Comments on: gdc in a nutshell http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/ Rob Fahey on games, media, journalism and politics. Thu, 06 May 2010 08:45:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: A New Challenger Appears » ps3 launches; what next? http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-34 A New Challenger Appears » ps3 launches; what next? Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:45:56 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-34 [...] of course, that Sony has done themselves any favours in the last 18 months. I’ve enthused about Home on this blog already, but while I maintain that it’s a great move for them, it’s a bit [...] [...] of course, that Sony has done themselves any favours in the last 18 months. I’ve enthused about Home on this blog already, but while I maintain that it’s a great move for them, it’s a bit [...]

]]> By: Keith Andrew http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Keith Andrew Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:34:00 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-33 True enough. I think everyone gets seduced by the "it looks just like a movie" talk around a launch. It has its place - a lot of what appeals to me about a series such as Project Gotham is those little moments when, for a split second, it actually does look real. But yes - I guess everything is a bit samey at the moment. I enjoyed the little twist Realtime Worlds put on Crackdown in that respect; that little dark line they drew around every character meant I felt no guilt accidently running over innocent members of the public during a mission. Which has to be a good thing, right? :) Anyway, I guess it may be a good 4 or 5 years before we see games playing around with 'next-gen' visuals in a Killer7 or Okami type way. Or I could just pray for Rez 2. True enough. I think everyone gets seduced by the “it looks just like a movie” talk around a launch. It has its place – a lot of what appeals to me about a series such as Project Gotham is those little moments when, for a split second, it actually does look real.

But yes – I guess everything is a bit samey at the moment. I enjoyed the little twist Realtime Worlds put on Crackdown in that respect; that little dark line they drew around every character meant I felt no guilt accidently running over innocent members of the public during a mission. Which has to be a good thing, right? :)

Anyway, I guess it may be a good 4 or 5 years before we see games playing around with ‘next-gen’ visuals in a Killer7 or Okami type way.

Or I could just pray for Rez 2.

]]> By: Rob Fahey http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Rob Fahey Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:02:05 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-32 Spooky - I just emailed you about five minutes ago :) There's no doubt that real creativity happens when artists butt up against the limitations of their medium. To my mind, everything on the PS3 (and the Xbox 360) so far looks utterly fucking boring - some of the games aren't bad, but visually they're exceptionally dull. Everyone is too focused on making things that are technically great, and that takes the focus away from making things that are genuinely interesting, to my mind. It's always the way, though - the same was true for the PSone and PS2 as well, to a large degree. Artistry doesn't shine through until the programmers have had their fill of boring "photo-realism". Spooky – I just emailed you about five minutes ago :)

There’s no doubt that real creativity happens when artists butt up against the limitations of their medium. To my mind, everything on the PS3 (and the Xbox 360) so far looks utterly fucking boring – some of the games aren’t bad, but visually they’re exceptionally dull. Everyone is too focused on making things that are technically great, and that takes the focus away from making things that are genuinely interesting, to my mind.

It’s always the way, though – the same was true for the PSone and PS2 as well, to a large degree. Artistry doesn’t shine through until the programmers have had their fill of boring “photo-realism”.

]]> By: Keith Andrew http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Keith Andrew Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:54:42 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-31 It definitely has potential - I just think the Sony I used to admire (mainly from a marketing point of view) would have come up with something that was instantly more...striking and distinctive visually. Perhaps it's a case of the designers getting a bit lazy because the PS3's power enables them to do so much - if they'd have tried Home on the PS2, its limitations might have forced them to be a bit more creative. Maybe. Anyway. I need to ask you a favour, Rob. An article I’d like to shove in your face. As this is my only means of contact, I'm going to have to bug you here. Again. :) Give me a mail, if you would - badcoe@gmail.com. It definitely has potential – I just think the Sony I used to admire (mainly from a marketing point of view) would have come up with something that was instantly more…striking and distinctive visually.

Perhaps it’s a case of the designers getting a bit lazy because the PS3′s power enables them to do so much – if they’d have tried Home on the PS2, its limitations might have forced them to be a bit more creative. Maybe.

Anyway. I need to ask you a favour, Rob. An article I’d like to shove in your face. As this is my only means of contact, I’m going to have to bug you here. Again. :) Give me a mail, if you would – badcoe@gmail.com.

]]> By: Rob Fahey http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Rob Fahey Sat, 24 Mar 2007 01:54:15 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-30 I do agree with both of you, in fact - I think that Home looks nice, but it's certainly a bit generic. I'd like to have seen them offering something which had a bit more opportunity for quirkiness, although I suppose that IS something they could add down the line. For example, it would be cool if you could decide that you want your apartment (or commercial zone) to be cel-shaded; or if you wanted your character to have a different art style entirely, rather than just swapping around Sims-style features. I guess we'll see how it matures - I maintain that for now, it's pretty promising, but a lot will rest on just how flexible the system is. If everyone ends up looking the bloody same in it, it'll be a major downside for the system. I do agree with both of you, in fact – I think that Home looks nice, but it’s certainly a bit generic. I’d like to have seen them offering something which had a bit more opportunity for quirkiness, although I suppose that IS something they could add down the line. For example, it would be cool if you could decide that you want your apartment (or commercial zone) to be cel-shaded; or if you wanted your character to have a different art style entirely, rather than just swapping around Sims-style features.

I guess we’ll see how it matures – I maintain that for now, it’s pretty promising, but a lot will rest on just how flexible the system is. If everyone ends up looking the bloody same in it, it’ll be a major downside for the system.

]]> By: Keith Andrew http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Keith Andrew Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:33:04 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-26 I can agree with Wrestlevania in that, I'm sure the Sony of 5-10 years ago would have come up with something that was visually more 'cool'. This just looks very...plain, and in that respect I think it looks (and I choose that word carefully) positively last-generation in comparison to the cheeky-chirpy approach of Nintendo's Miis. In that respect, I do think that this is ever so slightly knee-jerk, and I don't believe Phil Harrison's claim that they've been planning this since 1857. I think they brought the PS3 to the table, saw what everyone else was doing, realised that what they had wasn't enough, and now they're going to bolt Home on at the end. Which is fine. I don't mind that at all, and I think it could be a huge commercial draw for the console. I just wish it looked a bit nicer. A bit more Sony circa 1996/97. I can agree with Wrestlevania in that, I’m sure the Sony of 5-10 years ago would have come up with something that was visually more ‘cool’. This just looks very…plain, and in that respect I think it looks (and I choose that word carefully) positively last-generation in comparison to the cheeky-chirpy approach of Nintendo’s Miis.

In that respect, I do think that this is ever so slightly knee-jerk, and I don’t believe Phil Harrison’s claim that they’ve been planning this since 1857. I think they brought the PS3 to the table, saw what everyone else was doing, realised that what they had wasn’t enough, and now they’re going to bolt Home on at the end.

Which is fine. I don’t mind that at all, and I think it could be a huge commercial draw for the console. I just wish it looked a bit nicer. A bit more Sony circa 1996/97.

]]> By: Wrestlevania http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/gdc-in-a-nutshell/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Wrestlevania Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:49:40 +0000 http://www.challengerappears.com/blog/2007/03/12/gdc-in-a-nutshell/#comment-25 Whilst I can readily appreciate where Sony are taking online interaction with Home, I'm more than a little creeped out by their "all the beautiful people" approach to the environment. It's quite vomiticious, at least in its current SonyStyle-esque approach to the world. What gives Second Life an edge - and a draw, in my opinion - is its inherent grittiness; spaces are only as tidy as the owner has designed them to be. With Home everything and everyone would appear to be beguiling perfect in every way, which makes me wonder if that won't detract from the experience over time. Will we become weary of facing the same unrealistically flawless visages and vistas 18 months after launch? Will the dependence on simple mini games - such as pool or air hockey - be enough to draw people out from their "Homes" to interact with other Home participants? Further, will people be gathering in public spaces with predictable regularity and in significant enough numbers to warrant doing anything other than (presumably) teleporting from one friend's space to another? Whilst I can readily appreciate where Sony are taking online interaction with Home, I’m more than a little creeped out by their “all the beautiful people” approach to the environment. It’s quite vomiticious, at least in its current SonyStyle-esque approach to the world.

What gives Second Life an edge – and a draw, in my opinion – is its inherent grittiness; spaces are only as tidy as the owner has designed them to be. With Home everything and everyone would appear to be beguiling perfect in every way, which makes me wonder if that won’t detract from the experience over time. Will we become weary of facing the same unrealistically flawless visages and vistas 18 months after launch? Will the dependence on simple mini games – such as pool or air hockey – be enough to draw people out from their “Homes” to interact with other Home participants? Further, will people be gathering in public spaces with predictable regularity and in significant enough numbers to warrant doing anything other than (presumably) teleporting from one friend’s space to another?

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