If you have any questions for the developers of these games, I’ll be happy to carry them with me to the GDC. Feel free to post any requests in the comments. Of course, prospective questions will be filtered through a fine mesh of common sense, good taste, and human mercy. Frame any questions wisely.
I’m buried under last minute interview prep, so today you just get an overblown retweet to tide you over (though I hope to have some developer interviews by Friday).
@Scarybug noticed a Cracked article that does a killer job of explaining operant conditioning in video games. That is, it’s a cynical guide to exploiting dopaminergic response to wring monthly fees out of gamers. The article makes the science accessible and it has a good sense of humor, so it counts as recommended reading.
So go read it and try not to think about your Warcraft transaction history.
Geeze, Valve! Are you trying to beat the rush? According to MTV Multiplayer, the acclaimed developer of Portal and Steam has been overflowing with news about both in the leadup to the Game Developer’s Conference.
First off, Valve has finally owned up to the existence of Portal 2. It was a pretty safe bet after all the ARG frenzy from its last portal patch, but it’s nice to get more than cryptic hints. The release is expected around the holidays.
In a fairly unprecedented development, Gamestop has also leaked some details about the upcoming release. The title is expected to feature 2-player co-op play, and will retail around $60, which implies a full-length game. The original title was a fairly brief affair, so it remains to be seen how well the sequel will scale.
But that’s not all! It may turn out that you’ll be able to play your shiny new Portal 2 on a Mac! Valve has also announced that they’ll be releasing a Mac version of Steam. The client has been hailed as the best digital distribution platform short of piracy, and it doesn’t leave that grimy film of guilt. The developer hasn’t announced any specific plans for a Mac Portal 2, but it does plan to port several existing titles, and it’s a plausible bet that Valve will want to include their new software moving forward.
With all this news happening right now, it’s enough to make you wonder if Valve will have anything left for the upcoming conference.
Portal was the first game I ever reviewed here at Pixelsocks.com, so my ears perk up whenever I hear any news. Valve recently released twopatches for the groundbreaking first person puzzler. The patch notes were brief:
Changed radio transmission frequency to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations (March 1)
and
Added valuable asset retrieval (March 3)
Forumgoers have already gotten their alternate reality gaming on, and have been busy decoding sound files to crack logins and decipher mysterious images. Of course, they’ve already cracked the whole thing by now, but you could always drop by the forums and prove them all wrong.
SEE: Artistic vision forgotten since the silent film era. HEAR: The extraordinary soundtrack. KNEAD: The inimitable P.B. Winterbottom’s pastry obsession into something nobler. ENDURE: Unflattering couplets that hurt your feelings. MARVEL: As P.B. bends time to eat pie!
ALL THIS AND MORE inside this PIXELSOCKS EXCLUSIVE review of THE MISADVENTURES OF P.B. WINTERBOTTOM.
Is it just me, or does something seem a little off about Metroid: Other M? It’s subtle, so bear with me for a moment.
According to 1up, the game will open by revisiting the climactic finale of Super Metroid. If you weren’t gaming in the mid-90’s (poor soul), here’s the cliff’s notes: intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran exterminated every Metroid on their homeworld, but the last larva hatched and imprinted on her. It was later abducted by space pirates, but the larva remembered Samus and sacrificed itself to protect her from series adversary Mother Brain. It’s one of the first good examples of integrated nonverbal storytelling in gaming, and it tugs at old gamers’ heartstrings. A followup has been a long time coming, so that’s all well and good.
Now consider that Other M developer Team Ninja is making a significant departure from Metroid as it has been previously established. The first series of games were 2D platformers, and Retro Studios adapted the series to 3D in the Metroid Prime trilogy as a deliberative FPS. Metroid: Other M is again another beast. It’s pacing the game to be more action-oriented, and pitting Samus against waves of enemies. At the same time, the controls are being scaled down to the sideways Wii remote, so the mechanics are being built with an eye to accessibility over control. It should be interesting to see how the new approach plays out, and history will do the critical analysis of what worked and didn’t. However, Team Ninja will almost certainly make a better game by following their creative vision than by making concessions to reactionary fans.
So what’s the problem?
These two facts don’t fit well together. Making an appeal to Super Metroid invokes older series tenets. Following that invocation with a drastic change in pacing and mechanics is like leading gamers down the garden path. Even if the lead-in is good and the game is good, the jarring shift from one to the other may leave players feeling duped. When Retro made Metroid Prime, they made a break with series continuity by hollowing out a space in the story and building their own game inside it (hence the prime). Team Ninja may be building themselves a cage of expectations, and they’re courting gamer ire if they can’t escape it.
Dust off your Wii, because 2010 is the year that Nintendo remembers that they’re a development house. The Nintendo Summit took place today (via 1up), and the developer/publisher/console manufacturer announced a whole slew of release dates.
The biggest by far is Super Mario Galaxy 2, which will arrive on May 23. Nintendo released a new trailer to mark the event, which revealed more of the planet-based gameplay that was honed in the first game. Mario Galaxy 2 also looks like it will feature a significant role for Mario’s sidekick Yoshi, and the old dinosaur has learned a few new tricks. Swinging by his tongue and flying around like an untied balloon make this look like his most diverse role since his debut in Super Mario World, though it remains to be seen how large that role will be.
The remaining firm dates follow. AAA titles on the list include Metroid: Other M on June 27 (Team Ninja has been busy), and Monster Hunter Tri on April 20. WiiWare is striking it rich, with Max & the Magic Marker out March 8 and indie favorite Cave Story on March 22. The DS can expect WarioWare D.I.Y. on March 28 and Picross 3D on May 3. Finally, on the hardware side, gamers can expect the DSi XL on March 28 for $190.
If you happen to like your announcements chronologically ordered, they follow. Less specific release dates have also been included for completion’s sake.
December 21: Winter
March 8: Max & The Magic Marker
March 20: Spring
March 22: Cave Story
March 28: DSi XL
March 28: WarioWare D.I.Y.
April 20: Monster Hunter Tri
May 3: Picross 3D
May 23: Super Mario Galaxy 2
TBD: Rage of the Gladiator
June 7: Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor
June 21: Summer
June 27: Metroid: Other M
TBD: FlingSmash
TBD: Super Meat Boy
TBD: And Yet It Moves
The iPhone port of Plants vs. Zombies isn’t quite as feature rich as its counterparts, but it’s also a tenth of the price. The smart tower defense gameplay and adorable aesthetic remain intact, and the touch interface is actually superior to other ports. It’s only a pity that the reduced content will cut down on the time you’ll spend with such an excellent game.
Every now and again, someone pronounces PC gaming dead, but it might really be happening this time. MTV Multiplayer is reporting that the PC distribution of Assassin’s Creed will ship with some bloodthirsty DRM. In addition to the usual requirement that you be online to start the game, Ubisoft also wants you to maintain a continuously active connection the entire time you’re playing.
Failure to comply will boot you from your game in progress and prevent the system from saving your game. Ubisoft has assured Ars Technica that Assassin’s Creed 2 will keep trying to connect and the return you to the last checkpoint when it finally does, but that’s like saying it’ll hurt less when the knife comes back out. I have to say that it makes me nostalgic for the days when Ubisoft ruined my saved games out of incompetence, not malice.
If you doubt the viability of cosmetic fob microtransactions, Blizzard has 220,000 reasons why you’re wrong. That’s how many people bought a Pandaren Monk pet from the Blizzard store. The MTV Multiplayer blog crunched the numbers from Blizzard’s Make-a-Wish charity drive, which announced a $1.1 million take for sick kids. At $5 a panda and 12 million Warcraft players worldwide, that totals around 2% of the player base who will be escorting a cosmetic panda around Northrend.
Of course, the monk pet actually costs $10, so Blizzard will be pocketing the other million and any future proceeds now that the drive has ended. However, it remains to be seen if sales will retain their current level without the balm of charity over the $10 price gouge.
