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The Moral Cost of Video Games

Well, at least they’re not harping on the violence anymore. Christian Science Monitor, perhaps perceiving that that trope has run its course, offers a rather novel critique of our beloved hobby- the lack of consequences.

But what games conspicuously lack is moral consequence. Once you’ve killed someone, stolen something, or blown up a building, that’s usually the end of it – you’ll rarely get to see the emotional impact of your actions on the characters around you.

Every bit of mayhem becomes just another item on a video-game to-do list. Games ignore moral consequence and emotional nuance to focus on the purely visceral. There are only two types of decisions you can really make: the strategically correct one or the strategically incorrect one. There is no “right” or “wrong” – only success or failure.

Get the full story here.

Indie Watch- Advance Wars Meets Pool? I’m in Love.

You will not sell a publisher on a title unless the marketing weasels know how to pitch it to the retail channel. If it fits into an existing, established game category – an RTS, an FPS, an RPG, action adventure, driving, sports – then they know how to sell it. But if you’re doing something novel – forget it.

An industry that was once the most innovative and exciting artistic field on the planet has become a morass of drudgery and imitation

Thus saith Greg Costikyan, founder of Manifesto Games and one of the foremost advocates of independent game development. According to its proponents, indie games present a haven from the stultifying pressures of risk-averse publishers more interested in games-as-commodity than games-as-art. Free from corporate suits, marketing execs, and the epidemic of sequelitis that has afflicted the gaming industry for far too long, they claim that developers can realize their visions and lead the gaming industry into a new golden age of innovation and compelling new content.

That’s if you believe the hype.

But even if indie games frequently fall short of these lofty aspirations, they can usually be counted on to produce a quality product. Most of the time, they operate like PC’s Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network- offering smaller, less technically accomplished games with free demos and cheap prices, and low system requirements to boot. In addition to the wildly experimental games, these outlets also serve traditional markets now all but abandoned by the big corporations. Here, the 4X and Turn-Based Strategy genres never died; here, point-and-click adventure games flourish; here resides many throwbacks to the days of 16-bit RPGs.

Despite producing some compelling, if fairly niche, products, this platform has been almost completely ignored by the gaming media. We here at StuffWeLike.com hope to fill this void in a new, hopefully regular feature called Indie Watch, where we point you towards some of the best games the field has to offer.

Today’s featured game, called Ballistic Wars, is an odd amalgam of turn-based strategy, pool, and puzzle gameplay. So odd, in fact, that I’m not even going to try to describe it; it’s best that you experience it for yourself. While it’s not the best game in the world, it’s worth the download for the novelty alone. Check it out here.

Rockstar Games now on Steam!

In a press release sent out late Friday Valve has announced that a ton of high profile games from Rockstar are now available on the Steam download system. As a promotion all the games are discounted 10% during launch week so this is the time to brush up on your GTA skills before GTA4 is released. There is no word however on what upcoming Rockstar titles will be added to the system but we can only hope that a PC version of GTA4 will be made and added. All we can say is we hope you are not on a download limit!

The list and comments below are from the press release.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto II
Grand Theft Auto
Midnight Club II
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne
Manhunt
Wild Metal Country

“We were immediately excited by the opportunity to offer our PC catalog via Steam because it allows us to reach out to gamers around the world in exciting new ways,” said Rowan Hajaj, Head of Finance and Corporate Development of Rockstar Games. “We are continually looking for ways to give back to our fans and this collaboration will give people a chance to easily revisit some of our greatest titles.”

“Rockstar Games brings some of most viscerally engaging games the industry has ever witnessed to Steam’s expansive library of titles,” says Jason Holtman, director of Steam business development. “We’re delighted to provide a place where gamers across the globe can discover all the fine work Rockstar Games has produced.”

For more information about Rockstar Games on Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com/v/index.php?publisher=rockstar

What we want, and don’t want from video games in 2008

Here at StuffWeLike, we like a lot of things when it comes to video games. But there are also some things we don’t. Here’s a list of stuff we’d like to see. And some things we hope never see the light in 2008.

Some good Wii games please

After Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Mario Galaxy there was not much else to get gamers truly excited in 2007. A new Donkey Kong game would be nice. And we mean a proper DK game like Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), not some silly spin-off crap involving a pair of Bongo’s.

It doesn’t have to be all about the motion-sensing powers of the Wiimote either. Games can still be good using just the classic controller too. Observe the superb collection of titles on the SNES. Did they need motion-sensors to make them some of the best games ever? No!

The emergence of a new gaming mascot

It’s time for some new faces in the gaming world. We love Mario but he’s getting overworked these days appearing in such titles as Mario Kart, Mario Galaxy, Mario and Sonic at the Olympics and Super Smash Bros and the many more Nintendo will have planned for the mustachioed plumber. We’re not saying to get rid of him, just don’t abuse the poor guy.

The same goes for others too. The less said of Lara Croft, the better. Besides, Heavenly Sword’s Nariko is so much sexier. But even she hasn’t been the phenomenon Lara was in her day, though she has time on her side.

We’ll forgive Ratchet and Clank because Tools of Destruction is one of the best games around, just like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was. Speaking of which, we wouldn’t mind seeing more of Nathan Drake, actually. It’s a start.

Proper motion-sensing controls

This applies to both the Wii and Playstation 3. It’s all well and good having new-fangled motion-sensing technology, but it’s how developers use it that counts. Take a look at how wonderfully these controls were implemented in Heavenly Sword and Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction for the PS3.

Rather than being forced on gamers throughout they are used only when neccessary to enhance the experience at key moments. Now take a look at the woeful Lair and you’ll see what we mean.

Equally, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has some of the most intuitive controls of any title, ever. It’s games such as Link’s first Wii outing that fully justify Nintendo’s Wiimote. But it’s a shame when other titles don’t get it quite so right, Scarface I’m looking in your direction.

Exciting new accessories

Forget all this cheap attachment baloney. What happened to all the great guns and accessories? Back in the day I used to have a R.O.B. The NES Robot. How cool was that! How about something exciting and innovative like that Ninty? The Crossbow doesn’t quite cut it.

Even the Dreamcast had some sexy red Maracas that came packed with Samba De Amigo. Rather than fishing rods and golf club attachments we want something different, please.

Delayed titles

Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto 4, Little Big Planet and even Sony’s Playstation Home concept; we could go on. We don’t mean to be picking on the PS3 as it’s had enough bad press but it’s been the main victim in all of this.

We would like to see titles out on time as promised. Publishers teasing us with trailers and screenshots only to be told we have to wait another four months to play them is not good enough.

No more ‘Red Ring of Death’

It came, it saw and it bitch-slapped a lot of us, including yours truly. Of all the injustices to hit gamers this one took the biscuit and then proceeded to spit out the soggy-crumbled remains in our shocked little faces.

Ok, so reports of this stain on gaming humanity has subsided a little, but with rumors of a new Xbox 360 with built-in HD DVD coming don’t let it happen again, Microsoft.

An end to lazy updates

Electronic Arts are probably the biggest culprits here, but its not just them guilty of dressing up titles masquerading as something totally new. With the current/next-gen console war entering its first calendar year with all the major contenders in place we’d like to see some originality. We know developers are bustling with ideas, but we want to see them.

What would you like to see in 2008? What do you NOT want to see? Is there anything we missed? Let us know.

Sony says Skype on PSP possible!

If skyping on your PSP was a fantasy you dearly cherished, you will be pleased to know that it has reached fruition. The site for Sony’s upcoming CES showing says that the Skype messaging client will be available for the PSP. This would almost turn the PSP into a pseudo-phone that actually works better than the crap N-Gage!

We don’t have details about it now, but I suppose official word should be enough here. While this is an exciting feature to have for a PSP, the ability to use Skype anywhere in the world from your handheld game system is something worth buying the PSP for!

OK, maybe not. No, we’re not paid by Sony.

[Via Engadget]

Bloody Awesome: “Shark Gun” for your Wii

Now, you might have seen plenty of gun mods for your Wii, and may even own one – but I’ll bet you you’ve never seen something like this. It’s called the “Shark Gun” and it is the perfect combination of the ferocity and deadliness of a shark with the ferocity and deadliness of a gun. You do the math.

It’s actually out for sale at DealExtreme for $10.86, which doesn’t sound like a bad deal for something to impress your friends with. Check out the back of the box, and its beautiful semi-Chinglish literature.

“With lively appearance and smooth lines, shark gun makes you feel comfortable and gives you a strong sense of shark liked invincible force.”

Woah, okay – “Shark liked”? So we want to impress and attract sharks with this thing? There’s more stuff if you read closely. Then again, maybe I should be thankful, seeing as how I have encountered far more traumatizing English on product manuals.