I was so close to buying Diablo III. It was in my cart. I only had to click a few more buttons to have Blizzard's latest masterpiece in my hands.
I held my nerve, though, and appealed to someone, anyone to send me a code for the downloadable trial instead. Thankfully, a generous Twitter user came to my aid, and after about six hours, I was ready to play.
At first glance, Diablo III isn't much to look at. The character models for each of the classes look a little simplistic, especially when compared to those seen in Max Payne 3 — which saw release in the same week. I chose the balding, bearded monk, assigned him my standard name (Dutch, in case you were wondering), and started clicking.
With its subtle narrative hints, charming art style, and visual splendor, I soon found myself hooked on Diablo III. For about three hours, I clicked barrels, jugs, and skeleton warriors. I clicked loot and gold while rearranging my inventory multiple times. I clicked and clicked and clicked some more.
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Facebook’s Timeline lets you place an image at the top of your profile. Sure, you could add a crummy, awkwardly cropped family photo — or you can use a kick-ass cover from your favorite video game.
We’re releasing seven days’ worth of artwork, each with a different theme, that you can use to decorate your Facebook profile:
- Sunday: The Modern Era (today)
- Monday: Modern/Retro
- Tuesday: The Indies
- Wednesday: 8/16-bit
- Thursday: Social & Mobile
- Friday: Arcade
- Saturday: Future Games
Today’s batch of covers features 10 titles from the current generation of games. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pictures, then right-click (or ctrl-click for Macs) them and hit “save image as” to save to your computer.
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Thatgamecompany co-founder (and creator of PlayStation 3 adventure Journey) Jenova Chen thinks that most games lack the mature themes and depth required to appeal to adults.
“My biggest complaint for computer games so far is they are not good enough for adults,” Chen told Gamasutra in a recent interview. “For adults to enjoy something, they need to have intellectual stimulation, something that’s related to real life. Playing poker teaches you how to deceive people, and that’s relevant to real life. A headshot with a sniper rifle is not relevant to real life. Games have to be relevant intellectually.”
Gamers and critics alike commended Journey for its ability to stir emotions without relying on traditional storytelling tropes like dialogue. GamesBeat’s review of the PlayStation 3 exclusive called the title, “…an archetypal story of the struggle we go through in life as we tackle any tough mission.” Certainly sounds more relevant to an adult than getting a triple kill with a rocket launcher.
“Can games make you and another human experience an emotion that’s deep enough to touch adults? I’m working on all of that. Making emotional games and making them intellectually relevant, making games where people can connect and come together,” said Chen, who had previously stated that PlayStation Network players are more likely to be interested in artistic games.
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Pinball machines may break, and arcades may close down, but digital is forever. Now, FarSight Studios is looking to make the Twilight Zone pinball machine a part of eternity by adding it to the lineup of titles in its excellent Pinball Arcade (available on iOS, Android, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PS Vita).
Just one problem: Licensing a popular and beloved table like that can be expensive, so the developer is looking to Kickstarter to fund this expansion to their already-great collection.
In addition to licensing the table from Bally, the original creator, the team must come to a financial agreement with the owners of the television show, the music, and the actors whose likenesses appear in the art. It all seems to add up to create an insurmountable hurdle that would prevent a machine like this from ever titling, flippering, or multiballing again.
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I recently read An Economist Gets Lunch by Tyler Cowen. Much of the book is advice on finding quality ethnic food (and barbecue) at reasonable prices, whether in the US or in their home countries. Don’t eat in the tourist district, do eat where there are several restaurants of the same type in the neighborhood (until I visited DC, it never occurred to me that you could have a half-dozen Ethiopian restaurants in one block). Being an economist, his insights focus on where the restaurants have the right incentives and efficiencies. A place with great atmosphere is selling that, rather than the food; the tourist district does not worry about repeat customers; American shipping systems are great but really fresh seafood and produce is only available close to the source.
Yes, this is one of those extended metaphor posts that takes an example from another setting and applies it to gaming.
The simplest guide is to look at the customers. If the restaurant has the right people eating there, the food is probably good. Who are the right people? The ones with interests aligned with yours. If you are reading his book, Mr. Cowen assumes you are with him, but notes that you can reverse his advice if you are looking for status over food quality. If you’re looking for authentic X cuisine, you want to see people from country X. If the decorations means nothing to a middle American audience, and there are people shouting at each other in a language you do not understand, and it is poorly signed in a strip mall, this is a restaurant that draws in people who would know good X food. It must be surviving on quality. If you see lots of smiling faces and people enjoying the atmosphere, they are enjoying the atmosphere first, the food secondarily. Restaurants are businesses that respond to incentives, and if they get more customers from their music than their food, they will put give more attention to the music. Tourists are a bad sign; repeat customers are the ones who will judge a place based on the quality of the food. Trendy food is bad; hipsters are not known for being drawn to quality.
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I am withering away waiting for the next Guild Wars 2 beta event. I have dreams of a dagger-charged necromancer or elementalist that I can’t wait to realize. Yet, the gaming world seems to be darkening as the light of the last Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event is receding. I am trying to shake the feeling as best as I can with Steam sales, and the like. Then I hear what is going on in the news.
Scarlet “MMO”
Except for the aforesaid exception, the MMO genre seems to be bleakening. With a gracious nod to Beau Hindman, I would say that this only seems to be the case for so-called “AAA” titles as F2P titles seem to flood across the land like a scute mob.
38 Studios MMO in-development now has Rhode Island managing some of it’s affairs. TERA launched, I guess, but it is going on sale within virtual minutes afterward, which as Syp says after only two weeks of launch it smells funny. Star Wars the Old Republic was a nice flash in the darkness, and its current state seems better than most. Yet, EA/BioWare is constantly sending out bat signals of free weekends, and other silly gimmicks, which seem to indicate a sinking ship, whether it actually is or not.
Yes, Syncaine, EVE Online glorious light of MMOs is standing by, and I’ve actually been somewhat interested in taking a peek at Rift again. Rift has remained rather solid, for lack of a better word. Perhaps “excellently managed” would be better, which only benefits subscribers all the more. They seem to be managed in ways to benefit both subscribers and the company, which even without stockholder-screeching subscriber numbers seems to be a pretty awesome way to go. That’s how EVE Online started, more or less. A sustained MMO is the most successful MMO.
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Big Finish Games wants to revive the classic sci-fi noir detective Tex Murphy, and they need your help. Codenamed Project Fedora, this will be the sixth game in the full-motion video adventure game series. All the original elements are coming back: creators Chris Jones and Aaron Conners (with Jones reprising his lead role), strong character-driven plots, and FMV. New this time are branching story paths, giving a little more flexibility to the man of mystery. Project Fedora promises to not only introduce Tex Murphy to newcomers, but also to resolve the cliffhanger ending from Tex Murphy: Overseer. Kickstarter funding for the endeavor ends on June 16th.
© Ian Davis for The Adrenaline Vault, 2012. | Permalink | No comment(s)
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Last night, 38 Studios uploaded a fly-through video of its still-in-development massively multiplayer online game titled Project Copernicus. The footage reveals a fantasy world with lush landscapes and intricately decorated fortresses. Project Copernicus shares the land of Amalur with the company’s recently published role-playing game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.
This video follows closely after Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee revealed the release date of Project Copernicus (June 2013) against the wishes of 38 Studios. A source familiar with the events told GamesBeat that everyone at the developer was shocked when they saw Governor Chafee announce their MMO’s delay on television, which is a piece of information that was buried deep within the confidential financial information 38 Studios presented to the state.
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Sonic the Hedgehog revs up for a sidescrolling adventure in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II in another attempt to recapture those wonderful days when his games didn’t suck. While last fall’s Sonic Generations took some good strides in helping the spiky rodent reclaim his place among gaming royalty, Episode II feels like a return to the Sonic we got to know during the last 15 years…
…the one that always disappoints us.
WHAT YOU’LL LIKE
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Did you know your PlayStation 2 visually represents your game library every time you flick on the console? Ever wondered why bananas were smugglers' go-to sale in Final Fantasy Legend II? Here's a good one: No one knows the exact date of Super Mario Bros. US release on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
As always, the Internet reveals all. Website Did You Know Gaming? collects useful tidbits of trivia relating to the development and design of current and retro titles. Instead of boring blocks of text, each factoid comes wrapped in a colorful infographic — which is conveniently scaled to sticker size to print out and paste all over your co-worker's keyboard during a bathroom break.
Check out some more fact posters after the break.
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