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Entries from June 2008

Could I Have My Control Back, Please?

June 30th, 2008 · 8 Comments

I was watching yet another video for Prototype today at work, marvelling how they all look exactly the same yet are claiming to show some new content, when I heard the Exec Producer or whoever it was bragging about how intelligent their Parkouring AI was. The AI for the Player character. The Player character who [...]

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Tags: control · design

Changing the Rules

June 24th, 2008 · 8 Comments

Hi, sorry for the updates, folks, but I’m on vacation this week so things’ll be a bit light. However, something happened today that I got to participate in which got me thinking that in multiplayer gaming we need to not only award first place, but “award” last place, as well. My family has this annual [...]

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Tags: design

Motion Controls: Everything They’re Cracked Up to Be?

June 19th, 2008 · 6 Comments

A co-worker challenged me to write something about the current trend of motion control/gesture game controls, but I figured there wasn’t much meat there, or that I was just chasing flame bait. But after thinking about it on my drives home, I’m wondering, are motion controls all that we were promised? I think we all [...]

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Tags: business · control · critique

The Peripheral War

June 15th, 2008 · 9 Comments

Word has it that Guitar Hero IV has a rumored pirce point of $179, and one has to wonder if they’re not shooting themselves in the foot here. Guitar Hero has dominated the rhythm music genre for the past two years, milking their poor cash cow past Dance Dance Revolution to the number one spot. [...]

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Tags: business

The Value of Failure

June 11th, 2008 · 7 Comments

I read a fascinating speech by J.K. Rowling (yes, that J.K. Rowling) that she gave for Harvard’s commencement ceremony this past week, and couldn’t help but smile and nod my head while reading about her life lesson she relates to the graduates. The speech is about failure and imagination, two things which, coincidentally, game design [...]

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Tags: design

Konami: Metal Gear 4 Will Cost Firstborn, Possibly Soul

June 5th, 2008 · 7 Comments

In the wake of recent news regarding Metal Gear 4′s multiple near 90 minute cinemas, media blackout regarding review content, and multiple installs, Konami has released yet another bombshell of information regarding the title which debuts this June 12th. Apparently, in an attempt to ensure that all of the content would fit on a blu-ray [...]

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Tags: comedy

Rumormill: Lucasarts Layoff?

June 5th, 2008 · No Comments

Just heard that Lucasarts is cutting some heads today. Some folks who were working on Unleashed and another title. Evidently they’re calling people into an office, asking them to sign a contract stating that they can’t ship the game without everyone signing the contract (and don’t give you any time to read it), and when [...]

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Tags: business

One More Notch Into the Mainstream

June 3rd, 2008 · 3 Comments

I was surprised Saturday night by two things: MMA fight series EliteXC airing matches on CBS in primetime on Saturday night Gaming advertising not only finding its way into the sport, but it was the primary sponsor First I sat there scratching my head wondering how Capcom would allow someone to co-opt their Street Fighter [...]

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Tags: business