Posts filed under 'Video Games'
World of Warcraft will definitely have built-in voice chat soon. Many other MMORPGs already have built-in voice chat. For games that don’t have it yet or won’t have it, most serious players use other voice chat programs. (This is not news.)
I don’t exactly fit a traditional gaming category. (And really, who does?) But I do like the storytelling, immersion, and roleplaying aspects of MMORPGs, for all that they’re virtually non-existent.
No voice chat tool I’ve seen really supports these things, but there’s no point in bemoaning the fact. Voice chat is too darn useful to gamers to leave out. All multiplayer online games will and should have it.
So my question is, how can people who are interested in immersive roleplaying continue to enjoy it while voice chat is inherent to the online games they enjoy? They could:
- Turn it off or ignore it
Which, of course, means deliberately crippling their game experience.
- Restrict RP to chat channels
Which means continuing to RP as they have in the past.
- Try to RP via voice
Which will interfere with people who wish to roleplay characters of of the other sex, will expose bad actors, and will upset the illusion of the gameworld. Of course, tabletop gamers are able to suspend their disbelief for these sorts of things, but one of the reasons RPers use WoW and other MMORPGs (which aren’t really a good vehicle for roleplaying) is because they can simulate some aspects of their character more easily than they could at the gaming table.
In the end, voice chat is another intrusion of reality into the illusion of the game world. Since UO, MMORPGs have become less and less simulations and more and more games. And I’m not really complaining about this. More people want games than want simulations that make you wait eight in-game hours to go shopping.
So perhaps the future of online gaming isn’t in the big MMORPGs with persistent worlds, but in bringing tabletop games online. I know of several products trying to do this (like Gametable), but I haven’t tried them yet.
And if some sequel to Neverwinter Nights makes campaign construction and game-mastering easier, that may be a solution too. I ran a campaign for about ten sessions. The story was good, and the roleplaying was good (and all text based). But preparing for sessions and actually running the game was almost impossible. But if something like that were easier and faster, I would eagerly give it a try.
Has anyone had experiences with non-MMORPG online roleplaying? What was your experience like?
July 18th, 2007
Last year, Google hosted a cross-promotional alternate reality game (ARG) for the Da Vinci Code movie
. I played the game and quite enjoyed the various puzzles. I didn’t qualify as a finalist, though, at least in part because of an irritating scheduling conflict. In fact, the nature of the game and its popularity meant that only those dedicated fans with very flexible schedules really had a chance.
This year’s game is the Ultimate Search for Bourne, a tie-in with The Bourne Ultimatum. I liked the first two movies well enough. (Actually, come to think of it, I slept through part of the second, and I’m not sure I’ve ever got the plot straightened out.)
The game looks fun, too. As far as I can tell, you can’t really do anything today except look at the site and take a stab at understanding the gameplay. When the first real briefings becomes available, you should be able to use clues in it to find a place on a map where you can catch a glimpse of Jason Bourne through a surveillance camera. And I guess, if you choose the right camera (or cameras), you “win” for that day.
The prizes aren’t very important to me, though I can’t deny that I’d say no to an iPhone if someone decided to give me one just for playing a game.
What does matter to me is that there’s a chance this game will capture a little something of the spy genre, in an armchair sort of way. (Not real spying, of course.)
I can’t think of any truly great spy video games (Am I wrong? If so, please tell me. I’d love to try them out), but perhaps, if this game is a success, some daring and innovative game house could build on it to develop a sort of internet-based, global, massively-multiplayer version of “Assassin.” A top-notch game development crew could make this very, very fun.
EA ran Majestic. Supposedly, you would sign up and get phone calls, e-mails, and even faxes! And these would lead you to clues in a conspiracy game. It didn’t last, maybe because the price didn’t seem justified by the execution.
The Lost Experience did something similar. Unfortunately, it did it at a time when Lost basically sucked, so I didn’t pay much attention. Plus, the “game” wasn’t very fun and did require you to buy too much stuff, or much off other geeks on the internet who were willing to spend their money. So I didn’t participate.
Technology is better now, and we understand it better, too. Even if a game like the one I’m imagining would be heavily driven by advertising, it’d be fun. And if it weren’t—for example, if you had to buy a box in the game store just as you do with World of Warcraft and to pay a modest monthly fee—it just might become a success that would drawn the attention of people who don’t call themselves gamers.
What would make such a game work? A truly great ARG needs to use not just e-mail and phones, but the tools developed for multi-player FPS games and MMORPGs. A quick brainstorm turns up:
- A console website (or separately executed program, though that may eliminate some markeshare) as the single source of access
- Daily challenges (like the Google game) to find something online, succeed at a particular action goal, or achieve some other end; if there are real prizes, they could be tied to this
- Constantly available content, consisting mostly of the same sorts of things that make up the daily challenges, but tied to in-game rewards only (character advancement, revelation of plot, the chance to actually affect the ongoing plot, etc.)
- Action-based mini-games (building on FPS games, presumably)
- Puzzle-based mini-games with a spy feel to them (decoding messages, for example, or hacking a computer)
- The daily challenges add up to an ongoing narrative
- Rewards in the form of mini-episodes (three minutes?) of an ongoing spy drama tied to the game
- A strong community tool, to allow users to share stories
- Challenges unique to each player, so they can’t be “spoiled”
- The ability to group into a “cell” for team missions, where each participant must complete a certain challenge live, and all will be rewarded together
- Possibly ways to develop your character down different paths, so that, for instance, one cell member might disarm traps in the action mini-games while the other does the sharpshooting, while in appropriate puzzle games characters could have “clues” that make resolution of difficult, timed bits easier
- PVP in the form of competition with other players or cells on mutually exclusive goals, such that one cell might be trying to protect an ambassador’s life while the other is trying to assassinate her
- Possibly the ability to control a team of NPCs, at least in certain mini-games (like map-based games, where agent placement determines success)
- Possibly real prizes from sponsors (if the game is 1/10 as successful as something like WoW, daily giveaways of geeky, spy-like prizes from companies interested in the free advertising, branded with the game so that winners can boast about their success, might not actually ruin the game)
- An opportunity to delve into roleplaying while playing, with story-choices, text and voice chat, avatars, and so on
Okay, it’s all just a bunch of crazy ideas, at this point, poorly drafted and dumped on the page. But I think there’s real potential for a tremendously fun, successful game. Not long ago, I bemoaned the fact that all new games really seem to be new coats of paint on old games. A well-designed internet spy ARG—with daily challenges, demands that reach outside the game (like finding translations, locations, and so on)—could fit the bill.
In fact, I think after I hit “Publish,” I’ll draft an e-mail to an old friend of mine who’s a writer for several video game companies (some of which have spy themes), to see if what he thinks about the viability of this idea.
July 16th, 2007
I haven’t beta-tested an MMORPG in some time, but I just received word that I’m the Tabula Rasa beta. I know it’s been around for a while, and I know it’s probably not a WoW killer. (I don’t know if there’s a WoW killer on the horizon yet.)
But I’m excited anyway. My first-ever beta test for anything was Ultima Online, and I still think some of the best aspects of UO haven’t ever been reproduced. So Richard Garriott’s attachment to this is somewhat intriguing.
I especially appreciate the emphasis on storytelling. I’m not saying I’m optimistic that the vision will live up to my dreams—or even be realized as it is, for that matter. But I’m willing and even eager to see what results.
As far as I can tell, the NDA permits me to do nothing more than admit I’m in the beta. I can’t post screenshots or even describe gameplay and character creation. There are other sites out there that do with impunity, though, so I’ll take another look.
The game is downloading now, and I’ll spin it up as soon as my daughter goes to bed. And I’ll post whatever the NDA allows about my impressions as soon as I have them, even if it’s as simple as “whoopie” or “oh no!”
July 13th, 2007
At least, that’s the headline of a Times Online piece, quoting Electronic Arts’ chief executive.
Obviously, I don’t agree. Dozens of genuinely fun video games exist. But the article touches on something that’s been bothering me since I first subscribed to PC Gamer about five years ago (a subscription I have since dropped).
That is, that almost all video games are created to fit within industry categories—FPS, RPG, RTS, and so on. Some spectacular innovation takes place within these categories. For instance, Thief: The Dark Project and its sequels used the FPS genre to present a game with a very different feel.
And there are hybrids. I’ve seen a lot of games touted as “Action RPG” or “FPS-RTS hybrid.”
But we don’t see new categories. I remember the delight with which I played Ultima Underworld, which basically kicked off the FPS genre. And back in the 80s, people would put out just about anything as a commercial game, hoping it would stick. Such innovations are very few and far between, now.
Understandable, of course. Top-of-the-line games are much, much more complicated and expensive to produce than they were in the 80s. Companies want to make bestsellers, and it’s much safer to invest those millions of dollars in a tried-and-true game with a slightly different skin and some tweaks or refinements to gameplay than it is to come up with something truly fresh.
I think, therefore, that the truly great, new, genre-changing games will tend to emerge from independent innovators. Some absolutely terrific (though simplistic) Flash games, for instance, show up that experiment with just what makes a fun game. More will come.
These innovative games may not be the best, but when someone hits on a great formula, the big companies will probably co-opt it and make an A-list game out of it.
July 9th, 2007
While visiting a friend’s vacation home this weekend, I took the opportunity to play Resident Evil 4 on his PS2. I’ve never played any Resident Evil games (nor, for that matter, have I ever touched a PS2).
The game was definitely fun. Basically a first-person shooter, although it had that over-the-shoulder view. I found the control a little frustrating, as I’m used to being able to swing my view in any direction instantly with a mouse or second joystick. In RE4, this was a slow process and somewhat limited.
That said, I actually think this added to the feel of the game. A survival horror game should make me feel like I just can’t possible keep up with the swarms of zombies coming from every direction. A little more practice with the controls and I’d have been able to just have fun.
In my twenty minutes of play, I made it into the first village, ran around screaming for more bullets, and finally died to the brutal caress of a chainsaw in the hands of a maniac with a burlap sack over his head.
Not having enough bullets was deliciously terrifying, and I actually managed to survive for a while just with my knife. I even managed to deliver a skull-crushing kick to one persistent villager I’d stabbed a few times.
I see there’s a PC version of the game. I’ll have to get my hands on it and see if I can get it to run on my iMac using Parallels.
July 7th, 2007
The fact that I just hit 70 for the first time in World of Warcraft should make it pretty obvious that I’m a casual player. I didn’t start playing at launch, but it still took me almost a year to get a character to 70.
The momentous occasion took place in Netherstorm, as I turned in a quest (I forget which one) in Kirin’Var.
The handy (if you’re into that sort of thing) LevelSnap mod ensured that I snagged a screen capture of the moment. (Speaking of mods, the image on the right is a detail. If you click through to the full screen, you’ll see that I’m using Mazzle’s phenomenal UI compilation—with a few tweaks, of course.)
The event was something of an anticlimax. Only two others from my guild were online, and I’m not particularly close to the guild. (Perhaps someday I’ll chatter about online friendships in WoW in contrast to other games.) So I didn’t boast about it in guild chat. None of my real-life friends were online.
I did coax a smile from my wife, sitting nearby.
But, though no one sang out high praise for my hardly unique accomplishment, I did think it worthwhile to job all the way to Wildhammer Stronghold to pick up my lovely snowy gryphon.
Flying is decidedly fun. I figured I’d take the opportunity to fly over the Horde town of Stonebreaker Hold to get it “on my map.” I naively assumed that the guards didn’t police their own air space. Boy, was I mistaken!
Just as the area was revealed on my map, I got a debuff that I think was called “Spotted.” (Can anyone confirm this?) I flew as fast as I could (which isn’t even as fast as an epic ground mount), but I didn’t get far before I got hit. The hit didn’t do a lot of damage, but the fall. . . .
Let’s just say I didn’t hit my Levitate key in time.
Now I just have to figure out what to do next. I’m inclined to dig into PVP battlegrounds and the arena. But I also want to help my wife get her paladin to 70 and play around with a few of my favorite alts. Any brilliant suggestions?
July 5th, 2007
Tony Long at the venerable Wired tackled the issue of video game addiction today. The topic ain’t dead.
But the article strikes me as a little naïve. Saying that “the answer lies in education, enlightenment and—in the case of video games, at least—a little physical and mental exertion” is all well and good, but will a visit to the batting cage and a trip to Carneigie Hall really do the trick?
It’s sort of like yelling “eat less” at people with overeating disorders. Sure, that’s where they need to go, but they can’t just do it in one step.
Tony’s right, though, that video games are problems for different people to the degree that they’re problems for different people. Some people’s lives are being ruined or damaged with (not by) video games.
If you know you have a problem, seek help. If you know someone who has a problem, intervene. I am trilled that people are talking about video game addiction as a real (if unclassified) problem, rather than using “addictive” as a marketing slogan.
But I shudder when I hear people talking about further regulation. The rating system is enough. Let’s not forget what Prohibition got us!
July 5th, 2007
I learned via Gaming Today that the Federation of American Scientists (founded by Manhattan Project scientists committed to ethical pursuits) actually believes kids should play more video games!
They write that video games “can teach higher-order thinking skills such as strategic thinking, interpretive analysis, problem solving, plan formulation, and execution, and adaptation to rapid change. With many technology companies farming out lower-level work to countries where employees come more cheaply, these are the sort of skills American students will need to possess once they hit the workforce.”
Note that FAS are developing three “serious games,” including one called Immune Attack. I think the game looks a bit too serious and educational and not quite enough fun and educational.
I’m not sure kids actually need more video game time. But I do think gaming is less of a worry than parents think, has the potential to be very useful, and at the very leasts is something people can relax about at least a little bit.
July 4th, 2007
The good folks at the University of Michigan (publishing in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine) have revealed the amazing fact that playing video games can cut down on homework time. You can find more readable summaries on almost every news web site out there (here’s one at random), although they tend to put spin and interpretation on the story.
The fact that video games interfere with homework is not news. Everyone knows there are lots of people who play too much and don’t get real-life things done.
While I think kids who read 30% less than they would otherwise are missing out, I’m not too worried about kids taking time away from homework to do some modest gameplay. Evidence abounds that kids today have too much homework (as well as too many structured activities thrust upon them by parents who want to overachieve through them and make up for being uninvolved). In fact, not too long ago NPR hosted a four-part series on the topic!
In the end, the study is horribly flawed. Using surveys from about 1,500 kids (not a bad number), it examines time spent on one weekday and one weekend day, which is simply not enough information to go on. Some folks cram all their homework into a quarter of the time and still get good grades. And we all know that getting good grades on homework correlates only poorly to actual intelligence, learning, and life preparedness—key things that the study didn’t examine at all.
It wouldn’t be even a little bit surprising to find that, on average, gamers actually perform better in school, on intelligence tests, and in life.
I’m certainly not advocating for an “unschooling” approach, allowing kids to play video games for eighteen hours a day if they’re so inclined. Good parent—and kids themselves, for that matter—know when video game playing is interfering with other parts of life. By all means, take steps to make sure that doesn’t happen! Set limits if necessary.
But don’t discount even entertainment-oriented video games as stellar learning tools, either. Passion for anything challenging is a passion for learning.
July 3rd, 2007
Back when I played in the beta and early release of Ultima Online almost a decade ago, I almost couldn’t believe my luck. This would really be the game I’d longed for. I could meet people online in a fantasy world, and together we’d have emergent, collaborative stories unfold of derring-do, chivalry, and virtue.
And vice, of course! Mustn’t forget the vice. I eagerly looked forward to the duels that would take place when one character took in-character offense at another’s words. I contemplated a Robin Hood–style character who would help himself to the contents of rich player’s purses and earn fame handing out my ill-gotten gains to newer players.
I relished the thought of being a homesteaded in an isometric world, carving out a place for myself in Britannia through the work of my own two virtual hands.
I had a horrible time. My big mistake? Assuming that other players wanted pretty much what I did from such a game—or at least something compatible.
I tried to have fun. I didn’t worry about whether other players roleplayed the way I thought they should. Instead, I wrote a guide on how to speak “Britannian.” (Oddly enough, it’s still floating around out there. I wrote it as “Josephus the Scholar.” It even got mentioned in a book! I had no idea. Too funny.)
And when my young and idealistic animal tamer got killed seven or eight times in a row, I shrugged and started to gather feathers so I could make some more arrows. Mind you, I’m not complaining about UO being too “difficult,” even though a post at Tobold’s blog on that topic inspired this little ramble. (Oh, and I see it’s actually to the new Hardcore Casual’s first post. Good post, Syncaine!) In fact, I argued passionately for three freedom to stab my fellow players in their backs and rifle through their goodies.
I just didn’t count on people who played the game simply to dominate other players.
The PKers did ruin the game for me. The in-game law enforcement meant I could create my wicked characters, and the PKers themselves meant I couldn’t really function as a good guy. My hard-won equipment would be stripped from my corpse, and I couldn’t even get to the interesting places I wanted to explore.
And, of course, the “gamist” players cared mostly about advancing their characters, a more-subtle incompatibility to my own preferred style of play. (I wanted to level, but I wanted to do it while roleplaying.)
The PKers were a malicious minority who really did ruin the game for a vast number of others. But I was in a small minority, too, dreaming of a game that just couldn’t exist.
I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if a visit to Britannia today would show me a game much closer to what I hoped for back in the day. Can anyone still playing tell me?
Great gaming minds tried to make UO work, and basically they failed. (The game hasn’t failed. It’s still going! But for a while at least, it was nothing like what the creators—and I for that matter—envisioned)
Could a massively multiplayer fantasy simulation be made to work, one where talk of PVE and PVP were irrelevant, because the world functioned and you functioned in it? I now know the audience would be small. Most people don’t want a game where vendors go to bed at night or where the goodies on their corpses can be taken. And in fact I can fully understand why. But if someone set out to do it and make it genuinely enjoyable, could it be done?
June 29th, 2007
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