Part of the problem with blogging on a game of the year, is that the games industry skews its releases to the back end of the calendar, to better catch a bigger slice of the lucrative Christmas pie. It isn't really possible to play all of those last quarter releases before Old Father Time brings his scythe down on the dying year, unless that's all you do in November and December. As attractive as that plan sounds, there are lots of calls - enjoyable, festive ones, mind - on my time in those months and I'm never going to be able to play them all.
Last year, there were two games, released in 2011 but which I only played in 2012 that would probably have kicked their way into my 2011 top 5 - the sublime Rayman Origins (bought in the post-Christmas sales) and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (a Christmas present). This year, I own but have not yet played, several games that have featured in others' GotY lists - Journey, Hitman: Absolution, Far Cry 3 and maybe even the heavily criticised (but I still have a soft spot for the series) Resident Evil 6.
In any event, it hasn't been a vintage year for gaming - this generation is teetering towards its, somewhat delayed, end and console games (on at least the 360) don't seem to have progressed, technically at any rate, for a couple of years. This is only to be expected when a hardware cycle nears its end and, in certain respects, actually whets my appetite for the next generation.
There have been two new hardware releases - the WiiU and the PS Vita - both of which I bought on the day that they were released but only one of which has provided a game in the list below. There was also the revamp of the Nintendo 3DS, in the far superior 3DS XL - another day 1 purchase from me. I've enjoyed all three devices and, in the Vita and WiiU, there is a lot of potential for the future.
Anyway, in reverse order, these are my top 6 (couldn't narrow it to 5 this year) games (of those that I have played) released in 2012.
6. Resident Evil Revelations The first game on my list and also the first 2012-released game I played this year (unsually for a big name game, released in January). I found the demo near unplayable without the Circle Pro Pad add-on but, having bought the game bundled with this Franken-device, it played very nicely. A welcome return to old school Resi 1-3 style gameplay (in part, anyway - there were some action-oriented levels too). I love the newer style Resis too but this was a great change of pace (and also had some great shout-out-loud shocks, particularly when played with headphones - not a game for the daily commute).
5. Lego Lord of the Rings - all the Lego videogames are great fun but this one, based around the films, made me laugh out loud several times. It makes a few tweaks to the normal Lego game template, all for the better. One of the new aspects that I did not think would work, was using the actual voices from the film dubbed onto the Lego Minifigs but this was one of the most refreshing features, enhancing both the Lego-ness and the LotR-ness of the subject matter.
4. ZombiU - I bought ZombiU bundled with my WiiU. As the name suggests, another to add to the growing list of zombie videogames. This time, though, the action is set in London, a setting I thoroughly enjoyed, given my familiarity with the city (one area featured in the game is Bethnal Green - where I used to live - and another is Buckingham Palace, near where I work). Innovative use of the WiiU's gamepad, a harder than usual (these days) difficulty level and perma-death for your character should (when) the zombies catch up with him or her, made this one of the scariest games I've played for years (possibly, ever)
3. Xcom: Enemy Unknown - A fantastic, cerebral, turn-based strategy game with RPG stylings - think human vs alien chess.
2. The Walking Dead A throwback to point and click adventure games, Walking Dead coupled a very strong voice cast to a powerful and genuinely shocking narrative. Based in the same world as the comics and the TV series (and occasionally sharing some of the same characters), it tells the story of escaped convict Lee and the child he befriends and protects, Clementine. There's a large ensemble of characters who interact with Lee and Clem and decisions that you, the player, take have an influence on the direction the narrative takes, even across different episodes. Released in 5 episodes through the year, I shotgunned the first three just after the third was released and then impatiently waited for the final two.
1. Dishonored - its rare that a new IP launches so late in a console's life cycle and even rarer that it is as finely-moulded as Dishonored. The central story of revenge and (to some extent, optional) retribution, was straightforward enough. But the developers created a believable, cohesive world within which the events take place, with a rich mythos hinting at much more (for sequels, perhaps) than was needed or used in the game itself. A range of psychic and combat abilities give the player a fair degree of freedom to complete the levels how they choose to (for example, I got through the final level without killing anyone at all but I know from other players' tales that that level can be a bloodbath. Reminiscent of the sublime Thief series, I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
A warning to the curious
First things first- I like Peter Molyneux. He gets a lot of flak from some gamers but a games industry with figures like him in it is far more interesting than the one without. Yes, he may oversell his games prior to their release, trailing features that never see the light of day and I'm sure that makes him a nightmare for his employees. However, his games are always interesting and, at the very least, they stoke debate. As if the Internet needed any stoking.
After leaving Microsoft/Lionhead earlier this year, he formed a start-up company by the name of 22Cans. Its first game, Curiosity, was released on iOS and Android a few weeks ago. It has a very simple premise - there is a cube, covered with hundreds of millions of small tiles. Players chip away at these tiles, slowly over time revealing the layer below. Layers feature artwork and 'Guardian Eye Witness'-style photographs, alternating between plain layers but those are the only changes in 'play' from one layer to the next.
The cube has many, many layers - no one outside of 22Cans knows how many - and, at the very centre, there is an, as yet unknown, prize. And that's where the game gets its title - all the players are chipping away because they are curious as to the cube's contents and want to win it for themselves. One of the key concepts of Curiosity is that all players worldwide are chipping away at the same cube, held on 22Cans's server, with only one possible winner (increasing the curiosity still further). In some ways, this makes it is a lo-fi version of Ernest Clines's book Ready Player One, with Molyneux's spoils only available to the ultimate winner. All he says, with uncharacteristic coyness (yet still managing hyperbole - quite a feat), is that the contents are 'life-changing'.
I doubt that they are but still...chip-chip-chip.
There isn't much 'game' here. Playing it, even with multi-tile destroying bombs, firecrackers and super-chisels that you can buy with the gold coins that can be uncovered under some tiles - is quite a laborious and monotonous task. It's not really much fun. You can write short messages, if you have the patience, or if you have lots of patience you can use the removal of tiles to create simple pictures.
The Internet being what it is, at times the cube has essentially looked like a school blackboard without a teacher in the class - there have been lots of drawings of cocks.
To be fair, incidences of cock-art have decreased over time. My theory is that this is because, as the numbers of players has increased, you have less time to create art - basically, there's little worse than another player chipping out your midsection halfway through your Penis de Milo.
I really don't think Molyneux and 22Cans have created a game in Curiosity. Molyneux has taken his artistic leanings to their logical conclusion - this isn't a game, it's an interactive art installation. I became a lot more comfortable with the app when this realisation dawned on me. We - all the tens of thousands of players - are just elements in this installation (and I have no problem with this). That installation will reach its completion when one of us reaches the middle. And then we'll find out what it was all about.
If anyone is having a 'game experience' out of Curiosity it is 22Cans itself. On one level, this is the ultimate god game - 22Cans has its world (the cube) and we, the players, are all the little workers in it. Given Molyneux's creation of the original Populous back in the 90s, he has come full circle albeit on a much grander scale than was available in 16-bit days.
After leaving Microsoft/Lionhead earlier this year, he formed a start-up company by the name of 22Cans. Its first game, Curiosity, was released on iOS and Android a few weeks ago. It has a very simple premise - there is a cube, covered with hundreds of millions of small tiles. Players chip away at these tiles, slowly over time revealing the layer below. Layers feature artwork and 'Guardian Eye Witness'-style photographs, alternating between plain layers but those are the only changes in 'play' from one layer to the next.
The cube has many, many layers - no one outside of 22Cans knows how many - and, at the very centre, there is an, as yet unknown, prize. And that's where the game gets its title - all the players are chipping away because they are curious as to the cube's contents and want to win it for themselves. One of the key concepts of Curiosity is that all players worldwide are chipping away at the same cube, held on 22Cans's server, with only one possible winner (increasing the curiosity still further). In some ways, this makes it is a lo-fi version of Ernest Clines's book Ready Player One, with Molyneux's spoils only available to the ultimate winner. All he says, with uncharacteristic coyness (yet still managing hyperbole - quite a feat), is that the contents are 'life-changing'.
I doubt that they are but still...chip-chip-chip.
There isn't much 'game' here. Playing it, even with multi-tile destroying bombs, firecrackers and super-chisels that you can buy with the gold coins that can be uncovered under some tiles - is quite a laborious and monotonous task. It's not really much fun. You can write short messages, if you have the patience, or if you have lots of patience you can use the removal of tiles to create simple pictures.
The Internet being what it is, at times the cube has essentially looked like a school blackboard without a teacher in the class - there have been lots of drawings of cocks.
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| My daughter's addition to Curiosity. I'm so proud |
To be fair, incidences of cock-art have decreased over time. My theory is that this is because, as the numbers of players has increased, you have less time to create art - basically, there's little worse than another player chipping out your midsection halfway through your Penis de Milo.
I really don't think Molyneux and 22Cans have created a game in Curiosity. Molyneux has taken his artistic leanings to their logical conclusion - this isn't a game, it's an interactive art installation. I became a lot more comfortable with the app when this realisation dawned on me. We - all the tens of thousands of players - are just elements in this installation (and I have no problem with this). That installation will reach its completion when one of us reaches the middle. And then we'll find out what it was all about.
If anyone is having a 'game experience' out of Curiosity it is 22Cans itself. On one level, this is the ultimate god game - 22Cans has its world (the cube) and we, the players, are all the little workers in it. Given Molyneux's creation of the original Populous back in the 90s, he has come full circle albeit on a much grander scale than was available in 16-bit days.
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Dishonored Special Edition
I've not bought a special edition of a game for a while but, as some of my other posts attest, I am a sucker for a fancy deck of playing cards. For that reason the special edition of newly-released stealth/slay 'em up Dishonored - complete with tarot deck - was a no-brainer.
Unusually for me, I preordered instore and picked the game up on day of release (yesterday, at the time of writing) for £45. As is generally the case these days with a special edition, there is a code for in-game downloadable content included in the set ('Arcane Assassin pack') but the only physical extra content is the afore-mentioned deck of cards.
The cards are quite slick, as the pictures show and come complete with the rules for 'The Game of Nancy' that can be played with them.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Unusually for me, I preordered instore and picked the game up on day of release (yesterday, at the time of writing) for £45. As is generally the case these days with a special edition, there is a code for in-game downloadable content included in the set ('Arcane Assassin pack') but the only physical extra content is the afore-mentioned deck of cards.
The cards are quite slick, as the pictures show and come complete with the rules for 'The Game of Nancy' that can be played with them.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, 23 September 2012
My New ZX Spectrum Collection
As I've said elsewhere, the first videogame machine I ever owned was a rubber-keyed Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k, received for Christmas 1983. I'd played my brother's Pong-a-like Binatone TV Master prior to that but this was the first that was a) mine and b) any good. For the next 5 or so years, the Spectrum got some heavy usage and a fair amount of wear and tear (and that was just from Daley Thompson's Decathlon). I still owned it (and it still worked, miraculously) up until the late 90s, when, like a great many other 8-bit computer owners I'm sure, I was told by my Mum that "You've moved out of my house, can you now shift all of your old junk, please, thanks very much?". At the time I was living in a small starter home and, despite (I'm sure) an understanding wife, had nowhere to stow my Spectrum and its games and so had to give them away - my loss was Warnham Church jumble sale's gain (and some lucky proto retro gamer, no doubt).
Fast forward 12 years (and two house moves) and I'd been thinking about buying a Spectrum again for a while. Not a rubber-keyed wonder - I fancied getting a 128K version, so I could give those larger games I'd missed out on back in the 80s a go. Most Spectrum games were only available on magnetic tape and, as I've not had a tape recorder for about 15 years, I decided to go for a 128k +2 , which came with a built-in tape recorder. This machine was produced after Amstrad bought out Sinclair's computer range in the mid 80s and has a passing familial resemblance to Amstrad's earlier CPC464, bar the numeric pad.
The 15-year old me actively disliked Baron Hardup-esque businessman, the-then Sir Alan Sugar for his buying out seemingly friendly*, if slightly inept at business, inventor Uncle Clive Sinclair. In that young man's eyes, I've probably sold out by getting an Amstrad machine (even the copyright message when you boot up is 'Amstrad', rather than 'Sinclair Research Ltd' [sniff]). Still - and you'll have to take my word for this - the 15-year old me really talked a load of old cobblers.
Over the past few months, I've been harvesting eBay for the cream of Spectrum releases from the 80s and 90s. I'd initially decided to only buy great games that I'd not owned or played back in the 80s, such as Elite, for example, or maybe 128k versions of games either not available (or hosting cut-down, inferior versions) on my old 48k machine (like 128k-only Where Time Stood Still, or the 128k version of Glider Rider). However, over the weeks after my initial purchase of the 128k, I became aware of games that I'd not known about back in the 80s, or that were released after I stopped playing an active interest in the scene (around 1987/88). The fabulous online resource at www.worldofspectrum.org lists thousands of Spectrum games and links to contemporaneous reviews and, through that, I discovered (and subsequently bought on eBay), a number of great games that I'd never heard of before.
And that brings us to another question - are these actually great games, or am I playing them for nostalgia reasons alone? I'd be lying if I said nostalgia played no part in my enjoyment of these games but, equally, there are some Spectrum games that are intrinsically great games, regardless of the era. I would argue that their relative simplicity is present in many successful iOS games, though with the Spectrum this simplicity was caused by constraints of the system, rather than the input control method, or the throwaway (given the price points) of many iOS games. Games like Green Beret, Skool Daze, Batman, Bobby Bearing (a sequel to which is available on iOS), Gyroscope, West Bank and many others are still very enjoyable to play.
One of the things I found surprising in my trawl through eBay was how many games associated with later, more powerful systems, were also released on Spectrum. Games like Smash TV, Lemmings, Sim City were all developed for the Spectrum (and now owned by me). I suppose this is similar to how games like FIFA or the Harry Potter games were released on PS1 and PS2, long after the focus of mainstream gaming had moved on to subsequent generations. And for the same reasons - if there are gamers gaming on them, there's money to be made for publishers from selling games to them.
It has been great to see the works of long-standing names from the UK games industry, which disappeared in the 90s, again. Chief among those was Ocean Software, a UK behemoth in the 80s, that was bought out (like another great old developer, Gremlin Graphics) in the 90s. Great Bob Wakelin artwork on many of their games, they were best known for licensed games (films and arcade games), though my favourite of their games was an original IP, Match Day (if football games can be considered original).
For the last few generations platform holders have exercised a degree of control over game cases. Other than special edition steelbooks, game cases are pretty uniform. Even big limited editions will generally have a DVD-style 'normal' box secreted in them somewhere. In the Spectrum era there was no such control and boxes of all shapes and sizes were released, from sensible single cassette boxes to big ugly VHS-rental style boxes. I was surprised, particularly having become used to this uniformity, of how many different styles of cases there were, even in the small selection of the over 10,000 games released on the system that I have purchased.
Sports games have always been big business, dating back to the minimalist look of Pong and the Spectrum was also graced with some great sports games (the hours I put into Match Day...). Sports games, like driving games, rarely date well, even between single generations, and that is certainly the case for the Spectrum sports games I've picked up and shown below. Definitely a 'nostalgia only' section of my new;y-obtained collection (I'll own up to still loving Match Day though - nostalgia rules).
I've really enjoyed bidding on, winning, owning and playing on my new Spectrum collection and, while I've slowed down my purchasing over the last couple of months - I've got most of the games that I really want now - I think that I'll be scouring eBay for a while yet. My postie delivered my factory-sealed (though not for long - games are for playing) copy of Sim City only yesterday (together with Solomon's Key, Cybernoid II and Trap Door) - I'm sure there are plenty more great Spectrum games out there. Time to log onto eBay again.
* maybe not completely friendly (if you're Acorn's Chris Curry), though 'fucking buggering shitbucket' is one of my all-time favourite insults http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/oct/09/micro-men-sinclair-curry
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| The collection in full (well, as it was a couple of weeks ago, anyway...) |
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| Best. Joystick. Ever. |
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| Beyond made some absolute classic games |
Over the past few months, I've been harvesting eBay for the cream of Spectrum releases from the 80s and 90s. I'd initially decided to only buy great games that I'd not owned or played back in the 80s, such as Elite, for example, or maybe 128k versions of games either not available (or hosting cut-down, inferior versions) on my old 48k machine (like 128k-only Where Time Stood Still, or the 128k version of Glider Rider). However, over the weeks after my initial purchase of the 128k, I became aware of games that I'd not known about back in the 80s, or that were released after I stopped playing an active interest in the scene (around 1987/88). The fabulous online resource at www.worldofspectrum.org lists thousands of Spectrum games and links to contemporaneous reviews and, through that, I discovered (and subsequently bought on eBay), a number of great games that I'd never heard of before.
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| I'm a fan of 2000AD, but these games (box-art apart), aren't much good |
And that brings us to another question - are these actually great games, or am I playing them for nostalgia reasons alone? I'd be lying if I said nostalgia played no part in my enjoyment of these games but, equally, there are some Spectrum games that are intrinsically great games, regardless of the era. I would argue that their relative simplicity is present in many successful iOS games, though with the Spectrum this simplicity was caused by constraints of the system, rather than the input control method, or the throwaway (given the price points) of many iOS games. Games like Green Beret, Skool Daze, Batman, Bobby Bearing (a sequel to which is available on iOS), Gyroscope, West Bank and many others are still very enjoyable to play.
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| In any era, these games originally developed by Gargoyle, would be considered excellent |
One of the things I found surprising in my trawl through eBay was how many games associated with later, more powerful systems, were also released on Spectrum. Games like Smash TV, Lemmings, Sim City were all developed for the Spectrum (and now owned by me). I suppose this is similar to how games like FIFA or the Harry Potter games were released on PS1 and PS2, long after the focus of mainstream gaming had moved on to subsequent generations. And for the same reasons - if there are gamers gaming on them, there's money to be made for publishers from selling games to them.
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| Another facet of late-era Spectrum gaming, was budget-priced re-releases |
It has been great to see the works of long-standing names from the UK games industry, which disappeared in the 90s, again. Chief among those was Ocean Software, a UK behemoth in the 80s, that was bought out (like another great old developer, Gremlin Graphics) in the 90s. Great Bob Wakelin artwork on many of their games, they were best known for licensed games (films and arcade games), though my favourite of their games was an original IP, Match Day (if football games can be considered original).
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| A small selection of the games Ocean released in its life |
For the last few generations platform holders have exercised a degree of control over game cases. Other than special edition steelbooks, game cases are pretty uniform. Even big limited editions will generally have a DVD-style 'normal' box secreted in them somewhere. In the Spectrum era there was no such control and boxes of all shapes and sizes were released, from sensible single cassette boxes to big ugly VHS-rental style boxes. I was surprised, particularly having become used to this uniformity, of how many different styles of cases there were, even in the small selection of the over 10,000 games released on the system that I have purchased.
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| There are some fugly boxes there |
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| Sir Trevor Brooking was my childhood hero; I had no idea he'd lent his name to a game :) |
I've really enjoyed bidding on, winning, owning and playing on my new Spectrum collection and, while I've slowed down my purchasing over the last couple of months - I've got most of the games that I really want now - I think that I'll be scouring eBay for a while yet. My postie delivered my factory-sealed (though not for long - games are for playing) copy of Sim City only yesterday (together with Solomon's Key, Cybernoid II and Trap Door) - I'm sure there are plenty more great Spectrum games out there. Time to log onto eBay again.
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| Such quality here |
* maybe not completely friendly (if you're Acorn's Chris Curry), though 'fucking buggering shitbucket' is one of my all-time favourite insults http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/oct/09/micro-men-sinclair-curry
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Nintendo 3DS XL - 2nd iteration trumps first, AGAIN
I've just bought a Nintendo 3DS XL, part-exchanging the original iteration of the device to fund the purchase (I got £100 for it - only £8 less than I paid for it, new, 9 months ago). It struck me that I'd bought the original iteration of the last three Nintendo handhelds - 3DS, DS and GBA - and part-exchanged them all on the day of release of the new, improved version of the device when it became available.
I didn't buy any of the original versions of those three when they launched - those purchases were driven by a software release (Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA), Mario Kart DS (er, DS) ) or a ridiculously low offer (the afore-mentioned £108 3DS - thanks Toys R Us). Given I'm a sucker for shiny new things, the fact that I didn't feel the urge to rush out and buy the DS Chunky and its friends when they were released, is probably an indication that they weren't quite 'right'. The first, backlight-free GBA was barely visible other than under strong light, the DS Chunky was too heavy and plug ugly and the 3DS was (or is, I suppose) extremely uncomfortable after extended play (and looked a bit 'Fisher Price'). On the other hand, the GBASP, the DS Lite and now the 3DS XL are great pieces of kit - what Nintendo should have done in the first place.
Given the rise of phone/tablet gaming, I have my doubts that there'll be any future generations of dedicated handheld consoles but, if there are, I hope Nintendo's entries are finished versions of its consoles (as the lovely Sony PS Vita clearly is this time around) , rather than a late prototype.
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I didn't buy any of the original versions of those three when they launched - those purchases were driven by a software release (Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA), Mario Kart DS (er, DS) ) or a ridiculously low offer (the afore-mentioned £108 3DS - thanks Toys R Us). Given I'm a sucker for shiny new things, the fact that I didn't feel the urge to rush out and buy the DS Chunky and its friends when they were released, is probably an indication that they weren't quite 'right'. The first, backlight-free GBA was barely visible other than under strong light, the DS Chunky was too heavy and plug ugly and the 3DS was (or is, I suppose) extremely uncomfortable after extended play (and looked a bit 'Fisher Price'). On the other hand, the GBASP, the DS Lite and now the 3DS XL are great pieces of kit - what Nintendo should have done in the first place.
Given the rise of phone/tablet gaming, I have my doubts that there'll be any future generations of dedicated handheld consoles but, if there are, I hope Nintendo's entries are finished versions of its consoles (as the lovely Sony PS Vita clearly is this time around) , rather than a late prototype.
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Monday, 2 July 2012
Jacked by David Kushner (book review)
When I started this videogames blog, I didn't expect to be reviewing many books. For a start, there aren't many written away from the game guide or 'greatest games ever' market. However, there are now a few books that seek to explore the cultural significance of games, gamers and gaming. Jacked is one such book - an entertaining tale of the rise of one of gaming's largest and most controversial franchises, Grand Theft Auto.
One of the criticisms of video games from those that don't play them is 'why don't you read a book instead?'. Putting to one side the fact that - hey - it's
possible to enjoy doing both, this argument is born of a lack of understanding. It can better be rephrased as 'I don't know/understand this new thing society is doing, so I'm against it. Think of the children!'.
Not only is this the editorial line of the Daily Mail, it also is a theme that runs through Jacked. Not the voice of the author, David Kushner, but that of noughties gamers' bête noire, sometime lawyer, full-time moral crusader, Jack Thompson.
Jacked maintains a twin narrative throughout - one featuring Sam Houser, president of Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games and one featuring the anti videogame campaigner Thompson. From a European perspective, this is a strange approach - at an ocean's distance, Thompson seems a curious figure, tilting at videogame windmills in an increasingly sclerotic series of tirades against his twin gaming hates, sex and violence. Kushner however, promotes Thompson to a leading character in GTA's narrative, focussing on his efforts to stop GTA (and other Rockstar games) as a juxtaposition to Houser's efforts to elevate videogames to an adult art form.
Even from an American perspective, I'm not sure Thompson merits this promotion. GTA was/is such a worldwide publishing phenomenon, regular writs from a Floridian lawyer were never realistically anything more than an inconvenience to Take-Two, particularly given the protection afforded by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
Take Two's unrelated 'issues' with the SEC in the US were a far more resonant threat to its business than a green-ink-brigade Southern lawyer. Unfortunately for Kushner accounting irregularities make for unexciting reading. Fortunately for the reader, while they are covered descriptively, Kushner does not dwell on them overmuch. To have done so would have detracted from the central narrative of how a British videogame series (as American as it is in theme, GTA is programmed by pasty-faced - I assume - Scotsmen and women in Rockstar North in Edinburgh) broke sales records worldwide.
Kushner writes for magazines and, at times, that makes itself apparent - his prose style can be somewhat breathless. However, he tells the tale well (even if you know how it will end) and I would recommend what is an enjoyable read to anyone with an interest in the series (and popular culture generally).
One of the criticisms of video games from those that don't play them is 'why don't you read a book instead?'. Putting to one side the fact that - hey - it's
possible to enjoy doing both, this argument is born of a lack of understanding. It can better be rephrased as 'I don't know/understand this new thing society is doing, so I'm against it. Think of the children!'.
Not only is this the editorial line of the Daily Mail, it also is a theme that runs through Jacked. Not the voice of the author, David Kushner, but that of noughties gamers' bête noire, sometime lawyer, full-time moral crusader, Jack Thompson.
Jacked maintains a twin narrative throughout - one featuring Sam Houser, president of Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games and one featuring the anti videogame campaigner Thompson. From a European perspective, this is a strange approach - at an ocean's distance, Thompson seems a curious figure, tilting at videogame windmills in an increasingly sclerotic series of tirades against his twin gaming hates, sex and violence. Kushner however, promotes Thompson to a leading character in GTA's narrative, focussing on his efforts to stop GTA (and other Rockstar games) as a juxtaposition to Houser's efforts to elevate videogames to an adult art form.
Even from an American perspective, I'm not sure Thompson merits this promotion. GTA was/is such a worldwide publishing phenomenon, regular writs from a Floridian lawyer were never realistically anything more than an inconvenience to Take-Two, particularly given the protection afforded by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
Take Two's unrelated 'issues' with the SEC in the US were a far more resonant threat to its business than a green-ink-brigade Southern lawyer. Unfortunately for Kushner accounting irregularities make for unexciting reading. Fortunately for the reader, while they are covered descriptively, Kushner does not dwell on them overmuch. To have done so would have detracted from the central narrative of how a British videogame series (as American as it is in theme, GTA is programmed by pasty-faced - I assume - Scotsmen and women in Rockstar North in Edinburgh) broke sales records worldwide.
Kushner writes for magazines and, at times, that makes itself apparent - his prose style can be somewhat breathless. However, he tells the tale well (even if you know how it will end) and I would recommend what is an enjoyable read to anyone with an interest in the series (and popular culture generally).
Sunday, 24 June 2012
A Digital First
Last week, I bought what would otherwise have been a boxed game, via digital distribution - something I'd never done before. I have no doubt that, as broadband speeds increase, this will be the primary method of distribution in future hardware generations but I didn't think I'd buy into that method this gen.
The game in question was the fantastic Everybody's Golf on the PS Vita and the reason I bought it via a download was the simple fact that it was cheaper - Sony was offering it for £11.99 via PSN and bricks-and-mortar shops were selling it for upwards of £15. Often with download versions of boxed games, the price is the same, or even higher than their boxed brethren, so this pricing was the exception rather than the rule (at the moment, anyway).
I like the idea of owning a physical product when I've paid money for something but I think that this is, more than anything, habit. I am quite used to not owning physical media any more when buying songs and am getting that way with magazines. Games are just another step along that particular road and I'm sure that, in ten years' time downloads will be the norm.
Bringing retail doom to a High St near you. In a mini skirt
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The game in question was the fantastic Everybody's Golf on the PS Vita and the reason I bought it via a download was the simple fact that it was cheaper - Sony was offering it for £11.99 via PSN and bricks-and-mortar shops were selling it for upwards of £15. Often with download versions of boxed games, the price is the same, or even higher than their boxed brethren, so this pricing was the exception rather than the rule (at the moment, anyway).
I like the idea of owning a physical product when I've paid money for something but I think that this is, more than anything, habit. I am quite used to not owning physical media any more when buying songs and am getting that way with magazines. Games are just another step along that particular road and I'm sure that, in ten years' time downloads will be the norm.
Bringing retail doom to a High St near you. In a mini skirt
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Dynamite Dan II - ZX Spectrum/iOS
As it says in my bio, I've been playing games since 1983, when I received the seminal UK micro, ZX Spectrum, for Christmas. Back then, it seemed like every other game was a platformer of one kind or another and two of the best were the Dynamite Dan games, programmed by Rod Bowkett and released on the Mirrorsoft label. They are now also available in iOS versions - the first game is available as part of the Spectaculator Spectrum emulator app and the second game is a 69p in-app purchase in that app or for the same price as a standalone game (the photos here are from the latter app).
The second of the two DD games, Dynamite Dan II: Dr Blitzen and the Islands of Arcanum, was one of my favourite games on the system (which is saying something on a system that had 10,000 games released for it over its lifetime).
It was a flip-screen platformer, set across the titular Islands of Arcanum. In true 80s computer game style, there was a hokey, probably tacked on, plot linking all the onscreen action together. Series bad guy, Dr Blitzen, was enslaving the youth of the world by putting subliminal messages into vinyl pop singles (possibly commentary on the mid-80s rise of the PWE stable of singers? Or probably not...). You have to shut this evil enterprise down by - of course - finding a record on each of the islands and then playing it on the Island's jukebox, before grabbing a jerrycan of petrol to refuel your airship to travel to the next island.
DDII featured a lot of innovative elements that are still being used in games today - health bar rather than lives, different coloured baddies having a different effect (e.g. a magenta enemy, when touched, would remove fuel (also magenta) from your inventory; a white enemy removing white bombs and so on); different enemy designs on different islands; secret passages that were only available if a particular object was held - which bears testament to its forward-looking approach. It also had - for a BEEP-y Spectrum, anyway - great sound.
In common with pretty much all games of this era, it was insanely difficult - I only ever got to the sixth of the eight islands when playing on Spectrum in the 80s and I played it *a lot*. Back then, once you died, the player would have to go back to the very beginning of the game, to island 1 (very frustrating when you'd been on island 6). That type of game dynamic is unacceptable in the molly-coddled world of 21st Century gaming (thankfully) and the iOS version allows the player to manually save as they go along. Saves games can be reloaded after each (inevitable) death, making the game much easier (but still not easy) to complete.
As a result of playing the app I have now discovered, 25 years after I'd originally played the game, that the game is impossible to complete as envisioned in the instructions! Those instructions state that, on the last island (The Pressing Plant) after the record has been played on the jukebox, Dan must find a bomb and plant it in Dr Blitzen's (Pete Waterman's?) office, in order that the Doctor's nefarious plans cannot resurface. I played the record, found the bomb and what I took to be Blitzen's office (gold records on the the wall) but there's no way of planting or detonating it! I did wonder if I was doing something incorrectly but after a quick look around the internets, I saw it confirmed that the game could not be fully completed. I don't blame the programmer, Rod Bowkett, for who DDII was to be his last game before becoming a full-time musician/sound designer. He must have struggled considerably to put such game as there is into the Spectrum's 48k. No, I blame Mirrorsoft owner and pension-plunderer, Robert Maxwell. Just, y'know, because...
Rod Bowkett still has a public profile now (no mention of DD, sadly). It would be great if premier old games magazine 'Retro Gamer' could interview him regarding these games (and why the ending never made it into the finished game).
Despite the anti-climax at the game's end, it is still a very playable and enjoyable game, even today - I was playing DDII on iPad in preference to playing on my PS Vita while my family was watching The Voice - and great value for money. After 'completing' DDII, I found myself top of the worldwide Game Center leaderboard for the game, the first time I've been top of anything. Admittedly, there are only 33 entries in the leaderboard but still...
The second of the two DD games, Dynamite Dan II: Dr Blitzen and the Islands of Arcanum, was one of my favourite games on the system (which is saying something on a system that had 10,000 games released for it over its lifetime).
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| On iPad, the lower half of the screen is given over to the joystick/fire button |
It was a flip-screen platformer, set across the titular Islands of Arcanum. In true 80s computer game style, there was a hokey, probably tacked on, plot linking all the onscreen action together. Series bad guy, Dr Blitzen, was enslaving the youth of the world by putting subliminal messages into vinyl pop singles (possibly commentary on the mid-80s rise of the PWE stable of singers? Or probably not...). You have to shut this evil enterprise down by - of course - finding a record on each of the islands and then playing it on the Island's jukebox, before grabbing a jerrycan of petrol to refuel your airship to travel to the next island.
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| In the 80s, that use of colour on Spectrum was like witchcraft |
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| The car park island. As far as I got in the 80s |
In common with pretty much all games of this era, it was insanely difficult - I only ever got to the sixth of the eight islands when playing on Spectrum in the 80s and I played it *a lot*. Back then, once you died, the player would have to go back to the very beginning of the game, to island 1 (very frustrating when you'd been on island 6). That type of game dynamic is unacceptable in the molly-coddled world of 21st Century gaming (thankfully) and the iOS version allows the player to manually save as they go along. Saves games can be reloaded after each (inevitable) death, making the game much easier (but still not easy) to complete.
As a result of playing the app I have now discovered, 25 years after I'd originally played the game, that the game is impossible to complete as envisioned in the instructions! Those instructions state that, on the last island (The Pressing Plant) after the record has been played on the jukebox, Dan must find a bomb and plant it in Dr Blitzen's (Pete Waterman's?) office, in order that the Doctor's nefarious plans cannot resurface. I played the record, found the bomb and what I took to be Blitzen's office (gold records on the the wall) but there's no way of planting or detonating it! I did wonder if I was doing something incorrectly but after a quick look around the internets, I saw it confirmed that the game could not be fully completed. I don't blame the programmer, Rod Bowkett, for who DDII was to be his last game before becoming a full-time musician/sound designer. He must have struggled considerably to put such game as there is into the Spectrum's 48k. No, I blame Mirrorsoft owner and pension-plunderer, Robert Maxwell. Just, y'know, because...
Rod Bowkett still has a public profile now (no mention of DD, sadly). It would be great if premier old games magazine 'Retro Gamer' could interview him regarding these games (and why the ending never made it into the finished game).
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| This screen features a VERY annoying shortcut |
Despite the anti-climax at the game's end, it is still a very playable and enjoyable game, even today - I was playing DDII on iPad in preference to playing on my PS Vita while my family was watching The Voice - and great value for money. After 'completing' DDII, I found myself top of the worldwide Game Center leaderboard for the game, the first time I've been top of anything. Admittedly, there are only 33 entries in the leaderboard but still...
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Xtendplay (Xbox 360) Review
As a - ahem - 'veteran' gamer, I've been playing videogames for over thirty years. At times I think that this has had a noticeable impact on my hands and wrists (because, y'know, gaming's the only thing that could have had such an effect). Often, the morning after a lengthy session, my hands feel a bit 'tingly' (sorry about the medical jargon there) and stiff - not exactly uncomfortable but a sensation is present where usually there is none.
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| Yes, it is fugly |
When I read about the xtendplay controller extender, I thought that it would be worth a try to see if it alleviated this issue. The product's basic premise is that 'gamers' claw', the stiffness and discomfort following lengthy play, is caused by the gamer gripping the hard plastic of the controller while playing. With the xtendplay it is the product that grips the plastic, whereas the user instead grips the moulded foam of the xtendplay. The controller fits snugly and securely (no wobble) into the foam extension (see photos).
The extended length of the unit allows the controller to rest against the gamer's stomach, thereby removing another cause of wrist stress - weight is being borne by the gamer's midriff, rather than all on the wrists. With this in mind, the bottom of the xtendplay has a convex profile, an allowance for gamers with *coughs*, a bit of timber about the middle.
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| Snug |
I have the 360 version and there is also a PS3 version.
I've been using the xtendplay for over 9 months now and, for me, it has been a success. I've not played games any less, yet my wrists and hands, while not 'tingle-free' have felt noticeably more comfortable the morning after a heavy gaming session and no problems at all while actually gaming. Early on in those six months, when yet to be convinced of the benefits, I removed the extension before playing EDF: Insect Armageddon for a lengthy Saturday night/Sunday morning session. EDF:IA is a high-energy game, with a lot of intense controller use. In the more high-octane moments towards the end of the game my hands (tightly grasping the controller) and wrists, possibly having been spoilt by the benefits of the xtendplay in the preceding weeks, were screaming in agony. Since that time my 360 controller has worn its attractive green sheath continually.
On the downside, it does take some getting used to. I had a palpable feeling, early on, that my hands just weren't 'quite' big enough to hold my new Franken-controller's monster. I wondered if this would hinder my mad gaming skillz by not being able to reach buttons as easily or as quickly. However, I don't think that that has happened and that any mistakes made while gaming with the xtendplay have been mine alone.
If this review tempts you into buying the xtendplay and you, like me, have dainty girl's hands, you might feel the same way initially but it is worth persevering with, as after a time it is far more comfortable and 'right'.
In the few days after being hacked, I barely played my 360. Instead I played Resident Evil Revelations on 3DS (with Circle Pad Pro). I do most of my gaming at weekends and my hands and wrists, after a weekend of 3D survival horror, were noticeably more painful on Monday morning than the when gaming on the extended 360 controller.
Another niggling doubt in my mind is that, while the xtendplay is easier on my wrists, the tension created between my hands, arms and shoulders by wedging it against my stomach might not be doing my shoulders any good. However I've no noticeable problems in my shoulders to date from this, so it is probably an unnecessary worry on my part .
When I bought my xtendplay last year, I paid £15 for it. For the purposes of checking for this review, I discovered that Amazon are now knocking them out for £6.99 (on 360 & PS3), which is an absolute bargain. If I didn't use the Power A Pro Elite third party pad on PS3, I would definitely buy an xtendplay for PS3 as well.
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Hacked Off
Earlier this week, my Xbox Live account was hacked. My Microsoft points balance of about 1600 was all but emptied and an attempted purchase of a further 6000 points only failed as the credit card linked to my account had expired. According to my purchase history 'I' had purchased three items of FIFA 12 'Ultimate Team' DLC (I hadn't). According to my Windows Live account, I'd added another email to my account (nope) and changed my security to one in Chinese (hmm, no).
I'd had a hard, tense day at work and really wanted to unwind by shooting some terrorists in the face (MW2) followed by an early night. As it was, my evening was completely free of face-shooting and I was up until gone midnight deleting stuff and wandering around the internet changing other passwords and generally upping my security levels. Not what I'd wanted to do at all.
I'd been aware of a hacking problem on Live, particularly in relation to FIFA DLC - one of my friends list had had an identical hack before Christmas and you don't have to search far on the internet to find similar stories. Indeed, the verb 'to be FIFA'd' has started being used ("I have been well and truly FIFA'd").
I'd never succumbed to a phish for my log in details and my password was judged 'strong' but a fat lot of good that did. The Internets say that there's a weak link in Microsoft's security software and that may be the case (I'm no expert). There's clearly something wrong given the number of incidences of hackage reported on the Internet.
I reported it to Microsoft, who said that my Live account would be locked and the details passed to its 'investigation team' and that this was likely to take up to 3 days. 12 hours later, I received an email from the investigations team, which said that they had verified that unauthorised access had taken place and then gave me a code for Microsoft points slightly in excess of those that I had lost. All I need now is for my account to be unlocked and I'll be back in the game (this hiatus may do something to remedy my FIFA addiction - 80+ hours to date).
Given how quickly my claim was agreed, coupled to the fact that early reports of this problem last autumn stated that accounts were being locked for up to a month, has led me to think that Microsoft know what's causing the issue and don't want to fix it. The 360 is coming to the end of its lifespan, with its successor expected to be announced, in some quarters, at this year's E3. Who knows what shape Live will take in the next generation of Xbox consoles? Do Microsoft consider it cheaper to pay off those unlucky games like me who've been hacked, compared with the cost of altering deep-grained issues within Live's code, when Live for the Xbox 720 (this almost definitely won't be its name) may be far different?
Friday, 30 December 2011
Game of the Year 2011
It's been a long time since I blogged (again), as that pesky 'real life' thing has been interfering in my free time (and I like to use at least some of that which I have left to actually play games!). Hopefully, I'll get more time in the New Year. I had hoped that my family taking over the TV for X-Factor 2011 would allow me some time for gaming but, no - I laid into my DS and 3DS instead, the better to block out the tuneless wailing and, frankly, shouting (Kitty, I'm looking at you, through eyes squinting in pain) that was on my TV.
Anyway, as I did last year, I thought I'd post on my favourite games from those that I'd played during the year. I haven't played everything this year - there are some triple A releases (Gears of War 3, Skyrim) that just don't float my gaming boat - and I have a couple (most notably Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword) that might have a claim to sneaking in my top 5 when I actually get around to playing them. However, there's not much point of a 'best of' list being posted in April the following year, so here it is, in reverse order for an illusion of tension -
5. Batman: Arkham City - the sequel to what was my game of the year 2009 (Batman: Arkham Asylum) and not as good as that superbly structured and balanced game. The story and look of Gotham City (aka Arkham City, a prison built in the fenced-off streets of parts of Gotham) were great, as was the respect shown towards the Batman mythos. There was too much unnecessary padding of side missions though and I hope that any subsequent Batman game from Rocksteady is more focussed. Admittedly, I didn't have to do any side missions (or I could have picked and chose those that I wanted) but there's a bit of OCD towards collecting in most gamers - I blame Mario - and, in getting sidetracked, I lost some of the focus of the central narrative. A special mention to the boss fights - far better than in the first game and one (Mr Freeze) was one of the best boss fights I've ever played.
4. Mario Kart 7 - an excellent entry into a series I've been playing for nearly twenty years. It followed the tried and tested template of 32 courses (16 new, 16 plucked form earlier iterations of the game) split into 8 cups, with various unlockables (characters, kart modifications) to pick up along the way. The addition of underwater and in the air paths through courses gave a sense of 'verticality' to the courses (and the shortcuts available in them). I was sceptical about this verticality at first but it really has an impact of gameplay and pathfinding. It also has the best use of 3D on the 3DS that I've yet seen.
My only gripe is that there's too many Mario Kart Wii courses on the retro cups - I've nothing against the courses picked (Maple Treeway, Coconut Mall, Mushroom Gorge and Koopa Cape), which are all very good (the former two are probably my favourite courses on MKW). It's just that I still regularly play MKW and one of the great things about playing retro courses in successive Mario Karts is that they take you back to courses that you've not played for a while - this time around, I still play a quarter of the retro courses on offer in another game.
3. LA Noire - a game that can be summed up as a James Ellroy's LA Quartet simulator - and just as good as that sounds. Spooky facial capture tech puts recognisable actors (including many of the cast of Mad Men and John Noble from Fringe) into the game. The facial expressions used by the actors are a key part of the gameplay, as you try to 'read' them in interview sequences, something that had never been done in a game before (and that worked very well). Excellent narrative (even if there are a few holes and too many 'borrowings' from Ellroy) and interview sequences.
Unfortunately, the developer went into administration shortly after the game was released but hopefully another developer has picked up the tech used in the game - it showed massive promise
2. Portal 2 - It's not often that I laugh out loud at a videogame (50 Cent: Blood on the Sand excepted) but I did, several times, in Portal 2. Intelligence, wit and humour are three attributes not always found in videogames but Valve's excellent first person puzzler had them in spades. As with the first game (that I did not even play until after this one), the gameplay revolves around the portal gun - a device that shoots two (at any given time) holes into reality that then create a portal between them that the player can pass through. The puzzles are essentially a series of passages from A to B but that brief description does not do them justice. You get a sense of real achievement (which is always far better than an Achievement) after working out a particularly tough puzzle without resorting to an internet guide. This was my game of the year until today (30/12), when I reached the end of -
1. Uncharted 3 - Uncharted is one of Sony's console exclusive crown jewels (along with Killzone and Resistance, neither of which I'm that keen on). Uncharted 2 was excellent in every area (still only my third favourite game on 2009 though, behind Batman and Assassin's Creed II) but this one surpasses it. The same treasure seeking template as before (think 'Indiana Jones' (but try not to think of the awful fourth film)) but this has been polished to perfection. The story was spot-on and didn't succumb to the narrative foolishness in the final reel as the previous two games. Some of the set pieces were breathtakingly good - straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. The environment effects - fire, water - were superb, giving a true sense of danger to what you were doing onscreen and Nathan Drake is a genuinely engaging central character. All of the characters were excellently voice-acted, particularly Drake and the always in need of rescue Victor 'Sully' Sullivan (Princess Peach to Drake's Mario). Special mention goes to the music score, which was pitch perfect for the game.
Well, that brings to an end my games of the year. Honourable mentions must be given to those that just missed out - Little Big Planet 2 (in the top 3 until the autumn), Super Mario 3D Land, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and FIFA 12 (the best football game I've ever played). Same time again next year...
Anyway, as I did last year, I thought I'd post on my favourite games from those that I'd played during the year. I haven't played everything this year - there are some triple A releases (Gears of War 3, Skyrim) that just don't float my gaming boat - and I have a couple (most notably Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword) that might have a claim to sneaking in my top 5 when I actually get around to playing them. However, there's not much point of a 'best of' list being posted in April the following year, so here it is, in reverse order for an illusion of tension -
5. Batman: Arkham City - the sequel to what was my game of the year 2009 (Batman: Arkham Asylum) and not as good as that superbly structured and balanced game. The story and look of Gotham City (aka Arkham City, a prison built in the fenced-off streets of parts of Gotham) were great, as was the respect shown towards the Batman mythos. There was too much unnecessary padding of side missions though and I hope that any subsequent Batman game from Rocksteady is more focussed. Admittedly, I didn't have to do any side missions (or I could have picked and chose those that I wanted) but there's a bit of OCD towards collecting in most gamers - I blame Mario - and, in getting sidetracked, I lost some of the focus of the central narrative. A special mention to the boss fights - far better than in the first game and one (Mr Freeze) was one of the best boss fights I've ever played.
4. Mario Kart 7 - an excellent entry into a series I've been playing for nearly twenty years. It followed the tried and tested template of 32 courses (16 new, 16 plucked form earlier iterations of the game) split into 8 cups, with various unlockables (characters, kart modifications) to pick up along the way. The addition of underwater and in the air paths through courses gave a sense of 'verticality' to the courses (and the shortcuts available in them). I was sceptical about this verticality at first but it really has an impact of gameplay and pathfinding. It also has the best use of 3D on the 3DS that I've yet seen.
My only gripe is that there's too many Mario Kart Wii courses on the retro cups - I've nothing against the courses picked (Maple Treeway, Coconut Mall, Mushroom Gorge and Koopa Cape), which are all very good (the former two are probably my favourite courses on MKW). It's just that I still regularly play MKW and one of the great things about playing retro courses in successive Mario Karts is that they take you back to courses that you've not played for a while - this time around, I still play a quarter of the retro courses on offer in another game.
3. LA Noire - a game that can be summed up as a James Ellroy's LA Quartet simulator - and just as good as that sounds. Spooky facial capture tech puts recognisable actors (including many of the cast of Mad Men and John Noble from Fringe) into the game. The facial expressions used by the actors are a key part of the gameplay, as you try to 'read' them in interview sequences, something that had never been done in a game before (and that worked very well). Excellent narrative (even if there are a few holes and too many 'borrowings' from Ellroy) and interview sequences.
Unfortunately, the developer went into administration shortly after the game was released but hopefully another developer has picked up the tech used in the game - it showed massive promise
2. Portal 2 - It's not often that I laugh out loud at a videogame (50 Cent: Blood on the Sand excepted) but I did, several times, in Portal 2. Intelligence, wit and humour are three attributes not always found in videogames but Valve's excellent first person puzzler had them in spades. As with the first game (that I did not even play until after this one), the gameplay revolves around the portal gun - a device that shoots two (at any given time) holes into reality that then create a portal between them that the player can pass through. The puzzles are essentially a series of passages from A to B but that brief description does not do them justice. You get a sense of real achievement (which is always far better than an Achievement) after working out a particularly tough puzzle without resorting to an internet guide. This was my game of the year until today (30/12), when I reached the end of -
1. Uncharted 3 - Uncharted is one of Sony's console exclusive crown jewels (along with Killzone and Resistance, neither of which I'm that keen on). Uncharted 2 was excellent in every area (still only my third favourite game on 2009 though, behind Batman and Assassin's Creed II) but this one surpasses it. The same treasure seeking template as before (think 'Indiana Jones' (but try not to think of the awful fourth film)) but this has been polished to perfection. The story was spot-on and didn't succumb to the narrative foolishness in the final reel as the previous two games. Some of the set pieces were breathtakingly good - straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. The environment effects - fire, water - were superb, giving a true sense of danger to what you were doing onscreen and Nathan Drake is a genuinely engaging central character. All of the characters were excellently voice-acted, particularly Drake and the always in need of rescue Victor 'Sully' Sullivan (Princess Peach to Drake's Mario). Special mention goes to the music score, which was pitch perfect for the game.
Well, that brings to an end my games of the year. Honourable mentions must be given to those that just missed out - Little Big Planet 2 (in the top 3 until the autumn), Super Mario 3D Land, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and FIFA 12 (the best football game I've ever played). Same time again next year...
Monday, 17 October 2011
If it's in the game, it's in the game
This year's iteration in the FIFA franchise came out a few weeks ago. I bought it on the day of release and have been playing it, if not solidly then consistently, since then. It is an excellent game, far better than last year's more defence-minded game and as good, if not better, than FIFA10 (up until now my favourite football videogame ever).
But I'm not blogging about my silky FIFA skills (with my win percentage bumping along at around 20%, that wouldn't take long). Last Saturday, I went to see real football, West Ham United v Blackpool and thoroughly enjoyed a 4-0 saunter for the Cockney Boys. My seat for the day was in one of the stands to the side of the ground, just below the TV gantry, almost in line with the centre circle. The view from my seat was very similar to the default camera option in this year's FIFA. Such is the realism of FIFA12 (graphically - at a distance, anyway - as well as in the gameplay), there were times during the West Ham game when I was watching the on-field action instinctively thinking 'finesse that shot' or 'pressing tackle!' and imagining the corresponding button press as I saw play develop. I'd then remember that this wasn't a virtual game of football, that it was an actual one.
These thoughts came like they do when playing the game - jumping into the 'twitch reflex' part of my brain, rather than the rational, thinking-monkey, bit (the rational bit then kicking in, rolling its eyes at 'twitch' and reminding Team Brain that its body wasn't holding a controller). I've had this feeling before - for example, when scanning the tops of flyovers for giant ants after a lengthy EDF 2017 session - but never from a sports game. I think this is testament to the immersive nature of this year's FIFA and it is difficult to predict how EA can improve upon this sense of immersion in the future (not that that will stop them bringing out FIFA13, of course).
Sunday, 18 September 2011
RIP Funland
Last week I was in the Piccadilly area of London on my lunch break. As is usual when I'm over that way, I popped into the Trocadero to have a wander around Funland, which is probably the largest arcade in Central London (if not England). Or rather 'was' the largest arcade in London, as it has recently closed down.
I'd gone to Funland for years - as much as anywhere, it was 'my' arcade when in my twenties. I was never a frequent visitor - although comparatively wealthy next to students nowadays, even back in the mid-90s students didn't have spare cash to feed, in £1 coin increments, to Namco, Sega, Konami et al. I was a regular visitor though - probably dropping in every couple of months or so.
As with every arcade - except Segaworld - that I have ever been to (and I'm a gamer who grew up on the English South Coast, so I've been to quite a few), Funland was, even at its late 90s height, slightly seedy and down at heel. That has always been part of an arcade's charm, I think - the juxtaposition of the advanced gaming technology, with the sticky carpets, cigarette smoke (pre-ban, that is) and dingy lighting.
It had one of the best range of arcade games around - this was where I first played Daytona, in a fantastic 8-cabinet array - and used to get the latest cabinets, probably before anywhere else in the country. I've read that, at its height, gaming journalists would often visit to see the latest games in action (and then, no doubt, stay on them for ages for £1 with their mad gaming skillz).
As well as a great range of arcade games, there were a few other money-spinning entertainments in Funland. Dodgems, a mini bowling allay and, for a time, a range of games that you could win paper tokens on, that could then be exchanged (after amassing a huge number of them) for a range of tacky prizes, as at a funfair. I don't think I ever went on any of those - it was always all about the videogames for me - but I remember that, at one point, the dodgem circuit was lined with classic arcade cabinets that were nearly always empty and so good for a quick, wait-free game.
For a time Funland was co-located in the Trocadero with Segaworld London - a misguided attempt to create an interactive theme park by Sega in the years when they seemed to lumber from one massive mistake to another (blow your marketing budget for your new console on sponsoring a football team?). However, Funland was there before Segaworld opened in 1996 and it was there after Segaworld closed down in 2002 and, indeed, took over some of Segaworld's floorspace. This multi-floor expansion made Funland somewhat of a maze and, as I'd only go over every 6 months or so after I stopped being a student and had to get on with 'real life', I would frequently get lost while wandering around, wondering where the exit was. Fortunately, there was never a fire...
I checked the internets when I returned to work - it seems the arcade closed in July 2011. The official website (www.funland.co.uk) cites a 'power failure' (that has also knocked out their phones) but that is unlikely as the rest of (what's left) of the businesses in the Trocadero had electricity to burn on my visit. And 2 months to fix a power failure? The power was back on in Baghdad quicker than that. There are reports on the internet that the real reason was somewhat different but, what is definitely true is that the upper levels of the 7-storey Trocadero complex are being redeveloped as a hotel and I wonder if the landlords were all that keen on what was, by the end, quite a seedy arcade occupying the levels of the building below their shiny new hotel. Whatever the real reason for the closure was, the arcade docent look like re-opening.
I think that my admission that I only went every 6 months in its latter years, is probably indicative of why arcades are thought to be a dying business. I would go on a weekday lunchtime in the heart of tourist London and it was never all that busy. Given the overheads attached to such a venture, in that high-rent location (the electricity bill alone must have been astronomical), it is difficult to see how it lasted as long as it did. With the massive advances in console entertainment in the near 20 years I'd been going to Funland, gamers simply do not need to shovel pound coins into arcade machines to get high quality gaming fixes. Put simply, you can't run a large-floorspace business in Central London based on hardcore dance gamers (Funland was something of a shrine for dancing games, apparently) and nostalgic twice-yearly gamers like me. I am slightly disappointed that I never got the opportunity to take my daughter (who loves arcades) along to Funland (my wife, on the other hand, is probably quite relieved).
I'd gone to Funland for years - as much as anywhere, it was 'my' arcade when in my twenties. I was never a frequent visitor - although comparatively wealthy next to students nowadays, even back in the mid-90s students didn't have spare cash to feed, in £1 coin increments, to Namco, Sega, Konami et al. I was a regular visitor though - probably dropping in every couple of months or so.
As with every arcade - except Segaworld - that I have ever been to (and I'm a gamer who grew up on the English South Coast, so I've been to quite a few), Funland was, even at its late 90s height, slightly seedy and down at heel. That has always been part of an arcade's charm, I think - the juxtaposition of the advanced gaming technology, with the sticky carpets, cigarette smoke (pre-ban, that is) and dingy lighting.
It had one of the best range of arcade games around - this was where I first played Daytona, in a fantastic 8-cabinet array - and used to get the latest cabinets, probably before anywhere else in the country. I've read that, at its height, gaming journalists would often visit to see the latest games in action (and then, no doubt, stay on them for ages for £1 with their mad gaming skillz).
As well as a great range of arcade games, there were a few other money-spinning entertainments in Funland. Dodgems, a mini bowling allay and, for a time, a range of games that you could win paper tokens on, that could then be exchanged (after amassing a huge number of them) for a range of tacky prizes, as at a funfair. I don't think I ever went on any of those - it was always all about the videogames for me - but I remember that, at one point, the dodgem circuit was lined with classic arcade cabinets that were nearly always empty and so good for a quick, wait-free game.
For a time Funland was co-located in the Trocadero with Segaworld London - a misguided attempt to create an interactive theme park by Sega in the years when they seemed to lumber from one massive mistake to another (blow your marketing budget for your new console on sponsoring a football team?). However, Funland was there before Segaworld opened in 1996 and it was there after Segaworld closed down in 2002 and, indeed, took over some of Segaworld's floorspace. This multi-floor expansion made Funland somewhat of a maze and, as I'd only go over every 6 months or so after I stopped being a student and had to get on with 'real life', I would frequently get lost while wandering around, wondering where the exit was. Fortunately, there was never a fire...
I checked the internets when I returned to work - it seems the arcade closed in July 2011. The official website (www.funland.co.uk) cites a 'power failure' (that has also knocked out their phones) but that is unlikely as the rest of (what's left) of the businesses in the Trocadero had electricity to burn on my visit. And 2 months to fix a power failure? The power was back on in Baghdad quicker than that. There are reports on the internet that the real reason was somewhat different but, what is definitely true is that the upper levels of the 7-storey Trocadero complex are being redeveloped as a hotel and I wonder if the landlords were all that keen on what was, by the end, quite a seedy arcade occupying the levels of the building below their shiny new hotel. Whatever the real reason for the closure was, the arcade docent look like re-opening.
I think that my admission that I only went every 6 months in its latter years, is probably indicative of why arcades are thought to be a dying business. I would go on a weekday lunchtime in the heart of tourist London and it was never all that busy. Given the overheads attached to such a venture, in that high-rent location (the electricity bill alone must have been astronomical), it is difficult to see how it lasted as long as it did. With the massive advances in console entertainment in the near 20 years I'd been going to Funland, gamers simply do not need to shovel pound coins into arcade machines to get high quality gaming fixes. Put simply, you can't run a large-floorspace business in Central London based on hardcore dance gamers (Funland was something of a shrine for dancing games, apparently) and nostalgic twice-yearly gamers like me. I am slightly disappointed that I never got the opportunity to take my daughter (who loves arcades) along to Funland (my wife, on the other hand, is probably quite relieved).
Monday, 15 August 2011
Holiday Casualty
I've just been on a great fortnight's holiday in Suffolk - very relaxing, reasonably clement weather and plenty to do. As is usual for me, I took my DS Lite, my PSP (which went untouched) and my iPad, in order to head off gaming withdrawal. Unfortunately, my DS bought the farm while I was away (coincidentally, on a farm) - one of the hinges snapped off as I opened it up for another game of imported zombie RTS Zombie Daisuki (to be reviewed soon).
I wasn't particularly rough with it but the housing for the power lights completely sheared off. I bought the DS Lite when it came out, upgrading from my DS Chunky, so I've had it for over four years (in which time I've played it a lot). Even so, a physical failure like this seems poor.
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| Something missing? |
Fortunately, the DS still works OK, though some balancing (or changing grip, so that the left hand is supporting the top screen as well using the D-pad) is required to prevent the top screen from becoming wonky while playing. I think that this means it is no longer a portable console - playing it on the sofa at home is fine but I think bumpy train journeys are a thing of the past!
I will be replacing it shortly, probably with a DSi. I did consider a 3DS given the recent price drop but I'm not that interested in any of the current 3DS games and, if I got one, it would be for the DS backwards compatibility. However, there is very little difference in price between the two at the moment (which is faintly ridiculous), so I might end up taking the 3D plunge or (most likely) checking the condition/price of a second hand DSi
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Official Wireless Xbox 360 controller (silver) - review
Unless you're relentlessly anti-social (or fixated with online play only), you'll need to buy additional controllers to complement the one packaged with your console. You may have an annoying sibling to take on at FIFA, a guest who wants to 'see how much games have changed since my Atari ST', or a child to grind Lego collecathons with. However you arrive there, you will almost certainly be looking to buy a second controller at some point. I bought a second official MS Xbox controller when I bought my 360 in 2007. Recently one of them became faulty, continually becoming disconnected from the console despite fully juiced-up batteries or battery packs. As I often play 360 with my daughter, a second controller is essential and so I was in the market for a new one.
Third-party pads are nearly always awful (Power A Pro Elite on PS3 being a notable exception), so I looked to Microsoft for a replacement pad. As I've written on here before, I think that the 360 controller is the best controller that I have ever used over my thirty years of gaming. Other than the d-pad, which is a bit sucky, there is nothing that I would seek to improve about the pad that I wanted to replace.
Never one to miss a trick, improving the d-pad is exactly what Microsoft has done in the latest version of the pad. The d-pad switches between a disc (as in the original pad) and, with a slight twist, a cross. The cross is undoubtedly better than the disc but most games that I play don't use the d-pad all that much - weapon selection, choice of tactics and similar functions. While it's a neat trick, I don't think it is that much of a killer feature to warrant a purchase on its own.
As the pictures show, my new controller is silver which, as the pictures don't quite show, is a matt effect (a shiny finish would not have done much for its gripability). I thought that this would run the risk of scuffing like a cheap plastic toy - of the metal effect rubbing off after repeated use to show the black plastic underneath. So far, however, that has not happened, even under the part of the controller under my wedding ring.
Another new 'feature' is a recolouring of the buttons, presumably to echo the silver colour of the pad itself. I think that this is a poor design choice as far as its primary purpose - as a game controller - is concerned. while it might make sense aesthetically, the 'normal' colours of the buttons are important when playing games. Screen prompts, particularly in tutorials, will flash up the colour, as well as the letters (which are unchanged in this pad). I instinctively know that 'green' means the 'A' button. There have been occasions playing with the new pad where I've seen a green, blue, red or yellow coloured screen prompt and had to think 'is that white, light grey, middle grey or dark grey?'. Many games rely on split-second timing and that fraction of a second additional thinking time may be the difference between success or failure.
The pad is slightly heavier than the normal pad. Without batteries it is 226gm (compared to the normal pad's 209gm) and with the standard rechargeable battery pack, it is 297gm (compared to a normal pad's 280gm). 17gm difference seems very little indeed but it does make a difference. I often have stiff wrists the day following a lengthy gaming session (30-years' gaming experience, ftw) and that was noticeably worse with the new pad. The day after a long session with this pad on high octane shooter Vanquish, my wrists were aching like those of a 14-year old boy with unmonitored internet access.
I paid £45 for the pad, which came packaged with a play and charge kit. As I needed a play and charge kit anyway, I thought that this was a good price. However, in my opinion this pad is not as good as the original pad. The chief 'good' point - the new D-pad - does not outweigh the 'bad' ones - the weight and the different coloured buttons. When/if I next need to pick up another new pad, I will be going for the original one.
Third-party pads are nearly always awful (Power A Pro Elite on PS3 being a notable exception), so I looked to Microsoft for a replacement pad. As I've written on here before, I think that the 360 controller is the best controller that I have ever used over my thirty years of gaming. Other than the d-pad, which is a bit sucky, there is nothing that I would seek to improve about the pad that I wanted to replace.
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| Pretty |
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| As an 'innie' |
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| As an 'outie' |
Another new 'feature' is a recolouring of the buttons, presumably to echo the silver colour of the pad itself. I think that this is a poor design choice as far as its primary purpose - as a game controller - is concerned. while it might make sense aesthetically, the 'normal' colours of the buttons are important when playing games. Screen prompts, particularly in tutorials, will flash up the colour, as well as the letters (which are unchanged in this pad). I instinctively know that 'green' means the 'A' button. There have been occasions playing with the new pad where I've seen a green, blue, red or yellow coloured screen prompt and had to think 'is that white, light grey, middle grey or dark grey?'. Many games rely on split-second timing and that fraction of a second additional thinking time may be the difference between success or failure.
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| The buttons in all their monochrome glory |
I paid £45 for the pad, which came packaged with a play and charge kit. As I needed a play and charge kit anyway, I thought that this was a good price. However, in my opinion this pad is not as good as the original pad. The chief 'good' point - the new D-pad - does not outweigh the 'bad' ones - the weight and the different coloured buttons. When/if I next need to pick up another new pad, I will be going for the original one.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Resident Evil 'Umbrella Corporation' Cuff Links
I often wear cufflinks for work and have a reasonably large collection of them. I recently purchased a pair of 'Umbrella Corporation' cufflinks from UK-based etsy seller Deadly Pretty.
The Umbrella Corporation insignia is made from acrylic (possibly a little too thin for everyday use or I may just be used to weightier links) and exactly the right the surface area. Not too small as to barely cover the link hole but not too large that it looks like it's fallen from a Las Vegas-era Elvis jumpsuit.
The link-y bit is my preferred shape - a t-bar that snaps open/shut (much preferable to capstan-style cuff links).
My day job sometimes requires interaction with politicians and I find the possibility of meeting politicos wearing the symbol of a sinister, conspiracy-riddled organisation that is committed to developing hideous biological weapons, quite amusing...
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| Y'know - evil |
The link-y bit is my preferred shape - a t-bar that snaps open/shut (much preferable to capstan-style cuff links).
My day job sometimes requires interaction with politicians and I find the possibility of meeting politicos wearing the symbol of a sinister, conspiracy-riddled organisation that is committed to developing hideous biological weapons, quite amusing...
Monday, 27 June 2011
Burnout M25
Videogames are linked negatively with many aspects of today's society in the more knee-jerk areas of the media. The findings of small-scale research reports are often taken out of context by the tabloid press, whose underlying agenda boils down to 'new things that we don't understand, we don't like'. As you can probably guess, I don't think that the problems in society can be laid at the feet of Grand Theft Auto but I do wonder if games have had an effect on certain drivers' driving style.
Last night I drove around the M25 from Surrey to Hertfordshire having visited family. Even though it was late, the road was very busy and some of the driving tactics, erratic. I passed my driving test in 1989 (three years after the M25 was completed) and have noticed that questionable driving manoeuvres, particularly weaving in and out of traffic, have increased greatly over those 22 years. I wonder if a generation of drivers have been influenced by playing Burnout, PGR, Ridge Racer et al in how they tackle the roads. Obviously, it isn't all drivers (the roads would be strewn with wreckage and the hospitals full of crash victims if it were) but it only takes a small percentage to have a noticeable effect on other road users.
There are undoubtedly other influences on driving and this piece is just my own anecdotal experience (written the morning following a drive) and having no scientific basis. I also think the increased safety features and driving assistance devices in cars make drivers more prepared to take risks (I can't imagine what it would be like to drive the car I passed my test in - an Austin Metro mk1 - now). There are far more cars on the road now too.
I also haven't ruled out the possibility that, now I've turned 40, I've turned into a Grumpy Old Man!
Last night I drove around the M25 from Surrey to Hertfordshire having visited family. Even though it was late, the road was very busy and some of the driving tactics, erratic. I passed my driving test in 1989 (three years after the M25 was completed) and have noticed that questionable driving manoeuvres, particularly weaving in and out of traffic, have increased greatly over those 22 years. I wonder if a generation of drivers have been influenced by playing Burnout, PGR, Ridge Racer et al in how they tackle the roads. Obviously, it isn't all drivers (the roads would be strewn with wreckage and the hospitals full of crash victims if it were) but it only takes a small percentage to have a noticeable effect on other road users.
There are undoubtedly other influences on driving and this piece is just my own anecdotal experience (written the morning following a drive) and having no scientific basis. I also think the increased safety features and driving assistance devices in cars make drivers more prepared to take risks (I can't imagine what it would be like to drive the car I passed my test in - an Austin Metro mk1 - now). There are far more cars on the road now too.
I also haven't ruled out the possibility that, now I've turned 40, I've turned into a Grumpy Old Man!
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Guiness World Records 2011 - Gamer's Edition
Over the past few years, the Guinness World Record publishing imprint has brought out a videogame edition. The 2011 edition was released a couple of months ago and, thanks to a 50% discount in Waterstone's, I recently picked up a copy.
Guinness's main tome, originally published to settle pub arguments (instead of, say, fisticuffs) has been around since the fifties. Looking at a copy from those olden days (the one shown in these photos is a copy I have from 1961), there is a stark design contrast between it and those of today. Obviously methods of production, use of photos and colour have changed greatly over the years but the original Guinness Book of Records was a tweedy concern, written by (and, frankly, for) sensible, pedantic readers. And kids - kids love that stuff (the Record Breakers TV show ran for thirty years).
The olden days edition was about *facts* - cold, hard, facts - set out in column format, one under another. Just the type of ordered presentation that I imagine would have been beloved by founding editors - and right-wing nutcases - Norris and Ross McWhirter. Rows and rows of ordered facts.
The videogame edition is less ordered - the McWhirters' shades splutter into their ghostly gin & tonics - and facts jump about all over the page. The basic business of the new book is still, of course, records - in the Gamer's Edition, shots at geek immortality for high scores, speedruns and the like. Part of the appeal of this book - as with the main volume - lies in the fact that, while some rely on skill and are clearly out of the reach of normal people, there are plenty that you think "hmm, I could have a bash at that". Of course, most people don't do that - I mean, I like Red Dead Redemption but do I really want to play it for 50 hours in a row* - but some readers will do so and then be in following year's edition, starting the whole cycle again.
The book itself is 216 pages long and in full colour, with plenty of illustrations. The quality of the printing isn't that great - the finish of the pages is matt rather than glossy, which doesn't help the reproduction of screenshots (something we are only used to seeing 'glossy' be that on TV, monitor or in magazines). The layout is akin to that used in videogame magazines, with box-outs, lots of photos and text built around them.
In a nod to the fact-marshalled past, there are twenty pages of Twin Galaxies scoreboards at the back of the volume, listing high scores and speedruns across a variety of platforms, from the current gen to as far back as old school arcade games (see Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell's duel from King of Kong reduced to simple numbers).
Guinness's main tome, originally published to settle pub arguments (instead of, say, fisticuffs) has been around since the fifties. Looking at a copy from those olden days (the one shown in these photos is a copy I have from 1961), there is a stark design contrast between it and those of today. Obviously methods of production, use of photos and colour have changed greatly over the years but the original Guinness Book of Records was a tweedy concern, written by (and, frankly, for) sensible, pedantic readers. And kids - kids love that stuff (the Record Breakers TV show ran for thirty years).
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| Facts and Booze - together at last |
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| Some facts, yesterday |
The videogame edition is less ordered - the McWhirters' shades splutter into their ghostly gin & tonics - and facts jump about all over the page. The basic business of the new book is still, of course, records - in the Gamer's Edition, shots at geek immortality for high scores, speedruns and the like. Part of the appeal of this book - as with the main volume - lies in the fact that, while some rely on skill and are clearly out of the reach of normal people, there are plenty that you think "hmm, I could have a bash at that". Of course, most people don't do that - I mean, I like Red Dead Redemption but do I really want to play it for 50 hours in a row* - but some readers will do so and then be in following year's edition, starting the whole cycle again.
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| 50 hours to win €1000, between 6 |
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| Old school scores - pass the gin, Norris |
It is a very geeky book but a great one to have lying around to be picked up if you feel like a quick fact blitz. OK, yes - in the bathroom....
* p103 of the book
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Refreshing honesty from a GAME employee
Yesterday I was shopping in one of the two branches of GAME in my town and decided to purchase a discounted copy of Yakuza 4 on PS3. The cheapest I'd seen the game previously was £30 but GAME was selling it for £17 (new).
When I went to the counter, I asked about part exchanging a copy of Professor Layton and the Curious Village and was told I'd get £8 for it, which I accepted. I'd originally bought this copy from Oxfam for £4, an absolute bargain for what is an excellent game. One of the GAME staff members saw the Oxfam-stickered price still on the game's box and queried whether that was what I'd paid for it and I confirmed that it was. In response she said to her colleague (who was actually serving me) 'we really rip people off don't we - we're selling that for £20!'. The staff member actually serving me was a trifle embarrassed at this and pointed out that I'd doubled my money (true).
There are actually two rip-offs here - that GAME are selling a second-hand copy of a nearly two year old game for £20 and secondly that they are selling it for two and half times what they bought it off me for (a mark up of which Lord Sugar would be proud). I didn't mind the latter so much - I was getting twice what I'd paid for it after all and, although I could have got £12-13 in CeX, that store was only selling a used copy of Yakuza 4 for £28. So, I'm very happy with the deal and don't consider myself ripped off. I also don't think you can validly compare a charity store price, to a retail store price (GAME pays its employees, for a start) but I think £20 for this particular game is far too high (I would say a fair price, in a retail store, would be £12-15).
GAME does has a reputation among gamers of being a rip-off merchant though and I was amused that an employee of the store itself concurred with this opinion!
When I went to the counter, I asked about part exchanging a copy of Professor Layton and the Curious Village and was told I'd get £8 for it, which I accepted. I'd originally bought this copy from Oxfam for £4, an absolute bargain for what is an excellent game. One of the GAME staff members saw the Oxfam-stickered price still on the game's box and queried whether that was what I'd paid for it and I confirmed that it was. In response she said to her colleague (who was actually serving me) 'we really rip people off don't we - we're selling that for £20!'. The staff member actually serving me was a trifle embarrassed at this and pointed out that I'd doubled my money (true).
There are actually two rip-offs here - that GAME are selling a second-hand copy of a nearly two year old game for £20 and secondly that they are selling it for two and half times what they bought it off me for (a mark up of which Lord Sugar would be proud). I didn't mind the latter so much - I was getting twice what I'd paid for it after all and, although I could have got £12-13 in CeX, that store was only selling a used copy of Yakuza 4 for £28. So, I'm very happy with the deal and don't consider myself ripped off. I also don't think you can validly compare a charity store price, to a retail store price (GAME pays its employees, for a start) but I think £20 for this particular game is far too high (I would say a fair price, in a retail store, would be £12-15).
GAME does has a reputation among gamers of being a rip-off merchant though and I was amused that an employee of the store itself concurred with this opinion!
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