G-pinions

GDC time! We're back from the show with many a story and insight to share; Home, LittleBigPlanet and much more, as well as the usual what we've been playing and news all wrapped up in a tight little package.

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P.S. I'm aware of my voice fading out later in the show. It was either that or more loud airplane noises, apparently.

Just attended a great planel on the autobiography of flOw, where thatgamecompany and creator Jenova Chen discussed how they came to be and the last year in their lives which took them from USC design students to a small team with the #1 game on the PSN network. Great presentation, one of the more interesting tidbits being that they had to decide between PS3 and Wii for the title; it seems like such a good fit for Sony and their more risky publishing tastes, but it could certainly be argued that it would be an even better fit for the Wii with the more complex motion control. I'm happy with their choice though, and it's definitely working out for them.

Yesterday was a bit of a ridiculous morning, with back to back to back to back talks by industry icons and legends. Tom and I went to see Cliffy B talk Gears of War iteration first thing in the morning, then attended Shigeru Miyamoto's keynote on the "creative vision," went straight to Peter Molyneux talking innovations in Fable 2, then a very refreshing and hilarious game design challenge with David Jaffe, Alexey Pajitnov (Tetris, Hexic) and Harvey Smith (Deus Ex). Regarding the challenge, the three designers were given the challenge of creating a game concept around a needle and thread interface, whereby the controller is a piece of cloth, plastic needles and thread. I'll talk more detail another time, but Jaffe had a hilariously presented Paper Airplane designing game called Playper, Pajitnov had a very mathematically, systematically explained simple-yet-brilliant puzzle game design reminiscent of Snak.... okay what the hell? Laura Foy is sitting on the computer next to me and just answered the phone at the top of her voice and proceeded to have the loudest conversation of all time. What a famous bitch. Anyhow... yeah, and Harvey made a ludicrously ambitious, well thought out adventure game with RPG elements. Good stuff.

Tom and I played a four-player game of Calling All Cars yesterday, and I've gotta say it's the most fun I've had at the show so far (and it's been a damn great show). It's just one of those instantly great, instantly accessible and entertaining games. The controls and concept take about a minute to pick up, and then it's just riotous fun until the game is over. You just drive around picking up criminals, and try to return them to drop-off points of different value before someone steals them from you by bumping into you or hits you with one of many available weapons. And that's about the extent of it. I dominated the game thanks to my thirty seven years with the LAPD, naturally, but even those other losers still had a great time. Between CaC, Home and LittleBigPlanet, I once again need a PS3. But I also need a job and an HDTV, in that order... but still! It's a close third.

Really, GDC is just a great place for business. I've met a ton of great contacts; if you have someone you want to talk to you, walk around long enough and you'll run into them. It's smaller, more professional and exponentially more focused than E3. And instead of waiting in line to play embarrassing builds of too-early games, you get to hear the best talent in the industry talk about how they make great games, imparting their philosophies and methods to the people who matter to the future of games. And all in a setting where there's not a blaring half pipe four feet away from you while you're trying to ask someone a question.

Gotta run to a session called "SPORE's Magic Crayons." Wish me luck!

(and tune in tonight for a podcast, hopefully)

I'm wrought with exhaustion from today's GDC adventure, and I plan to wake up tomorrow morning and do it all again. I'll have a very thorough wrap-up at the end of the show, but for today I just wanted to make sure that everyone sees Little Big Planet; it's by far the most important and interesting thing I've seen from the show yet, and makes me so excited for the future of games I can't discuss it in level tones. Here's the crappy YouTube version for the lazy single-clickers:



I really encourage you to check out all of the videos though to get the full scope of what the game's about - without the background, it's like looking at a beautifully constructed chair without having the vaguest clue about how furniture is made. But then being given a tool set and told that anyhow can create a piece of work of that caliber. GO HERE and watch, trust me on this. And then come back on Friday (maybe tomorrow?) for a full update and hopefully a new podcast.

With the anemic story in both Halo games, until now that question would have been met with comedic anger and polite mocking. But in the distant future, when Peter Jackson gets his hands on the series, strong opinions will be formed. According to Shane Kim at a Blogger's Breakfast today, Peter Jackson will head the development of a series of episodic Halo titles. Though the genre and release date, not to mention the very story by which these titles are strung together, have not yet been revealed, it is safe to assume these will be considered a bastion of hope for those upset by the arc in the first two games in the series.

Hopefully, the Academy Awards will retool their strict requirements of only allowing only movies to win awards by the time these games hit. If Meet the Feebles and Bad Taste are any indication of how the Halo Episodes will unfold, well, they better hand out barf bags to everyone in attendance.

Motorstorm (PS3) - Have you ever hung out with a dog breeder? They take you around their massive, dog-humping estate and talk your ear off about these perfect little specimens they have created. You, being cordial, smile and nod as another round of pups says its hellos. To the average person, puppies may be cute but they are virtually indistinguishable from one another. They all have floppy ears, poop incessantly, and inspire tales about Big Red Dogs who terrorize vulnerable children. As a dog aficionado, I don't share your simple-minded affliction. But I can relate. Just about every racing game simply blends into the crowd for me. Sure, there are standout entries like Burnout and Mario Kart, but the vast majority are merely graphically enhanced versions of Rally X. Motorstorm has that next generation sheen and mud that could blind a yak, but I'd rather play another round of Super Off Road. Who's with me?

Def Jam: Icon (X360/PS3) - Every time a new Def Jam comes out, I fondly remember the days when Thrill Kill was going to single-handedly destroy the society our founding fathers struggled to build. Does anyone even remember this game anymore? It was a four player fighting game for the original PlayStation that set out to make Super Smash Bros obsolete before it even hit the streets. Of course, the concept sounds cool enough as is, but Virgin went the extra mile. They tossed sadistic hedonists into this M rated brawler in the hopes of garnering more attention for their poorly crafted creation. Electronic Arts actually took notice, not because of the shocking material, but because a developer had some how programmed a four player fighter to run on that ancient hardware. Needless to say, EA bought Virgin, stole their property, and turned it into the thug-mashing beat 'em up you see before you. What's new about Icon? It's $60. Welcome to next gen.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PS2) - The PSP version came out last year. It was outsold by the Nintendo DS version of Hanna Montana.

Worms (XBLA) - The Xbox Live Arcade is finally cooking. Who would have ever thought that worms could be such violent little creatures, or that they would somehow be able to use a rope without any appendages whatsoever? I certainly wouldn't have believed such a statement, but the facts speak for themselves. Another little know fact about my favorite invertebrates: though they battle frequently, they can only move after their wormy opponent has already taken his turn. Courtesy or stupidity? You'll have to decide tomorrow, for a small $10 observation fee. A strange, fascinating species that I hope lets us see even deeper into their demented society with future expansion packs.