Aside from a shameless plug for one of my favourite songs off the last Bon Jovi studio album (The Circle), I thought I would talk about gaming at work today. Given that I currently work for a travel agent (oh the irony), there really isn't a lot to do inbetween taking calls. So it has begun - most of the girls (and guys) manning the phones have taken that awkward first step into casual gaming.
I found this rather amusing at first. Being a battle-weary veteran of the industry and as a voracious consumer of the same, I was vaguely smug that my "new" colleagues were experiencing games in the workplace. While they played online versions of SMB, I was quietly training my team of Pokemon to take on the Elite Four. Not that I was against online gaming, quite the opposite. I am quite the fan of Kongregate's Super Stacker.
But it got me thinking. Previously, they were all very interested in what I was playing in my DS, asking me about the games I owned (answer: quite a few, but restricted to a few favourite series), where I was up to in the game and how long I had been playing for. Since most of the shifts I do are long-haul, I take advantage of the time to do some serious training (more recently, I have been serious about EV training. Who knew stats could be so important?). The next logical step, I suppose, is therefore taking advantage of my knowledge of games (console and online based) and exploring their options.
The funniest moment in all of this was when I turned around from my computer and found four of my colleagues all playing the same game. On the exact same level. Each was employing a different methodology of completing the level (completist, speed-run, careful progression), but they were all talking about it. Now, I've read articles in the past that have talked about gaming in the work place and I've even heard the argument that it can be considered unprofessional and childish. I would disagree. What struck me in this particular circumstance was the team-building that was going on. Not only were these people reinforcing crucial social networks, but they were working as a team to finish the game.
I'm not saying that I'm the leading expert in all things gaming, nor am I a psychologist, but it occurs to me that perhaps instead of less fun 'team-building' exercises, maybe a good round of CoD in the boardroom would encourage healthy working relationships.
It might also do something towards improving hand-eye co-ordination in offices.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
I Made It Through The Wilderness...
Hey there faithful followers!
Yes, 'tis I, back from the black. I know, I know, it's been a while and the secret project that I was working on is now out in the form of the online game Mojikan. I've since moved on and gone back to working on my own games and business plan for my own studio, but that is neither here nor there. The point of this is that with or without me, Mojikan is a pretty cool game. Check it out and see if you agree. Not all of it is particularly new and inventive, but it is expertly put together.
In other news, I've been playing Pokemon: Platinum Version as a prelude to the recently released Pokemon: Black and Pokemon: White versions. The new feature with this release/generation is the limited edition Pokemon Victini (now tell me, when you heard that it wouldn't be around for long, you wanted that little lucky fox more, didn't you?) and the integration of a full three dimensional game-world. This graphical style shift has been something the series has been screaming out for since the early 2000s, so seeing that Nintendo has finally listened can only mean that the series is taking a step in the right direction.
Unsurprisingly enough, Duke Nukem Forever has been delayed. Again. The upshot of this little snippet is that now America will have to wait with the rest of the world, instead of getting it four days early. Har har. Something else that intrigues me about this particular game is how vehement a lot of feminist writers are getting. I read an article that said Shelby Knox was trying to get it banned from Wal-mart, which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Looking at this from a gaming, marketing and consumer perspective, the lunacy is over-whelming. From a consumer perspective, she is trying to limit my access to this highly-sought-after game. As every teenager who has glugged a little sneaky spirits knows, the more you can't have it, the more you want it. Not only that, you are more inclined to seek it out.
From a marketing perspective, you are cutting a huge slice of core game-players out of the potential market. Not only that, you are restricting your customer pool to current hard-core game-players, instead of capitalising on the nostaglia factor of adult game-players with families who may no longer visit boutique game stores on a regular basis. Restricting distribution for a game so long in development is simple madness and given Ms. Knox's comments regarding the target consumers, I respectfully am disinclined to agree, but I will expand on that in a moment.
Finally, from a gaming perspective. As a media form that has never been wholly 'socially acceptable', gaming sports its fair share of battle scars. After Bulletstorm and Homefront, you think the hoo-hah would have died down. There have been SO many studies that have disproven (and proven) that video games are the cause of violence in children and adults. There will probably never be any real proof either way, but in the end, it comes down to parenting. Whether or not you want YOUR children to be exposed to this type of material is the same case as if you were to decide whether or not you would allow them to watch a MA15+ film. YOU are the adult and YOU need to make the decision, not the ESRB. Be a responsible parent and we will be responsible game-players.
Now, getting back to what I was saying about Shelby Knox. The woman claims that the 'capture the babe' mode will promote a culture of sexual violence against women in the youth culture today. Well, sorry to tell you this, but I am friends with a DJ crew in Sydney, all of whom are lovely and sweet boys. But the culture they live in is filled with girls who consider it a status boost to sleep with a DJ, to wear next to nothing and get off-their-head drunk. This culture already exists on the music scene and has done for so many years now. Is one long-standing joke of the game industry going to make an impact? Probably not. The people who will play this game see it for its true value - a tongue-in-cheek look at western action heroes who are so pumped full of testosterone that they can barely move for cannons. It's a farce and we all know it, even the girls involved in this community. So why is it that no-one else can?
Discuss. I'm going for a cup of tea (how very british).
Yes, 'tis I, back from the black. I know, I know, it's been a while and the secret project that I was working on is now out in the form of the online game Mojikan. I've since moved on and gone back to working on my own games and business plan for my own studio, but that is neither here nor there. The point of this is that with or without me, Mojikan is a pretty cool game. Check it out and see if you agree. Not all of it is particularly new and inventive, but it is expertly put together.
In other news, I've been playing Pokemon: Platinum Version as a prelude to the recently released Pokemon: Black and Pokemon: White versions. The new feature with this release/generation is the limited edition Pokemon Victini (now tell me, when you heard that it wouldn't be around for long, you wanted that little lucky fox more, didn't you?) and the integration of a full three dimensional game-world. This graphical style shift has been something the series has been screaming out for since the early 2000s, so seeing that Nintendo has finally listened can only mean that the series is taking a step in the right direction.
Unsurprisingly enough, Duke Nukem Forever has been delayed. Again. The upshot of this little snippet is that now America will have to wait with the rest of the world, instead of getting it four days early. Har har. Something else that intrigues me about this particular game is how vehement a lot of feminist writers are getting. I read an article that said Shelby Knox was trying to get it banned from Wal-mart, which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Looking at this from a gaming, marketing and consumer perspective, the lunacy is over-whelming. From a consumer perspective, she is trying to limit my access to this highly-sought-after game. As every teenager who has glugged a little sneaky spirits knows, the more you can't have it, the more you want it. Not only that, you are more inclined to seek it out.
From a marketing perspective, you are cutting a huge slice of core game-players out of the potential market. Not only that, you are restricting your customer pool to current hard-core game-players, instead of capitalising on the nostaglia factor of adult game-players with families who may no longer visit boutique game stores on a regular basis. Restricting distribution for a game so long in development is simple madness and given Ms. Knox's comments regarding the target consumers, I respectfully am disinclined to agree, but I will expand on that in a moment.
Finally, from a gaming perspective. As a media form that has never been wholly 'socially acceptable', gaming sports its fair share of battle scars. After Bulletstorm and Homefront, you think the hoo-hah would have died down. There have been SO many studies that have disproven (and proven) that video games are the cause of violence in children and adults. There will probably never be any real proof either way, but in the end, it comes down to parenting. Whether or not you want YOUR children to be exposed to this type of material is the same case as if you were to decide whether or not you would allow them to watch a MA15+ film. YOU are the adult and YOU need to make the decision, not the ESRB. Be a responsible parent and we will be responsible game-players.
Now, getting back to what I was saying about Shelby Knox. The woman claims that the 'capture the babe' mode will promote a culture of sexual violence against women in the youth culture today. Well, sorry to tell you this, but I am friends with a DJ crew in Sydney, all of whom are lovely and sweet boys. But the culture they live in is filled with girls who consider it a status boost to sleep with a DJ, to wear next to nothing and get off-their-head drunk. This culture already exists on the music scene and has done for so many years now. Is one long-standing joke of the game industry going to make an impact? Probably not. The people who will play this game see it for its true value - a tongue-in-cheek look at western action heroes who are so pumped full of testosterone that they can barely move for cannons. It's a farce and we all know it, even the girls involved in this community. So why is it that no-one else can?
Discuss. I'm going for a cup of tea (how very british).
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Next Great Adventure - Sydney!
Well, ladies and space marines, this will more than likely be my last post from Brisvegas before my epic adventure to Sydney! I've been hired by a game company to be my awesome self (can't tell you too much - yet!) with them. The flight is booked, some of my stuff is packed and my mother wept. But what an adventure!
Here's the thing - while hunting for a job in the industry, it's going to be difficult to find a job close to home. Hell, I had to travel interstate for just the interview! :D But if you're willing to work hard and to go the extra distance, you're bound to impress your potential employers.
Also, keeping a game blog (much like this one) is an excellent idea. You have a limited amount of time to wow the company with your game knowledge. Just think of what you can say about your ideas in a blog and what your would-be bosses can read if you can give them a link to your blog! It will definitely work in your favour.
So here I am - I handed in my resignation for my part-time job (the one that I've held for the last 7.5 years!) yesterday and the countdown is on to D(eparture)-Day. In true girly tradition, I bought new shoes (a pair of very cool leather-studded high heels!) and a new bag (to which I immediately transferred my Starfleet Medical insignia badge).
So the next time we meet, I'll be a Sydderian! A Sydney-sider! Oh God... at least I'll be closer to Anthony Warlow...
Here's the thing - while hunting for a job in the industry, it's going to be difficult to find a job close to home. Hell, I had to travel interstate for just the interview! :D But if you're willing to work hard and to go the extra distance, you're bound to impress your potential employers.
Also, keeping a game blog (much like this one) is an excellent idea. You have a limited amount of time to wow the company with your game knowledge. Just think of what you can say about your ideas in a blog and what your would-be bosses can read if you can give them a link to your blog! It will definitely work in your favour.
So here I am - I handed in my resignation for my part-time job (the one that I've held for the last 7.5 years!) yesterday and the countdown is on to D(eparture)-Day. In true girly tradition, I bought new shoes (a pair of very cool leather-studded high heels!) and a new bag (to which I immediately transferred my Starfleet Medical insignia badge).
So the next time we meet, I'll be a Sydderian! A Sydney-sider! Oh God... at least I'll be closer to Anthony Warlow...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
'Tis me again, another boring review, yes, I know... but EB had a sale on and I wanted a new game. So I bought this one, as far as the definition of new can be stretched.
This one bears a marked resemblance to Revenant Wings - to the point where Vaan and Penelo actually make an appearance! I've only played the GBA tactics version and really, this isn't different at all. Sure, the option is open to use the touch screen, but this really doesn't make the full use of it the way that FFXII:RW did.
It really is your basic, turn-based strategy game; you have a clan full of variously clad party member options and each "job" (because that's what we call classes these days) has -mostly- unique qualities and moves. Black Mages use the traditional fire, blizzard and thunder combination, White Mages do the usual healing jobs; then there's your melee classes/jobs like Gladiator, Fighter, Soldier, Berserker, White Monk, etc. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Most quests you can dispatch a party to (cheat's way of getting through the MASSIVE amount of jobs on offer quickly). But as well as the main storyline quests, there will be a few that you can't dispatch. Usually, there will be a reason for this - a new job on offer (take Veis, Assasin, for example, or the long-running feud between the Bangaa Brotherhood and the Nu Mou Nobles) or a particular item that is both functional and useful. Either way, you'll have to lead the charge yourself on these occasions.
In any one of these bouts, the rules are usually the same: follow the laws the judges hand down, or you'll be refused re-entry into battle if one of your party members falls to a foe. That means no use of Phoenix Down or Raise on anything that currently calls your clan host. You can, however, still use these moves/items on the undead. Go figure. If it were up to me, I would rather have had the law-breaker unable to re-enter battle, or disabled. Affecting the WHOLE clan is a bit much.
All in all, it's a very well structured game, the bones of which carried over in Revenant Wings. It's not boring or dragging, but the combat can be a bit samey, which is the real drawback in this case. Still, if you are anything like the perfectionist I am, you'll be searching all over to find all the job classes.
Verdict: A great time-waster if you have a few weeks free.
This one bears a marked resemblance to Revenant Wings - to the point where Vaan and Penelo actually make an appearance! I've only played the GBA tactics version and really, this isn't different at all. Sure, the option is open to use the touch screen, but this really doesn't make the full use of it the way that FFXII:RW did.
It really is your basic, turn-based strategy game; you have a clan full of variously clad party member options and each "job" (because that's what we call classes these days) has -mostly- unique qualities and moves. Black Mages use the traditional fire, blizzard and thunder combination, White Mages do the usual healing jobs; then there's your melee classes/jobs like Gladiator, Fighter, Soldier, Berserker, White Monk, etc. I could go on, but you get the picture.
Most quests you can dispatch a party to (cheat's way of getting through the MASSIVE amount of jobs on offer quickly). But as well as the main storyline quests, there will be a few that you can't dispatch. Usually, there will be a reason for this - a new job on offer (take Veis, Assasin, for example, or the long-running feud between the Bangaa Brotherhood and the Nu Mou Nobles) or a particular item that is both functional and useful. Either way, you'll have to lead the charge yourself on these occasions.
In any one of these bouts, the rules are usually the same: follow the laws the judges hand down, or you'll be refused re-entry into battle if one of your party members falls to a foe. That means no use of Phoenix Down or Raise on anything that currently calls your clan host. You can, however, still use these moves/items on the undead. Go figure. If it were up to me, I would rather have had the law-breaker unable to re-enter battle, or disabled. Affecting the WHOLE clan is a bit much.
All in all, it's a very well structured game, the bones of which carried over in Revenant Wings. It's not boring or dragging, but the combat can be a bit samey, which is the real drawback in this case. Still, if you are anything like the perfectionist I am, you'll be searching all over to find all the job classes.
Verdict: A great time-waster if you have a few weeks free.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Pnuemonia and old games
Well, as most of my friends and minions know, I've been stuck in the house for the last three weeks at my doctor's behest in order to recover from a particularly nasty bout of pnuemonia. Those of you who haven't had it, you don't want it and those that have... well, you can share my pain. I'm starting to feel like a human pin cushion with the amount of blood tests I've had and all they can tell me is that my white blood cell count is up and that my lungs still sound a bit rattly. Gee, really. I wouldn't have expected that from a lung infection.
In other news, all this time being made to rest has forced me to replay some of my old games. Sadly, there are parts of my Kingdom Hearts II games that won't load properly - sad face - so therefore I went back to play Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for the DS.
It must be said that I quite liked this game, hence why it wasn't traded in. The strategic nature appealed to me, along with the ability to constantly summon Yarhi/Espers. The storyline was quite acceptable and I found myself warming up to Llyud, the first Aegyl you meet in-game. I'm a bit neurotic with games, so I've had to try and finish every mission, summoning melee, monster melee and all-out brawl. This has led to my party having some pretty tricked-out gear that has better stats than the stuff they came with (example, Bathier comes equipped with Rygel, his gun. Crafting one with Cu Sith, however, boosts most of his stats +10, so what's the point in keeping the old one?).
The other game I restarted is Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise. Yes, yes, I know I bought it around this time last year, so technically it's not all that old for me, but the Viva Pinata game itself is old, therefore it counts. This time round, it seems to have lost a lot of the fun for me. I don't know why, but maybe it's just one of those games that you absolutely love the first time round but the second... you forget what you saw in it in the first place.
Completely off-topic, today is Johnny Depp's birthday, so happy birthday to you, sir! Funnily enough, I was reading a topic over at the escapist forums and found a nifty little video clip starring said handsome actor that I'd never seen before (and for those of you complaining that Johnny Depp has nothing to do with video games, I have one thing to say to you: The Legend of Jack Sparrow. Ha).
Oh... and happy birthday to Karl Urban for yesterday. The gorgeous kiwi is now 38. I watched reboot!Trek in his honour. ^_^
In other news, all this time being made to rest has forced me to replay some of my old games. Sadly, there are parts of my Kingdom Hearts II games that won't load properly - sad face - so therefore I went back to play Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for the DS.
It must be said that I quite liked this game, hence why it wasn't traded in. The strategic nature appealed to me, along with the ability to constantly summon Yarhi/Espers. The storyline was quite acceptable and I found myself warming up to Llyud, the first Aegyl you meet in-game. I'm a bit neurotic with games, so I've had to try and finish every mission, summoning melee, monster melee and all-out brawl. This has led to my party having some pretty tricked-out gear that has better stats than the stuff they came with (example, Bathier comes equipped with Rygel, his gun. Crafting one with Cu Sith, however, boosts most of his stats +10, so what's the point in keeping the old one?).
The other game I restarted is Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise. Yes, yes, I know I bought it around this time last year, so technically it's not all that old for me, but the Viva Pinata game itself is old, therefore it counts. This time round, it seems to have lost a lot of the fun for me. I don't know why, but maybe it's just one of those games that you absolutely love the first time round but the second... you forget what you saw in it in the first place.
Completely off-topic, today is Johnny Depp's birthday, so happy birthday to you, sir! Funnily enough, I was reading a topic over at the escapist forums and found a nifty little video clip starring said handsome actor that I'd never seen before (and for those of you complaining that Johnny Depp has nothing to do with video games, I have one thing to say to you: The Legend of Jack Sparrow. Ha).
Oh... and happy birthday to Karl Urban for yesterday. The gorgeous kiwi is now 38. I watched reboot!Trek in his honour. ^_^
Thursday, May 6, 2010
GameOn Program: Portfolio Presentation
Well, for all of you who didn't realise it was going on, QUT's GameOn series has had it's last event for the semester - Iron Dev. In response to a challenge put forward by Morgan Jaffit, my little two-man team representing Quill Games came up with a cute little piece called Frankie, Jr.
The night was a great hit - we got to see the kind of games being developed by other small studios and student groups. We got great feedback from the panel about the game and made some really good friends in the crowd. A shout out to Isaac, who I spent an exorbitant amount of time with discussing Square Enix games and various anime.
In other news, it looks like I have a sound engineer for Quill Games should the need arise. A few of my former classmates have rallied in the absence of paying work in the form of screw-this-we'll-just-go-it-alone mentality. Thus far, we're not doing too badly. I may have to shelve my epic RPG Heavenly Legion for a while, though.
Finally, I've just found out the saddest news - Vincent D'Onofrio is leaving Law & Order: Criminal Intent. This is the end of an era. He really is phenomenal as Det. Robert 'Bobby' Goren and the thought of not having him on the show is heart-breaking. So from all your loyal fans, Vincent, thanks for making the show amazing. We wish you well in your future endeavours... BUT PLEASE DON'T GO!
The night was a great hit - we got to see the kind of games being developed by other small studios and student groups. We got great feedback from the panel about the game and made some really good friends in the crowd. A shout out to Isaac, who I spent an exorbitant amount of time with discussing Square Enix games and various anime.
In other news, it looks like I have a sound engineer for Quill Games should the need arise. A few of my former classmates have rallied in the absence of paying work in the form of screw-this-we'll-just-go-it-alone mentality. Thus far, we're not doing too badly. I may have to shelve my epic RPG Heavenly Legion for a while, though.
Finally, I've just found out the saddest news - Vincent D'Onofrio is leaving Law & Order: Criminal Intent. This is the end of an era. He really is phenomenal as Det. Robert 'Bobby' Goren and the thought of not having him on the show is heart-breaking. So from all your loyal fans, Vincent, thanks for making the show amazing. We wish you well in your future endeavours... BUT PLEASE DON'T GO!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Supanova Brisbane: This McCoy Fangirl's Dream
Every geek who is any geek will know what Supanova is to Australia. It's like Comic-con, only in Oz.Well, this was my big weekend. This was it. I was finally meeting my idol, my hero and my dream man - Karl Urban. He of the sexy southern doctor persuation and Star Trek inclination who rocked in the movie Doom (based on the classic cult video game).
In short, I will share the story I shared with my friends in STARFLEET (alright, you can all stop laughing now):
I went to Supanova with a friend of mine - Veronica - where said lovely man was signing autographs and having photos taken. We checked out the line for the pavilion to pay for aforementioned photos/autographs and it was nearly a kilometer long. We decided to skip it fora while and have a look around at the other booths in the room.
I should mention that I was in my Starfleet Medical Corps uniform (sans tricorder and communicator) and was moseying around when we spotted Karl stepping out for a break (cue my hyperventilating). He walked past the queue and turned.
He looked right at me.
I looked back at him and did the only thing I could think of - smile and snap off a salute.
He grinned back, pointed at my uniform and said "THAT'S cool!" He then proceded over to me and began plucking at my shirt to see what it was made of.
I was in a state of shock, so Veronica swung into action, asking him if we could have a photo. He smiled at me and said "Sure, I'm not supposed to do this, but oh well!"
He then slid his arm around my lower back and posed kindly for a photo(something I would have had to pay $40 for if I hadn't been in uniform!). He was also gracious enough to answer a question I had about his portrayal of McCoy whilst I was present at his Q&A session.
This awesome story continues on the Sunday, Day Two of Supanova Brisbane...
On this day, I had a portrait with Karl and I done - signed by the man himself! I had to edit it slightly, because he gave me a moustache while signing it, which he apologised for and offered to draw one on himself. He also signed my Star Trek DVD.
Even better, Mr Urban thanked me for the invitation to the Region 11 STARFLEET summit in Adelaide! Whether or not he will agree to come, that I cannot tell. But he said thanks for the invite and - from me - a copy of In Limbo, the short story I won a Starfleet writing award for.
I went into recruiting mode whilst I was there and found two other girls who maybe quite keen to join up, with at least one saying she'd be interested in attending the summit. I got to ask him - at his Q&A - if he would like to see the relationships between Kirk, Spock and McCoy developed further, maybe ala' The Search for Spock. He said yes, from what he's seen of the new script, there will be moments that will better develop the "triumvirate".
We have been told that the Supanova website will probably podcast Karl's Q&A sessions later in the year, which is an opportunity to check out the really interesting questions he was asked and how he answered them.
What can I say about Karl - the man is an utter gentleman; funny, kind and clever with a real dedication to his fans and will go out of his way to make his fans happy. To that end, his queue for autographs and photos was the longest in the room. Just goes to show that he is one very much loved Doctor and they couldn't have picked a better successor to DeForest.
And now... you know I'm a rabid McCoy fangirl... and what I look like... hmm.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
A Weighty Issue: The Pokewalker
Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I've struggled with my weight in the past. In fact, looking at the obesity figures globally, I'm not the only one. I'm not saying that I'm morbidly obese, but like every girl, I've been unhappy with the way I look.
But this isn't a story about my self-esteem issues. This is about the release of Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold on Thursday.
From the outside, the game is identical to the predecessors on the GameBoy Colour. In fact, I dug out my old copy and had a look at it. Thus far, it is very comparable to the old favourite, Pokemon Crystal. Most of the story has been carbon-lifted, including the physical manifestation and encounters with Suicune and his devotee Eusine. The graphics have more in common with the recent edition Diamond/Pearl. Musically, it's almost identical to the original version with the same city and cycling tracks used.
Funnily enough, most of my party is exactly the same as my old game - and with good reason. I have Pakka (Cyndaquil), Woopidoo (Wooper -> Quagsire), Clocky (Hoothoot -> Noctowl replacing my usual Pidgey - Kevie - for a reason), Rocky (the Onix I traded a Bellsprout for and who has become a lynchpin in many battles), Miracle (Togepi -> Togetic following the low-level evolution from my first game, when he evolved at level 18) and Ratty (Rattata -> Raticate... not sure why he hasn't been replaced yet but I think I'm waiting for Raikou).
I think I'm missing an Arcanine from my old game... I was a huge fan of the move Extremespeed. In any case, the game has aged well and the introduction of the Pokeathlon and the shift of the Safari Zone (very useful if you're a fan of just raising your six favourites) has benefitted the newer version (I know I won't be able to get my Lugia back until after the Elite Four).
The interesting part about all this and my fangirlism is the new device called the Pokewalker. Simply load a Pokemon that's stored in one of your deposit boxes, chose a route, clip it to yourself and start strolling. The Pokemon earns XP as you walk and there are opportunities to catch wild Pokemon and find useful items.
The funniest thing is that people are now trying to find every which way to defeat the purpose of the installed pedometer. Admittedly, I tried. I found myself stuck and bored at around a thousand steps. However, yesterday I wore it to work under my uniform. In one shift, I clocked over six thousand steps and another four thousand this morning.
The moral of this story?
Ten thousand steps is not really a lot. Really. Wearing a Pokemon on your belt all day might be daggy, but it's Nintendo's genius idea to keep everyone thinking about healthy ways of integrating gaming into a healthy lifestyle and let's face it - they could have done a lot worse than incorporate it into a favourite like Pokemon.
Super Mario Aerobics DVD, anyone?
But this isn't a story about my self-esteem issues. This is about the release of Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold on Thursday.
From the outside, the game is identical to the predecessors on the GameBoy Colour. In fact, I dug out my old copy and had a look at it. Thus far, it is very comparable to the old favourite, Pokemon Crystal. Most of the story has been carbon-lifted, including the physical manifestation and encounters with Suicune and his devotee Eusine. The graphics have more in common with the recent edition Diamond/Pearl. Musically, it's almost identical to the original version with the same city and cycling tracks used.
Funnily enough, most of my party is exactly the same as my old game - and with good reason. I have Pakka (Cyndaquil), Woopidoo (Wooper -> Quagsire), Clocky (Hoothoot -> Noctowl replacing my usual Pidgey - Kevie - for a reason), Rocky (the Onix I traded a Bellsprout for and who has become a lynchpin in many battles), Miracle (Togepi -> Togetic following the low-level evolution from my first game, when he evolved at level 18) and Ratty (Rattata -> Raticate... not sure why he hasn't been replaced yet but I think I'm waiting for Raikou).
I think I'm missing an Arcanine from my old game... I was a huge fan of the move Extremespeed. In any case, the game has aged well and the introduction of the Pokeathlon and the shift of the Safari Zone (very useful if you're a fan of just raising your six favourites) has benefitted the newer version (I know I won't be able to get my Lugia back until after the Elite Four).
The interesting part about all this and my fangirlism is the new device called the Pokewalker. Simply load a Pokemon that's stored in one of your deposit boxes, chose a route, clip it to yourself and start strolling. The Pokemon earns XP as you walk and there are opportunities to catch wild Pokemon and find useful items.
The funniest thing is that people are now trying to find every which way to defeat the purpose of the installed pedometer. Admittedly, I tried. I found myself stuck and bored at around a thousand steps. However, yesterday I wore it to work under my uniform. In one shift, I clocked over six thousand steps and another four thousand this morning.
The moral of this story?
Ten thousand steps is not really a lot. Really. Wearing a Pokemon on your belt all day might be daggy, but it's Nintendo's genius idea to keep everyone thinking about healthy ways of integrating gaming into a healthy lifestyle and let's face it - they could have done a lot worse than incorporate it into a favourite like Pokemon.
Super Mario Aerobics DVD, anyone?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
All The World Is A Stage - Theatre and Games
So I was talking to an online friend about games and how they compare to the average theatrical production recently (and by recently, I mean about twenty minutes ago). He asked me what the difference was. I countered with the idea that not all games have that barrier that dramatisations have - there is a clean break between you and what happens onstage, despite audience interaction (and yes, I've played Return of the Phantom).
I went on to say that the average RPG is like a theatre production - while the player has a small amount of input, the game determines pretty much everything that happens. You just have to fulfil a number of conditions; buy the game/ticket, sit down, press buttons/watch quietly...
On the other hand the average FPS seems to have more invested from the player's perspective. Look at something like Borderlands. You have objectives to complete and there are milestones, but you choose your own pathway there. There aren't requirements that you take a certain route (generally). I'd say the same for something like Lock's Quest (while not strictly a FPS, it's not really a RPG, either. I'd say it was more like a simulator). You have objectives, but how you complete them is up to you.
There's a little-known episode of Doctor Who that I believe was called Attack of the Grask, or something similar. During it's airing in Britain, viewers were offered a chance to really be the Tenth Doctor's companion and help him discover information about the Grask. I can't remember it really well - I watched it on Youtube - but what stuck in my mind was the potential for this form of entertainment. It was almost game-like, yet it wasn't.
I also postulated that perhaps the FPS isn't really a genre, but an extension of the RPG... or at least some of the games on offer are. If the player is not themselves and cannot customise their avatar in their own way, then by default it is, in fact, a role-playing game in which they take over the persona of someone else. The same holds true for acting. If it is not you as yourself treading the boards/strutting for the camera, you are role-playing. It's not rocket science.
In unrelated news, I'm finishing Tree of Tranquility soon, so will be back with a review in the next week or so. Also, SoulSilver, the rerelease of Pokemon Silver is out this week, so I plan on heading out to my EB Games where I preordered it and playing it ASAP. Also, I really want to try out that PokeWalker.
I went on to say that the average RPG is like a theatre production - while the player has a small amount of input, the game determines pretty much everything that happens. You just have to fulfil a number of conditions; buy the game/ticket, sit down, press buttons/watch quietly...
On the other hand the average FPS seems to have more invested from the player's perspective. Look at something like Borderlands. You have objectives to complete and there are milestones, but you choose your own pathway there. There aren't requirements that you take a certain route (generally). I'd say the same for something like Lock's Quest (while not strictly a FPS, it's not really a RPG, either. I'd say it was more like a simulator). You have objectives, but how you complete them is up to you.
There's a little-known episode of Doctor Who that I believe was called Attack of the Grask, or something similar. During it's airing in Britain, viewers were offered a chance to really be the Tenth Doctor's companion and help him discover information about the Grask. I can't remember it really well - I watched it on Youtube - but what stuck in my mind was the potential for this form of entertainment. It was almost game-like, yet it wasn't.
I also postulated that perhaps the FPS isn't really a genre, but an extension of the RPG... or at least some of the games on offer are. If the player is not themselves and cannot customise their avatar in their own way, then by default it is, in fact, a role-playing game in which they take over the persona of someone else. The same holds true for acting. If it is not you as yourself treading the boards/strutting for the camera, you are role-playing. It's not rocket science.
In unrelated news, I'm finishing Tree of Tranquility soon, so will be back with a review in the next week or so. Also, SoulSilver, the rerelease of Pokemon Silver is out this week, so I plan on heading out to my EB Games where I preordered it and playing it ASAP. Also, I really want to try out that PokeWalker.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lock's Quest Review and other musings.
Well, I'm back!
I haven't started at the studio, so I'm still applying for work. Hey, if it keeps me paid, that's what I have to do. I've also got my birthday coming up in the middle of this month, so I'll be purchasing Pokemon: SoulSilver with the proceeds of said celebrations. I'm really looking forward to the port-over; I'm old enough to have bought the original Pokemon Silver when it was released as well as Pokemon Crystal which followed it. Needless to say, that will probably be the next review on my list.
Anyway, to the matters at hand - your timely review for Lock's Quest (DS).
So, the general idea is this - you're Lock, an amateur Archineer (a cross between an architect and an engineer) and your village is attacked by clockword droids (who may or may not be related to those in The Girl in the Fireplace - Doctor Who). In any case, you're given basic training in how to throw up a wall, put a turret next to it and defend both with your life.
Because Gods forbid you lose your objective.
Herein lies the funny part. Most of the time, you'll be asked to guard the ever-important Source Wells. Occasionally, you'll be asked to guard a gate. Or a blue-thing whose presence is never really explained. The funniest thing is that when you are asked to guard soldiers, not all of them have to survive to meet your objective.
Take this for example:
I was tasked with escorting the remaining force back to Antonia for the final showdown. Out of about six or so, only two made it to the end. I still completed the mission according to the game. While this made me very pleased that I could now shoot off to take down Lord Agony (one boss fight I was happy to be done with!), I was a little put out that these people seemed to think less of their "Kingdom Force" (see: fighting flunkies) than their Archineers (see: building AND fighting flunkies).
All in all, though, it was a fun little game, but not something that I will probably continue playing. The mechanics of wall and turret building get old very quickly and the length of the campaigns got a bit boring after a while. But as a cute little game with a vaguely interesting storyline, it's worth playing just to build your own fortress (and you really can't discount the traps you can set!).
I haven't started at the studio, so I'm still applying for work. Hey, if it keeps me paid, that's what I have to do. I've also got my birthday coming up in the middle of this month, so I'll be purchasing Pokemon: SoulSilver with the proceeds of said celebrations. I'm really looking forward to the port-over; I'm old enough to have bought the original Pokemon Silver when it was released as well as Pokemon Crystal which followed it. Needless to say, that will probably be the next review on my list.
Anyway, to the matters at hand - your timely review for Lock's Quest (DS).
So, the general idea is this - you're Lock, an amateur Archineer (a cross between an architect and an engineer) and your village is attacked by clockword droids (who may or may not be related to those in The Girl in the Fireplace - Doctor Who). In any case, you're given basic training in how to throw up a wall, put a turret next to it and defend both with your life.
Because Gods forbid you lose your objective.
Herein lies the funny part. Most of the time, you'll be asked to guard the ever-important Source Wells. Occasionally, you'll be asked to guard a gate. Or a blue-thing whose presence is never really explained. The funniest thing is that when you are asked to guard soldiers, not all of them have to survive to meet your objective.
Take this for example:
I was tasked with escorting the remaining force back to Antonia for the final showdown. Out of about six or so, only two made it to the end. I still completed the mission according to the game. While this made me very pleased that I could now shoot off to take down Lord Agony (one boss fight I was happy to be done with!), I was a little put out that these people seemed to think less of their "Kingdom Force" (see: fighting flunkies) than their Archineers (see: building AND fighting flunkies).
All in all, though, it was a fun little game, but not something that I will probably continue playing. The mechanics of wall and turret building get old very quickly and the length of the campaigns got a bit boring after a while. But as a cute little game with a vaguely interesting storyline, it's worth playing just to build your own fortress (and you really can't discount the traps you can set!).
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Happy New Year! (RockBand review)
Yes, yes, I know I'm always late with my reviews and what-not. You could sue me, but I have no money to speak of. Also, this diet I've been on has lead me to having a whopper of a headache and it's only Day Two! Still, I must persevere.
As you might have noticed, I bought RockBand. Just the plain variety. I'm looking for The Beatles one was well, but then, my twenty-third is coming up in a month or so, so I should hang that idea up for my friends to see. In any case, here's what I thought of the game.
Bloody. Addictive.
There's enough variety to keep me interested between the difficulty levels and it appeals to my perfectionist nature to try for a five-star rating on every song on every difficulty. I have to say that I primarily played this game on the drums, though I did make it through REM's Orange Crush on Bass playing on Expert difficulty. That, my friends, was fun.
I do think that rhythm gaming has perhaps reached its potential for entertainment value, but with that said, I'm enjoying my drumkit so much that when I went to a friend's for a week, I actively missed it. When I arrived home, I played for about five hours straight!
So what are the drawbacks? Natural rhythm helps, especially on the drums. Also, you don't get to choose your band members, unlike Band Hero. When you aren't concentrating on hitting the right buttons, you are forced to sit through cover bands that may or may not look like the bands released the songs they are performing... though sometimes they are pretty good.
On the whole, I would recommend this game. It's a great way to pretend like you have musical talent without the years of practice that mastery of an instrument demands.
In other news, I hear back on whether I have that job as a Community Manager tomorrow. Ooh, I'm so excited!
As you might have noticed, I bought RockBand. Just the plain variety. I'm looking for The Beatles one was well, but then, my twenty-third is coming up in a month or so, so I should hang that idea up for my friends to see. In any case, here's what I thought of the game.
Bloody. Addictive.
There's enough variety to keep me interested between the difficulty levels and it appeals to my perfectionist nature to try for a five-star rating on every song on every difficulty. I have to say that I primarily played this game on the drums, though I did make it through REM's Orange Crush on Bass playing on Expert difficulty. That, my friends, was fun.
I do think that rhythm gaming has perhaps reached its potential for entertainment value, but with that said, I'm enjoying my drumkit so much that when I went to a friend's for a week, I actively missed it. When I arrived home, I played for about five hours straight!
So what are the drawbacks? Natural rhythm helps, especially on the drums. Also, you don't get to choose your band members, unlike Band Hero. When you aren't concentrating on hitting the right buttons, you are forced to sit through cover bands that may or may not look like the bands released the songs they are performing... though sometimes they are pretty good.
On the whole, I would recommend this game. It's a great way to pretend like you have musical talent without the years of practice that mastery of an instrument demands.
In other news, I hear back on whether I have that job as a Community Manager tomorrow. Ooh, I'm so excited!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Graduation Day and other interesting times...
Well, I'm officially a graduate! Hoorah! The photos were taken, my hood fell off from becoming unpinned and we all looked rather spiffy. It was a great time had by all. So I am now a qualified game designer. It seems strange not having to go back to university to get that ever elusive degree. Right now, off into the real world I go...
Speaking of the real world and full-time employment, yours truly has just scored an interview for the second week in January at a lovely little (or not-so-little) studio as their Community Manager. I also have an interview tomorrow at 9am as technical writer. If I'm offered both, I'm tempted to take both! They are both part-time jobs, so there is no reason why I can't do both. At least this way, I'd have one foot in the front door of the game industry. From there, the only way is up, I say with the greatest optimism!
I've also applied to Evony, who are looking for Designers and Marketing people. Since I can do both, I consider myself lucky as all hell. It was definitely an excellently strategic move taking a Marketing minor. Note to the young ones, being a Designer is not enough. Stand out from the pack by studying a different minor, like law or business. This shows that you not only know your stuff when it comes to game development, but that you also understand the running of the business. The industry will only change if we change it.
I did end up trading in Scribblenauts for Band Hero DS. I am utterly glad that I did. It is definitely a more entertaining game than that other farce. Ugh. Remind me never to doubt Yahtzee again. But at the moment, I'm screaming my way through Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands. Cheers, Dan. You're a mate!
Speaking of the real world and full-time employment, yours truly has just scored an interview for the second week in January at a lovely little (or not-so-little) studio as their Community Manager. I also have an interview tomorrow at 9am as technical writer. If I'm offered both, I'm tempted to take both! They are both part-time jobs, so there is no reason why I can't do both. At least this way, I'd have one foot in the front door of the game industry. From there, the only way is up, I say with the greatest optimism!
I've also applied to Evony, who are looking for Designers and Marketing people. Since I can do both, I consider myself lucky as all hell. It was definitely an excellently strategic move taking a Marketing minor. Note to the young ones, being a Designer is not enough. Stand out from the pack by studying a different minor, like law or business. This shows that you not only know your stuff when it comes to game development, but that you also understand the running of the business. The industry will only change if we change it.
I did end up trading in Scribblenauts for Band Hero DS. I am utterly glad that I did. It is definitely a more entertaining game than that other farce. Ugh. Remind me never to doubt Yahtzee again. But at the moment, I'm screaming my way through Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands. Cheers, Dan. You're a mate!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Review: Scribblenauts and the highs and lows of job-hunting in the Tech industry
Back again!
This time 'round, I'm reviewing Scribblenauts. Now, normally my friends and family know that I'm a great advocate of the game-reviewer Yahtzee from renowed web-series Zero Punctuation. I am not worthy to polish the man's sneakers when it comes to reviews. But this one time I actually thought I'd be smarter than him... after all, I love JRPGs and he generically wants to rid the world of andro-boys (you keep your mits OFF Riku, mister!).
I am sorry to say that I rue the day I turned my back on his sagely wisdom of all things gaming. Scribblenauts is nine-tenths of things I dislike about games. But let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The graphics are charming to begin with - the childish scrawling almost endearing - but they quickly grate on the nerves when nothing sits properly or works appropriately. Maxwell's smug grin says "Nyah, told you that wouldn't work". One feels the inevitable pull of wanting to smack it off his face.
The innovative game mechanic of "scribbling" on your notepad to summon various objects gets old after you've exhausted summoning Cthulu, God, the Devil, Harry Potter, various members of a game company and any other mythological creature you can think of. Except Timelords. Who doesn't put a TARDIS in a game? That's just plain wrong.
There is no story or point to the game, it is simply one pointless puzzle after another. It all seems just a general waste of time... until the game freezes and you have to start AGAIN on that puzzle.
Not my choice of the week, for certain. It made me wish I'd opted for Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility instead, or even Band Hero DS. God only knows that Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands was more entertaining than this woeful offering. Don't bother with it if you know what's good for you! Heed Yahtzee's wisdom!
Right, onto the other topic of my post. I've been job-hunting for nearly two months now, so I am happy to report that I have had an interview for the position of Technical Writer at a software company. The writing test and phone interview went alright, so I'm really hoping that they like me enough to do one or both of these two things: 1 - Give me a face-to-face interview and/or 2 - Give me a job. I'm getting desperate now.
None of the game companies have written back yet. I will have to try more and harder. I must get a job, I must!
Graduation is coming...
This time 'round, I'm reviewing Scribblenauts. Now, normally my friends and family know that I'm a great advocate of the game-reviewer Yahtzee from renowed web-series Zero Punctuation. I am not worthy to polish the man's sneakers when it comes to reviews. But this one time I actually thought I'd be smarter than him... after all, I love JRPGs and he generically wants to rid the world of andro-boys (you keep your mits OFF Riku, mister!).
I am sorry to say that I rue the day I turned my back on his sagely wisdom of all things gaming. Scribblenauts is nine-tenths of things I dislike about games. But let's start at the beginning, shall we?
The graphics are charming to begin with - the childish scrawling almost endearing - but they quickly grate on the nerves when nothing sits properly or works appropriately. Maxwell's smug grin says "Nyah, told you that wouldn't work". One feels the inevitable pull of wanting to smack it off his face.
The innovative game mechanic of "scribbling" on your notepad to summon various objects gets old after you've exhausted summoning Cthulu, God, the Devil, Harry Potter, various members of a game company and any other mythological creature you can think of. Except Timelords. Who doesn't put a TARDIS in a game? That's just plain wrong.
There is no story or point to the game, it is simply one pointless puzzle after another. It all seems just a general waste of time... until the game freezes and you have to start AGAIN on that puzzle.
Not my choice of the week, for certain. It made me wish I'd opted for Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility instead, or even Band Hero DS. God only knows that Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands was more entertaining than this woeful offering. Don't bother with it if you know what's good for you! Heed Yahtzee's wisdom!
Right, onto the other topic of my post. I've been job-hunting for nearly two months now, so I am happy to report that I have had an interview for the position of Technical Writer at a software company. The writing test and phone interview went alright, so I'm really hoping that they like me enough to do one or both of these two things: 1 - Give me a face-to-face interview and/or 2 - Give me a job. I'm getting desperate now.
None of the game companies have written back yet. I will have to try more and harder. I must get a job, I must!
Graduation is coming...
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Quill Games - more than a dream?
Well, I've just about HAD IT with the big game companies sending me polite rejection letters or not replying at all. How on earth are you meant to get the experience if you can't get a job to get it?
So I've solved the problem. I'm going to start my own game company.
Quill Games was going to be my end-goal, but since I can't seem to get to my first blasted goal, I thought I might as well shoot for the moon. I've been hard at work on a business plan this morning, as well as working on the design document for the first Facebook game I want to release on it.
Now I just have to get more people interested in joining me.
The idea is that the studio will be completely manned by students, with games produced by the students. This way, the designers and artists get games under their belts while real companies can come in and "head-hunt" the graduates they like. Maybe I can even organise some pep talks with local indie companies!
Suddenly, it's not such a bad idea.
So I've solved the problem. I'm going to start my own game company.
Quill Games was going to be my end-goal, but since I can't seem to get to my first blasted goal, I thought I might as well shoot for the moon. I've been hard at work on a business plan this morning, as well as working on the design document for the first Facebook game I want to release on it.
Now I just have to get more people interested in joining me.
The idea is that the studio will be completely manned by students, with games produced by the students. This way, the designers and artists get games under their belts while real companies can come in and "head-hunt" the graduates they like. Maybe I can even organise some pep talks with local indie companies!
Suddenly, it's not such a bad idea.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Games for Girls?
I was reading a blog over at the Frag Dolls site and I was interested in what they had to say about games made specifically for girls. Having done marketing for games - which is no picnic but worth it - I've not found much difference in the games girls like to play. They seem to want everything that a guy wants from a game, they just want better representation.
Which is all fine and good, but very few are willing to fight for that kind of equality. We barely have a reasonable representation in the companies that make the games, let alone the testing groups. Working on my first PC title at the beginning of the year, I put a call out to the general public for testers. I do believe only one girl answered the call up and there were Tim-Tams on offer! How can any woman turn THAT down?
While I was pushing for an alternative female protagonist in-game, the boys eventually over-rode my decision, but it never sat quite right with me. Being the voice of progression is never easy, even more so when you are lost under a cacophony of other voices. I was lucky - I had a champion in the design team who took my side and fought with me for some of my game mechanics and characterisations. But nevertheless, it's my belief that the guys who want to tap into this demographic need to pull their fingers out of their ears and listen to the shrill whining of the girls who feel misrepresented.
Maybe if they do that, those girls will buy their games.
Which is all fine and good, but very few are willing to fight for that kind of equality. We barely have a reasonable representation in the companies that make the games, let alone the testing groups. Working on my first PC title at the beginning of the year, I put a call out to the general public for testers. I do believe only one girl answered the call up and there were Tim-Tams on offer! How can any woman turn THAT down?
While I was pushing for an alternative female protagonist in-game, the boys eventually over-rode my decision, but it never sat quite right with me. Being the voice of progression is never easy, even more so when you are lost under a cacophony of other voices. I was lucky - I had a champion in the design team who took my side and fought with me for some of my game mechanics and characterisations. But nevertheless, it's my belief that the guys who want to tap into this demographic need to pull their fingers out of their ears and listen to the shrill whining of the girls who feel misrepresented.
Maybe if they do that, those girls will buy their games.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days - Return to glory for the epic series of fantastic games!
Well, finally my prayers were answered - a NEW Kingdom Hearts game! Finally, I put aside my PS2 controller and stopped dribbling all over my walkthrough-guide pic of Riku from KHII and cast my attention towards my DS in the pursuit of something new.
Now, truth be told, a friend of mine has an R4 and has therefore been playing it for the last month or so. Under... interesting circumstances, I got a hold of his R4 and played a few missions. Thoroughly convinced that I desperately wanted this game, I felt heart-broken that it wouldn't be out until the end of the year.
Thank you for lying to me, EB Games.
Two weeks later, we found it out on the shelves after a uni lecture (yes, we go Game hunting. Insert bad pun here). I insisted, then, that when I arrived home, my mother drive me to my local EB to pick up my copy.
Now I'm almost halfway through the game, I think it's time that I posted my reaction.
Oh. My. God.
Could our dear Squeenix have got it any more right? I admit I was upset that I had to play through nearly half a game to get a peek at Riku, but when I did I was rewarded with a delicious cut-scene and dialogue that proved to me why he's my very favourite game character of all. Screw Sora, Riku is where it's at! Also on the character couch, we learn more about the Organisation. Woah. Twelve very messed-up people. Nobodies. Things. Whatever.
Stand-out member Axel is developed more and becomes less of an idiot once you learn how much he thinks of Roxas and the lengths he goes to in order to protect his friend. His actions make his demise in KHII that little more poignant and saddening. But one has to wonder; Axel seemed to be different from the rest of the Organisation, almost having feelings. Could he be as "special" as Roxas?
The music and the graphics both ported over to the DS well, but the camera still works a little wonky, even if you do take it off the one-way mode. But who cares?
Strangely enough, you don't get keychains in this one. You make your own, find them lying about and what not. This was fun, but the lack of panel slots made me frustrated. But it is a neat little levelling system.
On the whole, I'm glad that this is the next episode in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. The story is epic, the gameplay phenomenal and thoroughly enjoying. For fans of the series, it's certainly a welcome return. Five stars from me!
Now, truth be told, a friend of mine has an R4 and has therefore been playing it for the last month or so. Under... interesting circumstances, I got a hold of his R4 and played a few missions. Thoroughly convinced that I desperately wanted this game, I felt heart-broken that it wouldn't be out until the end of the year.
Thank you for lying to me, EB Games.
Two weeks later, we found it out on the shelves after a uni lecture (yes, we go Game hunting. Insert bad pun here). I insisted, then, that when I arrived home, my mother drive me to my local EB to pick up my copy.
Now I'm almost halfway through the game, I think it's time that I posted my reaction.
Oh. My. God.
Could our dear Squeenix have got it any more right? I admit I was upset that I had to play through nearly half a game to get a peek at Riku, but when I did I was rewarded with a delicious cut-scene and dialogue that proved to me why he's my very favourite game character of all. Screw Sora, Riku is where it's at! Also on the character couch, we learn more about the Organisation. Woah. Twelve very messed-up people. Nobodies. Things. Whatever.
Stand-out member Axel is developed more and becomes less of an idiot once you learn how much he thinks of Roxas and the lengths he goes to in order to protect his friend. His actions make his demise in KHII that little more poignant and saddening. But one has to wonder; Axel seemed to be different from the rest of the Organisation, almost having feelings. Could he be as "special" as Roxas?
The music and the graphics both ported over to the DS well, but the camera still works a little wonky, even if you do take it off the one-way mode. But who cares?
Strangely enough, you don't get keychains in this one. You make your own, find them lying about and what not. This was fun, but the lack of panel slots made me frustrated. But it is a neat little levelling system.
On the whole, I'm glad that this is the next episode in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. The story is epic, the gameplay phenomenal and thoroughly enjoying. For fans of the series, it's certainly a welcome return. Five stars from me!
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Last Hurrah from studio-gameOn
Well, it's all over red rover. The studio has finally closed the door on the game (which was a lot of fun). While not a lot of my ideas made the end cut, I had a fabulous time. It's obvious to me now that I really do want to work as a Game Designer. The iCi party at Kelvin Grove yesterday was a lot of fun and I ran into one of my old lecturers who I had a rather interesting conversation with. It'll be intriguing to see what happens from that talk, I assure you.
I can now pad out my resume with focus-testing for Halfbrick Studios, but it is more than my life is worth to tell you what I was testing there. Really. It's interesting the level of secrecy that goes on with major game developers these days. But I suppose it's to protect the interests of their employees and their studio. So bully to them, I say! You keep on keeping on!
This is my final year at university and woo, only three subjects a semester! How cool is that? Thank you, studio-gameOn, for being my major project. It really is nice to not have to be running around like a headless chicken most of the week. Plus I have mondays off now, which is a welcome reprieve to my weekends in hell.
On a side note, how GOOD is Zero Puncutation? I was lucky enough to meet Yahtzee and he was awesome. He was at one of the open days at the studio with Yug from Australian Gamer and Yug's girlfriend Lauren. If you all haven't watched at least one of Yahtzee's videos, I highly recommend you go and google him now. He's incredibly talented and writes a nicely scathing review.
As to games that I have been playing, I finished New Super Mario Bros. My thoughts? Meh, it could have been better. Really, though, there were some good game mechanics like the wall-jump that saved my rear more than once while free-falling down the pit of endless falling and eventual dying. That said, it was FAR too easy to rack up in excess of fifty lives by the end of world three. Really, games shouldn't be that easy.
Well, that's all for now. I have more, but lunch calls.
~@ me.
I can now pad out my resume with focus-testing for Halfbrick Studios, but it is more than my life is worth to tell you what I was testing there. Really. It's interesting the level of secrecy that goes on with major game developers these days. But I suppose it's to protect the interests of their employees and their studio. So bully to them, I say! You keep on keeping on!
This is my final year at university and woo, only three subjects a semester! How cool is that? Thank you, studio-gameOn, for being my major project. It really is nice to not have to be running around like a headless chicken most of the week. Plus I have mondays off now, which is a welcome reprieve to my weekends in hell.
On a side note, how GOOD is Zero Puncutation? I was lucky enough to meet Yahtzee and he was awesome. He was at one of the open days at the studio with Yug from Australian Gamer and Yug's girlfriend Lauren. If you all haven't watched at least one of Yahtzee's videos, I highly recommend you go and google him now. He's incredibly talented and writes a nicely scathing review.
As to games that I have been playing, I finished New Super Mario Bros. My thoughts? Meh, it could have been better. Really, though, there were some good game mechanics like the wall-jump that saved my rear more than once while free-falling down the pit of endless falling and eventual dying. That said, it was FAR too easy to rack up in excess of fifty lives by the end of world three. Really, games shouldn't be that easy.
Well, that's all for now. I have more, but lunch calls.
~@ me.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Traded in... and Super Mario Bros. DS
I did the dreaded cull. I got rid of Zoo Tycoon DS, Apollo Justice - Ace Attorney and Red Ninja - End of Honour. In their place, the last purchase of 2008 was the new Super Mario Bros. DS. After being a little apprehensive at first (wasn't quite sure if I would like a more modern version of the classic games on the SNES and NES), I bit the bullet and bought it.
Now, I'm only up to the end of world 2, remembering that there are eight in total. I'm quite impressed with the faithfulness to the original games that I loved when I was a child (though I wouldn't play Mario Kart -unless it was 64 - if you paid me). The mega mushrooms are a nice touch, though they tend not to last the distance unless you use dash mode.
On the whole, so far I'm enjoying it.
Back to the studio-Gameon work, now that the third designer has found his way into the forums, I'm starting to worry that my ideas are just going to go by the wayside. I've worked with him before and he tends to just take control and do what he wants to do. Which, considering that the other designer and I who are on the team have been discussing our ideas quite successfully, isn't fair. I really don't want a protagonist that the audience can't connect with... something difficult to do when you're playing as a blob or some weird casual stone thingy. The poll showed that people wanted an adventure... with possible puzzle elements. It's madness (and if anyone says 'This Is Sparta', I will throw a virtual spear at them).
Well, that's it. For now. I'm going to play some more of SMBDS. Will report back when I'm done. Peace out.
Now, I'm only up to the end of world 2, remembering that there are eight in total. I'm quite impressed with the faithfulness to the original games that I loved when I was a child (though I wouldn't play Mario Kart -unless it was 64 - if you paid me). The mega mushrooms are a nice touch, though they tend not to last the distance unless you use dash mode.
On the whole, so far I'm enjoying it.
Back to the studio-Gameon work, now that the third designer has found his way into the forums, I'm starting to worry that my ideas are just going to go by the wayside. I've worked with him before and he tends to just take control and do what he wants to do. Which, considering that the other designer and I who are on the team have been discussing our ideas quite successfully, isn't fair. I really don't want a protagonist that the audience can't connect with... something difficult to do when you're playing as a blob or some weird casual stone thingy. The poll showed that people wanted an adventure... with possible puzzle elements. It's madness (and if anyone says 'This Is Sparta', I will throw a virtual spear at them).
Well, that's it. For now. I'm going to play some more of SMBDS. Will report back when I'm done. Peace out.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Part Two
Well, I finally finished it, thanks to some quick walkthrough research. I heartily recommend downloading one off here before you attempt something foolish. I made mistakes and had to replay a lot of needless stuff that I could have just bypassed. The savepoints are irritating.
On the other hand, I was impressed how the storyline wrapped up finally. Quite interesting and the history of Apollo and Trucy was brilliantly played out, as was Lamiroir's true identity (didn't see that one coming!).
Next on the purchase list is... Harvest Moon DS. I know, I know. But it's my friend Dan's fault. He lent it to me ages ago (just before he lent me Phantom Hourglass actually... ^_^) and I found it a great game to play. Since I got him Rune Factory for Christmas, I thought that the least I could do was get myself a copy of that addictive little game.
Now, something that I've been thinking over. The game studio kicks off next week, so I've been considering combining what's been asked of us as well as what's been considered by the designers and artists. What we've been asked for is a 2D-puzzle game (pandering to our programming rad-man, Josh, no doubt. He is brilliant, though). What we want is a 2D-sidescrolling adventure.
So, what to do?
Well, here's a notion for the motions. There's a game called Professor Layton and the Curious Village, I believe. In that game, you follow the usual RPG motions while indulging in brain teasers and puzzles. What if we built those puzzles into a story of a island culture, with the protagonist a small, plump native who is passing through the rite of passage of his intellectual tribe? You could even upscale it and work it into a more westernised nation, perhaps even parody modern western culture.
Not that it doesn't already parody itself. A good look at any Monty Python skit will show you that.
Anyway, stop by the studio Game On forums and let us know what you, the public, think. We need all the help we can get.
On the other hand, I was impressed how the storyline wrapped up finally. Quite interesting and the history of Apollo and Trucy was brilliantly played out, as was Lamiroir's true identity (didn't see that one coming!).
Next on the purchase list is... Harvest Moon DS. I know, I know. But it's my friend Dan's fault. He lent it to me ages ago (just before he lent me Phantom Hourglass actually... ^_^) and I found it a great game to play. Since I got him Rune Factory for Christmas, I thought that the least I could do was get myself a copy of that addictive little game.
Now, something that I've been thinking over. The game studio kicks off next week, so I've been considering combining what's been asked of us as well as what's been considered by the designers and artists. What we've been asked for is a 2D-puzzle game (pandering to our programming rad-man, Josh, no doubt. He is brilliant, though). What we want is a 2D-sidescrolling adventure.
So, what to do?
Well, here's a notion for the motions. There's a game called Professor Layton and the Curious Village, I believe. In that game, you follow the usual RPG motions while indulging in brain teasers and puzzles. What if we built those puzzles into a story of a island culture, with the protagonist a small, plump native who is passing through the rite of passage of his intellectual tribe? You could even upscale it and work it into a more westernised nation, perhaps even parody modern western culture.
Not that it doesn't already parody itself. A good look at any Monty Python skit will show you that.
Anyway, stop by the studio Game On forums and let us know what you, the public, think. We need all the help we can get.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney -or- The Interactive Novel
Okay, so I may have borrowed my mate's copy of Phoenix Wright and expected it to be just as easy. Wrong. NOT easy.
What's really interesting is that this is less of a game and more of an interactive novel. You find the evidence, attempt to make sense of it, while proceding through the storyline. It's mainly reading Apollo's internal monologue and people shouting at him. Sounds like a typical day for me, actually.
It's not a bad game on the whole, if you like to spend forever reading and not sussing out what's really going on. There's the whole big backstory involving Phoenix Wright and the previous prosecutor, but I won't spoil it for those who want to play it.
In other news, I hope you've all been and checked out the Game On exhibit at the Queensland State Library (SLQ) in Brisbane, Australia. Three decades of gaming history. It's brilliant. THEY HAVE BOMBERMAN! You could easily spend an entire day wandering around playing the different games. It's brilliant and I had an amazing time yesterday. I took my elderly grandma with me and even she had a fabulous time. So for all of you who miss your SNES, who remember the first lot of pokemon and who remember when Atari was a household name and not a t-shirt, this is the place to be.
On a side note, check out the studio that the exhibit has put together here. Spot the girl on the design team? Yeah? That's me. Oh yeah. Yours truly scored a spot on the design team at a public studio! Bookmark the page and watch the progress as we stumble through six-weeks of game-making. It's sure to be a laugh and a half!
What's really interesting is that this is less of a game and more of an interactive novel. You find the evidence, attempt to make sense of it, while proceding through the storyline. It's mainly reading Apollo's internal monologue and people shouting at him. Sounds like a typical day for me, actually.
It's not a bad game on the whole, if you like to spend forever reading and not sussing out what's really going on. There's the whole big backstory involving Phoenix Wright and the previous prosecutor, but I won't spoil it for those who want to play it.
In other news, I hope you've all been and checked out the Game On exhibit at the Queensland State Library (SLQ) in Brisbane, Australia. Three decades of gaming history. It's brilliant. THEY HAVE BOMBERMAN! You could easily spend an entire day wandering around playing the different games. It's brilliant and I had an amazing time yesterday. I took my elderly grandma with me and even she had a fabulous time. So for all of you who miss your SNES, who remember the first lot of pokemon and who remember when Atari was a household name and not a t-shirt, this is the place to be.
On a side note, check out the studio that the exhibit has put together here. Spot the girl on the design team? Yeah? That's me. Oh yeah. Yours truly scored a spot on the design team at a public studio! Bookmark the page and watch the progress as we stumble through six-weeks of game-making. It's sure to be a laugh and a half!
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