The Chiz

Nov 24

Gesture-Based Control and Tactile Feedback

Design, Gadgets, Games, Hardware, Previews, Toys, Uncategorized, Video Games 5 Comments »

Last week, the Montreal International Game Summit came and went in an incredible flurry of keynotes, roundtables, exhibitions, and (of course) bar nights in downtown Montreal. Being a game development student in a city only two hours away from Montreal, myself and a bunch of my classmates had the opportunity to check it out, and for many of us for the second or third time. Over the next couple of weeks I will be discussing the incredible keynotes and conferences, as well as posting some photos of the event. Right now though, I’d like to go over some of the more interesting booths in the exhibition hall.

Compared to bigger gatherings like the Penny Arcade Expo or GenCon, MIGS had a relatively small collection of “booths.” However, since this is an industry summit and not a convention, the booths had a lot more to offer by way of development and business opportunity. One of the booths that really caught my eye was set up by Mgestyk, a Kanata, Ontario based company that focuses on engineering hardware and software for their gesture-based “Mgestyk” digital input system.

Think of the Sony Playstation’s EyeToy. Anyone familiar with this piece of hardware knows how much fun optical input can be, but also knows about it’s relative lack of precision, especially in sub-prime lighting conditions. On the other hand, the Mgestyk system seemed pretty accurate in the variable lighting conditions of the MIGS exhibition hall (the lighting changed depending on what else was happening in the main hall.)

I got to try out the camera system at two seperate times, and with two seperate games. The first was a driving simulator, with the player perspective seated inside of the car. To operate the vehicle, I had to hold my hand out to the camera, gripping an invisible steering wheel. The software then recognized the specific configuration of my posture and hands, and took that as a signal to accelerate. As long as I held my hands in this position, I was able to steer the car by mimicking the hand movements that one would use on a steering wheel. To stop or reverse, I simply had to raise my thumbs while keeping my hands in the same location. The software noticed the difference, and the game reacted accordingly.

The other game was a light-saber battle with little ball and socket marionette characters on-screen. Taking the first-person perspective, I was able to duke it out Jedi-style with my friend, who was playing on the station next to me. The saber was represented by a WiiMote in my hand, but in concert with the Mgestyk setup I found that I had a far greater degree of control over my motions on all axis, including range, pitch, and yaw. It also ignored all other movement behind me, which is critical in a crowded exhibition hall.

Set to retail at about the price of a high-end webcam, the Mgestyk could be a neat addition to a hardcore gamer’s arsenal. Check out the following YouTube videos. When I spoke to the guys representing the company at MIGS, they were really enthusiastic about the popularity of the videos online, and given how much fun I had with their setup I can see why. Oh, apparently it will also work in total darkness (though one would hope you would at least be playing with your TV on.)

I also got to check out the booth that Microsoft had set up, with a pretty interesting gaming rig. Featuring the acclaimed Far Cry 2, the setup added a pretty impressive tactile feedback system using gear they already have on the market.

First of all, they used a neat triple monitor setup that gave the sudden advantage of peripheral vision. While very helpful in multiplayer, there were some drawbacks. I had a lot of initial trouble getting used to the huge amount of new visual real-estate, and the game itself seemed to have issues figuring out where to draw 2D HUD elements like player names and menu options.

The other elements added were a set of desk fans that (were supposed to) give the player the impression of wind while running or moving quickly, and ambient lights that reacted to on-screen events. My favourite, however, was the 3rdSpace Gaming Vest, an impact generating piece of apparel by TN Games.

Using “Pneumatic Impact Cells”, the vest reacts to in-game events such as bullet impact and explosions, though only within it’s fairly limited scope of supported software. Trying out the vest was interesting. The feeling of bullet impact on my chest made me a little more aware of the gaming environment, as well as a little less risky when assaulting enemy fortifications. I’m not sure if this piece of hardware is necessarily worth the price just yet, but the addition of a soft of primal fear instilled by physical stimuli is hard to get elsewhere within gaming, and at the very least worth a try.

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Oct 18

Voice and Mind

Design, Gadgets, Games, Hardware, Tests, Toys, Uncategorized 2 Comments »

Real-time strategy games have historically had a difficult run trying to break into the console market. Over the last couple of decades of popular home console use, there have been multiple RTS releases and ports, though they are almost always poorly recieved when compared to their PC counterparts.

Although there are multiple reasons for this struggle, the most prominent setback was and continues to be the control interface. While most games use controls for view and character movement, strategy games use the control interface to quickly select and deploy potentially dozens of units in rapid order. While the mouse is perfectly suited for this, console controllers lack in both the speed and precision department.

This brings me to the console-exclusive Tom Clancy’s EndWar. The up-and-coming release is a tactical strategy game that offers the player a deep voice-recognition system used to control multiple units. With the headset on, the player can bark orders such as “Unit 2 attack hostile 1″, or “Unit 4 secure Foxtrot”, and have your on-screen soldiers acknowledge your orders via the headset’s earpiece.

Although the voice commands are pre-made and compartmentialized by the Ubisoft developers, they are complex and specific enough to be able to do anything from having one unit defend another, to ordering your camera to follow a mobile helicopter unit. The fact that the voice commands were designed to recognize proper sentence structure makes the voice-command system feel even more natural.

Unlike other voice-activated software, EndWar requires very little voice training. In fact, during the demo’s setup phase it felt as if the program was training me, as opposed to me training it. The complexity and range of the recognition software is demonstrated by this video demo, where the game recognizes commands uttered by a pair of trained parrots.

——–

On the topic of unique control mechanisms, hardware manufacturer OCZ has a device on the market that has been dubbed the “Neural Impulse Actuator”, or NIA. What the NIA consists of is essentially a rubber headband with diamond-shaped sensors on it. This headband connects to box that is used to translate the headband’s readings into keyboard bindings, that are then fed to your compute via USB input. Using a combination of electro-encephalogram, electro-myogram, and electro-oculogram technologies, the NIA can be used to pass up to eight different input binds to your computer without having to actually touch another input device. It’s sensors measure facial muscle tension, ocular movement, alpha brain waves, and beta brain waves to literally read your mind and your physiological impulses, which are then used as control mechanisms.

With a fair amount of training, the NIA can be taught to translate various types of thought (aggressive, pain management, etc) into usable input. This means that you can have it translate a tensing of your jaw muscles as a jump command, or a sideways glance as a look command. Using the alpha wave sensors, you can have the NIA translate an aggressive thought such as swearing into an input, as well. The lowest price I have found this for is about $120, and the highest is about $300. In it’s current iteration, however, the software will only recognize keyboard input. This means that you will still have to use the mouse if you want to get much PC gaming done with it.

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Aug 06

Bound in Braid

Design, Games, Uncategorized, Video Games 1 Comment »

Jonathan Blow’s keynote speech at Montreal International Game Summit in 2007 included something new and exciting. After talking about his thoughts on BioShock and other bits of deceptive game design, he brought up some screens and videos of his (then) up-and-coming title, Braid. After some impressive footage and interesting description, I became intrigued and excited for Braid’s release. After a few months without new information, the game began to slip from my radar.

Every now and then I heard a little bit about Braid here and there, which always rekindled my interest for a little while. I never really followed the development, but those short moments of excitement were enough to keep my excitement fueled. When my roommate reminded me that Braid hit Xbox Live Arcade, I had to download it as soon as I got home.

Hellman shows off his unique art style in Braid.

While I had seen videos of the game in action, nothing had prepared me for the actual game play experience. The music was soothing and put me in a good state of mind for a puzzle game, and David Hellman’s unique and beautiful art style really lends itself to the playfulness of the overall game. The simple aesthetic treat of wandering the various levels is enough to make me want to keep playing, much less the incredibly satisfying mental challenges.

Braid’s puzzles can be tricky in their relative simplicity. All of the answers are laid in front of you, but often obfuscated in such a way that requires a fair amount of simplification and lateral thought. Over thinking puzzles seemed to be my downfall, and I was usually able to solve them quickly enough if I forced myself to forget conventional puzzle wisdom and seek out the simplest answer. The entire experience really makes me feel like I’m playing with the game - like a new toy or brain teaser - rather than just playing through game.

Although I’m going to omit specific examples for fear of revealing any solutions, I find it amazing at how Braid makes me feel as if my brain is sabotaging it’s own efforts while solving certain puzzles. Often I’ll feel close to a solution, only to spend a few minutes stalled on my answer. When I finally find the right answer, I’ll have realized that I was originally somewhat off, and had zealously created my own red herrings.

All I can really say at this point is to try it out. The demo is free and available via Live Arcade, at a mere 144mb download. Play it with the sound up, alone in the room, and in a comfortable seat. Braid’s puzzles will leave you in a wake of self-congratulatory serenity.

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Jul 24

Slightly More Human Than Acceptable.

Design, Games, Previews, Tests, Uncategorized, Video Games No Comments »

Previous to playing the demo, Too Human hadn’t really struck me as a “need to play title.” Nothing I saw online really interested me, and the idea of another “Diablo-like” really didn’t sit well after I lost interest in Titan Quest so quickly. Nonetheless, I downloaded the demo and played with the starter class presented to me. An hour later the demo complete, I really found myself wanting more. The potential for more loot and interesting enemies to slaughter seemed great, and my techno blood lust was tangible. Alas, the demo was over and I wasn’t really interested in playing through the same level again so soon - with the same class, anyways*.

Too Human allows the user to play as the Norse warrior “Baldur”.

Something that immediately frustrated me was the control scheme, and I’m sure that more people had the same issue. I was so set in my ways, that using the right analog stick to do anything but control the camera seemed like an instinctual raping. This may seem like a poetic exaggeration, but as seasoned video game veteran it was downright embarrassing to be fumbling over my game pad like a club-fisted idiot. However, I persevered. The Robot Goblin battles needed a hero, and the game’s theme had captured my interest enough for me to press on. After a while I found that I wasn’t noticing the irritating controls scheme as much, and then not at all. By the time I had finished the demo I was comfortable enough with the control scheme to realize how elegant the setup actually is. By mapping all melee attacks to the right analog stick, the player has an incredible amount of directional control over his attack - a feature ever important to a third-person hack n’ slash adventure.

Suddenly, hitting a button for every attack seems like child’s play. Being able to choose the precise location of your attack as you would plot out a point using a protractor is the new hotness. It really demonstrates how you can create a game in a familiar style, yet emerge with a better control scheme (at the expense of some slight gamer frustration). Combined with immediately interchangeable melee and ranged attacks, and suddenly the gamer is given an immense amount of control over his avatar, able to weave intricate and stylish attack combinations at will. I experience great glee every time I use an over sized hammer to knock a goblin into the air, and then shoot him out of the sky with a burst of plasma fire.

The game uses a somewhat familiar inventory system. There are several melee and ranged weapon “types”, and the player can equip one melee and one ranged weapon at a time. The weapons and armour come in varying levels of colour-coded rarity, with power scaling up based on how unique the item is. It’s all essentially a loot-whore game wrapped in a unique and exciting theme. Really though, who wouldn’t find cyber vikings exciting? Cyborg Valkyries!

Too Human also uses a nifty puzzle mechanic involving environment manipulation. The techno-Norse version of the internet is a lush mountain region known as “cyberspace”, accessible only by a sort of super advanced well. When the well is used, the player is transported in body to cyberspace, where new items can be collected and where environmental puzzles can be solved to gain access to new areas in “real life.” This whole sub-game adds a sense of mystery to the already interesting theme. It also provides a break from the action and allows the player to cool down and mentally refocus on the tasks ahead. The soft transition from action to puzzles is pleasant and doesn’t feel forced.

All in all, I found the Too Human demo to be an exciting and interesting gameplay experience. It’s not short enough to be disappointing, but not long enough to be too revealing. This will most likely end up being an end of summer purchase.

———

*I replayed the demo 4 times - once with each of the “locked” classes. Two of the classes may be accessed by setting your system date to 2009, and the other two are accessed by rapidly pressing “A” while moving the selection *off* of them with the left stick.

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Jul 09

Zune Gaming

Design, Gadgets, Hardware, Toys, Uncategorized, Video Games, Zune 7 Comments »

June 13th marked a tremendous day in Canadian portable music history - at least in my personal calendar. This was the day that the Microsoft Zune was officially released to the Canadian public. Unlike some of my Canuckian counterparts who ordered theirs early from online retailers, I was a good little consumer and waited for my local Future Shop to get them in. Once the release was confirmed, I used my lunch break on that fateful day and bought myself a spiffy black 80gb piece of glory. I spent the rest of my shift playing with the menus and agonizing over the lousy bloatware music and video that Microsoft lovingly shipped for me.

It’s been nearly a month, and I’m still in love with this thing (and I’m reasonably impressed with the PC-side software that runs it.) It’s usually with me in the car, and I’ve loaded up my music collection as well as such visual classics as Rambo IV and Tank Girl onto it. However, what intrigued me since I first starting reading about it was the software potential.

From what I gather, the Zune basically runs on a hacked version of Windows CE. Both a friend of mine and I have been exploring the possibilities of developing games and applications for it using our beloved C#/XNA, and have found communities for such a thing popping up already. There are a ton of resources for this, but here is one of my favourite dev communities. It’s off of ZuneBoards. Clicky!

From some screenshots I’ve seen of projects in development, it seems the Zune hardware is even capable of limited 3D support, which is exciting and overdue news for mobile platform developers. I’m pretty excited to dive in and get my hands dirty with this, and in short order.

Unfortunately, as things are right now there is no way to create a “release” of a game for the Zune since XNA3.0 is still in it’s community testing phase, or something like that. Instead, any games or other applications designed for the Zune have to be installed the Alpha way. That is, you have to use the Visual Studio Express 2008 compiler to deploy the game to a recognized device. Not hard, but a little more time consuming than using a stardard Setup executable.

Anyways, this is all I have on this for now. As time progresses and the Zune development community grows out of it’s infant stages, I will post more and reveal my own projects as they arrive. If anybody here has some Zune apps or software they would like me to reveal, just send an email or leave a comment and I’ll be happy to take a look.

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Jun 28

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Diablo 3!

DIABLO FRIKKIN' 3! 12 Comments »

After spending approximately a week tantalizing fans with misleading splash screens laden with ice and purple walruses (walri?), Blizzard has officially announced that Diablo 3, A.K.A. “Project Hydra” is in development. Although the rumour mill had me fairly convinced that this was going to be the major announcement scheduled for today, it was still a shock of satisfaction and overwhelming glee to hear the news from an official source.

There have been two character classes announced thus far: The Barbarian, with (judging from the game play video) his familiar - but slightly modified - power set and multi-wielding capabilities. Fighting alongside him is the Witch Doctor, which appears to be a modified Necromancer with more elemental capabilities.

The game interface / HUD seems familiar, and will probably be immediately comfortable to old Diablo fans, as it keeps the traditional health and mana orbs with moves and option buttons in between them.

Exciting is the state of development that the game appears to be in. Obviously this has been in the works for a long while, meaning fans won’t have to wait through an entire development period. Hopefully we will be seeing this game hit shelves within the next 12-18 months, though given Blizzard’s track record of perfectionism, anything can happen. Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Be sure to stay tuned in, as I will certainly be reporting more on the upcoming sequel to one of my favourite series’ of all time.

Edit: Link to official site. Screenshots!

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Jun 25

Relaxation Games

Design, Gadgets, Games, Tests, Uncategorized, Video Games 2 Comments »

Sit back on the couch.

Relax all of the muscles in your body. Start at your head, and slowly relax down to your feet.

Open your eyes and look at your screen. Observe at the serene underwater view in front of you, and listen to the monotonous tone of the respirator as you breath. You begin to feel a great calm as you watch the aquatic creatures before you as they swim around, oblivious to all of the troubles of the world.

Wii Remote resting comfortably in hand, you gently guide yourself around a tropical lagoon, petting dolphins and observing sea slugs about their daily business.

BANG!

Suddenly, an explosion! You hear a rocket roar past your head and into the wall beside you! Gunshots ring out to your left, and a police siren screams in alarm. People are shouting. Cars are screeching into eachother and the sound of metal tearing into metal takes over the room. Once calm and quiet, your blood is pumping as you react to the chaos.

This seems to be an increasingly common scenario in my house, and admittedly I’m usually the one responsible for the chaotic din that takes over our living room (most likely to my roommates’ dismay, though they haven’t expressed this yet.) Thus is the cost of having two TVs set up in the same room, I suppose, but the audio battle between GTA4 and Endless Ocean got me thinking. Not only did I consider how forgiving my roommates are, but I revisited the idea of the “Relaxation Game”; something I hadn’t really considered since I was at the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) back in November.

The concept of a relaxing game is a relative novelty, but an interesting one. Consider the fact that video games are generally regarded as leisurely activities, indulged in to relax after a long day at work. I understand that this is by no means the primary reason that people play video games, but it is a significant one and the focus of this type of game. Most games focus around action, adventure, or some other adrenaline-fueled activity. Potentially getting the user wound up and excitable may be fun, but is not always necessary or desired. If I have been concentrating on my work all day, I don’t always want to play a game that will force my undivided concentration or require considerable focus. Sometimes I just want to chill out, as the case may be. Enter the Relaxation Game.

A good name to throw out at this point would be That Game Company. Authoring games such as “fl0w” and “Cloud”, this developer is deeply familiar with the premise of an alternative gameplay experience. Currently in development is a game called “Flower”, which is reportedly designed to instill a feeling of bliss and comfort within it’s users. From what i saw at the MIGS keynote presented by lead developer Kellee Santiago, “Flower” is certainly well on it’s way to achieving that goal. What I found really exciting about the demo footage was how carefully the emotional gaming experience seemed to be crafted, and how organic the audience response was. Even from unplayable footage, a sense of purpose and direction was abundantly clear.

So, what makes a game relaxing? Much of this is relative, but there are a few key factors to consider. First: theme. Obviously shooting and car chases are out, leading to way to something like organic flight, or SCUBA diving as seen in Endless Ocean. Make sure the theme plays out as peacefully as possible, and you’re well on your way to a relaxing experience. Add this this proper ambiance. Soft, cool colours such as light blue and purple seem to be popular for this genre. Keep colour transition smooth to avoid visually shocking the user. Add in soothing and/or relaxing music, and you have the major elements that I’ve observed in a game designed to calm the mind and body.

Sound good? Hell, I’m relaxed just writing about this.

So, my gamer friends, I urge you to try out this subgenre of games. Pick up Endless Ocean for your Wii, or download fl0w from That Game Company. Even something as common as Cabella’s Hunting And Hilariously Indiscriminate Animal Slaughter can be relaxing, provided you focus less on the hunting and more on enjoying being in the virtual forest. I promise that you won’t be disappointed, and you may even be more willing to embrace experimental games as they progress.

Keep gaming.

~The Chiz

P.S. No, I’m not a filthy hippy. I enjoy wantonly shooting an elephant in the face at least as much as the next guy. Probably more.

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Jun 05

Jack Thompson: Legacy Speech

Florida, Games, Law, Thompson, Uncategorized 2 Comments »

As read on Console Patrol, the Florida Bar is recommending that Jack Thompson be disbarred, and banned from reapplying to the bar for ten years. This comes as welcome news to many gamers, who have such animosity towards this infamous Florida lawyer that shirts featuring slogans such as “Kill Jack Thompson” have been created and sold online.

While I do NOT for any reason condone the kind of violent response that has made gamers so distrusted amongst those “not in the know”, I do understand the reaction to the threat of having your access, your hobby, and in some cases your livelihood snatched away from you.

So, what happens when the man primarily responsible for this threat goes off the deep end? The answer is that the world ends up with something like Thompson’s 14 page objection (read: rambling diatribe) about why his crusade is just and honorable.

Ignoring the obvious “separation of church and state” business that Thompson is apparently forgetting, I have taken it upon myself to deliver to you some of my favourite excerpts from Thompson’s objection - or as I like to call it - his “Crazy Speech”

“There is a reason my e-mail address is amendmentone@comcast.net. It is because of the fascists who run The Florida Bar identified as such by a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.”

Fun fact: Thompson’s email address is now, once more, widely published online. He is also managing to overlook the fact that his behavior in recent years has been more consistent with the facists of old than the Florida Bar has been in trying to settle him down and stop wasting state and federal dollars.

“…Oren Wunderman, Executive Director of the Family Resource Center of South Florida, who spent hours examining me, administering tests, and he found me a) wonderfully sane, and b) a person whose Christian faith has enhanced his activities as a lawyer.”

Well, EVERYONE knows that faith enhances reason. Right? ….guys?

“…the efforts of the anti-Christian Florida Bar…”

I wonder if it has occurred to Jack that “anti-Christian” and “distinctly non-Christian” are two separate notions.

“The consequence of all of this post facto oath taking is that all that the Florida Supreme Court has done in this case is invalid and will be voided, and if you think I will not accomplish that end then a) you do not understand the lawsuit already filed, and b) you don’t know Jack.“

Hah hah! He made a funny! Everyone laugh at the funny!

Okay, enough of the quotes. What we’re seeing here is the last reach for the surface by a drowning man. He is obviously furious at the public shaming he has received by having these charges leveled against him, and can not seem to grasp why this is happening. As seen by his numerous bible quotes and comparisons to God, Jack perceives himself as fighting for a just and holy cause, and for that reason thinks he should be allowed to continue.

Anybody who has read his objection can clearly see he is grasping at straws. Trying to shatter the court’s credibility by making accusations about invalid oaths and bizarre anti-Christian agendas is really desperate behavior, even for Jack. Then again, what else can we expect from a man who slips gay porn into court documents?

P.S. I promised myself that I wouldn’t post about the sensational Jack Thompson, but in this case I couldn’t help it. I’m not writing about how awesome video games are, and how much of a douchebag Thompson is. What I needed to do here is outline the sheer desperation for attention exhibited by this man, and how he refuses to let go of public attention. Keep fighting your fight, Jack. Nobody can stop you from doing that. Just please stop abusing your position of power to do so.

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May 29

Unstructured GTA4 activities.

Adult, Design, Games, Tests, Video Games 7 Comments »

Allow me to preface this list by saying that I love GTA4 with all my heart. I love the gritty, dirty environment. I love the characters and the scriptwriting (Brucie Kibbutz is an absolutely brilliant character). I love the driving missions, the variety of weapons, and the clever ways in which features such as weapon and clothing purchasing are used.

What I love most, however, is the almost completely unrestricted world. I’ve had the game since release, yet am only about 61% through it. Very often I find myself doing things that were probably unintended by the GTA4 design team, but are almost as much fun as the game itself. Just as in other open-world games, I have created some activities that cause me (and anybody watching me play) no end of laughter.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the activities:

1) Car Darts: Jumping out of a helicopter or off a tall building, with the intent of landing on parked cars. Bonus points if you land on a moving car, or accidentally hit a person. I discovered the fun in this by accident when I attempted to jump from a chopper onto the roof of the Empire State Building. I bounced off, fell to the street, and landed directly on some poor woman. Laughter ensued.

2) Frame the Hobo: Find a policeman walking his beat, move just out of his sight range, and slug a hobo in the face. Most hobos will fight back, being the violent street-walking jerks they are, and will chase you down. Stop in front of the cop, let the bum punch you once or twice, and then watch the hilarity as the cop reacts.

3) ATM Blitz: More of an exploit, but this is a great way to make easy money. Find an ATM, preferably on a narrow street, and use large vehicles (bus, truck, firetruck) to block vehicle access to the ATM. Wait for a guy to use the ATM, then kill him and take his cash. Run off screen, then return and the money should be back. This will work a few times per dead guy. Blocking off the street makes sure that the ambulance can not arrive to resuscitate your victim.

4) Speedbike BMX: Find a motorcycle (preferably a speed bike for bonus difficulty) and head to the Western shore of the 2nd Island. There’s a skate park along there with an opening in the fence large enough for a motorcycle. Try and pull off some rad stunts on the vert ramps and half pipe. Be careful though: Last time I tried this, I fell off the bike in mid air only to have it land on my face and kill me.

5) Mid-Air Demo Derby: This works best when you have at least a three-star wanted level, so the police send helicopters after you. Head to the Helitours area on the Southern shore of the 2nd island, and steal a chopper. Take flight, and ram the helicopter into other choppers in the skies. See how many you can take down before your rotor blades snap, then bail out. Bonus points if you combine this game with Car Darts, and take out a vehicle on your way down.

6) Statue MMA Fight: This one isn’t my idea, but it’s definitely one of my favourites. Hop in multiplayer with some friends, fly to the Statue of Liberty’s head, and start duking it out. Even better is when someone mis-steps and takes a spill down to the feet of the statue. Instant disqualification.

These are only a few of the things I’ve found to do around Liberty City. If you have any other fun non-games, stick ‘em in a comment and I will toss them onto this list.

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May 22

Age of Conan: Happy Hour

Booze, Games, Video Games 11 Comments »

I received an email from Funcom today, offering me a free in-game item for their newly released Age of Conan. Here is an excerpt from the email, describing the free item:

As a sign of gratitude for your aid, we are pleased to offer you the in-game item used by those loyal to King Conan: The Drinking Cape. This item will allow your characters (one game account only) to free of charge demand the very sought after alcholic drink of “Ambrosia” - free and in unlimited supplies for life! After having claimed your cape, merely find one of the kegs in the finer Inns of Hyboria and click it whilst wearing your cape to receive your drink.

This confused me, because I have been about as involved in Age of Conan as I am involved in the nation of Turkey. I know it exists, and I’ve read a little about it, but I have had no real direct contact outside of (apparently) signing up for the newsletter.

On the other hand, I think this is an awesome idea. A *DRINKING CAPE*. A cape - designed specifically for imbibing in-game liquor. I fondly recall my World of Warcraft days, when myself and my loyal band of Tauren would get completely pissed and run around Orgimmar making train noises, much to the chagrin of everyone else in the city.

I am honestly tempted to pick up AoC just to hang out at the inn and be the village drunk. I know that I’m just being suckered in by a gimmick, but I’m having a hard time caring. Throw in a pair of smoking gauntlets and I’ll be content.

Aesthetically, that cape is a great looking piece of clothing. I would be happy to slaughter the Hyborian wildlife while wearing this cape, completely and utterly destroyed. Really, who wouldn’t be content murdering animals while wearing a cape lined with leopard fur?

So, here’s what I want to know from you, The Reader: Is this game actually any good? It’s sold out around here, so I have to wait a few days before I can pick it up anyways. All of the reviews I’ve read are either incredible or abysmal, with no middle ground.

If I’m convinced and end up grabbing AoC, maybe we’ll hit the bar together.

Cheers!

~The Chiz

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May 20

Nintendo Wii: Adult Titles

Adult, Design, Games, Uncategorized, Video Games 4 Comments »

As a Nintendo Wii owner, I have been asked by a surprisingly large number of people why I - at the age of 23 - would own a system designed for little children. This question has been presented by gamers and non-gamers alike, indicating some truth in the concept that Nintendo has earned a child-like reputation.

Truthfully, the Wii is without question the most accessible gaming console ever created. I’ve played with every member of my family, and even my grandparents have joined the ranks of Nintendo fans after playing golf in their living room. Seeing individuals of all ages and interests playing together for the first time since “family game night” is incredibly fulfilling, and a testament to the power of the Wii’s “stand up and play” mentality.

While the Wii has a reputation for being a family friendly console, many lose site of the more violent and gratuitous titles that have been or are being released for it. Some of these games are jam-packed with blood, sex, and booze and have the potential to firmly entrench the Wii amongst the other new-gen consoles as a favourite for “mature” gamers. Honestly, I am glad that these titles are being produced. It lodges the Wii firmly in the place of being the most all-around accessible console for fans of any genre, as opposed to being “just for kids” or “totally family oriented.”

Keep in mind that I’m not trying to indicate a game MUST have mature content to attract a mature crowd. It’s simply my experience that there are certain audiences who feel a game must be mature-themed so as not to be defined as “for kids.”

Below I have listed some of the games that I think deserve merit in the “adult” category.

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No More Heroes

This is one of my personal favourites. Director Suda51 (Killer7) manages to deliver a thrilling, fulfilling title without being afraid of potentially controversial themes. Playing as Travis Touchdown, the player must fight his way through 10 assassins and their countless cronies in order to become the best contract killer o’er the lands. Not surprisingly, Touchdown’s primary motivation to complete this harrowing task is to prove himself to a girl, in a bid to get laid. Oh, and did I mention that the game’s save points are all toilets?

No More Heroes Gameplay Video

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MadWorld

Admittedly, I don’t know much about this title. From what I’ve gathered, the game takes the player on a journey through the world of violent entertainment where he must kill opponents in creative ways to advance. Though a fairly shallow concept, the gameplay video makes me giddy with anticipation, and the black and white art style is certainly interesting. And really, how could you not like a character with a chainsaw arm?

Mad World Gameplay Video

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Exciting Witch Trial

I’m pretty on the fence about this one. Here’s a brief explanation of the game, courtesy of GearLive:

“you’re encouraged to find out whether well-endowed nubile girls are witches or not. We’ll let you guess how you find out…”

My guess is that the aforementioned exploration is to be done with the Wiimote, since the already-released DS version uses the stylus. This game immediately brings about two schools of thought: On one hand, Nintendo’s sexual predator demographic will be too busy gaming to be out a’rapin’. On the other hand, it’s a game about molesting witches! Either way, here’s an image from what appears to be a developer showcase.

I think Grandma might want to stick to Wii Tennis.

Discussion? Comments? Feel free to add them.

~The Chiz

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May 17

Subtlety in Design

Design, Games, Video Games 9 Comments »

Hello, and welcome to the premier post on www.the-chiz.com. Feel free to add responses or suggestions in the comment section.

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Subtlety in game design has been something that I’ve considered to be important for a long time. The last thing any gamer wants is to be distracted by what should otherwise be a minor interface element or low-priority feature. Having this happen can be incredibly irritating, and is detrimental to any immersion that the game might otherwise provide.

For all of you non-gamers out there, consider this scenario:

You are driving to a friend’s house for a surprise party. You need to arrive by a certain time so that everything can be set up on time. Having left your house late, you’re in a rush and glance at the clock to check the time. Suddenly, the clock on your car’s dashboard projects a three foot wide opaque image of itself on your windscreen. While you now know what time it is, the experience was so distracting that it caused you to lose sight of the traffic in front of you and rear-end somebody.

What should have been a simple glance at the clock has now delivered a massive inconvenience and unpleasant experience.

Let’s relate this to some games, shall we? Specifically, I want to mention the modern-gen console titles Perfect Dark: Zero, and Burnout: Paradise.

Ignoring the baffling fact that Perfect Dark: Zero received a 9.0 rating on www.gamespot.com, I would like to discuss the compass system that the game uses. First of all, let me just say that I’m a huge advocate of flow in level design. This is why I tend to get so frustrated when there are almost no environmental cues that point me in something approaching the right direction, like in some of the urban levels in Perfect Dark: Zero.

To compensate for the somewhat poor level design in PD:Z, there exists what I affectionately call “The Big Blue Arrow.” This Big Blue Arrow forms a line on the ground with other Big Blue Arrows, ultimately leading the player on a path through the level. While proving extremely helpful, this projected path also served as an immense distraction to me. No longer was I in a world worth exploring and enjoying. What started as a potentially deep game environment had been transformed into the game play equivalent of “Simon Sez” - follow the leader or lose.

Now for a mention of Burnout: Paradise. Despite the game’s theme being anything but subtle, the interface itself is slick, attractive, and non-intrusive. There is one element of the interface that really caught my attention for it’s simplicity and intelligence: The turn signal. Most of the race modes in Burnout: Paradise require the player to get from point A to point B using whatever route they deem fit. The open route element automatically scores bonus points in my books, but that’s not necessarily relevant at the moment.

Due to the general speed of the game, the player may choose not to glance at his map while racing. For this player, the developers of Burnout: Paradise included functional turn signals on every car. When the player approaches a turn that the game recommends he/she take, the appropriate turn signal on the player’s vehicle activates along with a slight “ding” sound reminiscent of modern turn signal indicators. I found this feature to be exceptionally elegant yet incredibly useful during my many hours of cruising the streets of Paradise City, and I’ve yet to hear a complaint about it.

While a slick interface may not necessarily be consciously noticed by many gamers, it will certainly add to the subconscious pleasure gained during play time. Inversely, a poor interface is easy to spot and can easily ruin what could have otherwise been a solid gaming experience. Unfortunately, this is a principle that some developers seem to ignore.

~The Chiz

Note: I was going to add screencaps of the above mentioned elements, but I can’t seem to find any shots of the compass in Perfect Dark, and my Xbox is currently in the shop. Anyone with a shot of this, please let me know.

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Subtlety in Design

Note: I was going to add screencaps of the above mentioned elements, but I can’t seem to find any shots of the compass in Perfect Dark, and my Xbox is currently in the shop. Anyone with a shot of this, please let me know.

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