content, I’m getting the same exact thing.

IGN, Gamespy, Gamespot, Gamevideos.com, Gametrailers.com it’s all the same. In a way it’s eerily similar to CSI: Miami, Las Vegas, and everything else I hate about TV. The same content displayed in a different glass in and endless cycle of mediocrity. Naturally it’s unfair to criticize capitalism upon something that is clearly mass appeal, after all it’s hook line and sinkered me for years, the beef I have about being “hooked” as it were is that it all feels so utterly pointless, and undoubtly uninspired.

Unfortunately on the whole, the industry’s stab at setting themselves apart from the rest of the crowd end up immature, contrived, and decidedly nerdy. The lack of professionalism in this version of journalism simmers the stench to a fine boil, especially in the contrast of the well oiled machine which is the business end of making and publishing videogames.

Do I have a better way to do it? Not yet. Do you? I hope so, and by all means share it with me. Ideas, that’s one thing this industry doesn’t seem to have much of.

Gears of War in HD

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 05:29:00 +0000

Part 1:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?type=mov&id=13653

Part 2:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?type=mov&id=13655

Part 3:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?type=mov&id=13657

Gears of War Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:38:00 +0000

At X06 in Barcelona, we got our first hands-on time with the single-player mode, as well as co-op, on the first two levels of Gears of War, Microsoft's most anticipated title in the remainder of 2006. The single player story will take place during 36 hours of battle between the Coalition of Ordered Governments and the Locust Hoards. A small squad of four men, with freshly paroled protagonist Marcus Fenix at the helm, look to end this bloody war with a sudden and decisive strike at the heart of the Locusts.

A friend can jump in any time and play split-screen, taking control of Fenix's squadmate Dom. Or, a friend can jump right into the middle of a game on Xbox Live or via system link, playing through the same set of gritty, linear, stop-and-pop missions as the normal single-player game.

There are branching paths and plenty of flanking opportunities, the best part about online play. Holding down A and sprinting to cover while your buddy lays down suppressing fire is a rush in a Brothers In Arms sort of way. And then, when you are in position, you pop up and lay waste to those pesky locusts. Fun, fun, fun. Epic told us there are moments when one player will have to crank open a door while the other covers him, or times when one drives a vehicle and the other shoots, Tango and Cash style. In the single-player game, the AI will take right over.

While four player co-op would have been ideal, something Epic told me it was considering for Gears 2 or Gears 3, we had a no-pun blast covering our partners. We only played two levels and can't wait for more.

Visually, Gears of War looks simply amazing, with incredibly detailed architecture inspired by Ancient Greece and Rome with a post-apocalyptic hue. That was only the first two levels, however, and a team member at Epic told us that those levels are, in his opinion, the least attractive of the entire game.

In these levels, you'll work your way in a squad of four, occasionally healing fallen comrades, searching for hidden "COG tags," dog tags of fallen comrades, and methodically working from point to point, taking out the Locusts. The game blends seamlessly from level to level and there no load times between missions.

Superman Returns Game Footage Surfaces

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:32:00 +0000

The sensation of speed is pretty intense, as is the scope of the city. Here's hoping EA knocks this one out of the park.

Assasins Creed Demonstration

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:22:00 +0000

Whoa nelly, I hope im not the only one who crapped his pants after seeing this video. I need a towel :(

Halo Wars

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:49:00 +0000

Yes...YES...YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Uh yeah...check out the trailer here

The Motherload

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:47:00 +0000

Barcelona, Spain—On the shores of one of the world's most artistic and progressive cities, Microsoft Corp. today thrilled attendees at its annual X06 event by inviting everyone to experience the next generation now on the Xbox 360™ system. The announcements and hands-on gameplay experiences highlight how the world's greatest game creators are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in high definition and online storytelling. Highlights of the announcements included the
following:

• A landmark partnership between Academy Award-winning writer,
director, and producer Peter Jackson, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Fran Walsh, and Microsoft Game Studios will create two new interactive entertainment series exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live(r). The first will be a collaborative effort with Bungie Studios to co-create the next great chapter in the Halo(r) universe. The second will be an entirely original property targeted at bringing new audiences into the captivating world of interactive entertainment. In addition, Microsoft Game Studios will partner with Jackson and Walsh to establish Wingnut Interactive, a studio dedicated to the creation of world-class interactive entertainment.

• Halo(r) Wars is an all-new real-time strategy game based on the
legendary Halo universe and designed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires(r) franchise.

• Rockstar and Take-Two will provide Xbox 360 gamers with exclusive
access to two epic downloadable episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV via Xbox Live, each with hours of new gameplay content, and available only on Xbox 360 just months after the release of the title.

• Ubisoft confirmed that the next Splinter Cell title, the installment
after Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell(r) Double Agent™, will be exclusive to Xbox 360, a testament to the ability of the powerful next-gen game console to deliver experiences no other console can match.

• 2K Games confirmed that BioShock, a first person shooter that will
revolutionize the genre and forever change the expectations of gamers, will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 and Microsoft(r) Windows(r) next spring.

• Project Gotham Racing(r) 4, was unveiled, the latest addition to
the best-selling franchise, made exclusively for Xbox 360 by Bizarre Creations. PGR4 promises to continue the series' pedigree of innovation by introducing exciting new experiences to racing fans worldwide.

• The beloved Banjo-Kazooie(r) franchise will breathe new,
high-definition life exclusively on Xbox 360, from famed developer Rare Ltd. Beloved characters Banjo, Kazooie and Gruntilda—among other fan favorites—will new next-gen visuals and presentation as well as their sharp wit and hilarious sense of humor.

• Microsoft Game Studios will release its highly-anticipated new MMO
game, Marvel Universe Online for both Xbox 360 and the Windows Vista™ operating system. MUO was developed by industry luminaries Cryptic Studios, creators of the smash hits City of Heroes and City of Villains.

• Expect two new additions to Xbox Live Arcade: The FPS that pioneered
the network-gaming era, DOOM(r), from acclaimed developer id Software and Activision, is available now on Xbox Live Marketplace. The game includes the original four-episode single-player game, four-player split screen action, both co-op and deathmatch, and four player co-op and deathmatch via Xbox Live. Coming soon to Xbox Live Arcade is Sensible World of Soccer from Codemasters. Based on a classic Amiga title from 1994, Sensible World of Soccer will let gamers choose between the original graphics or an updated, high-resolution look and feel—while still capturing the original game's wide world of football.

• Arriving at retailers in North America, the U.K, France and Germany
in mid-November 2006, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player will retail for
$199.99 in North America (estimated retail price)* and €199.99/£129.99 (estimated retail price)* in the U.K., France and Germany. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player comes with the Universal Pictures' blockbuster film Peter Jackson's "King Kong" on HD DVD (for a limited time) and the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

"Xbox 360 is changing the way developers are telling stories today — from the industry's most beloved franchises to exciting new properties," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "We are inspiring the imaginations of the entertainment industry's best and most creative talent to take their franchises in exciting directions, while also spinning new tales for everyone."

"We are incredibly pleased to be here in Barcelona to talk about the next chapter of Xbox and how Xbox 360 continues to deliver on the promise and potential of the next generation," said Chris Lewis, regional vice president of the Home and Entertainment Division, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), at Microsoft. "As we prepare to launch some of our biggest global titles and best regional content both right now and well into the future, consumers will have much to choose from with a system designed for high-definition and online entertainment. We are the only next-generation experience that seamlessly connects players to their games, friends and entertainment content."

Xbox 360 Stretches Popular Franchises in New Directions Xbox 360 continues to expand the interactive entertainment landscape, enabling industry superstars to take beloved franchises in exciting new directions. Microsoft Game Studios announced its partnership with Peter Jackson to herald in a new age of interactive entertainment that can only be realized on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. The goal of this partnership is to create new stories and redefine the way they are told. The first part of this long-term relationship is for Jackson, Walsh and team to bring to life two new interactive entertainment experiences exclusively for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. The first project is to co-write, co-design and co-produce a completely new and original chapter in the "Halo" universe in collaboration with Bungie Studios. The second project is an entirely original property from the team in New Zealand that will not only bring a whole new interactive story to life, but will also captivate new audiences that have yet to discover the power of interactive entertainment.

In addition, in collaboration with Microsoft Game Studios, Jackson and Walsh are creating Wingnut Interactive. The two will create a world-class interactive entertainment studio that fuses the strength of Microsoft's technology and interactive entertainment experience with the creative and imaginative excellence of the Wingnut Interactive team.

"Microsoft has built an amazing living canvas with Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, which allows the storytellers of our time to express themselves in a new medium. They have fundamentally changed how people think about games," Jackson said. "My vision, together with Microsoft Game Studios, is to push the boundaries of game development and the future of interactive entertainment. From a movie-maker's point of view, it is clear to me that the Xbox 360 platform is the stage where storytellers can work their craft in the same way they do today with movies and books but taking it further with interactivity."

In addition to demonstrating its leadership in the next-generation of games through exclusive alliances, Microsoft Game Studios announced "Halo Wars," an all-new real-time strategy game based on the legendary "Halo" universe and built exclusively for Xbox 360 by Ensemble Studios, the creators of the "Age of Empires" series. "Halo Wars"
places the player in command of human UNSC armies as they deploy for mankind's first deadly encounter with the enemy Covenant forces.

In addition, Microsoft Game Studios provided first details surrounding "Project Gotham Racing 4," the latest addition to the premiere racing franchise from Bizarre Creations and the reunion of Banjo, Kazooie and Gruntilda in an all-new addition to the "Banjo-Kazooie" franchise from industry veterans Rare.

Crackdown

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:32:00 +0000

One of the most exciting aspects of Crackdown lies within its co-op gameplay supported by both offline and online play thanks to Xbox Live. While we weren’t able to get into much in the way of the game’s co-op modes just yet, it’s great to know that Real Time Worlds is helping push the genre’s envelop even further by offering the first ever co-op that promises to expand upon the single player gameplay. Craig explained that Crackdown’s co-op mode is getting just as much attention as the single player mode and that it is not simply being slapped on in hindsight to the rest of the action. It is just important that the co-op gameplay be as innovative and impressive as the single player content otherwise Real Time Worlds wouldn’t be making such an effort to include it. They are hoping that by including the first co-op the action/driving genre has seen, that it will help to unlock new types of gameplay experiences that continue to establish them as trendsetters within the industry. Best of all, the entire campaign is totally playable cooperatively at any point, meaning players can play any part of the game alone or with a friend. It's as easy as another player jumping in on the action or leaving on the fly. The design is so that there is a seamless integration of both single player and cooperative campaign gameplay.

Indeed....indeed.

Metal Gear Solid 4 : It's the Bee's Knees

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:19:00 +0000

Test Drive Unlimited Critique

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:23:00 +0000

WOW!

I was left speechless after spending a good 8 hours with the full game last night. The scope of the game is breathtaking, as is the sense of ownership. The game sucks you in from the very begining and doesn't let go. From the little touches like begining the game at an airport before you fly into hawaii, and allowing you to select your charcter (which you can modify later) from a large list of preset people. It even goes further with the customization once you get to the island and purchase some living space and a car. It feels like your playing with real money in a living breathing world. The fact that the single player is interwoven with a persistent online world only hightens the excitement of crusing the countryside.

I spent a good 3 hours just driving around the entire island, taking in the scenery and taking photographs of cool locations to visit later. I ended up running into a random xbox live citizen who showed me around town. Driving off road with a very cool xbox live guide broke down some barriers of what i've come to expect from internet gaming. The game is truly groundbreaking in this area. Although the car's have some subtle annoyances, all is forgiven once you take into consideration the scope of the game, besides the roadsters sound meaty and handle well enough to be fun and challenging at the same time. The game really shines in the multiplayer mode, with some of the 8 car long distance races being amoung the most fun I've had in a racing game in quite some time. What makes thing's differnt is the amount of room you feel. In the middle of the race you could get swerve off track, go through a few shrubs, over a hill and cut off the competition with your little impromptu shortcut. I have never felt this free and unconstrained in a racing game before, aside from midtown madness.

I joined a car club shortly before I got last night, and I look forward to investing some more time into the bevy of options there. Until then, color me satisfied with amount of fun wrapped up in of all things, a Test Drive game. Baby...i've missed you.

Special Interview: Ex Microsoft Customer

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:21:00 +0000

Microsoft’s worldwide release of the Xbox 360 was unprecedented in video game history. They achieved global market saturation in a very short period of time, and millions of gamers everywhere could readily enjoy the next generation of gaming. Unfortunately a few ripples of hardware failures began to make big waves for Microsoft, with a few lawsuits being levied against them for supposedly making a product that can not properly cool itself. I myself personally went through 5 Xbox 360’s until I got a functioning unit. Despite my woes I assumed that by now, almost 9 month’s later, that Microsoft would have worked out the kinks or so to speak. Are gamers still walking into a headache when they pick up a 360 off the shelves? In the following interview, I talk to one casual gamer to find out.

Straight Up Gaming (SUG): Thank you for joining us today, could you please state your name and occupation?

Clint Rhodes and I am a software engineer.

SUG: How would you describe your gaming habits? What are some of your favorite games?

I tend to gravitate towards adventure/rpg titles and racing games but I do indulge in the occasional shooter. Some of my favorite games include the Grand Theft Auto series, the Legend of Zelda series, Knights of the Old Republic, Beyond Good & Evil, Project Gotham Racing 2, Ninja Gaiden, and Psychonauts.

What aspect of next generation gaming interests you the most?

I’m very interested to see the evolution of the ‘marketplace’ services that the console companies are creating for the next-generation consoles. Currently it seems they’re aimed at bringing older games onto the newer consoles, but I’m hoping that it will segue into a service that will provide smaller, independent developers with a platform to deliver their games without having to depend on a major publisher.

SUG: What exactly was it that drew you to the Xbox 360 versus any of the other consoles?

I still own an original Xbox, and some of my best gaming moments on that console were in games played through Xbox Live. I’d been following Microsoft’s efforts to improve and evolve Xbox Live and felt that it would be the best online platform available in the console realm.

SUG: Where did you purchase your Xbox 360, and describe your initial experience?

I purchased it from Best Buy. My initial impressions of the 360 were fantastic. I thought I had a good idea of what to expect from the console, but I was very pleasantly surprised when I began using it. That was my first experience with a wireless controller and I thought it was simply amazing.

SUG: I understand you purchased an Xbox Live account, what were your impressions?

The Live console is incredible. Once I completed the setup, I probably spent the next hour or so going through Live and downloading videos, demos, and arcade games. Again, my expectations were met and exceeded with this aspect of the Xbox.

SUG: How and when did your Xbox 360 problems begin?

I purchased Burnout Revenge with my console. I believe I got a solid week of play time before I got my first dirty disc error with that title. Next came a string of lockups in both Burnout Revenge and Saint’s Row, but I was willing to overlook that. Then, about 2 ½ weeks into owning the console, I started it up and my Xbox Live profile was gone.

SUG: Did you attempt to trouble shoot the problems, and with what success?

Of course. I went through all of the steps to recover my Xbox Live profile. After entering all of my information, the Xbox tried to write the profile back to the hard drive, but I would get an error telling me the Xbox was unable to access the attached storage, in this case, the hard drive. I tried removing the hard drive and reattaching it, then repeating the recovery process. Each time it gave me the same error trying to write to the disk.

SUG: Eventually you made a decision not to keep your Xbox 360, what was the primary motivator behind that?

To me, the Xbox is just like any other piece of hardware. If it fails me, and there is a history of failure, I’m not going to keep using it. If brand XYZ television goes bad on me, and I know a couple of friends who also had the same brand go bad, why would I go back and get the same television? With other hardware, I would look for a comparable product from a different manufacturer, but in this case, there really isn’t such a product, so I chose to return it for a refund.

SUG: Were you able to receive a refund for your Xbox Live purchase?

Yes, I did get a prorated refund on my Live purchase because I paid for a full year upfront. Thankfully, the account was only two weeks old so the prorated amount was very close to the full amount paid.

SUG: How would you describe Microsoft’s customer care and support?

It took me quite a while to get through to an operator. I guess their system disconnects callers during high call volumes rather than put you in a queue, so I had to call them back several times. Once I managed to get through, they were very courteous and took care of me quickly.

SUG: Would you purchase another Xbox 360 in the future for any reason?

I do intend to purchase another 360, but it’s going to be later in the console’s lifecycle. I waited to purchase the original Xbox until after all of the Thompson drive problems had been corrected, and I foresee a similar thing with the 360. I need to know that Microsoft has worked out the gremlins, whatever they may be, before I’ll purchase another 360.

SUG: Would you recommend an Xbox 360 to an excited friend?

I can’t say I’d recommend it. I would simply convey my experience with the 360 as best as I could to them and let them make their own choice.

Thank you very much for your time!

Nintendo Wii Launch Date Set: November 19th in US

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:46:00 +0000

The Nintendo Wii will arrive stateside November 19 for $250. It will also include a copy of Wii Sports. If true, this will be the first Nintendo console in history to launch at a price other than $200. According to the article (also being run by GameSpot and Engadget, among many others), 25 to 30 titles will be released for the Wii this year, including Twilight Princess, Excite Truck, and at least eight from Ubisoft.

Videogames 1.5?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 13:41:00 +0000

I've noticed a somewhat unsettling tread emerging in both old generation, and next generation videogames, and that trend is pseudo-sequels. What really called this to mind was the recent sequel announcement of Call of Duty 3. It appears to use the same engine, the same animations, and even the same character models as the previous game, and yet it's got a shiny new number after the title. Are consumers really being asked to pay a premium price for content they already paid for once? What gives man!

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 3

I of course would expect this sort of thing from your sport's franchise games, although I don't particularly agree with it. I did not however welcome this practice into the shooting genre or even the 3^rd person action genre. The pill would be much easier to swallow if they would instead call their games perhaps Call of Duty 2.5 or perhaps released at a lower price point. Instead game publisher's are essentially releasing expansion packs for the same price as a fully developed original title. Take for example the game Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Ubisoft Shanghi utilized the exact same game engine as the original game, the same animations, and most of the same character models from the first game, while secretly developing it's true sequel Splinter Cell Chaos Theory in tandem. Although an excellent business strategy, it's also a great way to milk the blood out of your customers.

Orginal Splinter Cell

Splinter Cell Pandora Tommrow

Ubisoft continued the trend with the brothers in arms series, it's sequel earned in blood utilized the same engine, animations, with a few tweaks here and there. Although both Panodra Tomorrow and Earned in Blood were well received games, aren't we as consumers paying a bit much for a few new maps and weapons? I guess time will tell, but gazing into the future the trend does not seem to be ending. The next generation version of Splinter Cell looks to use a tweaked engine of Chaos Theory, it's also being put out by the same team responsible for Pandora Tomorrow, so I expect plenty of the same animations to return.

As mentioned before, I don't particularly disagree with the practice of re utilizing a perfectly good engine, with a few spices here and there. But if your going to re-season the same chicken, at least pluck a few feathers off the price while your at it. Otherwise eventually you're bound to choke the life out your customers, and then your proper clucked.

Dynamic Video Game Ads Gain Support

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:39:00 +0000

Video games are about to become more interactive. In-game advertiser Double Fusion disclosed Tuesday it has signed a deal to integrate its technology into a video game development tool suite from Emergent Game Technologies.

Emergent's Gamebryo Element game engine and toolkit will now have drop-down menus that incorporate interactive in-game ad placements similar to the way developers might add color or texture to objects in games.

Integrating tools into menus in the Gamebryo Element game-engine lets developers easily make in-game ads clickable and interactive, said Jonathan Epstein, president and CEO of Double Fusion, San Francisco.

"Technologies on the market have in the past required developers to define events," Epstein said. "If the online video game requires a player to click on a billboard sending them outside the video game to gain a hint that advances them to the next level, in the past the developer would have needed to go back inside their tools and create a path in the game."

The easier the process to integrate ads, the more likely name brands like General Motors and Procter & Gamble will want to reach consumers through cars rushing down the highway, or rotating stadium advertisements and flashy billboards positioned next to highways, experts said.

More after the jump...

Sony delays European PlayStation 3 launch

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:25:00 +0000

Due to chip manufacturing problems, Sony is delaying the release of the Playstation 3 in Europe expected in November 2006 to March of 2007. I can only wonder what the repercussions of this are. This is a huge window of opportunity for their competitors and undoubtedly a hard pill for Sony to swallow.

Keeping Games Straight up: By Carrigan Propes

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:17:00 +0000

Keeping Games Straight Up

I have been puzzled recently. I have always held the strong conviction that we as human beings learn from the past and try to avoid repetitious mistakes. I can sadly say this is not true of game marketers. We true gamers have remembered at least one hyped, over saturated, embellished upon game that has graced the game shelf at one time or another. Be it a release date pushed back “until further notice”, or the gross exaggeration of a game’s proposed content, game info is severely blurred and damaged by misrepresentation or false hype.

The False Reasoning

For some strange reason, game companies and marketing executives seem to think that we can’t handle anything beyond marketing baby food. I would put a link to an example, but I think most people know what I’m talking about. The pre rendered intro video here, a screenshot showing a character doing something “amazing” there. Every game that is brewing on the horizon seems better than anything before it. But the sad truth of it all is usually a game that tastes sweet at first, until the bitter aftertaste kicks in. That aftertaste comes from unfinished aspects of a game, abilities and content that were promised or strongly hinted at that don’t exist, or outright lies. Is this the game designers fault, or someone else’s…

The Culprits

No, your average game designer’s job does not consist of spreading falsehood. They are usually the worst victim of the system. Let me explain. Imagine you made dinner for some very important guests. Imagine this was also a business dinner. You slave and work to make a wonderful dinner, maybe chicken, or turkey, doesn’t matter. Then some “representatives” stop by and tell your guests how wonderful their meal is about to be, they go on about how the dinner will be the best ever. One of the guests asks if it is steak, as he is a steak lover, and the “representative” of your company tells him it is the juiciest steak he will have ever eaten. He is trying to make a good impression for the cook, but when you bring out a turkey dinner, the gentleman who had been told that it was going to be steak is disappointed, and now questions your ability to cook a good STEAK dinner. The other guests are also very critical of the meal, because they were mislead as well. Now, if the “representatives” had not lied, and not trumped up that dinner, everyone would have probably enjoyed their dinner more. These representatives represent the marketing aspect of games respectively. They usually have one job, get you hooked, and then drag you to the release date. There are other jobs that include very similar tactics, like crack dealers. Get some kid hooked, and he is a slave for more. Why do they do this? Simple, it works.

The Long Term Problem

While many are used to this brand of game propaganda, many still are trapped in what I like to call: “The Best Game Ever Syndrome”. This infectious disease makes people believe that a certain game that is coming out will “revolutionize” or “wow” the gaming community. When has this actually happened? I can count the times on my fingers and toes. How many times has it been a complete falsity? Well, have you ever counted sand?

People are splitting into two groups now, the angry jaded gamer out for blood, and the gamer that refuses to lose faith in the system and gallantly tries to inform the world that it is not the game designers fault. I’m somewhere in between at the moment. The former group is growing rapidly though, and soon, many people will just cry B.S. on most marketing plows, false or true.

The Hidden Problem

Marketers are bred to make all of your wildest dreams seem to come true. Why do they tell us things that might be construed as a lie? Because we as gamers ask them to! Remember the gentleman asking if the dinner was steak? If the cook had heard that, he would have politely told the gentleman that it was in fact, not steak, but something equally enjoyable. But the representative wanted to immediately gratify the gentleman’s curiosity. How many forums are filled with the requests for this and that in a game. How many times have we been told that a game would have something, just because enough people wanted it. The problem is communication. Just like a marriage, lawsuit, and fast food ordering, communication is again the key.

The Solution

Communication is a wonderful thing when used correctly. Let the game designers do the talking. Let the fans of the titles communicate honestly with the creator. Let the cook address the guests. Most gamers today aren’t stupid, and would rather have facts about a title over speculation and false promises. Quit promising the moon, and get people excited over the content that has been accomplished. I’m not saying marketers don’t have a place in the order of things. But I see them in more of a role akin to movie marketers. When it’s close to finished, show trailers of in game footage, not pre rendered hopes and whispers. Back to my analogy of the dinner, imagine if the representatives brought out hot rolls (demos) and wine (quality information based on completed fact) before the meal. Sounds much more appealing, and everyone gets pleasantly full by the end.

In Conclusion

Demand honesty in your game news. Thank you to the several games and game designers out there that strive to constantly work to satisfy our rabid hopes and expectations for game content in their titles. That said, to all of the game companies that would try to hype us into purchasing an incomplete product, be advised, we know the game now.

Assassin's Creed announced for the 360

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 03:20:00 +0000

Come on don't act like you were really suprised. It's Ubisoft...the only thing they keep exclusive is their money hats. Such beautiful money hats :(

Nintendo Wii in Action

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 03:12:00 +0000

Ign takes an in-depth look at the Nintendo Wii, and a few of it's game. It's an insightful look into arguably the most anticipated console of the year.

Straight Up Gaming Interviews: Bungie's Dan Miller

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:47:00 +0000

Straight Up Gaming (S.U.G) : Hi Dan, Please share with the group your name and position at Bungie, not necessarily in that order. I'm all about choices…

Dan Miller: Hey there, I'm Dan Miller, I'm a mission designer at Bungie. A mission designer basically focuses on the gameplay aspect of a level, starting from paper/whiteboard concepts to scripting AI, placing game objects and bug fixing.

It's my job to work with art, engineering, sound, effects and QA and bring them together to make a level that fits an overall story arc, has a gameplay flow, makes sense and most importantly is fun to play.

S.U.G : What aspect of mission designing are you the most passionate about? Where do you see your role in game development evolving too in the future?

Dan Miller: I've been in the industry for over seven years now. Five of those years have been in design. My role hasn't changed too much over that time. I've never been much of an artist, and my brain isn't fully set-up for programming. I'm most passionate about the overall scope of a game and can see myself moving into a producer or lead role someday. I've found that my interest lies much more with the 'macro' of a project. For the moment, I'm very happy where I'm at though.

S.U.G : Here at S.U.G we feel that co-op implementation into the single player component, especially via the internet, is an extremely important feature in the future of gaming. How important is co-op gaming to you, as well as to the development community?

Dan Miller: I love co-op- it's one of the most enjoyable ways to play a game. It's also part of the reason why I took the gig at Bungie. With Halo at least, they've brought co-op into the spotlight and I feel are mostly responsible for it's increasing acceptance. I loved playing System Shock 2 co-op. I also have very fond memories playing Contra 3: The Alien Wars and Secret of Mana with my brother in co-op mode. There is something irresistible about working together as a team to take down a common opponent.

S.U.G : We've noticed a trend of first party Microsoft titles supporting co-op via Xbox Live, do you believe this is intentional?

Dan Miller: Co-op isn't easy to implement from a technical or a game design perspective. Most games with co-op are built from the ground up with this in mind. It costs a lot of money to implement the feature in a polished manner. I just hope that the trend continues.

S.U.G : Xbox Live marketplace has pioneered additional content via the web, does this option change or enrich your role as a Mission Designer? What opportunity does it provide from your end of the spectrum?

Dan Miller: I really like the way the guys at Ubisoft provided additional co-op scenarios for Ghost Recon- unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to playing with these yet. Maybe if I get some time soon I'll take the plunge. I'm pretty busy right now though!

S.U.G: With increasing developmental costs coupled with the push for even more interactivity within the game environments, has this added any additional complexity to your position?

Dan Miller: Game scripting has definitely increased its complexity, but in terms of design, the increased interactivity in the environments really hasn't affected me as much as it has affected art and engineering. Maybe I'm just fortunate that I have an awesome set of tools that allows me to implement and iterate faster than I used to.

S.U.G: Describe your favorite Halo or Halo 2 moment. If possible tie in the word bacon.

Dan MIller: Playing co-op with a friend for the first time in Halo 2 was incredibly fun. I've never laughed and yelled so much playing a game in my life. My current project is better than bacon.

S.U.G:Thanks for your time Dan!

New Team Fortress 2 Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Ian White) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 12:35:00 +0000

Hahahaha! You MUST watch this! Greatness...