G-pinions

It's so rare when Nick and I actually agree on anything related to gaming. So it came as quite a surprise to me when I read Nick's column on innovation a few days ago. Not only do I agree completely with what he said, I had actually written a very similar column a few years ago. While Xengamers never actually published my column for reasons I don't remember (I can't imagine it was quality therein since everything I write is the purest of gold) this is actually the first time my particular thoughts on innovation have been posted. Most of it is still pretty relevant actually. The vast majority of developers around today are simply not equipped to handle innovation in any capacity. I wish they would realize their weaknesses and attempt to refine an already existing genre, like Sony did with God of War, rather than waste everyone's time with Eye Toy Groove.

When a new game is released or unveiled, one of the first thing people inevitably ask is "What makes it stand out?" or "Why is this game innovative?" And, more often than not, the answer is very little. Most games fall under the category of "Just like this game but..." At E3, this trend was especially prevalent. If you look back at the impressions, you will see a great many of them have the phrase "A potentially X killer" or "Could finally do the genre right" or other statements that lend one to believe that the game lacks innovation. My question is: why is innovation such an important factor in video games? In the end, does it really matter if a video game is truly innovated or not as long as it is fun to play?

To anyone out there who decides to purchase a game based on how creative the developer is or refuses to buy a game because it cleanly fits in one of the big genres, I will concede this: obviously, without innovation, our industry would have died many years ago. Someone had to come up with the concept of a 2D-platform game or overhead shooter before they were mimicked and cloned to virtual extinction. But, now that we have a wide variety of different games to waste our time with, is it really necessary to continue to force developers to redefine or create a genre with every new game? In the long run, I think that the constant need for developers to innovate could potentially hurt our industry.

Basically, right now we are in a period of intense growth. 3D was born last generation, but very few developers actually got it right. In the entire 32-Bit generation, one could argue that only 3 franchises actually got 3D platform games right: Mario, Banjo-Kazooie, and Ape Escape. Almost every other game in the genre was almost unplayable in its crapulence as they were trying to copy a game that the development crew either wasn't talented enough to successfully copy or just didn't have the needed time to make a quality game. But, as big as this genre is, there is still a ton of room in it to create a game that borrows many elements from the big three in the genre, but is still fun. As I browsed the list of games in this genre the other day, I was very surprised to see just how many games in it are horrible beyond belief and have no real reason to exist at all. That a developer is expected to go back to the drawing board and give us something fresh and unexpected is shocking to me when they have yet to be successful in one of the biggest genres going.

3D fighter is another genre that is desperately lacking in capable titles. One can go to the store and chose from a literal ton of great Capcom 2D fighters, from early Street Fighter is the immensely entertaining Vs series, and chose a great 2D fighter. But the choice of great 3D fighter is limited almost entirely to Soul Calibur. The only other worthwhile attempt at the apparently difficult genre is the Powerstone series, but this can almost be seen as a confined beat 'em up in the vein of Streets of Rage than a true 3D fighting game. And the weird thing is, developers have hardly even given the genre a chance. Almost every fighting game created now a days is in the Tekken/Virtua Fighter mold: a game with beautifully rendered 3 dimensional characters but 2D gameplay that is reminiscent of ancient fighters from the 16-bit heyday without the wacky fireballs and hurricane kicks. I would much rather a developer rip of a fun clone of the Tobal series than try to create a fighting game with real time damage and hundreds of different move sets that is just too ambitious for its own good.

So, what would happen if all developers stayed away from trying to create the Next Big Thing and instead attempted to improve and perfect the genres already available to them? Honestly, I think we would experience a video game revolution the likes of which haven't been seen since the industry was in its infancy. As technology gets more and more advanced, larger teams are needed to create games and most games take one to two years to create. If that time was spent just trying to create a fantastic engine for the new wrestling game or a story that was actually worthwhile in the next platformer, we would have many more games with which to purchase.

I see you sitting pensively in your favorite chair. Your Nintendo DS is lying on the table beside you; its screen flipped open as you move your eyes across its dual screen design and ergonomic buttons. You reach over at one point and remove the stylus, hold it in your hand and imagine using it. You think about the tremendous upside bubbling out of your tiny system, but only stare bleakly at its dull black screen as you pine for a new game to be released. The Nintendo DS is the most innovated system ever released and offers gameplay potential that you cannot even fathom... but developers are just too scared to try to maximize the thing. And for their laziness, or lack of imagination, you are destined to sit in your chair and imagine what could have been.

Or maybe your destiny involves virtual puppies.



The latest issue of Famitsu, one of the most respected magazines (an oxymoronic statement if you're only used to the crap US gamers are forced to read) in existence, has just given Nintendogs a perfect score. This isn't like IGN giving a 9.9 to Jade Empire, a game that is seemingly rife with problems. Famitsu does not dish out high scores merely because hype, or possibly a bucket or two full of cash, has swayed its judgment. In fact, according to Wikipedia, only five games in the history of gaming (or however long Famitsu's history dates back) have received a perfect 40 out of 40 score.

The idea that Nintendogs has joined the ranks of Soul Calibur and Ocarina of Time in the holy annals of video game perfection was simply shocking at first. Nintendogs can be considered a video game in only the loosest of definitions. It is, in essence, a next generation version of the annoying, beeping monstrosity known as Tomagachi that was banned from classrooms in the 90s. The biggest difference, the evolution that has spurned this genre forward, are the components that make the DS itself potentially the most important video game system released since the PSX paved the way for mainstream gaming a decade ago.

The DS, more than any video game system ever released, is attempting to draw in people who would not consider themselves gamers if you stapled controllers to their hands and beat them with flaming hot craw daddies. By creating games that let you physically interact with characters on screen via the touchscreen and even communicate with them using the built in microphone, "games" can be created that appeal to people who have never known the simply joys of jumping on a goombas head. To someone who has snuck up on a smart talking ten year old and bashed him upside the head in Halo 2, the idea of raising a too cute for its own good virtual puppy does not sound like a great idea for a game. A real life puppy, with soft fur and a penchant for digging up my prized roses, is too irresistible to avoid. But to play with a puppy that has no real feelings, a Matrix being if you will, seems like a waste of time to the vast majority of gamers out there.



But, according to Famitsu at least, this does not mean that a worthwhile experience cannot be had. Different types of gamers need different types of games. So just like there are realistic racers and stealth games for hardcore game players who have horrible taste in gaming, the Nintendo DS offers quirky, virtual world experiences that can be viewed as more interactive, and potentially more successful, versions of the insanely popular Sims series. The Nintendo DS may survive by appealing to your girlfriend or your mom, whose stomachs churn at the site of Kratos' weapons of death, while offering instant thrills for pure gamers with arcade style hits like Wario Ware and Yoshi's Touch and Go. While many people, including readers of this site, consider the NDS a failure at this point because of its limited selection of games, it hardly seems fair to me. The NDS is not trying to compete with the PSP, GBA or any other system ever created. By offering unique experiences that can appeal to anyone who is willing to give interactive entertainment a try, the DS is set to integrate itself into the fabric of society in a big, big way.

If Nintendogs and the potential the NDS exudes has whet your appetite for different types of gaming, tune in next week for a preview on the mind bending experience that is Electoplankton. If you're not sold yet, you really need to see this game in motion.

(First off, our comments system is down. "Server Failure", or some such crap. You'll have to keep it to yourself for the time being...)

Anyhow. You would think that playing 10+ hours of new Halo 2 maps would be enough gaming excitement for one day. And it is, I assure you (my retinas are about a split-second away from exploding). However, as much as I adore destroying Warthogs by shooting explosive mines with a scorpion tank, the best gaming moment of the day was found elsewhere. Specifically, in my mailbox on the cover of the new PSM. Now, I wouldn't call PSM a great magazine by any means, or venture to say that their opinions mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but they do get some huge exclusives once in a while. This month, it's Ultimate Spider-Man, a game that looks so goddamned good I could cry about it.

Did you play Spider-Man 2? Never has a game so good been so completely reliant on one amazing gameplay mechanic: sense and control of movement, and freedom of exploration. Swinging around the city just felt perfect, and was more entertaining than the entirety of some other games. Nearly every other aspect of the game was flawed though, which makes it weird that I'd still recommend it. But I do. Ultimate Spider-Man, however, seems like it's going to bring all aspects of the game up to the same level of polish as the swinging, which would make for an obscenely good game if they pull it off. First of all, the game looks INCREDIBLE. I can't find a single screenshot to post here (and I'm not going to post magazine scans), but take my word for it; since this is based on the comic and not the movie, they went with a "3D comic inking" technique that looks like a more polished cel-shading. It's looks quite literally like a comic book, and I'm sure will be amazing in motion. So what exactly are they fixing from Spider-Man 2?

- The City. As huge as the city was, the individual areas weren't too different from one another, and the streets often felt deserted. The new New York is smaller and more concentrated, with a lot more detail and attention paid to each area. There will still be plenty to explore though, and what you do explore will be a lot more rewarding. There's destructible scenery, way more citizens roaming the streets, and a generally higher level of interaction (like being able to throw cars).

- The Missions. Saving the little girl's balloon was entertaining enough the first three times, but after that you just wanted her to float up with it, choking her as you smiled and laughed. Same with the falling painter, lady being robbed, etc. It was probably the worst part of the game when all was said and done, and they're promising a much wider variety of more entertaining side missions.

- The Combat. There were definitely some cool moves available the last time around, but they were a hassle to pull off and only a handful of them were actually useful. In Ultimate, the moves are much simpler, you're actually rewarded for dodging an attack when your spider sense goes off, and you can combo by bouncing back and forth between enemies and objects. And just like in the picture books, you have to web up the baddies before they're down for the count. Oh, and there's also the largest cast of villains in a Spider-Man game yet.

- YOU CAN PLAY AS VENOM. That's right, it seems a decent chunk of the game has you roaming the town as everyone's favorite symbiote, causing havok, jumping huge distances instead of swinging, and eating people to stay healthy. He looks every bit as awesome as he ever has, and if controls as smoothly as Spidey I'll be in heaven.

Trust me, this game looks amazing. I'll post screens as soon as they pop up online. Screw Marvel Nemesis.

In entirely unrelated news, here are two quotes from an article by Keita Takahashi, director of Katamari Damacy (whose sequel has now been confirmed for a U.S. release):

"To hold a controller in your hand and control the action displayed on the screen is a minor thing nowadays, but I still think it's a little miracle. There's no need to add a lot of extra stuff to make it more difficult." This man is brilliant.

"Most game music nowadays is pretty forgettable. I wanted to create a soundtrack that would stick in player's heads, sort of like an evil curse." This man is hilarious.

It's so close I can almost taste it. Of course, I can't even imagine what it will end up tasting like nor do I have any clue how its taste will eventually change my life and the lives of those around me. However, I know that in a relatively short period of time, the pleasure of tasting its... what the heck am I rambling about anyway? I'm getting the shakes for Perfect Dark Zero in a bad way and, as I desperately searched my brain for a way in which to relieve the many thoughts spiraling around my head, I thought back to my land of blind hope: G-Pinions. I don't have any new information to give regarding the next Rare FPS masterpiece since they haven't released any information on the title, aside from the name, in the five years it has been in development. But just because there is no information doesn't mean I'm going to simply not write about it.

Perfect Dark Zero is the most important game Rare will ever release. I know that such a statement seems ludicrous when you look back at the fabled history of this company - who once created a game so advanced (Blackwyche) they shelved it for a year to create a prequel (Sabrewulf) that would ease gamers into the experience - but Rare is a completely different company now.

For all intents and purposes, if Perfect Dark Zero turns out to be a great title, it alone will be worth the $300,000,000 Microsoft paid Nintendo for Rare. There are only a handful of developers in the world worth that much cash. Even I, the biggest Rare fan left, had to laugh at the ridiculous sum Nintendo got Microsoft to shell out. As good as they have been through the years; Rare has far more niche hits in their library than blockbuster sellers. As far as systems sellers go, the only reason you would actually pay that much money for a company, Goldeneye is the only game they have ever made that would achieve such a high status. As stupid as it still seems, the entire investment will be worth it if Perfect Dark Zero is as great as it should be.

By releasing a full year ahead of their competition, the Xbox 2 has plenty of time to build up a library and establish itself as a legitimate threat. However, coming out early with a solid lineup in no way ensures success in the console world. I don't want to bring up the Dreamcast again, but even with a ton of great games available from the onset, gamers were so preoccupied by the promise of what the PS2 would deliver they spent a year playing PSX titles instead of taking the plunge with the Dreamcast. This is still a very real problem that Microsoft has to deal with. Why should gamers shell out $300 now when they have a perfectly fine PS2 and Gamecube and brand new systems on the horizon?

Even with a next generation Madden and six racing games at launch, Microsoft will not be able to convince the average gamer to shell out the mad cash to upgrade for better graphics. Not even the most easily impressionable casual gamer will want to spend that much money to play the new Project Gothem Racing. But if the wicked success of Halo has taught us anything, nothing puts a company on the map quite like a great first person shooter. If you don't think Microsoft has been planning this release long before the dotted line was signed on Rare's fate almost three years ago, you have a lot to learn about planning. Bungie is one of the most talented companies in the world, but they are also ridiculously small. If you push them to the very limits of their abilities they will be able to release one game every two years. Not a very high rate of games, but when you factor in how amazing every game they release is, Bungie is worth much more than MS paid to acquire them.

But Rare is completely different. They are a huge company with no less than five games in development at all times. It takes them forever to actually get a title out the door, but with a strict schedule they can get a new game out every six to twelve months. They did release eleven games on the N64 with an average Gamerankings rating of 86.4%. The talent is clearly not an issue.

If Perfect Dark Zero lives up to the hype (the G-Pinions hype since on one else is talking about it now...) it will sell systems. It will sell many, many systems. In fact, word is MS is trying to ship between 3 and 5 million Xbox 2 by the end of this year. If those systems sell you can bet that the majority of them will be bought with the expressed purpose of playing PDZ. Microsoft will push PDZ to be the next Halo: CE. How many people do you know who own an Xbox and don't own Halo?

If PDZ truly is a great game and MS can convince the world one more time that they need a new FPS, there might be as many as 10 million next generation Xboxes out there by the time the PS3 ships a year later. That is an awful of systems. And, if the rumors are true, they are going to release Halo 3 the same day the PS3 comes out. With ten million happy customers already, it could be very hard for Sony to convince people to spend $300 more dollars for a PS3 when they could just spend $50 for a system they already own and get the next Halo title. Microsoft does not expect to win this war as easily as Sony overthrew Nintendo a decade ago, but they fully expect to be able to compete. The easiest way they can do that is to ride PDZ as far as they can and let Halo 3 do the rest. If Rare can regain their N64 form and MS can continue to build contacts in the industry, I honestly would not be surprised if they surpass Sony next generation.

I realize I am risking my reputation, whatever that entails, by going on and on about PDZ long before any details have actually surfaced. You could just say that I am really that confident in Rare's abilities that they can go four years without a great game released and I still have hope that their next title will, once again, blow me away. If I'm wrong feel free to rip me until I'm merely a shell of my former self. But if I'm right, and you know I will be, the greatest reward of all will be losing myself in a Rare game one more time.