PAX 2010 Dead Rising 2 Capcom Event Greene's Hardware
CAPCOM DEAD RISING 2 PAX PARTY - Zombie killing event, minus actual zombies!
Capcom rented out a studio space during the Penny Arcade Expo, and transformed it into 'Greene's Hardware' an event to promote the upcoming title, Dead Rising 2. Gamers were treated to demo kiosks, and free pizza and soda, but the highlight of the night was the selection of 'hardware' on hand for attendees to handle.
From hammers, and batons, to samurai swords, gamers celebrated the popular videogame with a real hands-on experience. Unfortunately, there were no zombies to slice and/or impale outside of the videogame.
Dead Rising 2 was developed by Vancouver-based studio Blue Castle Games, which Capcom has recently purchased. The expansion has been referred to Capcom Games Studio Vancouver.
Now you can only expect a flood of resumes being sent to the studio, with would-be employees hoping to work on some popular Capcom properties.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Alan Wake Remedy for Success
The chilly formula of Alan Wake is a recipe for success.
I sit before the glow of my laptop, fingers positioned at ready, my eyes adjust to the brightness of the screen, the body of the blogger post publisher, blank. I stare at it, and the screen looks back, waiting to be filled with thoughts, meaningful or otherwise. Yet, I struggle to begin. Fresh from watching the end credits to Alan Wake, I feel a certain affinity for the title character who suffered from a serious case of Writer's block.
Taking me several weeks to put my thoughts together into a worthy summary of my game experience I was unable to write about Alan Wake, simply because there is just too much to say. Fortunately though, all I needed was some time to figure out where to begin -- and it's best to start from the end.
As the end credits rolled, I was in awe at what I had just experienced. I wasn't sitting in a movie theater after a 90 minute film screening of an epic suspense thriller, I was in front of my Xbox 360, trying to come down from a unique interactive story, a certain rarity in the game industry, a classic I'd say. One where storytelling, and gameplay are at a fine balance, but at times blurred just as our protagonist experiences his life in Bright Falls.
In the span of a weekend (a day and a half) I was able to begin my adventure, and see it come to a close in that short period of time, that I had trouble digesting what I had been through.
The psychological action thriller, from Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment, is a unique and inspired game with cinematic pacing, that is satisfyingly short and sweet. It draws heavily from the world of episodic television, and film with influences from the Twilight Zone, to The Shining, but most obviously from the Lynchian-style of the Twin Peaks series. The developers have put together a game that is an ode to small town Americana, populated with quirky characters, and set in the Pacific North West.
(Though personally I think Bright Falls looks more like Lake Tahoe. The grey, gloomy, rain soaked skies of the Pacific North West, Washington State, or for that matter British Columbia, Canada, seem to be missing, but I suppose that is a note on the art direction. )
The opening area to the game establishes the trip to the town of Bright Falls. As players, we are instantly transported to this world which seems endless in every direction. Arriving on a ferry boat carrying our main character, his wife, and their car stuffed with personal belongings, they've packed up their city life, and headed for a secluded getaway for some relaxation. Both speak to each other like a couple in love, even posing for photos with one of the locals riding the ferry along with them. The surrounding hills, and beautifully rendered water shimmers, and as we approach the dock, the anticipation to explore gets greater, but so does the feeling of no turning back once in Bright Falls. A scene of normality, that I found myself longing for in the dark of the night, as the game got underway.
It's this attention to detail established in Alan Wake, that really kept me immersed throughout the game. Graphically and audio-wise immersion in the game comes naturally.
Details like 'Night Springs' -- the Twilight Zone/Outer Limits inspired in-game live-action show -- are a fine touch of genius playing on random television sets throughout the town. The episodic structure is fitting keeping the game feeling fresh, and the orchestral soundtrack is well crafted, which also features licensed tracks such as David Bowie - Space Oddity. The game kept me on edge and as the story progresses more characters are introduced. Characters in Wake are actually 'characters,' some ripped straight from Twin Peaks. Which makes me think that if Twin Peaks didn't exist, neither would Alan Wake. The screenplay and excellent voice-over work are also a welcome surprise.
For I felt all too disconnected with Resident Evil 5, a game which has deviated so far from what made this series appealing, and Final Fantasy XIII, a strange action RPG hybrid with one-dimensional characters, over-the-top cinematics, and not much else to care about. Two blockbuster franchise games that despite their big budgets, couldn't get me the player, to feel for the characters and the dilemma they face. Soulless and far less interesting than Alan Wake, these games were uninspired, I had almost lost hope for gaming in general until Alan Wake came along.
That is not to say that Alan Wake is a perfect game, though it comes close. It definitely has it's share of issues. Admittedly I was put off by the combat, which seemed to be overwhelming at first with the AI enemies, who after a few hits, leave the player dead. Alan's inability to use his fists and feet to punch or kick once out of ammo can be frustrating. He is only able to use guns, instead of branches, knives, axes, and whatever is thrown at him. I find it out of character that this writer from New York, is so well acquainted with guns, it's hard to believe he's a writer and not an ex-marine. Also, what's up with the lousy battery life for the flashlights?
Yet in the grand scheme of things, the developers get more things right than wrong. When all is said and done, this is a game worth playing, and worth continuing to expand on. I want more!
I've been waiting for a game like this for a very long time. Alan Wake is a videogame, yet calling it simply a game just feels wrong. I can't remember the last time I sat at the edge of my seat weary of what lies in the dark, in a videogame. Game developers should take note of the passion that Remedy Entertainment put into Alan Wake, because as a gamer I can definitely see how these guys took what they loved, and made something special.
I am definitely looking forward to the downloadable content coming soon!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Bright Falls Alan Wake Prequel Twin Peaks Inspired
Live-action Short Film "Bright Falls," captures the small town eeriness of Twin Peaks, but lacks the quirky charm and depth of filmmaker David Lynch.
A friend recently introduced me to Bright Falls, a live-action episodic series released on Xbox LIVE, as a prequel film to the upcoming videogame Alan Wake, prior to the game's actual release. Described as "A Psychological Action Thriller", wrapped up in the survival horror genre, the videogame developed by Remedy Entertainment, doesn't shy away from blatant stylistic appreciation for 90's cult television favorite, Twin Peaks -- a style immediately recognizable as that of David Lynch (Lynchian), which is further exploited in the film, Bright Falls.
If you didn't know better, you'd would probably think this was a Twin Peaks fan film, or even an official spin-off of the series. It's THAT similar.
Filmed with the high-end RED One digital video camera, and directed by Philip Van, I was immediately impressed with the production values and engaging short form storytelling put into this film. With a total of 6 episodes, the film establishes the setting of the game, with some of the citizens of Bright Falls, characters which will no doubt appear in the videogame sequel.
The film has some sharp editing, and sound design, with enough to keep the viewer interested, though the director's choice in shots felt somewhat pedestrian at times, while a few of the lighting setups, and green screen comps, didn't blend so well together in certain scenes. (Perhaps due to production limits in post production.) The footage from the RED One camera though, is exceptional, and a good example of it's ability and range, that would make any indie filmmaker drool.
It is a very nice attempt at broadening the appeal and interest of the game, through the medium of film. Having built up the hype around Alan Wake, I can only go in expecting to be engaged by the mystery, and atmosphere lifted straight from a David Lynch production.
Though, the filmmakers of Bright Falls may have been superficial in their cherry picking of Lynch's style, it's a good effort that's worth a viewing for all fans of horror, and mystery.
I Am EarthBound- Albert Art Custom "NESS" vinyl toy
Albert Art Custom "NESS" vinyl toy.
A fresh take on a classic videogame character -- a kid with an attitude, and a love for sneakers inspired by Tokyo's urban culture.
When I was commissioned to do a Mother inspired painting for someone, I instantly thought of doing a custom toy. Ness was perfect for toy production. The EarthBound character is short, and stubby, but he needed an update, and needed to shed his 'goody-goody' persona.
For those unfamiliar with the cult Nintendo classic, EarthBound aka 'Mother', is an RPG set in a suburban North American town, with Ness the hero of the game who wields a baseball bat, and a Yo-Yo. When thinking about those elements, all these ideas for a badass Ness came flooding into my mind. Thus my interpretation of Ness, is one of contrast to the original. One that also embraces his Japanese roots, with modern footwear inspired by Tokyo-based Mad foot! shoes, which you can see more defined in the Ness painting. For the toy, I designed something simpler, rather than the high-tops.
This would be my fourth videogame-inspired custom Munny, after Bonk, Mega Man, and Bomberman.
For the commissioned painting, the client wanted to have the Kraken from the game featured with Ness. As you can see I made the sea creature more dominate in the image, with Ness taking up a very small portion (in the right bottom corner) of the space on the 8 x 8 wood panel.
The second painting was made solely as a concept for the toy. The arrows made similar to the Mad Foot! logo on their shoes. I used a combination of acrylic paint, markers, and spray paint.
To create the leg portion of the toy, I had to employ new tools. I purchased a Dremel power tool for cutting, drilling, and sanding, wood stubs which were used as legs. They were fused to shoes which I made with super sculpey.
Unlike the other toys I've made, Ness has his share of accessories, from an over-sized backpack to a baseball cap. In the end the toy is very cool, with a distinctive hip-hop urban personality. Signature Albert Art. Albert Art in APW custom group toy show!
I'm happy to announce that I will be showcasing my Smorkin' Labbit trio in New York City, for the APW group custom toy show. Going down 4/3/09-4/27/09. I can't be there for the opening night, but maybe you can be there for me?!
APW Gallery
48-18 Van Dam St
Long Island City, NYC And Finally...
For those interested in getting their own Albert Art, I'm offering some art at reduced rates for the recession-challenged.
First Person Showdown - Mirror's Edge is for Suxors, Bioshock FTW!
Catching up on some games.
I finally started playing Bioshock, and Mirror's Edge. I know, I know, I'm pretty late with these games, but at least now I can judge them after all the hype from launch has subsided. Between the two games, Mirror's Edge is my least favorite.
A cool Fan-made, Assassin's Creed gameplay vid demonstrating player freedom. No Red glowing objects required. *You might want to mute the music.
Mirror's Edge to me is like the First-person version of Assassin's Creed, without the versatility, or freedom players have when interacting with the surrounding architecture, that Ubisoft's parkour inspired game is known for. And though Assassin's Creed has it own share of issues, I think the execution of using the environment was particularly well done. For a game like Mirror's Edge that uses parkour as it's gimmick in a similar, (but broken fashion), it falls short when compared to AC, feeling less about the art of parkour, and more about button input. Add to that the poorly designed combat, and endless frustration from the challenge of getting over the games flaws, and you have yourself a good looking, but irritating game experience.
Trailer for Mirror's Edge.
It's a game that relies on accurately chaining together button commands, that if you mess up, you won't be feeling like a parkour superstar. In fact, constant death destroys the whole point of the parkour free running 'flow' that the developers were going for. (It's not as easy as the gameplay videos made it out to be). Dying because the games broken, and not because of the games difficulty setting are two entirely different things.
Expect to die, especially in combat. It's like the developers are saying, 'It's perfectly okay to die consistently, repetition is good, practice makes perfect'. Does it really? For an imperfect game? Sure, if you have the patience to play until you get it right. Mirror's Edge is on a whole other level of frustrating. And I'm a gamer that typically puts up with the challenge. GTAIV, and Bioshock are challenging, but not frustratingly difficult.
Mirror's Edge reminded me of the main character from Final Flight of the Osiris.
Faith? Uh no. It's Jue.
Funny how the main character's name is 'Faith' because it takes leaps of faith to get over the uncertainty of grabbing a bar, or ledge, if you aren't perfectly aligned/centered with it. You have to have pinpoint accuracy, or fall to your death. And though there are some things about Mirror's Edge that would be cool to see other First-person games incorporate, I don't consider the game itself to be a revolution in first-person gaming, or even a 'must play'.
Bioshock on the other hand is...
Rapture = one part Metropolis, one part Gotham City, one part The Abyss, one part Myst. And lets not forget Kubrick's The Shining.
I've recently gone hardcore on Bioshock. I started playing at 5pm Saturday till 2am Sunday, then woke up and started playing again 10am Sunday morning, till 8pm Sunday night, now on Chapter 12. I figured I should be lazy for once spending practically my entire weekend with a good game.
If Batman the Animated series ever had an immersive first-person videogame, Bioshock would be it. Fans of the Bruce Timm/Glen Murakami, animated interpretation of the 90's Dark Knight should know what I'm getting at. Their vision was heavily influenced by New York's art deco vibe of the early twentieth century, the World's Fair, and Fritz Lang's Metropolis retaining many of the cultural quirks of that era in America's history. While Bioshock doesn't feature any caped crusaders, it does have the same dark and psychotic atmosphere akin to stepping into Arkham Asylum, or a circus run by the Joker. Lots of crazies, grotesque imagery, and disturbing voice recordings set in a backdrop of gangsters, flappers, and retro aesthetic. Bioshock is basically an underwater Metropolis, and it's so amazing.
Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis'
The Joker tortures Robin in 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'. Skip to 7:22, to see the sicko at work. It's like a scene out of Bioshock.
Playing Bioshock is like walking through a time warped theme park with sideshow freaks, and carnival attractions. It's immersive, absorbing, eerie, and frightening. For once in a long time I actually freaked myself out when first encountering the Houdini Splicer. I was playing with the lights off too, and in a dark room in the game. I can't remember the last time I reacted that way to a game, and it's an awesome feeling.
Not only are the graphics amazing, but the music as well, definitely adds to the uneasiness of exploring rapture. I'm also a fan of the voice-over in the game, and the excellent recordings that unravel the story. I have a tendency to skip narration and bits of story in other games like an ADD kid or something, but in Bioshock I'm actually interested in learning more about Rapture, and it's inhabitants. I like picking up the tape players!
I'm having a great time with this game overall. So much better than agonizing over Mirror's Edge. Thanks to the peeps fairlyoddgirlfriend, gaian, who sent me xbox messages telling me how awesome the game is. I definitely agree!
Now to finish the game off...
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Auditorium is like Electroplankton but with an actual goal.
Redirect the flow.
Chu Chu Rocket + Electroplankton = Auditorium. If Chu Chu Rocket, and Electroplankton had a freak baby, Auditorium would be it, and yes, this baby is still in development. Doesn't have enough umph to get me hooked.
It's simple, redirect the 'musical' flow to the appropriate targets using available arrows. When I was reading about it on gaian's blog, I thought this was a variation on the Gitaroo man gameplay, but when I played Auditorium the free online web game, it instantly reminded me of Electroplankton but with an actual goal -- as in completing the puzzle, and moving on to the next. It's cool. I made it to Act 2, but kinda got bored. I think it's the music. Does the music change, or is it the same throughout?? Though the puzzles in Act 1 are not difficult, I can see some people struggling, and getting frustrated with the irritating 'horror film' piano music. I`ll have to play more of it when I get enough time.
Still, Auditorium is another interesting addition (addiction to some) to the puzzle/musical game genre. It should be interesting to see where it ends up. On the site, the iPhone is mentioned along with console versions of the game, if the developers get enough donations. Goodluck to them.
It doesn't come close to weaning me off Audiosurf. Audiosurf is gawd.
Happy Thanksgiving now go play GoW 2 Multiplayer Flashback Players' Choice
Get yourself a turkey-sized 'beat down'.
The best way to spend your post Thanksgiving dinner is to play video games before the food induced sleep kicks in, and Gears of War 2 is the game to chill with. Sure Canada has Thanksgiving on a different day, in a different month, from that of the USA, (Oct on the 2nd Monday) but we can all understand and relate to the food feast, family, and the mandatory videogame downtime/beat down, that comes with the Holidays.
Recently I've been really getting into the whole Multiplayer Players' Choice Flashback Map pack, and now it's the only mode I'm interested in playing. Horde mode has become slightly boring to me, especially since I can't seem to get past wave 20. When the intensity of Elimination, Execution and Wingman far surpasses any AI driven locust attack, Horde seems kinda lame. I mean I still like Horde, but these other modes are pretty awesome. One thing that bothers me though is the lack of Team auto-Balance in-game, which is a must for multiplayer when people start abandoning the match. This among other issues.
Anyway, if you've got Gears2, play the shit out of it on Thanksgiving. While you're stuffed with a good meal (genetically modified turkey), be thankful that you have videogames to entertain you, I know I am, because after all gaming is a luxury, and as gamers, we shell out the dough for our enjoyment. Other people aren't as fortunate.
Happy Thanksgiving, and see ya online.
Monday, September 01, 2008
PAX 2008 - Bigger than last year, but is it better?
Fun, friends, and mixed feelings on this year's expo.
Where to begin? I'm back in Vancouver and finally ready to post about my long weekend in Seattle at the Penny Arcade Expo, and Bumbershoot Music & Arts festival. The event filled weekend had me at first questioning whether or not planning for 2 major events was a good thing, but in the end, it all balanced out quite nicely thanks to the strategic placement of the monorail conveniently located near the convention. Would I do it again next year? Probably.
As you might have noticed it's been dead around these parts for the past several days -- I didn't have time to do any updates live or otherwise, nor was I interested in doing so. I was more concerned with going with the flow of the daily expo happenings, rather than stressing about blogging, running around covering panels, or gathering research for articles. I just wanted to chill out for once, though the fact that the PAX Panels were pretty weak this year worked in my favor! So expect related posts over the next few days.
This year's PAX was different. Not that everyone's expo experience is the same each time around, but in my opinion it was different from my last year's PAX adventures in a slightly negative sense. That's not to say I didn't have any fun, because I did with Jen, Jon, David, Doug, Kevin, Mike, Shane, Flips, and all the other peeps I hung out with (random elevator people included). The thing is, the expo just wasn't the same in terms of overall appeal.
Whether it was because of the missing friends, that made the last expo so fun and who inspired a sense of community, or the E3-esque exhibit hall lineups, weak freezepop performance, timid concert crowds (PAX-goers have a tendency to just stand, watch, applaud, and wave their DS), or limited panel selection, PAX 08 was lacking something. Maybe it's just me, and I've become too used to the GDC, and Comic-Con atmosphere, growing a little distant from the geekery of following the webcomic, but I doubt that's the reason why I feel this PAX fell flat. After much discussion with other PAX-goers, they seem to agree that the vibe has changed a bit. As a regular PAX attendee since 2005 (4 years and counting?) this year was kinda 'meh.'
If it wasn't for the people, and after hours fun, no amount of exhibit hall bells and whistles, or panels would have made this expo entertaining. It's all about the gamer community after all. It always was, and hopefully always will be, and though it seems PAX is getting too big for it's own good, the staples of gaming in a large scale social setting remains at it's core. Gamasutra did a pretty good writeup on PAX 08... an estimated 58,500 attendees???
I spent sometime in the PC freeplay arena, and console freeplay which was cool, but I never did break out my DS, or PSP because I was always on the move, with no time to crash on the bean bags. I also intentionally skipped out on collecting swag. I didn't want to carry a bunch of shit with me. I mean I wanted that Skateboard, and that's pretty much it, but I couldn't answer any of the trivia questions. I never really bought anything too, aside from food. Went to a few Panels, one of which featured 1UP's own Karen Chu on game reviewing. I also went to another panel about why the game industry doesn't suck, by Jason Della Rocca, and I was pretty surprised to see that the majority of people sitting in on the panel didn't know who he was. A definite difference between PAX versus GDC demographics. It was like watching a teacher lecturing a bunch of high school students, no offense intended. The topic itself was meh, nothing most people didn't already know, so I got up and left. I did however notice he used a tablet pen with his laptop, which is what I do whether on a desktop or laptop.
The 1UP Gameworks meet up was cool. No community managing was really required when the 1UP members pretty much organized themselves. Of course with all the 1UP members who already knew each other from previous years, it was always like being in a 1UP meet up. I missed out on Anamanaguchi though for the 1UP meet, but that's cool. After getting buzzed at Gameworks briefly speaking to Toasty, and for the first time meeting one of my longtime readers Doug, new community manager Tina, former gamespotter Brad Shoemaker, and 1UP member Amarisse (whom I thought worked at 1UP as the new Karen Chu with her massive professional camera), a few of us headed over to watch some Rockband stage, then to Kevin's other Sheraton hotel party. The hotel party was quiet until I invited a bunch of random people from the elevator. They just so happened to be Canadians and harsh drinkers. After a while (around 3 or 4am) I received a txt message from my other group of peeps who were at a Club. Ended up going there, for a bit, but then after feeling threatened by Vietnamese gangbangers, headed on back to the hotel to crash.
N64 DD.
Me, David, and Amarisse. We were pretty disappointed with the watered down Guinness. Mega lame, but thanks for the drink tickets Guild Wars PR lady.
That jon guy sure is a double fisting alcoholic from Detroit. LOL
Driving the kids back to Canada.(Jen and Mike, intentionally missed their bus the night before, so they could ride back with me in a pretty smooth drive to Vancouver in less than 2 hours)
When thinking about the growth of this once little gamer centered expo from Bellevue, it has me curious to see where this event is going next year. Will it get better or worse?
The chilly formula of Alan Wake is a recipe for success.
