Archive for the ‘Columns’ Category:
Burnout: Paradise Lost and Found
When Criterion’s Burnout: Paradise demo went live last December, fans of the high-speed, crash-and-burn racing series were largely unimpressed. And for good reason: It was boring. Instead of the open racing world Criterion promised, the demo was tiny slice of unremarkable cityscape that played host to a scant handful of racing events.
Criterion’s Alex Ward responded to the chorus of yawns and whines with an indignant holiday missive on Criterion’s website. “We think we made THE best demo released all year,” he wrote before launching a full-frontal defense of the upcoming title. “This new Burnout is an experience that YOU choose how to play rather than us forcing a game structure on you - when the rest of you get to play the full game I am confident you will agree.”
I wasn’t convinced by Ward’s open letter. Let’s face it: Game industry talk is very, very cheap. But as I now know from a series of marathon sessions with Criterion’s finished product, Ward was right. Criterion knew what they were doing when they built a game that defied established conventions.
(Read the rest of this article over at The Escapist)
Child’s Play, Live from Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital
Several weeks back I visited a local children’s hospital to get a better handle on just how Child’s Play makes a difference in kids’ lives. It was awesome. I wrote about it for The Escapist. Here’s an excerpt:
Some kids arrive by ambulance. Others by helicopter. Some will leave the same day. Others will stay for weeks. Whether they’re in the burn unit, the trauma center, the oncology department or the rehabilitation unit, the children at Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon, all have one thing in common: They’d rather be somewhere else.
Jen Usinger is one of five certified Child Life specialists at Legacy Emanuel, dedicated to helping young patients cope with the pain, anxiety and boredom that inevitably accompany their hospital stays. “It’s a kid’s job to play and have fun,” she says, “and we try to incorporate that into their hospital experience.” Penny Arcade’s Child’s Play charity helps them do just that.
You can read the full article here.
Escapist Article: If Only
Five assassinations in, and I was done. I didn’t care that my remarkably animated hero was capable of superhuman feats. It didn’t matter that the citizens of beautifully-rendered ancient cities needed saving. The conspiratorial malefactors that terrorized the kingdom would be spared. I was finished. I slipped Assassin’s Creed back into its prepaid rental return envelope and found myself thinking, once again, if only.
If only Ubisoft had injected a little variety into my hero’s tasks, instead of requiring him to repeat the same cookie-cutter “investigations” over and over again. I would have happily finished the game.
If only. While the internet explodes with countless numbered lists announcing the best and worst of last years’ offerings, I look back on 2007 and those two words keep echoing in my head.
(read the rest of this article over at The Escapist.)
Playing For the Reward
![06[1].jpg](http://lowspec.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/06%5B1%5D.jpg)
I’m occasionally perplexed by my own gaming habits. During the past few years I’ve found myself setting aside or even foregoing certain games I’ve had every reason to enjoy. Even worse, I’ve occasionally spent hours on games that would normally bore me. It wasn’t until the Call of Duty 4 multiplayer beta that I could put my finger on what was up.
I wasn’t overly excited when I received a COD 4 multiplayer beta invite last month. Though I’m an Infinity Ward enthusiast, and I thoroughly enjoyed the single-player campaigns of both Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2, the series’ multiplayer components never drew me in. The beta languished on my 360’s hard drive for nearly a week before I checked it out. But once I started playing, I couldn’t stop.
(Read the rest of this article over at The Escapist)
Merging My Hobbies: Halo 3’s Theater
![40954[1].jpg](http://lowspec.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/40954%5B1%5D.jpg)
Including Halo 3’s Theater feature is a gutsy move on Bungie’s part, considering how easily it allows players to discover and document flaws or glitches. But for the most part the game typically looks far more incredible in stop-motion fly-throughs than it does at its standard breakneck pace. As I’ve carefully maneuvered my camera through former games I’ve realized just how much artistry I’ve missed. I always loved the way real-life photography gave me a new appreciation of my subject. The same happens as I’m snapping images from Halo 3. Where once I saw a standard sci-fi shooter with somewhat generic art design, I now see a painstakingly detailed world.
I burned through Halo 3’s entire campaign without once examining the intricate instrumentation of the Ghost’s control panels or the lovely, cerulean ripples of plasma that sparkle around the barrels of its cannons as they fire. I never really appreciated the fleeting crackles of yellow energy that dance, weblike, across players’ bodies as their shields go down. I didn’t notice the precision of the animations that unfold as one player sticks another with a Spike Grenade.
(The rest of this article is published at The Escapist).
PAX 2007: Gaming Shangri-La
![paxlogo[1].jpg](http://lowspec.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/paxlogo%5B1%5D.jpg)
I had a fantastic time at PAX this year. The venue, events, panels, games, and people were all a blast. Well worth the trip in every respect. My only regret is that there was only one of me in attendance. There was far more to see and enjoy than any single person could take in.
I’ve got a write-up of the event at The Escapist. I also helped cover it over at Gamers With Jobs.
Money Talks, Art Walks
Pardon me while I invoke the name of Roger Ebert in a discussion of videogames and art. I know, I know: Ebert and his disparaging views of gaming have nearly been done to death. Which happens to be my point.
Ebert fired his latest salvo in what gamers have come to view as a full frontal assault on their beloved hobby a couple of weeks ago, in response to Clive Barker’s recent comments over at GamesIndustry.biz. I wasn’t all that interested in Ebert’s remarks, but I took notice when Newsweek’s N’gai Croal jumped into the fray. Croal refutes Ebert’s arguments with an even-keeled alacrity wholly absent from the film critic’s snide missive, and Ebert ultimately comes off as unqualified to talk about games, and perhaps even art.
I’m glad to see a respected game journalist like Croal rising to the games-as-art defense. Still, I wonder how relevant these debates really are.
(read the rest of this article over at The Escapist)
In Defense of Previews
In recent years, it’s been fashionable to criticize the press for the emotional trauma previews engender, and often for good reason. Previews rarely offer measured critiques of upcoming games, and even when they do, they usually undermine their concerns with unbridled optimism. In the worst scenarios, previews merely regurgitate the carefully crafted, gushing content generated by industry representatives.
And yet, we love the stuff. Read why over at The Escapist.
The Price Is Not Right
Let’s look at current generation console prices to date, in U.S. dollars. Nintendo’s Wii rings up at about $250. Microsoft’s Xbox 360’s three flavors include the $300 Core pack, the $400 Premium edition, and the $480 Elite. Sony’s PlayStation 3 is available in $500 and $600 options. All other things being equal, the Wii’s price is obviously the most attractive, which might explain why it’s outselling the 360 by about 2-to-1, and the PS3 by about 4-to-1.
(As usual, you can find the rest of this article over at The Escapist).
Parents, Gaming, and Unspoken Fears
My 7-year-old daughter is, I expect, a typical child of a gamer parent. On a rainy afternoon she’s as inclined to curl up with a DS and Animal Crossing as she is to switch on the television. She’s equally pleased when playing with Play-Dough or sculpting virtual landscapes in Viva Pinata. And she’s just as likely to fire up a Reader Rabbit title on the PC as she is to read a book.
I monitor her gaming habits, of course. Gears of War stays on the top shelf of the entertainment center, and I’m quick to turn her attention elsewhere before her play sessions reach marathon lengths. But otherwise, I’ve got few qualms about her pursuit of the same hobby I enjoy. In fact, I’m thrilled we have this interest in common. And I’ll admit I’ve encouraged it.
I’ve recently learned this makes me something of a pariah among non-gaming parents. Read why in the full article, published over at the Escapist Daily.