Gaming Features Archives - Page 4 of 4

What’s The Next Big Thing In Games?

July 31, 2007 by Mr Butterscotch

It’s a question on a few people’s lips, not least because games are looking a little stale at the moment. If you take a look at, for instance, the top 10 games for the Xbox360 games at www.gamespot.com you’ll see the top game (Forza 2) only garnered 9.2 out of 10. Clearly something is missing.

Okay, so it takes some time for new consoles to get the great games. This is a mixture of developers working out how to use the technology, ideas starting to flow through and acceptance by consumers of games beyond just Fifa 1,000. Things like Blue Dragon are coming through, which shows the promise of the current generation.

So where are games going next? Well what I find interesting is that games such as Okami haven’t been a great success yet Eternal Sonata and Blue Dragon are emerging – financed by the US yet made at least to crack the Japanese market whilst garnering critical acclaim and serious sales in other territories.

Both of these games have two things in common. Firstly, they are quite stylised visually. There share a look that is at once cartoony as well as a little bit special. Almost as though you’re playing a favourite anime. The other thing they have in common is story.

Story is one way in which games can start to develop beyond their current level. Half Life 2 hit the PC some time ago now, but it was well structured, paced and had an interesting storyline. Let’s not mention the end though eh? Still, this shows the direction in which games can and should develop.

Of course, not all games have (or should have) a great storyline. Games that belong on the Wii or Xbox Live (I’m not saying they are one and the same before you start complaining) are much more about the experience. That’s why they appeal to the casual gamer. They give a quick fulfilment at times, which I’m sure the new Nintendo accessory will do.

Emotion is a big talking point of games in the future. Is it actually possible to feel something during a game? Well I think it’s quite obvious that this is the case. Just to name one emotion, you have frustration. Something like Ikaruga will supply that in spades. On the other hand, what about the more deep stuff like caring, sacrifice, sadness and so forth?

One of the reasons that graphics are important in games is that they make you feel. It is the difference between feverishly working toward a high score filled with mindless routine and genuinely getting something rewarding from a game. It is this difference that separates old-school versus newer games.

One of the most famous games to feature ’emotion’ is Final Fantasy IIV. This game featured many memorable characters but frequently people cite the death of Aeris as one of the first truly emotive gaming experiences they’ve had. I know a couple of people who almost cried at this. One of the reasons for this I have no doubt is that Final Fantasy IIV is a very extensive game that takes a long time to play through fully. Thus, a player has more investment both in time and emotion with the game.

Of course, gaming has the more sinister side exposed too. Just look at Silent Hill. Quite a scary game by any accounts. It gets worse, in the form of Condemned: Criminal Origins. This game is perhaps undermined by a rather odd story, but the action is very much all creepy.

This demonstrates one of the issues with narrative. A good story can create atmosphere but action can do this just as well. I guess what I’m saying is that in future we might not necessarily see great stories or great action but perhaps a blend of both until gaming truly finds its feet.

As it is, some games will have a lot to offer in this newer, more evolved form of gaming include:

Eternal Sonata
Assassins Creed
Metal Gear Solid 4
Bioshock
Crysis
Two Worlds
F.E.A.R.
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Dreamfall – The Longest Journey
Grand Theft Auto IV
Mass Effect
Silent Hill

Of course, another issue with how games are developing is what’s known as ‘emergent gameplay‘. That’s definitely something to save for another article though as the topic literally grows daily as we here more and more about next generation games. In the meantime, go and sample some emotion of your own with some of the deeply involving games above.

I Picked Up an Old PC Games Book

July 13, 2007 by Phillip Kimpo Jr

And, like any other good book, it made me realize something.

I should play more old games. Those decade-old titles that have aged so deliciously like the best wine. Those games whose now-godawful graphics don’t detract anything from the games’ quality.

A few years ago, I picked up T. Liam McDonald’s PC Games Extravaganza from a bargain bookstore slash warehouse. The book, published in 1995, sold only for 150 Philippine pesos (around 3 US dollars today). Original price: Php 800 (approx. 16 USD).

Of course, it sold for such a heavily discounted price because it was old and hardly relevant – who’d give a damn about these dusty titles, much more shell out dough for a book that merely reviews and gives an overview about them? At least, that’s my guess on the bookstore manager’s thinking.

Well, if I’m right about that, then the manager thought wrong.

A decade later, the book stands as a good compilation of what was great and what was hot back then, across all gaming genres. Think of it as a time capsule of gaming. (Well, I’m forgetting that books are time capsules.) The book was a steal. Not a year passes that I don’t re-read all 200 pages of gaming goodness, pages whose edges are already beginning to turn yellow.

One factor that makes the book special is the author – if the name T. Liam McDonald sounds familiar to you, then you’ve been reading a lot of gaming magazines. As a game reviewer and critic, McDonald has edited and has been a columnist for several notable magazines (including one of my favorites, PC Gamer). In his own words, “I literally see every title that is published.”

And so what were the titles that made it into his book? The following is a list of some of the games per genre (as categorized by McDonald). Some of these are outright classics, some might have went under the radar but were cool and inimitable nonetheless, and some have spawned revered sequels and franchises.

Action & Arcade

Doom (Need we say more?)
Raptor (Top-down, vertically scrolling jet shooter.)
X-Wing (In a galaxy far, far away…)
TIE Fighter (Gotta love the dark side.)
Flashback (“Jaw-dropping fluidity.”)
Spear of Destiny (The retail edition of Wolfenstein 3D.)

Classics, Cards, Puzzles, & Sports Games

Battle Chess 4000 (Remember those animated Queens?)
Millennium Auction (“Outstanding computer imaging…strange sensibility.”)
Front Page Sports: Baseball (At a time when Major League Baseball players were on strike…)

Role-playing & Adventure Games

System Shock (One word: SHODAN.)
Ultima Underworld (If you’re playing RPGs and you don’t know Ultima…ugh.)
The Elder Scrolls 1: Arena (Great things start from small beginnings…)
Menzoberranzan (I am mightily biased. Forgotten Realms rocks.)
Alone in the Dark 1 & 2 (“Most distinctive , satisfying, and downright bizarre.”)
Return to Zork (Finally, Zork becomes un-text-based!)
Myst (This is the one 4-letter word in PC gaming that I believe is as HUGE as “Doom”.)

Strategy & War Games

Civilization (“Civ” and “Sid Meier” are two names very familiar to turn-based addicts, like yours truly.)
Railroad Tycoon Deluxe (I had great time with this game’s sequel.)
SimCity 2000 (What a wonderful, wonderful time-waster, all the way to SimCity 4.)
Empire Deluxe (“One of the few games that…won’t age.”)
X-COM (Battling aliens on a worldwide scale.)
Master of Orion (The seed of a sterling franchise that was only tarnished by MOO 3.)
Falcon 3.0/Falcon Gold (One of the flight sim kings.)

The above list, culled from McDonald’s more complete compilation, is subjective. You can think of the list as the games I have to play (again, or for the first time) to be called a decent gamer who knows his history. I have to play these games, in the same manner that I have to read all the classical books I have missed. I don’t have an excuse for not having read these books; I don’t have an excuse for not having played these games.

Question is, how do I get around to playing these jurassic titles not found anymore in game shops? That’s a topic for my next Gadzooki post – abandonware.

The Manhunt 2 Ban

June 27, 2007 by Mr Butterscotch

You probably haven’t heard but over in the UK Manhunt 2 has been banned. Rockstar games, no strangers to controversy themselves what with Bully, GTA etc in their stable of games, have perhaps pushed too far this time.

Here in Britain, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) have at this time refused to certify the PS2 and Wii title. This means in effect that the game cannot be legally sold – as all media entertainment (film and games) must get a certificate in order to be sold in shops.

The BBFC had this to say about the game: “Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing“.

Now, let’s just think about this for a moment. Yes, Manhunt 2 is about the killing. But it’s a game. Should we be trivialising violence? Well, that’s just one of the questions that can be raised about this issue. We’ll come to that in a moment though. IF we just look at the idea that there is an ‘unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone’ we then have to question why a film like Hostel got a release. Frankly I’d say that it is more squirm-worthy than a rather average violent game.

The BBFC also offered the following: “There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game,” it added, and highlighted “the game’s unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying and the sheer lack of alternative pleasures on offer to the gamer“.

So, there is sadism on offer. Can you tell me when Counterstrike didn’t offer some sadism? Here, as far as I know, Manhunt 2 is a single player experience. You’re therefore bashing a bunch of pixels. Admittedly, perhaps it’s a bit far to be using the Wii controller to emulate a stabbing, but hey – it is a game. Virtual. Not real.

The crux of the argument is that there is a potential for harm with the sale of Manhunt 2. The BBFC take this on board when deciding whether to give a certificate, and at what rating. I recall a number of films (such as I Spit On Your Grave), which were banned long ago – only to resurface years later. I doubt this would happen with games though, if simply because how fast the medium is moving.

The real issue here is how games (and other entertainment mediums more generally) can affect people. What happens when we play? Do our brains switch off for a kill-fest? Frankly, I’m no psychologist so I can’t say either way. I will say one thing though; there are more than a few murderers who have quoted the film The Matrix as a factor in their crime.

The Matrix is not a film that would instruct anyone to kill. However, if someone is on the edge, it perhaps could give a reason, a ‘trigger factor’ for his or her psychosis. The idea that the world is not real, or is somehow an illusion would have some resonance with those who have a problem with everyday life. It would give a sense of escapism.

Thus with games, the same with film. They are without a doubt fantastic forms of entertainment, but I really don’t believe that anyone will be affected by them (provided they are of age to view the content) beyond perhaps talking about what they saw/played the next day. For something to act as a ‘trigger’ there must be something going wrong in the first place.

I guess the real reason this censorship annoys me so much is that I’d almost certainly never play Manhunt 2 but I feel that as it is a game with average visuals those who would want to play it are missing out. I’m still convinced that films like Saw, Hostel and Ichi The Killer have a far greater chance of disturbing an easily influenced mind. Maybe that’s just me, but I’m off to play Ninja Gaiden – with the decapitations and blood switched on.

Notable Steampunk Games

June 26, 2007 by Phillip Kimpo Jr

A month ago, Ia wrote about the Steampunk style being applied to computer parts and peripherals. As she said, Steampunk is a “look based on the type of sci-fi/fantasy/speculative fiction literary genre”. As can be expected of any noteworthy genre, Steampunk has made its way into the video gaming industry. Several Steampunk games have become classics and worldwide bestsellers; still, you might not be aware that some of these popular games are Steampunk games.

Here’s a shortlist of Steampunk games that have enthralled countless gamers:

Thief — The Thief franchise (Thief: The Dark Project, Thief II: The Metal Age, Thief: Deadly Shadows) takes place in a Steampunk metropolis where the rogue of a protagonist achieves his goals by sneaking around enemies, dousing torches with water-tipped arrows, and just plain sleuthing around instead of bashing villains’ heads. Well, of course that’s still allowed, but avoided. If you think this makes for boring gameplay, think again. It spiked my adrenalin just as well as Counterstrike did. Very groundbreaking.

Warcraft — Yes, Blizzard’s venerable Warcraft franchise has a touch of Steampunk! Dwarves wielding rifles? Gnomish cities run by steam engines? Steampunk, baby. The World of Warcraft, Warcraft III, and Warcraft II provide one of the best game universes where magic and technology coexist.

Final Fantasy — But of course! Square’s paramount franchise has been long-known to mix the fantastic with the scientific — magic spells, airships, Guardian Forces, spaceships. Of the seemingly-endless train of FF games, Zidane and Garnet’s Final Fantasy IX is the most Steampunk of ’em all.

Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends — With one of its three races (the Vinci) heavily relying on gunpowder and clockwork, the fantastical successor to the historical Rise of Nations falls neatly into the Steampunk genre. As befitting a magic-and-tech game, Rise of Legends sports a magical civilization called the Alin, as well as the alien race of the Cuotl.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura — The game’s title says it all, doesnt it? For yours truly, Arcanum is the best Steampunk computer game built to this day, not only because it is brazenly Steampunk, but also because it is one of finest (if underrated) game worlds, ever.

Arcanum is a role-playing game done in Fallout fashion, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as its developer (Troika Games) was formed by ex-Fallout devs.

You can think of Arcanum as “Industrial Revolution meets Tolkien”, what with steam-powered trains coexisting with tree-dwelling Elves. There is friction between “magick” users and technologists/scientists in the game, and players are better off focusing on one half of the skill tree.

There was talk of an Arcanum sequel, but unfortunately, Troika Games dissolved after publishing only three games (living up to its name, eh?). Ah, at least Fallout 3 is just around the corner!

Forza Motorsport 2

June 10, 2007 by Mr Butterscotch

Forza Motorsport 2 - modded car.

The waiting is finally over. Forza 2 has arrived for the Xbox360. But is it worth the wait? You bet it is. For those of you who have played the demo (or original), you’ve a good idea what to expect. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to sample it – let’s take a look at what the game is about and why I’m such a fan.

Forza 2 is a racing simulation game featuring over 300 cars, based around real world tracks such as the infamous Nurburgring. The game is set up so that it can be played by both the novice and the expert -options coming in the form of driving aids. With these, games can be made as hard or as easy as you like. Do you lower the difficulty and turn off ABS? Would you rather remove the racing line? This is one of the more famous features of the game from the original – a line giving exact turn-in and breaking for best lap times. Now there’s also an option for just a breaking guide, though it does show where to hit the apex of a turn.

Seeing Forza 2 running in 720p with 60fps shows a good looking, if not beautiful game. The car models are excellent and the tracks are all accurate (where they exist), but this is not groundbreaking to look at in the same way as seeing PGR3 or GOW for the first time.

Another aspect of the graphics is the car decal/modelling. Cosmetically, almost any car can and is easily changed. Just look at some of my designs. All cars have decal layers in the thousands meaning that you can create anything from a tiger-striped mini to a TVR Tuscan with a wolf on the bonnet.

Of course it doesn’t matter what it looks like if the place is terrible, but thankfully it lives up to the hype. Each car has a very different feel to it with weight, drive train and a myriad of other factors giving the near-flawless illusion that you’re driving the car. I guess the only real letdown for me is the lack of a genuine in-car view. Given the simulation nature of the game this seems somewhat of an oversight but apparently it would have had a hugely negative impact on the physics engine that runs at a mammoth 360 updates per second.

Where Forza 2 really excels is the physics. This element of the gameplay is really brought out if you turn off the driver aids and turn on the telemetry. Look at your tyres heating up. What about the g’s you’re pulling around that turn? Where is the weight of the car being moved to? There are pages and pages of telemetry sheets to look at, all with varied bits of information on the car’s performance.

There are various options and modes in the game including an arcade session (featuring time trial, exhibition and free run) but career is really where it’s at. Here there’s probably close to 60 hours gameplay all in, maybe more. There is a huge wealth of cars to unlock and different race types (such as manufacturer originals and endurance races) so there’s sure to be something for everyone.

One final thing to mention about Forza Motorsport 2 is the online component of the game. Once on Xbox Live you can sell cars at auction, show off your car designs, race and much more. One of the coolest things is how well it is integrated to the official website. I can heartily recommend this game and if you’re in the least bit interested in cars you are sure to get a lot out of it. Mentioning which, I’m off to play it again…

The Failings of the PS3

May 15, 2007 by Mr Butterscotch

I have made it no secret that, out of the 3 ‘this gen’ consoles, I believe the PS3 to have the most potential. This is for reasons of power, capability and having a wireless control pad. However, it seems that each of the three consoles – PS3, Xbox360 and Wii – have reasons to doubt them. I have covered the latter two here already, so lets move on to the PS3.

One of the most obvious that things that hits you about the PS3 is the lack of rumble. Now that Sony has settled a suit with Immersion there shouldn’t be a problem. But there is. All the consoles shipped already don’t have force feedback. To find out how enjoyable force feedback is, try the new Microsoft Wireless Steering Wheel. For a previous gen experience, try Forza Motorsport on the Xbox. Rumble and feedback feels just as it should on that.

Price is the major point that everyone has pulled up the PS3 on, and with good reason. Over in the UK it is still retailing at over £420 – which is more than $700. That’s not far off half a month’s wages for some people. You can now get an 32 inch LCD TV for that price. Or a new washer, or cooker. Any essential for the home really. This should really put into perspective how much it costs.

So if the PS3 is so expensive, is it still being bought? Well, yes. However, as I’m a cynical marketer I’m 100% sure that even if it were a couple of hundred dollars more, people would still flock to the Sony brand. This is evidenced in the fact that as much as it’s been slated in the gaming press, the console is still being sold.

Games, and the selection thereof, is perhaps the number one criticism of the PS3. What do you want to play at the moment beyond Motorstorm? For me, it’s nothing really. That’s a shame given the power of the console and the matched motion-sensing controller. The number of exclusive games has been reduced (Devil May Cry 4 anyone) – though this is a symptom of the industry and something I’ll cover in another article. However, if there aren’t any AAA exclusives, why wouldn’t someone just buy the cheaper 360?

Online functionality is an issue, though in my opinion I see the PS3 as between the Wii and the Xbox360 in terms of current ability. Rubbish friend codes ruin the Wii, whilst Live is hampered by being a paid-for service. Home looks impressive, if similar to Second Life.

Overall, I guess that the PS3 doesn’t have any spectacular detractions to what it is currently providing, more like niggly faults. This speaks in turn to potential in the near future, and I’m hoping for great things. Of course, two of these great things would be a price cut and some games I am genuinely excited to play. This will come with time though, I know I certainly wasn’t an early adopter of the 360…

The Many Forms of GG

May 10, 2007 by xai

In gaming parlance, the acronyms gg stands for “good game,” but it can mean so many other things. Gadget geek? Good going? Girl Genius? Whatever the usage, it’s a term that’s here to stay as one of the staples of a gamer’s vocabulary, spawning other words such as gg’ed, ggified, gfg, etc.

I’m a “girl gamer” type of gg myself, and since this is an intro post, let me tell you about the many acronyms that occupy my life. I’m a college student who tries to dabble in fields ranging from music to physics to art, but for some strange reason I spend most of my time gaming. I practically live at a certain computer gaming shop: if I’m not at home or in class, you can probably find me there.

Among my (far too many) games, DotA, aka Defense of the Ancients, stands out as the most addictive. Technically it’s not even a game — it’s a custom map for Warcraft III: Frozen Throne — but it has spawned a larger cult following, more tournaments, and more hours spent in obsessive play than a lot of other games out there.

DotA isn’t very complicated, and you can actually learn it in a few hours. But what with the teamwork aspect (your team of five versus another team of five), the variety of characters to choose from, the different combinations of heroes and skills in a team, the items and their effects… the possibilities are endless. What more, it’s fun! My friends and I have spent many exciting (not to mention noisy) hours playing all sorts of DotA matches, screaming all the while: “KILL HIM OMG I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

I asked a few friends what they thought of DotA and the answers were mostly the same:

me: survey: what is dota for you?
friend1: life
friend2: :))
me: WTF

And again,

me: survey: what is dota for you?
friend2: DOTA is life -mond
me: LOL
me: why do you all say the same things
friend2: haha
friend2: because it is life

They weren’t totally serious, of course. Like all games, DotA is played (mostly) for fun and as a stress reliever. It’s the game where I first started using “gg” very often — both nicely and, well, not so nicely.

As a parting shot (link?) I’d like to point you to a funny post about DotA and what it really stands for. It’s not fully in English, but don’t worry; you don’t have to be fluent in Tagalog to understand the humor.

Is The Wii Too Much Of A Toy To Be Successful Long Term?

March 26, 2007 by Mr Butterscotch

Nintendo have, with a few exceptions, gone off the rails since introducing the N64. Whilst the N64 had some memorable games (GoldenEye and Mario 64 to name just two) it sold pretty damn poorly. The GameCube was meant to have a huge impact. Obviously prior to that now previous generation, the Playstation ruled the market and the PS2 was liable to do the same. Unfortunately, around the same time, the Dreamcast failed.

The Xbox was huge, with a rather lacklustre line-up. It did however have Live, and the biggest controller you’d ever touch – along with an 8 gig hard drive. Nintendo’s entry was the ill-conceived GameCube. The GC was – well – a cube. It was also in purple. A small handle stuck out of the back, which was apparently useless for anyone over the age of eight. It used tiny little discs, cute, but piracy apart, why not just use DVD? This meant that once again Nintendo were using a rather questionable point of difference by giving the Cube no DVD playback – unlike every one of the competition at the time. Finally, the controller had a big ‘A’ button and awkwardly placed X/Y buttons. Apparently meant for the simple and the young, this did nothing for Nintendo’s ‘childish’ image.

The GC was ‘the’ console for kids, Xbox for the hardcore, whilst the PS2 was owned by almost everyone, making a huge amount of sales. So, the GC had some good games, but was universally mocked. I’m concerned the Wii will go the same way. Firstly, it has not helped that it’s been laughed at over the name. Whoops! Marketing error number one.

Second, yes it is a new console, but the perceived image problem due to the continued use of Nintendo’s staple franchises remain. Gamers are too sophisticated for the likes of the day-glow worlds of Sonic and Mario – Kirby would just get laughed at now. Children these days, whether they should or shouldn’t be, are probably playing GTA. How can Mario stand up to that?

Nintendo need to either totally revamp their franchises for a more mature audience or provide some new ones. I’m not saying that kids should be getting GTA on the Wii – quite the opposite – all markets should be catered for.

Moving on to the controller, is this too gimmicky? I couldn’t decide whether it is a great idea, or a merely average one. Remember, the Wii is noticeably different in terms of power – they built the Wii with the control method – not the graphics – in mind. Frankly, there are still mixed reports. The controller is meant to be more involving, whilst also being intuitive and holding appeal to non-gamers. I don’t see – in my experience, any ‘true’ non-gamer picking it up. By that I mean the older generation, such as my father or mother, would probably have a quick go, but they’d never consider purchasing one. Would yours?

Looking at future proofing, the Wii doesn’t support HD. Okay, so like the minority of us that have it at the moment, it isn’t a factor. Nonetheless, the market penetration is going to just go up and up and up. There is no slowing technology I’m afraid. You could say that’s fine, it’s different. But that’s not going to be much of an excuse when you’re looking at blocky people with bad textures rather than playing something that looks as good as MotorStorm and using a motion sensing controller.

The Wii is not that far removed from the architecture of the GC. That’s fine; the GC could do some cool stuff. But, mark my words, it won’t be enough. Think about four years time when PS3 games (and probably 360 games too) look breathtaking – where will the Wii be? Marketing has never been Nintendo’s strong point, but they are really trying with the Wii. The trailers are good, it has sold really well so far in stores and this trend looks to continue. The price-point is probably about what you get for your cash too – though I’d say the games are a little overpriced so far.

Coming back to the title question, I guess the answer (not that I wish to admit it) would be no. Half of me says that a company as bad as Nintendo at marketing shouldn’t succeed – but the other half remembers just how much fun Super Mario World, Super Metroid et al were. Toys are about fun, so are games.

The Wii is never going to break your TV with uber-hot graphics. However, much like the DS, it will offer something new. In my book at least, that gives plenty of kudos. So no, the Wii isn’t too much of a toy to be successful – but perhaps just toy enough to put a smile back on my jaded face.