You Can Also Find Me At

I know things have been a bit slow on the blog of late. However, don't forget that you can also find me at INTERNODE. I am posting news items there most days. Feel free to pop over there and get your fix of cynical gaming news as well.

GTA IV Map

GTA IV would have to be one of the most anticipated games coming out this year. It seems like just yesterday that GTA: San Andreas was released. One of the things which has caused a lot of conern about the new game is how big the map will be. San Andreas pushed the boundaries in the sheer size of the playable map. Now that it has been revealed that GTA IV is set in a single part of Liberty City that it will not be very large. Well, some one with too much spare time on their hands has put together this. They have outlayed the landmarks of the GTA IV trailer along with the descriptions from Rockstar about the different burroughs and come up with this. A working map of GTA IV based on the city of New York. CLICK HERE FOR MAP.

It is huge.

If this is the playable area then I am pretty amazed. While I don't think it is quite as big as San Andreas this is virtually a completely populated city we are talking about. San Andreas was three small cities divided by a lot of open areas. This is one large city. Amazing.

All of this just makes October seem a lot further away. I can't wait for this game to be released. It is soon going to eclipse Bioshock as my most anticipated game this year.

It's Official You Can Purchase A Commodore Computer Again, but ...

The Commodore logo is back on a computer, however, is Commodore back? Times have changed so much since a Commodore computer was the mainstay of home PC gaming. To start with Microsoft weren't dominating the home PC market and telling us what to do with our systems. Things were a lot simpler then. The internet was around but was made up mainly of bulletin boards for computer geeks and scientists. Gaming was then in its infancy and people could create games from their living room without the need for multi million dollar budgets. People didn't build their own PCs then either. Atari consoles were booming in the home market and Commodore had created the greatest selling home computer of all time in the Commodore 64.

Residents of the UK and Ireland are going to be the first people in the world to pick up the new Commodore Gaming PCs. A larger rollout of the product is to be expected in mid-May. However, these are just beige boxes with pretty pictures on them. They are not Commodores. Just because you put a logo on something doesn't make it the same product. Commodore computers were indicative of the time in which they were released. They were pioneering the home computer market and home gaming in many ways. They were one of the cheapest home PC options in the marketplace. The products which are being released now and are badged with Commodore Gaming are just high priced PCs. Commodore hasn't pioneered the technology and the operating system in the boxes. They are just assembling a number of components, putting them in a PC case and slapping a logo on the side. While I love the romantic notion I have of Commodore computers from my childhood this is not enough to make me commit to a purchase of an expensive gaming PC just because of the logo. Certainly not when I can make one myself at a much cheaper price.

Unfortunately, I believe that consumers and the marketplace has changed in the 20 years when Commodore first broke in to the market. Computers aren't a gimmick anymore, they are a part of our day to day reality. As a result consumers are far better educated as computers as a product than they were when Commodore were first in the marketplace.

I actually regret that they have pulled the Commodore logo out of the closet and put it back on sale. Times have changed. Market loyalties have changed and Commodore are going to have to take on two of the biggest custom computer suppliers in the world, namely Alienware and Dell.

C&C 3 Demo On Xbox 360

The C&C 3: Tiberium Wars demo is out on the Xbox 360 and I think they have done a pretty good job at mapping the controls to the console controller. The game is completely playable, however, why don't Microsoft just release an official mouse and keyboard converter for the console? This is what the game is made for. While they want the console players to compete with Windows players online they don't want it to happen on a level playing field. The current aftermarket mouse and keyboard converter for the console is not too good. The games haven't been programed from the ground up to incorporate the use of the mouse and, as a result, suffer from controller lag in game.

Some may consider the Xbox 360 to be the poor man's computer, so, why don't Microsoft come to the party and just release a mouse and keyboard for it? At least, to give gamers the choice of which peripheral they would prefer to use for the console. Also, this would broaden the appeal for game developers to release a larger number of games for the console. Some games just don't feature very well with a controller.

I personally don't mind using the controller. It is more comfortable to use than a mouse and keyboard, however, doesn't have the twitchy responsiveness of the mouse and keyboard.

What is Wrong With This Picture?

I was playing Gun yesterday and I was presented with this deformed character. It was freaky. The character had just been executed as a part of the main story line and for some reason turned up on screen looking like a mutant. The funny thing was that it stayed like that after a couple of reloads and then returned to normal. Very strange.

I purchased Gun second hand at EB. As you can see I still have a penchant for picking up old, cheap second hand games and giving them a good thrashing.

Fallout Licence Fully Owned By Bethesda

This was big news on Friday. Bethesda (the creators of Elder Scrolls) have purchased the Fallout franchise from Interplay. Previously, Bethesda had purchased the licence to develop the next three fallout games from Interplay. Interplay, of course, are practically going out of business.

While there was a mixed reception at the news of Bethesda developing the next three fallout games several years ago, I think that this is fantastic news for the franchise. The main concerns of the community, at the time, was that Bethesda would turn fallout in to a first person RPG. This created the luke warm reception as the rumour mill went crazy about reports of this misinformation.

It is 10 years, next year, since the release of Fallout 2. This is a long time between gaming drinks. It is good that Fallout still has such a strong following within the gaming community after such a long period of time.

Bethesda Shivering Patch

How could Bethesda release the official expansion for Oblivion without picking up on a major bug which made the game unplayable for some PC gamers? Surely, they spent the time and due diligence to test the Shivering Isles expansion on a number of different rigs prior to the expansions release? Of course, with the millions, if not billions, of potential configuration type with custom PCs with different brands of graphics cards, motherboards, RAM, and all the different types of software configurations, it is not possible to stress test the software for all PC users. However, how did such a major glitch slip through the tight nets at Bethesda?

Of course, considering C&C 3: Tiberium Wars has issued four patches in the first two weeks of the game's release we shouldn't be surprised that something major can slip through the pre-release testing nets of a major software developer. However, isn't this an endemic in the gaming community which is about to turn in to a fully fledged pandemic? Shouldn't gamers, at this point in time, be saying that enough is enough. Considering the amount of money we pay to purchase a video game and the required equipment to play them shouldn't the games be in a better state than barely playable on release?

So, what has happened is that Shivering Isles has been patched within two weeks of release. This seems to be the norm now.

On a side note, I like the cover art for Shivering Isles. Reminds me of Chronicles of Riddick movie. Nice little reference.

US Army Spending More Money To Recruit Gamers

Everyone is familiar with America's Army. It is the game which has just snowballed in momentum now gaining massive audiences of gamers worldwide, both young and old. The US Army has lined up $2 million dollars in advertising and sponsorship which is to take place in the Global Gaming League Website. Apparently the core audience (80 percent) of this website consists primarily of 17-24 year old males.

However, one of the anti-gaming advocates California Senator, Leland Yee, has already issued a statement criticizing the advertising campaign.

"It is disconcerting that the Army has decided to invade these websites with millions of dollars in advertising. While many of these young people are being desensitized to real-life violence through these online violent video games, the Army has decided to sweep in and exploit the situation. I urge them to reconsider this advertising strategy ... My father like so many others served honorably in the Army and our soldiers today are fighting because they want to give back to this country. Many of today’s violent video games do not portray this service as admirable, but instead glorify violence and promote racist and sexist behaviour. These are not the lessons we should be teaching our young people. When ads for the armed forces are placed on websites promoting these types of games, it blurs the line between fantasy and real-life violence."

His claims that games promote racist and sexist behaviour are an exaggeration. Several games have been accused of these things, however, these claims are not indicative of the entire gaming catalogue. In fact, many games promote service in the army as being admirable. Most World War II games and I think, specifically, Brothers in Arms, Call of Duty, and to a lesser degree Medal of Honour definitely promote positives about military service. I think Brothers In Arms positively promotes the sacrifices made by those men who served in World War II. As per usual, an anti-gaming advocate speaks about negatives without understanding any of the positives of gaming.

The Australian military spends a great deal of money targeting gamers in their advertising. You only need to open PC Powerplay or check out other gaming related websites to see Australian military advertising on them. The Australian military have been doing this for quite some time. However, we haven't had the soothsayers portraying doom and gloom about this. The Australian military needs quality recruits, this is no great secret. Fortunately, we don't have the anti-gaming mindset in the media and with politicians which occurs in the US.

With the reality of television and movies now gamers would have an understanding as to the violent and unforgiving nature of war. Games are not realistic portrayals of war based events. They are fictions used as a means of entertainment. To say that all gamers are desensitized to real life violence through video games is a gross overstatement. It is without foundation. If someone joins the army based on their experiences playing Americas Army then they are going to be given a rude wakeup call and they are not joining the army for the right reasons in the first place. The army will sort these people out pretty quickly. However, to have someone stand up and take just another cheap shot at gaming is of no real surprise. These people categorize all gamers with the same, violent brush without actually understanding who gamers are. Anyway, would I be someone who makes a gross generalisation, such as, we all know that all politicians are liars anyway.

The Gaming Universe Just Became A Little Bit Smaller

You probably glanced over this news item today and didn't even think anything of it. Ubisoft acquired the German developer Sunflowers. However, the gaming universe just becomes a smaller place one developer at a time.

Yves Guillemont, CEO of Ubisoft, said, "With the acquisition of Anno, Ubisoft reinforces its position in the real-time strategy market. Anno, along with Ubisoft’s The Settlers, is one of the most well known franchises in Germany, reaching a wide audience that includes not only traditional gamers, but also women and families. We are proud to add another top-quality brand to our rich portfolio and we are looking forward to bringing the brand to an even wider audience."

Unfortunately we are slowly starting to see developers run in to financial trouble and go out of business or get devoured by larger, hungrier developers. Rare has run the gamut, existing on its own, then to be a preferred developer for Nintendo and then to be later claimed by Microsoft. Atari, one of the oldest developers has had financial trouble for several years. Old companies like CinemaWare who made classic games of their time could not survive.

What we have now is a number of massive software companies, like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Take Two and its subsidiaries who are just getting bigger. What this means is a lowering in the amount of diversity which we have in the industry. Diversity is what makes gaming great. However, the need for companies to create franchises and long term income with major titles means that, as they get bigger, they have to devour smaller developers. It reduces the amount of competition they have for their own titles and adds existing revenue from their competition in to the kitty.

What we are seeing in gaming is similar to what goes on in Hollywood. Major studios are few but have access to the funds required to make "mainstream" releases and a categorized "independant" cinema which suffers from a lack of budget. Unfortunately, I hate to say that I watch Hollywood movies and say, "Is that the best that the most creative people in the world can come up with?" Is this what we are going to face in gaming?

Rest In Peace:
Troika Games, CinemaWare, Black Isle, Interplay, Bitmap Brothers, Accolade, Acclaim, Bullfrog, and the many others ...

Kurt Vonnegut Has Died

Such a shame that Kurt Vonnegut has died. He was one of my favourite sci-fi writers. He wrote, Slaughterhouse Five, Player Piano, Breakfast of Champions, God Bless You Mr Rosewater (my favourite).

The world has lost a man who had a truly unique perspective.

STALKER In the News For All The Wrong Reasons

STALKER seems to have spent most of its gaming and development life in the news for all the wrong reasons. News being reported at other gaming sites seems to confirm this once again.

This all began in forums being reported by modders and then made mainstream gaming news. Users were reporting that STALKER used graphical assets (textures and what not) from other major release gaming titles, such as, Doom 3 and Half Life 2.

Todd Hollshead the CEO of id Software has said, "I've seen a post on a web forum that claims DOOM3 assets are used in another game, but we've been working hard on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars as well as our own internal project and have not had the time to fully investigate or otherwise verify that the claim is true. Only from what I've seen on the Web, it's concerning. However, it may turn out to be nothing. Nevertheless, it would be improper to make any decision about a course of action until we find out whether the claim is true, and what assets from DOOM3, if any, have potentially been used."

It is even being reported that the files used in STALKER have the same filenames as Doom 3. It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Whether it is, in fact, true or just wild speculation coming from the gaming community.

Fallout 3

Fallout is an iconic game and almost rates as a perfect game to me, however, times have changed a lot since fallout was released. Gaming has changed a lot since fallout was released and the games that gamers play have also changed a lot since Fallout.

Fallout was a part of the Black Isle Role Playing gaming lineup. Unfortunately, Black Isle ran in to some financial difficulty and ended up selling the rights to develop a single player game to Bethesda. However, Interplay retained the rights to develop a Fallout MMO. This is what Pete Hines (Bethesda) had to say about the Fallout franchise in a Shacknews interview this year, "Internally, we're a bunch of Fallout geeks. There is nobody [here] who hasn't played that game and enjoyed it. I have that game on my laptop, I take it with me and play it. But it's definitely different, because it's not really considered ours, the franchise. We didn't start it. There is a little bit of that sentiment out there that we have to prove that we're worthy to be the guys to make Fallout 3." When this was first announced fans of Fallout were unhappy because they believed that Bethesda would turn fallout in to a First Person based Role Playing game similar to Morrowind and Oblivion. This was speculation and Bethesda responded by saying that they were all big fans of the game and would look at keeping the game as close to the original as possible. Unfortunately, development of Fallout 3 did not start in earnest until Oblivion was completed. Fallout 3 now has a full development team working on the game. While Bethesda has said that they will try to keep the game as close to the original as possible the reality is that isometric turn based games don't sell very well any more.

Pete Hines said, "We are the right guys to be doing this franchise, we do take it seriously, and we do want to make it a powerful force in roleplaying in terms of what these games can do and be. We hope that when we show people what we're up to, they'll agree. Some folks will, and some folks will say it's not what they wanted. At the end of the day, we respect that, but we have to do what we think is right. Again, you can't make the game that everybody wants because you'll get ten different answers about what that game is."

Turn based game play is a big turn off for gamers. The majority of gamers don't tend to spend their money on them. While Fallout is an iconic franchise gamers tend not to buy this type of game and developers are reluctant to release them. Jagged Alliance is one of the few ongoing series which promotes turn based gameplay. UFO also uses it, however, you don't have to play the game turn based. The greatest speculation about this game leading up to the initial details being released about it's gameplay will be what style will the game take. Pete Hines has said that details about the game should be released this year. Until that point in time all the gaming community can do is to speculate.

Hopefully, Bethesda will create a high quality addition to one of the great gaming franchises. It doesn't matter to me if Fallout 3 is first person or third person, as long as it is set in the fallout universe I will be playing it.

UFO Developer To Release NecroVision

Independent developer Cenega have announced that they will release a First Person Shooter set in World War One called NecroVision. Cenega are well known for developing the UFO series. This series has continued the concepts behind the Xcom series of games.

NecroVision is said to be set not just in World War One, but also will have you fighting hell spawn such as demons and other unnatural creatures. Well, that makes the game sound a whole lot different than a lot of other shooters. Just because it was set in World War One with its bolt action .303s and lot tech warfare is not necessarily going to differentiate it from other shooters already associated with WW2. There are so many games which deal with you fighting things which come from hell, the underworld or whatnot. Anyone heard of Doom? Then you have the various offshoots which attempt to capitalize on the same theme. Couldn't they have taken a little bit more time and come up with a more original concept?

Hang on, there is, there are also vampires in the game. Well, that makes all the difference doesn't it. Vampires. The press release says, "Now the only defense standing between the powerful forces of darkness and humans, who are unaware of the existence of the underground worlds, are vampires. But they are losing ground in this war and desperately need help before they fall and all hell will get loose. Can a young American save these worlds, and survive as a human?" Just sounds like another cliched game concept.

GRUMPYOLDGAMER says:
Vampires. Vampires are real you know. I always carry around a clove of garlic. You never know when one of those little blood suckers are going to pop up. I saw this documentary about this young girl ... now what was her name? ... she had a real problem with vampires ... I think her name was Bandy ... Bundy ... Bindy ... Buffy, that's right it was Buffy. She could slay vampires in this place in America.

I remember when the great war started. I was only a relative youngster at twenty five. It was a time of great adventure I tell you ... as long as someone else went on the adventure for you.

Basha's Screenshot Moments

New Franchise Set to Take the Gaming World By Storm

There is a new gaming franchise which is set to take the gaming community by storm. It has been announced that Blast software has signed Mr Bean to their Playstation 2 release line up ... hang on ... Mr Bean what kind of crap game are they going to make out of Mr Bean? Who in their right mind would buy a Mr Bean game thinking that it was going to be a quality gaming experience?

Unfortunately, I have to say that this game is not being made to become a quality game. It is being made to capitalize on a guaranteed number of sales based on the use of Mr Bean's name. They are basically saying, come in spinner we are more than happy to take your money. The press release says, "Bean – The Ultimate Disaster Movie became one of the largest grossing UK movies with box office receipts in excess of US$255 million worldwide and worldwide DVD and Video sales now number more than 16 million units." The problem is that the movies are made by Rowan Atkinson the creative comedic force behind the character. He is the man who makes Mr Bean funny. However, I can imagine that his input to the game will be limited. The game won't be able to capture the spontaneity of the performance which is really what makes it funny.

Besides the Simpson's Hit and Run what other television comedy show/game tie-in has been worth playing. None of them turn out to be any good. Surely the gaming public has learned that these games are just an exercise in making you waste your money. They have said the game will consist of: "Mr.Bean on PlayStation 2 will be made up of 3D levels avoiding tricky traps and problem solving along the way to find his missing Teddy with the help of Bean's girlfriend Irma Gobb."

If you want to waste your money then go out and buy it, otherwise, keep your money and wait for a decent game release.

GRUMPYOLDGAMER says:
I don't understand how they can make this game which clearly shows a man who suffers from mental retardation. Back when I was a lad you didn't promote this kind of thing. You didn't talk about it. You put them in a back room and made sure the person never saw the light of day. You kept it a secret. That's the way it should be today.

I won't be playing this game. Firstly, I don't know what a PS2 is and secondly nothing is more funny than Buster Keaton. Every single comedian since then has just been a poor copy.

Introducing GrumpyOldGamer

I would like to introduce someone new to www.thecynicalgamer.com today. As there are more demands on myself to provide differing views on gaming and the gaming industry, I have had to expand my staff here. Based on the budget which I have to work with (being nothing) I have found someone who has a great deal of experience and came at the right price (for free) to assist me with providing up-to-date cynical games coverage this is grumpyoldgamer.

What I will do is provide an interview with him today so that you can get to know him a bit better. He is a little hard of hearing and I only have him on loan from the nursing home for a solid ten minutes. Rather than put him in to the thick of it, I will get grumpyoldgamer to provide his own unique point-of-view on the games articles I post. This is to ease him in to it and to get everyone used to him.

cynicalgamer (CG) - Welcome to the team.
grumpyoldgamer(GOG) - What ...
CG - I SAID WELCOME TO THE TEAM.
GOG - There's no need to yell ...
CG - I didn't know if you had your hearing aid turned on.
GOG - I don't have a hearing aid.
CG - What's that in your ear then?
GOG - There's something in my ear? I didn't notice.
CG - Anyway, we've started the interview.
GOG - You said that I could have a sherry.
CG - I said you could have a sherry after you'd finished.
GOG - So, we're not finished?
CG - No, we've just started.
GOG - Well, hurry up then.
CG - Welcome to the team.
GOG - What team? There's only two of us.
CG - That constitutes a team.
GOG - Doesn't that make us partners?
CG - In this case it's a team. I don't know you well enough to make you a partner and you are not my type.
GOG - What are you inferring?
CG - I would like to get back to the interview.
GOG - Well, you are the one taking it off track. Asking all of these ridiculous questions.
CG - I thought you would like to tell everyone why you'd be an important member of cynicalgamer.com.
GOG - What's it to you? Are you a cop or something?
CG - I already know what you are going to bring, but I thought you could tell everyone else.
GOG - What do you mean everyone else? There's only the two of us here.
CG - Remember we are doing an interview? Look, how about I tell everyone why you are onboard.
GOG - You just do that, but a little sherry might help me to get talking a bit. You know they call alcohol the truth serum.
CG - You have had more experience in gaming than anyone I know. I thought that you would be able to provide invaluable critical comment based on your life experience and your long time commitment as a gamer.
GOG - What would you know? You are only a relative infant ...
CG - Hang on, I am 33.
GOG - Like I said, when you get to my age you understand that you are only just getting out of your nappies by the time you hit 40.
CG - Well, let's tell them your age.
GOG - I think that is a bit rude, don't you.
CG - I've told everyone mine. Why not let them know yours.
GOG - In my day you didn't do that. You had a decent amount of respect for your elders. When you get to my age there aren't a whole lot of people who are older than you so that means I don't have to respect anyone.
CG - Anyway, let's just say that you have passed beyond the century mark.
GOG - Well, you are rude aren't you.
CG - You should be proud of how old you are.
GOG - Tell everyone that I am 21.
CG - I think that the gaming public will respect the fact that you are a hard core gamer because of how old you are.
GOG - They should respect me because of how old I am.
CG - But they don't know how old you are.
GOG - To tell them would be rude. You didn't do that in my day.
CG - How about we tell them that you have seen the turn of two centuries.
GOG - You've just told them how old I am.
CG - I want to get things on track. Remember, you are meant to be bringing your wisdom and gaming knowledge to thecynicalgamer.com
GOG - Yes, well that's to be expected. And what do you bring? What kind of humour is cynicism anyway? What you take something and twist it in to what you would call humour. I just think that you turn things in to the lowest common denominator for everyone.
CG - That is why we now have you. You will offer a completely different perspective. So, what's your favourite game?
GOG - Tennis.
CG - What is your favourite video game?
GOG - Miner 2049er.
CG - What's that one? I haven't heard of it. Is it a shooter?
GOG - A shooter? What you mean like space invaders? No, it is not like space invaders. There is a console out at the moment, but I am having some difficulty getting games for it. It's called the Atari 2600.
CG - The Atari 2600 was out 20 years ago.
GOG - Well, 20 years is probably a long time to you, but it is not for someone at my age. 20 years passes in the blink of an eye. Nothing happens quickly anyway. Do you know how long it took them to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge?
CG - No.
GOG - It took them nearly ten years. See, nothing decent can happen quicker than that. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a beautiful icon of what makes our country Australian.
CG - But that has nothing to do with gaming.
GOG - It has everything to do with gaming. If it took them ten years to build that how could anyone make anything better in less time?
CG - Electronic Arts release a new sports game every 12 months.
GOG - How could they possibly make anything which is going to last a thousand years in 12 months? Do you know how long it took them to build the pyramids and they have lasted for longer than you and me ever will?
CG - But we are not talking about building something that will last an eternity, we are talking about video games. They come out all the time. A new one comes out, people buy it then they uninstall it and buy a new game.
GOG - See, that is your problem. You have no appreciation for the things you buy. You have subscribed to this "throw away" society. Buy a car and throw it away. I had the same wife for 60 years, just like I've had the same fridge for 30. I still wear clothes that I bought 30 years ago, because I know what a tailor is. You see I understand the value of the things that I buy. The youth of today don't understand the value of money.
CG - Alright.
GOG - If I play a game I want to get at least 20 years value out of it. I bought a deck of cards in the 60s and I am still playing bridge with them. I think that deck of cards cost me two and six.
CG - I understand what you are saying, but new games come out all the time now. People play them for six or even ten hours and then are finished with them.
GOG - And how much do they pay for these games?
CG - Between $70 to $120 depending on the format and the game.
GOG - What? You are kidding me right? That is how much I used to earn in a month when I was in my prime. That is highway robbery. Entertainment that lasts six to ten hours and costs you that much money? I knew prostitutes, not that I would do the wrong thing by my Marjory, who would charge you $10 and give you an hours entertainment. You young people must be loaded. You should be paying me for my time here.
CG - I guess times have changed.
GOG - Maybe they have. I think your ten minutes is up. I want my sherry now.
CG - Thanks grumpy.

Cynical Gamer Reviews S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Sometimes life is very much like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get. So, in keeping with my review process this is the way I will review STALKER, like it is a box of chocolates.

If ever there was a game released which could have been anything when you opened the box, and I mean anything, it was STALKER. The build up to this game was unlike anything else that has ever been imagined. It was a bit like Willy Wonka coming to life and promising to make the greatest chocolate ever only to be assassinated never having produced said wonder chocolate. This was what happened prior to the release of the game. It was built up to be the wonder game. A massive open world in which they had mapped approx. 30 square kilometres of Chernobyl and that it was about 80 per cent accurate (check it out, that is what they said). However, obviously things weren't shaping up to fulfill their promises because when they finally got a publisher involved everything went off the rails and the said, legendary chocolate, appeared as though it would never be produced.

STALKER is a lot like Cadbury favourites, it has a little bit of everything in it which should please everyone. Of course, if you are a choc-a-holic you will devour the entire box and be even more satisfied. This is probably an apt analogy as STALKER will have something for everyone, but does not quite live up to some of the more memorable franchises. What is under the wrapper anyway? At the time of development GSC were touting the most revolutionary engine to use lighting in a game. The reality is that if the game had been released two years ago it may have been, but having only been released two weeks ago it was really run of the mill. The areas in STALKER are large and tempting, you really do want to eat them up and explore them all, however, you run across these annoying fences everywhere and before long you realise that you are herded in to several large corridors which guide you through what appear to be large open areas. In this way the game is a lot like Far Cry, however, it doesn't have the polish of Far Cry and this is not a bad thing considering the area the game inhabits. The game is set in an area called the "zone" or, the exclusion zone real life. It is the area inwhich people can't openly travel which surrounds Chernobyl. However, the game is set in the future after another incident in the area. Because of this there are a number of mutated creatures and people who inhabit the area. GSC have done an excellent job at creating atmosphere in the game. There may be blue sky, but there are always enough clouds to create an ominous feeling there. Then the blue sky disappears, dark clouds roll in and a lightening storm starts. Further to this you always have the feeling that there is something going on which you can't see. A gun battle going on or some mutants hunting for food. I work on a navy base and you often hear people firing at the range which is some distance away. The sounds of gunfire going off in the distance in STALKER is extremely well done.

The best chocolate I have ever eaten, and I wouldn't consider myself to be a connoisseur of chocolate, but the best would be Lindt. It has extremely smooth texture and that melt in your mouth appeal which is exquisite. You don't get the same result with a block of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate. While cadbury dairy milk gets the job done it doesn't have the same rich aftertaste, or the same post chocolate satisfaction as Lindt. This is where STALKER differs from your common, garden variety first person shooters. While it may lack polish and be buggy, it leaves you wanting more. With the number variations in the ending and the possibilities for doing things differently in this game the replayability is promising. Also, there is a massive number of weapons and weapon combinations that you can use. Weapons can be modified with scopes and grenade launchers allowing you to customize your rig. It is like putting Turkish Delight and White chocolate in your mouth at the same time and seeing what flavour evolves.

To me, all chocolate looks the same. Fortunately, not all games look the same. Obviously not the entire 6 years of development time for Stalker have gone in to the graphics. The graphics are of a quality which is to be expected now from games. They are completely serviceable but not reaching the limits of Gears of War for the Xbox 360.

However, the bugginess of the game can be frustrating. There are those people who are going to say that a game shouldn't be released until it is finished. Unfortunately, there are too many games being released in an "unfinished" state and being patched afterwards that there really is not turning back for the industry. How would it be if you purchased your box of chocolates and were only provided with the filling for the chocolate and not the outside? You would take the box back to where you bought it and either get your money back or have the item replaced with one which is finished. You can't do this with software. There really is no recourse for the consumer. Any other product on the market, if released unfinished, would nearly signal the end for the company who made it. Software, however, is different. Where would Microsoft be if they had to release every one of their operating systems finished? They would have only recently released XP. Ultimately, you have to take the games warts and all.

The mission structure in STALKER is well implemented. It is very much like being able to choose which chocolate you want to eat first. Most of the missions (which aren't associated with the main quest) are dynamically generated based on what is going on around you. This means that you can pick and choose which ones to do. Even with the main quests it is up to you as to how you go about them. There are sub quests in the main quest which you can actually skip altogether. They may just make performing the main quest easier (as in infiltrating the X-16 lab). So, if you prefer to make the game experience as hard as possible then you have the option to do that.

STALKER was always going to be like a box of chocolates, you would never know what you are going to get. The anticipation mixed with the extended build up for the game meant that the game could have been a terrific flop. However, fortunately, GSC has come through with an admirable game. As far as chocolates go STALKER is definitely the Cadbury Favourites. A mix of different chocolates which are all enjoyable to eat. They are not the high quality of Lindt chocolate or some other Swiss chocolate, but after consuming it you are extremely glad that you did.

The Cynical Gamer Rating System
If STALKER was chocolate is it nice enough to regurgitate and eat again? 100%
Does All Chocolate Look the Same? 80%
Would you eat STALKER like Chocolate? 30%
TOTAL Score for STALKER: 70%

Australian Poker League

Just a quick update on a personal note. My brother (Basha) and myself are off to the Regional Finals with Australian Poker League tomorrow night.

Should be good fun. If we make the top 8 then we are off to the state finals.

If you are interested in playing Texas Holdem then try the Australian Poker League.

Vice City Stories

I do enjoy playing GTA. I like all of the sandbox/open world type games. I was quite amazed at how well they managed to get Vice City Stories playing on the PSP. That was an excellent achievement. However, there were things about Vice City Stories that I didn't like. I actually thought that some of the content cross the barrier and entered the realm of bad taste.

I haven't finished playing Vice City Stories. There were aspects of the radio programming or DJ content which I thought crossed the barrier from being social related satire and was just poorly conceived. I don't want to jump on the bandwagon and bash Take Two and Rockstar (which seems to be the fashion of the time).

When you decide to create social satire, in the way that Grand Theft Auto is created, then you definitely walk a fine line. This is the reason why so many people are getting stuck in to Rockstar and Take Two at the moment. It is because a lot of people don't completely understand the nature of the their satire. There are, of course, those people who play the game who won't understand the satire as well, but they get some enjoyment out of the content. There were some references in GTA Vice City Stories which I thought were completely in bad taste. In fact, I don't think they should have been in the game at all.

New York Responds to GTA IV Likeness

The city of New York has issued a press release in response to the GTA: IV trailer. The GTA: IV trailer has created quite a stir recently. Previously no city had been offended by a Grand Theft Auto release. While Vice City was a satirical take on Miami during the "Miami Vice" years and San Andreas a take on parts of LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas. These places were not offended by the notion of being a part of a massive video game franchise. It must also be said that the other time that New York had been parodied by Take Two it was alright. But it seems that there has been some sort of bandwagon and when someone gets a bandwagon start everyone has to jump on.

The press release reads, "While I am flattered that Rockstar would like to represent me in a game the representation is just a likeness and not a true portrait of myself, New York. Previously, the other cities involved in Rockstar's games were flattered, but unable to make a direct link between their ingame representation and themselves. So nothing was said. They accepted the likeness as a link but not a direct representation. Now, things are getting a little close to home and I would like to distance myself from the fiction.

"I would like to say that I, New York, am not violent. I am, in fact, very peaceful. It is the people who inhabit me who are violent. They are the ones to commit the violent acts on my streets. They are the ones who kill people. They are the pornographers and the pimps and the prostitutes. The city is not. Unfortunately, I am only home to those things. I do not endorse their presence, in fact, there is nothing that I can do to rid them from me. It is up to the people to rid them from my streets, however, they seem powerless to do anything to prevent their own vices. So, it is, that they blame other things, such as video games and movies for making these things happen.

"All I can say is that the likeness is getting a little too close to home for me and I would appreciate you considering another location for your violent video game. How about considering Melbourne, in Australia, with its lovely bay setting and horrible drug problems? Or, Tokyo and the Yakuza? Or, Baghdad, with its sectarian violence and its own struggle to claim its own identity. Surely, these other cities are not as important as I am, I mean, New York is the greatest city in the world, why don't you go piss on someone else's doorstep rather than tarnish my impeccable image. Nothing bad has ever happened here. New York is the image of what's right in America. Surely, you can see that and treat me with respect."

Unfortunately, that is all the press release had to say. When seen leaving a nightclub last night with several men as her escort New York quickly said, "What a lady can't have some party time? Next thing you know you'll accuse me of taking drugs too." However, New York was unable to comment today as she was busy checking in to a celebrity drug rehab clinic.

Games As An Art Form

There is a discussion, although brief, at Game Politics about games as an art form. There are some people in the industry who believe that games are and some within and without who believe that games aren't. I think it is fair to say that being a creative form of expression means that games can be an art form, but like all other mediums, it doesn't make every piece of expression in that form art. Just because you can write a song, or paint a picture, or write a book doesn't mean you are an artist. This is the key, because people confuse the notion of creative expression and the creation of art as being the same thing, while they are not. Ultimately, game developers have the tools inwhich to create art, whether they use those tools or not to create art or entertainment is up to them.

So what is art? This is where you will hear a lot of people yelling and cursing about how art is defined. It is a subject which has been debated for a long time. I have a very specific opinion on what art is and I will use that to categorize art in general. The easiest way to classify art, as far as I am concerned is in this way: Art is any form of creation which makes you question your existence in some way. Whether it be an aspect of your existence or your existence in its entirety is up to the artist. Therefore entertainment for entertainment's sake is not art.

It is interesting to note that a lot of art forms started as a means of telling a story. The first painters used painting as a means to tell a story. They would paint pictures on the walls of caves. This was also a means of documenting their history as well. They weren't necessarily making a statement of some sort. This is much the way gaming started.

As time has passed in the last thirty years the technology behind gaming has developed. Games have gone from being archaic wall paintings on caves to fine works of craftsmanship and skill. The other aspect which make people wary to slap the "art" tag on it as an industry is the way that games are created in general. Games are created by a team of different people providing a number of different skills to each production. They are more a collaborative effort like the creation of a film or television show. While the director of a film takes most of the credit for the production and its creative control, games are not quite like this. People such as Roger Ebert (the film critic) are critics of games as art for this reason. The author/director/painter is not in complete control of the process. He says, "simply can’t compare to great dramatists, poets, filmmakers, novelists and composers ... There’s a structural reason for that ... Video games by their nature require player choices, which is the opposite of the strategy of serious film and literature, which requires authorial control." This scares those people who want to restrict art to those who can only decode its symbols.

Tim Schafter, the creator of Double Fine Productions, says this about games as art, "Art is about creatively expressing thoughts or emotions that are hard or impossible to communicate through literal, verbal means ... Can you use games to do that? Of course you can." Denis Dyack, president of Silicon Knights, says, "I feel video games are probably the most advanced form of art thus far in human history ... Not only do video games encompass many of the traditional forms of art (text, sound, video, imagery), but they also uniquely tie these art forms together with interactivity ... This allows the art form of video games to create something unique, beyond all other forms of media. Simply expressed, you can put a movie in a video game but you cannot put a video game in a movie. Video games are the ultimate form of art as we know it."

Interactivity is also the factor which brings gaming its greatest art critics. Those people who deny that gaming is art due to user participation. There are a lot of people who don't want art to be a part of the masses. They want art to remain what they consider to be "high art". So that art is restrictive, it's symbols and meanings are confined only to those who know how to interpret them. Therefore making the process of decoding and understanding art exclusive to just a selected few. These people will always argue that only restrictive forms of communication are considered to be art. They are worried that a common person can storm the temple and understand their pseudo-language, be able to interpret their symbols and understand the hidden meanings contained within.

Art should not be the means by which snobbery or an elite is created. It is about sharing a common means of communication through symbolism in which we can all interpret the world in which we live. This is why games as a generality are not art, just as not every painting is art, some paintings are just pictures. However, those which manage to make us question our very existence are art. Those people who help create this means of communication and symbolism are the artists. Whether they be coders or painters.