Okay, it's not quite the end of my post. For those of you who haven't picked this up already, e3 is the annual convention of the computer gaming industry which takes place in Los Angeles, California. It's the place where many companies put their upcoming titles on open display for the first time, allowing press and developers alike to see them and try them out.
Plus, there are big screens, flashing lights, loud music, and a scary number of scantily-clad women. A major sign that our industry is still rather young
I'm actually hoping to put some of my personal reactions to the new crop of upcoming games up on my website, and I'm wondering if any of the gamers out there have specific games in mind that they think I should watch for. On the next post is the list I've assembled already (as you can see, it's pretty long):
[ May 11, 2004, 01:56 AM: Message edited by: A Rat Named Dog ]
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Dog’s Big Fat e3 List! The most exciting games at e3 this year:
THE NCSOFT BOOTH City of Villains — the expansion to City of Heroes that lets you be the bad guy. Tabula Rasa — Ultima creator Richard Garriot's new mold-breaking MMORPG. Auto Assault — NetDevil's Mad Max-inspired MMO car shooter. Guild Wars — A PvP-based MMO with no monthly fee.
ALL THINGS PANDEMIC Full Spectrum Warrior — Authentic army training game converted for retail. A groundbreaking squad-based tactical simulator. Mercenaries — Grand Theft Tank. An open-ended, free-ranging game, in which you play a mercenary in future Korea hunting down a deck of 52 badguys. Star Wars: Battlefront — Battlefield 1942 in the Star Wars universe. What more can I say? Destroy All Humans! — You are an alien. You abduct, probe, and explode the heads of humans and cows. You also fly a spaceship. Awesome.
ALL THINGS LIONHEAD Fable — Still pretty exciting for its third year on my list. An RPG with a dynamic character and a simulated environment, both of whom change in both subtle and obvious ways, based on your choices. B.C. — An adventure game set inside an anachronistic prehistoric life simulator. Hunt realistically-behaving dinosaurs and build and protect your human village. The Movies — Build your own movie studio and post your unique versions of classic-styled movies on the internet.
UBER-SECRET UBISOFT PROJECTS Splinter Cell 3 — That was the big mystery. Prince of Persia 2 — Prince of Persia with red production design instead of yellow. As long as it has wall-running, I'm cool
ROLEPLAYING Jade Empire — The next BioWare game, built on a redone version of Knights of the Old Republic's engine, which is based on Chinese mythology, and involves a lot of martial arts. The Dragon Age — Another BioWare RPG we know nothing about, beyond the fact that it's a new, original world created by the masters of the PC RPG. The Witcher — Yet another BioWare RPG, this one built on the Neverwainter Nights engine. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines — Troika's next offering, built on VALVe's Source engine, complete with lipsynching and facial expression. Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords — From BioWare's buddy company Obsidian, the sequel to the best RPG of last year. The Bard's Tale — Nothing like the original game, this is a satirical action RPG that pokes fun at the conventions of the genre. Dungeon Siege 2 — Gas Powered Games takes bland but technically-impressive roleplaying games to the next level.
SHOOTERS S.T.A.L.K.E.R. — Based on the body of post-Chernobyl Russian science fiction, this creepy, atmospheric game threatens to blow open the whole idea of open-ended, unscripted gaming. Advent Rising — I think everyone here knows what this is. But have you seen the gameplay footage? Some of the best character animation in the industry. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay — The prequel to Pitch Black. A first-person stealth game in which you are Vin Diesel. 100 Bullets — Based on the acclaimed graphic novels. I know nothing else about it. Brothers in Arms — Yet another World War II shooter. Every publisher needs to have one. This year, it's UbiSoft.
STRATEGY Soldiers: Heroes of WWII — A weird hybrid RTS squad tactical game in which you command platoons of soldiers, and then take personal control of tanks to wreak havoc on the fully-destructible environment. The Battle for Middle Earth — One of the most beautiful RTS games ever made, with a fascinating new emotion system that makes units behave a lot like real characters. For instance, Oliphaunts freak out and charge when you set them on fire.
RARE OR CRAZY GENRES The Sims 2 — Now your Sims start young, grow older, have children, and die, passing on their genes to future generations. They also express their personalities far more clearly through distinct emotive animations. The Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth — A creepy game from the publisher of Morrowind, which tries to recreate the madness of H. P. Lovecraft's work. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey — The sequel to an absolutely phenomenal adventure game, this one goes in a new direction, with full-3D environments and some degree of action — a point-and-clicker no more.
[ May 11, 2004, 01:52 AM: Message edited by: A Rat Named Dog ]
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
quote:Dreamfall: The Longest Journey — The sequel to an absolutely phenomenal adventure game, this one goes in a new direction, with full-3D environments and some degree of action — a point-and-clicker no more
but I like point-and-click.
[ May 07, 2004, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: Kama ]
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Homeworld Homeworld Homeworld!
Long live the Protoss Conclave! ....wait...
I'm jealous RatDog! Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Is that horror or excitement, Kama?
Telperion, does that mean I should check out Relic and Blizzard for sequels? Relic is working on a Warhammer game right now, and Homeworld 2 didn't meet expectations, so I wouldn't get your hopes up there. Blizzard doing another RTS, though ... I have heard theories ...
[ May 07, 2004, 06:10 PM: Message edited by: A Rat Named Dog ]
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
I loved The Longest Journey!
but I liked it for being old-school, point-and-click, too.
So both, I suppose.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*cough*
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
I have a serious question and don't want to be laughed at.
Will Blizzard ever make Diablo III? I don't want to hijack your thread Geoff, but I figured this would be a good place to ask.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Perfect place to ask Unfortunately, I personally suspect that for the mass audience, it's difficult for a 2D-style game to make much of an impression anymore. Still, if there are any hints about it at e3, I'll let you know!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*glare*
*cough*
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Thanks. I like the point and click style of game play. Are there any decent point and click RPG's out there? Anything similar to Diablo?
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Um ... yes, Rivka?
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Geoff, is e3 in L.A. this year? The reason I ask is that rivka might be hinting that you should visit her while you're at e3. Either that or she's coughing up a lung. (((rivka)))
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
As it happens my allergies are acting up, but yes, I was attempting to do that subtlety thing.
Silly me, it's already been established that I don't DO subtle. Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Wow, some of those games (the names alone) sound really violent. I've found some that sound a little bit more warm and fuzzy. Watch for these little known new releases at the convention:
Playing with Bunnies II - pet the bunnies, feed the bunnies, and if you make it to the top level, you get to eat the bunnies raw.
Tea Party III - a favorite with the elementary-aged set, now revamped to draw a broader player base. Visit a victorian-style tea party, dress up in a beautiful dress with lots of bows and ribbons, and then discover that the tea is actually raw sewage. The puke fest that follows is a delight for all ages.
I Like Ponies - a brand-new title. You can choose a pink or yellow pony and a riding outfit covered with either feathers or glitter. After working at the dude ranch to train your pony, take it out into the meadow for a well-deserved ride. Be careful though - ponies love to eat human flesh.
space opera
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Geoff, I have another question for you. Did you go to school for game design? The reason I ask is that I'm interested in animation as a career and want to know how to get into it. I know that many schools that offer game design programs also offer animation programs.
Any information you can provide would be appreciated.
Sorry to derail the thread.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
If there's "A Shinda Named Rat" happening, I expect to be informed. *insistent throat-clearing*
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Looks like e3 is next Thursday and Friday. I'm just sayin'.
[edit] Correction! Expo May 12-14 Conference May 11-13
[ May 07, 2004, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: rivka ]
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Derrell, I actually went to school for film, which was as good a major as any, I guess, since Game Design is still a very rare program to find at a university.
Around here, I know that Digipen offers a lot of gaming-related degrees ... and I think a lot of the animators I know went to the Art Institute in Seattle. Beyond that, hard to say.
Rivka, e-mail me! Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
;_; I hate you Geoff!!! I hate you and I want to BE you!! It's been my crazy never-do dream to go to E3 since like, forever.
If you could, could you check up on Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy: Advent Children? I will forever be in your debt. FOREVER.
Also... Lessee... Ummm... DDR? Dang, there was something else I really wanted to see, but now I can't remember... What about the GBA: DS? Also PSP!!! PEEE ESSS PEEEEE!!!!
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Geoff, thanks for the info. I've checked out digipen's web site. Under normal circumstances, I'd seriously consider going there. With my mom's health problems though, I'd like to stay close to home.
I wonder if there are any schools that offer online degrees in animation?
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
Mmm, E3...
I go green with envy.
[ July 17, 2006, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: James Tiberius Kirk ]
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
quote: The Sims 2 — Now your Sims start young, grow older, have children, and die, passing on their genes to future generations. They also express their personalities far more clearly through distinct emotive animations
*gasp*
that...
is...
so...
AWESOME!!!!!
I'm a Sims addict, but I've been clean for over three years. It's time to jump off the wagon
Posted by Toretha (Member # 2233) on :
Tabula Rasa. Which philosopher was that? Blank slate? dangit....anyone remember?
Posted by lcarus (Member # 4395) on :
Say Hi to Gary Coleman. Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
Go see kentia (sp?) hall, and if you see seanbaby, tell him I said he's funny as hell.
[ May 08, 2004, 12:35 AM: Message edited by: MEC ]
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
Rat/Dogglet,
you are coming to LA?
fallow
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
Fable sounds pretty cool. I'd like to hear more about that, Dog. Specifically, how hard is it to play? My big criteria for games is they can't be complicated to run. I have little enough free time as is. The last thing I want is a game that I spend more time trying to figure out which button to push when than actually playing.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
I've been interested in The Movies since I heard about it last year, but I've been out of the gaming habit for so long I don't know if I'd stick with it long enough.
Also I'm still distraught at the abrupt cancellation of Sam and Max. I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry...
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I really, really hope that UbiSoft's big secret is Beyond Good & Evil 2. That game is crying for a sequel.
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
There are only two games I'm intrested at this point, those are Pikmin2 and Zelda: Four Swords. I would be interested in others but I leave on my mission soon, and those are the two that I like and know are coming out before I leave.
Posted by CO_Titan (Member # 6433) on :
Thats cool. Hey Dog, tell me if you see Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. And tell me what you think of it. I can't wait until that game comes out. Should be awesome. =)
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Twinky, given that BG&E went budget two weeks after release, that's highly doubtful Sad, I know ...
MEC, I'll try to check out those games, but honestly, Japanese games typically do very little for me, and it'll be hard for me to tell a good one from a bad one
Ooh, RC Tycoon. Good one to check.
LucasArts's decision to permanently kill the adventure game is sad ... but it looks like they're throwing their weight behind Pandemic, which is a good move, in my estimation.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
Since this is the all things gaming thread, I guess I'll post my question.
I'm looking for a RPG PC game that's good for a beginner and won't cost too much. I know that's rather broad, but I don't know enough about computer games to be more specific. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
I dunno... It depends on what kind of game you want. There's always Warcraft and Warcraft II, which are pretty cheap, although there's more of a roleplay element in the third installment.
Other than that, there's always the Final Fantasy games... Posted by Gosu (Member # 5783) on :
Final fantasy? Zelda? Nah. Starcraft brood war remains the greatest video game ever created. Mind you I mean Starcraft, not that ridiculous FPS comming out or warcraft (game based more on luck than brains or diablo (life losing game)
Posted by CO_Titan (Member # 6433) on :
For anyone who is interested in the Roller Coaster Tycoon series, this is a real treat.
[ May 08, 2004, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: CO_Titan ]
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Ryuko, Warcraft and Warcraft 2 are definitely NOT RPGs
blacwolve, if you are looking for good-but-cheap, check out the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series from Black Isle, in that order. They've both been out for a few years, and they were both considered top-of-the-line in their day.
Fallout is set in a fifties-styled post-apocalyptic future, in which you are the first person to emerge from a massive underground vault years after a nuclear war, to explore the surface world and obtain vital equipment to keep your people alive. As this game is considered by many to be the best CRPG ever made, its makers went on to found Troika and Obsidian, two of today's cutting-edge CRPG developers.
Baldur's Gate is the series that earned BioWare their current unmatched notoriety in the genre. It is set in the Forgotten Realms, and uses the AD&D 2nd Edition ruleset. You play a young character who is forced to flee his hometown when the wizard who adopted him is brutally slain. He grows to discover that his destiny is intertwined with that of an ancient dark god.
[ May 08, 2004, 09:40 PM: Message edited by: A Rat Named Dog ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Friday:
*sends email*
*waits*
Saturday night:
*twiddles thumbs*
*catches up on Hatrack*
*waits*
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
*cough*aim*cough*
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
is your sister going to be back by the time you come down for e3? we could all do lunch. i've got to start packing for heaven's sakes!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*cough* I didn't see your post till now, mack, and I'm on -- and you're not. Try tomorrow night, 'k? *cough*
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Dog: I suppose they're not, but they're lumped together with them in my head. Fallout is a good suggestion, though! I can't believe I wasn't thinking about that.
Also... Did you read my earlier post? (innocent look)
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
They've had a lot of HP Lovecraft games before, but since this is being made by Bethesda, I'm pretty hopeful.
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
Depends how much plot you like in your games. I'm of the opinion that the best RPG ever created is Planescape: Torment, which you can probably pick up in a bargain bin for 10$ (which is what I paid for my copy). There's a WHOLE lot of reading when you play it, it's almost more of an interactive novel. But the story is awesome.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
Speaking of Morrowind, you might want to try that. It's got to be the most expansive and involving game ever. Millions of options, characters, locations, skills, items, and thousands of millions of quests, from the divine to the mundane.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
[checks back for Ryuko's previous post]
OH! Missed that one! Sorry
I think that Advent Children is probably the only thing that will really grab my attention under Square Enix's logo, so do expect me to have something to say about it.
The DS and PSP ... hmm ... I honestly have no idea what Nintendo and Sony are planning to do with those this year. I've heard rumors that both may show up on the floor, but nothing reliable. I'll keep my eyes open.
Kingdom Hearts is a taller order. I mean ... an eastern RPG with Disney Characters? It's like my two worst nightmares come together to haunt me Posted by Happy Camper (Member # 5076) on :
I guess anything newsworthy from Squeenix about FFXII might be moderately interesting to me. Oh, and check out EA for UX:O. They say they're not showing it, but I'm holding out hope that there might be at least a little new information. I've got another friend who's gonna be there from a small game company called Max Gaming Online. Maybe between the two of you you'll find something out. Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Awww... Well, don't go out of your way or anything. Any hot-hot info from E3 will be snapped up graciously by me! Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
I think it's funny that they originally promised UXO for like February of this year, and they're still not ready to show it And we've still got the same top 3 games from last year — Halo 2, Half-life 2, and Doom 3. Note that none of them made my list. I'm just tired of them.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Dog, what about Duke Nukem? That is supposed to be on every list, regardless of year. Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Dog, you appear to be avoiding the question. Are you going to make time on this trip to see your family? Y'know... us?
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Congratz. Besides playing and review, pick up a lot of swag for all of us.
And spray some disinfectant. There seems to be a nasty cough spreading around this thread.
Posted by Happy Camper (Member # 5076) on :
quote:I think it's funny that they originally promised UXO for like February of this year, and they're still not ready to show it And we've still got the same top 3 games from last year — Halo 2, Half-life 2, and Doom 3. Note that none of them made my list. I'm just tired of them.
Yeah, it's kind of frustrating, and really confusing. They had an event in San Francisco late last year where they showed the game, and somehow they aren't ready to show it at E3. I'd say it's probably got something to do with the dissolution of Origin and the fact that the whole team in Redwood Shores is basically new, and probably not quite complete either. If you ask me, not having the game there is a huge mistake for EA to be making right now. But they don't seem to be all that interested in the MMOG market, so who knows, maybe the suits at EA are trying to bury it without actually cancelling the project. That would be sad, considering how good the game is looking to be.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Rivka beat you to the punch, Pop Unless we want to make it a joint get-together ...
Camper, as excited as I was about some of UXO's unique features, I'm not going to get choked up if some of these MMORPG hopefuls start self-weeding before the inevitable market glut ...
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I can share. Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :
It's not a point-and-clicker?!
Argh, this is an outrage! Let me talk to the manager! That was the genre's final chance, and they had to screw it over. Now it's just going to come back and spurts like disco and bad eighties hair styles.
*heavy sigh*
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
A joint get-together? Better invite Thor....
I'll get details from rivka, and hopefully things will work in such a way that I and some of my family can join the festivities.
--Pop
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Geoff, do you have any idea of the people who made up Smoking Car Productions, the development team that created The Last Express back in about '96 or so, are still involved in the industry?
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
*takes notes*
and for the i-don't-know-how-manyth time, Dog greatly aids celia's gift shopping.
Though, I may have to get one for myself off the list.
quote: Graphics so amazing you'll need a screen!
*snickers*
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Noemon, all I know is what a Google search gave me:
quote:Founded by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner, Smoking Car Productions developed the highly original but severely undersold The Last Express and seems to have subsequently faded into thin air. (The recent Prince of Persia 3D, designed by Mechner himself, wasn't made under Smoking Car's banner).
Posted by beatnix19 (Member # 5836) on :
What about Halo 2? It comes out this Sept and the guys at our local EB Games says they are expected to sell something riduculous, like 3 million copies in the first run. So I would expect it to have a huge display at e3. Plus it's going to be X-box live compatible which means hours upon hours of online death matches. IMO that would be a great booth to check out.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Thanks Geoff!
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Mmm, Call of Cthulhu...
Mmm, City of Villains...
Mmm....
-Bok
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Bok, you never even play City of Heroes, what are you so excited about?
I'd have mentioned Halo 2, but I'm still in a slump after my excitement last year.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I would love Bok to be a villan...he would only be lev5 after months, so I could train up my new characters on him...
Kwea
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I play, but, you know, as I stated in the original CoH thread, I have a full, well-adjusted Real Life to deal with... Unlike you miscreants
Oh, and Kwea, you'd better hope I'm only level 5, cause much higher than that and I'd send your SuperZero home whimpering! BWAHAHAHA!! Or something.
-Bok
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
For those of you who are on the Halo 2 bandwagon, here's a little taste:
Note that it seems to depict a whole lot of humans-vs-covenant multiplayer action, and the ghost-hijacking maneuver is in there, too. No idea how that is supposed to work ... but they've got till November 9th to figure it out!
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
Damn. E3's not bad at all. A surprising number of hot women there.
Holy crap, there's an X-Men game coming out! It doesn't look as good as some others I saw, but damn, I'm a sucker for all things Marvel.
Speaking of which, I saw in person both Doc Ock's tentacle and the "reactor" which fused the arms to his spine. Otherwise, the entire booth -- I forget the brand name -- was rather a disappointment. The new Spider-Man game has terrible graphics. And heh, the rest was Tony Hawk crap. Oh, excitement.
Geoff was right about Prince of Persia 2. The preview spins the game as what could be a damn pretty movie. I'm not as excited about the game itself, though -- it looks like cheap run-and-jump-and-pull-the-switch button play, though I could be wrong. I distinctly recall being distracted by two women in latex and fishnet stalkings, one bearing a whip.
Some other games look like busts. Tabula Rosa has some nifty features, but the gameplay's awkward as hell. I disliked playing Thief III, but then, I was unused to the controls. It may be worth it.
I am in love with the World of Warcraft game. Holy crap. If only for the preview. Just stunning. I died repeatedly in the opening mission of Starcraft: Ghost, and I blame it on the poor controls, but it may well be my own 2-da-Xtreme l334 gaming skilz.
No Microsoft display that I saw, which was a disappointment. I can't wait to find out the successor in the Age of Empires series. And Halo's the only video game that's kept me enchanted for longer than a few months.
There were a surprising number of remarkably stupid games at the convention. There must be a huge market for suburban white boys who want to be getto thugz or punk skater boiz.
I'm definitely buying Goldeneye: Rogue Agent or however it went. Very pretty, plus, I miss the old N64 game like nobody's business.
The Battle for Middle-Earth game looks pretty, but I didn't get the chance to take a closer look.
The sequel to Kingdom Hearts looks okay, but I've no experience with the original to judge with. All I know is the effect it had on my heterosexual lifemate, Sean: "Whoa, I gotta get outta here. I've seen Donald Duck kill FAR too many people for one day." Belle looks hotter than I remember. Possible reconsideration of my hottest Disney princess list is in order. She still doesn't beat out Ariel or Jasmine, but Quasimodo's chick may well be demoted. Which may do her relationship with Q a hell of a lot of good, anyway -- she needs something to identify with the dude.
Hmm. There were many more, but they're all blurring in my mind. There was a something 2 that looked interesting -- computer-animated anime, but the footage ran as a movie. Something about an eager young blonde boy crossing swords with a pale green goblin-boy over what appeared to be a blindfolded pale green goblin-girl who started bleeding from her eyes when the Moon opened up its red eye.
Don't ask me to explain. Still. Pretty swordplay.
Hmm.
There were some I was passionate about, but damn if I can remember them. I'll definitely plug Warcraft, though. Javie's a beta for the program, and I can't say I've ever envied him more. Except for that whole thang thang with Niki. But still. Does she have a pet bear or a nifty little gun?
There were a lot of hot chicks. Either gaming's a more lucrative opportunity to meet large-breasted blondes than I thought, or they were hired. Which they may well have been. I took a load off in some bizarre lounge area filled with New-Age sofas, and some cute blonde and what appeared to be an employer sat down and started ruffling through forms. I think the blonde was being hired to stand around and hit on geeks.
Gotta tap more of these conventions.
I looked around for my favorite redhead, but no sign of him. Were you only around for the first day, dude?
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Ah, yes, I remember how it felt the first time I snuck into e3 ... [reminisces]
Sorry you didn't see me, Lalo ... The second day, I spent several hours hanging around with Jake Simpson, the lead simulation engineer on The Sims 2. He's been in the industry a long time, and it was actually kind of fun to watch as he greeted every single big-shot we passed as an old friend I got to meet major players at Midway, Paramount, Epic, etc ... and got to feel kind of cool when I already knew and had business to discuss with one of the producers he introduced me to
The third day, I only had a couple of hours before I had to make my flight, and I spent them playing Unreal Championship 2 with Cameron Dayton, one of the designers on Advent Rising. Their game is definitely shaping up, by the way. The controls are pretty original, and can be hard to get used to, but once you catch on, you can do some pretty amazing-looking stuff.
My picks of the show ...
THE SIMS 2. Hands-down the most revolutionary game I saw. They took the gameplay of the original game, which was focused on managing the immediate physical needs of your Sims, and pushed it into the background, making it much easier to handle. Then atop that layer, they added REAL, COMPELLING motivations for the Sims. Hopes, dreams, fears, etc. Basically, at the beginning of a Sim's life, you decide if his ultimate goal in life is Romance, Family, Fame, Fortune, or Knowledge. Then over the course of that life, he naturally develops hopes and fears associated with that goal, and it is your job to help him realize his hopes while avoiding his fears (or, if you're sadistic, vice versa).
This can be rough, though. For instance, in the demo, they showed a man with Romance as his goal, and then married him to a woman who saw Family as her major goal. Her greatest fear was being cheated on. His greatest goal was to sleep with ten different women before he died. You can see where this is going. Someone is about to be disappointed.
They also showed off how aware the Sims now are of their relationships, memories, and experiences. So this Romantic guy sneaks off during a party to make out with an old high school flame. His wife's sister walks in and sees him. She freaks out, and runs to tell his wife. His wife starts crying — her worst fear has been realized. Her husband tries to come out and apologize ... but the old flame follows him out and kisses him again, right in front of the wife. The wife collapses and has a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile, the wife's sister starts brawling with the old flame, and the wife's brother starts beating up the husband.
On top of all that, you Sims will unlock new animations based on their personalities and achievements. A shy Sim has completely separate talking animations from an outgoing Sim, for example. An outgoing Sim will wave her hands around exuberantly while speaking, while a shy Sim will hold her elbow and look off to one side, as though trying not to be seen. And that Romantic guy we were talking about ... he had already achieved enough romance in his life that he had earned himself a new walk animation ... a sort of sexy swagger. I can't wait to see the one they give the girls
More reviews to come ...
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
So, did you also check out "The Urbz(working title)"?
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Oh! Yeah, I did. Having not played any of the console Sims games, I really didn't have a foundation to build on. That is, I didn't know what was new and original, and what was just like Bustin' Out. But apparently, you're in the city, where there are a bunch of different social groups (like punks, ravers, etc) and your goal is to define your own style, and then build up your reputation with the different groups. You can also earn special emotes and social skills (like the BLASTI-KISS, which they demonstrated to me with some girl-on-girl action) which let you impress people more efficiently. It seemed pretty cool. It's interesting that the console branch of The Sims has taken such a completely new direction from the PC original ...
Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :
Anyone know anything about Starcraft 2?
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
If there was anything Starcraft-related going on besides Ghost, I totally missed it.
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
I think the biggest blizzard titles were world of warcraft and ghost.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Here's some stuff I posted at another website:
The Sims 2 — You've already heard me rave about this one, so I don't need to repeat myself. Brilliant choices all round. Can't wait to see how they pan out in gameplay.
Mercenaries — Somehow these developers (a few of whom I met this year — cool guys) have managed to take the freedom and emergence of GTA and blend it with the killer cinematic moments that you usually only see in a more linear game (eg, hijacking a chopper in flight). Some of the stuff you can do on the fly in this game only happens in cinematics everywhere else.
Full Spectrum Warrior — On Friday, I went to the FSW station in Microsoft's pavilion to give myself one last chance to play this game without killing half my squad. I mean, this sucker is UNFORFREAKINGIVING. Which is awesome, in my opinion. Until now, there has never been such a thing as a truly realistic tactical game, and now here it is. I feel like playing this game will make me smarter. And, unlike every other game on the floor, dang it, this one is actually coming out reasonably soon
Fable — They were really smart about their demo. They actually had FIVE different demos showing different aspects of the game at different stations. I was impressed. The combat is fun and intuitive, and the personality of the game is really cool and unique. (Actual authentic English accents? Wow!) I do get nervous about clear, direct good-and-evil dichotomies, but it looks like they're handling it a little better than some other games have. Can't wait to take this one for a spin, so I can actually see the character grow before my eyes.
Vampire: Bloodlines — Great demo. The creepy dudes in the sewer actually scared me when they jumped out the first time. Celerity really works the way it should. The characters and dialogue are awesome. The hacking interface rocks! Whoever had the idea that the whole thing should consist of typing into a DOS-like interface deserves a bonus. The hacking is actually really easy, but you're hitting enough keys that you feel like you're doing something complex
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