To Exsist or Not?

I have noticed something lately. That something is the emergence of what I see as games that should not exist. Its not only that they shouldn't be its that they have no reason for being. These are games that add nothing to the industry as far as graphics or game play go. They don't tell a intriguing story, a new story, build on an old story, or even retell an old story in an interesting way.

One purpose for gaming is to take the player to another world and to escape the every day. I maintain that these games fall down in this very elemental purpose. To give an example Hour of Victory is yet another WWII game. That in its self isn't damning. There have been other reinventions of the WWII genre game that are completely viable. Some like Call of Duty added graphics and thus realism and immersion when it first came out. Others like Brothers in Arms added a new game play style to the mix with the squad combat style. Up until that point you were kind of the loan wolf against the Nazi hordes. But Hour of Victory does none of these things. It tells the same tiered story of troops in WWII (not that it is a bad story just one that has bee rehashed in games for too long), it does use the amazing Unreal 3 engine but barely clears the bar set by Call of Duty, and finally it adds nothing in the way of game play. Put shortly it adds nothing to the gaming world. Therefore it has no reason to exsist.

I don't mean to pic on this game because there are others out there this is just the most recent one to hit shelves. Games are like art and designers like the artist. People don't enjoy art that adds nothing to to world and I think the same should be held for games. If your game doesn't add anything to the story of gaming spend your time on something else.

Wii Love to Play

I haven't had much to say in the past few months. I guess I haven't had time or the inclination to do so. I also have had a distinct lack of anything to write about. I guess to get up to speed I graduated and have found a wonderful job. I work for the University of Nebraska Athletic Department. WOOT!

Anyway on to the game thoughts for this post. About a week ago I got one of the new Nintendo Wiis. All I can say is wow! This is what gaming should be. The whole thing from starting the system to playing a game is a very pure feeling. This brings back the same excitement level I felt when playing games for the first time as a young kid. You don't feel like you have bought into one platform or another and you just have fun with what ever you are doing.

My son, wife, friend and I all played Wii sports and I have not stoped for the whole week. Just the simple free game that came with the system, yes that's right people I said with the system, is worth the price of admission. Because of the new level of interaction I think that the system brings a heightened sense of competition to multilayer games and sports inpaticular. This is because weather you win or lose is no longer just based on your button mashing abilities but on your physical actions and abilities. So when you accomplish something you have really proven yourself and actually accomplished something.

Like all of the soccer moms out there I love that it adds a great level of activity to an otherwise sedative pastime. I wish I would have had this when I was a kid. Probably would have keep me trimmer. I know my wife and I are pretty hot and sweaty after a game of tennis or boxing.

I will try to be more active in my posting as I now have more time and more of a wide range of systems to talk about. Take it easy.

Umm next time maybe... Zelda Twilight Princess.

Advanced Game Playing

All right after a week with Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter I have decided that I have made no mistake by investing in the 360. As if there was ever any question! Well in truth after just a few hours in multiplayer I had come to the conclusion that this is what gaming should be. For the first time in almost 20 years of playing any and all games I could get my hands on, the image on the screen and the images in my imagination are exactly the same.

With the loss of the "jaggies" the worlds generated by the 360 become so much more real. Ghost really brings this to an amazing level. Playing the "Rocky Cove" map I almost cried it was so real. It wasn't just a Ghost walking across the beach it was me. I have never experienced such immersion in a game.

Physics wise Ghost offers up a great experience. The movements of people while they run, slide, and die are all very human like. Movement is fluid and adds to the level of immersion the stellar graphics bring.

This game shines both single player and multiplayer. With all the choices in the multiplayer I can not see G.R.A.W getting old until say the next one comes out. Ghosts physics, graphics, and game play should be a bench mark for any game developer trying to make realistic looking and feeling games.

Next week the gates of Oblivion open wide!

Wow March rocks. War March Madness!

Well Fight Night Round 3 just came out last week and after a good solid week of working my self to the top of the fight game I have to say it was well worth the wait. We all already know that the graphics are solid and so is the game play but something that has stood out for my friends and I is that this is a great game just to watch. The first time something like this happened was back when the Dream Cast first came out and we got a hold of Sega's new Foot Ball offering. At the time I was working at a mom and pop game store here in Lincoln, Game Player for those that still hold the flame. Anyway we would all sit at the big TV at the front of the store and play 2k all day and people would come in and out of the store and we would get comments that it looked so good they thought we were just watching a game. Good times. Well we held Friday Night Fights last Friday and it was great. We had it set up tournament style with the tourny on a HD projector and 4 other TV's set up to hold practice matches for those waiting for their main match to come up. Well the competition was so real and so heated no one ended up playing on the satellite units NOT ONE.

I think a lot of that comes not only from the photo realistic graphics but the near life like competition that comes flowing out of this game. Now ofcourse it doesn't offer a "life like" experience, I mean no one left with broken noses, but plenty of people left with broken spirits after Big Sexy plowed an undefeeted trench through the pretenders. The level of commitment to ones character that the graphics and sound bring are amazing. It really was almost exactly the same as sitting with these same guys and watching a real ESPN Friday Night Fight. This is defiantly a game to be played with friends and foes in a group.

Next week. Ghot Recon Advanced War Fighter. Hoo Rah.

Looking Ahead

Well I finally have a graduation date that is officially inside of a year. I have 10 months to go and can't wait. I have begun and rebegun school time and time again. Its not that I don't like school its actually the opposite of that I love it. I hunger for school while not enrolled. I just have until this point lacked the write major. I have tried a bit of everything but now I have a direction. From the min I decided to go the programming route I have not flagged. I feel it flowing through me, like the force. hehe.

I now know what I have been meant to do. I don't regret any of the other attempts at school any kind of learning is good, great even. What I do regret is the loss of time in a professional position as a programmer. I hope to join the ranks of these elite individuals in the next few months and am very thankful for the chance. I owe this all to my wife who has inspired me through her belief that I can do anything as long as I try.

Per Vivere [To Live]: Holly Shelf Unit, Batman!

Wow freaking cool Idea. More people need to produce hidden areas of a house. This dude should be on the one of those home improvement shows.

Shelf Unit

F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. for PC - F.E.A.R. PC Game - F.E.A.R. Computer Game

This is one of the best FPS I have played in a LONG time. F.E.A.R. Combines the scare factor of Doom 3 with the better physics of Half Life 2. F.E.A.R. Takes it a bit farther though when it comes to bullet physics. You can almost feel the thump as your bullets riddle the unfortunate clones that made the mistake of attacking you. The implementation of what must be some for of muscle structure helps the often over used rag doll physics. When a person gets hit there is a definite response to each bullet and not just a full on seizure it is much more of an individual response. Enough concentrated bullets will cause the victim to fall on drop to a knee. One or tow bullets may just caused a very short reaction.

The fear in F.E.A.R. in fear is very well done. A mix of ghosts and psychic phenomenon combine to make a very creepy product. The demo even saw a Max pain style dream scene that worked very well to add to the paranormal freakyness. A young girl seems to be tracking your moves and we all know little girls are very scary. Overall the demo from gamespot was short but showed off a lot of what this game has to offer. I for one cant wait to try the final product from Monolith Studios.