Comments on: The Sunday Papers

By: Jetsetlemming

Jetsetlemming — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:27:41 +0000

As far as gamer opinions negatively effecting future games without having anything to do with current game reviews: See the current glut of games that have forced co-op as their main feature. About a year and a half to two years ago, “Where all da co-op gone?” was this big huge axe gamers had to grind in nearly every overarching discussion of gaming. Now there’s a ton of games that have jumped on this bandwagon in just AWFUL ways, completely to the detriment of single player gamers, and almost always using what would’ve been a normal single player game for their retrofitted cash-in on a fad.
That I can’t think of a single one of these co-op games that does co-op right and make it a communal ass-kicking, social experience (think Smash TV) rather than you forcing someone to play with you because the default AI partner is retarded and then you try not to step on each other’s toes as you play Single Player-esque speaks volumes about modern publisher intelligence when it comes to design decisions.

By: sinister agent

sinister agent — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:36:58 +0000

And the MGS4 corridor sequence? Please. It was complete and utter bullshit. The points where Snake were zapped were so obviously scripted the only emotional response I got out of it was a frown that deepened every time.

Thank you. I literally can’t think of a more instantly, laughably obvious scripted scene in a game. You run in a straight line along an empty corridor. It would take even a rubbish player an epileptic fit to accidentally walk off the path, and the game is 90% scripted throughout, so who would ever be fooled?
It’s a terrible example.

Something like the ‘dock’ end of Kane & Lynch (rubbish game, yes, but that’s irrelevent) would have been much better – it’s only obvious that it’s scripted the second time – the first time, you’ll just think you screwed up.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with games cheating a bit with semi-scripted scenes to manufacture an experience in a supposedly open-ended game, but the problem is in the vast majority of cases it’s very obvious when they’re doing it. And even with hours of careful tweaking, I can’t imagine it’ll ever be remotely easy to disguise it.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:05:45 +0000

There’s also a good essay on chiptunes from that same issue of Transformative Works:

http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/96/94

A very interesting group for sure, check out the About page if you don’t believe me…

By: wiper

wiper — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:25:55 +0000

I actually found that Escapist article really interesting, but not for what it said, so much. Rather, it was interesting to compare to ancient literary criticism (bear with me here).

The talk of games ‘lying’ to us by trying to convince us that there is more freedom on offer than they actually simulate is very, very similar to the ancient problem of literature ‘lying’ to us by trying to convince us of the reality of their fiction. These days, we talk about the ability of literature to help us ‘suspend our disbelief’ – we accept that while fiction is, well, fictional, it works best when it convinces us, albeit temporarily, of its ‘truthfulness’. This doesn’t bother us at all, but in early literary criticism it was a /huge/ stumbling block to get over; there simply wasn’t a culture of literature in place to allow critics to accept that while lying was bad, the ‘lies’ of fiction were an altogether different kettle of fish.

It would seem that games criticism is currently at that stage, where the ‘lies’ of games in their attempt to immerse gamers more fully are still seen as troublesome, and not simply accepted. I wonder how long it’ll take us to get over the problem? (It took the Greeks a few hundred years, by comparison)

By: Tei

Tei — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:23:34 +0000

Theres also the thing “Gamers” is a group of people. There are people that want to move the game in one direction, and others in other different. Theres no superior design, motivation or ego, to drive changes. Are pure random. While a game is a design.

By: Tei

Tei — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:20:25 +0000

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Why make TF3 when you can keep patching and updating TF2 for years and years?”

Programs are like persons. Get older. And die of lots of different problems.

Speacking of this… the removal of crits is something to make the game less fun, but better has a e-sport.

By: Rich_P

Rich_P — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:02:00 +0000

With gamers suggestions, you will have Quake 1.1, Halo 1.2, … never Quake2 or Halo 2.

Gabe [Newell] thinks that the movie industry would benefit from incremental products. Toy Story 1.1! Just make the graphics better!

I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Why make TF3 when you can keep patching and updating TF2 for years and years?

By: pepper

pepper — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:59:19 +0000

God, maybe, just maybe he will see the piano falling, as in; “Why is that humongous crane swinging a piano above my head” kind. Just saying…

By: Tei

Tei — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:46:30 +0000

“Gamers that will engage in forum debates et al regarding particular games or genres’ do not neccessarily represent a broad spectrum of views.”

Yea, players suggestions are boring and limited. Almost all suggestions are reusing existing stuff to make it incrementally better. Or evolve everything into a e-sport.
Using players feedback to create other than a FPS arena, could be …shortsigned. With gamers suggestions, you will have Quake 1.1, Halo 1.2, … never Quake2 or Halo 2.

By: Markoff Chaney

Markoff Chaney — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:43:06 +0000

*Err or just keep the tongue firmly planted in your cheek for those of us too dense to miss obvious attempts at humor and for whom it is an all together too early Monday morning with too little caffeine in our bloodstream*

By: Markoff Chaney

Markoff Chaney — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:41:20 +0000

You will be missed on these hallowed pages, Mr. Gillen. I do hope you pop in from time to time to share some of your insight.

I can’t speak to the other major issue in this thread. Coding was never the life for me and finding a degree in “Fixin’ ‘Puters” has never been easy. I’ll just say I’m happy with my Certs and Job.

By: Ben Abraham

Ben Abraham — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:39:32 +0000

When I thought Kieron Gillen was leaving RPS, I was honestly truly very sad. In my heart. Very sad.

So, er, never leave. Ever.