Saturday, August 21, 2004
Link it up, Chris, I'm about to
First things first, http://www.g-pinions.com is now active. It just forwards here for now, but it's looking like we'll finally have the new site up in the quasi-near future as well. So, if anyone is actually "telling their friends" about this site, or linking to it or anything, please use that URL from now on - it's where the new site will be located. Yay!
As far as gaming business, I don't have much of substance to say today, as I've been out of town. I will, however, provide you with a bevy of pertinent links for some of the games coming out mostly in the next couple of months.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas trailer - This was released while I was gone, so maybe this is old news to everyone by now. It's nothing special, but it does give you some idea of the vibe of the game. I do like the plane flyby shot a lot since it really shows off the improved draw distance. The countryside portions of the game are looking great too, and with the suggestion that they play similarly to Smuggler's Run, it seems there are more reasons than ever for me to be looking forward to the game.
Apparent new Halo 2 info - This is supposedly from a beta build of the game, and while it could quite easily be a crock of covenant horseshit, I buy it. Everything said sounds perfectly believable, and if I was going to make up info on a game, it would be a hell of a lot more interesting ("...one of the new vehicles, a manatee!"). So, I'll go along with it for now; the only part that he'd better damn be telling the truth about is 4-player multiplayer Live play. Meaning, four people playing on the same screen, playing online. The implications and possibilities that go along with that are mind-alteringly cool, and would drastically further the online medium of gameplay. We could use a standard like that.
PoP3D - A couple of sexy 3D screenshots for those Quicktime-enabled folk. Just click and drag once they load. I still have my doubts about the game, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited to play it, or view it's gorgeousness.
What the fuck is a Geist? - This odd, much-hyped Gamecube project isn't really looking any better the more I see it, just weirder. The idea of being able to jump between possessed objects within a level is certainly cool (from a rat to a guard to a keyboard, etc.), but it just doesn't look very well-implemented so far. Maybe first-person isn't the best way to go about it, but I can't think of a better way. I hope it comes together in the end, especially since Nintendo could REALLY use an exclusive FPS, but as of right now I don't see it happening.
Goldeneye: Rogue Agent of Feces? - I certainly don't have a problem with the Goldeneye name being used to sell a game, as long as it's attached to a quality product. I was pleased to see that they had focused on AI over graphics for the E3 build, even if it didn't look great as a result. The problem is, it still isn't looking great, and it's release date isn't that far away anymore. I don't mean sheer graphics necessarily either - a lot of the character animations, and even your character's basic movement, seems kind of rigid and wonky. I mean, I can't imagine they'd screw something like that up with 150 people on the team, but I've seen bigger slip-ups. They also have their fare share of hollywood talent and industry veterans working on the game, but most of their contributions seem geared towards the look of the game rather than the feel. The reason Need For Speed Underground felt so fast is because of the sense of speed imbued by the work of an Oscar-nominated visual effects team, so I suggest EA use their talent wisely.
As far as gaming business, I don't have much of substance to say today, as I've been out of town. I will, however, provide you with a bevy of pertinent links for some of the games coming out mostly in the next couple of months.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas trailer - This was released while I was gone, so maybe this is old news to everyone by now. It's nothing special, but it does give you some idea of the vibe of the game. I do like the plane flyby shot a lot since it really shows off the improved draw distance. The countryside portions of the game are looking great too, and with the suggestion that they play similarly to Smuggler's Run, it seems there are more reasons than ever for me to be looking forward to the game.
Apparent new Halo 2 info - This is supposedly from a beta build of the game, and while it could quite easily be a crock of covenant horseshit, I buy it. Everything said sounds perfectly believable, and if I was going to make up info on a game, it would be a hell of a lot more interesting ("...one of the new vehicles, a manatee!"). So, I'll go along with it for now; the only part that he'd better damn be telling the truth about is 4-player multiplayer Live play. Meaning, four people playing on the same screen, playing online. The implications and possibilities that go along with that are mind-alteringly cool, and would drastically further the online medium of gameplay. We could use a standard like that.
PoP3D - A couple of sexy 3D screenshots for those Quicktime-enabled folk. Just click and drag once they load. I still have my doubts about the game, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited to play it, or view it's gorgeousness.
What the fuck is a Geist? - This odd, much-hyped Gamecube project isn't really looking any better the more I see it, just weirder. The idea of being able to jump between possessed objects within a level is certainly cool (from a rat to a guard to a keyboard, etc.), but it just doesn't look very well-implemented so far. Maybe first-person isn't the best way to go about it, but I can't think of a better way. I hope it comes together in the end, especially since Nintendo could REALLY use an exclusive FPS, but as of right now I don't see it happening.
Goldeneye: Rogue Agent of Feces? - I certainly don't have a problem with the Goldeneye name being used to sell a game, as long as it's attached to a quality product. I was pleased to see that they had focused on AI over graphics for the E3 build, even if it didn't look great as a result. The problem is, it still isn't looking great, and it's release date isn't that far away anymore. I don't mean sheer graphics necessarily either - a lot of the character animations, and even your character's basic movement, seems kind of rigid and wonky. I mean, I can't imagine they'd screw something like that up with 150 people on the team, but I've seen bigger slip-ups. They also have their fare share of hollywood talent and industry veterans working on the game, but most of their contributions seem geared towards the look of the game rather than the feel. The reason Need For Speed Underground felt so fast is because of the sense of speed imbued by the work of an Oscar-nominated visual effects team, so I suggest EA use their talent wisely.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
They need to cross the goaline here to score a touchdown
The problem with my frequent rants about the unholy evil that is Electronic Arts is that, when I do play an EA published game and feel the need to express my opinion, any negative thing I say about it will be passed off as just senseless EA bashing. I’d like to think I am a rational enough person to put my preferences aside and judge a game on its own merit. Whether or not you feel you can trust a negative write up of an EA game is up to you. Moving on…
I played Madden 2005 last night. For those that read the comments, this will come as no surprise to you. I was really looking forward to playing this game. With all the amazing reviews, some of which saying it’s better than NFK2K5, I had to see for myself just how far video football has come.
Going in, my assumption was that both NFL2K and Madden were great titles and it was only a preference which game you should buy. The general consensus was that Madden played better while NFL2K had more features and better presentation. Since NFL2K5 plays so well (more on that later), I was curious what Madden did that made the game so much better.
Now here’s the tricky part. I need to say Madden plays as poorly as Gameday ’98 without sounding like a raving lunatic. Let’s just say upon watching my friend finish the rest of his already in progress game, I was shocked at just how primitive the game looked. Not just graphically but in every other regard. The game has this zippy squirrel feel to it. I have no problem with a fast title, but Madden has an unrealistic sense of speed. For instance, it is possible for safeties to run 20 or more yards in the time it takes a bullet pass to reach a WR. I understand Baltimore has the best defense in the league, but no human being can move 60 feet in less than a second.
Just chronicling my various problems with Madden would not be worthwhile for me or you. Let me just explain the experience like this: NCAA ’05, an EA product that I love, is still in the hybrid football genre. It has a ton of features to make the game realistic, but the gameplay itself is pure video game fun. It is nothing like real life, but it doesn’t try to be. The game just tries to capture the fun of college football and does an amazing job at it.
NFL2K5 has scrapped silly fun in favor of hard nosed, real life football. Every aspect of the gameplay tries to mimic play in real life. Quarterbacks have to throw the ball within 3 seconds or they will get sacked. RBs and WRs lose momentum when they change direction. A slick ball in the rain is more difficult to catch. Little nuances like this make the game feel just like real football. Though it is only for real fans of the sport, it succeeds in every way and is a great football title.
Madden, unfortunately, falls in between these titles. On the field, it tries to both mimic real life football and provide a fun, arcade football experience. The result is a pseudo-arcade mess. For instance, like in NFL2K5 and real life football, if you stand in the pocket too long you will get sacked. Unfortunately, unlike NFL2K5 and real football, any quarterback can run behind the line of scrimmage for as long as they want looking for an open WR. This is the way I used to play video football, dropping back 20 yards and chucking the ball. NFL2K5 does not let players do that because it is impossible in real life.
By straddling the line between realism and arcade football, Madden does not satisfy from either perspective. There are little features like the kicking game, which has both a power and accuracy meter, and option routes for WRs (letting a WR change their route on the fly depending on defense) that NFL2K5 does not have and really should. But, as a whole, this was a very sloppy football title.
Now that I have played all 3 relevant football games, I really see no reason anyone would want Madden. If you want realism get NFL2K5. If you want a more arcade experience get NCAA ’05. Both games are almost perfect at what they try to accomplish. How do I account for all the glowing reviews of Madden this year? The reviews are either written by someone who does not know what real football is supposed to play like, or by someone who only plays Madden each year and doesn't realize how far video football has really come.
Update on NFL2K5 – when I last wrote about the game, my biggest complaint was not being able to catch the ball. I didn’t realize that, as the difficulty level goes up, the computer assistance goes down. I have solved the dropped balls problem (don’t…. make…. dropped balls… joke…) by controlling the WR manually and catching the ball myself. Now, every dropped ball is either my fault or the result of good defense. The computer AI is still weird at times, but most other problems have been alleviated by just playing the game as close to real life as possible. Clearly, this is the best football game I have ever played.
I played Madden 2005 last night. For those that read the comments, this will come as no surprise to you. I was really looking forward to playing this game. With all the amazing reviews, some of which saying it’s better than NFK2K5, I had to see for myself just how far video football has come.
Going in, my assumption was that both NFL2K and Madden were great titles and it was only a preference which game you should buy. The general consensus was that Madden played better while NFL2K had more features and better presentation. Since NFL2K5 plays so well (more on that later), I was curious what Madden did that made the game so much better.
Now here’s the tricky part. I need to say Madden plays as poorly as Gameday ’98 without sounding like a raving lunatic. Let’s just say upon watching my friend finish the rest of his already in progress game, I was shocked at just how primitive the game looked. Not just graphically but in every other regard. The game has this zippy squirrel feel to it. I have no problem with a fast title, but Madden has an unrealistic sense of speed. For instance, it is possible for safeties to run 20 or more yards in the time it takes a bullet pass to reach a WR. I understand Baltimore has the best defense in the league, but no human being can move 60 feet in less than a second.
Just chronicling my various problems with Madden would not be worthwhile for me or you. Let me just explain the experience like this: NCAA ’05, an EA product that I love, is still in the hybrid football genre. It has a ton of features to make the game realistic, but the gameplay itself is pure video game fun. It is nothing like real life, but it doesn’t try to be. The game just tries to capture the fun of college football and does an amazing job at it.
NFL2K5 has scrapped silly fun in favor of hard nosed, real life football. Every aspect of the gameplay tries to mimic play in real life. Quarterbacks have to throw the ball within 3 seconds or they will get sacked. RBs and WRs lose momentum when they change direction. A slick ball in the rain is more difficult to catch. Little nuances like this make the game feel just like real football. Though it is only for real fans of the sport, it succeeds in every way and is a great football title.
Madden, unfortunately, falls in between these titles. On the field, it tries to both mimic real life football and provide a fun, arcade football experience. The result is a pseudo-arcade mess. For instance, like in NFL2K5 and real life football, if you stand in the pocket too long you will get sacked. Unfortunately, unlike NFL2K5 and real football, any quarterback can run behind the line of scrimmage for as long as they want looking for an open WR. This is the way I used to play video football, dropping back 20 yards and chucking the ball. NFL2K5 does not let players do that because it is impossible in real life.
By straddling the line between realism and arcade football, Madden does not satisfy from either perspective. There are little features like the kicking game, which has both a power and accuracy meter, and option routes for WRs (letting a WR change their route on the fly depending on defense) that NFL2K5 does not have and really should. But, as a whole, this was a very sloppy football title.
Now that I have played all 3 relevant football games, I really see no reason anyone would want Madden. If you want realism get NFL2K5. If you want a more arcade experience get NCAA ’05. Both games are almost perfect at what they try to accomplish. How do I account for all the glowing reviews of Madden this year? The reviews are either written by someone who does not know what real football is supposed to play like, or by someone who only plays Madden each year and doesn't realize how far video football has really come.
Update on NFL2K5 – when I last wrote about the game, my biggest complaint was not being able to catch the ball. I didn’t realize that, as the difficulty level goes up, the computer assistance goes down. I have solved the dropped balls problem (don’t…. make…. dropped balls… joke…) by controlling the WR manually and catching the ball myself. Now, every dropped ball is either my fault or the result of good defense. The computer AI is still weird at times, but most other problems have been alleviated by just playing the game as close to real life as possible. Clearly, this is the best football game I have ever played.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
PSMenstrual
Man, PSM is really pissing me off these days. Not only have they long since dropped their comic artist-drawn covers and cool pack-in freebies (like PS1 lid stickers), but they've gotten about as far away from "independent", their whole schtick, as the likes of GamePro. While they get plenty of street cred for prominently featuring five relatively unknown games last issue (God of War, Destroy All Humans, Mercenaries, Viewtiful Joe 2 and Area 51), they just about ran themselves straight into the ground with this months cover story. Besides it being the most generic-looking cover ever (a list of games covering the middle with Snake and Dante on either side, who have both graced their cover in recent months past), it lists ten games for it's Fall Game Preview - all sequels. I understand that it's a reality that there are more sequels and remakes than ever in the industry nowadays, but do they really have to draw attention to them even more? I'm sure some will be great, and I'll be buying at least four of the ten games, but no one really needs to know about them or be informed of their presence. If you need to be told about Gran Turismo 4's release, you probably don't own a Playstation. Plus, only half of the games are exclusive. I can respect an in-depth look at one of these titles as the focus of the magazine, but slightly covering a bunch of well-known titles does not make me want to patronize, nevermind read, your magazine. You want some cover stories? What about Blood Will Tell, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, or 100 Bullets as some nice PS2 exclusives that people should know about? Hell, if you want to cover multi-platform, you could do worse than The Bards Tale, X-Men Legends or even Second Sight. I'm just looking for a bit of coverage I can't find elsewhere, like on the INTERNET. Bah. I remember buying the first issue that came with a great cover story about Final Fantasy 7, probably the single best piece of information on a game I'd ever seen. That is what I want, writing that actually makes me want to buy a game, not a few new screenshots of a game I could acquire buckets of information on with a simple Google search. They'd better step it up, or step off my Playstation's nuts.
P.S. I'm outta town for three days - Cover for me, wouldja?
P.S. I'm outta town for three days - Cover for me, wouldja?
Monday, August 16, 2004
We do in fact have limits
This probably breaks all sorts of ethical codes, but I really don't care. The new comic at Penny Arcade is so beyond funny, I just wanted to make sure everyone read it.
Oh, and since I am already posting other people's material...
Oh, and since I am already posting other people's material...
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Emergentcy
Do me a personal favor, and go read all 12 pages of the newest Fable preview over at IGN. It makes me, really, really excited to play the game. In fact, after reading the preview and watching the preview dvd I got for pre-ordering it, I'd say that it's not only my most anticipated game this year outside of Halo 2, but one of my most anticipated games ever. Mixing the open-endedness of GTA with the apparent new high standards of Western RPGs makes me want to have Peter Molyneux's urethral baby.
This whole idea of "emergent gameplay" really does it for me, and I think that Fable will be the benchmark for a whole new wave of titles taking advantage of this concept, even if their genre is completely different. The basic idea of it (emergent gameplay) is to give players certain things that they can do and gameplay actions which they can perform, whereby something will end up happening that the developers didn't specifically intend for. I forget where I read it, but in an interview with Peter Molyneux he gave this example: He was watching a tester play, and they decided to make their character marry the mayor's daughter in one of the towns. Soon after, they lured the mayor/now father-in-law into the woods and killed him. Molyneux was surprised by this action, until the tester told him that it was so he could inherit all of the mayor's property. And sure enough, it worked, due to the various property and relationship rules in the game. Neat, eh?
Just imagine an even more open-ended GTA, where you could forge relationships with various crime syndicates, and your actions would have real consequences, not just a couple of cop cars. Imagine executing the mob boss' daughter as she leaves a club (not part of a mission, you just happen to spot her), only to have his cronies after you an hour later? With AI continually advancing, and many games being much larger in scope and dynamic, I can easily see this happening more often in this generation before long, and eventually being prevalent within certain genres in the next.
Anyhow, back to Fable. It just sounds amazing top to bottom, and I really don't think it will disappoint. It's the reason I bought an X-Box. I don't want to talk about the game details too much here, because I really want people to read the preview I linked to above, but I'm confident it will make you as excited as I am. And even though it doesn't even talk about graphics until the last page (which is awesome), here's a gorgeous screenshot that I just couldn't pass up. It seems to sum up my feelings about the game pretty well:
This whole idea of "emergent gameplay" really does it for me, and I think that Fable will be the benchmark for a whole new wave of titles taking advantage of this concept, even if their genre is completely different. The basic idea of it (emergent gameplay) is to give players certain things that they can do and gameplay actions which they can perform, whereby something will end up happening that the developers didn't specifically intend for. I forget where I read it, but in an interview with Peter Molyneux he gave this example: He was watching a tester play, and they decided to make their character marry the mayor's daughter in one of the towns. Soon after, they lured the mayor/now father-in-law into the woods and killed him. Molyneux was surprised by this action, until the tester told him that it was so he could inherit all of the mayor's property. And sure enough, it worked, due to the various property and relationship rules in the game. Neat, eh?
Just imagine an even more open-ended GTA, where you could forge relationships with various crime syndicates, and your actions would have real consequences, not just a couple of cop cars. Imagine executing the mob boss' daughter as she leaves a club (not part of a mission, you just happen to spot her), only to have his cronies after you an hour later? With AI continually advancing, and many games being much larger in scope and dynamic, I can easily see this happening more often in this generation before long, and eventually being prevalent within certain genres in the next.
Anyhow, back to Fable. It just sounds amazing top to bottom, and I really don't think it will disappoint. It's the reason I bought an X-Box. I don't want to talk about the game details too much here, because I really want people to read the preview I linked to above, but I'm confident it will make you as excited as I am. And even though it doesn't even talk about graphics until the last page (which is awesome), here's a gorgeous screenshot that I just couldn't pass up. It seems to sum up my feelings about the game pretty well:
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