By Quintin Smith on October 11th, 2010 at 10:58 am.
I’ve got some bad news, courtesy of GameSetWatch. In five weeks and two days, you will be stood up on a date.
In what might be the hardest sell ever, for the low-low price of $12.45 ($9.95 if you pre-order, which will be available on Nov 3rd) upcoming indie title Dinner Date will offer you the chance to “play as the subconsciousness of Julian Luxemburg, waiting for his date to arrive. You listen in on his thoughts while tapping the table, looking at the clock and eventually reluctantly starting to eat.” Thoughts and a video await you below. Hurry! They’ve been waiting so long…
Ooh, I’m excited. If there’s one thing I love more than a high-concept game, it’s a high-concept game executed with colour and personality. And here’s just how high-concept and colourful Dinner Date is: the official site recommends a wine to drink while playing the game.
Julian has purchased a bottle of Otra Vida, an Argentinian Merlot. It is a refreshing pleasurable wine, offering a moment away from the stresses of daily life and work. Stout Games recommends drinking it while playing Dinner Date. An attendant at your local off-license may help you further.
I’m almost in tears. I’m also a little concerned, because the site mentions that a full playthrough of the game lasts 25 minutes, which, besides seeming like quite a short time to wait for a girl, strikes me as a poor deal for $12. The site does also mention how the story’s multiple layers will encourage repeat playthroughs, so maybe it’ll be fine. We’ll see. I mean, I’d happily pay $40 for this stuff. I’m just thinking about you guys.
What’s the saddest date you’ve ever been stood up on, readers?
11/10/2010 at 11:04 Skurmedel says:
What’s a date?
11/10/2010 at 11:14 duncanthrax says:
I heard its a way of indirectly paying for sexual activities.
11/10/2010 at 11:27 Baboonanza says:
I think it’s what American’s do instead of just getting drunk and shagging.
11/10/2010 at 12:41 Spacewalk says:
I had one of those once. Since then whenever anyone asks me out I stay in and do a jigsaw instead.
11/10/2010 at 13:06 JackShandy says:
I’ve heard it’s kind of like a dating sim, but harder.
11/10/2010 at 11:08 Brumisator says:
This may just be the most boring concept for any game ever…
I can’t WAIT to play it!
then again, the price is indeed a tad high for a high-concept, low-gameplay experiment like this.
And with 25 minutes of total playtime, I doubt we’ll get a demo.
11/10/2010 at 11:09 Hazza says:
Umm…. Riiiiight…
11/10/2010 at 11:13 Tinus says:
I’ve played this in beta, and can say with confidence that this an experience worth trying. It’s really something else!
Also: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/08/18/size-doesnt-matter-day/
11/10/2010 at 11:16 Auspex says:
It was early 2007 I was a fresh-faced university student still getting my head around the fact that some girls might be mildly interested me. She was a borderline alcoholic with a surprising love of ice hockey.
I waited outside the local (quite shitty) ice arena place, it was getting dark. I stared at the tickets and the bottle of Sprite and vodka I had brought for her, it was getting darker. I heard the game start, it was dark.
I took a wig from the bottle of Sprite on the bus home; my phone vibrated:
“Hey J, you know our thing is over right?”
I drank the rest of Sprite.
11/10/2010 at 11:47 Rinox says:
But what happened to the vodka?!
11/10/2010 at 11:56 Auspex says:
Don’t worry it had mixed with the Sprite in, what I like to call, “a cocktail”.
11/10/2010 at 12:54 torchedEARTH says:
Did you kill her and get your money back like in GTA 4?
11/10/2010 at 11:19 Schaulustiger says:
Never been stood up on a date. So I need to play this game in order to feel like a total loser. Wait, what?
11/10/2010 at 11:19 poop says:
seems less embarrassing/annoying then games made by tale of tales, but more embarassing/annoying then the radiatior games
not worth $12 then
11/10/2010 at 11:41 Pie21 says:
THAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry.
11/10/2010 at 11:43 sfury says:
When I saw the headline and screenshot I first thought it is Part 3 of Radiator. Speaking of which – what the hell happened to it?
11/10/2010 at 11:57 Fede says:
Maybe Yang is waiting for Episode 3 before releasing Radiator 3 :)
11/10/2010 at 12:13 vanarbulax says:
Episode 3 will actually be a creative collaboration between a bunch of popular hl2 modders, Yang included. Vignettes include: an objective correlative journey between Cold War bunker and Mr. Freeman’s mute but fatalistic pysche, a brief mutli-player prop hunt stint, naval battles with pirates attempting to board the Borealis, nonsense Japanese decals sprayed all over the combine hallways and 50-70 Valve endorsed Alyx re-skins.
11/10/2010 at 17:19 Malkar says:
@pie Then was correct. Please learn English before attempting to correct others.
11/10/2010 at 17:51 spod says:
@Malkar, actually Pie is correct – “then” is incorrect in this context.
11/10/2010 at 17:55 Vague-rant says:
@Malkar
I suspect the first then is incorrect. The second is correct. Hence the misunderstanding.
11/10/2010 at 18:20 Lendemain says:
They are both incorrect, as “than” makes comparisons and “then” implies sequence, and both are making comparisons.
11/10/2010 at 18:27 Vague-rant says:
If we consider his first statement, then it is not worth the money.
11/10/2010 at 18:30 Vague-rant says:
Nevermind. It turns out my grammar is ok, but my ability to count is a little fubarred. I didn’t see the first “then”. The first and second then are correct, the third is fine.
I am a fool and this tangent to the actual topic has no place on teh interwebz.
11/10/2010 at 18:32 Vague-rant says:
I MEANT INCORRECT!
12/10/2010 at 08:25 Kdansky says:
Luckily, there is no edit-function, or else this hilarious exchange would never have happened.
11/10/2010 at 11:20 Giant, fussy whingebag says:
So this is a bad ad for wine in the guise of a boring game?
“Otra Vida: It makes being stood up bearable! (Warning: May require you to drink the whole bottle yourself and then switch to a spirit of your choice)”
11/10/2010 at 11:23 ShawnClapper says:
The way this game looks reminds me of Façade (http://interactivestory.net/)
11/10/2010 at 11:25 AndrewC says:
That’s an awfully grotty kitchen. Is that a spoiler?
11/10/2010 at 11:26 Longrat says:
Really? 12$ for a 20 minute game?
I’ll stick to newgrounds, thanks.
11/10/2010 at 11:26 BAshment says:
ah pay that’s where i went wrong.
11/10/2010 at 11:31 Lewie Procter says:
I’ve never been the standupee, but I was a standuper once.
Met a nice girl at the backstage party before Glastonbury 2007.
Arranged to meet her for lunch on Saturday. She wasn’t sure when she would be free, or where she would be (she was working), so I was going to phone her and meet up just beforehand.
Except my battery died…
I phoned her after I got home, and she did sound a little upset, but forgave me. It wasn’t entirely my fault.
11/10/2010 at 11:31 zak canard says:
25 minutes eh? That’s longer than my most recent and successful date this year by about 25 minutes.
11/10/2010 at 11:32 KingCathcart says:
I went to the RPS meet-o-chat a couple of weeks ago.
I waited all night for John Walker to turn up but he never arrived.
My heart heart was broken and will never be healed.
Well not by John at any rate. He’s a rubbish healer.
11/10/2010 at 11:46 Auspex says:
If it makes you feel any better I’m sure Walker has been stood up loads of times.
And one time Kieron dropped his towel in front of him so he’s had his fair share of misfortune.
11/10/2010 at 18:51 DJ Phantoon says:
Existentialist crisis coupled with repeated murmuring to self about size doesn’t matter?
11/10/2010 at 11:44 konrad_ha says:
Alternatively, you could just invite someone to a real dinner-date and experience your own subconsciousness.
11/10/2010 at 12:16 HYPERPOWERi says:
This is cheaper.
11/10/2010 at 15:41 Hmm-Hmm. says:
Not necessarily.
12/10/2010 at 02:05 HYPERPOWERi says:
If so, prepare for the experience addressed in this very game.
11/10/2010 at 11:55 mlaskus says:
Hmm, most my dates end when I invariably get completely drunk and do something stupid… or fall asleep. I want a game about that!
11/10/2010 at 11:57 Metal_circus says:
TWELVE whole bloody quid?
Fuck. Off.
11/10/2010 at 11:59 Metal_circus says:
For twelve quid I could take my own damn date to a steak house in town. The feckin’ cheek of some of these indies, eh?
11/10/2010 at 12:02 Auspex says:
Technically it’s 12 dollars BUT that’s before you include the £5.69 wine they suggest. So it’s really £13.50.
“Fuck. Off.”
11/10/2010 at 12:13 AndrewC says:
You can get two meals for £12? Where on earth do you eat?
And a £5.69 for a bottle of wine gives off ALL the wrong signals. It’s too low at today’s prices, for a properly special bottle of wine. And really, Argentinian? In Europe? Think of the travel footprint!
This guy was doomed from the start.
But is that spoilers? Is this part of the game? Who’s to know? Bloody art games!
11/10/2010 at 12:20 Metal_circus says:
Well, I take all my dates to McDonalds, so I can eat like a “prince” for almost no pence.
(I don’t actually do this. But I should. For shits ‘n giggles.)
Also, quinns, forty quid? Furreals? Are the very fabric of your clothes made from dollar bills? Can you naturally peel off notes from the palm of you hand and out of thin air whenever you want?
I’m a little old fashioned, okay? If I pay over 10 quid for something, I expect gameplay. Not lines of dialogue. Theres youtube for this kind of stuff, you know?
11/10/2010 at 12:33 Quintin Smith says:
Pounds do not equal dollars. And if you’ve watched the video, you can see there’s more to it than lines of dialogue. We know very little at the minute.
11/10/2010 at 13:21 Auspex says:
I was really objecting to the price of wine because you can get bottles for like £1.99 you know?
11/10/2010 at 14:08 Metal_circus says:
Personally? I wouldn’t pay for this. Unless it was thrown in with an indie bundle, maybe then it’s okay. It feels like the devs are kind of taking the piss if they think people will pay to watch a dinner date unfold on their computers. I mean seriously, gimme a break.
Pretty cute idea though if I’m being honest. but 12 dollars? Really? Jesus.
11/10/2010 at 14:11 AndrewC says:
Maybe if the guy pulled out a Game And Watch half way through? Would that satisfy your definition of gameplay?
11/10/2010 at 14:20 Ezhar says:
I believe taking the full game experience into real life requires only buying dinner for one – and is a single player game.
11/10/2010 at 11:58 Graeme Strachan says:
Puts me in mind of from ToT. That had a similar musing on the nature of things. Plus you were in a bad situation because of a girl in that as well.
Wonder if Julian Luxemberg looks as much like Eric Stoltz as John the Baptist did…
11/10/2010 at 12:09 mrrobsa says:
This looks brilliant. A novel idea for some unusual roleplay in games. This is one date I shall endeavour to remember.
11/10/2010 at 12:25 dragon_hunter21 says:
Aaaak… Moral dilemmas…
First, I love the concept for this game, and I really feel the need to support developers that are breaking the mold and doing something different.
But on the other hand, I just can’t justify spending $12.50 (or even $10) on 25 minutes of sitting around swirling wine waiting for a girl is predestined not to show up. It’s literally paying for disappointment- which is also really interesting, which brings us back to point A and aaaaargh
11/10/2010 at 12:30 mrmud says:
So im gonna break in here and say that this sounds completely uninteresting and vapid.
Compounded even more by being horribly overpriced.
It saddens me that RPS choses to spend so much time on geniuinely boring games such as this.
11/10/2010 at 12:32 sana says:
Watch out, here comes the rabid indie defender train!
11/10/2010 at 12:33 dragon_hunter21 says:
There needs to be a distinction here. First, while the game itself might be boring, none of us have actually played it yet, so we can’t really judge. Now I believe what you’re talking about is the concept- and personally, I find any attempt to do something “different” something to be applauded.
11/10/2010 at 12:37 dragon_hunter21 says:
And now I feel like a fool. Well played, Sana.
11/10/2010 at 18:01 Wilson says:
@dragon_hunter21 – Why? You weren’t a ‘rabid indie defender train’. It was hardly a stunning act of prophecy to predict that someone might disagree with mrmud’s comment. Personally I’m with you. I’ll wait until the game’s released and see what people think of it. It might go either way (boring or great) but it’s nice to see something new being tried.
11/10/2010 at 18:52 DJ Phantoon says:
How do we know he won’t be a psychopath, or this won’t be a Cthulhu horror mythos game?
11/10/2010 at 22:39 Fumarole says:
I’m genuinely saddened* when people choose words like im, choses and geniuinely when criticizing others’ interest in games.
* not really
11/10/2010 at 12:42 Saul says:
How do I pre-order?? I can’t find a link!!!! Must… have… game.
11/10/2010 at 13:03 Saul says:
Xome on, am I the only person who has tried to order this? I love the concept, but to have a pre-order offer and NO LINK ON YOUR SITE, that’s a bit of an amateur error.
11/10/2010 at 13:03 Saul says:
Come on, am I the only person who has tried to order this? I love the concept, but to have a pre-order offer and NO LINK ON YOUR SITE, that’s a bit of an amateur error.
11/10/2010 at 13:04 Saul says:
Haha, as is double-posting and spelling “come” with an “x”. I hang my head in shame.
11/10/2010 at 13:08 HYPERPOWERi says:
Purple is your avatar.
All is forgiven.
11/10/2010 at 12:49 Corrupt_Tiki says:
No game for me then, as If I was playing I want a square-jawed steroid using battle android, who won’t bother with wine but just drink methylated spirits on the rocks.
[I might play it, but yeah, 12pound, thats err thats um, 30$ of my money?! I can buy the witcher for that, and I’ve never played the witcher, and I like RPG’s (well Diablo etc)
11/10/2010 at 12:54 Tony M says:
Quintin, I’ll stand you up for $8.50. Payable to my paypal account.
11/10/2010 at 13:02 Lewie Procter says:
The preorders go live on the 27th.
It will cost $9.95 if you preorder it, roughly £6.24.
That is much cheaper than most games release at. If you still think that’s too much, then wait for it to get further discounted.
People saying it is too expensive, how much do you think it should cost? $5? $2? 2 cents?
11/10/2010 at 13:06 Saul says:
Oh, I get it now. So the pre-order is available in 3 weeks, and the game in 5. A bit confusing, and why not wait to announce the pre-order until one can actually pay for it?
11/10/2010 at 13:19 mrmud says:
For this kind of game?
Probably 0$
Although I would probably not bother even then.
Its both wierd, esoteric and expensive (for the production values). Thats not a great combination.
11/10/2010 at 15:19 sfury says:
I’d buy / have-a-think-about-it at $5.
12/10/2010 at 03:29 Santiago says:
It should be “voluntary pay” after you´ve played, as in street theater.
11/10/2010 at 13:49 RagingLion says:
I would be very interested in playing this, but at the moment it would have to be a bout a pound for me to properly consider doing so.
11/10/2010 at 13:54 Carolina says:
Some people would prefer a Pinot noir instead.
Anyway, having born in Argentina and currently residing in Buenos Aires, I could easily get you that bottle of Otra Vida Merlot, Quinns. You know, for your real-life dinner dates. In fact, if I remember correctly, it’s actually cheaper than the game.
On topic, I’m really interested in this game, but 12.45 USD seems indeed like a bit too much for it. At least for now. Not that I can’t afford it; it’s just a matter of principle. And that’s from someone who paid five bucks to die —sometimes— in The Graveyard.
Yeah, I don’t understand myself either.
11/10/2010 at 14:00 Carolina says:
Incidentally, I’ve never been stood up in a date, but I’ll be sure to blame this game if it ever happens to me.
After all, if playing violent videogames make people more prone to violence, surely this game will ruin my social life.
11/10/2010 at 14:40 Quintin Smith says:
Oh, my God! If you’re serious, email me. quinns AT rockpapershotgun.com.
I’m sure I could find a bottle of it somewhere around here but doing a Wot I Think of the game with a bottle of wine sent to me by a South American reader would be a total victory.
11/10/2010 at 15:04 mlaskus says:
Hmm, how good is that movie?
The scene you linked to is quite brilliant, but I checked out a trailer. It looks like a romantic comedy and I generally prefer to avoid those.
11/10/2010 at 15:24 Lewie Procter says:
Sideways is brilliant.
11/10/2010 at 15:32 AndrewC says:
I hated Sideways, but it’s a comedy about mid-life crises, not a romantic comedy, so you’re good to go!
11/10/2010 at 16:26 Lewie Procter says:
@AndrewC
Interesting perspective
11/10/2010 at 16:35 the wiseass says:
Sideways is a brilliant movie but I thought Bottleshock to be superior in the wine-assery department.
11/10/2010 at 18:02 Ginger Yellow says:
Quinns: looks like Waitrose sell it for £5.69 a bottle.
11/10/2010 at 23:57 Carolina says:
Mail sent.
Now that I think about it, women from distant lands inviting you drinks should instantly make you the rockstar of gaming journalism, Quinns.
And don’t be too upset for the feedback (that goes for you too, Mr. Procter); at least some of us enjoy weird games.
11/10/2010 at 14:28 Rii says:
mmm, I’m intrigued. That I’ve never actually been on a date may or may not factor into this.
11/10/2010 at 15:22 terry says:
There is no way this could possibly be as awkward as Facade. At least, not the way I play Facade.
11/10/2010 at 15:43 mlaskus says:
Those jerks! They threw me out of their apartment every single time… :(
11/10/2010 at 15:47 terry says:
My preferred method was to take all their booze and stand in the corridor shouting about Jesus.
11/10/2010 at 16:02 mlaskus says:
I was always hitting on the wife, and telling her that her husband is a jerk. That never seemed to work well though.
11/10/2010 at 15:50 Pijama says:
Well, how highbrow indie you can go afterwards suggesting an Argentine wine to play the game with?
I am more of a fan to the caipirinha myself, but these guys are soon going to suggest you to play this while listening to Carlos Gardel or Rachmaninoff…
(which per se isn’t a bad idea, but hey, avant-garde gaming? WHAT THE FUCK?)
11/10/2010 at 17:36 Skurmedel says:
Mahler and Beluga caviar toast is the way to go.
04/11/2010 at 10:16 Tom OBedlam says:
I seem to recall my weapon of choice when I was younger was a quad-vod and iron bru, which, now I think about it, was a marginally cheaper ‘romance aid’ than roofies…
11/10/2010 at 16:40 the wiseass says:
I wonder why that guys’ last name is “Luxemburg”? It’s the country I currently live in and I’d buy the game only for that reference, if it was one. So Quintin, maybe you should get in touch with these people and ask them?
Also not many people in Luxembourg (silly Americans it’s written with an “o”, like “honour”) as called “Julien”, that’s a French name. Jemp, Téit, Pier or Heng would be more appropriate.
11/10/2010 at 16:54 Berzee says:
“Luxemburg” is to “Luxembourg” as “Honur” is to “Honour”.
11/10/2010 at 21:04 the wiseass says:
Haha, well played Berzee. My mistake :)
11/10/2010 at 17:06 Jan says:
Maybe he’s Dutch?
You Luxemburgers with your old-fashioned ways wouldn’t accept a Queen, otherwise you’d still be ruled by somebody whose native tongue would call the country Luxemburg.
11/10/2010 at 21:08 the wiseass says:
Actually we have a monarch, a Grand Duke who is the representative head of state. It’s kinda like your queen only that he doesn’t speak our language (Luxemburgish) very well. And if he wanted to spell it in a really old-fashioned way it would have to be “Lucilinburugh” :)
11/10/2010 at 17:14 Joe says:
I had a date. We both ordered the fish (that’s a “couples” thing to do, right?) and they came with the heads on, totally staring at us. I wanted to scream, but I held back; relationships are always awkward during that early stage when you can’t really be yourself.
12/10/2010 at 18:14 Kdansky says:
I’d dump any girl the instant she complains about fish with heads. That’s the best part!
Luckily, my GF will fight me to the death for the cheeks, or offer them lovingly.
11/10/2010 at 17:15 Nallen says:
I once waited 2 hours for a girl to show up to a date. Then I spent £90 on dinner which she launched a bit of spit in to while we were talking. Needless to say I didn’t respond to her texts thanking me for a lovely time.
11/10/2010 at 18:57 Matt says:
So after getting stood up, does he go home and have a bit of a wank while crying?
11/10/2010 at 19:53 sinister agent says:
25 minutes isn’t when you give up! The 26th minute marks the beginning of the passive-aggressive texting phase.
I er, read somewhere.
11/10/2010 at 20:14 Rane2k says:
This thread is full of wine.
11/10/2010 at 21:19 minipixel says:
waited her for two hours. sad story :/
11/10/2010 at 21:35 a says:
While I’ve never been stood up I have done the standing. Sorry Ben. ;_;
11/10/2010 at 22:03 Internet Friend says:
I had one date scheduled to take place in my imagination, but the bitch stood me up. That was hard to live down.
12/10/2010 at 00:52 The Hon. Reverend Fred Gherkin says:
How Julian Luxemburg should have rolled:
http://gunshowcomic.com/149
12/10/2010 at 01:55 wcaypahwat says:
I took a girl out to the movies over the weekend. Went pretty well for two very shy people. Texted her the other day with “so now we got that whole awkward first meeting out of the way, are you interested in going out again at all?”
Still haven’t got a reply :(
12/10/2010 at 03:20 wcaypahwat says:
Edit: Got reply. DateWin!
13/10/2010 at 02:04 Perching Path says:
I’m late, but I must point out that Otra Vida is Spanish for “Other Life”. So, the choice of wine is probably as much a joke as a genuine recommendation. Mind you that’s sometimes “other life” as in afterlife, apparently, so it could be a pretty serious joke depending on where the game’s actually going.
13/10/2010 at 08:08 Chris Whitman says:
This game looks interesting, but I cling in a miserly fashion to every penny I own. Each one is precious to me, and I have named them all. How could I possibly part with hundreds of my children simply for my own amusement? And how would I choose between Frieda, and Rick, and Emmanuel, and so many others?
Just kidding! I’ll probably buy it, because $9.95 might be more than $5, but it still isn’t enough money to register as “money” for anyone who is employed.