Blips: Vintage Konami Flyers

Source: Konami's Arcade Flyers 1986-96
Author: VGJunk
Site VGJunk

There's not too much too say that can really add to this collection of Konami promotional flyers from the late 80s though the early 90s. In fact, these flyers have A LOT happening in them to begin with. I mean, look at the Le Mans poster above and tell me what's happening in one succinct sentence. Every time I try to muster a description, some other element from the image totally disrupts my narrative. The best I can come up with is that the arcade cabinet just blazed through a finish line, but kept going and ran over a woman who happens to be in love with the machine. Also, the arcade cabinet was wearing a helmet, but discarded it before hitting the woman.

The linked post over on VGJunk is full of these wonderful gems that evoke the low-budget cheesy camp on FMV game contemporaries. An era gone too soon...

Blips: Modern Damsels in Contemporary Distress

Source: Damsel in Distress (Part 2) Tropes vs Women
Author: Anita Sarkeesian
Site: Feminist Frequency

Yesterday Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency released the second video in her Tropes vs Women series, part 2 of the section focusing on damsels in distress. While the first video spoke about the origins of this trope in video games, this one presents how modern game developers have continued the trend. The sections of the video where she shows clips after clip of games that use plot devices like "your wife is brutally murdered and you then have to rescue your daughter" really drive home how pervasive these tropes can be.

The biggest takeaway for me was how often these modern damsels are largely only interacted with in violent contexts, because the games themselves are violence-based. It's not really a surprise that you have to kill bad guys to rescue women, kill women to save them from themselves, or kill bad guys to get revenge for killing a woman when the mechanics of these games are limited to violent behavior. Sometimes you are literally just playing the role of a pair of hands with a firearm that you can't even make the choice to holster.

As is explained in the video, this also leads to flat female characters who exist only serve to shallowly develop the male protagonist's narrative. I'm sitting here trying to think of any non-playable female characters that stood out as interesting in any way, but I'm coming up short. Meryl and Boss from Metal Gear Solid, sure. Maybe Edea in Final Fantasy VIII too. Worth noting that both of those series, despite having largely violence-based action mechanics, also contain lengthy sequences of non-interactive story development. The way that games have been able to craft dynamic female characters has mostly been in the parts where they act like movies or graphic novels.

These problems are systemically embedded, but not insurmountable. Many games, specifically from small teams or individual developers, have been successfully implementing both non-violent mechanics and more dynamic storytelling featuring female characters. I don't even necessarily have a problem with violent games or the damsel in distress trope being used from time to time (some, like certain horror films, will always be too intense for me), but currently, both are so pervasive in the mainstream that it's poisonous. I'm thankful that Anita Sarkeesian is composing these videos, because they help provide substantial evidence for this claim.

Blips: Buzzword Computing

Source: In Theory: Can the Xbox One cloud transform next-gen gaming?
Author: David Coombes
Site: Eurogamer

Try as I might to cover stories unrelated to Xbox One, here's another, this time on Microsoft's claims that cloud computing will supercharge their new console. David Coombes dissects Microsoft's PR-speak, pulling out what details are to be had and sets them against examples of real-world implementation where available. The gist of the piece is that Microsoft might be making a bigger deal about the power of cloud computing as it pertains to Xbox One than they'll practically be able to deliver.

I'll be honest, a lot of the material presented here is far beyond my technical understanding, but one point that did register was how low-bandwidth for your average Internet user will severely bottleneck information and limit the impact that cloud processing will have. I'm already imagining scenarios with Xbox One where texture pop-in becomes even worse or certain game elements don't load at all because my connection is too slow. I already know that I have a slow connection; it's a minor miracle that my PS3 hasn't kicked me offline in over a week.

To be fair, it sounds like Microsoft has pin-pointed a few areas where they can utilize the cloud effectively and avoid bandwidth and latency issues, but those examples hardly seem like game changers. In fact it's another situation where I'd rather just get all the power I need up front and not have to worry about cloud processing every time I just want to play a game.

Blips: Hunker Down

Source: Man Cave Fan Fiction
Author: Leigh Alexander
Site: Kotaku

Are video game consoles still relevant? Do people still want to pay hundreds of dollars to play a narrow set of graphically intense games on big TVs in their living rooms? Last week's Xbox One announcement saw Microsoft doubling down on the idea that their new console will be the latest and greatest all-in-one family entertainment center. This comes at a time when economic recovery is a slow burn and a luxurious new video game console will be launching into one of the most volatile, if not downright dire, markets for such devices. Can Microsoft muscle their way into a successful Xbox One install base? It feels like that's what they're trying to do.

If you've not seen Leigh Alexander's latest column for Kotaku, I'd encourage you to give it a read. In it she spins an apocalyptic vision of one man who, despite the rest of the world gone wrong, continues to worship at the foot of his entertainment altar, his new game console which acts as the centerpiece of his subterranean man cave. It's a Mountain Dew soaked, appropriately hyperbolic reflection of new video game consoles as survival bunkers for preserving old practices. For additional context, check out Alexander's scathing Gamasutra opinion piece on the Xbox One announcement, which makes the small details in her short story more resonant.

Now, while I continue to enjoy the TV console gaming experience, I'm not sold on the idea that I need a new one. Still, Alexander's allusion to the console gaming rig as entertainment altar is spot on, even if I'm a little embarrassed to admit it. When I moved to the DC area a few years ago, I came with very few things, none of which were furniture. However, I did pack a small TV and a couple boxes of video games and consoles. For eight months, my living room was barren except for a turbulent bundle of cords and LEDs atop a stow-away container, flickering like a little shrine.

As silly as that setup might sound, I mainly used it to play old games on old systems, nowhere near the personal entertainment basilica Microsoft seems to have in mind. The thing is, I use a more diverse array of gadgets for digital entertainment purposes than I did a decade ago, and if anything, my laptop is the all-purpose device that I plan on upgrading sometime later this year. So, at a time when I'm spending less and less time with my TV, Xbox One is asking me to spend more. At this stage in the messaging roll-out, that's not an idea I can get behind.

The Remake Impulse

A few weeks back I watched a gameplay video of Pressure, which had several qualities that reminded me of NES classic Bump 'N' Jump. Both involve driving vehicles down narrow alleys from a high perspective while sideswiping enemy cars before they have the chance to do the same to you. The two games have plenty of differences too, but they share a similar tone and spirit. Noting these parallels, I wrote a comment on the video that read, "Makes me wish someone would remake Bump 'N' Jump."

I stopped and considered the comment before publishing; why did I want a remake? I own Bump 'N' Jump. My NES is hooked up to my television. I could play Bump 'N' Jump right now if I wanted. If I instinctively desired to relive the experiences I'd had with the NES game, why would I need a new version of something I already have?

I rephrased my comment to say simply "This makes me want to play some Bump 'N' Jump." I felt this better reflected how I felt while watching Pressure, instead of sounding like a publishing executive pondering their next project (note: I am not a publishing executive). Much to my chagrin, my benign comment got a response. It read, "Now THAT's a game that needs a modern re-make [sic]." It seems the impulsive desire for remakes of old games is more widespread than I thought, and that's a problem.

There's nothing inherently wrong with remakes, and there are plenty of valid reasons to create them, but the hive-mind that is collectively conditioned to desire updates of old games instead of new original games is unhealthy. This kind of thinking suits risk-averse business models, not cultural enrichment or progressive design. Worse, it's historically revisionist, undercutting the relevance and competence of older games as they're deemed unsuitable for modern game systems. Game companies do this to themselves.

As you may have heard, there's a new SimCity out now; it's called SimCity (more on that in a minute). I haven't played the latest game, but news of its release brought back fond memories of past SimCity experiences. As a result, I've actually been playing a lot of SimCity 2000 lately. There was a sale on GOG that sold the game for pocket change, and gave me a version I could play on my MacBook.

It was confounding to listen to complaints about the most recent SimCity's launch woes knowing that an incredible version of the same game was also on the market, offering a proven, satisfying experience not unlike the core gameplay of the latest version. Every SimCity sequel is basically just a remake of the original build-a-city-from-scratch game. There is no continuation from one title to the next. You can't bring your SimCity 2000 metropolis into this year's game, as cool as that would be, so you must begin your town anew.

So, because the newest SimCity game is called SimCity (the same title as the original 1989 game), the 2013 version is considered a reboot of the franchise. In the market, it takes over the original's place as well as all previous remakes. Since there is no continuity between titles, players who are new to the series are encouraged to play the most recent game without the need for historical context. It's a shame because the latest game isn't always the most compelling take on a specific series. SimCity 2000 was recently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, not 3000, not 4, and not even the original. While the game market is driven primarily in one direction, players should have the ability to zag between past and present at will.

Maybe the new games-as-service model will change this going forward; it's hard to say, but I think that's part of the general idea with the new SimCity. If there's more persistence across platform changes, then the game can adapt as it goes instead of constantly cutting off its own legs. Also, it's worth noting that consoles are far, far worse when it comes to conservation agility, and despite marketing and perception issues, at least I am able to purchase and play on a modern machine, a game from 1994 that I used to run off a 3.5" floppy disk.

Let's return to the original question I asked myself in the comments thread: Why did I instinctively wish for a remake of Bump 'N' Jump? I like old-school graphics just as much as photo-realistic showpieces. I don't care about Achievements, DLC, or online multiplayer modes. The parts that I'd enjoy in a new Bump 'N' Jump would likely be the elements I enjoyed in the original game, and I already own it! While iterations of a game like SimCity can become more complex to granular detail, Bump 'N' Jump already delivers on the two elements it promises in its title. The answer to my question doesn't seem to reside within the game itself.

The impulse to want a remake, in my case, seems largely a product of market conditioning. The necessity of this is a very Star Wars Special Edition way of thinking. It only makes financial sense to develop games for current popular systems that make use of the latest technological innovations. That's where the tech-lust is. That's where the money is. In video games, as with Star Wars, these innovations are largely aesthetic and don't change the principal characteristics that define what a work is. Still, there is a sexiness, a desirability in whatever the new thing is.

It's a difficult mentality to break away from, one that's ingrained in me and others with similar knee-jerk reactions. This is an instinct that I have consciously been attempting to fight against. I've previously written about my experience being a "last-gen gamer" and the rewarding perspective I gained during that time. I only wish console makers would do more to make their caches of older games more accessible, taking greater stock in their own legacy. Is this an incredibly complicated task? No doubt. But would it go a long way to securing sustainable cultural capital for video games as a medium? Absolutely.

:top image modified from original by Eric Kieboom:

Blips: Craft v Theme

Source: Maturity, Challenge, Art and Games
Author: Derek Yu
Site: Make Games

Have you ever seen a documentary film that really changed your mind about a subject or at least made you newly informed to the degree that you looked past issues of filmic craftsmanship? That's how I felt about Blue Vinyl, a documentary that tells a personal story of one woman's quest to find out more about the hazards of vinyl siding, while attempting to convince her parents to reside their house with a safer material. It's a very informative movie, but cobbled together in a way that comes off amateur-ish. As a result, Blue Vinyl is an impactful documentary that, despite its unpolished nature, has its heart in the right place and gets its message across.

Spelunky creator Derek Yu points out that a similar scenario plays out in the game industry, where critics have a tendency to tout games' themes over their craft. While the best games excel in both areas, Yu claims that certain games with more "cartoony, masculine" themes are not given equal weight against those with artier themes, citing Doom 2 and Metal Slug.

I think Yu makes a fair point, and that no matter how simple or complex, it's important for games to show a high level of craftsmanship if they want to be appreciated for their artistic merits. It's about finding the right fit, not conforming to standards. However I do think that the shortlist of commercial games routinely given as examples of art (Braid, Shadow of the Colossus, Journey) are worthy of special recognition for tackling heavy themes that most other games, even expertly crafted ones, never touch.

Blips: Battle Scars

Source: Regarding the Pain of Avatars
Author: Brendan Keogh
Site: re/Action

In his first piece for re/Action, Brendan Keogh dissects how depiction of struggle helps to humanize even the most invincible of video game action heroes. His primary reference is Bruce Willis' John McClane from the film Die Hard. With action movies and games we know the protagonist is going to win the day in the end, no matter how many times they're fired upon and how many times they fall from impossible heights. Keogh points out that McClane's physical appearance and progressively strung-out tenor provide a trace of the suffering he endures. Cuts and scrapes begin to mount as the film progresses; his clothes becoming increasingly filthy and torn as well.

Games do this to, but perhaps not as often as they should. Most action games grant their heroes a Disney princess level of infallibility; jumping from rooftops and dodging gunfire, with not a hair out of place. Just think of how many characters you've taken on epic adventures that appear unchanged by the experience. I think silent protagonists are supposed to make up for this by allowing players to project themselves onto their avatars, but I'd argue that while this can prompt empathy, it's not necessarily through humanization. If games are going to tell more compelling stories, they need to begin showing how characters are effected by the game world over time in a responsive, persistent way.

Blips: For Game Narratives, Less is More

Source: Minimalism in Game Narrative: Can we say more by talking less?
Author: Paul Andrew Mcgee
Site: Felt Thought

How much direction do we really need in games? Is there anything wrong with simply being given a premise and being shoved out into the world to figure things out for ourselves? This is the sentiment running through Paul Andrew Mcgee's essay on minimalist narrative in games.

He uses the different narrative approaches of the first and most recent Zelda games as examples of how minimalist design has been informed by the technology for which it was made. The original Zelda has a minimalist premise, but much of this had to do with game design standards and technical limitations, not because Nintendo was more capable of truly realizing Miyamoto's inspirational vision than now. Even if Skyward Sword has its merits, the loudest criticism I hear about the game is that it never backs off and just let's you play.

Mcgee notes how there is a recent movement to return to minimalist design, sometimes out of nostalgia, but other times out of a desire to recreate the sense of agency and adventurous tone of games that had little choice but to be minimalist. This involves a rejection of many modern game design tropes that have pushed games to be supposedly more accessible and cinematic. This very much resonated with me, as I tend to prefer a more minimalist narrative style in general. Miasmata and Proteus are some of my recent favorite games, and both subscribe wholeheartedly to this philosophy.

There are great citations from the worlds of film, art, and literature as well, and I think Mcgee makes a great case for the power of minimalist narrative in games.

Blips: Hardware Fetish

Source: Sony's not showing its new Playstation 4 just yet, but here's a taste (video)
Author: Ben Gilbert
Site: Engadget

In a preemptive response to Microsoft's imminent Xbox unveiling, Sony has released a teaser video for the actual Playstation 4 box, notably absent from their own reveal event in February. The video shows extreme close-ups of console and controller details and a blurry black square, hiding the final device's true form. While it's all pretty silly in the context of a hype video (guess what, the PS4 will be a black box!) the detail shots, taken on their own are pretty interesting.

Now, since I can't really tell what's going on in these pictures, I can't evaluate the functionality of design components or anything like that, but still, there are some intriguing photographic images here. In fact, they remind me of abstract urban architecture photography. You're not really looking at the building or structure as a whole in these pictures, only the photographic composition. As such, you don't really get any information about what the PS4 looks like or does from the teaser, but maybe there is something the photographer is trying to say with these images besides "watch this space for further corporate announcements."

From the collage above, I'm most drawn to the center left and bottom right images. The bottom right picture is not quite divided in half by what could be a seam, ridge, or corner. Perhaps if it was to go directly through the middle, the line might appear to be crossing out the out-of-focus box transposed in the middle, a bad marketing move I'd guess. The center left image is a bit more complex, but retains the clean, monochrome gradients of the bottom right. If there is a PS4 in the middle of this composition it's engulfed by the cavernous void on display. It's difficult to tell where positive space ends and negative begins.Where does this dark alley, outlined by an illuminated doorframe lead?

While these are fun questions to consider at the moment, it may be hard to come back to these images after Sony shows off the units to press, who will in turn whip out their smartphones and all-too-easily obliterate the mystery. I'm just trying to have a bit of fun with the hype machine before the gadget connoisseurs dominate the discussion with hands-on purchasing advice and profitability projections (sigh). It all happens so fast.

Blips: Let's Play - Ad Sales

Source: Let's Plays, Nintendo and the Audacity of Monetization
Author: Jenn Frank
Site: Gameranx

When I first heard about Nintendo using YouTube's Content ID system to tag videos featuring their games, I figured it was within the company's rights. So, Nintendo wants to make their own ad revenue from people sharing videos of Nintendo games. I get it. That's what Content ID was built for. It all makes sense on a corporate finance and intellectual property safekeeping perspective.

It even seemed that indie developers who voiced pro-Let's Play opinions only held that stance because they're from smaller companies, looking for promotion and word of mouth wherever they can get it. Nintendo isn't that desperate for attention, right? They have an ad budget. They don't need this kind of grassroots publicity to move units. At least that's what their actions are communicating.

Jenn Frank's piece for Gameranx sums up the situation nicely. While Nintendo is within their legal, if judicially untested, rights, using YouTube Content ID to take ad sales away from Let's Play commentators and direct them their way is bad for the company's image, which could be bad for their bottom line in the long run. Nintendo's actions are especially surprising given the warm reception Fire Emblem: Awakening received earlier this year, praise largely spread by word of mouth. This kind of bottom-up campaign is one of the things Let's Play videos do best and make more convincing arguments for certain products than TV or web ads.

With a struggling Wii U on their hands, Nintendo shouldn't overlook the goodwill that can be earned with popular YouTubers. While only well-informed enthusiasts will really follow this news, plenty of casual gamers like to peruse YouTube for videos of games before making purchase decisions. If fewer Let's Play videos of Nintendo games are on YouTube as a result of this Content ID move, Nintendo only has themselves to blame.

Blips: Omastar Forever

Source: Meet the man who's been playing the same Pokemon Character for a decade
Author: Jason Johnson
Site: Kill Screen

When the Mass Effect sequels were released, much hubbub was made over players having "their Shephard" transferable from game to game. The persistent design lead players to deeply identify with their protagonist and care about his/her relationships with other party members and story figures. While Mass Effect was a notable implementation of such a feature, Pokemon has offered similar functionality since it's original Game Boy debut.

A paleontologist, going by the handle Cunzy1 1, was recently interviewed for Kill Screen about his Omastar. That's a kind of Pokemon, if you didn't know. A fossil-type to be exact. Get it? Paleontology and fossils? Anyway, Cunzy1 1 has used his Omastar across 10 different Pokemon games. Though it differs across hardware generations, there always seemed to be a way for Omastar to make the leap from one game to the next. It's a fun little story about character attachment and the magic that can be contained in a couple lines of code.

Blips: The Game Designer is Present

Source: The Artist is Present on Skype
Author: Pippin Barr

Have you played Pippin Barr's The Artist is Present? It's an adventure game centered around a performance/installation of the same name by Marina Abramovic at the Museum of Modern Art. In the game you can experience the artwork in simulated form with your character sitting across the table from the artist herself, staring at one another. Of course you have to play the game during museum hours, or else you won't be able to enter the building!

The Artist is Present (the game) was made a couple years ago, but just recently Marina Abramovic actually got in touch with Barr, said she had played the game, and wanted him to be a part of a new project. Details are slim for the time being, but it sounds like a cool collaboration that is as crazy as it is awesome. Can't wait to see what comes out of this.

Blips: Voter's Bluff

Source: The Voting Problem
Author: Frank Lantz
Site: Game Design Advance

Let's think of the democratic election process as a game. For voters (players), are there ways that the system could be altered to make the process more meaningful on an individual level? Could there be a clearer, more direct correlation between voting and the political action that follows? NYU Game Center Director Frank Lantz states that voting doesn't scale effectively, and that it boils down to an act of self-expression rather than a move that initiates desired political outcomes. As much as we'd like to believe that our one vote makes all the difference, statistically speaking, that has never been the case. Lantz likens the act of voting to gambling, but where the gambler is more self-aware of their odds and the degree to which their own agency can effect chance outcomes. We view voting as a sacred civil action, deluding ourselves into thinking we're exercising more power that we actually have.

While the critique of how we view voting could lead to improvements down the line, I'd argue that looking at the significance of one voter misrepresents the game being played. While one vote has never decided a US national election, there isn't only one person deciding how to cast their vote or whether or not to vote at all, but millions. I see the parallel more directly with the act of bluffing than the superstitious dice-roller. The game is in convincing people that their vote matters, not in the actual act of voting; that's just the follow-through.

Imagine a demographic of voters wherein individuals conclude that their vote is insignificant and they decline to go to the polls on election day. As a result, the candidate they would have voted for does not win, but could have if given support from this particular demographic. Those individuals would be correct in their conclusion that their singular vote would not have swung the results, but the collective inaction of people who wish the game featured their vote in a more spectacular, high-drama scenario are looking to play a different game than what the voting process actually is.

The voter's role is not the star of a single-player campaign, that's the candidate. Voters are more like NPCs, reliant on protagonists for action, and most powerful as collectives.

Recap: Twofivesix: A Videogame Arts + Culture Conference

Twofivesix, Kill Screen's first ever video game arts and culture conference, took place this past Saturday at the Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn, New York. Unlike the large-scale, multi-day productions of a typical technology-centric conference, Twofivesix was an intimate, focused affair that was able to say its piece over the course of just a single day. Granted, it was a long day, but refreshingly paced with breaks, complimentary refreshments, and friendly chatter. The result was a tight, fun gathering of game thinkers.

A large part of the conference's success can be attributed to its thematic, conversational format. This saw on-stage pairings between Journey executive producer Robin Hunicke and MoMA curator Paola Antonelli under the banner of "Games as Interaction" and Dance Central project director Matt Boch with Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey in a session titled "The Controller is Dead." All the while, Kill Screen co-founder Jamin Warren drove conversation forward, interspersing targeted questions with supplemental humor that really helped to keep the presentations agile and charming. In fact, props to Warren for holding the stage down for the better part of 8 hours.

As is usual with presentations of this sort, my biggest takeaways stemmed from the topics that I knew the least about. I was fascinated by Jeff Lin's account of the tribunal system in League of Legends. Lin's team at Riot Games asked their own community for direction on behavioral standards and enacted a transparent disciplinary system designed to help players learn from mistakes. Did you know that the majority of "toxic behavior" in LoL is not from trolls or spammers but from infrequent incidents by a large portion of "normal" players in accumulation? It's true. Riot Games uses this data to skew the behavioral psychology of their gigantic player base. Having Lin on stage with Chris Poole, founder of notorious Internet netherrealm 4chan, was a genius move as well, and made for a great comparison of community management styles.

The vibe of the Invisible Dog Art Center was befitting the carefully curated DIY ambiance of Twofivesix. The venue looked a bit rundown, like the owners claimed squatters rights sometime not that long ago, but the aesthetic was also rustic and nicely complemented by an art exhibition of pencil drawings and miniature dioramas. It all seemed purposeful. The conference took place up on the second floor which was just one big room. The whole scene reminded me of when I saw Gang Gang Dance play in what seemed to be an unfinished loft in Philadelphia in 2005, but with nerds instead of music weirdos (I identify with both by the way).

Key to any enthusiast gathering is a welcoming, conversational atmosphere, which Twofivesix did its best to provide. I chatted it up with journalists, developers, volunteers, presenters, students, and advocates over brisket sandwiches and Vietnamese iced coffee. Because food, drinks, and restrooms were all accessible within the second floor conference area, most attendees stuck around, only sneaking out for smoke breaks. The sporadic downpours also contributed to most people opting to hang inside between talks. Twofivesix's attendance was a little over a couple hundred people, if I had to guess. It was a good number. Seats were relatively full, but not jam-packed. The crowd felt like it was part of a little community, which is not always the case at larger events.

There were no Q/A sections following talks, so it was up to attendees to make the most of those conversational in-between segments. If there was something you wanted to ask a speaker, you had to engage directly as if approaching any other conference-goer. Most presenters actually stuck around for the duration of the conference, which made it a little disappointing for the few who did not. Busy schedules, I understand, but the tone of Twofivesix was such that even the folks on stage didn't come off as hierarchically "above" the masses. For what it's worth, the stage was a relatively low height as well.

I hope Kill Screen puts on another Twofivesix next year. I'd be curious to see what they'd decide to keep or change. I vouch for the return of the beef brisket, oh, and the thematic pairings of speakers from different industries; that too.

:images from Kill Screen:

Blips: A Dwarf Fortress Surprise

Source: The Minds Behind Dwarf Fortress
Author: Patrick Klepek
Site: Giant Bomb

I've only watched videos of ASCII fantasy-sim Dwarf Fortress in action; I've never played it myself. It's one of those games that I greatly admire, and am glad exists, but have very little interest in playing. That said, I was eager to hear what the minds behind the game, Tarn and Zach Adams, had to say about their interminable development process (10+ years and counting) and what it's like to have Dwarf Fortress acquired and on exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Giant Bomb's Patrick Klepek caught up with the brothers at EVE Fanfest a couple weeks ago in Iceland where they proceeded to shed some light on Dwarf Fortresses dark corners. It's cool to hear opinions on contemporary game design from developers that have been so dedicated to one game for so long.

If you like that video, you'll probably also enjoy some other videos and write-ups on Giant Bomb from this year's EVE Fanfest. I particularly got a kick out of their travelogue video where they document their week in Iceland, highlighting some very unique local cuisine. Iceland wasn't on my must-visit list, but it is now.

Blips: Shameless Plug

Source: Completely Hands-On
Author: Dan Solberg
Site: Unwinnable

No one ever said I couldn't use this blog to promote my own work. Heck, that's pretty much what it's for anyway. So, I'd like to draw your attention to my first piece for Unwinnable, a look at the video game controllers installed as part of the Applied Design exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. The controllers aren't the subject of the show, the games are, but the museum made some interesting curatorial decisions with the controllers in an attempt to amplify viewer focus on "interaction design."

The results are a bit experimental, but largely successful. MoMA strikes a balance between staying true to how you would expect the games to control and altering interfaces to meet the needs of the exhibition. Of course, if you want to full details, I'm just going to direct you to the link above. Don't worry, I'll return to talking about other people's work tomorrow.

Blips: New Media Literacy

Source: Fuck Videogames
Author: Darius Kazemi

Last week, web/interactivity artist Darius Kazemi shared a slide presentation wherein he rallies against the idea of games as the new go-to medium for creative expression. He says that just because games possess qualities that books, welding, and baking don't, that doesn't make them more capable of conveying ideas. Some expression is better suited to one form than another, and I happen to think he's quite right.

More and more it sounds like expressive game design is merging with interdisciplinary art practice. That's the impression I got from Bennett Foddy's (QWOP, Get On Top) lecture at NYU Game Center last year as well. If there's an idea you'd like to externalize, it's worth channeling it through the medium that suits it best. This can even refer to media that you've never used before, but the more options available in your "tool belt," to use Kazemi's term, the better chance you have of creating a successful match.

While it's encouraging to see an institution like NYU Game Center build an MFA program in Game Design, pushing the creative process of game development to the forefront, many studio art MFA programs across the US have already turned interdisciplinary and do not require students to select a medium of focus. This was a big factor for me when I was grad school shopping since I didn't want to enroll in a program where I had to lock myself in as a painter or photographer, largely only associating with people who also specialize in that medium. NYU Game Center has the right idea though, and even if their MFA stays games-only, it would be great to see non-game design students given a chance to cross-pollinate in the program.

If nothing else, I took Kazemi's presentation as a plea to disregard loyalty to any medium. Don't let the label on your Twitter bio hold you back from experimenting with different forms. Expressive mediums aren't people; game design won't be jealous if you take up creative writing periodically. Simply give your creative expression the platform that will make it resonate most powerfully.

Blips: Secrets of the Colossus

 
Source: The Quest for Shadow of the Colossus' Last Big Secret 
Author: Craig Owens
Site: Eurogamer

Everything in a game is there for a reason. There's symbolism and deliberate design aplenty in Team Ico's PS2 classic Shadow of the Colossus. Even though most of the landscape is empty of typical video game-y quests and characters, the pacing and journey through the vast expanses establishes a specific tone, which in turn colors the epic colossi battles when they occur. Sometimes though, the purpose of an object in game is a well hidden secret, and other times it's leftover from an element that was cut during development.

In Craig Ownes' piece for Eurogamer, he delves into a community of Shadow of the Colossus secret-seekers. These individuals have devised traversal methods for reaching areas unthinkable to the average player in hope of uncovering a hidden colossus fight. One seeker used a hacked version of the game to scour every bit of the existing terrain, discovering new landforms along the way. Still, a hidden colossus eluded secret-seeking the community.

I find the concept of secret-hunting in SotC perfectly fitting to the nature of its world. It's not that the game is largely empty, so there must be missing content, but that the game is structured around exploring ruins of a bygone age. The game is full of crumbling architecture that feels as if no one has visited for thousands of years. Secret-seekers take to the game like a relic full of riddles, concealed by code in the final retail version. It's a kind of meta-game usually reserved for the speed-run crowd (part of the SotC secret-seekers community, mind you), but here it's adventure, not execution that motives players to look deeper.

Selfish Superhero: inFamous (PS3) Review

Cole has a decision to make. He just earned a stranger’s trust by defending him from some thugs. Cole can either accept a humble reward for his help or he can kill the stranger and steal everything he has. Cole checks his Karma meter, it’s glowing blue: the color of a hero. He decides it’s in his best interest to spare the stranger, accept his thanks, and earn “good” Karma points in the process. Finally, Cole has enough currency to upgrade his basic attack.

In inFamous, you play as Cole MacGrath, a courier with the newfound superpower to control electricity. You can shoot electric bursts, grind on powerlines, and even summon lighting to reign down from the sky. Cole’s story begins in true comic book fashion, a massive explosion from some kind of high-tech/magic device endowed him electric abilities but killed hundreds in the vicinity. For Cole, the event was both an accidental windfall and an unequivocal tragedy. What to make of a horrific event that blessed him so profoundly? Where to go from here? This begins the game with a clean slate, allowing you to shape your Cole as either a superhero or a supervillain. In the aftermath of the explosion, Cole’s hometown, Empire City, is overrun with mutant hoodlums and garbage-hoarding militias and it's up to you to quell their influence over the quarantined populace while getting to the bottom of the conspiracy behind the explosion that started it all.

inFamous is structured as an open-world game in the vein of the Grand Theft Auto series. You can initiate missions that progress the story, engage in side-quests that boost your abilities, or hunt around and explore the city at your own pace. In fact, the traversal and combat mechanics are the most satisfying parts of the game, presenting you with a plethora of options for approaching any given scenario. I used “shock grenades” for most situations since they were a powerful, versatile opener for most hostile situations. The grenades can be banked off of walls, stuck to enemies, and upgraded to automatically restrain weakened targets for bonus experience points. In contrast, the "story" of inFamous is comic book gibberish, told through breakneck exposition over flashy motion comic cutscenes. inFamous is much better as a vehicle for sandbox roleplay than it is at pre-written characters and three-act structure.

The central system at work in inFamous is the Karma gauge, which, depending on how you play the game, is how you craft Cole into a hero or a villain role. At key points of certain missions, you'll be faced with a decision. The game pauses and, through voiceover, Cole clearly spells out two possible courses of action: one "good," the other "evil." You receive Karma points for executing these actions, edging the needle on your Karma meter into either the blue or the red, respectively. At certain levels, and with enough experience points from completing missions, you can purchase upgrades for the powers that match Cole's current affinity. "Good" powers prioritize minimal damage and suppressive rather than lethal force, while "evil" powers make everything blow up more spectacularly, without regard for collateral damage.

The folly of the Karma system is that switching affinity is impractical. Cole either needs to be very good or very evil to maximize his powers, and the way side-missions are meted out through the length of the game, there are really only enough points to skew all the way in one direction. You can't be evil and have some good powers or vice versa. It's all or nothing, which removes the constant string of decision points from carrying any real sense of moral conscience. These choices are more opportunities to complete whichever action will reward you with Karma points in line with your current affinity.

Cole's moral choices basically dissolve to good=selfless and evil=selfish options, but since I was always making my choices based on upgrade paths, my decisions were ultimately selfish. And my Cole was supposed to be a good guy! This colored my perception of Cole to be a sort of disingenuous hero. Sure he helps people and saves the city, but he's just out for his own notoriety all the same. It becomes clear that Cole's moral decisions are actually just branding opportunities. In one side mission you even go full-on Don Draper and select which poster design you'd like your supporters to paste around town. You're going to play the part of the “guy with superpowers" either way; it's just a question of target demographics.

Cole's callous demeanor feels intentional on the part of developer Sucker Punch. He's a street-hardened character whose gravelly voice evokes Christian Bale's Batman. When you accomplish "good deeds" your friend Zeke calls you up to tell you how you're turning the city around and making everyone happy, and your responses are always dismissive, if you reply at all. Cole has his singular goal in mind: to get to the bottom explosion that granted his powers but sent his city into a downward spiral. There is an attempt at narrative-driven character development through Cole’s strained romantic relationship with paramedic, Trish, but every favor done for her is done begrudgingly. Any past romance is subdued, as both characters seem to bury their feelings to focus on the crisis at hand. They never get around to having “the talk” that they persistently claim to want to have. In the end you're just running errands for her in a shallow attempt to get on her good side, like any other quest-giver.

There's more to inFamous than just the morality sliders, but since Karma manifests in just about every action you take, it's by far the game’s dominant characteristic. This is expounded by just how engaging Cole's combat and traversal abilities are. Most enemy encounters involve innocent pedestrians caught in the crossfire, so you have to choose to be "good" and pick off bad guys one by one or you can be "evil" and hurl electro grenades and rockets with abandon. Downed enemies can be executed or restrained. Playing as a hero, bystanders would cheer me on and gawk in passing. Sometimes they even throw rocks at enemies to help you take them out. It’s to Sucker Punch’s credit that whether you’re playing the hero or the villain, Empire City reacts appropriately.

Still, while the initial choice between good and evil was reflected through the entre arc of inFamous, the smaller decision point scenarios are misrepresentative of actual moral dilemmas. There is never any option that does not benefit Cole in some way, and, blue or red, you rack up points all the same. Negative consequences are temporary and easily reversed. Save or kill the stranger, you’ll never think about him the rest of the game. Despite what the Karma system implies, Cole is actually morally detached, not engaged.

Who’s to say that anyone wouldn’t become a bit sociopathic given the circumstances that lead to Cole gaining superpowers? For someone with that kind of strength, the difference between saving a life and taking one is pressing “O” instead of “X.” The Karma system doesn't reflect on Cole's humanity so much as his distance from it. Video games are full of self-serving protagonists; just think about how many homes you've entered in games without knocking or being invited in. inFamous does not subvert the power fantasy, but does offer moments to reflect on video game hero privilege.

No matter who loses, Cole wins.

Blips: Meta-Piracy

Source: What happens when pirates play a game development simulator and then go bankrupt because of piracy?
Author:Patrick Klug
Site: Greenheart Games

It wasn't that long ago that point n' click adventure/humor game McPixel garnered a lot of attention for teaming with notorious hotbed of copyright infringement, The Pirate Bay, to promote free downloads of the game. Part of the promotion also asked folks to pitch in some money for the game if they're able. The promotion got plenty of people talking about the McPixel, eventually pushing the game through Steam's Greenlight process and onto the main storefront.

Greenheart Games' Game Dev Tycoon wasn't involved in any special promotion, but as a kind of social experiment, they secretly leaked a slightly altered version of their game for pirates. The resulting data shows that an overwhelming majority of Game Dev Tycoon's players have been playing the pirated game as opposed to the retail version.

What's crazier is Greenheart Games built a special occurrence into their game development simulator for the pirated version of their game: pirates. That's right, at some point during the simulated development process, your game is pirated and your company can no longer turn a profit and progress further. The joke seems to be lost on several players who don't grasp the irony of the situation and seek solutions on forums. Check out the full article for some unbelievable quotes.

Blips: One Fish, Two Fish

Source: Cloned at Birth: The Story of Ridiculous Fishing
Author: Russ Pitts
Site: Polygon

Game cloning is a serious problem. In Polygon's recent Human Angle story, they speak with the developers at Vlambeer, the team behind mobile sensation Ridiculous Fishing about the experience of having their game cloned.

Members of the team recount feelings that echo some other sentiments voiced last week about "imposter syndrome." The fact that your original idea could be taken and executed upon by another team before you have a chance to formally release yours can lead to negative feelings directly inward.

Luckily, the game community was abuzz when Ridiculous Fishing finally saw the light of day, and seems like it has sold rather well. The unfortunate matter is that Vlambeer claims their next game, Luftrausers, has already been cloned as well.