This whole Team Bondi affair brought to light this old scandal (See link) from last year. Reading through the comments, several members of staff have commented regarding the game that the studio was driving its staff into the ground for - Read Dead Redemption. Look at this this wonderfully incorrect prediction regarding how well this game would do and the subsequent reply it received 11 months down the line:
> Post by Mike Bradley
8 Jan 2010 at 3:05 pm PST
The saddest part of the above is that Red Dead Redemption (the game the entire studio is working on) is an organic disaster of the most epic proportions. The pain just might be worth it for everyone if the work was worldclass and they could proudly place it on their resumes as they walk away from that mess. Sadly, it is anything but, and Bitter is correct mismanagement up and down the Rockstar chain is the direct cause. Red Dead Revolver 2: Dead On Arrival.
I have to voice a worry of mine and I am interested to hear what the rest of the GB community are thinking regarding, Epic Mickey.
What I have seen of the game I love, but my concern is that it is going to be misunderstood. I think it could be too much of a gamers game and throw off a lot of casual younger Mickey Mouse fans who buy the game or have the game bought for them at Christmas time. For me, it been a gamers game would be just perfect, but if it doesn't sell well we won't see more of it as a potential series and it will have an adverse effect on a great games designer (Mr. Spector) and a damn good game dev team and that would be a shame.
Do you think this game is going to be too much of a gamers game to sell well and do you think it being on the Wii will hinder or enhance its sales performance?
Is Epic Mickey going to be an Epic Failure? Discuss!
Is it just me or has video gaming just got fun again?
Maybe its the time of year and there are more releases or maybe there are just more titles out that fall into my category of interest, but gaming seems to have become more fun lately. Titles like Super Meat Boy, Pac Man CE DX, AC: Brotherhood, Fallout: NV and NBA Jam are just out or around the corner and it feels like the best gaming time I have had in years.
I am a sucker for nostalgia so maybe it is just great classic title re-releases winning me over*, but Super Meat Boy (SMB) stands as my GOTY at the moment. NBA Jam might knock it off the top spot - I don't know, but I have played a lot of games this year and NONE of them have been as much fun as SMB. That isn't to say we haven't seen some amazing high-budget titles this year that haven't blown me away, indeed with titles like Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake (I loved it even if you Yanks didn't) and BLOPS it hasn't exactly been a year short on top notch games.
So why am I having so much fun at the moment video gaming? Maybe there is just more for me to pick at, I don't know. But for the most part it seems like a lot of developers are finding fantastic ways to give their games better replay value. Achievements/Trophies, multiple game modes, perk systems, levelling and alternate styles of gaming provide me with more opportunity than ever to throw hours into a game, often for a meagre reward that you hold high with pride.
It really is a great time to be gaming, don't you think? Or can you think of an even better time?
*Maybe its the fact I jumped from PS3 to XBOX recently?
A lot of reports I saw on this game considered it lacking. I concur, but I don't think it was terrible game. Me and the Mrs have played every PoP game in this series together along with that other awful incarnation a fews years ago where you weren't allowed to die. She loves Warrior Within the most and I will never forget my first play through of Sands of Time as a teenager, because it blew my mind. TFS feels like it fits into the series well in terms of its theme and story, I think the main issue with it is that it is 2010, not 2001. If this game was the second game in the series and made back then I think it would be a much more revered title. The fact that by todays standards it isn't a great game is more of a testament to how much platform games and peoples expectations in game quality have evolved as opposed to the actual quality of this game.
I don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't played the game, but I have to say the end sequence was really quite extraordinary. It looks FANTASTIC and had a stunning pace to it. The ending was nothing to write home about, but the build up to it was quite brilliant to the point where I found myself thinking; this is what PoP games are all about. It was far better than the endings of some more recent games and when the lady asked what I thought the worst ending to game was ever, in terms of sequence, layout and enjoyability it sparked me thinking. But only for a very short while, because in truth I picked my least favourite game finale a long, long time ago. For me, it is without a doubt God of War 2. It was clunky, dull, frustrating and annoying. It was also disappointing and pointless. It lent on the fact another game would follow it and it was just pathetic, it really should have just ended with the battle with the sisters, which was great. Instead, it just got ridiculous.
So my question to you lovely folk is: what is your least favourite end to a game ever? (This isn't in regards to the story of the game, but the gameplay/final boss, etc.)
Not written on here for a while, due to a sincere lack of time. I barely manage to squeeze in the Bombcast on a week to week basis :(
Work is busy and that is good, but it allows for less game time. Seeing as how all of my creativity seems to have evaporated over the last few months, it seems weird that I have less time that ever. I am not filling the gaps with drawing or animating anymore, im hardly filling them with gaming. They just seem to get filled. By people and other things to do. By worry and neglect. By thought and food and distraction. Never have I been so unorganised or lost in my own thoughts. I have plenty on my mind, plenty of ideas too, but nothing is flowing over the edge.
Perhaps a brief list of things I have done over the last few months will help shed light on my lack of activity:
I went on holiday to Rhodes, Greece. It was lovely. Very relaxing, very sunny.
i have started Mario & Luigi Bowsers Inside Story, Mario Galaxy 2, Red Dead Redemption, GoW.
I have finished Mario Galaxy 2 (120 Stars) and RDR. I have GTA:TBoGT, Flower Sun & Rain, DeathSpank and several other titles waiting to play.
Played some Monster Hunter 3.
My computer broke, I replaced it with this MacBook which is bewildering but shiny enough to keep me interested.
My car broke, it sounded all bad-ass for about a day as I scooted around the streets with my windows down...now it just sounds broken.
I worked.
I put on a little weight.
And that really is about it. And this is just the last few months. I haven't made anything move on screen for a long, long time. Now my computer is sitting in the corner waiting for parts that I have deliberately put of ordering so that I can pretend I "can't" work.
And I have enjoyed it for 90% of the time :) Because the truth is, a little time-off never hurt anybody. Except I am quick to forget everything I have ever known. And that is exactly what has happened with a few things. Specifically my animation.
But things are moving again band wise, I have been asked to knock together a few designs for some T-Shirts and I am starting to feel the burn. However, it still hasn't taken priority over sorting out somewhere to live. I realise its all a bit whiny, but its OK because I won't be posting this to anywhere (FB or Forums) Getting it down on [paper] always reminds me to stop whinging, get out their and attack life, balls out and rocking.
So I felt compelled to write something here...for whatever reason. I have been absent for a short while due to my new job, something I am quite happy to finally be able to write because it means I can stop whinging about not having a job. But all the spare moments I get I have been trying to slot in some game time, amongst all the other little things I do. Recently, this time has mostly been dedicated to Just Cause 2.
I am going to use the following space to write about why Just Cause 2 is an arcade game for the next generation.
In Just Cause 2 you do awesome stuff 100% of the time you are playing. You are never not diving through the air, jumping on a car or blowing some sh!t up. Its freakin' awesome. In say, Space Invaders, 100% of the time you are doing something awesome. You never get bored, even though the task is often repetative. In Space Invaders, if you die, then you boot up and go again. In Just Cause 2, if you die, you boot up and go again. In Space Invaders, I shoot ships that will inevitably kill me. In JC2, I face more and more soldiers that will inevitably kill me. But I don't care. I just boot back up and start blowing sh!t up again.
Not many games these days don't sanction you for dying. Normally you will lose some progress, or some gear or it will cost you some money. But in Just Cause 2 its like, "Hey, you died! Sh!t happens...have another sack full of coins and go play to your hearts content". Its strange because in Prince of Persia, you couldn't die...and that was rubbish. In this game you CAN die...but it doesn't matter and its awesome. I don't know why I hate one so much and not the other...especially since I get a load time everytime I die in JC2. I guess dying is an accepted standard in gaming that I don't like not having some control over.
The stuff it does it does right is so abundant I more than happy to breeze over a few foibles I have with it. It controls brilliantly, getting around is so wonderfully easy that you don't mind the huge distances. It looks lovely in places (Not everywhere) the views of the distance are incredible. It feels awesome to play. Everything is done with grace, elegance and style. I haven't just enjoying mucking around on game as much since GTAIV and its a game I think Rockstar could learn some stuff from for their next release.
As a final point I love just how broken the game is in places...it really adds to the fun when you zip line to something and go right through it. This is another part of games that keeps me interested because it reminds me im just having so much fun.
Just Cause 2 is everything I love about arcade games, only with a next gen platform and that is what makes it so freakin' awesome. So kids, if you are ever wondering why your dad always banged on about how exciting Moon Crest was and you never got it, its because every time they dropped a coin in that slot, they got a little bit of awesome...and that is the same sensation you're getting from Just Cause 2.
I think I could play this game for at any time for the rest of my life and not get bored.
All I seem to talk about at the moment is being unemployed. Whilst it is not technically true, because I have a part time job behind a bar, I don't have a full time job. I do have near enough £10,000 worth of debt to the University I achieved my First Degree from, but apparently no matter how many times I write that achievement on my CV, it seems to mean help little. In fact, the jobs that I am applying for at the moment won't take me on because of that fact. They're scared I will run away at the first sniff of another job, which is frustrating, because things are so bad I would be happy to do any job at all for as long is necessary.
I am ready to start my life. I am ready to get things going. I have spent a long time in education and I want to spend a few years earning some money and living life. The job market sucks at the moment. It is more on its ass than my experience has ever seen. Its dog eat dog out there at the moment and it would appear that I am a Chihuahua.
But as corny and horrible as it sounds, I am happy. I have taken perspective. I have a lovely wife, a roof over my head and I ain't complaining
:)
Also, I like games.
Anybody else on these here forums struggling for work? Lets share our stories and wallow in our pity together :D
I finished Bioshock 2 yesterday. Im definitely in the 'it didn't need a sequel' camp with a lot of other people, but for me that doesn't mean that the sequel is a bad game. I can think of a ton of other games than it is much, much better than - but it isn't anyway near as good as its predecessor. For me the main problem is that it doesn't feel like they ever intended to make it for fans of Bioshock. Its almost like they decided that was a redundant idea because fans of the first game would never accept the second game as a 'true sequel'. Instead, they have made a shooter...a shooter set in Rapture.
Fine, it has to be said though that Rapture looks just as good as ever, especially the outdoor bits, but the story is forcefully wedged in there in between the shooting and because of that, they have missed the point. Even though I enjoyed the story (The scraps we were given) it has lost all its mystery. I think a better way to approach it would have been to have the events of Bioshock 2 away from the events of the first game. There just wasn't a reason to tie them together. I would rather see other peoples stories and see subtle hints or visit places I have seen in the other game...but not be told that they were from the other game and then I can smile to myself at the tribute they are making to a great game. It would be like the developer was saying - "hey, we know you loved the first one, we did too. And that is why we aren't going to touch it. We're going to leave it, as it was, just fine...but we're going to take the world of Rapture and show you some of the other things that happened in the city". That would have been cool and all of these arguments would be redundant. Because really, its the world of Rapture we love.
Anyway... as I said, it isn't a bad game AT ALL. Its a great game...it just doesn't to take into consideration the adoration that people had for the first one. The guns were awesome, especially the cyclone/spear gun combo. Pinning things to the roof took me back to my HL2 days and I loved that. And some of the new enemies were brilliant. Please let me be a Big Sister in the next one :P
The thing that has surprised me the most however, is just how good the multiplayer is. COD2MW set in Rapture. To get my single greivance out of the way early...if you are going to rip of COD at least keep one of its best features and reassign a new game leader when the current one drops out...don't send me back to the lobby. It makes me want to scream.
Obviously this game is nothing new or special in terms of multiplayer shooters...except that it is set in Rapture and the maps and plasmids really add an extra element of interest. I don't normally get too into multiplayer online when it comes to gaming. I am lucky to have family and friends who love to be in the same room and bully one another in a great atmostphere with lots of beer and snacks, so I often steer away from it. But with Bioshock 2, I played the multiplayer before I finished the story...and I never do that. Ever. I guess because I knew it was set during the war of the first game and I knew I wouldn't spoil anything I felt a bit better about it...but I dived in and im glad I did. The last multiplayer I really found engaging and kept coming back to was Call of Juarez. I think maybe I like my online games with a few holes in them or something.
How about you guys? What do you think to Bioshock 2's multiplayer?
I finished Arkham Asylum for the first time and you know what, great game. Yeah. Glad it ended when it did, boss battles were pretty poor. It was Dead Space with Batman for me, in terms of how the game felt to play, i.e. how the character handled etc. But that isn't a bad thing, I enjoyed Dead Space. But the best aspect about Batman: collecting all those lovely collectables. That I love. It is one of those games that keeps on giving.
Starting Bioshock 2 now and excited. See if that has worn off by tomorrow, who knows, I've heard mixed things. But then I go away tomorrow for a few days, so im hoping I don't enjoy it too much, otherwise I will have to wait to play it again.
Me and the Mrs finished New Super Mario Bros. Wii tonight. One of the toughest Mario's I have played. Enjoyable, but I haven't slung my controller around as much for a while. Grrr. Great final boss, loved it! Speaking of the woman in my life, we threw a surprise 21st birthday party for my wonderful, lovely, gorgeous, gf on Sat night and it went brilliantly :) A good time was had by all!
I always said that if I was to buy an Xbox 360, it would be for Live Arcade. Castle Crashers, specifically. Then, they announced Castle Crashers for PS3 so I tucked the idea way in my pocket. I had not other reason for really wanting one till Mass Effect 2...but then I remembered they were remaking Perfect Dark. The X10 footage of the game made my mind up instantly, I am buying an 360. Just to play a N64 game that I still play to this day. Only now, I can play it without the aching lag/framerate issues. Also, Mass Effect 2. Oh...and GameRoom. So I shall make that purchase soon and stop making posts about my dilly-dallying!
Have any of you guys ever bought a console just to play an old game you used to play?
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