Friday, January 14, 2005
Oh Sony, I could kiss you
I can't believe it's been 13 days since I last posted. This has to be some sort of a record. I started the year hyping the best game that will come out in the first half of this year, and then immediately dove under some rock or blanket, disappearing completely from the world. If you were desperate to hear my thoughts on gaming, I apologize. Unfortunately, I will not be posting nearly as much as I would like in the future either. How else am I going to get that Tyranny Raptor up and running if I don't work hard in school? You are in good hands, though, with Nick. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to spout his ludicrous opinions as often as you guys please.
Now, on with the real point of the post.
Though most of the readers of G-Pinons probably aren't aware of it, 24 is easily the best show on television. I am not just saying that either. To give you some perspective 24 is as far ahead of every other show on television as Super Mario Kart is ahead of every other video game. Imagine that 24 is Street Fighter and every other show on television is Dual Heroes. To even mention another show on television, any non-syndicated show, is an insult to what 24 has worked so hard to achieve. That I even feel compelled to justify the greatness of this show to people who have not seen it causes me much pain. Every G-Pinions reader should pool their money and purchase the first 3 seasons on DVD so they can see what great television is all about.
For quite some time, it has been rumored that 24 would make a transition from the medium it has dominated to my own personal favorite - video games. Elisha Cuthbert, one of the few cast members who actually made it alive through three seasons, said in an interview some time ago that she had lent her voice or body (or both hopefully) to the game based on the flawless show. Since then, there has not been one word about this game. Last year's E3 came and went without even a hint that a 24 game was actually in the works. In fact, up until an hour ago, I had actually forgotten about it.
It has come to my attention, though, that 24 is still coming out. And it's not being made by the eaters of licenses, either. I assumed that if a digital version of 24 was actually developed, EA would have been behind it since they buy just about every relevant franchise out there. They even bought the frickin' Arena Football League, which hasn't been relevant since I attended a game more than a decade ago. But somehow, through what I can only assume is love from a higher power for me, EA didn't buy the rights to butcher the best show on TV. Rather, another publisher who I am not actively boycotting shelled out the cash.
Apparently, by the end of this year, a game based on 24 could make its way to the PS2. I don't know a thing about this Cambridge based studio Sony has developing the title, so I can only hope at this point they know what they are doing. If I'm not mistaken, this same studio also made Destruction Derby PS2 and The Getaway, which were not exactly well received. I have to admit that having a British developer behind an American television series is worrisome. However, I still have faith that this will please fans of the series (meaning anyone who has actually watched the show).
Even with shining examples like Daikatana showing that long development times can lead to horrible games, I still hold the belief that games that take a long time to develop are generally better than those churned out (once again, I look at EA and their yearly sequels...). Maybe this belief comes from Rare, who takes so long and usually delivers. Either way, that this game has been in development for about two years means to me that Sony understands that this deserves a great game and is going out of their way to assure 24: The Game not only continues what the TV show started, but also offers enough gameplay and originality to be worthwhile as a stand alone gaming experience.
It's funny, I only own four PS2 games total after owning the system for almost 3 years, and I could end up buying two new PS2 games in one year. I'm just going to cross my fingers that this is a PS2 title and not a PSP title. I would hate to buy another Sony system for just one game. If you're wondering, I bought my PSX for Twisted Metal 2 and my PS2 for Hot Shots Golf 3.
Anyway, I just got people to read almost 100 words on 24, so my day is made. Of course, if Sony makes a bad 24 game, you can change the title of this post to "Oh Sony, I could release the Ebola virus in the homes of everyone that you care for."
Now, on with the real point of the post.
Though most of the readers of G-Pinons probably aren't aware of it, 24 is easily the best show on television. I am not just saying that either. To give you some perspective 24 is as far ahead of every other show on television as Super Mario Kart is ahead of every other video game. Imagine that 24 is Street Fighter and every other show on television is Dual Heroes. To even mention another show on television, any non-syndicated show, is an insult to what 24 has worked so hard to achieve. That I even feel compelled to justify the greatness of this show to people who have not seen it causes me much pain. Every G-Pinions reader should pool their money and purchase the first 3 seasons on DVD so they can see what great television is all about.
For quite some time, it has been rumored that 24 would make a transition from the medium it has dominated to my own personal favorite - video games. Elisha Cuthbert, one of the few cast members who actually made it alive through three seasons, said in an interview some time ago that she had lent her voice or body (or both hopefully) to the game based on the flawless show. Since then, there has not been one word about this game. Last year's E3 came and went without even a hint that a 24 game was actually in the works. In fact, up until an hour ago, I had actually forgotten about it.
It has come to my attention, though, that 24 is still coming out. And it's not being made by the eaters of licenses, either. I assumed that if a digital version of 24 was actually developed, EA would have been behind it since they buy just about every relevant franchise out there. They even bought the frickin' Arena Football League, which hasn't been relevant since I attended a game more than a decade ago. But somehow, through what I can only assume is love from a higher power for me, EA didn't buy the rights to butcher the best show on TV. Rather, another publisher who I am not actively boycotting shelled out the cash.
Apparently, by the end of this year, a game based on 24 could make its way to the PS2. I don't know a thing about this Cambridge based studio Sony has developing the title, so I can only hope at this point they know what they are doing. If I'm not mistaken, this same studio also made Destruction Derby PS2 and The Getaway, which were not exactly well received. I have to admit that having a British developer behind an American television series is worrisome. However, I still have faith that this will please fans of the series (meaning anyone who has actually watched the show).
Even with shining examples like Daikatana showing that long development times can lead to horrible games, I still hold the belief that games that take a long time to develop are generally better than those churned out (once again, I look at EA and their yearly sequels...). Maybe this belief comes from Rare, who takes so long and usually delivers. Either way, that this game has been in development for about two years means to me that Sony understands that this deserves a great game and is going out of their way to assure 24: The Game not only continues what the TV show started, but also offers enough gameplay and originality to be worthwhile as a stand alone gaming experience.
It's funny, I only own four PS2 games total after owning the system for almost 3 years, and I could end up buying two new PS2 games in one year. I'm just going to cross my fingers that this is a PS2 title and not a PSP title. I would hate to buy another Sony system for just one game. If you're wondering, I bought my PSX for Twisted Metal 2 and my PS2 for Hot Shots Golf 3.
Anyway, I just got people to read almost 100 words on 24, so my day is made. Of course, if Sony makes a bad 24 game, you can change the title of this post to "Oh Sony, I could release the Ebola virus in the homes of everyone that you care for."
// posted by Tom @ 8:48 AM 
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