Tiny Fists of Fury

I was watching an episode of X-play on G4TV.  The segment involved a hands-on look at the upcoming title, Halo: Reach.  As the developer rep talked about the game’s features, the presentation was edited together with gameplay footage.  The part I found interesting was that the person playing (call him the driver or pilot) got himself killed by the enemy AI.  This happens a lot in game demos which makes me question, “Who is playing so poorly?”

In-game death during a demo can be acceptable if it showcases a game mechanic.  Case in point: Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time series.  To prevent character death, players could use a Rewind feature to undo mistakes during combat or level platforming.  In a later installment of the series, a companion character Elika serves as your life saver during every mistimed jump and combat death moment.

Outside of this example, there is no reason for the driver of a demo to get killed.  I don’t know if he is playing on a hard or brutal difficulty setting; however, this would be ill-advised in my mind.  A demo’s purpose is to show game mechanics and graphics.  Tougher game play is more appropriate for a personal game experience than a public group offering.

Game demo drivers need to be proficient at the game.  The last thing the crowd wants to see is the main character die.  It’s okay to come close to in-game death without actually achieving it.  A single death or even repeated deaths can communicate to the public that the game is too hard, which could translate to fewer purchases.

Finally had a chance to see this movie. I won’t spoil the story but it suffices to say, the plot is not original (e.g. Boy-Meets-Girl romantic comedy). The reason I wanted to see this movie was for the special effects. Scott Pilgrim VS The World does not disappoint.

In order to appreciate the special effects, it needs to be seen. There were 8-bit game references, a giant yeti, twin pixelated dragons, glowing light swords, and a vegan, Dragonball Z-like bass player. There were so many elements it was definitely fun to watch.  The director Edgar Wright manages to balance the amount of compositing through the whole film.  As an audience member, it felt natural to be seeing people have Street Fighter-esque brawls with bad guy minions or having an onomatopoeia appear to bring attention to certain sounds.  Scott Pilgrim VS The World‘s story is told more through the visual elements which translates perfectly from the graphic novel source material.

DRAWBACK

The biggest letdown in the special effects and editing were the credit sequences, both the beginning and end. The initial credit sequence features a scratch film texture with varying colors. I came really close to having a seizure and that doesn’t happen. In comparison to the film as a whole, the opening credits do not match the style (e.g. 8-bit art, halftone comic book texture). When the film closes, I was surprised that the credits were default white text scroll on black background. As vibrant and alive as the film feels, the closing should reflect in part the style the movie had. Case in point: Pixar’s Wall-E. At the end of the film, the closing credits has a bit of animation to coincide with the animated movie, an epilogue if you will. Eventually, Pixar uses a white text on black background but adds a few touches that tie into the film. It’s this extra step that ties the whole composition together.

I have watched and read a number of media commentaries from different sources discussing the worthlessness of the gamer score.  This refers to value players receive from completing a game.  Whether it be Playstation, Xbox, or PC, players are given a value based on their performance.  Take my stats for example:

• Xbox gamer score:  23,830
• PSN gamer score:  level 5 (trophies earned: 2 gold, 44 silver, 106 bronze)
• Battle.net score: 540

These numbers don’t mean anything, even in the case of bragging.  The Xbox Live and PSN gamer scores can be hedged by playing games with easy achievements.  This earns most players the label “Trophy Whore”; it’s as bad as it sounds.  Ultimately, these scores serve no beneficial purpose to the actual player.

Case in point: take the game, <i>Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune</i> from the developer Naughty Dog.  Before Sony conceived of a gamer score system, this title had one built in.  Earning achievements gives players reinforcement to continue.  However, this is not merely superficial.  Players earn “unlockable” bonuses that can be used in-game on replays.  This should to be implemented by other scoring systems to give value.

The catch of course is how to make the scores viable.  Granting bonuses based on overall score is foolish as players can and have padded their personal score through easily conquered games.  If playing the game gives access to unlockables, why are they denied in subsequent playthroughs?  Example #1: in <i>God of War 2</i>, character power-ups are granted when hidden treasures are discovered.  These power-ups range from increased weapon strength to infinite magic.  The unlockables are not allowed when gamers try a harder difficulty setting.  Understandably, this could be viewed as breaking gameplay mechanics, because the player will start the game far stronger than he should.  Example #2: in <i>Disgaea: Hour of Darkness</i>, the game offers a feature called “New Game+”.  All items and high-power characters transfer over to next game.  This reinforces multiple playthroughs.  It is obvious that the game does not breakdown when the mechanic is taken into account.

I submit that gamer scores can be made useful by incorporating a feature that repays players for time spent.  Being a “completionist” or Trophy Whore is meaningless when it doesn’t motivate players to keep playing.  By no means am I suggesting gamers be given god-mode (infinite health, high powered attack); that ability automatically breaks gameplay.  My idea builds player loyalty to the brand and the company.

I figure I should explain the label I use: Digital Production Author.

While trying to find work, I have created numerous resumés; a process that is both taxing and far more difficult than you might think. I was told in college that my resumé should stand out communicating my design skills. This was just the start of my troubles as I have revised this piece of paper. In short, I have learned that although the basic resumé layout is monotonous, companies appear to prefer this despite what “experts” might say.