Words and Metrics Don't Mix

Ever read a review where the author goes on and on about the stuff they hate in a particular game only to then give it a near perfect score. Alternatively, have you ever watched a video review in which it's nothing but praise yet the game still gets less than a perfect score? This is because of a fundamental problem with the way gaming review outlets operate.

If you live in San Francisco and pick up a free copy of their local news publication, SF Weekly, I highly recommend reading their movie reviews for one reason in particular. The editors refuse to have any kind of numerical rating system for the films they critique. This has the highly beneficial effect of forcing the reader to actually scan the words as printed and learn about films and the reviewers' opinions in detail.

Now, some of you might say "What's wrong with metrics? They're quick and easy. Consumer Reports uses numbers and it's a great review magazine!" Well, yes that's true but the reviews you find in that particular publication are different in nature. They are evaluating technical aspects of products not artistic ones. If reviewers of video games were to truly adopt this policy they would have to base their review scores on factors like stability, graphic/sound fidelity, control response and code optimization. Obviously, those are things reviewers usually consider, but I can't remember ever reading a review that exclusively limited itself to considering those rather objective points. Instead reviewers inevitably tend to stray into the realm of artistic critique.

The fact is video games have artistic merit (sorry Ebert) so I can see why reviewers would want to discuss more abstract factors such visual styles, music composition, moods, themes and overall impressions. The catch is these points are extremely subjective and can vary greatly from individual to individual. How then do reviewers expect to justify their review with abstract numbers like "7/10" and "3/5 stars"? It makes absolutely no sense if you think about it deeply. And here in lies the problem with video game reviews. They want to have the name of their magazine or website to appear on box covers and Metacritic so they feel the need to push out a score even if it (in itself) has no meaning, while at the same time tossing out unsupportable opinions in the hopes of getting quoted (with citations of course).

So, in the end it's all about grabbing as many pairs of eyes as possible consequences be damned. No wonder gaming journalism has a very hard time maintaining any integrity. After all you can have your cake and eat it too, but sooner or later pretty much everyone is going to end up thinking your a selfish, greedy pig.

Beggars CAN be Choosers

For the average gamer money is in short supply, and given the choice between a full priced title or several indie games it's not surprising a lot of people on a limited budget choose to go with the latter. I'm here to tell you that downloadable games can sometimes be had for free. No, I'm not talking about piracy (despite that word appearing in the title of this blogging webpage). Rather, certain genres of games have a large number of free high quality flash equivalents.

I'll keep this limit to two genres in particular. First is tower defense. There are great titles to be had on Xbox Live like Trenched and Toy Soldiers, but the catch is they cost money. Don't be disheartened though, you can play some excellent tower defense titles such as GemCraft, Kingdom Rush and The Space Game. All feature deep gameplay and while I wouldn't say the graphics are impressive they run the gamut from functional to stylish.

The second is a genre that is harder to classify, but I'll boil it down to a single title going for $10 on PSN versus a number of flash titles floating around on the net for free. The PS3 game is called Eufloria has alternatives called Phage Wars, a sequel and a competitive online version. Star Baron, another great choice, just make sure to play the full version and not the beta. Then you got Solarmax which is probably the most polished of the three, but also the shortest.

This is just the tip of the iceberg though. There's a vast number of great games I haven't mentioned (or in some cases even played). So go check out some websites like Armor Games, Kongregate and New Grounds if haven't recently already. Maybe you wont like all the games you try, but hey they're free of charge and it's pretty hard to beat that price on PSN, Xbox Live or Steam.

Rise of the Let's Plays

With the advent of inexpensive easy to use video capture software and technology mixed with websites like YouTube it's increasingly easy to find someone’s playthrough of an entire video game floating around on the internet. I suspect that these clips severed as a kind of visual FAQ at first to help other gamers defeat a particularly difficulty boss or overcome a vexing puzzle, but now they have become a form of entertainment in unto themselves.

In some cases the player is content to remain silent and simply let the viewer watch the game play out as intended. I actually enjoy watching these kinds of "Let's Play" videos since I spent a lot of time growing up passing the controller around with friends and family. Hence, the idea of watching someone else play is second nature to me. I've heard some voices on message boards complain that they don't see the appeal, they want to play the game not watch it being played. I can see where they're coming from, but then again playing costs money while watching is free.

Adding to the easy of accessibility and lack of cost is the type of "Let's Play-er" who injects their own personality into the gaming experience. Mangaminx, Nanosuit Ninja and DSP Gaming are just a few YouTube channels were viewers can get an often times extremely amusing commentary in conjunction with video game footage. Some of these "Let's Play" personalities come off more garish than fun to listen to, but for the gamer on a budget and plenty of time to spare I suspect these videos hold a lot of appeal.

There's also the simple fact that there are a huge number of titles coming out on a weekly basis which many gamers cannot realistically hope to play. However, harkening back to my previous blog post there is still that strong social pressure to be in the know, so for those individuals who can’t stand being left out of the conversion I think "Let's Play" videos allow them to absorb a kind of abridged version of the titles they can't take on first hand.

Even now we're seeing major gaming media websites more and more embrace the idea of a spoiler free “Let's Play” sessions that serves as a short glimpse of how the minute-by-minute gameplay works.  In the years to come I suspect that these videos will increasingly overshadow more traditional systems of influencing gamer purchasing decisions such as screenshots, trailers, reviews and even the highly overrated Metacritic score.

From Dawn till Dust

I've noticed that when it comes to DLC of late Xbox Live has based their marketing strategy more and more around exploitation of people who must have their "Shiny" now. What I mean here is people who can't resist purchasing the newest releases being strategically targeted by Microsoft. I could complain about how patience is virtue, but rather than pick on individuals I'd rather talk about a common social attitude people have when it comes to new media.

I can't speak for you, the readers, but I tend to visit a variety of message boards, forums as well as do a bit of chatting with fellow gamers. A none-to-uncommon occurrence I see is the insatiable need to devour new games, novels, movies, ect. as soon as humanly possible. Then, following said orgy, start posting about it all over the net. For those who are slow to pick up new media they feel left in the dust, unable to participate in threads or or even read posts for fear of spoiling things. The most extreme example of this I can think of is A Dance with Dragons, a 1000+ page tome which a lot of people read through in a day just so they could chat it up 24 hours after the book hit the shelves. Granted that example comes from literature, but the same holds true for video games. It's a kind of societal pressure intentionally or unintentionally created by a media hungry crowd.

I don't know where this phenomenon started, but I became aware of it back when the first of the Star Wars prequels was announced. Looking on TV I could see hundreds of people lined up weeks in advance to see George Lucas' return to that galaxy far far away....need I mention that I walked into the theater they morning after midnight release and sat through the film along with only a dozen or so others hassle free? Granted for those who waited it was a social event and getting to hang out with people with like interests is enjoyable more often that not. That said there are some major pitfalls for doing this kind of thing in the world of video games. Look no farther than those who bought the 3DS for an excellent example. If that's not enough for you consider titles such as Dead Island, From Dust, Call of Duty and an unfortunately large number of Bethesda games. Early adopters have a tendency to get burned by launch prices, buggy gameplay, online issues and surprise DRM.

So, for those who post "Late to the Party" in forums don't feel ashamed or worried. There is still plenty of enjoyment to be had and in fact it might be better for you than it did for those who rushed to get it first.

John Marston of Mars

Ninety-nine years ago a man named Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a story entitled Under the Moons of Mars. In the prologue Mr. Burroughs states that the contents of the novel are derived from the diary of his deceased uncle, John Carter. The contents of Mr. Carter's notes were fantastical to say the least. In his life tale he claimed to have made a journey, by undisclosed methods, to Mars where he encountered two tusked, four armed 10 foot tall martians with a unique biology and culture described in surprising detail. He also claims to have run into a race of red martians who were more human in nature, though their technology was much different. The flora and fauna were also elaborated on. On Mars he claimed there were no clothes, no diseases and no death from old age. Yet the red planet was dying and the martians had at one point mastered their environment, but had since slipped in to decline followed by decadence and barbarism.

To say the story is influential would be an understatement. Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Superman, He-man, Star Wars and most recently Avatar all draw a great deal of inspiration from Under the Moons of Mars, along with it's sequels which are derived from more manuscripts published later by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Know collectively as the Barsoom Series (Barsoom being the name of Mars given to it by the martians), the books also gave birth the the science fiction sub-genre of Planetary Romance.

So what does this have to do with video games, you might ask? Nothing...yet. However, for the one-hundredth anniversary a movie simply called John Carter is scheduled to be released by Disney and Pixar. It's also a mix of live action and CGI rather than relying purely on animation. As I'm sure you know whenever a major movie comes out a lackluster game is usually trailing on its heels. Well, I have an idea...maybe a brilliant idea or possibly an insanely stupid one, but regardless here it is:

Base the next Red Dead Redemption on the Barsoom Series!

I'm serious. Think about it for a minute. Jack Marston transports to Mars finds himself a stranger in a strange land complete with an amazing open world to explore, martians to meet, Women to woo (particularly the beautiful red martian princess Dejah Thoris), wars to fight, airship piracy, daring rescues, political intrigue, gladiatorial combat and creatures to hunt. Oh yes...all manner of exotic beasts; Thoats, Banths, Calots, White Apes and the massive Zitidar! I could go on but why spoil it? Given Rockstar Games' fetish for nudity and excessive intellectualism I think this is a match made in heaven...or should I say under the moons of Mars?