the sagacious gamer

Back to Wizork

2005-07-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

I've been back to work all this week now. And let me tell you this project is ,hands down, the game of the year!

The box is going on my wall once I get my free copy!

In the meantime, I've been playing some nice independant games via various website. I plan on writing a few reviews on them for the ole Game Chair.

Check Out:

Mount and Blades - Not too shabby RPG
Facade- Interactive Fiction Game. You type and the computer AI responds to you. Ground-breaking stuff but my computer can't run it. I need 1.6ghz and I only have 1.5 ghz! Argh!

Tons of Independant and (try for) free games!

Avoid:

Mojo Master- What slop. Thats what I get for paying attention to advertisements in FHM.

Soldat

2005-06-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

So I'm out of work for two weeks until I get put on a certain project which I cannot name.

In the meantime, I'll be surfing the net, watching anime and trying to shed a couple of pounds. Which is TOTALLY contradictory, I know.

But anyways, I stumbed on this via 4 Color Rebellion:

Soldat

Its a 2-d multiplayer shooter game. Think Counter-Strike and Lemmings! To quote a certain fat cartoon character: "It's freaking sweet!" And its only 11mbs.

Pirates! Review Part 1!

2005-06-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

A new review for your reading pleasure!

This time around, I'm scared.

2005-06-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is a draft of my article for the Game Chair! Enjoy!
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Ah! A new Era of Gaming! Rife with promises of graphics so real you will actually become confused while playing and lose your sense of place! A generation of consoles so powerful that you will be able to interact with the avatars on your living room screen! In fact these characters will be able to read your facial expressions and respond in meaningful way! Games that are so reality-warping that the lines between our world and the digital will blur! On top of these astounding claims these machines will be so powerful that you can power down your PC or Mac because you won't need them anymore! Our new gaming consoles eliminate the need for a personal computer as they are now the beating heart for all our collective media in our homes. People can now ingest digital information from the Internet, watch movies, and listen to music! Hell, eventually the devices will be able to coordinate with your refrigerators and pop out some pudding for you!

The year was 1999 and this holy proclamation and hyperbolic spittle was made in Los Angeles at the Electronic Entertainment Exposition. The PS2 was announced and the Dreamcastwas, supposedly, well on its way to dominate our living rooms. Rumors and news tidbits leaked out of the wood work as a market salivated over the promise of unprecedented gaming experiences due to the powerful "emotion engine" that Ps2 would utilize. And it was to be so much more than a gaming machine.

Not long after in 2000, Microsoft entered the fray with its Xbox. A system that promised to usher in a new era of gaming that revolved around connecting "online"and complete the transformation of everyone's living room into a multi-media hub rivaling that of the Pentagon.
And this generation of consoles was a success with consumers the world over. At the moment there are close to 90 million Ps2s sold globally and 20 million Xbox globally. Gaming has gone "mainstream" as evident by MTV Cribs!

However, these consoles did not sell on the basis of giving players new ground breaking games but rather on prettier pictures and some pragmatic new features.

The PS2 and Xbox are DVD players. If you recall the stone age period between 1999-2001 most people didn't have DVD players. And so with the advent of these systems kids were able to bamboozle their parents into buying game systems based on their dual use as a DVD players. College kid could now save room in their cramped dorms/apartments by using DVD players/game systems. Parents/Adults had a DVD player. Our VHS tapes were sent to the closets.

Online connectivity and streaming digital content into our televisions? As for broadband revolutions, most of the country/world isn't connected. Granted, Xbox Live is a service that got online console based multi-player going in the right direction it has by no means invaded the global gaming populace. Xbox has 1.5 million people signed up for live which only 1/20th of their total console based globally. Sony has fared no better. In 2003, it was reported Sony sold 500,000 network adaptors. Since I haven't been able to find any other information on their total sales, I'm guessing they're somewhere neat the Xbox Live subscription numbers. Again, out of their total 90 million console base only 1-2 million on live isn't that spectacular to warrant a hyperbole of changing the face of gaming and digital media. And its only real use is multi-player gaming not any of the fantasized digital television ejaculations.

Interactive-television? Innovative immersive games? Emotion invested gaming?
Five years came and I'm sorry but I haven't played any games that "responded" to my emotions other than fury when I got frustrated with Ninja Gaiden. Sure, there were some games with characters that I experienced some emotional attachment too but in no way was this lofty promise of complete immersiveness in gaming delivered.

Interactive-television? What the hell...

Sure, we had some decent games this generation and the graphics have gotten prettier. Yet, we can count on our fingertips the mainstream games that were "truly" different from the n64/Ps1 generation: GTA3. Yep, one and its all because on its free roaming world structure. Some may argue that games like Halo and Final Fantasy X were innovative, but I contend that they only improved on existing formulas. Halo added a FPS control scheme that worked on consoles, and Final Fantasy X added full voice support. Sure, we had our Katamari Damacys and Wariowares that blew our collective gaming minds but I believe this happened only because we were so saturated with the me-too FPS, RPGs, Dynasty Warrior action games, sports games, franchises, sequels and blandness of the current generation that any spark of difference in a game excited us.

And so E32k5 rolled along. And with it again promises of systems that will change the face of gaming.! Usher in a new level of immersiveness! Have characters that respond to us! With graphics so real you can smell and taste the sweat off your favorite athletes back! And, guess what, they aren't gaming machines: The Xbox 360 and PS3.

Has it suprised anyone that no game has been announced that isn't an update of another franchise? Of another genre?

No, we got people who got hot and salty over cut-scene demonstrations. Cut-scenes that could have been shown on the Ps1.

Nothing new. The same promises we got five years ago. The same promises we got ten years ago. The same battles we got five years ago. The same type of battle we got 15 years ago! And I'm glad the game blogging community and even some mainstream media outlets are of a common zeitgeist that this next generation of games won't offer anything new.

But I'm afraid for the future this time around.

From what I've heard, game designers aren't too keen on this next generation of gaming. What with production costs soaring, sweatshop-like working conditions, a lack of creative freedom.

The top brass designers know the shit is going to hit the fan. They've been talking almost it for almost two years now. Games are going to take more time, effort and sacrifice then ever before. And with rocketing production costs comes publisher less willing to put up money for games that won't be megabuck hits. So what will continue to be made: sequels, sports games, and movie-tie in games.

With the companies pushing the idea that our consoles are no longer gaming machines they are taking steps further into a territory that supports the idea that we don't need new types of games. Instead we are getting new features: digital TV recording, watching TV windowed while playing games, and online video-conferencing.

Online video conferencing? So we can now see the people who are spitting racial and sexist slurs whilst we play? Windowed Television? So you can play Madden while watching Madden?

I fear for our cherised medium.

And, yes I know this feeling isn't original, but its one shared by a good many of us.
On top of publishers pushing for games that will be hits, add to the developers plate these new console features. I'm sure the programmers are going to love stabilizing network code for multi player games that will support said online video-conferencing.

If the developers working conditions aren't happy, if innovation isn't encouraged and supported financially, if the Ps4 and Xbox 720 go on to become more than just gaming machines (perhaps toaster functionality will be included) than we're going to be chomping on the same slop we've been eating for the last ten years.

What about Nintendo, you ask? Don't they support innovation.

Sure they do. But they still rely on their franchises just like any other company.

I'm not saying the gaming industry is going to collapse, I'm just pontificating that its going to continue to stagnate. People are going to continue to buy Maddens, and Halos, and GTAs, and Final Fantasy's until the end of time while the rest of us who actually care about this medium as more than just a silly exercise in locker room jocularity sit and continue to become more disillusioned.

Well, at least there are board games.

Sim Paul

2005-06-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour and a half creating my girlfriend and myself in the Sims 2.

Pretty fucking fun, and creepy!

Posts coming soon

2005-06-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

1) Warioware Twisted Review pt 2
2) the Barbarians are at the gate: Why Multi-media Convergence in new game consoles is a sign of slow times in gaming innovation
3) Progressive Review of the Sims 2
4) The life of Gnob, the Sims 2 sim

WarioWare Twisted! Review on Game Chair!

2005-05-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

My first review!

Read!

The Game Chair

2005-05-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

I've just joined another group of writers with a blog called the Game Chair.

We are focusing on doing "progressive game reviews". Basically we review the game three (or more) times during the course of play and see how the gaming experience changes. After that we average the reviews to get a total score for the game. Its a "different" way of doing reviews and I dig the idea.

My first review of Warioware Twisted! for GBA should show up sometime Monday or Tuesday.

But of course I'll still be posting stuff here in addition to my content there.

Not a what now?

2005-05-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Oh give me a break....

Paul's #1 E3 Game

2005-05-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Odama for GC

Why?

Because the game sent soldiers out to kill my enemy when I yelled "Charge motherfuckers!" into the game microphone!

Sweet.

That and its a hybrid pinball-RTS!

My personal E3 Favorites

2005-05-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Odama (Samura-Strategy-Pinball- wowy-fucking-wow!)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) (Symphony of the Night Redux)
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (Who knew it would actually play well and be fun?)
Viewtiful Joe DS- A game that actually uses the Touchpad for action puzzles!
Heroes of Might and Magic 4- Didn't get to play, but looks sweet!
Sonic DS - Best new 2-d sonic game in 10 years!

Semi-Disappointments
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (smells of any other action game to me...)
Not many free t-shirts
Samurai Showdown 5- Can't they use new sprites after 8 years?

Big F-en Disappointments:
Condemned (bad framerate, lame graphics and lame story)
Shadow the Hedgehog (I wanted to like this game, but you don't actually run...)
2-Hour wait to see PS3 or Nintendo Revolution/Zelda

In depth braying to follow

Dubya tee eff

2005-05-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Link Olson, anyone?

Good points

2005-05-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

1. Emotions
2. More responsiblity on publishers/developers to create games that cater to the casual gaming crowd
3. Better f-en games

Good job Lowenstein!

Of course, more in-depth discussion to follow when I'm not at work...

More Friends: Music from Final Fantasy

2005-05-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the More Friends: Music from Final Fantasy concert in Los Angeles.

All I have to say is that the Universal Ampitheatre is a terrible venue; the sound system literally made popping noises throughout each song. The lighting people were apparently drunk and had trouble keeping a spotlight on the MC, the Japanese guest singers and Nobou Uematsu himself. But worst of all was the fact that the microphones died out occasionally throughout the entire first half of the show causing the balance of the instruments to fade. I felt like the horn section was being filtered through a tin can.

What an insult to Mr. Uematsu.

More hate to come in the morning.

Rez Rez Rez

2005-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone who is supposedly anyone among the game thinkers talk about Rez as the end-all piece of avant-garde gaming.

But how come no one talks about Frequency and Amplitude which is pretty much the same thing.

And isn't Rez just a musical version of Space Harrier?

More thoughts to come on this.

Games I still need to finish....

2005-05-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have each of the following games, and I am either half-way through them or just starting.

Half Life 2
World of Warcraft (by finish I mean get to level 60. 25 more levels to go...)
the Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Warcraft 3 and the Frozen Throne Expanision
Starcraft
Tales of Symphonia
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Ninja Gaiden
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Splinter Cell 1 & 2
Halo 2
Fable
Ikaruga
Call of Duty
Freedom Fighters
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Spiderman 2
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Advanced Wars
Boktai: The Sun is in your Hands
Super Mario Sunshine
Zelda 64: The Ocarina of Time
Super Mario 64
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Beyond Good and Evil
the Suffering
Stronghold

Note to mention the games I plan on buying and beating:

Katamari Damacy
Ico
Alpha Centari
the Sims 2
Killer 7
Age of Empires III
Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines
Stronghold 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Kingdom Under Fire
Warhammer 40,000 ??? whatever the f*ck its called
Castlevania DS
Castlevania: Devil Forge Master (or whatever they will name it)
Metal Slug Advanced
Fire Emblem
Gesita
the Legend of Zelda for Gamecube

Hows a dude who values sleeping, eating, and spending time with this GF and plays games for a living 40/hrs a week supposed to finish all these goddamn adventures?

The trouble with strangers

2005-04-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Its been more than year since my catharsis.

And since then I have quit Art School, been hired as a game tester, and am now anxiously awaiting to know if I was accepted into this program. In ten days, I will know whether or not I will continue the path towards my dream or settle for a job at Kaiser Permanente.

And now onto to the meat of today's session.

People are a fickle bunch.

Last night, I long onto WOW for the first time in about a week. My character had been resting in the Dwarven City: Ironforge.

I message my guild members if anyone would like to go on a dungeon run through the trogg-infested Gnome city: Gnomeregon.

20 out of the 140 members in my guild were online at the time. One member agreed to join me on my quest.

Unfortunately, he is the same class as me: a rogue. A high DPS (damage per second) class. Usually, high DPS folks don't have very good defensive capabilities. The strategy lies in sneaking up on the enemy and dispatching them quickly. The risk lies in attracting "hate" or "aggro" from nearby enemies that will detect this activity and retaliate.

And so two rogues in a group can be a risk endeavor.

Still, we can mangage to have a successful dungeon run if we mixed up our party with several other people with strategic roles. Mainly we would need 1) a Tank ( A Warrior or Paladin; someone that can bear the brunt of an enemy attack), 2) a Healer (A Priest or Druid to heal party members during battle) and a 3)Crowd Control character (in this case a Mage, who can cast high damage spells from afar and transform enemies into sheep therefore reducing their numbers)

I call out to the general chat channels in Ironforge:

"Two level 30-ish rogues looking for group for Gnomeregon".

No response.

I let the message out several more times in the next 10 minutes.

No response.

I begin to get antsy. I've been logged in 20 minutes and have accomplished nothing. No killing. No weapon acquiring. Nothing.

Finally, I get a response from a tank. A certain gnome female warrior.

"Sure, I can join you. I also have a priest friend who can come but she's in Redlands (about 15 minutes in-game travel time to the south). She can be here soon."

"Ok."

While we wait, I call out for a mage. "Group looking for level 30-ish mage for Gnomeregon."

No responses.

30 minutes later, our Priest arrives.

But my fellow Gnome Rogue has voiced his dissent. It'll take at least 1 hour and 1/2 for the dungeon and we've wasted 55 minutes. Its time for him to log off.

I've been on over an hour at this point. No mage joins our group and at such a small size we have no chance for the dungeon. Out of boredom and overall tiredness from a long day at work, I begin to nod off at the keyboard.

We get to the dungeon, and spot a group consisting of two mages and a warlock.

"Wanna join our group", they ask.

"Where were you forty minutes ago" I mutter to myself.

"You know what guys...,' I say to my party members, 'I forgot I got to do something. I'm gonna log off now."

They assure me its no problem. I teleport back to Ironforge, hole up in the Inn and log off.

No killing. No weapon acquiring. Nothing accomplished. An hour of my life that I will never get back.

The great thing about MMORPGs is that you have to play cooperatively with other human beings. The bad thing about MMORPGs is that you have to play cooperatively with other beings.

I sigh, turn my computer off and fire up my GBA with Warioware Inc. in it.

Good Reading

2005-04-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.igda.org/columns/clash/

Music Makes the Game

2005-04-01T18:17:00.000-08:00

I rented the God of War for PS2. The ratings have been superb. And I am in congruence with most of the critics. But I'm also a bit of a push over, because I just loves me a solid action game.

The game controls well, is nicely designed, has superb art direction and is a ton of fun.

However, I was struck by how similar the opening level was to Prince of Persia: Warrior Within.

Both games opening levels start out on a boat, on a stormy night being attacked by undead creatures. See for yourself: GOW and POP.

In fact, the similarities don't end there. Both games have anti-hero protagonists, the fighting style is similar (although, God of War's is more fluid...), and so are the locations/history/mythology; one is Ancient Greece, the other is in Ancient Persia. So you get all sorts of zany mythology creatures to kill.

BUT there is one KEY FACTOR that edges out God of War over Prince of Persia: Warrior Within.

The music.

God of War has excellent orchestrated music fitting of the setting and similar in vision to that of Hollywood sword and sandal flicks. Just think Spartacus, the Ten Commandments and Clash of the Titans. (Well, Clash of the Titans is more like trash cinema, but I digress, it was fun when I was a kid...) A minotaur appears and the speakers burst with screeching horns and violins! Superb!

But Prince of Persia has death metal. Yep. Like 'Slipknot' death metal. I feel like I'm watching a commercial for a Destruction Derby. I just didn't feel right slicing up zombies in Ancient Mesopotamia with electric guitars wailing.

Sorry, Death Metal doesn't cut it for me. I don't like Death Metal in WWF wrestling games nor in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. And Prince of Persia, TOTALLY COULD HAVE DONT WITHOUT.

And that my friends, is the difference between good and GREAT.

Language barriers in a made up world

2005-03-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

World of Warcraft is not only a game, its a phenomenon. It has been applauded by the both the gaming press and the mainstream media.

With upwards of 500,000 subscribers in the US alone this game is being enjoyed by many people. (It was recently launched in Australia, Europe, Korea and soon China to much success).

Myself included.

Presenting: Gnob my Gnome Rogue.

He stands at a whopping 3 foot something and packs a mean garrote.

He can also shake it like Mystikal himself: "watch yourself."

What I find interesting about this game is that I have to interact with other flesh and blood characters in real-time. In order to complete quests, I have to join a band of other players to utilize their skills or to help me beat up a enemy creature or mob.

What I find even more interesting about this environment, is that I find myself acting the way I do in real life through the game. Meaning: I am extra polite where I don't need to be, I am hesitant to begin talking with strangers, and I get annoyed when people cut me off (just like in Traffic).

By being polite, I mean, I always use the voice animations to make my character wave hello, nod, disagree, thank or welcome other users I meet along my merry way.

I also find myself, not wanting to interact with strangers in my quests, preferring to group with friends I know in real life. But if I do need a stranger's help, I request it with the utmost respect and courtesy.

And lastly, sometimes people run up and kill a monster that I intend to kill. Most likely this is the case when a boss monster appears. You see, a boss monster might only spawn into the game every 15 minutes or so. So when someone kills it, other users have to wait for it to re-appear. When many people are playing online and doing the same quests as you are, a line may appear where a boss monster spawns. A pecking order appears, much like in surfing, where its those in line who get to kill the monster. Now some people like to come by and kill the monster regardless of those in line. There is no penalty for doing so, other than the hate of your fellow players. Its something along the lines of those obnoxious people in L.A. traffic who force their way into your lane.

Now, in the World of Warcraft there exists two factions. The Alliance which consists of Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes. They are the "traditional good guys". The opposite faction are called the Horde and they consist of Orcs, Trolls, Taurens (minotaur-like people), and the Undead (zombies). In Warcraft lore, they are the "traditional bad" guys. Yet, each side has their reason for questing and it is up to the user to decided which side they are on and whether the notions of "good" and "evil" are as clear cut per faction.

Now Alliance and Horde characters cannot communicate with each other. Each faction has a separate common language, and the game codifies speech so a player from the Alliance can't understand what a player from the Horde is saying (err...Typing). This is to keep each faction out of each other's business and to contribute to ambiance of the game's mythology. The two sides hate each other and not being able to communicate makes it easier to de-humanize (or de-orc-ize) and thus keeps the in-game conflict going.

However, it is possible to use "emotes" and "voice emotes" (again animations and voice animations) to communicate with the other faction. For example, I may not be able to talk to an Orc, but I can "wave" to one. And so a greeting can be established.

This is not unlike, being a stranger in a foreign country. I remember visiting Rome in the summer of 2000 and since I knew not a lick of Italian my communication was limited to broken "gracis" and gesticulation. Which got me through Rome just fine.

Now it just so happens, that I was standing in contested country in the game (contested land, meaning it does not belong to one faction or the other. Players may engage in combat here, or decided to ignore each other.) I was trying to defuse a stack of explosives in the base of some renegade dwarves. These dwarves were around the same level as I was, however the were part of a group and there was no possible way I could kill them all without being killed.

I sat on an embankment close to their camp waiting to see if anyone from my faction would come by and help me kill the renegade dwarves so I could could complete my quest. After five minutes, no had appeared.

However, an undead female priest from the Horde faction did walk by. I didn't feel like fighting anyone, so I used my Rogue's ability to turn invisible and watch what she planned to do. In hiding, I was able to read that her level was equivalent to my own.

The undead priest walked to the group of dwarves and stood their hesitantly. She looked around and from her movements, I could tell she was waiting around for some help. Some time passed and no one from either faction walked by.

Just as she was turning around to leave, I revealed myself and let out a whistle (which subsequently is the "wolf"-whistle or cat call whistle). The Undead Priests (whose name read Dorothea) turned my way and waved. I returned the wave.

We stood next to each other, hesitantly for a moment or so. She then emoted and pointed to the the Dwarves. I made my gnome nod to her, and let out the "charge" voice command. We cut down the dwarves swiftly and I was able to complete my quest. After each kill, I had my gnome "cheer" and "applaud" and "laugh' which was returned with the same voice emotes.

After we had cleared the camp, Dorothea, gave me a bow. I returned the bow, and waved "goodbye" We parted ways and that was that.

It was interesting for us to figure out a way to communicate within a game where typing is the key to communication. And it shows that not all people buy into hating each faction just because the game instructs us to do so.
gesticulation is indeed a powerful tool.

I found it rather intriguing that a game could provide a nice cooperative moment of human kindness and with a imaginary language barrier.

But, uh....it wasn't Rome.

And its not like eating Pizza while playing the game will bring me closer to the real experience.

But it is cheaper....

New Marketing Lows

2005-03-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

It seems some people will do anything for free video game software from Electronic Arts.

Now, what concerns me here the most is that a company would endorse slacking off from school so that their customers would have more time for video games. First of all, I wonder how much these people will contribute to society after they graduate (ahem, perhaps drop out) from school? Secondly, when the winners get bored of their newly self-deprecatingly earned games will Electronic Arts pay for their tattoo removal fees?

Shame on you Electronic Arts. And shame on you "I will do anything for games" people as this only further confirms stereotypes about "hardcore" gamers (mainly, that they belong to a sub-class of people whose membership is shared by Trekkies, Simpson's Comic Book Guys, and former members of the Heaven's Gate Cult). A serious gamer need not sell their body for the medium we love so much. A serious gamer is still a participating member of our society at large.

Guess we're stuck in gaming adolescence.

On Ludologists

2005-03-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Ludology means "study of games" in Latin. It is a term used to describe the new field of studying Electronic Interactive Media (a.k.a Video Games) in the Academic Arena. Several major universities like M.I.T., University of Georgia and most recently USC have Master and P.h.d. level programs in this field.

Last night, I attended a "Board Game Night" at USC sponsored by their Game Development Community which is a multi-disciplinary club whose purpose is innovation in game design. It is made mostly of members of their Interactive Media department.

Since, I've become acquainted with several students and professors within the department I decided to go try my hand at gaming with them.

I challenged them to a game of "Ticket to Ride". Which is a board game in which the user must try to "ride" to destinations across the U.S. via train. In claiming routes to different cities one gains points. One also can attempt to block other players from taking routes by claiming them before they do. Its a gather resource and action type of strategy game that gets rather competitive towards the end of the game where all the players are scrambling to create the biggest route between major cities and block of their opponents.

While playing, a professor and graduate student kept questioning all the rules and pondering why the designers envisioned the game as it was designed. They pondered things such as were the number of cards and trains intentional, what was the best way to cut off routes and why were certain colors chosen over others among a ton of other questions. These questions emerged all the while I taught them and played the game with them.

It was interesting and fun to hear their opinions but the game dragged on for two hours due to the on-going analysis. At times, I thought it would be better just to carry on playing and not become so involved in tearing apart the gameplay mechanics. But that's the point of being an academic, and I was impressed that they were so invigorated even when it was their first time playing this game. At times, I also became pretty bored.

But that's alright. We need this type of studying, questioning, and analysis in this industry if we want to see innovation occur. Boiling gameplay into its basic forms and deriving the most efficient and fun ways to play are essential to creating better video games. And so, overall it was good experience. And although one day I would like to become a game academic, I was reminded that with it comes a lot of dry thinking. And that conflicts with my innate laziness...

So the important thought to take away is, how does one keep research exciting and relevant without divulging into a realm of convoluted ivory tower style writing and presentation. Ludology publications and research need not go the route of anthropology publications. Not saying that Anthropology publications are irrelevant, but that they are very hard to read due to their jargon. Try some excerpts from Victor Turner's work on Anti-Structure sometime.

We need writings and research that are accessible to the everyday gamer and designer. So, here's keeping my fingers crossed.

Nostalgia, games and prices at Toys'R'Us

2005-03-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

When I was younger lad, I looked foward to my birthday over the other gift-bearing holidays existing in the American version of the Roman Calendar. This is because, on my birthday my, mother and I would drive down to the local Toys'R'Us and I could have my choice of one video game.

In those days, Toys'R'Us kept their games in a employee guarded pseudo-vault near the exit of the store. If a person wanted to purchase a game, one would peruse the game section which was a row of pouches with a picture of the game's title bearing a slip that contained the name and price of the game. You would take this slip to the cashier and pay for the software and they would in turn give you a ticket which you took to to the vault in exchange for your game.

Nothing excited me more than glancing through all the covers of the available games. This was at the zenith of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) era and sheer quantity of available games was staggering. The light gleamed of their glossy lamenated covers causing an ethreal aura to emit from the row. I spent long minutes gazing at the box arts and trying to guess what the gameplay would be like. (This was in the day were game magazines were scarce, the internet as we know it non-existant, and all knowledge of games came from one single Nintendo Catalogue which came packaged with my NES). After 15 minutes or so, my mother's patience would wane and she would insist that I pick a game. It was in this rushed moment that I would have to go out on a limb and make a choice based on guts alone. There existed here a gushing excitement in betting on the unknown, a rush of not knowing what the game would be a like and whether it would be satisfying (and also whether my brother's would find it agreeable as well). Yet, it was a excruciatlingly difficult decision to make. There were so many games and I wanted them all.....

So, I threw my lot in with fate and chose...

"Rygar" at age 7. By the time I was 9, it was "Wrath of the Black Manta".

Sometimes wise, sometimes unwise.

At age 10, the 16-bit monster Sega Genesis came out and I convinced my parents to go out on a limb and throw down for it. After all, I was the meat in the middle of a three brother sandwhich, and a new system would not only be a gift to me but to them on my birthday! Ho ho, how my parents ALMOST fell for that. I took initiative though and found, with much luck, that there was a deal at Sun Coast Video where one could buy the Genesis packaged with Altred Beast, a second controller, and a mail-in coupon good for a free copy of a yet to be released game entitled: Sonic the Hedgehog for the low price of $179. Money talks and that was a DEAL.

When Sonic arrived in the mail two months later in October, my brothers and I almost wept. By then, we had played Altered Beast to the point where it still sickens me to play Altered Beast today.

The months passed and soon it was time to again choose a new game. On a sunny afternoon after school, my mother and I drove to Toys'R'US. I sprinted to the familiar row with a trail of dool following me. I knew what I wanted, a game named: Shining in the Darkness and if that wasn't there then I wanted Strider. I had played both games at a cousin's house over the summer and I knew both were gems.

When I got to the row though, something was amiss. I pointed to the games I wanted and my mother declined to acqueisces to my decision. Indeed, both games were present however they were priced LUDICROUSLY at $79.99 each. When I enquired a salesman about this he replied with something to this extent: "8 mega-bits of power." I was flattened, shocked, and appalled. My mother helped me pick out another title: "Kings Bounty" which was more reasonably priced at $39.99 and as she pointed out had 4 mega-bits of power. I nodded, in defeat and we took "Kings Bounty" with its measly 4 mega-bits home. ("Kings Bounty" turned out to be an excellent choice; it provided the template for a game named "Heroes of Might and Magic").

I muse on these days of yore, because I recently entered a Toys"R"Us to check out a two for $20 sale on the Nintendo Classic Series for GBA. The store had changed dramatically, and gone were the game vault and they shiny row of lamenated game covers with price slips. It had instead changed into a Gamestop/EB Games style section of the store complete with its own cash register and locked glass case containing games.

The mystery, the intrigue, and excitement of holding that slip in exchange for your game after purchase was gone. It now remains a memory of a past when security measures were primitive.

I shrugged it off and perused the goods. I have a job now and the only limit I have to purchasing games is the budget I set for myself. It comes out to about one game a month, maybe two if the games are at $20 bucks each. And now I find myself in the same predicament I had when I was eight. What game do I gamble my decision on?

And luckily we know have the internet for me to researchand make purchasing decisions with. (Although, not gaming magazines. I gave up on those when I turned 23 and the writers inexplicably stayed at age 14)

And I look. Shining Tears for Ps2? No. Liked it better when it was called Landstalker.

And look. Ractchet and Clank: Up your Aresenal for Ps2?. Nah.

And look. EA's Fight Night 2005 for Xbox? Nah.

And look. Donkey Kong's Jungle Beat for Gamecube? Looks hot, but its $54.99.

NES Zelda and NES Castlevania for GameBoy Advanced together for $20? Maybe if I wait awhile they'll have a four for $20 deal.

And decided.....not today. I spent my money on food and a movie this month already.

When games hit the price of $64.99 and $79.99 (And they will reach that high with the average development budget of a mainstream console videogame reaching an astronomical $5-10 million, plus another $10 million for the evil publishers to market the games with...)I believe my budgeting system is going to be out of whack. But then again, if its just EA titles then maybe I won't be affected.

And PC games always seem to drop to a reasonable price after a couple of months.

Maybe I should just buy one game on my birthday every year? Things seemed much more meaningful when I did....