How to Make a Great Video Game Movie: Make a Crappy Action Movie
Put a bag on your head, because I'm about to blow your mind with the following two statements. You may rage. You may think I'm an idiot. But I'm right, and that's what's important.
1: Sucker Punch was a nearly perfect video game movie, and the template other video game movies should use.
2: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was the perfect tournament fighter movie, but it wasn't a general video game movie at all.
You're not with me on this. That's fine, because I'm going to explain.
A Really Funny and Informative Story About Your Favorite Game, Movie, TV Show, Comic Book, or Album
A lot of web sites are blacking out for today to protest SOPA. We're not. Instead, I'm going to give you a really funny, informative piece about your favorite game, movie, TV show, album, or comic book. I'm going to show you that there's nothing to worry about from a piece of legislation and an ongoing trend of legislation and technological measures to prevent the use of purchased media by consumers or creative professionals who want to copy, transfer, or re-purpose it under fair use. Nothing to worry about at all.
And the TV Show of the Year is…
It's easy to take for granted how spoiled we are with TV right now. Sure, there's a blizzard of bullshit that makes you embarrassed for our civilization. But think of all the superlative shows to ascend in the last several years. Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Justified, Friday Night Lights, The Walking Dead and those are just dramas. The comedy landscape has been blessed with Parks and Recreation, Louie, Archer, Modern Family, Community and the continued success of the likes of 30 Rock, Futurama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The Old Republic and How To Do MMO Role Playing Right
I'm 12 levels in on several characters on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and I'm still playing. It's still Star Wars as World of Warcraft, but Bioware has added a few interesting aspects that makes me stay with it and see it as a solid step forward. The gameplay isn't changed much from the World of Warcraft formula, but the storytelling (the RPG part of the MMORPG) is much better. Whether The Old Republic keeps going and digs into WoW's share or not, I hope Bioware's ideas continue in the world of MMOs.
A Post-SOPA Protest Proposal: Studio Siege
SOPA is a troubling bill, written and discussed by people with little understanding of the Internet who are influenced by other people who want to see total control over all content on it. Based on its wording, anyone can say that a web site is showing copyrighted material and have the government force that web site removed from DNS servers. It would effectively give studios the power to arbitrarily have web sites taken off the Internet with no consideration for fair use.
This is a very bad thing. However, there are some actions we can prepare if SOPA gets passed to take the bill and cram it right back down the throats of the studios, publishers, and associations who want that power. Let's call it Studio Siege.
Why Games Aren’t Telling Interactive Stories
Modern games are often compared to motion pictures in terms of production values: the quality of the graphics, the voice acting and immersiveness of the total experience. For years, games were judged by how well they were able to emulate a cinematic experience; Metal Gear Solid was the action movie we always wanted to play. The experience was linear and loaded with hours of non-interactive dialog and cut scenes, but it hit all the right beats. By the time the sequel came around, however, it was clear that something wasn't quite right with the formula and it wasn't just Snake's emo-ninja replacement, Raiden.
Cinematic storytelling, as it turns out, isn't all that interactive.
Is Sony Screwing Up the PS Vita? Not Yet. Maybe. Sort of.
After a promising unveiling, the PlayStation Vita has faced a lot of cynicism because of Sony's decisions with the handheld. It seems like they're trying to screw up their own system with pointless limitations like a proprietary memory card, a one-user limit for the proprietary memory card, and a still-unconfirmed-for-the-United-States overpriced UMD owner game download plan. Basically, Sony's choking the PS Vita, and when the 3DS is already $80 cheaper than it will be when it launches in February (after missing the holiday season), this could mean the new PSP will suffer the same also-ran fate as the old PSP, or suffer the completely-failed-and-ignored fate of the PSP-Go.
The PS Vita isn't a lost cause, though. Despite some screw-ups before launch, it does have a lot of potential. Its screw-ups aren't that big for most users, as well. While hardcore gamers will be irritated by the memory card issues and the UMD thing, these are actually factors that most users won't even notice.
Adventure Vs. Story: Western RPGs and Eastern RPGs
RPGs are some of the most polarizing video games out there, with different groups either loving them or hating them. You need to be in a certain mindset to play an RPG, and it takes a lot more investment than an action game or sports game. However, the very idea of what an RPG is can be debated, and fans of one type might hate another type. This is where the separation between the East (Japan) and the West (America and Europe) comes in, and how the big wall between the two cultures' approaches to RPGs has effectively made two completely different genres.
To put it simply, western RPGs craft a world, while eastern RPGs craft a story. Yes, the former have stories and the latter have worlds, but the emphasis on each is clear. Western RPGs put the player in control of the game and let them write their own story, following the signposts left for them. Eastern RPGs make the player a part of the story and let them explore the world in the way that lets that story unfold.
I Feel Sorry For Frank Miller
Two weeks ago, Frank Miller caused a bit of a stir by writing about the Occupy Wall Street protesters. He didn't have anything nice to say. The backlash was impressive. A lot of fans hate him now. I feel sorry for him.
This is a serious, political post, so if you don't want part of that, skip this and we'll get to some regularly scheduled dick jokes later. Incidentally, Saints Row: The Third gives you a bonus if you shoot 25 guys in the nuts.
Modern Warfare 3 and How Not to Do a Powerful Moment
You've probably heard about Modern Warfare 3's controversial scene, or at least are aware of it. After Modern Warfare and MW2, it's pretty much expected to have a shocking, powerful moment in the game that really hits you in the pathos. A soldier you played through a mission dying in a sudden and unexpected nuclear attack and seeing his vision fade as he's overcome by radiation poisoning, an airport full of civilians getting killed by terrorists as you're helpless to do anything, and so on. Modern Warfare 3 has one big moment like that, and a few that call back to it. Unfortunately, it fails at making any of those moments powerful or deep.
Spoilers ahead, so don't read on if you haven't played through the game (or specifically if you haven't played through the game and don't want it to be spoiled).
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