Curmudgeon Gamer
30 September 2007
About Super Stardust HD
A few months back I characterized Super Stardust HD as a copy-cat game with a thick layer of eye-candy. While what I said is true -- the game does borrow heavily from earlier games and a lot of effort was spent on flashy graphics -- it does miss that the game really is quite fun. I've dropped a ton of time into it this weekend, and I'd go so far as to say that this game could help me put off my need to own a Robotron: 2084 stand-up machine for another couple of years.
My hats off to the developer, Housemarque. Fine job. These folks understand how to keep the player engaged in a frantic action game: don't stop me from quickly jumping right back into another game. I believe from game over to blasting asteroids in a new game is close to 10 seconds, which is far better than you can say for a lot of games. Instantaneous would have been nice, but that's nitpicking.
And Sony, keep dropping money on these kinds of exclusive games. I've watched the trailer for Everyday Shooter a couple of times already, and I hope you make good on your promise to bring it out before the end of the year. That plus LittleBigPlanet and I should be plenty happy.
My hats off to the developer, Housemarque. Fine job. These folks understand how to keep the player engaged in a frantic action game: don't stop me from quickly jumping right back into another game. I believe from game over to blasting asteroids in a new game is close to 10 seconds, which is far better than you can say for a lot of games. Instantaneous would have been nice, but that's nitpicking.
And Sony, keep dropping money on these kinds of exclusive games. I've watched the trailer for Everyday Shooter a couple of times already, and I hope you make good on your promise to bring it out before the end of the year. That plus LittleBigPlanet and I should be plenty happy.
Labels: fun, online distribution, ps3, psn, sony
--jvm at 21:30
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27 September 2007
(My own) Gamasutra Piece on Exploration Games
My second all-encompassing article on game design, this time focusing on "open world" games where the player sets his own pace, went up at Gamasutra yesterday.
Once again, this isn't a "top 20" list, and once again, it is very long. The games on it are chosen, not because they're tops in their category, but for what I can illustrate by presenting them. This means there are purposely some outlier cases, and games that are not traditionally considered to be exploratory, since these games push at the edges of what the word "exploration" means.
In any case, it's up. Enjoy, if your curmudgeonly hearts haven't yet twisted and shrunk down to dense black rocks incapable of happiness.
Once again, this isn't a "top 20" list, and once again, it is very long. The games on it are chosen, not because they're tops in their category, but for what I can illustrate by presenting them. This means there are purposely some outlier cases, and games that are not traditionally considered to be exploratory, since these games push at the edges of what the word "exploration" means.
In any case, it's up. Enjoy, if your curmudgeonly hearts haven't yet twisted and shrunk down to dense black rocks incapable of happiness.
Labels: exploration, Gamasutra, list
--JohnH at 11:41
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25 September 2007
PS3
Writing this from the new 60Gb PS3 that arrived today. So far, a nice system.
I've downloaded and played a bit of fl0w, and it's a decent relaxing game. Blast Factor, the main Robotron-clone for PSN, is neat but I'm not upgrading from the demo just yet. I may wait until Christmas for any games on disc, but we'll see.
I've moved all my PS2 save data over, and the system worked just fine with Ace Combat 5. I've got a bunch of demos downloaded already and will get around to them eventually.
The USB keyboard driver and web browser could be a little more robust. Blame typos on that, please.
I'll probably watch Casino Royale on Blu-Ray with the wife this weekend. We'll see if she thinks there's any difference between DVD and an HD format.
When I have a vacation I'll probably look into backing up my data and installing GNU/Linux.
I've downloaded and played a bit of fl0w, and it's a decent relaxing game. Blast Factor, the main Robotron-clone for PSN, is neat but I'm not upgrading from the demo just yet. I may wait until Christmas for any games on disc, but we'll see.
I've moved all my PS2 save data over, and the system worked just fine with Ace Combat 5. I've got a bunch of demos downloaded already and will get around to them eventually.
The USB keyboard driver and web browser could be a little more robust. Blame typos on that, please.
I'll probably watch Casino Royale on Blu-Ray with the wife this weekend. We'll see if she thinks there's any difference between DVD and an HD format.
When I have a vacation I'll probably look into backing up my data and installing GNU/Linux.
Labels: linux, online distribution, ps2, ps3, sony
--jvm at 23:20
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[ 3 ]
23 September 2007
Cheapskate
For all the kvetching about prices (some on this very blog), this really is a decent time for finding cheap games. Just this weekend I found Shadow of the Colossus for $10 at Wal-mart and took advantage of the 3-for-2 deal at Toys R Us to pick up three PSP games (Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix, Lumines II, and EA Replay) for an average of less than $7.50 each. Heck, I even spotted Taito Legends Power-up for the PSP for $13 brand new in GameStop. After the other pickups, I couldn't really justify any other games, so I'll just have to wait on that one.
Labels: game stores, prices, ps2, psp
--jvm at 15:43
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21 September 2007
Distinction without difference
Kris Graft has a Tokyo Game Show impressions/interview piece up at Next-Gen.biz about Ninja Gaiden 2. You might want to check an earlier post about NG2. Anyway, here's the quote I wanted to highlight:
It sounds like they're saying that their intention to make a game that extends the Extreme Combat genre is a defense, while the effect will be to make a game that has horrific imagery. Imagery like this description Graft relates:
What's the difference between a game that sets out specifically to let you brutally dismember a person and a game that claims it's about making fun combat and along the way rewards brutal dismemberment?
For the record, I have experimented with sadistic acts in games which allowed me to do it. There is a parking garage on the second island in GTA3 which is near your second hideout, and I recall spending time with Bob experimenting with the NPC crowds and explosives. For example, you could kill a bystander, watch the NPCs run up to help him/her, and then toss a molotov cocktail in amongst them, and more people would come over to help those victims, and so forth. Eventually, the game would punish you if you let your wanted rating get too high. Even then you could try to extract rewards, though. If you waited until the FBI cars showed up, you could escape in one of them, and keep it in your garage as a prize, provided you were skillful and lucky.
(Disclaimer: I have written and continue to write for Next-Gen.biz.)
"[Violence is] one method that you can use to really bring a player into a game and make it more satisfying... It's one portion of making this game the best action game on the market, but it's not like we have a specific goal to [make this the most violent game ever]."I don't buy it. If you're making a game and you're thinking "in this game, we want the player to behead and dismember his enemies limb by limb" then it is technically true that you may not want to make the most violent game ever. But the effect will be the same.
It sounds like they're saying that their intention to make a game that extends the Extreme Combat genre is a defense, while the effect will be to make a game that has horrific imagery. Imagery like this description Graft relates:
Chopping off an enemy's arms won't necessarily kill him, for example, but will leave him with no way to wield a weapon. Chopping off an enemy's legs will drop the torso to the ground, immobilizing him, but he'll pull out a grenade and try to blow himself up along with you from his stationary position.Delightful.
What's the difference between a game that sets out specifically to let you brutally dismember a person and a game that claims it's about making fun combat and along the way rewards brutal dismemberment?
For the record, I have experimented with sadistic acts in games which allowed me to do it. There is a parking garage on the second island in GTA3 which is near your second hideout, and I recall spending time with Bob experimenting with the NPC crowds and explosives. For example, you could kill a bystander, watch the NPCs run up to help him/her, and then toss a molotov cocktail in amongst them, and more people would come over to help those victims, and so forth. Eventually, the game would punish you if you let your wanted rating get too high. Even then you could try to extract rewards, though. If you waited until the FBI cars showed up, you could escape in one of them, and keep it in your garage as a prize, provided you were skillful and lucky.
(Disclaimer: I have written and continue to write for Next-Gen.biz.)
--jvm at 12:01
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[ 5 ]
20 September 2007
History says you're wrong
From a Joystiq post today about buying the right to unlock something that shipped on a game's disc:
Just because you bought media with data on it doesn't guarantee you the right to access it for free. Sorry.
If a feature is already on a disc, it should be accessible. Essentially 2K Sports is charging consumers more money for something they already bought, selling them a key to a door they already own.I hate to defend the game companies on this one, but this has been going on for at least a decade or more. And people liked it. Back when id Software released Quake, they'd sell you a $10 CD that had the shareware version on it, but could be registered (over the phone, I believe) to access the full version.
Just because you bought media with data on it doesn't guarantee you the right to access it for free. Sorry.
--jvm at 12:31
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19 September 2007
Next Generation NPD
My writing on NPD's monthly videogame industry data moved this month to Next-Gen.biz. It also grew into two separate articles.
Hardware part.
Software part.
Comments, as always, are welcome.
Hardware part.
Software part.
Comments, as always, are welcome.
--jvm at 10:05
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12 September 2007
The future of violent videogames
The future. Not the future (and probably NSFW for some people). Just so you know.
The longer version is that we've reached the point where more graphic gore doesn't actually make games more appealing. You can have more blood. You can have more fluid-like blood. You can have severed heads and limbs that bump around the environment with amazingly realistic physics. You can even have those severed heads and limbs give off appropriately heavy or squishy sound effects in Dolby Digital 5.1.
But it's all for naught. I think Valve has put their finger on what matters: a visually appealing game that is (hopefully) fun to play. It will be more broadly appreciated. It's not that terribly far removed from Looney Toons that we've all watched as kids.
I don't know what a game like Ninja Gaiden really thinks it will accomplish with gore like that, but the one thing it won't achieve is mainstream acceptance.
The longer version is that we've reached the point where more graphic gore doesn't actually make games more appealing. You can have more blood. You can have more fluid-like blood. You can have severed heads and limbs that bump around the environment with amazingly realistic physics. You can even have those severed heads and limbs give off appropriately heavy or squishy sound effects in Dolby Digital 5.1.
But it's all for naught. I think Valve has put their finger on what matters: a visually appealing game that is (hopefully) fun to play. It will be more broadly appreciated. It's not that terribly far removed from Looney Toons that we've all watched as kids.
I don't know what a game like Ninja Gaiden really thinks it will accomplish with gore like that, but the one thing it won't achieve is mainstream acceptance.
--jvm at 01:07
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[ 11 ]
10 September 2007
Deceived
I enjoyed the time I spent with Tecmo's Deception games on the PS1. I've spent about an hour with Trapt, a sequel of sorts on the PS2. I've seen exactly three features which distinguish it from the original trilogy:- Nice 3D graphics
- Decent sounding Japanese voice work
- Attractive women dressed in trashy leather clothing
Seriously, I am fairly sure that even the first few missions are exactly the same enemies in the same rooms that I played in Deception III: Dark Delusion.
Sad, Tecmo. Really, really sad. Then again...I did buy it.
--jvm at 21:54
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[ 2 ]
Braben misspeaks, we correct
David Braben comments on game ratings and says:
Having said that, from what I've heard of Manhunt 2 (I haven't had the chance to play it), it is not the sort of game the industry should be making, as it is inevitably going to attract controversy.No, no! You've only got half of it. You meant to say "attract money"! And that, my friends, is why ratings ultimately won't matter to consumers.
Labels: esrb
--jvm at 09:04
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[ 1 ]
09 September 2007
PS3 Compatibility of My PS2 Library
To follow up on my post about how well my PS1 library will play on a PS3, here are the results with the 90 games in my PS2 library, which you can check out at MobyGames. The 60Gb wins.
The results for the software emulation of PS2 games...
Here are the graphs:
I intend to keep my old PS2 around, so most or all of these games should be available to play on that system even when they don't work on a PS3. Still, for out of the box compatibility the 60Gb really seems like the system to get. We'll see how well MonkeyKing's feelings about the software emulation pan out...
For the 60Gb:That works out to 89 out of 90, or 98.9%, being playable with minor inconvenient issues on a 60Gb PS3.
84 games work just fine (93%)
2 have video corruption (2D movies)
1 has graphics corruption (2D or 3D game graphics)
1 has some sort of audio problem (corrupted audio)
1 has a fatal hang
1 doesn't work with some sort of extra hardware
The results for the software emulation of PS2 games...
For the 80Gb:That works out to 76 out of 90, or 84%, which are documented playable with minor inconvenient issues.
50 games work just fine (57%)
7 have video corruption (2D movies)
12 have graphics corruption (2D or 3D graphics)
12 have a fatal hang
1 doesn't work with some sort of extra hardware
5 have speed problems (running slowly)
1 doesn't work online
1 is not in Sony's database
Here are the graphs:
I intend to keep my old PS2 around, so most or all of these games should be available to play on that system even when they don't work on a PS3. Still, for out of the box compatibility the 60Gb really seems like the system to get. We'll see how well MonkeyKing's feelings about the software emulation pan out...
--jvm at 00:31
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[ 8 ]
08 September 2007
PS3 Compatibility of My PS1 Library
Either model of the PS3 will probably play your PS1 games as well as the other. That's my conclusion after I checked the compatibility of the 128 PS1 games in my library, as cataloged on MobyGames. Here's the breakdown
If you'd prefer a graph, here you go:
Out of these 128 games, the 80Gb and 60Gb models have exactly the same compatibility issues. Although I've never seen it said somewhere, this leads me to believe that the PS1 compatibility is purely software, and has nothing to do with the PS2 hardware in the 60Gb PS3 model. Sony has a software PS1 emulator after all, the one used on the PSP! Moreover, when issues have been fixed with PS1 game compatibility, they're fixed by a firmware update.
So, there is no compelling reason to get either PS3 model over the other if your concern is PS1 compatibility.
Incidentally, I believeyou still can't play the downloadable PS1 games on the PlayStation Network with a PS3 at one time you couldn't play downlodable PS1 games on the PlayStation Network with a PS3. If indeed there is was a software PS1 emulator built right into the firmware, then I'm really puzzled about Sony's reluctance to make those PS1 games playable on both the PSP and the PS3. What's What was going on there?
I'm working on combing through my PS2 library. I'll have another post up when I get done.
105 work just fine (that's 82%)The number that probably really matters: 126 out of 128 will work with minor inconvenient issues. That's 98.4%.
4 have video corruption (2D movies)
8 have graphics corruption (2D or 3D game graphics)
4 have some sort of audio problem (usually just a wrong or truncated sound)
4 have a bug that can cause a hang (only a couple are truly fatal)
1 has a controller issue
2 have speed problems (usually running slowly)
If you'd prefer a graph, here you go:
Out of these 128 games, the 80Gb and 60Gb models have exactly the same compatibility issues. Although I've never seen it said somewhere, this leads me to believe that the PS1 compatibility is purely software, and has nothing to do with the PS2 hardware in the 60Gb PS3 model. Sony has a software PS1 emulator after all, the one used on the PSP! Moreover, when issues have been fixed with PS1 game compatibility, they're fixed by a firmware update.So, there is no compelling reason to get either PS3 model over the other if your concern is PS1 compatibility.
Incidentally, I believe
I'm working on combing through my PS2 library. I'll have another post up when I get done.
--jvm at 21:20
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[ 3 ]
07 September 2007
Karraker Gone
One of the better things to happen to Sony in the past year is having someone who appeared mostly sane heading up PR. Now that guy, David Karraker, is leaving to work in the "spirits industry". I suppose one might say he needed a stiff drink. In the interview he did with Next-Gen.biz today, he touts Sony's PlayStation blog as an important contribution.
He's right.
I don't keep refreshing my RSS reader waiting for a new post penned by Jack Tretton, mind you. The blog is just a glorified PR space. On the other hand, when they make an announcement on the blog before they send out a press release to the news sites, they're doing precisely what Karraker said they needed to do: take control of their own message. Sure, it's often PR garbage, but at least the public can get the PR garbage directly from that tap instead of filtered through IGN or Kotaku. Direct is better.
Of course, Sony's message, no matter how direct, hasn't always been clear. Where is Game 3.0, anyway? Why are they letting leaks set up expectations of how well PlayStation Home is progressing? They've got work to do. But, for the most part, they're right back to a healthy back-and-forth with the media and their competition.
I hope Sony gets someone as good or better than Karraker for the next PR guy. They're going to need it.
(Disclosure: I have written and continue to write for Next-Gen.biz, to whom I've linked.)
He's right.
I don't keep refreshing my RSS reader waiting for a new post penned by Jack Tretton, mind you. The blog is just a glorified PR space. On the other hand, when they make an announcement on the blog before they send out a press release to the news sites, they're doing precisely what Karraker said they needed to do: take control of their own message. Sure, it's often PR garbage, but at least the public can get the PR garbage directly from that tap instead of filtered through IGN or Kotaku. Direct is better.
Of course, Sony's message, no matter how direct, hasn't always been clear. Where is Game 3.0, anyway? Why are they letting leaks set up expectations of how well PlayStation Home is progressing? They've got work to do. But, for the most part, they're right back to a healthy back-and-forth with the media and their competition.
I hope Sony gets someone as good or better than Karraker for the next PR guy. They're going to need it.
(Disclosure: I have written and continue to write for Next-Gen.biz, to whom I've linked.)
--jvm at 16:40
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Sometimes the 80 is better than the 60
I'm considering getting a 60Gb PS3 before the only way to get one is used, so I decided to hit up the new compatibility search engine Sony's put up just recently. In comparing the two models, I turned up one case where the 80Gb model (which uses software emulation for PS2 and PS1 games) does a better job: Atari Anthology for PlayStation 2. For the hardware emulation in the 60Gb, we get this:
Description: When the "Atari founder Nolan Bushnell" FMV plays, the audio plays approximately 1 second ahead of the video.For the 80Gb (software emulation), the report is
Description: No major problems for this title.Not a killer there, but it does leave me wondering what else will crop up in my collection. On balance, I'm seeing more issues with the 80Gb than with the 60Gb, so I haven't changed my plans. Still, it would be interesting to see a graphical comparison of some sort to visually evaluate how compatible each machine really is.
--jvm at 10:37
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[ 7 ]
04 September 2007
The Global War on Pottery
I just started playing Devil May Cry 3 and I see that it is part of what I call the Global War on Pottery (GWOP). The basic idea is that items around the environment can be destroyed to yield Good Stuff.
In the modern Prince of Persia trilogy, for example, the items are most often urns of various shapes and sizes. They hold the Sands of Time (easily recognized as glowing, golden Good Stuff) which allows the Prince to change the flow of Time. Just to switch things up, you can occasionally declare war on sacks of grain and crates.
In the God of War games the War on Pottery continues as Kratos crushes countless clay jugs with his blades. The war even expands a bit to include stray wooden boards and some statues. Instead of golden Good Stuff, the debris yields red orbs which are good in much the same way that the Sands of Time are good for the Prince.
It is possible, I suppose, that this nonsense all started in the original Devil May Cry, which I recall having random junk you could destroy to extract red orbs of varied sizes. (These orbs are quite different from the ones in God of War. They have a nearly different texture! Other than that, they're the same.) The tradition continues in Devil May Cry 3 where I've already destroyed crates, bottles, and even a few pieces of what might have been pottery. Regardless, I smashed it good!
Once I'm done with DMC3 does anyone know any other Extreme Combat games which will help me keep my anti-pottery skills honed? I'd hate to get called up to serve in the GWOP and be completely out of shape...
In the modern Prince of Persia trilogy, for example, the items are most often urns of various shapes and sizes. They hold the Sands of Time (easily recognized as glowing, golden Good Stuff) which allows the Prince to change the flow of Time. Just to switch things up, you can occasionally declare war on sacks of grain and crates.
In the God of War games the War on Pottery continues as Kratos crushes countless clay jugs with his blades. The war even expands a bit to include stray wooden boards and some statues. Instead of golden Good Stuff, the debris yields red orbs which are good in much the same way that the Sands of Time are good for the Prince.
It is possible, I suppose, that this nonsense all started in the original Devil May Cry, which I recall having random junk you could destroy to extract red orbs of varied sizes. (These orbs are quite different from the ones in God of War. They have a nearly different texture! Other than that, they're the same.) The tradition continues in Devil May Cry 3 where I've already destroyed crates, bottles, and even a few pieces of what might have been pottery. Regardless, I smashed it good!
Once I'm done with DMC3 does anyone know any other Extreme Combat games which will help me keep my anti-pottery skills honed? I'd hate to get called up to serve in the GWOP and be completely out of shape...
--jvm at 00:17
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[ 5 ]
03 September 2007
Good words about GameStop (gasp!)
I've been frequenting the same GameStop for about a month now (once every week or so) and the same guy is always there when I show up. I think he's a manager. He appeared to recognize me the last couple of times, perhaps because I always bring one or two of my boys with me.
Anyway, he always asks if I need anything, to which I usually answer "No, but thanks." Today, as it turns out, I did have two questions for him. The first was whether they had a decent stock of 60 gig PS3s. According to him, they have plenty, and are getting more each week. He says they should be around for a while and added that he recommends the 60 over the 80. I suggested that I'd probably upgrade the drive if I needed more space and he replied that he'd put a 120 gigabyte drive in his own PS3.
My second question was whether the Greatest Hits version of Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition was the same as the non-Greatest Hits version of Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition. He said it didn't matter, as long as you got one marked Special Edition. (I haven't investigated how right he is so far.) As it turns out, the register monkey then gave me a GH SE disc to go with my non-GH SE case. I'm going to try to return it, but it wasn't the fault of the dude who'd answered my questions.
Anyway, this dude has been a helpful person, and has not tried to upsell me at the register. (As I said, different person at the register today, that's not his fault.) Maybe that means this chap's not long for the retail world, but for now I'll keep taking my business to his store.
Anyway, he always asks if I need anything, to which I usually answer "No, but thanks." Today, as it turns out, I did have two questions for him. The first was whether they had a decent stock of 60 gig PS3s. According to him, they have plenty, and are getting more each week. He says they should be around for a while and added that he recommends the 60 over the 80. I suggested that I'd probably upgrade the drive if I needed more space and he replied that he'd put a 120 gigabyte drive in his own PS3.
My second question was whether the Greatest Hits version of Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition was the same as the non-Greatest Hits version of Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition. He said it didn't matter, as long as you got one marked Special Edition. (I haven't investigated how right he is so far.) As it turns out, the register monkey then gave me a GH SE disc to go with my non-GH SE case. I'm going to try to return it, but it wasn't the fault of the dude who'd answered my questions.
Anyway, this dude has been a helpful person, and has not tried to upsell me at the register. (As I said, different person at the register today, that's not his fault.) Maybe that means this chap's not long for the retail world, but for now I'll keep taking my business to his store.
Labels: game stores
--jvm at 20:51
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