May 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm in post by Haley Grace
Recently on another game design forum, a topic was created about the possible re-naming, or re-branding of video games. The discussion was brought on by a TV show that made some similar claims, such as:
“When controversy arises our opposers don’t look at a game studio and see a team of artists, they see a team of toymakers who have gone too far.”
And
“I’ve heard it argued that we need a rebranding; that we need to take on a new title for this medium, kind of like how comic books had to take on the name graphic novels before they started getting the respect they deserve.”
The following discussion mainly revolved around the idea of re-naming “Video Games” to “Digital Art”, or “Interactive Media”. These new labels are meant to remove the negative stigmas associated with “games” and better reflect the professional and technical mastery that is required to create some of today’s top titles.
However, I don’t necessarily believe “rebranding” is the best solution to this situation, but I do believe that this brings up a very important topic that needs to be addressed by the industry as a whole, sometime in the near future.
Rather than trying to avoid the negative stigma that has been associated with games, I believe the easiest route to solving this problem is education about games and what they can instill, inspire, and engender in our young people. I doubt that those who perpetuate and believe the negative stigmas about gaming, are very well versed in games or how the industry has changed over the past twenty or thirty years. Instead of running from the stigma, we need to fight it head on, and show the detractors something they have never seen, and that is the positive and beneficial aspects of gaming that greatly outweigh the negatives.
And when we combat the stigma, there no longer needs to be any “rebranding”, because we have fought for what we believe is right, and proven the worth of our games to the world.
Tags: games, gaming, PC Games, video games
Feb 24, 2011 at 5:22 am in post by Biswajith Manimaran
I just finished Hardcore mode on this wonderful horror/survival game and I must say it is EA at its best. Every aspect of this video game has been so well thought out, and more importantly they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, the final result being masterpiece of a 3rd person shooter that set my hair on end and sent adrenaline surging through my veins.
Visuals
Stunning. The attention to detail is inspiring. The environments are almost completely interactive, anything around you can be hurled at enemies. Every level is distinct unlike the first Dead Space where every chapter shared the same grey-brown feel. The body language is much more smoother and expressive than in the first game. Lighting is perfect for a game in this genre. If you are skeptical check out the gameplay videos on YouTube.
Audio
Many sounds are familiar from the first game such as picking up items, using med packs and using the locator, but many sounds are different as well. And by different I mean better. Isaac’s (The protagonist) grunts and screams are a lot more
genuine, soundtracks are appropriately eerie and all the voice acting is top notch.
Gameplay
Just like the first game headshots are next to useless, the game focuses instead on strategic dismemberment of limbs. The first two difficulty settings are probably made for children under twelve, which is confusing as the game is rated 18+. The harder settings range from easy to extremely difficult, with the hardest mode allowing only three saves throughout the game. Ammo is scattered sparingly through the levels, forcing one to use exploding aliens, mops, toolboxes, enemy limbs and pretty much anything else you can find as a weapon. Stasis (a secondary weapon that slows enemies down) is vital in this game, when it was just a nice but unnecessary part of its predecessor. This title involves a lot of strategy. You CANNOT run head on into enemies, guns blazing. This game forces you to select your weapon carefully based on what type of monster you are going up against, take cover, retreat and fire only when necessary. If you are one for challenges you’ll love this one. If you prefer an easy playthrough you’ll love it too (just on the easier difficulty settings).
Story
Brilliant. I am not going to say anymore to avoid spoilers.
Repeatability
This depends on the player. I finished it twice in one week; once on Survivalist mode and once on Hardcore mode. I plan on playing it at least once more this year.
Multiplayer
Horrible. Don’t play it. Unbalanced as a see-saw with only one kid playing.
Buy or Rent
All in all, this game delivers on every level, discounting multiplayer mode. Buy if you’re a fan of shooters or horror/survival. If you’re not you should still play it at least once so rent or borrow it.
Tags: 3rd person shooter, Horror/survival, video games
Feb 24, 2011 at 5:11 am in post by Biswajith Manimaran
Lately I’ve been playing a lot of multiplayer games. CS, COD:MW2, Halo, Grid, Blur, WipeOut, and FIFA. I’ve been wondering what makes multiplayer mode on video games so much more fun than playing on your own. It isn’t that they are more challenging as that isn’t always the case. It obviously isn’t convenience. Obviously the answer lies in our nature. We are social beings after all. However consider it rationally; what can we possibly gain from gaming with friends as opposed to gaming individually? Taking evolutionary psychology into account I still have not arrived at a satisfactory answer. A sense of accomplishment? No. As mentioned before many games are such that single player modes are harder than multiplayer so this can’t be the reason. Is it an increase in sex appeal? I don’t know too many girls who go crazy for gamers. Is it the fact that it can bring a group of people closer together? An insufficient reason as there are easier ways to establish social intimacy.
Yet the simple knowledge that you are playing against other living humans increases the fun quotient manifold. So let me pose this question to you, fellow gamers: How does playing video games together help the survival of the human species?
Tags: Group gaming, video games
Jan 25, 2011 at 6:30 pm in post by Mike
http://wp.me/p10rZX-bh click on picture to go there.
Tags: gamers, mental illness, video games, wow
