Shut up, Trent Reznor

First, let me say that I am a fan of Nine Inch Nails. I respect what Trent Reznor has done within the music industry. I agree with much of his views. But still, Trent Reznor should shut up about the game industry.
If you're unaware, Trent Reznor and NIN creative director Rob Sheridan gave an interview with Joystiq discussing the game industry and their own personal relation to gaming. If you haven't read the interview, its recommended that you do. Trent does say some insightful things regarding the industry, and you may find that you share some of his opinions as I do, but ultimately you may also see that his views on music and gaming contradict themselves. I'll be pulling quotes from the interview to show just how he does this.

First off, there is the infamous quote that has been circulating the internet and causing flame wars on some message boards and comment sections.

 "Being honest, I'm not a huge fan of Sony. Their entire strategy behind the PlayStation is to focus on gaming as an experience last and getting a Blu-ray player in your living room comes first. Now, three years later they're trying to release a motion controller that's a little bit better than the Wii's." 

Now that's his opinion and that's fine. The problem is he's a celebrity. So, for some reason, in our society, his opinion carries more weight. More legitimacy. If this exact quote was said by any other anonymous unknown on the internet, it would be torn to shreds and labeled as pure fanboy sentiment. But coming from Trent Reznor, its taken as gospel. And it shouldn't be. It is a fanboy sentiment. For whatever reason he is biased against Sony. Earlier in the interview he says this:

Trent: Me and Rob are both big Nintendo fans for a number of reasons. Nintendo approaches gaming from a prospective where Super Mario Bros. is still a classic and doesn't look dated. Look at any game on the PlayStation 1 that tries to exceed past the terrible 3D graphics, with their look alike, sound alike franchise attempts. 

I'm not exactly sure what to make of this statement its so backwards. What franchises is he referring to? Is he saying The ps1 franchises were copying Super Mario Bros.? Is he saying that the ps1 franchises all looked and sounded alike? In either case the statement is false. First, Nintendo does not own the rights to platform games. Other companies can make them, Trent, its not a ripoff. I can't think of any franchise on the ps1 that looked or sounded like Super Mario Bros. I can think of games that are in the same genre, sure, but none that looked or sounded similar. Second, Nintendo is notorious for regurgitating the same franchise characters over and over. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word regurgitating. Mario, Luigi, Link and Samus are iconic characters and I don't fault Nintendo for putting them in every first party game they produce. But it doesn't make sense to praise Nintendo for it and bash Sony for doing the same. That's why I'm still confused by this statement. 

These next set of quotes is where Trent and Rob's views on music and gaming begin to clash. Earlier in the interview when asked about a game the two of them pitched, Trent responds:

"A few years ago we took that idea to a few of the main publishers, Midway, Activision, etc. And as first time people in a pitch meeting, it was kind of depressing. Depressing to see that the people in control of those studios and publishers are much the same as the people sitting at record companies.
In a record company, they aren't musicians or people who love music, they're people who want to sell plastic discs. They think they have a formula where if they can eliminate the artist from that equation, even better. You see that in the case of the Pussycat Dolls and some of the other fabricated crap that's out there."

That's all well and good, right? There is truth to that, but later he says this:

"The fact that the Wii came out and has been wildly successful is because they picked up on the thing I've been saying all along. They made something simple and fun. It's something that doesn't compete with"Halo: Whatever-The-Fuck," but is actually fun and can resonate with a bunch of people in a low brow way where they didn't focus on how many buttons they could pop into the controller." 

I don't like the Pussycat Dolls. Well, not their music anyway. They are a manufactured group probably designed just to make quick cash off insecure teenage girls and horny teenage boys. Their music is simple and catchy and fun. Do you see it? Trent loves Nintendo for the same reason he hates the music industry. He may not like the Pussycat Dolls or what they represent but there is a market for them. Some people just want to dance and have fun with their music, and not be weighed down with an artists political views. Just as some gamers, like Trent, don't want their games to be complicated. They want them simple and fun. It confuses me how he can praise Nintendo for its simplistic mass market appeal, but still deride the music industry for the same. His contradicting views do become a little more clear later in the interview when he says:

"Music isn't a game, it's supposed to be an emotional kind of experience."

Trent says this in response to being asked whether or not he'll support the Rock Band Network. These words reveal Trent's views on gaming. For him, video games are just that, games. Not meant to be anything more. Its on this point that I disagree the strongest. For myself, and I'm sure for many other gamers like me, video games are a very emotional experience. I like being engrossed in a game. Being pulled into the story and connecting with the protagonist (or antagonist). Being able to control these elements and interact with the story in games is very emotional. Games can evoke strong feelings. I have no problem with Trent Reznor preferring a more casual gaming experience. I enjoy that at times as well. I do have a problem with him dismissing or condemning an area of the industry that I'm very passionate about. I love how gaming has evolved into more that just hop and bop, point and shoot gameplay. I'm sure game developers are happy as well, which is why they make games that are deep and engrossing. There's one more set of contradicting statements by Trent that should close the book on the point I'm trying to make. At the very beginning of the interview, Trent says what type of gamer he is.

"We tried to get all the classics like Metroid, Space Invaders, Robotron and others from that era. I've stayed with gaming throughout the years and have all the current systems and, yes, I still get excited about release day. That said, I've become disillusioned in the last few years with the types of games the big studios put out. They're the same game over and over again just skinned differently. I'm not a believer that everyone wants to necessary play a movie, where game play is overlooked for flashy graphics. That's a disturbing trend." 

Okay, he's retro. That's cool. I can dig that. I don't think cinematic games are a "disturbing trend" but I get what he's saying. But a few questions later he says this:

"Video games are a fairly new form of maturing entertainment that really are art forms. The success of the industry as an art form and a form of entertainment will be if it can rediscover itself and to allow for the redefining of what a video game is. Not necessarily targeting it towards just kids or grandparents or whatever. The goal is always to keep a level of entertainment, excitement and innovation."

Rediscover and redefine what a video game is. Not necessarily targeting kids, or grandparents. Hey Trent, that happened already. It happened when Sony and subsequently Microsoft started appealing  to an older audience with  mature, cinematic games that were more engrossing and required greater emotional investment. It was about ten to fifteen years ago. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have already made great innovative strides within the industry. I know some games do focus too heavily on graphics while the actual gameplay suffers, but I don't believe that to be the norm. Especially when developers and publishers are spending so much on games. I know developers want their games to be enjoyable to gamers in all aspects. I think a more disturbing trend is Nintendo's lack of quality control when it comes to its shovelware Wiiware. 

At the end of the day, all these statements are just the opinions of two people. But Trent should realize that his opinion may influence others because of his fame. And he should be more judicious with his statements, only because he does not seemed all that informed about the subject. He implies that lack of knowledge a few times throughout the interview. Trent likes old school games. Trent likes Nintendo. That's great. But Trent shouldn't  falsely accuse Sony, or criticize Halo or Natal, simply because he doesn't like or prefer these things, because other gamers do, and the industry is big enough for us all.

God of War III demo coming in November

Yes, you read that correctly. IGN is reporting that the E3 demo of God of War 3 will be included in the God of War Collection, and that its release has been targeted for sometime in November. For those of you not yet in the know the God of War collection will feature the first two games updated with 1080p resolution as well as trophy support. And now the with the demo of GOW3, that's works out to one hell of a package for only forty dollars.
There might be a few other extras included as this blu ray release is in response to a survey conducted by Sony of GOW3 fans, so expect artwork or perhaps some behind the scenes footage of the games.

How many days until October 13th?

I am overcome. I'm tense and anxious. I am short of breath. My palms sweat. My throat is dry. I ache. I long. I am over dramatic.  I am currently in, what i like to call(as of now) The Dark Hours. Hmm, no good? How about the destitute days? Wanting weeks? Wanting weeks! I like it. Thank you, Thesaurus.com.
Ok, so I am currently in, what I officially like to call The Wanting Weeks. This is the period of time between the last new game I played heavily and the next big release. It is during this period that I begin to tire of the game I'm playing, and I begin to long hungrily, like a wolf, for the next item on my game radar, or gaydar. Wait. Scratch that. So, the last game I played was Batman: Arkham Asylum. And technically, I'm still playing it. But not nearly as much as I originally did.  Mainly because that's just what happens. I've been through the story multiple times. Soaking up its nuanced action adventure goodness,  solving the slight predicaments passed off as puzzles by the Riddler, and  punishing, but ultimately rewarding myself with those calamitous challenge rooms. The game has nothing new to show me. So what now? I don't buy many games. I lack the funds to purchase every game that comes out. So I am caught in limbo(fuck! limbo! that's also good) waiting for the next game that has been deemed worthy of my money. And that game? Uncharted 2. I'm at the point now when the anticipation is too much to bear. Thoughts of this game consume me, zipping through my neural pathways, ricocheting to my limbs, causing involuntary twitches. I NEED this game.This obsession is compounded by the fact that I've self sanctioned my eyes from viewing too much information about it. I have avoided the beta, despite having a code. I've not read a review, despite posting the Official Playstation Magazine's review on this site. I like to be born into a game such as this. To enter the world with unknowing eyes. It facilitates absorption into the story, affording me only the knowledge of the protagonist at the outset, allowing me to, in effect, become Nathan Drake. Whoa! How insane did that sound? Well, what can I say I'm crazy about games. And puns! 
Too many days in between this one and October 13th. How will I cope?I'll find a way. And then it will release, and I will play it. And it will be a revelation. And I'll play it again, and again. I'll find every secret, I'll unlock every trophy, and I'll conquer every difficulty level. And then...what? It is inevitable that Uncharted 2 will suffer the same fate with me as all my other games, no matter how great they were, no matter how great it will be. And it is inevitable that I will find myself in the same desperate state I am in now. Then again, there's always the multiplayer, and Ratchet&Clank, and Assassins Creed 2, and Dragon Age: Origins...

Uncharted 2 characters have 30,000 polygons each

The November issue of Playstation the Official Magazine not only contains the first print review of the game, but also a foldout that reveals an abundance of technical information about the upcoming blockbuster. Of particular note: each character now has 30 thousand polygons each.

Below are some pics of the foldout, front and back.

The last picture is the middle portion of the three page foldout, and holds the bulk of the information. In case, for some reason reading the text in the fold out proves difficult to read, here are some of the more interesting statements.

"Animation Blending is a core feature of NDI technology that allows up to 20 or 30 layered animations to play on a character all at once. ..."

"The processing power of Uncharted: Drakes Fortune allowed for up to 150 objects to be displayed on screen at once whereas Uncharted 2:Among Thieves can display over 500."

"Characters now have over 30,000 polygons each."

That last tidbit regarding the poly count is especially interesting considering that later in the magazine, in a preview for Smackdown VS. Raw 2010, it is revealed that the characters in that game have approximately 20,000 polygons each. Uncharted 2 will have far more action on screen in comparison to SVR 2010, so the fact that the characters(main characters) will have fifty percent more polygons is mind boggling. Uncharted 2 drops in just a little over three weeks, which will seem like a lifetime if you're anticipating this game as much as I am. Maybe we'll get lucky and the game will get pushed up, or some retailers will break the street date.

Official Playstation Magazine Uncharted 2 Review Pics

Playstation The Official Magazine has sent out their November issue to subscribers, which includes the massive ten page review of Uncharted 2: Among thieves. Unsurprisingly, they give it a perfect score. I have no doubt that the game deserves it. Even without playing the game I am Certain that it will be a mind blowing experience. Every so often a game comes along that not only re-defines its genre, but also re-defines gaming as we've come to expect. I believe Uncharted 2 is that game. I haven't even read the review. And I won't. Certain games are sacred to me(not Sacred2, that game sucks) and I need to enter the world they create completely blank.  I have already read parts of the review up on gamesradar that I wish I had never read. I now know things that I wish I didn't, plot wise. Damn you, literacy! Well, if you don't care about spoilers or you just like pretty pictures here are some pics of the full ten page review.

It goes without saying that these pictures and the images and opinions within are the property of their respective copyright holders.

PSN chain mail is getting out of hand

A few weeks ago the ps3's firmware was updated to version 3.0. This update included a host of features designed to make life on the psn easier to use, and more aesthetically pleasing. One such feature, however, is becoming the bane of the psn. That of course being, the ability to Copy and Paste.


Ever since the 3.0 update, the psn has been inundated with chain mails. Some are meant as petitions, some spread rumor and speculation, some are humorous, and some manage to achieve all three. The message capabilities on the playstation network are meant to aid gamers in connecting to or making new friends, and communicating viable information.  It is not meant as a platform for people to assault ones intelligence and patience. That's what's happening.  Now, chain mail on the psn isn't exactly new.  A few months ago some pictures were circulating the network, but they were few and far between and completely tolerable. Below is a few examples of these.

  These, in my opinion, were tolerable. Since the the ability to copy and paste was included in the update, I personally have received 9 different chain mails, and I've received each of the nine multiple times. Its become a real nuisance. The chain mails don't really anger as much as they annoy.  And confuse.  It's confusing trying to comprehend how or why someone would read some of these blatant lies and spread them on. Or how someone could believe these "petitions" will engender any type of change, especially since they're trying to change something that doesn't exist. Below is a complete transcript of one such chain mail.

Sony is ending PS3's Call of Duty contract. This means that COD Modern Warfare 2 will be the last of the Call of Duty series for the PS3 and will become an XBOX exclusive. Which is BULL! In order to send a message to PS3 headquarters, on September 20 everyone needs to change there comment to say "Call of  Duty" (DO IT) Please PASS THIS THE F*** ON TO EVERYONE (Even Random People) Don't let PS3 sellout. For all the COD people and PS3 fanboys, Sept 20th is for Call of Duty.

I laugh every time I read "PS3 headquarters". Where is this place? What do they do there? I imagine something akin to the Justice League Satellite. At first I assumed this was a joke and nothing more. Then I noticed some comments on my friends list had changed. Then I noticed posts like this around the net. Then I received the chain mail seven more times. And this is where it becomes a problem. Rumors spread online are usually corroborated or squashed by industry professionals or the community rather quickly. But not everyone on the psn visits gaming sites on a regular basis. And its these people that may be left with a negative view of a certain game or company that isn't warranted. These types of rumors also steal focus away from more important issues that Sony would rather you focus on, such as purchasing and playing games on their consoles.  Every time Sony or another company has to issue a statement to dispel rumors it damages their momentum, and in a way perpetuates the rumor among the paranoid conspirisists. In the past few weeks there have been claims that COD:MW2 will see maps exclusive to the 360, Microsoft is paying developers to    "screw over our version of games", and believe it or not that the ps3 will get L4D and HALO, all coming from chain mails. Its out of hand, and needs to stop. Don't believe anything you read in a chain mail. Placing "Call of Duty" or "Stop Screwing Sony Users" in your comment will not be seen by Sony, who orbit the planet in their headquarters, cancelling non existent contracts.

Uncharted 2 or Ratchet & Clank: Which are you more excited about?

This October will see the release of two high profile exclusives for the ps3, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Ratchet & Clank Future: A crack in time. Both games are sequels and both are set to greatly expand the universe of story and gameplay created by their predecessors. I myself am unsure which game I'm looking forward to more. So I'm going to take a quick look at each and perhaps by the end I'll know where I stand.

First up:Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

We first encountered Uncharted's hero, Nathan Drake, in developer Naughty Dog's freshman ps3 effort Uncharted: Drakes fortune. The sequel occurs two years after the original and finds Drake hunting down Marco Polo's treasure. Now admittedly, outside of that minuscule tidbit I am unaware of any other story elements. I have imposed a self quarantine upon myself in regards to the plot of this game. When I'm really anticipating a game I like to come in fresh, and I've been hungry for this game since completing the first. I didn't even play the multiplayer demo that came with Infamous. I am however more familiar with the gameplay of Uncharted.
And the gameplay is amazing. A mix of third person shooting with an excellent cover system, Tomb Raider-esque platforming, environmental puzzle solving, stealth and melee componenets all blended together to create a seamless cinematic thrill ride. Sound good? And as mentioned above, this time around Naughty Dog has added multiplayer, both competitive and co-op. I have to be honest and I say when I first learned of Uncharted 2's multiplayer, I was a little dismayed.  Often you find developers adding multiplayer components into games that really don't need or warrant them, thus detracting from the overall experience. But after seeing it in action, my fears were quickly assuaged. But even without the multiplayer, Uncharted 2, much like the first game, will be packed with replay value. There are treasures to find, trophies to unlock and the multiple difficulties that will cause you to adjust your playstyle with each increase in level. You haven't played Uncharted until you've played it on crushing. Naughty Dog have truly outdone themselves. By expanding and improving upon every aspect of the original, while keeping the core gameplay intact they have crafted an experience that every gamer should enjoy.

Next up:Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
This game is the fifth full game in the series developed by Insomniac and a direct sequel to 2007's Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. At the end of that game, Clank was transported away by the mysteriously miniature robot race the Zoni. ToD also introduced some more mature themes than the series is used to, with both Ratchet and Clank questioning their respective origin and overall purpose in the universe. A Crack in time promises to answer those questions, and reunite the dynamic duo.  The core gameplay of the series returns, which is a blend of shooting and platforming, with the unique upgradeable weapons being a highlight. But Insomniac has added a bit more this time around. There is a new time manipulation mechanic that you take advantage of while playing as Clank. 

With the use of a staff(the name of which is unknown by me.Quarantine!) Clank can record a section in time of himself completing a certain action, and then perpetuate this section, in essence duplicating himself. This will aid Clank in completing environmental puzzles and traverse the level. Another new gameplay element is Space exploration. 

This is something I'm very excited about. In previous games travel between planets was relegated to a non interactive cutscene, or an on rails shooter segment. Now the player has complete freedom when travelling from planet to planet. This should give the game a more open world,or open universe feel.

After deliberating the facts of each game, I am still unsure of which game has me more excited. It may seem strange, but although I feel Uncharted will be better overall, I'm more hyped about Ratchet and Clank. You see, the R&C series holds a special place in my pixelated heart, as the first game was a big part of my evolution as a gamer.  But that's a whole other story. How about you? Which game has burrowed in and fused to the sensory part of your brain? Causing you to lose sleep until you can finally embrace that glossy case, weeping with joy? If you're like me and are having trouble deciding, there is one simple solution: get both when they drop in October. The 13th for Uncharted, with Ratchet and Clank following 2 weeks later on the 27th. That's what I'm going to do.

Success

As you may have notice my trophy card is successfully in place atop my page. It was surprisingly simple as well. I'm pleased such technology has been dumbed down enough for my ape like mitts to grasp, and throttle into submission. i'm not going to remove my first post because, well, because i like it.

the internets frighten me

ok. first post. umm, still trying to figure out my site layout and how to organize things the way i want.  i'm not used to any this despite being aware of and using the internet for 14 years. i've never used it to create anything, and i've never been educated to do so. what's html? what's embedding? what's a "link"? who am i? ya, so you get where am at. its very daunting. i am very outside my element here. i don't consider myself an idiot by any means, but when faced with these challenges that i'm sure most 15 year olds can accomplish in their sleep, i feel very...obtuse. well anyway, this is something i must do. It must be done! i hate exclamation marks. so i made a ps3 trophy card. and i'm currently trying to figure out how to get that baffling set of hieroglyphs to transform into said card. so here goes. but first i'll try this. anyone who magically happens to see this post (seeing as i won't be advertising its currently miserable existence) and is interested in obtaining a trophy card go HERE. Did it work? did you get there? was it everything you'd hoped? so now for the big show. what i really want is to be able to display this card permanently at the top of my page, and not just segregate it to this post. but its late and i must speak with higher more html adept wizards before bending the curious code to my will. ok. here we go

Holy meaningless symbols of pseudo accomplishment, Batman!!! it worked. excellent. confidence renewed...for now.