Today’s evening Inbox tries to name the most attractive male developer, as one reader insists gaming is just one good movie way from a revolution.
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk.
Splinter Cell-ish
I have to say I’m a little uneasy about what the Splinter Cell review says about the future of gaming. I always thought that given how many titles this franchise has seen it must have been reasonably successful so I’m surprised Ubisoft felt they had to make such radical compromises with the core gameplay mechanic.
It’s a real shame if we have got to the point where every game that required a little thought or posed a challenge to the player has to be dumbed down in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
I have no trouble believing this is a good game but if the focus is on action and it’s turned into another third person cover-based shooter, is it really a Splinter Cell game?
mitchell
Good mark
I never had as much patience as some when it comes to stealth so I really quite enjoyed Splinter Cell: Conviction.
I thought the mark-and-execute was a brilliant gameplay mechanic. It made a change from the usual cover-based antics of most action games. It was like a mini-strategy puzzle, often required a fair bit of planning and worked great in co-op. One player marked the targets and got in position whilst the other stealth killed a guard to initiate the execution.
But mainly it made you feel like a badass. And surely that’s what games are meant to do.
Even the best players in the world could never pull off multiple snapshot kills like mark-and-execute allows, not using traditional third person controls anyway. But these kind of scenes are commonplace in movies. Especially the ones these kind of games imitate.
Now I’m not saying these kinds of mechanics should be used in all games or by all players. But especially in the case of mark-and-execute they do have their own certain appeal and shouldn’t be dismissed offhand as hand-holding gimmicks. Just as a fun alternative.
PjDonnelli
Too big
Well, everything we’ve seen of GTA V so far has been fantastic. Even the online mode, which is a part of gaming I usually avoid, looks like a huge amount of fun.
Echoing the sentiments of Matt Suckley’s Reader’s Feature about the size of modern console games, my only concern is that it’s all pretty overwhelming. A game that large and extensive really needs commitment to getting the most out of it, and with the next gen and a ton of great games looming in the same period, it’s frustrating that I won’t be able to devote the time to it that I would like to.
Do any other readers find the prospect of a huge open world game exciting yet daunting?
MC
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
Not just a pretty face
Interesting interview with Jade Raymond. I’ve always found the gaming media’s treatment of her quite contradictory, in that she’s championed for being a pioneer for her gender yet her pretty face seems to take priority over the actual work she does.
Oddly I think the interview would have been better served by not having two huge flattering portraits of the woman, because GC’s emphasis on Jade’s nice face sort of demonstrates my point. But I guess beautiful people can’t help their looks and the interview might have taken a turn for the worse if GC asked their subject to put a paper bag over her head.
In general I think the themes and characters in our games will be forever shaped by market forces. However I do believe there’s a huge untapped market developers and publishers could try harder to appeal to.
Think about all the money gaming companies could make if they attracted more women to play on consoles.
msv858 (Twitter)
GC: We always try to include a photo of the developer we’re interviewing, and we’re sure some of them must’ve been attractive. Perhaps someone so inclined could comment on who was the prettiest.
Fickle publisher
RE: Steve. That EA are advertising Facebook as one of their platforms a couple of months after shutting down several games within a couple of years of them being launched (in the case of SimCity Social, barely a year after launch) says even more about their peevish stance on the Wii U.
Tyler Zerstören
Christmas sorted
I tried the Rayman Legends demo and absolutely loved it. Though pretty much more of the same as Rayman Origins it is an excellent platformer, with a gorgeous art style and incredibly fun gameplay. Well that’s the game to buy for Christmas to play with the kids. Just a shame there is no handheld versions coming out this time.
Big Angry Dad82 (gamertag)/FF13ACE (PSN ID)
GC: There is a PS Vita version.
Passing you by
I love my 3DS XL, I’ve written in before about how it’s my favourite console because I love the games that I can play only on the 3DS as they are Nintendo exclusives.
The one area where I’m feeling I’m missing out on is the StreetPass. I live in a small town and I don’t get many StreetPass hits. I read about how massive games like Animal Crossing and Monster Hunter 3 are in Japan, people playing on trains, in cafe bars etc…
I just wish I could experience something similar as I’d love to play Monster Hunter with other people, I’d love to visit other people’s towns in Animal Crossing and have them visit mine. I’ve had my 3DS XL for nine months now and I’ve got six StreetPass hits which is less than one a month. Oh well… maybe I should speak to the wife about moving to Japan!
wasimr34
GC: There is a new feature called StreetPass Relay that keeps your StreetPass data and passes it on to the next person at Nintendo Zone hotspots. If one of those is near you that might help? There’s more info here on the Nintendo website.
Miss, man
Been play Hitman Absolution recently and I have come to the conclusion that it isn’t much fun. Apart from the market level near the beginning I have found most missions to be a bit bland, with terrible artificial intelligence and awful storyline/characters. Has anyone else felt this about the game or am I not approaching the game correctly?
Keef25 (PSN ID)
PS: I enjoyed the original games immensely.
GC: It’s not a rare reaction, particularly amongst existing fans of the series. As we said in our Splinter Cell review at lot of these revamped versions of existing games are able to attract all-comers, except those that liked the originals.
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20 years of failure
Excellent interview with Jade Raymond, as always. I do find David Jenkins’ opinion on movie adaptations interesting, and aside from agreeing their track record is rather abysmal, I disagree entirely. I will use Uncharted as an example because David Jenkins’ argument is it will only come across as an Indiana Jones rip-off. The influences are obvious, as witnessed in Tomb Raider before it, but there is enough individuality to set it apart.
Nathan Drake and Indiana Jones are vastly different characters, and ask yourself this, what other movies are similar to the Indiana Jones movies? I can’t think of a single one in recent years, so there is no danger of oversaturation. In fact, there is a quite obvious gap in the market a Nathan Drake movie could fill – especially after The Crystal Skull debacle.
There isn’t an inherent problem with video game adaptations, it’s about choosing the right source material, and above all, the talent involved – which in most cases would benefit from the stewardship of their creators. I’d like to think Naughty Dog’s writers would have a major say should an Uncharted movie get the go-ahead.
Taking the stance they shouldn’t make a Splinter Cell movie because there are too many spy movies. Are you suggesting there is nothing individual about Sam Fisher and those iconic night vision goggles? Did James Bond deter Jason Bourne, John McClane and other pretenders? No, they are genre movies, which under close scrutiny all have their similarities.
There are no restrictions on which sources are suitable for selection. If toys are fair game, then video games are equally adaptable. Take Pacific Rim for instance – robots vs. monsters – that’s back of a cigarette packet stuff.
The Last Of Us is another good example, because whilst it bares the tropes of other post-apocalyptic tales, at no stage did it feel like a carbon copy of The Road/28 Days Later. Obviously similar themes are going to be tackled, which if you contemplate a bleak world where its inhabitants fight for survival and food is scarce, then topics such as cannibalism will be touched upon.
We’ve seen infected enemies in 28 Days Later, but I thought Naughty Dog’s version was a fresh take, and the different stages of the infection created some memorable foes. And in Joel and Ellie, they’re the perfect protagonists and break the mould of most video games, resulting in complex and believable characters.
Video games and movies are very different mediums in many respects, but as story-driven games have come to prominence, then naturally there has become a closer association. Whilst I accept for some playing the game is sufficient, but also being a fan of movies I’m not averse to the idea. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility some creative talent can break the trend.
Whilst Sam Fisher has his work cut out to compete with Bond, focusing on the strengths of the character – such as being a stealth operative – is an aspect that can be exploited to differentiate from the crowd. I recently watched The Conjuring, and although it showcased all the hallmarks of a haunted house movie, it was the execution that set it apart and gave it it’s unique quality. That’s what video game movies have been sorely lacking, because thus far they’ve failed to attract the best talent.
The cynicism is understandable, but just one success could make all the difference and maybe even convince GC not all video games are inherently a bad idea for movie adaptations.
Up4Banter
GC: We are absolutely suggesting there is nothing individual about Sam Fisher. Wearing a distinctive pair of goggles is not a character trait. But you’re right, one success would make a difference: but we’re not holding our breath waiting for one.
Inbox also-rans
Everybody is forgetting the biggest Call Of Duty innovation in Ghosts, that is going to make this game an essential purchase… You can now slide on your knees like Peter Kay at a wedding!
RAMBO 1st BL00D (gamertag)
Hasn’t Cheddar 83 ever heard the maxim that ‘sarcasm is the lowest form of wit’? Obviously not. Either that or he considers himself to be such a big cheese that it doesn’t apply to him. It does.
Gill C.
PS: I know I’ll get toasted by the Underbox for this but I like living dangerously.
This week’s Hot Topic
Next week is Gamescom in Germany, the closest equivalent to a European E3. It’s always important but this year it takes place just months before the release of both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4: so for this weekend’s Inbox we want to know what new announcements you want to hear about for both consoles.
Don’t worry too much about how likely they are to happen, but what in an ideal world would you like Microsoft and Sony to reveal? Perhaps a new exclusive game or sequel? Or maybe a new hardware feature – or the removal of one that already exists?
With both consoles expected to be out sometime around November how interested in each are you at the moment and have you made your final decision on which you’re going to buy (regardless of when that might happen)? If not what could change your mind and how likely do you think it’ll be announced at Gamescom?
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
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