Exploring Stuff That Makes Life Great
It took us a while to get the group back together, but we finally have a new episode. We gave the show a different format to what we thought would improve it. Please let us know what you think!
On this episode we discussed:
Stuff we liked over Winter break
SplitFish Games’ MotionFX Accessory review
Rogue Galaxy review
Japanese versus America Action games
Development of The Divine
Mythopoea Games (www.MythopoeaGames.com) and Packom Interactive (www.PackomInteractive.com) have formed a partnership to allow Packom exclusive publishing rights to Mythopoea Games’ Office Purks! This top-down 3D arcade game is a continuation of what Packom Interactive pledges to offer gamers: fun and entertaining games first and foremost!
Office Purks allows players to take on the challenges of the corporate world in a whole new way. As Percy Purks players will join him in his daily 9 to 5 battle against the forces of monotony. Wander the maze-like halls of your office dodging work and collecting paperclips to fulfill your life long dream of constructing the world’s largest paperclip chain. Stay out of sight from tattle tailing co-workers who’ll rat you out to the big boss. Get caught slacking off too many times and you’ll get canned! Keep an eye out for other random office supplies to boost your score. Try and survive all 20 levels before Percy leaves his job forever!
Office Purks is now available for $8.95. It can be purchased at www.MythopoeaGames.com
Demo:
http://www.mythopoeagames.com/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?cid=8&lid=6
Screenshots:
You know piracy does suck and that’s why I’ve made this site. PiracySucks.com is simple – make a blacklist of any review website that steals your review copy. The list is made by developers for developers. So if you have had any problems with a specific review website, please let me know and I will add it to the blacklist.
Video games have been a part of my life for nearly my entire life. I was four years old when I received my first video game console. Subsequently my life has probably changed in ways that I cannot imagine. As a child I never played extremely violent games, but as I matured I have played notorious titles like Mortal Kombat, Doom, and Grand Theft Auto. These games all have one thing in common: gore and violence. At times I wonder if my personality has in some way been affected by playing such games. Of course, it’s impossible to know for sure what effect long term exposure to violent games has had on me. But with the exponential growth of the video game industry, the subject of video game violence remains one of the hottest topics of the 21 st century. As the graphics in video games become more realistic, many have questioned whether the most damaging effects of exposure to video game violence are yet to come.
The first mainstream video game, Pong, was released in 1972. While this harmless game had players hitting a pixel from one end of the screen to the other, it did not take long for game designers to create experiences which lead some to question their morality. In 1979 an arcade racing title called Death Race had players drive around in a car running over gremlins. Controversy struck when the game was first released under the title Pedestrian. Even in the days of blocky black and white graphics one could easily pass judgment that the developer was teaching players to take pleasure in running over ordinary people, not monsters. The National Safety Council called the game ‘sick’ and ‘morbid’. Violent and sexually themed video games continued to be released throughout the 1980s, but nothing came close to the commotion that a fighting game caused in 1992. In Mortal Kombat, players competed in a tournament to the death. This game featured realistic looking characters that each had a specific fatal move, such as ripping out the spinal cords of opponents, or causing opponents to fall to their deaths on a bed of spikes. Despite an uproar that included Congressional hearings, the violent games did not stop here. Wolfenstein 3D was the world’s first first-person shooter and its success paved the way for one of the most popular games of all time: Doom, where players get to play as a space marine who must shoot at any Hellish creature that crosses his path.
To address mounting concerns from Congress and parents, in 1994 the video game industry formed the Entertainment Software Regulation Board. The ESRB is a self-regulatory organization that rates games based on an age rating system. This system is meant to help consumers chose what games are right for them. Despite this, in many states a retailer can still sell M (Mature, 17+) games to minors. However, most retailers do not carry the highest rating, AO (Adults Only). If the ESRB had not been formed, Congress would have taken it upon themselves to regulate games, possibly forever changing this unique industry.
When Columbine High School students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a deadly shooting rampage in 1999, parents and school officials searched hard for reasons to explain the tragedy. One of the most popular theories involved the influence of first-person shooters on the teens. On behalf of the teacher killed in the attack, one group claimed that, “ absent the combination of extremely violent video games and these boys incredibly deep involvement…these murders and this massacre would not have occurred.” Both Eric and Dylan were enthusiastic fans of first-person shooter games like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. FPS’s engross the player in a world of fantasy violence, where many gamers feels like they become the avatar. Ironically in 2005, a filmmaker named Danny Ledonne created a video game based on this tragedy titled Super Columbine Massacre RPG and set off a whole new wave of controversy.
Even though the video game industry has tried to solve its content issues on its own, the problem still persists. Most recently in 2005, the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has brought even more criticism of the practices of the ESRB. In what became known as the Hot Coffee mod, players unlocked hidden sex mini-games contained within the commercial title. This ignited the anti-video game activist movement. Lawyers like Jack Thompson slammed both the ESRB and GTA publisher Rockstar Games for allowing a game like this to get out into the public’s hands. “ How lovely that GTA weds sex and violence in the same game. We are training a generation of teens to combine sex with violence, just what America needs. â€As many parents became angered at the video game industry, politicians have jumped into the fray. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman have suggested government regulation of video games. The 10th Annual MediaWise Video and Computer Game Report Card, issued by the National Institute on Media and the Family, gave the video game industry a “D+” and said the ESRB was “beyond repair.” On the other side of the argument, pro-video game activists declare that any government regulation would be censorship and a violation of the First Amendment. Just this week, the Electronic Software Association sued the state of Minnesota to try to overturn recently passed legislation regulating the sale of video games to minors.
Many research studies have been conducted to determine whether or not violent video games effect one’s behavior. According to Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman “Violent media increases aggression by teaching observers how to aggress, by priming aggressive conditions, by increasing arousal, or by creating an aggressive affect state.†On the opposite side of the spectrum, according to Jeffrey Goldstein “Video games cannot ‘reinforce’ aggressive behavior since players do not engage in any aggressive behavior in the first place.†The bottom line is that the research is inconclusive; video games may or may not cause violent behavior. What is clear is that violence affects everyone differently.
What happens in the next few years will determine the future of the video game industry. With the business reaching higher revenues than the film industry, a total of $9.9 billion in 2004, video games have a major impact on the economy. Any new rules and regulations could have a chilling effect for the industry at large. In the meantime, new technological advances result in violent and graphic images that are becoming nearly lifelike. As the next-generation of consoles loom on the horizon, the line between freedom of speech and expression and the need to protect children and society from over exposure to violence will continue to be tested.
Bibliography
1. Death Race. 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Race
2. Video Game Censorship. 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_censorship
3. Real-life death makes sick choice for video game . Leonard Pitts JR. 2006. http://www.freep.com/
4. Video Game Rating Act of 1994 . The Library of Congress. 1994.
5. GameSpeak: Jack Thompson. 2005. http://www.cbsnews.com/
6. Clinton Introducing Federal Game Regulation. Tor Thorsen. 2006. http://videogames.aol.com/
7. ESA sues Minnesota over new bill. Jesse Hiestand. 2006.http://msnbc.msn.com
8. Effects of Violent Video Games On Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior. Craig A. Anderson and Brad J. Bushman. http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/
9. Does Playing Violent Video Games Cause Aggressive Behavior? Jeffrey Goldstein. 2001. http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/
10. NPD GROUP REPORTS ANNUAL 2004 U.S. VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY RETAIL SALES. 2005. http://www.npdfunworld.com/
11. ESRB. 2006. http://www.esrb.org
12. Columbine High School Massacre. 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High
We travel to Gnomon and to the Viva Pinata Party to bring you yet another special podcast.
After 30 years of existence the dividing lines between video game players is stark. Recently game companies are trying to merge these two gamer forces to increase their revenues, but making games that appeal to hardcore and casual gamers is a difficult task. If game developers can appeal to both audiences, a developer could sell millions of units.
The game industry was not always like this though. In the 1970s when they achieved mass popularity, video games were accessible to all types of people. Many games started off with simple controls, mainly only one joystick. Gradually, as time progressed the control schemes grew more complex. The early 1990s saw the rise of the fighter genre. With this the control pad included not only a joystick, but also six different buttons as find in games like Street Fighter II. This configuration allowed for multiple and complex combinations, which made the avatars do special movements. While the gameplay may have improved for some, the fighting games soon became unplayable to others. Fighting games sold very well in arcades, but the developer’s potential audience shrunk due to their game’s complexity. As time continued video games grew even more complex. All of this chiseled away at what used to be an entertainment medium that everyone could play. The sides started to form between those who used to be able to play video games and those who could play video games. In September 1996 the Nintendo 64 was released. It was the first Nintendo console to see Mario in three-dimensions. In previous incarnations, Mario was a two-dimensions side-scroller. Its simple controls and family approved content allowed the game to be played by all gamers. The problem with the Nintendo 64 version of Mario, Super Mario 64, was that millions of Mario fans were not used to the 3D environments. For some players it was not a simple thing that they could fix over time. For some they did not have the hand and eye coordination to play the game and for others they simply got motion sickness. Games are meant to be an entertainment and if they cannot serve this purpose gamers will not play them. Every console generation since the Nintendo 64 has built itself on better 3D graphics rather than focusing on easier and simpler control setups that could be used by the mass consumer market. While the console market is not a niche market, in comparison to other entertainment industries video games lack the massive audience that those mediums reach. Everyone can watch a movie or listen to music, but not everyone can play a video game on a console.
At the same time, with the advent of online PC distribution, the complete opposite effect occurred, PC games started to open up to mass-market penetration and the group known as casual gamers formed. Casual gamers are players of video games whom may have not owned a video game console or could not play complex video games. They can be people either at work or at home who play games such as solitaire on the computer. According to a survey done by RealNetworks, a leader in the casual games market, “More than 70 percent of people buying casual games from the company [RealNetworks] are women age 40 and older.†With the internet these gamers went on to play free games on the internet such as flash games and puzzle games. As broadband became introduced in the home, casual gamers moved on to actually buying games that they could download online. Casual games consist of game mechanics that made video games popular in the first place. They are games that anyone can pick up and play. In order to be successful the game has to have simplistic design with original and addictive gameplay.
On the other hand, hardcore games are the complete opposite. They usually have complex control schemes, often rehashing the current gameplay methods, and are often judged based upon their graphics rather than gameplay. It is not to say that hardcore gamers do not like originality, but there are only a handful of titles that innovate every year. It is highly unlikely that those few titles can support this $10 billion industry. Hardcore gamers like to play games that they feel familiar with. These are usually games that are filled with some form of violence or another form of extreme action. Hardcore gamers do not like sitting through non-violent puzzle games. Developers have been forced to make games specifically targeted at either the hardcore or the casual game crowd.
The resulting effect of hardcore games on the video game industry has been tremendous. While the industry makes billions of dollars, the costs of making commercial games for the hardcore audience is getting higher and higher. The budget for next-generation games (Playstation 3 and Xbox 360) is going into the $10-20 million range. Considering that the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for these games is $60, developers have to sell hundreds of thousands of units to make a profit. The quality of a game is very important, but the higher the quality the higher the cost. The game industry is becoming highly competitive. Once highly regarded developers such as Acclaim are going out of business or being bought by larger development studios. When one game selling poorly could lead to the death of a company, there is a problem with the industry.
That is the reason why many developers are choosing to create casual games. Casual games can be developed in a couple of months with a budget that is usually less than $1 million. It is in a developer’s best interest to create a handful of titles at the equivalent cost to one hardcore commercial game title. This way the developer is more likely to have a game that sells well and can continue to fund future projects. According to the International Game Development Association, the casual game market is expected to be worth over $2 billion in the year 2008. Obviously there is a lot of room for developers to continually expand in this market, but the issue is that developers should not have to relay on casual games’ low cost and high yields to fund the development of multi-million dollar hardcore games.
Nintendo realized the issue with the video game industry and is trying to lead the way to what they believe is the solution. They are trying to mend the fractured wounds that the hardcore and casual markets created. After all a game is just a game. In an interview with the BBC News the President of Nintendo Satoru Iwata said, “Nintendo wants to bring gamers and games back to the start line of 20 years ago.†Nintendo believes that games should be a form of entertainment enjoyed by everyone, as video games were when they were first developed. With Nintendo’s next-generation console Wii, Nintendo is forcing developers to cut their budgets by not having a console with the horsepower that the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 have. With the Wii Nintendo decided to change the way the player interacts with the game. Rather than sticking the current controller scheme of two analog sticks, four face buttons, and 4 should buttons, the Wii uses a brand new controller. Its nickname is the Wii-mote because it looks like a Television remote. Nintendo is cashing in on its easy to play console. It has created a console where both hardcore and casual gamers can play the games that they want too. Most importantly though, developers can target both hardcore and casual gamers with their games as in theory any game will be easier to play. If the Wii is successful in making games accessible to everyone in the home, it will revolutionize the way that the video game industry works.
While the line between hardcore and casual gamers has been around for years, it has only been recently that the industry has tried to do anything about it. It is going to be impossible for the industry to continue to grow at the rate that it has within the last couple of years if this division among gamers is not mended. All types of gamers must realize that both hardcore and casual games are fun in their own respected ways and it is up to the video game industry to make sure that all games are easy to play so that this line does not continue to divide the community.
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Work Cited
Three Rivers Press, 2001.
“The NPD Group Reports Annual 2004 U.S. Video Game Industry Retail Sales.†18 Jan.
2005. 20 Nov. 2006.
content_id=2076>.
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“Research Reveals Casual Games Provide Mental Balance, Stress Relief and Relaxation.â€
14 Aug. 2006. 29 Nov. 2006.
casgames_research.html>.
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Waters, Darren. “Nintendo ‘fears for games industry’.†24 May 2004. 28 Nov. 2006.
