Everything is Working in Perfect Harmony
June 3rd, 2008
I remember back a few years ago I read an article which talked about Hollywoodisation of the video games industry. The core idea was that as game development budgets rose across all platforms the quality of games would level out and more developers would take less risks in order to survive. This would in turn force developers to create more safe bets breeding a multitude of generic, samey games. Essentially this article forcasted the death for the video game industry.
At the time it definitely sounded realistic. I mean from where we sat we all knew that the cost of development would rise and that it would change the way that the industry operates. Looking at this theory now though it’s clear to see that no such thing exists. On second thoughts its not hard to argue that games are infact less like this now than before.
Balance and What Makes Balance
The idea of Hollywoodisation is very one dimensional, it had no choice but to be that way because back then we could have never predicted how games would evolve into what they are now. With the coming of the latest generation of games we have seen new outlets open up providing users with more selection rather than the idea of the one size fits all format that we have been walking for sometime. These many new evolutions have ensured that we are currently more balanced than ever in turn lowering the burden that Hollywoodisation has on our industry. Lets look at some of these avenues that have helped out industry evolve so much in such a short amount of time.
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Link Out (22/5/08)
May 23rd, 2008
It’s another month and I have another handful of recommended readings to share with you. I figured that I’d also take this opportunity to make a brief apology. I must confess that I have been driving myself into the ground lately with this juggling act called life and as such I have been a little late responding to your comments and emails as well as putting out new content every 2 days. By the time this goes live though I should be well and truly back on the saddle. Thanks for bearing with me.
Also while I am talking off topic I would just like to say that I have been accepted into studying in ShangHai, China this September through to January. I will be living and studying in ?? district which is popular for its electronics. I’m very excited and I hope that this experience will allow me to talk about some interesting issues regarding video games in one of Asia’s most gorgeous cities.
As always, I have been storing some of these links since the end of the last Link Out which was over a month ago. So be aware that some may not be on the bleeding edge of gaming news.
We’ve won: get over it – The Guardian
With the release of Grand Theft Auto 4, us bloggers have naturally increased our receptiveness to the media’s portrayal of video games just to observe how out of touch they are with the average player. I’m pleased to say though that admist the RockStar bashing and parent protests a handful of major media outlets have actually got it right. One of my favorite such articles is this one written by Richard Bartle of The Guardian.
China’s Forgotten Gamers – ESkyCity
As I just mentioned I will be heading off to ShangHai this August (leaving in August, study in September) and if possible I would like to keep this blog alive during that time. If this is possible then I will probably write a few articles shedding light on the state of play in China. As a prelude though I found this article to be perfect for warming you all into the idea. 🙂
Abdullah’s Blogging: A Generation 1.5 Student Enters the Blogosphere
This journal is one that I selected for one of my University classes. The journal is a case study of a Somalian student study ESL (English second language) in an American high school and how blogging had allowed him and his peers to make the transition from a strong spoken language into a better form of academic writing.
This article as well as many others can be found in the Language Learning and Technology archives where there is a fantastic selection of journals. A lot of good reads in there.
Resident Evil Series Time Line
In my recent critique of Resident Evil Remake I mentioned that the journal entries littered around the mansion were so very compelling because it provided context to the haunting environments. This got me thinking about the series’ complete story, I had a solid idea of what had happened over the course of the series but I wanted to fully understand everything. So after a little searching I found a time line of the series which includes all backstory and journals featured within all of the Resident Evil games. Yes sure, I am spoiling the game’s storyline but considering that I kinda already knew what happened and was just after the finer details I don’t see a problem with it.
In anycase what I found was extremely comprehensive, I would guess that there is enough history here to fill an 80 paged book. So take a look if you need some more context. With this I have decided to play through the rest of the series.
David Hayter Interview
The man behind the voice of Solid Snake shares his thoughts on the Metal Gear series and his current work load. There’s a couple of nuggets of insight into the voice work behind Metal Gear inside which makes this worth the read. Hayter did also seemed quite immature in some of his remarks.
Wii Fit Reviewed by Everyday New Yorkers and Tourists – MTV Multiplayer
Being someone who previously sold electronics I always love the idea of having customers return to the store to tell me what they thought of the product that I had recommended for them. This article is similar to that sort of customer feedback. We should all be paying more attention to the critique of new players to games.
Prince of Persia Speed Art
I must say that I am impressed with the number of new, refreshing games being announced left, right and centre. It appears as though some developers may not be willing to wait until E3 this year to put all of their eggs in the one basket. This is probably a good idea too because it allows for better exposure. In anycase Ubisoft have recently announced a new, cel shaded Prince of Persia game which looks absolutely gorgeous. The following link shows how some of the conceptual artwork was made.
Other Links
Resident Evil 4 (PC Version) ~ Essential Enhancement Mods
Animal Crossing Wii Speculation and Hints Analysis
Pokemon MMO Being Made by Fans
Nintendo Australia Members Club Back in Action
Play Impressions (29/4/08) – PSP Edition
April 28th, 2008
Even though I have been raving and ranting about the PSP before the gaming blog even came to conception and while these gaming orientated articles were being posted on my personal blog, up to now, I still don’t even own a PSP myself. Thats right, the master of hypocrisy has struck again 🙁 ! I have been interested in purchasing a PSP for some time now and still haven’t sealed the deal despite the release of the PSP Slim and the fruitation of an even more exciting library of games.
My reason for this is that I already have far too many games to play and should just wait until the console and it’s software is significantly cheaper. Fortunately my twin brother took me by surprise and picked up a PSP himself in a pack (PSP Media Manager + 4GB memory stick Pro Duo) as well as a few games. In the past 3 weeks we have been picking up a few games for the console and here are my impressions on some of my favourites.
Jeanne d’Arc
Jeanne d’Arc, what a fantastic little game. As an enormous fan of the original Final Fantasy Tactics I must say that I am throughly enjoying this (rather similar) little strategy RPG romp. If you have played FF Tactics before or in fact any SRPG game then you should immediately have some idea as to what to expect from this game. The basic; attack, defend, skill, wait options are all featured as well as the obligatory elemental triangle and the same weapon equiping system you’d expect. What makes this game such a fresh experience though are a few key factors; namely the gorgeously lush visuals, olde France thematic and the user friendly design. The last point shines in all its glory throughout this title and is a testament to Level 5’s role playing expertise.
Now as mentioned at least three times already, I personally love anything that is or is heavily inspired from Final Fantasy Tactics (non inclusive of the GBA and NDS titles). So when I talk about this game, I will literally be gushing out the love. My apologies.
Cutting the fat though and attempting to stick with the gameplay for a moment, Jeanne d’Arc’s skill system works a little differently, each party member has 3 slots in which you can equip any skill to, this includes spells, concentrated attacks etc. With this you can equip various elemental attributes which align and add power of the respective element to your player. You gain these skills (as equipable items) through the spoils of battle.
What concerns me about this system is the lack of breathing space, there are only 3 slots for skills. Hopefully this will increase will leveling up or else I for see this system being highly restrictive. Especially considering how these slots are also used to assign yourself to various elements.
Marching onwards, the presentation in Jeanne d’Arc is simply magnificent. Everything in this game is lush and beautiful, each object has it’s own semi cell shaded look that developers; Level 5 are renowned for (see: Rogue Galaxy, Dark Chronicle). The colours literally burst out of the screen. There are plenty of subtle details too such as smog, dust and special effects. The whole graphical presentation reeks of polish and is visually stunning. Sound is equally as worked and used appropriately within the context of the game. I am listening very closely to the game’s music and attempting to gauge the difference between this and the gorgeous music from Final Fantasy Tactics. So far Jeanne d’Arc is holding it’s own in that respect.
Jeanne d’Arc is a bit of a sleeper hit unfortunately, much to my own misunderstanding. The PSP, in my eyes is the current console for SRPG gaming. With Jeanne d’Arc, Disgea and Final Fantasy Tactics leading the way. I have a lot to look forward to playing, that is once I finish obsessing over the next PSP game on the list: Read the rest of this entry »
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