Gathering TWiGs – October
Still coming down from your sugar rush from the splendors of Halloween? With all the candy at our disposal, I guess it’s time to look back on the month that was. Lots of big time games have hit store shelves. As always, it’s a great time to be a gamer. Assuming you have the time to play all of these games, I’m sure you’re having lots of fun. Might I recommend Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for the PlayStation 3? It’s an amazing game. And speaking of amazing, how about those weekly posts about random Video Game topics that I fancy? Did I mention they are also hosted on Talking About Games?
On Benjamin and George (1042)
In the age of the online patch and Horse Armor, there is no excuse for this game being released on a separate disc. Naughty Dog is releasing a Day 1 patch for Uncharted 2 to resolve their Twitter spam issue. In an attempt to make their competitive multiplayer at least manageable for the faithful that still play Gears of War 2, Epic is still releasing balances, tweaks and patches. The term “Banhammer” has become a common place term in our lexicon thanks to Bungie’s continued support of their Halo titles post-release. While some companies have abused the ability to repair games after they hit retail shelves, there is not a person out there that would postulate that the fact that these patches exist is a bad thing. Refining the game to ensure fair and balanced gameplay doesn’t hurt anyone. If a game needs a band-aid for an exploit or a bug needs to be squashed then I’m all for a developer stepping up and fixing the problem.
On Crowns and Emulation (930)
It is my fear that Halo could approach Star Wars territory, in a bad way. Reaching out to forms of media increases the chance of failure. If Bungie can learn anything from Star Wars, it might be that they need to know when to walk away. If not, who knows how far this could go. Who knows what might result from trying too hard to surpass the legacy of Star Wars. I don’t want that to happen to Halo. I don’t want the equivalent of an Episode 2. I don’t want Midi-chlorians. I don’t want Jar-Jar.
On Equality and Simultaneity (1014)
You’ve seen what has become of the Unreal Engine. Every new game that loads with an Unreal splash screen yields a groan of “again?!?” Developers have had plenty of opportunity to take advantage of, well the advantages of an engine that has cross platform appeal on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. But Unreal is starting to show its age. I wonder, is Unreal really pushing these systems to their computational limits or have developers become complacent in their quest for excellence? Has Unreal become the cheap way out of developing quality content? What once was the perfect starting point for cross-platform development is now an over-used and under-perfected gaming experience. I do believe that developers want and can do more if given the proper tools and it is my hope that the CryEngine 3 will provide for the next generation of games the quality that will finally justify a $60 purchase where so many games have not.
On Championing and Concern (1036)
I try not to get too bogged down in politics. Being Diabetic, I have a particular interest in the heath-care debate going on in Washington. It’s one of those instances where the more you know, the more you regret becoming an informed citizen. Thankfully, keeping up on the politics surrounding the video game industry isn’t nearly as painful. I’ve touted the work done over at GamePolitics.com before, but it bears repeating. If you are passionate about video games, then you owe it to yourself to pay some degree of attention to what is going on around you. Issues like net neutrality are not going away any time soon. Proper use of Digital Rights Management is a myth right now. Legislation restricting the sale of video games will always be on the docket. The debate over the rights of consumers of digital goods is just beginning. Do your part to become more informed on these topics, I’ll be sure to thank you later. I promise.
On Controversy and Courageousness (1155)
Obviously, the game will speak for itself. We do not know the full context of what we have seen or what has been rumored. But if Modern Warfare 2 is willing to push the limits of in-game violence we can tolerate in a “realistic” setting, then more power to them. Assuming that Modern Warfare 2 does not cross the metaphorical line, I applaud the attempt. The only way to know how far games can go is to try, and Infinity Ward clearly has the chutzpah to try. If we are presented with a tasteful and thoughtful story then we will have a new standard for storytelling in our video games. If Infinity Ward succeeds, maybe that will give implicit permission to other developers to try to test our limits. As long as what we experience is handled thoughtfully and tastefully, I am all for testing the limits of what video games are capable of. And maybe we’ll have a new example to point to in that fabled “Are games art?” debate. Maybe.
