Dealing with Multiple Projects
So, I had honestly thought after we’d finished Aquaducks, we were done. I figured that we’d be able to move on to the next prototype and just let the museum run the two games for the next month. I didn’t realize that I’d be continuing to manage my old team while at the same time keeping track of my new people as well. Maybe this is all just on my head – It’s been a busy past few days.
Pace and Christian took the time this week to get all the ducks ready to go, removing the vector images in favor of rasterized ones so that the bunch of ducks will play nice with Flash and Actionscript instead of bogging down whenever all the targets are moving on-screen.
From what I understand, our game has been quite the hit. Even though there are a number of minor improvements that the workers have noticed and even recommended, overall they are still quite pleased with the response. The pick-up-and-play nature of the game really seems to resonate with the kids whom the museum chiefly caters towards, and so I’d consider that a marked success. While I’d like to take the time to revisit the game a little later, I think it’s in good shape for now.
But we’ll see. Pace has got the latest updates up and running, so hopefully we can let it be and get the rest of our work going on prototype 4 before we need to go back to the old game. Just got a lot of things coming up in the next few weeks, and though that may look like a lot of time, I’ve been in school long enough to realize how deceptive a calendar can be. Work to do, not much time to do it in.
Thanksgiving Thoughts
I realize that this may be only tangentially related to the rest of this blog, but I found it interesting nonetheless. Having just made it through Thanksgiving dinner, it’s really interesting to gauge the reactions to what I’m currently doing with my life. Family is always such a strange indicator in any situation, but when I tell my aunts, uncles and cousins that I’m studying video games, I got one of two reactions:
A) “Wow! That’s really cool!” OR
B) “Wait, really? They give degrees in that?”
Now, I’m not exactly a stranger to explaining my schooling to others. While studying film, I had a good share of conversations where I would have to explain my work and job opportunities to my extended family, chiefly because what I was doing was not a “traditional” job path in any sense of the word. Numerous times, I was asked if I had a “backup plan in case that doesn’t work out.” At the time, I was so confident that that was the path for me, but now, here I am headed in another direction.
But as one family member pointed out yesterday, there’s definitely a correlation. It’s not as if I’m going in a completely new direction, but instead it’s more like specializing a little more. I was a film producer at one point, and now I’m working towards production in games. There’s a lot of similarities.
Oh well. That was just something I’ve been thinking about this weekend, and with no school, I don’t even know why I’m taking the time to write this out. (Maybe I feel a little guilty that I hadn’t written this week. Or maybe I did. I don’t remember.)
Anyway, back to the grind on Monday. Better get back to enjoying the holiday while I’ve got the time, right? Plenty of time to think about this stuff next week.
Time to Ride the Wild Kart
Riding the wave of the last prototype, here we go into the home stretch. Four more weeks to go, and one more prototype to get finished. The one thing that I think is going to be tougher for me to deal with on this one is simply that I won’t exactly be the team lead for this last one. I think that, especially among the producers, being the “game designer” has been something that we hold onto, to at least keep an outward sense of legitimacy to our job title.
It’s not that we’re suffering from low self-image or something, it’s just that to the rest of our team, it’s much easier to see the producers as the project lead when ideas get run by them. Take that away, and I guess I’m a little worried about whether that respect is going to disappear. (But, thinking about who my teammates are, I think those worries are a little unfounded. I’ve got some really good people on this last group.)
In any case, it looks like Adam Zaelit is going to be taking the reins as the designer for Wild Kart, the game that we brainstormed up today. We wanted to make a game that was simple to understand, but still exhilarating, while at the same time heavily featured the haptic interface tactors in a unique and interesting way. (I don’t care what other people say, I refuse to call them “skin tugging devices.” Maybe I’ll call them… HIT sticks? I like that. Using it.)
Well, I’ve got to get this presentation done. Off we go.
First Published Game!
So, my first published game is up and running, on display at the Utah Natural History Museum… That’s just crazy! The more that I think about it, the nuttier it is. I mean, the most similar feeling is probably when I made my first film my sophomore year. (Oh Super Office – The memories.)
Roger mentioned that having a published game is a really big deal, and though that may be the case, I guess I’m still trying to figure out what that means. I guess I get to actually apply the title of “Producer” for real now, yeah? I’ll have to figure that out later. For now, I’m just glad that we got the project all finished and good to go – and that the client was happy with the final product.
Now, on to the next one, I guess!
Being On the Same Page
One of the most interesting aspects of working with this group has been that each member of the team has brought not only a unique perspective to the project, but that everyone’s looking to make the same game. Instead of us all trying to pull the game into different directions, we’re all locked in, headed towards the same goal.
We all have our weaknesses, but at the same time, we all have our strengths, and we’ve been able to make up for one another’s shortcomings rather well, which is something extremely impressive, because things don’t always work out that way.
I don’t know if my team is going to ever read this, but I’m really happy with the way things are going, and though we’ve still got a lot of work to do, I’m extremely confident that we’re going to get there.
Nathan Drake Has a Few Missteps – UC3
Uncharted 3 is a great game. Don’t get me wrong. I was really excited to play this game, because I absolutely loved the first one. If you run over to my portfolio, you can even see the scene that I did for one of my classes that was pulled right out of it. Uncharted 2 is still one of my favorite games of all time.
So, perhaps that’s why I’m so disappointed by UC3.
[THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SPOILERS HERE, JUST AS A WARNING.]
I think that my biggest problem with this game is that, for most of the first half, the motivations were incredibly unclear, so by the time that an actual personal motivation for Drake showed up (Sully kidnapped), I was just so lost that I didn’t much care anymore. The game honestly felt as if they’d simply decided on a bunch of different “action sequences,” and then just strung the lines of the story through the loops. There didn’t seem to be any real compelling factor to the game, but instead it all just felt like a bunch of cool destruction sequences put in some arbitrary order.
The entire boat sequence made almost zero sense in the context of the story. You go from chase scene to drugged out chase scene, to Marlowe telling Drake that he’s spilled the beans on everything, to suddenly being kidnapped by a random pirate who was only just introduced, and then I’m stuck pursuing this character for the next two hours all for some “surprise twist” that you could see coming a mile away? Come on!
UC2 had a rhythm to the story, and the story worked because Drake’s motivations were always understandable. He wasn’t just running through a building shot up by a helicopter for no reason – He was searching for a temple and got caught up in an unexpected snag. There was ebb and flow to the story that was just lacking in UC3. Compare the travel through the city of Nepal against the travel through the frieghter and ship graveyard (because they’re both about the same length). In that length of time, uc2 had two memorable scenes, re-introduced characters, and built up intrigue and drama.
Uc3 had you fight a ton of bad guys, and run towards the camera a bunch as water kept flooding in without any real reason to, all because you’re going to end up right in the same place you started after it’s over!
There’s just a number fundamental story problems with UC3 that make me wonder if perhaps the game was more under the gun than its predecessor. Plot threads go unresolved, there’s no real wrap up, and there’s no pay off for most of the character arcs. That’s a problem, and it’s difficult to ignore.
And don’t even get me started on the ridiculously sticky cover system. The person who decided that “roll” and “stick to cover” should be mapped to the same button in a shooter where much of the scenery is cover deserves to be shot. I can’t even tell you the number of times where I was trying to dive out of the way of yet another mystically spawning enemy, just to have Drake stick to the wall and stand there taking bullets in the face.
All in all, it was a pretty good game. But the flow and feel from UC2 was just missing here. So much potential, and so much wasted. That’s just so very unfortunate.
Finally Nailed That Pitch
I nailed it! I put in the time, and for the first time since we started the program, this is a pitch that I’m proud of.
For the past couple of prototypes, I really haven’t been able to pull off a really good pitch. I think one of my problems is that I get a little over-anxious. I get worried so much that I won’t be able to pull it all off, and so I get a little nervous. As well, I haven’t really taken the opportunity to practice exactly what I’m going to say, so many of my pitches come off a little “last-minute” and rushed. Not necessarily because I haven’t been preparing, or that I don’t know the material, but because I haven’t actually practiced the actual pitch/presentation.
When I was in my film undergrad, one of the most beneficial things that we got to do was auditioning for roles with the Theater department. As a film student, we were required to take an acting class, and become a little more comfortable with being in front of the camera, and not just behind it. Of course, that didn’t exactly make us into actors, but we were able to see things from the other side of the lens, and see what actors go through.
The one thing that helped the most with these kinds of situations was rehearsing the scene. Taking the scene, trying it out, and seeing what works and what doesn’t… These are things that are essential to a good performance. And the thing of it is, no matter what kind of presentation you’re giving, it’s truly a performance. The one who is pitching is in the spotlight, and everyone’s looking to them to “entertain” them.
It took me a while to realize that. That I needed to be able to enrapture the audience, get them excited, and make them smile at the idea that we’re creating. But this time… Totally did it. Now to go to work to make sure that the actual presentation is just as good.
The Creation of the Aquaducks
So, I just spent about four and a half hours working on the pitch for our new game. I absolutely love this concept, by the way, but you can read all about it on the project blog. But mostly, I just have a really good feeling about this pitch, and I’m really hoping it goes well.
It’s actually looking towards almost 2AM, and it may have just been the lack of sleep mixed with the crazy ideas of it all, but I came up with a team name (and possible game name?) that just had me laughing out loud. It’s early in the morning, so I haven’t had the chance to run this by my group, but it’s such a great idea that I’m going to use it anyway.
The Aquaducks. Perfect mix of water conservation, a little irony, and just the right amount of humor. I can’t stop laughing about it.
In any case, just had to put that up there, because it’s seriously early in the morning, and I have to tell someone. Alright, all done.
Blasting Through Arkham City
This one isn’t really a review, (Though as a spoiler, the game is awesome!), but really just more of a reflection a little while after completing the game. For me, I’ve always looked to enjoy the games I play in a more relaxed environment. Unfortunately, that kind of opportunity has become more and more infrequent as I get more and more involved in these projects.
Those days that I used to have where I was able to just sit down for a few hours and relax playing a game are really just inconsistant. Instead, I find myself either sacrificing sleep to play for a few hours in the early morning, or just getting an hour here or there when I get the chance. The problem with this, at least from my own perspective, is that I like being on the cutting edge, able to discuss with people about the newest games purely so that I know exactly what’s trending now, and how that might apply to my designs in the future.
This is why I was a little disappointed at how quickly I rushed through Arkham City. The game was extremely good, but I found myself almost pressured to blast through the game as fast as possible, which made for a slightly less-than-satisfying feeling when I got to the very end of it all. I just felt like I should have really taken my time a little more. I should have gone through it a little more calmly.
I think that this little lesson is something that I need to take a look at a little more. Perhaps I need to just calm myself down a little more, and allow myself to continue to study the games that I play, but not be so concerned with knowing more about the newest stuff than everyone else. I just need to cool off a little, cause I feel like I’m missing out on the actual enjoyment of the game. Yeah, I’m “beating” them, but I need to focus more on the enjoyment of it as opposed to worrying what others might think of my not knowing everything.
Plus, I’ve always got New Game+ to give it another shot, right?
Zombies With Pulleys – Post-Mortem
Okay. The presentation is all done, the “after-party” is over, and we’re all finished with Prototype 2. I figure that I should probably talk about my thoughts a little bit.
I think that this prototype taught me, above all else, that you definitely need more than a good concept to carry a project through. While the concept of Zombies with Pulleys was sound, the actual execution definitely fell through a little. I really had hoped that this would do very well, but instead, it just kind of fell apart on several levels, and I think that I can speak on that specifically.
One of the main problems that we encountered was the lack of a “big picture.” While the original concept can be less-detailed, there needs to be a solid, consistent design that permeates everything in the game. If not everyone is on the same creative page, then things get out of hand and change quickly. One person may think that things are going for a more realistic bent, while others are really more in-tune with a lighter tone. Without a laid-out consistency, things rapidly degrade into many different directions as team members use their own interpretations of what game the team is making.
In the future, I’m going to make sure of as much of the design as possible, as early as possible. While rapid prototypes are great, the method that we’re using to create these of a necessity demands that we are at least internally consistent, and I’ve got to make sure that that occurs. That is something that I will be focusing on for this next prototype.
Also, I am really hoping to improve my personal pitches. I was very disappointed by performance on both the initial pitch and the final presentation, and especially considering that pitches are my primary function in this setting, I feel I should really take the time to improve. While I generally take care of project tracking and the like, my one chance to shine is during the presentations, and I felt like I leaned on the concept much more than I should have. Now, I shouldn’t be looking to come out with a rock concert, but my vibrancy and engagement could use some work.
There are other minor personnel issues that I could dive into, but overall this was truly a learning experience as opposed to a final product. With this one, I feel like I learned a lot of things that I’ll be looking to implement towards the next project. Live and learn, learn and apply.
Push Button Summit and GEEX
While this isn’t necessarily about our current production, I still believe that it’s well-related. Because of the break, I had the opportunity to work at the Push Button Summit, a digital media conference hosted by USTAR. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to go to PAX or GDC or any of the others, so Push Button was actually my very first game-related conference. (And I got to go for free, because I was “working” – checking people in, giving directions, and that sort of thing. It was a pretty easy gig for what we got.
There were a number of great lectures, including representatives from Sony Entertainment Online, talking about FreeRealms, a number of mobile app developers, and even a couple of lectures that focused more on the financial side of digital media. Each brought up a number of interesting ideas, items, and concepts in much more detail that I’d previously had a chance to explore them.
My favorite presentation, however, was by Vernon Wilbert, from Digital Domains. He presented an examination of how digital media creation is changing because of the exploration of technology. He used the ad campaign from Gears of War 3 to illustrate the ways that CGI and traditional cinematography are being combined to create new methods of media creation. He described the process as “Taking a Camera into the [Star Trek] Holodeck.”
What really intrigued me about the process was the way that such a unique media approach might be able to address certain storytelling problems that many games have. If more and more professional filmmakers lend their talents into the gaming process, then perhaps more and more of their credence will be lent to the medium. While I know that several people don’t much like the discussion concerning gaming as a serious art form or even as a medium capable of handling a more serious subject matter, I personally believe that the more that games can be diversified, the better the medium will become. More serious subjects do not necessarily mean less interesting games. To me, anything that pushes gaming forward is good for the industry.
In any case, the conference was great, and I got to make some really interesting contacts, including meeting with Jon Dean from EA games, (who, hopefully, will be coming to speak to us in the next couple of months.) A great conference, with free drinks! Definitely a good use of the weekend off.
(And, we also got a free ticket to GEEX, and I got to play around with Twisted Metal pre-release, which is awesome. While that specific part of the event was a little underwhelming, it was still a lot of fun.)
Fall Break – Worries
Well, it’s only the second day of Fall Break, and already I’m going a little crazy. We’ve got a prototype due a week from tomorrow, and I’m getting anxious, because I’m just not sure if we’re going to pull it off. George, Anurag and I have been here at the studio just about every day, just cracking code trying to get things moving. Honestly, it’s much more them than me, I’ve really just been here trying to help out as best as I can, but I’m starting to wonder how helpful I am in doing that at all. I mean really, those two are doing all the work, I’m just asking questions and offering minor suggestions, which often seem to be riding the fine line of helpful vs annoying.
Jeff has told me that he’ll have the art assets to us over his network, and that we’ll be able to implement them, but we haven’t gotten anything back from him yet. I’m hoping that we’ll have some things by tomorrow, otherwise I’m just going to have to start doing the art myself, because I know that we can’t simply wait for it. I mean, I respect artistic integrity and all of that, but with him not back until Friday, we’ve really got to get things into gear.
I’ll start on some template levels to give Anurag something to link the code to that can be adjusted later when Jeff gets the final art to us. There’s just nothing worse than being under the gun and having an engineer who’s ready to work but unable to do so because of something simple. Especially when I can get it done myself. Yeah, I think I’ll do that.
Ugh… Reading back on this post, it feels really negative, and for that I apologize to whomever is reading this, but being in this position is getting a little frustrating, as is evidenced by my little rant there. I’ll tighten things up. Can’t lose it right now – There’s work to be done.
The Player is The Main Actor of Your Movie
I know that this isn’t necessarily gaming-related, and I just posted yesterday, but I thought that this was worth mentioning. Today I met with Paul Larsen, my instructor for the Grad Screenwriting course, over at Cucina Coffeeshop. (It was quite the bike ride up there, by the way – I do not recommend that right after eating breakfast.) While the conversation was definitely more about my screenplay, and not necessarily about game design, I feel like the instructions and advice that he gave me could easily be applied in game design.
For me, any game is made better when the separate elements are linked well. When everything drives towards the same end goal, it all just seems to flow properly. When the collectables, the visuals, and the narrative elements all merge well with the gameplay in a game, that’s when you know that you’ve got it all working properly. After all, the whole narrative point of making a game is very similar to a film – engagement. While you watch a movie, you play a game, and that’s really the chief difference. As far as I can see, the player, in fact, is simply the main actor in a movie, and the more that he plays his role well, the better the experience will be.
But just like any movie, if the sets don’t quite fit, if the props aren’t authentic, if the other actors aren’t at their best, or if the script is lacking, it will become immediately apparent. And just like any a-list actor, the player will be quite willing to get frustrated and storm off of the set, (to go and play something else).
That mentality when creating the game, not necessarily creating a game that is more like a movie, but creating a game that feels more like being an actor in a movie, seems like it fits much better. If you want to make an immersive experience, then you’re not only creating a game with interesting characters, or even just interesting gameplay, but instead you need to craft the game so that you’re creating an interesting “role to play” – Which is an awesome deal phrase that I will probably expand on at some point.
Alright, that’ll do. It may be a little incomprehensible, but I’ll try to elaborate on it a little later. Just had to get that out of my head and onto the paper.
Er, onto the web. Into the ones and zeroes. You know what I mean.
Journal Updates
Hmm… Let’s look over the things that have been going on over the past few days. Production on Zombies is starting to ramp up, which is both good, as well as a little difficult, actually. This whole “paper organization” thing for Scrum seems like a good idea, but I wonder, actually, if it’s going to work. The thing of it is, it’s seeming a little difficult to keep track of everything. While I do have the cards, and I’m adding finished products into the spreadsheet as fast as I get them, it almost seems like things are a little more difficult to actually “track,” given that much of the work isn’t actually in a computer system, but is instead on a tackboard next to my computer.
But, production is at least moving along. We’re starting to put together the art assets, and creating the actual physics is starting to work out well. But I am glad that we have such a great concept. There’s just a lot of potential for this one.
I’m not sure exactly how that works, but there are just times that an idea speaks to you. Sometimes it all just feels right, and all clicks together without having to really push too hard. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it’s all going to magically just work together, but instead, it probably means that there’s going to be a whole lot more work that you hadn’t initially anticipated, but you’ve just got to roll with the punches. I’m just hoping that all of this works for the better and not the worse.
Just got to keep optimistic, right?
Harsh Reality – Final Thoughts
Now that I’ve taken a few days to reflect on the fast few weeks, I wanted to jot down a few thoughts. I did talk a little about how things went, and while I am still very hopeful for the project, it didn’t quite come out as good as I had hoped.
Part of that, I’m sure, has to do with the fact that we only had three people on the project, and in addition, the Power Game Factory wasn’t exactly the greatest platform in the world.
Still, though, as I watched through the different presentations and games that were presented, I was a little jealous of how some of the others turned out. Even though I felt that we had a solid concept, I guess I was a little disappointed that we couldn’t fully share that vision with the rest of the group.
But honestly, that’s not a huge deal. In all reality, I have to remember that this is still a prototype, and drill that into my mind. Being someone who’s generally very detail-oriented, especially with visual things, it’s hard to reconcile that with a substandard finished project, and so I think it’s good to go through this process a few times. Got to purge the idea of a completed item out of my head.
Onward and upward, I guess. Move on to the next project, and use what I’ve learned to really get things going. Off we go.
Reality Check: Thoughts
Originally, when we set out to create this prototype, I wondered if perhaps the game was a little too complicated, especially considering how little time we had, and especially after we lost one of our team members on the second day of production. I had worried that, because there seemed like a huge amount of work to do, if we simply were biting off way more than we could chew.
Now, though, I believe that I’m having the opposite problem. The game seems simplistic, though it’s message is still quite clear.
I honestly could see this final game as more of a Gameboy, or possibly a retro-themed game. Interestingly, however, that as a final art style may actually strengthen the game’s message even more, using Super Mario Bros. as a familiar entry point, leaving the game free to better explain its message. I could really see this all looking similar to a SNES game.
But, I guess, that kind of stuff would work better as a further prototype. Right now, instead, we’ve just got to keep our focus. Get this prototype done, make sure that it’s fun and interesting. When that’s all done, and everything works, if we find that it’s worthwhile to go back and clean it all up as a full and complete game, then we’ll do that.
Alright. Got to get these little scripts put together. Even though things are looking good, and we’re pretty much on track, don’t want to waste time. Always something else to do.
Simple-Minded Gamers
Originally, I had thought about calling this “Gamers are Stupid,” but that is blatantly unfair to the numerous gamers who I know, from experience, are rather interesting, educated, and knowledgeable individuals. Instead, I thought “Most Gamers Are Stupid” had a little more truth to it, but it just didn’t have that same ring to it. So, I decided I might as well go with the comparatively more politically-correct phrase of “simple-minded,” so that I could get my point across without offending everyone who read the title. Instead, I’ll have them read the first paragraph, and then get offended.
Gamers are stupid.
So, the British Academy of Film and Television Awards just awarded their list of the best games of the year for 2010. While it’s awesome to me that at least some official body of artists and entertainers have recognized that games are not a form of media that is below them, there is a certain result that really bothered me.
At the end of the list was the BAFTA’s “Game Award 2010,” which was the top-voted game of 2010. Up in the nominations were Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, and others. The top-voted game of 2010?
Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Now, I’m no stranger to the draw of this game. I’ve played every single Call of Duty game ever made. I’ve played more hours of Modern Warfare than I might care to admit. However, I vehemently disagree with this result. Not because it isn’t a good game. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t have been placed on this list. Instead, my problem is that it’s not the best game of this year, and yet it’s the game that the public wants.
It’s interesting, because there seems to be two very distinct camps in the gamer demographic. There are those of us who follow games, are very discerning, and are constantly looking for something new and innovative to come along and engage our curiosities so that we can lose ourselves in an entirely new world that we’ve never been to before… And then there are the players who are perfectly content to be shoveled the exact same experience over and over again year after year.
Does this say something about the coming generations? Despite what the, dare I say, “educated” gamer is looking for, the only real vote comes from the almighty dollar. If the masses want cheeseburgers every night, then that is what they shall receive, no matter what other culinary creations that innovative developers may wish to create.
This worries me. In an age where our technology allows us to create just about any idea that our minds can imagine, the most popular games are those that hardly innovate at all, still relying on ideas that were created five years ago with naught but superficial changes. So much more could be done, and yet it seems that these masses of gamers are satisfied with just the bare minimum. That cheeseburger has been repackaged in a shiny new wrapper, and they’re willing to pay even more to wolf it right down.
It’s just too bad. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to the realization that in the coming years, all we’re going to see on the shelf is Call of Duty: Same Old Stuff, and Madden 2020: We’ve Added Even More Tackle Animations.
And the stupid gamers will keep buying it anyway.
MAG Forum – Black Ops vs. MAG Discussion – Response
This was a quick response on the MAG forums in a discussion between MAG and Black Ops. Another poster had written down a list of items that he thought were “negative” comparisons between the two that placed Black Ops on top. Thought I should place it here as well. – K
Let’s address your “differences,” shall we?
1. Lack of Maps – Not sure what you’re talking about here. The last time that I counted, Black Ops had only 14 Maps. MAG has 18. And to call them “maps” equally doesn’t really make a lot of sense. That would be like comparing the square footage of your bedroom to the square footage of a city block, and saying that they’re “about the same size.”
And we’re not talking about just “different sides.” Every quarter of a Domination map is already larger than any map in Black Ops, and you’ve still got three other quarters. I can see that your comparison is slanted, but your bias is far too blatant here. All in all, though, MAG wins on both counts.
2. Server Locations – I’m sure that if it were truly “Zipper’s Choice,” and they had all the money in the world, they would place a server in every single city in the entire world. But I just don’t see that happening. Zipper has done something truly remarkable, utilizing innovative techniques to place 256 players on the exact same map at the exact same time. And honestly, I’ve never seen anyone “get screwed” by the location. I’ve played with people from Japan, Russia, Germany, England, Hong Kong, and numerous other countries. The only ones that I’ve known have had significant problems were in Australia, but it seems like they’ve always got connection problems of one kind or another.
3. Weapon Designs – Which version of Black Ops are you looking at? The PS3 version of Black Ops looks just plain awful, especially when compared to Modern Warfare 2. I’ll admit that MAG is not the prettiest game around, but it’s very functional, and looks just fine. I would honestly say that between PS3 Black Ops and MAG, they’re quite similar.
4. Weapon Selection – Though we debate about the real and/or perceived differences between the weapons in MAG, all in all, we each have our favorites, and we stick with them. In Black Ops, or even in any other shooter, we do the same things. We find the stuff that works for us, and we use it. We may change things up now and then, but we become accustomed to our favorites.
And, as has been indicated elsewhere, if you like the weaponry on another PMC, then you can go to that PMC. But that’s a choice. As of now, because of neutrality, that’s truly the only reason that the PMCs have any individual identity anymore. I know that’s not important in Black Ops, because you don’t have any reason to help out your team, but in MAG, we generally think it’s a good idea.
5. “Insta-Healing” – While it’s not exactly realistic, it’s useful from a game perspective. Honestly, what would you rather do, have to perform CPR every single time that you wanted to heal somebody? The mechanic works the way that it was intended – As a way to encourage teamwork in a genre generally relegated solely to individual success.
I guess, instead, they could just make it so bullet wounds just heal themselves automatically when you duck behind a rock. But other shooters seem to have that covered.
6. Gas Grenades – I’ll agree with you on this one. I wish that gas was a little more consistant. But to be honest, the gameplay impact on these situations is rather negligible. The fact that the gas disappates instead of lingering around in enclosed spaces means that, again, this is more of a tactical decision.
Gas grenades in MAG are designed to discourage camping tactics by making it uncomfortable to sit inside of them. They are a prod to convince the affected enemy to move. If that means on both sides of a wall, then so be it.
7. Light Cover – Every game has it’s quirks, and if a .50 Caliber rifle could shoot through ANYTHING, it would become far too powerful. It already one-hit kills in the open, (for the most part), so adding some patience to the equation is a desireable trait.
Besides, that’s likely a memory issue. To take penetration into account for every single weapon in the game would probably be beyond the system’s current limitations.
8. Drive Vehicles – Agreed. Good thing.
9. CC Limit – CC doesn’t represent weight. It represents importance. The system is designed so that a single soldier cannot carry everything at once. Yes, you can swap weapons in the field, but that is a roll of the dice. You never know what you’re going to be getting once you’re out there.
The idea is that every solder is still unique and individial, but unlike the COD series, MAG soldiers are not superheroes who can do everything all on their own. They are each part of a squad, and when each of those squadmembers are doing their seperate jobs, they compensate for one another’s shortcomings (or lack of certain types of weapons or equipment.)
10. No Rewards – I’m glad that you listed this near the end, because this, to me, is the true comparison between the two titles.
Call of Duty is all about self-enrichment, and selfish play. It’s not about teamwork, and it’s not about working together. Yes, you can play in “teams,” but it’s all superficial. You have very little incentive to encourage your team to victory, especially because killstreaks in game are specifically rewarded based on your personal “skills” and success, and not in any way related to the success of the team as a whole. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, it’s just a fact. The COD series encourages selfish play.
MAG, on the other hand, is generally agreed to be focused on teamwork, and team success. While you can have a decent game by just focusing on your own kill-counts, people would be lying if they said that teamwork was not crucial to success in MAG. Requiring help to be revivied, being able to heal your teammates, passive abilities that help your team – These are unique to MAG, and are not found in COD. MAG is a team-centered game, and is played best when the entire team is working together towards a common goal.
The two games may both be first-person shooters, and they may feature some of the same weapons, (in function if not in name), but that’s where most of the similarities end. MAG is a team-based objective-focused shooter. Call of Duty is a shooter that encourages you to play solely for your own success.
MAG, or Why I Can’t Stand Call of Duty Multiplayer Anymore
“Two in nest on upper-right ridge,” crackles over my headset. It’s my squad’s sniper, Aken.
“Can you pick them off?” I ask back hopefully.
“No,” Aken replies. “I can’t see their heads.”
“Then we got ‘em,” I reply. My second teammate, Paz and I move quietly along the brush, flanking the position.
“Cover us,” says Paz. “Get them looking at you.”
Aken responds by lazing two shots over the enemy position, drawing their attention. Paz and I pounce, each knifing one of the soldiers in the back.
“Two down,” says Paz. “Move up.”
“Group coming to you guys!” Warns Aken suddenly. “Looks like four-plus!”
Paz and I make for the brush. I leap in, but I suddenly hear the grunt behind me as a spray of automatic fire contacts my comrade. I spin around, but they rush right by, my sensor jammer keeping me off of their radars. As the last one passes, I bolt from the brush, and knife the first in the back while the four are still looking the other way. I pull up my rifle, and let loose a barrage of lead and fire, killing the last three.
I turn to head to the objective, but I suddenly start taking fire. I dive to the ground, but I can see the enemy soldier pummeling me with an LMG. I quickly try to aim with my assault rifle, but it clicks.
Out of ammo.
I’m dead, I think. Then suddenly the report of a high-caliber rifle echoes across the battlefield.
“Saved your life,” chuckles Aken. “Now get going.”
—–
256 players. That was the first thing that drew my attention. Two-hundred and fifty-six individuals playing in the same game at once, on the same battlefield, fighting over objectives in an epic blend of unforgettable confrontations and sheer madness.
I understand the draw of multiplayer modes such as Modern Warfare 2, or even Killzone 2, or Halo: Reach. In fact, I’ve sunk several hours into each of these games in the past year, but ultimately the enticement started to fizzle out. While I was at first enthralled by the idea of fighting against real people, these modes quickly caused me to realize that the maps are designed for camping. For sitting in one place, and waiting for people to walk by so you can shoot them from a safe spot.
The reason why a shooter’s single-player campaign is (usually) so thrilling isn’t merely about the set-piece battles. It’s also about the fact that as you’re playing, you’re not simply trying to “kill everything.” There’s also usually a very specific set of objectives that you’re looking to accomplish, and the kills and fighting is merely the means, not the end. You’re looking to rescue your teammate who is being held hostage in the middle of a base. Or you’re looking to disarm a nuclear bomb before it’s launched on your allies. You’re not just looking to kill everything in sight – A hint that many developers seem to forget when they design their multiplayer, inadvertently damning it to be “just another shooter.”
I’ve always been drawn away from “deathmatch”-style gameplay. When killing is the only goal, the game gets a little boring to me. It’s just that I can’t simply sit in one place for fifteen minutes and wait for kills to come to me. My end goal is not to just be “the top of the list.” I don’t need accolades from a group of random players who get to briefly see my amazing personal stats for a minute while the next map loads. That just doesn’t feel very substantial. I’ve always been looking for more.
So as I pulled up the beta for MAG, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was exactly the kind of game that I wanted to play. Each match (barring Suppression) was a game of objectives. Two large teams of players are pitted against each other on varied and intricate terrain, and given multiple objectives. Each soldier is encouraged to complete objectives given to them by their leaders, and the team who works together best generally wins. I bought the game on day one.
Suddenly there’s a whole new side to multiplayer battles. It’s not just a run-around skirmish. This feels like an actual battle on some real-ish world battlefield. When a certain position is taking fire, you send units to flank and create an opening. A sniper can truly cover his squad, helping more than simply shooting at targets of opportunity. The stealth player can dramatically tilt the battlefield by destroying a key objective and creating chaos behind enemy lines. An engineer can save the day by repairing the AAA at a crucial moment, forcing the advancing forces to pull back, offering defenders a chance to turn the tide.
Every battle becomes a story of its own, with different dynamics, unique playstyles, and wholly different outcomes. Teamwork means something. As I’ve played this game over the past year, I’ve gained some real comrades-in-arms who I still try to play with regularly. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which helps us to best utilize one-another to achieve our goals on the field. The game is less like a “crapshoot” and more like a competitive sport, actually.
The game feels like you’re playing a single-player campaign, except that the “level” is wide-open, each “soldier” is a real person, and the instructions that you’re receiving over your headset are from an actual leader who is right on the battlefield with you. It’s a feeling that anyone who has played the game knows and loves, and anyone who hasn’t, doesn’t.
All in all, this game has been an incredible experience. I’ve made numerous friends and acquaintances, I’ve had ups and downs and good games and bad games, but at the end of it all, when I look over my multiple gaming choices, it simply comes down to this. The one game that makes me constantly want to come back for more…
…Is MAG. And what a Massive Action Game it is.
- K
Uncharted Movie – Thick-Skulled Filmmakers
Okay, so here’s a situation. You have a gaming franchise that has garnered extensive praise and an unsurprisingly large amount of money for it’s developers. With two excellent games in, and a highly-anticipated sequel on the way, this is what’s known in the entertainment industry as a “hot property.”
You’ve got action, story, suspense, romance, more action, betrayal, intrigue, a lot more action, shooting, jumping, running, explosions and a little more action thrown in for good measure. Mix that in with unforgettable characters, outstanding visuals and some of the greatest interactive settings that have been achieved in gaming, and it’s no wonder that so many people are paying attention to this game. I mean, making a movie based on it is almost a virtual certainty, isn’t it?
So with all this hype, you’re looking for a leading man. Hmm… Well, you need someone who’s got some star power, who can play the role convincingly, and who has some experience in a swashbuckling, action-filled Indiana Jones-esque world of intrigue, character, and character interaction. You’ve also got to get someone who is going to get people to fill the seats. You ask the fans, they give you a name. You ask that actor, he gives you an excited affirmative. And then…
…You cast someone who is the complete opposite.
Nathan Drake, the star of Uncharted, is a smiling, handsome, intelligent doofus who constantly finds himself in unbelievably dangerous and crazy situations, yet who is always ready with a little quip or joke to let you know that he’s not taking things too seriously, but can be counted on when the chips are down to do the right thing and to somehow come out on top while still having the last sarcastic word. Think Indiana Jones, or maybe John McClane. Think of Malcolm Reynolds – Captain of the Serenity.
The fans (me included) immediately had Nathan Fillion in mind for the role of Nathan Drake, an opinion that Fillion himself even encouraged, acknowledging that he was very eager for a chance at the part. As a game that sold over 1,000,000 copies in the first two weeks, you would think that fan-opinion would matter a little bit. Hmm… The people who are going to see this are very likely to be people who have played the game, and are interested in seeing it on the big screen. You would think that if a large majority of them agreed that Fillion would make a great Nathan Drake, the director David O. Russell would have at least given it some thought. Given Fillion a screen test. Something.
Instead, Russell decided that he’s going to change the storyline, and Mark Wahlberg is going to get the part. You know, the guy from such hit action classics as Invincible, The Departed, The Happening, or most recently, The Fighter. Without giving you my personal review of any of these films, I’ll tell you this – Mark Wahlberg usually plays the same role. He’s the straight-laced, even-humored fellow who has a hard time even offering a convincing smile. So with this kind of acting history, how does this role even match up at all?
It doesn’t. Not even a little bit.
I don’t claim to know everything, but I’ll tell you my opinion. Russell needed a 30-ish star who he can work with, with a recognizable name. And that’s as far as he’s thought through it. After I Heart Huckabees and the Fighter, he’s figured that Wahlberg can do the job. I don’t agree.
Basically, like so many video game franchises before it, Uncharted’s cinematic debut is destined to be mishandled, ill-understood, and ultimately discarded as an unfortunate cash in. And yet again, we gaming fans get to have our hopes dashed because of a filmmaker’s ignorance. But I guess until people start to see games as an actual storytelling tool instead of just as frivolous playthings, it’ll be difficult to expect anything more from “busy” directors than to simply skim over the game’s logline.
- K
Nostalgia
Gaming is a “cutting edge” kind of hobby, at least for many of us. Gamers are constantly looking on the horizon to see what new games are coming out, what kind of reviews their getting, and we often have expectations for new games that are based on our experiences with older ones. Unlike film, which seems to relish in its classics, a lot of gamers don’t even bother with older games, instead focusing their efforts on playing through whatever happens to be the newest.
For me, I went through a time when all I wanted to play was the latest games. A friend and I, a couple years back, took advantage of my Blockbuster “rent-all-you-want” membership to play through every single game that they had in the store, from the good to the not so good. (*COUGH* Damnation *COUGH*) Everything from Uncharted to Dark Sector to Saints Row to Resistance to so many that I can’t remember. We just played on and on in between work and school.
After that binge run, I still played games, but I started discerning a little more. While I still tried to play a wide variety, I started to find my favorites. Dragon Age really caught my attention. I “discovered” the God of War series that I never had the chance to play. I became very disappointed with the progressive problems with the Need for Speed license. I started listening to podcasts, reading blogs and reviews, and generally became a lot more aware about the “world” that surrounded my hobby. I wanted to understand how games were made, how certain decisions could truly determine a game’s success or failure.
Now, as I look back, I still have quite a passion for gaming. But in the mad rush to purchase and play new games, I started getting rid of my old favorites – games that I thought I would never be playing again. I figured, “If they’re just going to sit on a shelf, then I might as well get some credit for them, right?”
Then, I started missing those games. Dead Space. Infamous. Uncharted. Modern Warfare. Killzone. While I still enjoy several new games, there has just been something about these certain older titles that grabbed my attention. I saw Arkham Asylum on the shelf at my local store, and realized how much I loved that game. (One of my few Platinums.) So, in lieu of picking up anything new, I’ve started to reassemble my old collection. I’ve started to pick up those old games that I still love, and want to experience again.
Just like an old favorite movie, there’s something to be said for a game that creates thoughts of nostalgia and even minor longing when you think about it. I’m sure I’ll be talking a little about gaming Immersion and the like at some point, but I guess I just wanted to say, especially to new gamers, don’t discount the classics.
Just because a game isn’t brand new doesn’t mean that it should be immediately discounted as “old” and therefore not worth your time. Take the time to talk with people who game. We’re always full of experience and opinions, and we’re generally not all that bashful about sharing with you our excitement or disdain for a particular title or series.
All in all, especially as the holidays and gift-giving roll around, check out some titles that you might have missed, or may have been lost in the shuffle. You may be amazed at the experience you never knew you could have had.
- K
ion drum rocker and the art of plywood
I know that everyone and their mom has now played Rock Band, and if they haven’t, they’ve been living in a cave for the past five years. This little karaoke substitute has created an amazing new way to enjoy your music, to become a virtual rock star, and to pile numerous plastic guitars and drum sets throughout living rooms everywhere. And it’s a total blast.
I picked up my Rock Band 2 set about a year ago, and quickly learned that while many people are familiar with the guitar controllers, the drums were a completely different animal. Considering that no one ever seemed to want to touch the drums, I took it upon myself to learn them, and so I became my friends’ default drummer in any and all Rock Band sessions. I usually can make it through any song on hard, and many on expert, but I wouldn’t consider myself extremely good.
But I do love to play. A lot.
So, it wasn’t really a surprise a few months into ownership that I broke the kick pedal’s plastic hinge. Or that I snapped the bolt on one of the symbols. Or that the pipes won’t properly stay all the way up anymore. That little plastic set had a good, long, life, but I realized that it was time to upgrade.
After some research, and realizing that I really only wanted to use this for Rock Band instead of a career as a drummer, I decided forgo the expensive, high-end electronic drum set ups and went with the Ion Drum Rocker. At first, this worked for me, but I quickly noticed that the thing liked to drop out of the game sporadically. A quick search later, and I discovered that there was some kind of static electricity buildup that caused a charge to run through the system and drop out, which was extremely frustrating during a particularly difficult section or while the entire band was on a good rhythm.
I went through a number of ideas, hoping that I wouldn’t have to send the set in to get it repaired or something, and annoyed that many people complained that the Ion/Alesis customer service was really bad. My ideas ranged from touching the pads to discharge them between songs, putting a vinyl mat underneath the set, to using some dryer sheets, to a number of different alternatives, but nothing seemed to stop it from disconnecting or just having the drums simply stop responding for apparently no reason.
After talking it over with a friend, we thought up that perhaps if we could deaden the charge, not only under the set, but under myself and the entire set-up, we could get it to work. After some rummaging through the garage, and a little hammer and sawing, I slipped some plywood under the drum set, my seat, the kick pedal, and the cords that run to the PS3.
So far, I haven’t had a single problem.
The Ion Rocker is a good set that I’ve had a lot of fun with. The main reason that I put this out there is that I’ve read about some really expensive ideas, including opening up the system and adjusting wiring, or scraping things off the pads, or a number of other ideas, and I thought that they all sounded rather… well, expensive, as well as time-consuming. As far as I can determine, the wood underneath my system at the moment, (on top of the carpet), is just regular old plywood. The cables don’t touch the carpet, which I also think is important.
Anyway, hope that helps someone who was as frustrated as I was. Or even those who aren’t.
- K
UPDATE: Since this posting, I’ve done some extra testing. The kit will sometimes still drop out, and the response that I got from ION was anything but helpful. In any case, I tried a number of other things in addition to the plywood on the carpet underneath the kit, and the most helpful has been a seven-dollar grounding wrist strap that I modified to fit around my ankle, plugged into the ground of a wall outlet. Over New Years, we held a four+ hour Rock Band marathon at my house, and after putting on the “ankle strap”, there were only two or three drop outs total for the whole night. It was cheap, and worked wonders. I would recommend putting the strap around the ankle of the foot that you’re going to use for the kick pedal, because that seemed important, and make sure that the metal piece of the strap is touching skin, not clothing.
In an effort to remove the problem completely, next I’m going to try adding an anti-static mat onto the plywood to see if that helps even more. But I thought that I should jot down this little tidbit for those who are still having problems. Good luck! – K
Infamous
It’s no secret to my friends and family that I’m a gamer. I never really stick to one genre -Shooters, Strategy, Fighters, Racers, Brawlers… If the game is good, then I enjoy it, and I have a good time. I think, though, my favorite games are those that provide a truly memorable experience. I mean, back in the days of arcades, I used to spend hours at the Tekken machines, taking on a line of people and dropping them one at a time. That provided, for me, a worthwhile gaming experience. The face to face, the knowledge that no, there was nothing that the other person could say. You couldn’t just curse them out because the other person was standing right there. Gaming was truly a social experience.
When the arcades in America started to turn into simply ticket-prize galleries, the console market truly exploded. Now, here I am in my twenties, and I find myself still constantly amazed at the experiences that are uniquely provided by this powerful storytelling tool. Whereas a film or TV show only allows you to watch, a video game really puts you into the action, often allowing you to truly effect the outcomes of the story that you’re playing. Do your actions help those around you? Are you willing to sacrifice one life over another? When you’re handed great power, what exactly are you going to do with it?
My most recent “experience” has been with the PS3 exclusive, Infamous. While I was already excited about this game, it wasn’t until I actually played it that I realized the sheer amount of awesomeness that comprises this game. I honestly played for nine-and-a-half hours straight, which was just insane. Every time that I thought, “Okay, here’s a good stopping point,” I would see something else that was just plain unbelievable that would pull me back in again for “just a couple more minutes.” Finally, the end was well worth the playing time, especially after taking the time to go through every side mission on the good side. Now, I’m starting on the evil track, and I’m happy to report that it’s got a wonderfully different spin on it.
In Infamous, you play as Cole, a deliveryman who has inadvertantly been gifted with powers of electricity. While at first, he doesn’t exactly understand why, the explanations begin to unfold over time. With a number of subtle twists and turns, alliances and betrayals, you utilize your powers to discover exactly what has happened to you, unravelling the web of deciet that you’ve been unwittingly cast into the middle of. The fictional Empire City is almost another character as you watch the citizens and even the structures react to the choices that you make for yourself. Should you choose to do good, helping the citizens around you, they will respond in kind, using your inspiration to take the city back from the gangs that have taken over. But if you choose evil, then they will shun you just as they do the others, even causing riots to take you down.
The gameplay is top-notch, with a very third-person shooter feel as Cole uses his powers to destroy his foes. As he becomes more and more adept with his powers, he becomes stronger, and more able to cause mass destruction, demolishing his enemies in his wake. All in all, the game is just plain fun.
I know that there’s plenty of reviews available for this game, and I just wanted to throw in my own two cents. If you have any interest in gaming at all, then you should play this game.
- Karratti
optimism
I know that I’ve heard myself say this before, but there are times when I have difficulty having faith in even maxims that I have the most faith in. Your attitude is really your own responsibility, and it’s your choice. But there are numerous times when I’ve felt like I just don’t have a choice. You know, those days when you just want to pull the covers over your head and go back to sleep, willing the world to go to a day when you actually feel like doing something.
It’s funny, because just a couple nights ago, I spent hours working with a good friend of mine, well into the early hours of the morning, working the kinks out of this new series. The more and more that we discuss and refine, the better it’s getting, and I think we’re finally starting to see the clear vision of what this story is going to be about, and what it’s going to accomplish. I was ready and raring to write the newest draft of the pilot, and I had the stories and shots so clear in my mind that I didn’t think anything was going to deter me.
And then, I woke up the next day to my alarm.
Worries started to plague me a little. Work concerns and problems seemed a little overwhelming. So instead of actually cracking on the script, I sought a chance to “decompress” by finally figuring out my PS3 online troubles and getting my first taste of Killzone 2 multiplayer. Instantly, it seemed, the entire night disappeared. I don’t exactly regret it, though as I’m sitting here writing this, I realize that I could have spent the time a little more, hell, a LOT more productively.
But today is a new day, and there’s a weekend on the horizon. I plan to take full advantage, and put some time into what I should have been doing. There’s no reason for me to feel depressed, and I choose to be optimistic. Even though I just can’t seem to shake this feeling of “bleh”, I guess I’ll just start doing something, anything, and I’ll let that feeling dry up on its own.
So, with the winds of change blowing into my back, time to go to work.
- BK
