So a couple of days ago I went into my local EB games to pick up a used copy of ICO and maybe Shadow of the Titans. Now while its rare I go specifically for acquiring console games, I did check out the PC game rack. The first and perhaps most significant thing I noticed was the amount of shelf space devoted to PC games shrunk. Alot. Like, by a half.
I think that's a pretty succinct statement on the state of PC gaming right there.
We have new consoles gearing up over the next year, so alot of the developers have been frantically developer console games. Sure, some of them fully intend to deploy ports to PC, but it wasn't so long ago that it was the other way around.
PC gamers are getting the hand-me-downs now. Which completely changes the dynamics of game play.
Now a port from a PC to console meant that the console got fewer features, primarily because of hardware limitation. You don't have a full keyboard to play with, just a controller with a limited number of functions. Graphics are hardwired, so your resolutions would below PC standard (although in some it's hard to tell if they did it right). Space was limited to one cartridge or CD.
So PC ports were essentially stripped down, bare bones version of the games.
Now it's going the other way, we have PC games that looks and play like console games, with everything that entails.
Now don't get me wrong, there are alot of platform to PC games I love, two that come to mind are Psychonauts and Beyond Good and Evil. Great games. Fantastic games. Er, I had a point here.
Oh yeah! Okay, as a PC gamer I'm looking for something with a little more depth than your average platformer game. I have a keyboard and kick-ass graphics card. I have gigs of hardrive space. C'mon developers of the world, use 'em up! Whatever happened to combat flight simulators that simulated flight?
Okay back to my original point, shrinking PC game space. First, everyone jumped on the MMO band wagon. So every shop was forced to make an MMO by their parent companies smelling huge profits (and no clue on cost) So right there, no single player RPG for you! And like I said, those who aren't building the next big thing in the MMO space are building the next big gun for the next gen console wars.
And PC gamers? Well we have MMOs. And no new games, really. Thus the shrinking shelf-space for PC games.
But I think this will (eventually, certainly not right now) be a good thing.
I've often commented (ie complained) about Big Business taking over the game space, with all the mediocrity that entails.
So what if all the big boys focus solely on the consoles? We have a gap. A gap to be filled by the indie developers. So (hopefully) we get games built for PC gamers, by PC gamers, that use the potential of the PC.
It'll be 1984, all over again.
And maybe this time I can get in on it. Here's hoping anyway.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Fluids! Dear God, the Fluids!
Okay, mee-sa sick. I mean, Exorcist ill. There's stuff being produced and projected from my body that belies description or even comprehension.
The human organism is a truly disgusting thing, especially when it's not functioning at 100%. I mean, dear God, I am getting a very poignient lessen on hydro-dynamics and sluices.
This shouldn't be happening on a Friday. That's what Mondays are for. Not promising to be a good weekend.
The human organism is a truly disgusting thing, especially when it's not functioning at 100%. I mean, dear God, I am getting a very poignient lessen on hydro-dynamics and sluices.
This shouldn't be happening on a Friday. That's what Mondays are for. Not promising to be a good weekend.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Jacko Gettin' A Smacko
Heheh, looks like everyone's fovorite Game Critic is being investigated by his local BAR Association.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051019-5458.html
Ale & Whores for Gabe and Tycho!
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051019-5458.html
Ale & Whores for Gabe and Tycho!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
That's a Big Margin, Jack
So for those who don't know, here's a little background.
http://www.penny-arcade.com
Personally, Jack Thompson fascinates me. Not the man himself, but the methods he uses and the greater context of how this has been used in the past. From what I can see, he's aggressively persecuting a marginalized social group to bring attention and aggrandize himself and his goals.
It's been done, many, many times before. There's some nasty examples, but in the 20th century it was comic books, television, Rock and/or Roll music (and every variation since the birth of R&R). Now it's video games.
You see, if you go at a group that has no power, there is no capability of retaliation on their part. It's very effective, of course. The 'crusaders' appear (or try to appear) as paragons of virtue, protecting the innocent (won't somebody please think of the children!) and rooting out those who would destroy society. In a way they are right. Many of the marginalized concepts, ideas, media etc that are persecuted in this way do threaten society: they attempt to change the status quo.
Technology has always done this (going back to medieval times, crop rotation anyone?) and there has always been those who are violently opposed (Jacquard's Loom. http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/jacquard.html) What I don't see in alot of references is that Jacquard's earliest looms were burned and Jacquard forced to flee a mob. At least that's how my profs told the story.
So here we are at the beginning of a new millennium and computers pervade every aspect of our lives. (Heck you are reading my diary from a remote location and can access this instantly. That's Big JuJu). The rapid pace of this leaves most people with a nagging, quiet discomfort in technology. Which opens up the door to doubt, which leads to fear. The thin edge of the wedge. And we nothing to fear but fear itself.
So here comes Jack.
Video games are cop-killer trainers and child-rape simulators. They mentally hurt our kids, they teach people to become mass murders. Technology, if uncontrolled by those who know better than you, will run amuck and destroy the very fabric of society. That's the middle of the wedge. The back end of the wedge is limiting use of technology. It starts with games, then moves on to other bits. like you can't record Desperate Housewives and watch it later because you gotta take the kids to soccer practice. You need to pay a fee every time you listen to a song because that's the only way to ensure you aren't stealing it. The authorities need a way to break into your computer without you knowing because you may be a terrorist. And what scares me, what terrifies the life out of me, is I hear alot of people say you should just ignore him and he'll go away.
He's not going to go away.
If we ignore him, it gives him free reign to say whatever he wants. And if those views aren't opposed with logical counter-arguments, opinion or even down-right anger, those who don't know what's going on will think he's telling the only version of the truth. And at that moment we lose. Not just gamers.
Everyone.
The first wedge is locked in place, and there's more behind it. And behind each wedge there someone with a hammer... Now the entire presumption is that gamers are a marginalized sub culture. I honestly think Jack believes that gamers are a bunch of nerdy dorks who have nothing better to do than play games in their parents' basement. That may have been somewhat true at one time. Now, not so much. You just need to watch the news and how gaming is the next big money market for media companies. there's alot of gamers out there, in all levels of society and of all ages. If gamers are marginalized, it's a wide margin.
Penny-Arcade, whether you like it or not, is a locus of gaming culture. They have alot of clout in that marginal community, and at their word, they can focus that drive very, very tightly. Their charity events raise a boggling amount of money and goods for kids, and it all comes from that 'margin'. The wedge may have, with a clumsy carpenter holding the hammer, hit a knot in the wood.
As entertaining as the situation is, I think what comes next will be a turning point in Mr. Thompson's career. His call to have Gabe and Tycho arrested crosses a certain boundary. Not of civility or even law. It's a statement that says that gamers are citizens that should be arrested for voicing an opinion. the exertion of power, any kind of power, is to be handled the fastest and most damning curtailment that society can offer. Civic arrest. If not violence, at least the threat of violence (which is basis of any police force) is what an arrest is. Mr. Thompson didn't threaten to sue, he requested that Gabe and Tycho be arrested. Even if the Seattle police don't follow up on this, even if Gabe and Tycho don't react and choose to ignore him, it sets a precedent that's dangerous indeed. More requests for arrests will come, and eventually an arrest will be made, for no other reason that someone who enjoys and supports a gaming culture can be arrested merely for supporting that culture.
And that is tyranny. Being persecuted not for what you do, but for who you are. By those who hold power. I'm watching this one with both eyes.
http://www.penny-arcade.com
Personally, Jack Thompson fascinates me. Not the man himself, but the methods he uses and the greater context of how this has been used in the past. From what I can see, he's aggressively persecuting a marginalized social group to bring attention and aggrandize himself and his goals.
It's been done, many, many times before. There's some nasty examples, but in the 20th century it was comic books, television, Rock and/or Roll music (and every variation since the birth of R&R). Now it's video games.
You see, if you go at a group that has no power, there is no capability of retaliation on their part. It's very effective, of course. The 'crusaders' appear (or try to appear) as paragons of virtue, protecting the innocent (won't somebody please think of the children!) and rooting out those who would destroy society. In a way they are right. Many of the marginalized concepts, ideas, media etc that are persecuted in this way do threaten society: they attempt to change the status quo.
Technology has always done this (going back to medieval times, crop rotation anyone?) and there has always been those who are violently opposed (Jacquard's Loom. http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/jacquard.html) What I don't see in alot of references is that Jacquard's earliest looms were burned and Jacquard forced to flee a mob. At least that's how my profs told the story.
So here we are at the beginning of a new millennium and computers pervade every aspect of our lives. (Heck you are reading my diary from a remote location and can access this instantly. That's Big JuJu). The rapid pace of this leaves most people with a nagging, quiet discomfort in technology. Which opens up the door to doubt, which leads to fear. The thin edge of the wedge. And we nothing to fear but fear itself.
So here comes Jack.
Video games are cop-killer trainers and child-rape simulators. They mentally hurt our kids, they teach people to become mass murders. Technology, if uncontrolled by those who know better than you, will run amuck and destroy the very fabric of society. That's the middle of the wedge. The back end of the wedge is limiting use of technology. It starts with games, then moves on to other bits. like you can't record Desperate Housewives and watch it later because you gotta take the kids to soccer practice. You need to pay a fee every time you listen to a song because that's the only way to ensure you aren't stealing it. The authorities need a way to break into your computer without you knowing because you may be a terrorist. And what scares me, what terrifies the life out of me, is I hear alot of people say you should just ignore him and he'll go away.
He's not going to go away.
If we ignore him, it gives him free reign to say whatever he wants. And if those views aren't opposed with logical counter-arguments, opinion or even down-right anger, those who don't know what's going on will think he's telling the only version of the truth. And at that moment we lose. Not just gamers.
Everyone.
The first wedge is locked in place, and there's more behind it. And behind each wedge there someone with a hammer... Now the entire presumption is that gamers are a marginalized sub culture. I honestly think Jack believes that gamers are a bunch of nerdy dorks who have nothing better to do than play games in their parents' basement. That may have been somewhat true at one time. Now, not so much. You just need to watch the news and how gaming is the next big money market for media companies. there's alot of gamers out there, in all levels of society and of all ages. If gamers are marginalized, it's a wide margin.
Penny-Arcade, whether you like it or not, is a locus of gaming culture. They have alot of clout in that marginal community, and at their word, they can focus that drive very, very tightly. Their charity events raise a boggling amount of money and goods for kids, and it all comes from that 'margin'. The wedge may have, with a clumsy carpenter holding the hammer, hit a knot in the wood.
As entertaining as the situation is, I think what comes next will be a turning point in Mr. Thompson's career. His call to have Gabe and Tycho arrested crosses a certain boundary. Not of civility or even law. It's a statement that says that gamers are citizens that should be arrested for voicing an opinion. the exertion of power, any kind of power, is to be handled the fastest and most damning curtailment that society can offer. Civic arrest. If not violence, at least the threat of violence (which is basis of any police force) is what an arrest is. Mr. Thompson didn't threaten to sue, he requested that Gabe and Tycho be arrested. Even if the Seattle police don't follow up on this, even if Gabe and Tycho don't react and choose to ignore him, it sets a precedent that's dangerous indeed. More requests for arrests will come, and eventually an arrest will be made, for no other reason that someone who enjoys and supports a gaming culture can be arrested merely for supporting that culture.
And that is tyranny. Being persecuted not for what you do, but for who you are. By those who hold power. I'm watching this one with both eyes.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Been a long while, but that's just me.
Okay so I haven't been on in a while. The game reviews are still under way, but frankly I haven't had the time and/or inclination to do much gaming lately. It is time for an update though, meaning I'm in one of my 'pensive' moods.
Game Space
Not much happening here I'm afraid. I am beta testing another couple of games (can't say which, NDA and all that). I can say one needs alot of work at a concept level and the other is rocking. Not surprisingly, the former has been delayed and the latter is due out soon.
I did pick up a couple cheapo Playstation 2 games. Mark of Kri is a great 3rd person action game except it's nearly impossible to do combos, and you need to do combos. Just more practice I guess.
Final Fantasy X-2 proves why I don't like Japanese RPGs all that much. Confusing but gorgeous, so the animator in me still pays attention. However the actually game play is annoying (a random encounter every 5 feet? c'mon!) and gets me wishing for a fast forward button for the next part of the story...
The third one is Rumble Roses. I am a sick, sick little boy. A mediocre wrestling games with great ... polygons.
And there isn't much coming out that I'm terribly interested in. Since the Big Corps are now taking over the market, well I'm bored with the pablum. There are some people trying to get more organized for the small and mid-sized developer (check out http://www.costik.com/weblog for someone I hope gets huge success. I love reading The Escapist (www.escapistmagazine.com/) as they have some more professional journalistic writing than say, IGN or Gamespy.
Book Space
And for books well, I'm taking a 3d Studio Max course at the local educational instipitution, and lovin' it! I can spend (and have on numerous occassions) 8 hours just playing and experimenting. The class itself is pretty good, covering the basics to get you on your way. Since I want the deep dark secrets I picked up a couple books.
3ds Max 6 Bible: well I've tried 3 of the tutorials and only 1 actually worked as advertised, so I'm not impressed so far. However it's a thick book so I won't write it off yet.
modeling a Character in 3ds Max by Paul Steed on the other hand is a fantastic book. Essentially one long tutorial on how to model the babe on the cover it goes into minute detail on every step with lots of pics. It's also well written and Mr. Steed certainly has a sense of humour. I haven't started the tutorials yet (and may not be able to) but I've read through some chapters and it's exactly what a new 3d modeler needs.
And of course Thud! by Terry Pratchett! Bringing back the Guards of Ankh-Morpork (my favourite) it's a great read, but with most of his later books, you really, really need to read a few to get the background.
Geek Space
Okay like I said, I have been taking classes in 3ds Max. Since they are Saturdays from 9 AM to 4 PM it basically means I have another day of work, but if my other 5 were like my Saturdays, I'd never leave the office. So that's going well.
So my latest addiction is getting ships from WizKids Rocketmen http://www.wizkidsgames.com/rocketmen/. I haven't actually played yet and I've spent waaaaytoo much cash on the cards. On the upside I'm using them as models for creating my own 3ds max models and animations, so I guess I can justify it....
Yeah I'm totally geeking out on this whole animation thing.
Head Space
We with winter approaching fast, I'm slowly degenerating into my Winter Grump (it's early this year). Work is driving me nuts, but since I said I wouldn't post work rants anymore, I'll leave it for the tell-all book. However I have engaged the services of a head-hunter and am following up on contacts with great urgency so I getting my ass in gear instead of just whining (hear that Stray Lemming?). Of course I will continue to whine loudly and publicly at every opportunity.
The other thing is the girlfriend situation. Lately I've been doing alot of soul searching (my Granddad died about a month ago) and I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I want to be a single guy for the rest of my days.
I've tried the whole relationship thing a couple of times (okay 4 times) but the awful truth is that:
1) I don't want kids. Not just "I'm not in a place right now where I want kids" I mean I neverwant kids. Actually considering getting the boys snipped in that cause. I like kids, as long as they are not mine and wrecking my place. Besides, I'm 37, a tad late in my view.
2) I don't want to get married. I mean I've been to all seven of my parents' weddings (counting the one to each other twice) and frankly the whole marriage thing seems outdated to me.
3) I like living alone. My own space, my own stuff, and my own money. Relationships are expensive and with the current GF back at school I'm paying for everything. Add on top of that, she wants to buy a place together the day she graduates. She'll be neck-deep in debt, looking for work and she's hinted that if she gets a job out of town, I'm expected to follow.
And I know that sounds close-minded.
Lately I've been feeling that everyone wants something from me, but when I ask for something, it's not convenient, or not do-able right now. It's boiled down to 'I'll do what you want as long as you leave me alone after'. And that never actually happens in real life.
Like I said, the winter blues and blowing hard and fast from the north.
So yeah winter is coming, I'll be indoors more so I'll probably update this once in a while (I know, you've heard it all before).
Anyway, last load of laundry is done, have fun!
DM
Game Space
Not much happening here I'm afraid. I am beta testing another couple of games (can't say which, NDA and all that). I can say one needs alot of work at a concept level and the other is rocking. Not surprisingly, the former has been delayed and the latter is due out soon.
I did pick up a couple cheapo Playstation 2 games. Mark of Kri is a great 3rd person action game except it's nearly impossible to do combos, and you need to do combos. Just more practice I guess.
Final Fantasy X-2 proves why I don't like Japanese RPGs all that much. Confusing but gorgeous, so the animator in me still pays attention. However the actually game play is annoying (a random encounter every 5 feet? c'mon!) and gets me wishing for a fast forward button for the next part of the story...
The third one is Rumble Roses. I am a sick, sick little boy. A mediocre wrestling games with great ... polygons.
And there isn't much coming out that I'm terribly interested in. Since the Big Corps are now taking over the market, well I'm bored with the pablum. There are some people trying to get more organized for the small and mid-sized developer (check out http://www.costik.com/weblog for someone I hope gets huge success. I love reading The Escapist (www.escapistmagazine.com/) as they have some more professional journalistic writing than say, IGN or Gamespy.
Book Space
And for books well, I'm taking a 3d Studio Max course at the local educational instipitution, and lovin' it! I can spend (and have on numerous occassions) 8 hours just playing and experimenting. The class itself is pretty good, covering the basics to get you on your way. Since I want the deep dark secrets I picked up a couple books.
3ds Max 6 Bible: well I've tried 3 of the tutorials and only 1 actually worked as advertised, so I'm not impressed so far. However it's a thick book so I won't write it off yet.
modeling a Character in 3ds Max by Paul Steed on the other hand is a fantastic book. Essentially one long tutorial on how to model the babe on the cover it goes into minute detail on every step with lots of pics. It's also well written and Mr. Steed certainly has a sense of humour. I haven't started the tutorials yet (and may not be able to) but I've read through some chapters and it's exactly what a new 3d modeler needs.
And of course Thud! by Terry Pratchett! Bringing back the Guards of Ankh-Morpork (my favourite) it's a great read, but with most of his later books, you really, really need to read a few to get the background.
Geek Space
Okay like I said, I have been taking classes in 3ds Max. Since they are Saturdays from 9 AM to 4 PM it basically means I have another day of work, but if my other 5 were like my Saturdays, I'd never leave the office. So that's going well.
So my latest addiction is getting ships from WizKids Rocketmen http://www.wizkidsgames.com/rocketmen/. I haven't actually played yet and I've spent waaaaytoo much cash on the cards. On the upside I'm using them as models for creating my own 3ds max models and animations, so I guess I can justify it....
Yeah I'm totally geeking out on this whole animation thing.
Head Space
We with winter approaching fast, I'm slowly degenerating into my Winter Grump (it's early this year). Work is driving me nuts, but since I said I wouldn't post work rants anymore, I'll leave it for the tell-all book. However I have engaged the services of a head-hunter and am following up on contacts with great urgency so I getting my ass in gear instead of just whining (hear that Stray Lemming?). Of course I will continue to whine loudly and publicly at every opportunity.
The other thing is the girlfriend situation. Lately I've been doing alot of soul searching (my Granddad died about a month ago) and I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I want to be a single guy for the rest of my days.
I've tried the whole relationship thing a couple of times (okay 4 times) but the awful truth is that:
1) I don't want kids. Not just "I'm not in a place right now where I want kids" I mean I neverwant kids. Actually considering getting the boys snipped in that cause. I like kids, as long as they are not mine and wrecking my place. Besides, I'm 37, a tad late in my view.
2) I don't want to get married. I mean I've been to all seven of my parents' weddings (counting the one to each other twice) and frankly the whole marriage thing seems outdated to me.
3) I like living alone. My own space, my own stuff, and my own money. Relationships are expensive and with the current GF back at school I'm paying for everything. Add on top of that, she wants to buy a place together the day she graduates. She'll be neck-deep in debt, looking for work and she's hinted that if she gets a job out of town, I'm expected to follow.
And I know that sounds close-minded.
Lately I've been feeling that everyone wants something from me, but when I ask for something, it's not convenient, or not do-able right now. It's boiled down to 'I'll do what you want as long as you leave me alone after'. And that never actually happens in real life.
Like I said, the winter blues and blowing hard and fast from the north.
So yeah winter is coming, I'll be indoors more so I'll probably update this once in a while (I know, you've heard it all before).
Anyway, last load of laundry is done, have fun!
DM
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