• 5Sep 08

  Destructible Environment

  So, we're all gamers here, right? We love video games -- that's why we Gamespot, regardless of what other topics we may discuss. Some of us are even getting our feet wet as video-game reviewers and such, and that's a really cool thing. But at what point does video-game journalism enter the realm of "too much"?

  PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) just came and went, and as with any video-game convention, I'm always checking out what the big sites have to say about the show. I go to IGN, 1Up, Giant Bomb, and even sometimes right here at Gamespot for videos and news. Seems like this year, though, the gaming "press" has taken center stage. PAX was populated by various press panels -- not panels of video-game developers and such being questioned by the press, but the press addressing their publics...in public. Teh wuh?!

  

  1Up had their guys from the 1Up Yours podcast do a panel, one that resembled a group of rock stars doing a backstage press conference. Giant Bomb did pretty much the same thing, though I have to say, there's was actually informative (they offered details about their site and what users can expect from their offering as gaming press).

  Additionally, when you go to sites like Destructoid, they seem to specialize in getting people interested in them and their escapades in gaming, rather than actual gaming itself.

  I don't get it. Who are these people and when did they become celebrities? Was Gerstmann Gate the catalyst for gaming press to enter the limelight?

  Personally, I love a lot of their personalities. Jeff Gerstmann and his sidekick, Ryan Davis, are usually funny to listen to and they have a good chemistry. But why are all these people trying so hard to involve us in their lifesty1es as gaming press?

  What really concerns me, however, is the lack of respect now being shown to the relationship between the developers and the press. The 1Up panel was critically tearing up games that were still in development. It was very unprofessional and somewhat uncomfortable to watch. It's one thing to candidly discuss things you like or dislike about a demo you've played, but it's a whole different deal when you blast it publicly like they did with many games. Additionally, the Giant Bomb guys were high as a kite when recording their latest Bombcast. Rich Gallup, a former Gamespot co-worker to the Giant Bomb crew, sounded noticeably displeased with what he was seeing and hearing from his buddies. Also, about a month ago, Destructoid reviewed the demo version of Eternity's Child, and two of their reviewers each gave the game a 1 out of 10 score. Okay, so even if the game was terrible and you could justify the score, there was no justification for the public display of verbal abuse Destructoid writers and users bombarded Luc Bernard (the game's creator) with. It was literally obscene.Bernard went to the Destructoid site and exchanged comments about the review and he was received with text bile.

  Man, this is a video-game industry we're talkin' about here, so folks should have fun, I believe. But there also has to be a level of respect shown, because for one, not everyone receives this information in the same way, and two, the developers (and others) are working hard on their projects, and to behave like that as paid video-game press (with high-paying sponsers) seems to be the wrong tact to take. To me, all these guys are becoming a distraction to what it is I come to these sites for.

  • Posted Sep 5, 2008 6:22 am GMT
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• 2Sep 08

  Downloading Spore Creatures from Wii

  So, I decided to do my first Wii-to-DS download this morning, since it was brought to my attention that Spore Creatures (DS) was now available on the Nintendo Channel. First of all, I think it's awesome that you can now download demos right to your DS from your home console. It's something I had hoped would be offered, and it's a little thing that goes a long way to making me a happy Wii camper.

  

  So, the Spore Creatures demo is very short, but very entertaining as a peek into what we can expect with the full version. What you get with this demo is a sampling of the creature editor, along with a tiny island to move around on. The creature editor is very straight forward, and though it's simplified greatly compared to what Spore PC will offer, there's an ample amount here to have fun with. One of the coolest aspects of creating creatures is: as you level up your creature (which of course, you cannot do in this demo), you'll add more creature points, thus allowing you to add better parts and more parts to your creature(s). So, it's not only going to be something of a sim and strategy game, but Spore Creatures will offer some RPG elements as well. Additionally, depending on how you build your creature, it can either be more skilled as a hunter or as a social being, and various other stats will give your creature proficiency in certain areas over others. Very cool!

  The island you can roam around on in the demo has no other creatures on it to interact with, and that's a little disappointing, but I'm already now stoked for this game. The only thing that's a little off-putting is the color in the game. Spore Creatures appears to use the same graphics engine as that from My Sims DS, which was a bit lack luster in its appearance. That said, this game seems to have been given a lot more attention to detail. The music, also, stands out, as it's really mellow and relaxing. I'm glad they've opted for a more Zen-like atmosphere over the traditional video-game fare; it fits well with what the experience seems to be all about.

  Anyway, I was looking forward to this game before, but now I can't wait to get my hands on the full version. Shouldn't be too long a wait. If you've got a Wii, a DS and an Internet connection for your console, check out the demo. It's pretty cool.

  • Posted Sep 2, 2008 6:40 am GMT
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• 25Aug 08

  Revisiting Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (Wii)

  It had been quite a while since I played around with the game. I eventually got disgusted and put it down. But in my boredom, I picked it back up again the other day, and it wasn't long before I remembered just why I stopped playing the game....

  

  Now, I did a reader review of the game, and I think when I finally posted it on Gamespot, I gave it a 7.5 (I think). But I have to say, after having more time to fully grok what's here, this game is not deserving of such a score. The main reason? You can't hit anything!

  Okay, let me clarify: you can't hit anything in multiplayer. Well, you can, but it's usually hit & miss (no pun intended). Each player seems to have their own sweet spot due to all the variants in the player-connection speeds. So, to hit one player, you might have to lead your shots out by about two full on-screen inches; another player might allow you to shoot him where the reticule actually highlights the player; but every player is different. However, all the soldier models look basically the same, and with tons of players, it's a friggin' free-for-all.

  Now, other folks like to claim it's not a problem -- "I have no lag." Whatever! I'm using the official Nintendo USB adapter on a brand-new computer with a broadband connection. I'm not saying that I don't lag, because that too is quite possible, but that's not the point. For a game that looks so bad, it should run very well. In that I mean, the textures are so low-poly, you'd think that the Wii hardware could process it at the speed of light -- and it probably can (hyperbole). The problem is in the game design.

  Now, the game looks like a poor-looking PS2 game, the single-player is very bland, and the AI is some of the dumbest I've ever seen (guys crossing enemy lines and firing from two feet behind you). But I can excuse all of that. What I can't get over is the utter frustration that comes from not being able to simply enjoy a decent game of multiplayer. When my reticule is dead-on an opponent and I unload 120 (you read that right!) rounds into his face, he should go down. I'm well aware of the various glitches in the game, but I'm talking about someone who is merely lagging (since a grenade will still do the trick). I can see their head bobbing, so I know I'm making contact, but nothing!

  It pisses me off that I paid $50 for this game. It's my great hope that The Conduit is able to get it right. Now, this is a game that is pushing the Wii hardware to the limits, so it will be no small feat for them to get the online multiplayer to work the way it should. I don't mind a locked 30-frames-per-second frame-rate, so long as when I hit a dude, he actually takes damage.

  But why did I rate MoH:H2 so high in the first place? I don't know.... I guess it was because it was one of the first Wii games I owned, and I was excited just to be playing an FPS on the system. The controls aren't bad (though definitely not as good as these neophyte kids try to make out), the frame-rate is pretty fast, and it's still fun to feel like you're actually holding a gun in your hands. But in the end, when you take a step back, you realize just how far off from the mark this game truly is...at least I do now.

  • Posted Aug 25, 2008 6:29 am GMT
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