Tag: gaming news (Page 5 of 10)

      Smaller Games Look to be a Big Deal in the Next Generation

      August 20, 2013 /

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      Though gamescon isn’t typically known for being a flashy spectacle of triple A games (that would be E3), it still has to be considered odd that on a day marked as the next major battle between Sony and Microsoft, the focus was instead on indie games.

      Both companies devoted large parts of their presentation time to how the new consoles will handle indie games, with Microsoft’s approach being the bigger deal simply because no one had any idea exactly how the Xbox One would be releasing indie games, after some ominous announcements regarding their stance on the topic.

      Long story short, anyone interested in developing indie games for the Xbox One needs to register with Microsoft to do so, and get their approval. If you get that approval, they provide you with the development kits to get started, which for an indie developer is a pretty big deal.

      While the system will be limited at first, the idea is to use the feedback of these regulated developers to help build a system that will ideally let anyone who owns and Xbox One make games for it. The exact hows, whens, and whys of this transition remain something of a mystery, but developers who’ve already been working with the system seem excited about the potential of it, so even though the average gamer may have no idea what the hell any of this means, they apparently can expect some good games out of it.

      Sony on the other hand has been continuing their keep it simple policy, and just seem to be inviting every major indie game of recent memory to be a part of the PS4. Highlights include “Rouge Legacy,” “The Binding of Issac,” and the upcoming “Hotline Miami 2.” It’s an approach that may lack ingenuity, but you have to appreciate its ability to be clearly explained in a few sentences.

      Ultimately though it’s still too early to tell which of the two will be claim victory in the indie arms race, but it’s becoming more and more clear that indies are gaining some serious muscle in the gaming world, and the time has never been better to be a programmer or designer with a little means and the right idea.

      Naturally that means the obvious  winner would be the gamers who get to reap the benefits this movement towards encouraging original concepts in and encouraging fresh talent brings. So…yay us.

      News

      Among the “GTA V” Multiplayer Celebration, A Nagging Worry Remains

      August 15, 2013 /

      Try and deny “GTA V” its applause for the recent full reveal of its online mode, and you’ll be left arms to your side amid an explosion of ovation that the announcement deserves. Ever since “GTA III,” gamers have dreamed of “GTA” online, and the reveal trailer showcases a mode that is everything you could possibly imagine and dreamed of when it comes to the concept, and then some.

      However, there is a catch.

      See, if you give any number of players guns and put them in an online world, their natural inclination will be to find each one another and shoot until those who are not them are dead. While that is certainly an element of the “GTA V” multiplayer experience (the trailer is largely focused on PvP confrontations) it’s clear that the better intentions of this mode are instead focused on group play and exploration of not only the landscape, but of the potential scenarios that can be created within it.

      Simply put, asking a group of 16 (likely) strangers to jump into the “GTA” world and consider violence against each other to be a secondary measure, is asking a hell of a lot. Now that isn’t to say it’s impossible, or won’t occur after a period of time where everyone gets bored shooting each other, but it does mean the better and more exciting elements of this newish type of multiplayer design may not always be present in every session, and may only be accessible should you choose to form a tight bond with like minded players or just happen to get lucky and draw a server of those individuals randomly.

      I’d like to believe that gamers will approach “GTA V” in a manner befitting the outside the box design the online element looks to provide, but there is a pessimistic urge honed by years of experience in online communities built off major release titles that makes me believe otherwise, and worries that a genuine effort to provide something truly great may be squandered by the very people it was built for.

      I’m not that one standing sulkingly amidst the applause towards “GTA V’s” multiplayer mode, and in fact nurse sore hands from joining the commotion as feverishly as any, but the question no longer seems to be is Rockstar capable of delivering the type of online “GTA” world we’ve always wished for, but rather if the hordes of loyal fans capable of fully embracing it.

      News

      A Game About Being a Janitor…In Space

      August 9, 2013 /

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      So let me paint a picture for you.

      You’ve just saved the galaxy from a race of the most despicable, vile alien beings ever to cross the threshold to existence. After a long and brutal fight, you’ve finally achieved victory, and can now find a measure of peace while the people of several worlds build statues of you and plan holidays in your name.

      However, the job isn’t done yet. See, while you were busy removing the universe of its greatest threat, you were neglecting the removal of the gunk and gore you left behind. Your likeness may be rendered in permanent remembrance, but that mess will not. Someone then will have to clean it up.

      This is the rough intro to “Viscera Cleanup Detail,” a game which was recently greenlit by the Steam community for release.

      It sees you fill the role of that video game character you may have once considered and pitied, but never really put much more thought into, the janitor. Specifically, you take the role of a space janitor who must deal with the cleanup of a space station that was a part of a scenario similar to the one described. Armed with your trusty mop, your job is to clean up the mess left behind, and get the station looking closer to normal.

      A janitor simulator in space, this has to be one of the oddest games ever approved for mass release. Looking at video of the game, it’s difficult to see just where the appeal lies, as most of your activities appear to be just clicking on blood stains to remove them, clicking on clean water to clean your mop, and picking up chunks of alien to be incinerated. Even though it’s only currently in an alpha stage, the game has a lot of issues without clear resolutions in sight.

      On the other hand, as titles like “Surgeon Simulator 2013,” “Eurotruck Simulator 2” and the very recent “Papers Please” have proven, taking an unusual or even dull concept and turning it into a video game is not necessarily a recipe for disaster, and can in fact lead to an entertaining experience.

      Whether or not “Viscera Cleanup Detail,” is destined for that path is difficult to say. However, if the developers approach this with the right level of humor, and some clever wrench in the cog scenarios, this could become not a case of a game being approved wrongfully as a curiosity, but rather an intriguing prospect on the horizon.

      News

      One Saints Row Producer Is Upset with the Promotional Focus on Porn

      August 6, 2013 /

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      Featuring a level of absurdity that would make a “Looney Toons” segment roll its eyes, the “Saints Row” series features only the barest resemblance to real life, and instead promotes a sandbox world where absurdity rules the land, and you are encouraged to exploit every corner of it with maniacal glee.

      Nobody really takes it seriously, is what I’m getting at.

      Well actually make that almost nobody. Producer of “Saints Row 4” Kate Nelson not only cares about the quality of the game, but is also concerned about the image of the game as it relates to the use of porn stars to promote the title. Particularly, the labeling of porn actress Tera Patrick as one of the game’s executive producers, a move which Nelson has criticized as it grants an important title within the game to someone with virtually no involvement whatsoever in it.

      This wouldn’t mark the first time the series has used these tactics either, as former publisher THQ used Penthouse models, other porn actresses, and various scantily clad ladies of all walks of life to promote the game in one way or another.

      Besides serving as something of an insult to the development team, the larger issue that is being brought up is that such moves cheapen certain elements of the game and instead put the focus on the outlandishness, or particularly the sex elements. Even though that is certainly a part of the series, putting all attention towards those elements does mean that the freeform inventive gameplay the series truly revolves around, starts getting downplayed not only in media coverage, but potentially in design philosophy as well.

      It’s no secret that sex and video games is an awkward topic, due in large part to the awkward way that it has been handled in the medium to date. While “Saints Row” isn’t exactly a paragon of virtue when it comes to the representation of women, the buck has to stop somewhere when it comes to exploiting the matter, and even in a series as outlandish as this one, it’s nice to know there is someone behind the scenes who is thinking about the effect the matter has on gameplay above all.

      Reviews

      How Martin O’Donnell Got Paul McCartney to Help Him On Destiny

      August 2, 2013 /

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      Booting up “Halo: CE” for the first time was just one of those moments.

      While the thrill of playing a new console (the Xbox) and the hype the game had generated shortly before release were enough to amp you up before you even booted the game, it was the moment the main screen appeared that you immediately realized you were about to embark on something special. That’s because it was the moment you heard the “Halo” theme in all its glory.

      Not only does it remain one of the best gaming themes of all time, but to this day it stands as one of the few musical themes across all mediums that manages to perfectly convey the material it represents, as its haunting intensity can flood memories of long nights of play into your conscious with no more than a note.

      It’s the kind of work a composer could hang his hat on and call it a career, but that isn’t the case for “Halo’s” composer Martin O’Donnell, who has continued to work on the famed series, and who’s newest task sees him composing the theme to Bungie’s new game “Destiny.” That’s no small task considering that Bungie is trying to work with a clean slate not reliant on any previous success, meaning they’ll need a theme as epic as the one in “Halo,” but without being the one in “Halo.”

      To help him in this herculian task, O’Donnell has recruited a man that’s had more than a little experience in producing hits over changing conditions.

      Sir Paul McCartney working on an FPS with the composer of “Halo” may sound like an odd (or even dreamlike) scenario, but its roots are much more humble. As O’Donnell explains it, he was talking with a friend that worked on “Rock Band” when McCartney was helping that team out, and the friend mentioned that they could name drop O’Donnell to the rock legend. O’Donnell said why the hell not and since McCartney had played “Halo” with his grandkids (imagine that for a moment) knew O’Donnell’s work and took the chance to assist him with “Destiny.”

      According to O’Donnell, McCartney is always excited to work on new ventures, and has brought a fresh perspective, as well as his tape loop machine used on Sgt. Peppers and years of experience, to the process. The combination of these great minds, has to date produced a 50 minute soundtrack which, according to O’Donnell, tells its own story within “Destiny” and will be released separately ahead of the game.

      From the ambitious looking footage, its clear that Bungie has no interest in selling “Destiny” as a carbon copy FPS with “From the makers of Halo” stamped on the box, and this move to reach out to, and attract, a legend like McCartney is further proof of that, and that even in a crowded gaming line up we should all be keeping an eye on “Destiny” and an ear on its theme in anticipation of one of those moments.

      News

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