Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Alec suggested we do Gaming Made Me – ooh – last Friday? Being RPS, we only got around to working out anything on Monday morning. It takes until Tuesday to realise how special it feels, and we should pursue it. Also, we realise that since there’s only four of us, it totally means we’re lacking a post for Friday. So we quickly drop a mail to a number of RPS contacts in hope that some of them could say something by Friday. And some of them totally did. In fact, some said so much we’re extending the run of articles until at least Monday. But here’s a punchier panel, where developers like Soren Jonson, Paul Barnett, Rod Humble and Erik Wolpaw and journalists like Tom “Tom Bramwell” Bramwell and Quinns talk about their formative games. And, of course, more if any devs care to write in and share, do so.

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Well, this is a pleasant surprise. With EA’s embracing of online-activation culture, you’d have expected to see it turn up in Sims 3. But it’s not to be, as made clear by an announcement by Ruling-Sims-Monarch Rod Humble. “The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed,” says Rod Humble, “We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorization server access in the distant future.” While fans of freedom will be pleased, I was personally hoping for some DRM so prescriptive that it requires one of the developers to be standing behind you, silently watching, for the game to boot up. Man!

In a slightly more controlled frame of mind, after the sweary action below, Mr Sims, Rod Humble, of course provided us with a space-themed game last year. Stars Over Half Moon Bay is an altogether far more sedate and serene setting, focusing eyes on the stars, and moods on the chilled.

If you’ve played Humble’s previous game, The Marriage, you’ll know that his private game development doesn’t bear much in common with the day job. While both could be described as “obscure”, Stars is possibly a lot more accessible than Marriage, with a more immediately identifiable means of interaction. Explaining the way the game works goes against the ethos of Humble’s design, so let’s leave it with saying that you’re playing with the stars, first dancing with them, then rescuing them, and finally creating with them. Also, it has the loveliest name of all games ever.