MAKE MINE MARVEL...PART TWO :)

EDIT:

Two things have me very pissed off:

#1- G4...come on guys. What is with this ultra sensationalist headline? I HATE Spiderman games?!? Would you PLEASE show me where in my 2 posts about COMIC BOOK GAMES (not Spiderman games, by the way but hey, good try) that I say I HATE- or even come close to saying I HATE Spiderman games...or hate ANYTHING?!?! What the fuck Patrick Roche-Sowa (author of the article)? Did you go to school for journalism or for tabloid reporting?

Always loved G4, love doing stuff with them. Appreciate the interest and the body of this web article was great. Accurate, fair, all that good stuff. But the headline just sets people off...and that's ok, that is your job. But the problem I have with it is that it's a fucking lie and it's a lie attributed to me....

#2- Always flattering when gaming press feels I've posted something worth putting on their sites via links and stories. I am really grateful for the interest. So thank you, gaming sites. But damn, some of ya'lls readers are just fucking stupid. Have you read your comments section? You guys need to post a reading comprehension test that must be passed before anyone gets into your site. Suddenly I want to take THE POWERS of out superhero games? I want the games to be ALL story and no gameplay? I want to remove all swinging from Spiderman games?!?! Where are the readers getting this shit?!?! Probably from the sensationalistic headlines and not from the actual body itself....it's like: fucking READ THE SHIT before you make an ass of yourself and comment, people. What the hell...

Ok, chat later ya'll!

END EDIT
+++++++++++++++



Follow up on the Spidey/Marvel/Superhero game deal...I had a fun discussion last nite about the very issue on neogaf (if you don't go there daily, you are missing out on the best game talk around).

Thought I'd repost some of my comments from there on here given that alot of these neogaf reposts contain stuff I wish I had written in the original post but just kinda didn't...sort of clarifies my stance on the issue, especially for those people who assumed I was simply calling for more cut scenes ( to help with story) in super hero games....

Out in Utah next two days so I may not get a chance to post. If not, chat with you guys Thursday!


David

ps. To those who have asked, yes I played Ultimate Spiderman and enjoyed aspects of it very much and feel it was one of the best Spidey games ever. Some great moments. That said, it still suffered- to me- from the rinse/repeat syndrome.

NEOGAF POSTS:

++++++
POST #1-If you read my post on my blog, you'll see I'm not saying that a super hero game needs a great story told via cut scenes to be good. It's not that I don't want to DO the cool superhero things...I totally do. And it's not like I feel that a dud of a superhero game would be great if the story were great. What I am saying is that I want to take a journey into the Marvel Universe in the same way I step into Solid Snake's universe or Link's universe or the Call of Duty universe. I want to be immersed in an experience, not play a tech demo...which is- to me- what alot of the superhero games end up being.

It's like they do some cool powers, do the window dressing of setting the game in the licensed world, and then have the player tackle 3-4 generic goals and then rinse/repeat. To me, not only is this dull- once the fun of using the powers wears off- but it (and this is the gist of my post on my blog) goes against what makes comics great in the first place.

I agree- for example- the combat video on 1up looked great! In the same way that the Indy Jones combat video Lucasarts showed last year looked cool. But if history serves, I would not be surprised if combat was the crux of both of those games and it's combat combat combat all day long and to me, not only does this get boring, but it doesn't speak to the promise of playing a game set in a comic universe, or Indy's universe.

I hope that makes a bit more sense?

David

ps. and by the way, I appreciate some of you may not have liked/loved Calling All Cars. But I don't think that limits my right to have an opinion about the industry or game design in general. I mean, when I think back to your last game I think abo-....oh wait, that's right. So Shut the fuck up. :)

+++++++

POST #2: The license holder is ultimately responsible for the quality of the product they allow to come out into the marketplace. They choose who they work with, they have language- I assume (as most license holders do)- in the contract that says they have to approve milestones and approve the game in general before it comes out,etc.

And as I said in my post, Marvel is making money and so are many of the publishers and devs who work with them. They seem to be doing good business and I don't fault them for that.

But I address them directly because they are- end of the day- the ones responsible for what happens to their licenses. And they should be the ones who care the most. Not saying they are not but if Activision can ship a Marvel game based on a hit Marvel movie using a pre-existing engine/design and a developer can do the same, it is usually in the pub/dev best interest to do so. While everyone benefits from a game that takes chances and succeeds, in this scenario, Marvel would benefit the most because it would increase the value of their brand within the game space.

++++


POST #3: Part of the problem is everyone assumes that story=cut scenes.

Good story in games IS mission design and IS character mechanics. For me, good story in game design for a spidey game would be stuff like:

-Spidey swinging above the city when his powers begin to give out and he has to- on the fly- adjust to slowly losing his powers (one by one, but in the order you- as a player choose- so there is some strategy to which powers you keep the longest before you are drained of them all)- ...so it begins with him battling the Green Goblin as Spidey- with all his Spidey powers- and by the end of the battle, you've lost all your super powers and all you've got is Peter Parker's very limited abilities (which=nothing but his intellect)...but you've still got to figure out how to stop the bad guy (cause, as Peter, you've still got this massive sense of responsibility)....granted, if not tuned right, this could be annoying to play, but for the sake of this discussion, assume it's tuned right. To me, this is a great example of a story scenario that you would see in the comics tied into the gameplay.

-Spidey being forced to deal- thru gameplay- with his ever present 'with great power comes great responsibility' dilemma...again, have not thought this thru play wise but perhaps over time there is some sort of guilt that builds up if Spidey takes the easy way out too often (allows pedestrians get hurt when battling bad guys, doesn't go after some bad guys that are able to be captured but do not need to be caught in order to win the mission,etc). Once the guilt meter is filled up, it begins to affect play or story/mission. Sort of like the fear meter in Eternal Darkness but less surreal and more tied into the actual mission design. A great way for the classic aspect of Spidey's character to come thru via play.

Again- it's very late (can't sleep) and I am not putting these out here to be judged as great play mechanics (I know they need work) but more as an example that- when I say story- I don't mean cut scenes and spoken dialogue but story that affects the core play itself. In essence, mission design and play mechanics taking into account the character and story elements seen- and loved- from the comics.

Good nite ya'll.

David

++++


POST #4: You are not wrong...BUT this is the same sort of thinking that kept Marvel from making hit movies for years. But eventually they realized: oh wait, if we put passionate directors and writers and actors into our movies, we get MASSIVE hits...from the big guns like Spidey, to more obscure- to general audiences- characters like IRON MAN.

Same thinking- if applied to the games- would yield- I feel- similar results. One need only look at the staggering success of GOLDENEYE to see what happens when a great license is given the time and passion to be turned into a product that can stand alone WITHOUT the license. When that happens- in any medium- you tend to get gold. That scenario- sadly- is all too rare in the game biz.

Which is my main point: I LOVE Marvel comics and want to see them start making games worthy of their amazing history of great products and characters. I want to see them apply their smart logic to making films to their games division.

+++++++

Why Don't I Cut Off All My Fingers And Put Them In A Salad?!?

Rest in Peace, you old cocksucker. We'll miss you tons.


EDIT/ADDITION: And for those folks who don't get the genius of the man, and/or don't get why I happen to think Carlin was one of the funniest and smartest comedians (let alone observers of humanity) around, here's a little taste...this is Mr. Carlin talking about the uproar over Jane Fonda using the word "cunt" on television:

+++++++++++
That incident is the shining example of what I was talking about earlier, about the inconsistency. Here's two people talking about something called "The Vagina Monologues." So, there's an implicit agreement that it's okay to talk about, it's okay to use the word "vagina" and refer to the female organ. So that's given, and that's okay, and everybody agrees that yes, we will allow that, we can talk about the female organ - unless we use a different word for it! If we use the word "cunt" we can't do that! "But it's the same piece of the body" "Yeah, yeah I know, but we don't like the sound of that word 'cunt' - some women don't like that." So there we are down the whirlpool into the drain. It's just so much hypocrisy, and insecurity - people don't trust themselves and others to be able to handle things in a mature way and to be able to look at real life as it is. That word 'cunt' didn't come from the devil it came from people - it's part of the human language - so's 'fuck' and 'cocksucker' and 'motherfucker' and 'shit' - and the fact that they bother some people on a superstitious level is really kind of too bad. It's kind of unfortunate. You know, I understand the reason for taboos, and all that stuff. But I think, it would be really nice if this species would grow up one of these fucking days.
+++++++++++++

Fucking genius!

Later ya'll!

CODE MONKEYS...THE RETURN!!!

Hey- catch me and Scott on a brand new episode of CODE MONKEYS. It airs tomorrow night on G4TV!

I think it's at 10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific...but check your listing cause I'm not 100% sure. But it airs all week if you miss the premiere...and hell if someone puts it up on youtube, I'll link to it here. Not sure if that's allowed or not but everything else ends up on youtube after 10 seconds...either way, check the damn show out!!! :)

Oh and check out our toons!




Ain't that cool??!? I keep wanting to get these framed with pics of me and Scott behind the mic. I should do that soon...

So, I was at the Code Money offices last month and they showed me some of the scenes from this new episode and it's really gory and violent and very, very cool! Not my place to spoil anything, but here's the link to the episode info if you wanna get a better idea of what the episode is about:

CODE MONKEY EPISODE INFO

Ok, gotta run. Making cornbread with my kids tonite...my wife (er, Ex- wife...man that's still odd) has been making it for us for years but she makes it the healthy way...it's good but it's not REAL cornbread, you know? ... but she's out of town tonite so I'm gonna show the kids how we make REAL cornbread down in the south, dammit!....err, that is as soon as I call my mom and she gives me recipe cause- truth be told- I don't have a clue...I just remember liking it a whole lot :)

Layer ya'll!

Dear: The People Who Make Marvel Comics Video Games

Please stop putting Spiderman games in big open sandbox environments where you swing around and do oh so slight variations on 4 pretty dull mission types (chase/race/collect/etc) and then once in a while toss in a boss fight and/or a somewhat unique mission.

I LOVE Marvel Comics and I LOVE the promise of games based on Marvel Comics. But why can't you guys make a game that feels like a comic? I don't mean art style wise; I don't mean like Comix Zone with panels and cliche stuff like that. I mean feels like a comic in a story based, narrative way: a game that shows off the OTHER aspect that makes Marvel Comics so special: The characters/story. It's not JUST about the powers, you know. But your games are always ONLY about the powers.

The thing that made Stan and co's comics so unique back in the 60's is he was the first guy to say, "Hey, let's treat these stories with some respect, let's treat these characters with respect and in doing so, we'll grow the audience well beyond 8 year old boys- who ONLY care about the powers"....and with that thinking, the entire medium of American comics was reinvented.

As a huge comic and game fan- and as a game designer as well- I really hope Marvel stops ONLY using the HOW TO MAKE A MARVEL GAME template that seems to demand: Open City, Hero Powers, Recycled Missions ad nauseam, and a few Unique things tossed in. And I hope they stop because this template- in most cases- goes against the very thing that makes the comics so special: story.

The games- as well made as some of them are- get boring fast and betray the source material upon which they are based.

If I was making the calls about Marvel games, here's the #1 thing that I would do:take the templates of story based games like God of War, Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry 1, etc. and use that template as a jumping off template for games with Spidey, Wolverine, Captain America. Make STORY based games, not POWER based games. I'm not suggesting you take the powers away. I AM suggesting a much more scripted experience that allows players to revel in what makes the comics upon which the game is based so special. You can HAVE some open areas within that structure. Have like 3 really amazing web slinging areas that really show that mechanic off in a fun, excitingly designed way. Just don't base the WHOLE game around it.

And heck, if you gotta go open environment, at least TRY To do unique missions every time. GUN from Activision- who publishes alot of the Marvel games- did a good job of this. It was a big open world but it still felt like I was living in a very cool story/adventure. And I loved that about it.

Now let's be honest: the day to day reasons why things happen in a game company go well beyond the rants and desires of an almost 40 year old man who still occasionally reads comics and still LOVES the Marvel characters (yes, even typing that makes me feel a little pathetic, but what can I do...it true! :)...

And I get why decisions are made for business reasons...games have to come out and there are developers who already have a sandbox game engine and a work structure that allows a sandbox game to get made; games have to come out and publishers know that players like sandbox games so why risk the formula that makes them money,etc. I understand all that. I respect all of that. Makes sense.

As a gamer tho, and a Marvel fan for life, I just don't like it.

David

ps. these pics above are from 1up.com AND they are from the new Marvel game WEB OF SHADOWS. It could be the best game ever. I'm not knocking it as I have not played it. These images were just the impetus behind this post so I figured I'd post them here. And I hope I am wrong, BUT to be fair, from the images it does LOOK like another big open city/run around/swing around game. Now maybe they can make it more fun this time than similarly designed games from the past. I'm hoping cause I'm still gonna be playing it...at least for a few hours!

pps. Yes, I even played the last Spidey game: Friend or Foe and to be fair, that was a better structure for a Marvel game...it was just a- no offense to the team- pretty bland, boring game. Combat was actually pretty good but there was nothing really to it. Granted, it was more for kids so maybe that target group loved it.

ppps. I also played the GHOST RIDER PSP game that was- I thought- pretty good and used a DMC structure. I liked that game; combat was really good/fun. But again, too combat centric. Hell, that's ALL that game was. What is the deal with this pattern? And it's not just comic games...tends to be almost ANY licensed game from an action source (comic/movie/tv show). It's like: let's model the characters and locations and then just have people fight! When will developers or publishers learn that the combat is like ONE PART of the meal...it can't be the whole thing! A whole game that is pretty much JUST going arena to arena and fighting DOES have an audience. But it's not a very big one. And yet, they shove this template down our throats over and over. Why!?!

Blogging Burn Out?!?

MISTER PRESIDENT, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

...ahh, better! I said what Keith O could not (if you don't know what I'm talking about, watch some of Olberman's stuff on msnbc)...



Hey ya'll...this is political but it reflects my views. If you don't like political stuff, don't click play.

You've been warned so please, no need to post to tell me you come here just for gaming information and don't want to hear my political views. The moment I start charging admission to read my ramblings, then you get the right to complain about the content.

Plus:if you've ever been to this blog, you know I post about ALL the stuff I am passionate about: games, movies, family, politics, religion,comic books, etc. If all you want is gaming info, then this ain't the place for you :)

But if you wanna debate politics and this particular ultra-liberal piece of one sided (albeit mostly true) propaganda ...well then, grab some coffee and pull up a chair! You;'ve come to the right place! I love me some political discourse!

But keep in mind: I am not of the mind that Republicans are evil. My views are not that black and white.

I am however of the mind that if you HAD to label a party at this PARTICULAR TIME that reflects the largest number of views that I would lump into the category of evil, well then, the Republicans would be the party I would pick for that honor :)

Can this change? Yep. Has it flip flopped over the years? At times but- to be honest- not all that much. But I'm not saying the Democrats have clean hands either.

But either way, RIGHT NOW, it's time for the Republicans to have the worst batch of ideas out there. You don't get to have a president/piece of shit like Bush in office for two terms and have a party that- for the most part- seems/seemed unwilling to challenge the douche bag, and then get away without the stink of -at least- a small globule of fecal paste. And in this case, it's a hell of a lot more shit paste than globular. It's more like the end of the skate board scene in Back to the Future. You remember...when Biff and the boyz got covered in horse shit? It's more like that. :)

David

Real Fast Before Weekend Hits:

a- Tim Russert died :(

God, I loved Tim Russert. Loved his shows, his passion (I still recall how excited he seemed trying to use his little white board to figure out who was gonna win the 2000 pres election), dug his book about fatherhood. Seemed like an all around decent man and a giant in his profession. As a semi-political junkie, I can tell you that am gonna miss him during this election season and certainly on election day/night. Man, what a loss. And only 58 :(

b- I didn't know Laurent from Nintendo was a man...

...now I do. Laurent just seemed like Lauren to me and we don't have many/any Laurents here in the states...it's a very uncommon name for America and so I made an assumption. My mistake.

How pathetic some folks thought I was trying to diss him by 'changing' his gender. Says more about them than me, I think.

Also, was glad to see they offered an apology. As I made clear, I'm a fan of the big N- always have been- and it's great that it seems they will continue to support their core fanbase while also making huge inroads into the mainstream.

Great weekend ya'll! And for all of us dads out there: have a great father's day!!!

David

From The Masters Themselves...

Tina Kowalewski- newly appointed head of external game development for Sony Santa Monica- has been an industry staple for years. As I said in an earlier post, the woman freaking knows EVERYONE in the biz. And one of the things she's been doing over the years is keeping this sketch book with little cartoon sketches from the biggest creators in gaming. Think of a game developer you know and like, and chances are, they've contributed to Tina K's sketch book. Some of the sketches are characters from the game creator's biggest games...others are just silly little drawings (mine was a terrible 'sketch' of Spiderman swinging over some buildings)...Either way, it's a damn cool piece of game biz memorabillia. And Tina's given me permission to show you/reprint three of her many game dev sketches on this very blog. Enjoy!

And don't forget to Hulk out this weekend! I hear it's pretty fun! Will let ya'll know what I think about it next week.

David


In honor of this week's MGS4 release- still not had a chance to play it- here's snake from Shinkawa-san himself!


Miyamoto sketching his greatest creation!


Something from the genius Will Wright that I am not sure I understand all together...what else is new! :)


ps. Tina! Get like 20 more of these and then get the folks who drew them to write little 1-2 para blurbs and publish this damn thing! I wonder if there are legal issues with it tho, as in: can someone do a sketch of a copywritten character and you put that in your book? Or do you need to get clearances for them all? I dunno...still, if you can do it, you should! :)

Why the do we even try? :)

Jeeze- what's the point of all those marketing meetings where we bang our heads against the wall, trying to find the perfect name for our titles?

This toy is on a SECOND SERIES already! So it's gotta be working!

And I love the Z in BAD GUYZ...like was that JUST so they could trademark the thing or was there some sort of creative logic behind it? Like POLICE VS. BAD GUYS would not send the same message? Are these particular bad guyz of the Mountain Dew drinking, extreme skating variety?

Fucking love it! Not sure if I already posted this pic, but I was in RITE AID last nite and saw the second series and it jogged my brain that I had this pic on my cell phone.

And what was the game I saw yesterday? Something about Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ?!?! Genius!

Hell, that right there's the game version of SNAKES ON A PLANE. The game could be damn near unplayable and they will still turn a small profit on the name alone. I know I'm picking it up.

That sounds like a great biz plan for a new publisher: fuck the games, it's all about cool, clever names!

By the way, here are some names we were considering for some of our games at one time:

TWISTED METAL could have been named:
URBAN ASSAULT
CARS AND ROCKETS...I STILL love this...no one else does tho :(
HIGH OCTANE
FIRESTORM

GOD OF WAR could have been called:
AT THE HANDS OF THE GODS
DARK ODYSSEY
OMEGA
Just the OMEGA SIGN and no name....

CALLING ALL CARS was gonna be:
CRIMINAL CRACKDOWN
DAMAGE!

Oh and Kratos- from GOD OF WAR- was going to be named Dominus for a long, long time until uber marketing genius Susan Panico suggested Kratos (not sure where she got that from)...and thank God she had that idea because I had designers on the team for over a year doing the, "get the door, it's Dominus" joke...and I assume they would not have been the only ones.

David

ps. also saw this in the toy store! Love they are bringing these back!


My oldest wants this for her birthday! Can't wait to make these this summer!

YOU SHIT ON MY HOUSE!!! YOU SHIT ON MY HOUSE!!!

Ok, I saw this on a neogaf posting today:

++++++++++
Originally Posted by Edge 190:
First Nintendo will not be concentrating any significant marketing spend on the service - journalists attending Nintendo's preview event were told that it was their job to spread the word about WiiWare titles via reviews and other coverage.
... when asked a pertinent question about the limited Wii system memory was raised, Laurent Fischer, managing director of marketing at NoE, easily slipped into talking about how "geeks and otaku" were the only people who want this issue addressed.
+++++++++++

Ok, so if this is true, it's really, really sad.

And not so much because Nintendo seems to be telling a chunk of its loyal fanbase to go fuck itself, but because it's just reeks of junior high school vibe immaturity bullshit.

Ok, take this tangent with me for a sec:

Is it lame that I've seen the movie CAN'T BUY ME LOVE? Is it even lamer that I know the movie well enough that I can quote lines from it for a blog heading? Yeah, that is pretty lame. But fuck you, it's a good movie and Amanda Peterson- she of Explorer's fame- was the siren who sucked me in...and it ended up being a pretty damn good movie...

But anyway, stick with me here...cause Nintendo saying this- IF they actually said it- is like when Ronald put the lit bag of shit on the door step of the geeky kids he used to hang with...I mean, these kids were his BEST FRIENDS for years and now not ONLY is he too cool to hang with them, but he thought it was ok to shit all over their houses too?!?!

Well if this statement is true- if Nintendo said this- then Nintendo=Ronald. And you all know what happens to Ronald.

Well actually he goes back to being kinda geeky AND he gets the girl...but you get my point, yes? He was an asshole.

Now look: I like Nintendo. And I LOVE old Nintendo. And both old and new Nintendo have brought SO MUCH to this industry that they SHOULD be proud and excited and even a little cocky when it comes to their amazing accomplishments. Anyone in our business should envy their ability to read, direct, and redirect the market. And to also- when they want to- make some world class, ground breaking games.

But this statement, especially coming from a marketing person, reeks of one of two things:

a- arrogance at a level that should make Nintendo- if this statement reflects the core of the company- very ashamed.
b- a marketing person who has no real clue about games and thinks she's being cute and coy by dissing the 'geeks' cause she thinks the mainstream loves them now....if this is the case, she really needs someone to sit her down and explain to her which side her fucking toast has been buttered on for years and will eventually get back to being buttered on....

Ok, so that's what I'm thinking today.

Grr!

Back to work :)

David

One more thing...

..hey, Monday will resume more gamey posts, I promise :)

BUT I did want to clear something up real fast as I was concerned- for a number of reasons- about how my video post came across to some people.

And while I am SOOOOO grateful and honored that so many of you all were both supportive and willing to share your own stories of love, divorce, marriage, and all that other touchy-feely stuff (and I learned a lot from a handful of them), this will be the last word from me on it. Again, the details are personal and for my family alone. The video post was just to give everyone an update on my life (a key point- for me- of this blog). I will continue to share aspects of my life, the good and the bad and always the honest, with the reader's of this blog. But I've said as much as I feel I want to on the current subject.

And as to the video:

1- For those who thought I was being nonchalant about the break up, or being kind of like, "Meh, whatever" about it, please understand: this is semi-old news for me. I've had about 2 months to deal with the reality of it and much longer before that to work on the situation with my wife. I have been sad, I've talked to therapists to work thru issues of the break-up and- most importantly- to try and find a solution that will be the best for my children (who-if you don't get from reading the blog over the years- are everything to me). So I am 100% not flip about this situation. It's just that I posted the video months after alot of the shit went down. Trust me, if I had posted the video on the DAY me and the wife decided to separate, I would have seemed less pulled together, less 'it is what it is'....

2- The other thing is, I'm not trying to be a maverick or anything when I say I pretty much 'fart in the general direction' of quite a bit of the rules of society. I respect pretty much all the laws of society (even tho I may not agree with some of them) but the stuff about, "this is what society says you must do to be happy and good' I think- in many ways- is horse shit. And I don't reject these societal laws/rules because I think I'm cool or want to be different or anything like that. I spend a decent amount of time trying to live a soulful, spiritual, good life and I find more often than not that when I really tune into what makes my soul happy, the rules that society lays down for how we are supposed to live seem- to me- silly and not workable. I respect we all have our own internal barometers. And I respect that for many/most people the rules of society are gold and work great. I respect that. But my internal compass points me in different directions than a lot of people when it comes to things like marriage and politics and art. I am fine with that. And I am fine with the fact that- because of this- a handful of you may very well think I am the devil.

3- I don't hate marriage and I don't think it's wrong for people and families. I think it's wrong for me RIGHT NOW. I may remarry one day. I may not. My gut right now says I think it's kind of a- for me- silly institution... but I've been known to change my mind (just ask the teams I work with who want to kill me each time I do :) ). I also think there are many great kinds of families and the idea of a nuclear family being the only kind that works is a silly, naive idea that disrespects and hurts those families who have chosen- or who have been forced to choose- to do things differently.

Ok, not gonna respond to any posts. Lotta work to do this weekend plus, I've said all I need to say on the subject.

Thanks for all the support- see ya'll Monday with something less heavy...I promise!

David

Love and Marriage?!?! Maybe...but not today....

Pardon video quality...seems to be hit or miss these days...

VBlog: Adjusted Vblog Post (earlier post adjusted)

NOTE: The links and videos in this post- besides my youtube video- are CRAZY NOT SAFE FOR WORK and ARE NOT FOR KIDS/CHILDREN or ANYONE under 18!!!! DO NOT CLICK IF YOU ARE A KID or if you are EASILY OFFENDED by stuff of a sexual nature....





Click here for more Death Race Pics!


PORN ALERT! DO NOT WATCH IF YOU DON'T WANNA SEE PORN!!!!! I DON'T WANNA HEAR FROM IRATE PARENTS OF KIDS OR FROM IRATE ADULTS WHO GET OFFENDED EASILY....I AM WARNING YOU NOW!!!

DO NOT CLICK PLAY IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 OR EASILY OFFENDED...or hell, even semi-easily OFFENDED...this is PORN, ok?!?! IT'S PORN!!! DO NOT SAY I DID NOT WARN YOU!!!! But it IS some funny shit!!!

So if you WANNA SEE IT...CLICK ME!!!

Nasty, eh?

And finally: The teaser for the Kevin Smith flick....again: NOT SAFE FOR WORK and NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE UNDER 18!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Follow your bliss...

Diary of a Mad, Black Woman

...

ok, I have no idea why I used that title. I'm a Tyler Perry fan...so shoot me.

Anyway...

Out in Utah for full time meetings as these pics can attest:





These meetings focus mainly on scope of the game, budget, feature set, etc. It's basically us meeting with Sony to review where the project is at, not so much game design or production wise, but more from a financial standpoint.

It's so odd/funny/wrong to say 'us meeting with Sony'....we've know these people- and worked with them- for like 13 years. And for many of those years, Scott and/or myself were Sony employees. So it's more just kind of like old times, like nothing has really changed.

Good meetings, got alot done.

Then we went out and smoke and drank a bit:



There's me (with the cee-gar smoke), Scott Campbell, Allan Becker (head of Sony Santa Monica), and Tina Kowlaldekdkwkjdweidjwiejdijsosidski. She is the new head of external development for Sony Santa Monica. And she knows like EVERYONE in the freaking biz. I mean EVERYONE. Most connected person I know. She rocks.

She's actually got this amazing book she's been working on for years that has little sketches/drawings from all of the most successful and well know game designers in the biz...West AND East! It's pretty amazing to see little drawings from Kojima and Miyamoto in there, right next to each other! She should really publish that thing one day....anyway....

Good times.

Ok, still out in the Utah, gotta get in for a design meeting. Chat with you guys/gals later.

David

ps. took a pic of this cartoon from a book on the Disney World theme park ride builders that my brother had. It reminds me very much of the process of making a game and the process of scoping out a game, which we are going through right now (hell, that process never ends, you are always adjusting design, adding, cutting,etc). It's kinda blurry but here ya go:



Panel #1 says: Concept Phase
Panel #2 says: Feasibility
Panel #3 says: Reality
Panel #4 says: Descoping (which basically means, the reality of money and time has gotten in the way so go back to your 'amazing, brilliant' concepts and chop them up!)....hardest- but often times the most important and best- part of making a game. My experience says that 30-70% of what you are forced to cut for money ends up being stuff you needed to cut anyway, so you can get to the heart of your product. And we've cut on this game, but there's alot of meat left on the bone and we're working hard to make sure we don't cut anymore cause I think where we have it right now is the sweet spot. But as always, I know ya'll will let us know if we hit the bullseye when the game hits.

Ok, running late. See ya!

Hmm....I dunno...

Ok...Kotaku turned me onto this flick, made my a prof. in Georgia. All about sex and video games...pretty neat, I suppose.





BUT

the problem I have with it is the same problem I have when academics, forum posters, and game makers- all folks whom it SEEMS (whom? who? whatever!)...but folks whom it seems have never actually been in a position to design a game- decide to go off on how games should be more artistic, emotional, and relevant; how games should deal with more serious subject matter than just power fantasy. They also assume that game designers/publishers are just pandering to the current fanboys instead of growing the medium, or that game makers are simply immature.

And yes, some of that is true.

But MOST of the reason games have not delved into more mature subject matter has to do- in my mind- with the fact that we don't know HOW to do it! Not because we're idiots. But because the medium itself has yet to show much in the way of a capability to examine more serious subject matter in a way that is compelling.

I remember being on a panel with the amazingly talented Harvey Smith a few years ago and he was talking about how he wanted to make a game about death. Now to me, my knee jerk was: sweet, it's an action game like Devil May Cry but you control a bad ass version of the grim reaper and you use his scythe in cool,violent, bloody ways! Love it!!! (by the way, no you can not rip off that idea...that baby is gold!)...

...but Harvey- being a very smart, deep thinker- was talking about DEATH as a force, as the thing that rips lives apart, that turns the circle of life,etc,etc,etc...you know, a deep, meaningful game.

And I loved it. Loved the promise of it.

But I asked him then- just like I would ask now- what is the actual GAMEPLAY!?!? What do you DO with the controller?!?!

And that- it seems- is where alot of us get stuck.

It is very, very, very easy to shoot the shit about our artistic ambitions. It makes us- and the medium- sound good and important and relevant to those who know very little about games. And it makes us- who know alot about games- feel- at times- like we are doing something more than just making electronic theme park rides. And this makes us feel more important and all arty farty.

I love those feelings. People should feel arty farty from time to time. It's nice.

But the reality is, the medium- so far- has shown a piss poor ability to actually deliver on these lofty promises.

And yes, the medium is KIND of young. But it's old enough to have given us SOMETHING along the lines that our critics say we should be making. And if you look at the medium of GAMES themselves, well, there's over 4000 years of road behind us at this point, and there's not alot- anything?- that I can point to in my board/card game collection that evokes deep philosophical discourse and/or deep, emotional release. Sure, you can claim chess is a metaphor for war, but that metaphor is not clear while playing the game unless someone tells you about the metaphor first. Playing the game of chess itself does not make one think of the sacrifices of soldiers or the tragedy of war. And if it does: you so crazy!

Now to me, all of that doesn't mean we should not try.

I played a bit of flOwer the other day, from That Game Company and I was like: hey, this makes me feel....well, it's not my place to spoil their game and tell you how it made me feel. But it DID make me feel. And there have been a few other games the last few years that seem to be doing SOMETHING that, in doing so, affects me on a fresh- for games- emotional level.

So it seems like it IS possible? But the question is:

is this just the start of deeper, more meaningful games now that people are able to start trying out these theories they've had about games for years but can only now- with the indie game scene- execute on those ideas? Or are we killing ourselves to be relevant and meaningful but even with all that work, we're only able to squeeze out a touch here and a touch there, and it's never going to go beyond that?


Ok, lots to do...gotta run! Later ya'll!

David

Some thoughts on Indy 4

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Killing my darlings...

Stephen King once wrote about how- in telling a story- it is sometimes necessary to 'kill your darlings' , meaning that even if you love something you've written or cooked up, putting it in your story can- often times- hurt the piece as a whole because the idea simply doesn't fit into the yarn you're spinning. Same goes for game design. As cool as a play mechanic may be, as cool as a level design may seem...sometimes, it just doesn't fit in with the game you're making. And unlike writing a novel, with game design, there is another reason to sometimes kill a darling: cause it's just too damn ambitious to create!

But that's the production phase...that's the hard part!

Pre-Production is one of the most fun times for a designer because it's- in many aspects- the blue sky phase of the game. A million seemingly cool ideas just floating in the ether, ready to be plucked from the air and inserted into the next great gaming masterpiece! No limits on your game, no limits to your imagination, and no limits to your fantasies that THIS IS GONNA BE THE ONE; this is gonna be the one time when you really do get to make the best videogame EVER!

And then reality sets in (if you have a great producer...which we do) and you have to start making hard choices. And you have to hope that you and the team have the experience and insight to make the correct calls, and that you are tuned into the gut/vibe/spirit of your game so that you kill the stuff that needs killing while greenlighting the stuff that really belongs in the game. If you are lucky, your gut will guide you in these decisions most days. But every project has those 'Sophie's Choice' moments where there is no good decision. Even when the game is done and- hopefully- has gone onto much success, you still wonder: did we make the right call?!?!

But for the last 3-5 months, it was easy and fun. Just blue sky for miles around.

During that time, me and other members of the team have been brainstorming and designing, trying to discover what it was we wanted to make. That work resulted in about 75 pages of notes and sketches and drawings (you can sort of see all those pages in the video blog post from yesterday, altho the video quality- for some reason- is shit).

So in prep for a Utah meeting next week- where we will need to start making some final decisions on aspects of the game- I went thru all those pages and crossed out the stuff that no longer felt right. The stuff that still made sense made it onto this list:



165 single line notes. Each one a mechanic or play idea or weapon or level concept. Each one representing between 3 days of work and 2-3 MONTHS of work! Which means, we ain't gonna get to do them all.

Which means my job today is to whittle these into Category A (the stuff I feel we MUST have and that I must sell the team on), Category B (the stuff I really want and hope to somehow get enough time and support to get it in the game), and Category C (the stuff that we'll probably end up saving for a sequel if we are fortunate enough to make second one).

And the fun part? The other key members of the team are gonna have their OWN lists and OWN categorization of those lists..which means next week should be a fucking blast of haggling, debating, arguing, and- best case- collaborating!

But as productive as next week will be, I know that some of my faves on this list are gonna get slaughtered. Some of my babies are gonna get murdered, and there's just no getting around that. And I'll- as often as Scott or Kellan or anyone else on the team- be the one holding the damn axe.

Wish us luck! :)

David

VBLOG: Indy (no spoilers!), Clifford B, SAG wants MONEY!!!

ps. I actually rented and watched NATIONAL TREASURE 2 last nite, as I was SOOOOO dying for an Indy type movie that I had to see something! I actually liked it- much more than the first one, which I turned off about 1 hour into it.

pps. not sure what is up with the shitty vid quality- sorry!

My GTA4 Ramblings

People have been asking my thoughts on GTA 4. Have not played tons of it so take this 'review' with a grain of salt. I put review in quotes cause it's not really a real review...more of a rambling. So take this rambling with a grain of salt. Or more to the point: take it as the ramblings of someone who has given about 2 hours of his life to it (both single and MP modes...and MAINLY multiplayer). So here goes:

++++++++++++++++++++++

Well I've never loved the GTA series...always appreciated and respected the hell out of it, but the mission design (fetch quests, checkpoint racing, and 'go here and get this object' tasks abound) and the 'we think we are edgy and satirical and funny but we are really just at a junior high school level of comedy but since at least- in games- it's more than most offer and since we've gotten alot of praise,we'll just keep on doing what we are doing' school of comedy really- as you can tell :) - annoys me. There's such an abundance of the comedy and world view that- even worse- it SEEMS like the makers of the game really feel they have discovered some unique world view/unique comedy styling and they just want to shove it down my throat. Not saying this is how they feel. It's just how I feel when I visit the worlds in the GTA universe. But that's just personal taste. It's done really, really well, I just don't care for it.

But so, there you go. Always stunned and in awe by every GTA game since #3 (the the 2D ones were sweet as well) but I've never been a convert to the GTA religion. So GTA 4 was not exciting me all that much...altho it clearly seemed impressive scope wise. To the point that it scared the SHIT out of me as a developer.

And I was VERY excited about the multiplayer in this one. First few nites I did Deathmatch games and the GTA race games and they were kinda MEH for me. But I finally got onto a few games of Cops and Crooks last nite (not sure if it was me or the GTA servers but I had not been able to log on for the last week and do any GTA MP)...I heard this mode was the crown jewel in the game's multiplayer and from a design standpoint, I really do think it's cool.

But the car controls are so bad- to me- that I could not spend more than 30 minutes with it. They are floaty and the cars flip over all the time. The physics model for crashes sucks because the density of traffic is so high and the speeds of the cars are so fast and the result of a crash brings the game to a dead stop...so it's a real momentum killer.

Also, because the city is so big and the road layouts so detailed, you really have to drive by the map. The city streets are kind of dark as well so it's tough to get going up to any real sense of speed and still be able to see the turns coming up in time. The other aspect that bugs me is the realistic city design (non breakable walls that you can't get your car over but you can't see until you are inches away from smashing into them, trees that don't get knocked down when you hit them,etc) does not seem conducive to the arcadey design of the MP modes. And so- with all these aspects- frustration easily sets in for me.

All that said: car control can be mastered. And a map can be learned. So I imagine if I had invested more than 1 hour in the single player, I would have learned the city a bit better and the driving mechanics would be second nature and my fun factor would shoot thru the roof. And I do plan on playing Cops N' Crooks again as I see the massive fun potential in that mode. I really, really like it. It just frustrates me right now.

BUT it does strike me as curious as to why Rockstar didn't fix these issues. Is it because they don't see them as issues? That's a fair reason, to be sure. I think a valid design argument could be made for needing to master a system before fun kicks in. It's just not the way I would go.

Then again- these guys are kings of the world sales wise and any designer would be wise to sit back and study the massive success- design and sales wise- that the masters at Rockstar have achieved. Now review wise? Well, that's something else.

Review wise, I'm sorry...the reviews this game has gotten seem nuts...and that's no backlash...I respect the hell out of Rockstar and am glad they are doing so well...they deserve it. But the praise the press has heaped on this thing seems a touch out of whack...it's like they are desperately trying to find a game that is 'important' and 'meaningful' so to prove they are more than just fanboys pounding out reviews for toys. I hate to be a jerk to the press because I like most of ALL the people I've met in the press and my goal is not to piss them off (hell, we all need the press in this biz) but COME ON...I am NOT saying GTA 4 is not an amazing game, I am NOT saying it's not a watershed moment, even. Perhaps it is. But Jesus, ya'll. There are some serious flaws in this game. Flaws that get in the way of the experience Rockstar has clearly busted ass to created. And I'm not saying some of the reviews have NOT mentioned these flaws, but the scores this game gets seem out of whack given that the game does- in my mind- have these flaws. But again, it's subjective and- to be fair- I have only played 2 hours while most of these guys have finished it. So you know, those flaws could easily fall away once mastery sets in and the gems of the game could then shine even brighter. I'm totally open to that. And if it turns out to be the case- as I play the game more- I'll be the first to admit the press was right and I was wrong.

And look, what do I know? Rockstar should be proud and excited for their massive success. And let's be honest. The majority of the people buying the game are willing to put up with tons of annoying elements (controls, annoying city layouts where the streets are too narrow for the speeds of the vehicles they let you drive,etc.) as long as they get to live the life of a modern bad ass. That is the real secret sauce to the series, to me. And in that regard- as well as many, many others- GTA 4 delivers. It just seems that it may not- once again- be my cup of tea.

BUT- a few more nights of Cops N Crooks and I may just change my mind :)

David

STANDEE HEAVEN!

Not sure if that is how you spell standee. Is it stande? Who knows...but you know, those movie theater and video store displays that advertise upcoming releases?

Man, they are getting more and more elaborate every year! Check out the one for The Hulk that I saw this weekend when I went to see Narnia (walked out of it, terrible, dull-as-shit movie)...



And Kung Fu Panda's standee rocks...and last year's Silver Surfer was- and remains- my fave ever. Hell, even the standee from last month's Prom Night (where you get to open the doors yourself to see what is inside) was amazing!

I used to beg and plead with the video store owners to get the standees when they were done displaying them (I think they are SUPPOSED to either send them back or destroy them, but sometimes they would look the other way). Still, I never got the good ones. But it didn't matter; I would take ANYTHING. I even had a KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN standee just because it was a big ass standee from a movie (that I have yet to see and have no desire to ever watch). But hell, it was a real movie ad from the mythical peeps out in Hollywood! That's all I cared about!

But man, the standees today would give movie-geek kids, like I was, freaking heart attacks! I mean, this Hulk one is - far as I can tell- actual Hulk size, so it was really cool to stand under it and imagine what it would be like to encounter the Hulk in real life. Ok, so now we know how big a geek I am because yes, indeed, that was a cool moment for me :)

Ok, gotta run. Been taking my kid to pre-school these days cause after next month, she's onto kindergarden. Man, it goes fast. I don't wanna miss a moment! And then it's back to the desk to start the week- hope ya'll had a great weekend!

Chat soon- David

The Muse Of Fun...

Come work at EAT SLEEP PLAY!

UPDATE:

Hey all: ok, so if you fit any of the descriptions below, please send to: jobs@eatsleepplay.biz...we'll be on the lookout!

BUT PLEASE understand....we are only looking for the positions listed below. I am so appreciative and grateful to all of ya'll who have expressed interest in working together. Who knows what the future holds. But for now, we really only need those slots filled. So if you do something else that is NOT those slots, you really don't need to spend your resources sending in a resume. I will alert you on this blog and on our eat sleep play site when new positions open up...thanks for your understanding!

David

+++++++++++++++++++++



Hey- wanna come work with us on our brand new Playstation 3 game? It's gonna be really cool, I promise :)

Well if you are interested- and you fit any of the below descriptions- then we're dying to talk to you. The company is in Salt Lake City (altho I work from San Diego, so you won't have to deal with my handsome mug every day!) and it's a great, great group of people. I've worked with them for 13 years- on and off- and they just rock.

We've also got a great deal with Sony (worked with them for 13 years as well) and a terrific producer who- unlike other places- will make sure the game actually ships and you get your work seen :)

So if any of this sounds good, let me know in the comments and I will let you know where to send your resumes.

Maybe we'll be working together soon! Sweet!


David


Ok...so here's what we need:

#1-Gameplay Programmer-
Overall, the position of Game Programmer is expected to partner with the organization to:

1. Implement code systems based upon:
• Technical designs as submitted by the Lead Programmer
• Game designs as submitted by game design and art staff
• Working cooperatively with team members to form or further enhance code systems

2. Develop skills to produce competitive and technically superior code systems by:
• Communicating with experienced staff on the team to learn techniques and/or design philosophies
• Working with existing code systems and learning how and why they have been developed
• Seeking outside development influences through either peer relations and/or conferences related to current field and project parameters

3. Support code systems including:
• Pre-existing code systems
• Newly developed technologies
• 3rd Party libraries / tools and technologies
• Provide technical support to art and design staff for tools and game logic code systems

4. Self-Manage programming tasks including:
• Task management based on schedules provided by the Lead Programmer
• Communicate with the Lead Programmer on amount of time required to finish tasks on a timely basis
• Identify tasks that require extra scheduled time or extra programming help to aid completion.


REQUIRED SKILLS – This section outlines skills necessary to perform the function.

• TEAM: Must be able to work effectively with other programmers, artists, and designers in a team environment.

• PROCESS: Must be able to take instruction from Lead Programmer or Senior Programmers and be able to provide insight into a broad range of technical challenges. Must be able to utilize a variety of tools to aid in programming and be able to think beyond the given challenge presented for a potential solution.

• TECHNICAL: Must have a competent knowledge of the programming languages and practices being used on the project. Must possess good problem solving skills and have a working knowledge of 3d Math. Must be able to tackle new challenges as presented, such as working on unfamiliar hardware or code environments.

• PLANNING/IMPLEMENTATION: Must be a self-starter and be able to follow implementation plans provided by the Lead Programmer.

• COMMUNICATION: Excellent communication skills are required to be able to explain programming solutions and ideas. Must be able to adequately provide instruction to non-programming personnel on how to use programmer generated tools and code implementations.

We also are looking for:

#2- Software Engineer: Looking for highly talented Software Engineers with 2+ years experience in some or all of the following: Flash programming, Online game programming, game scripting.

#3- Sr. 3D Modelers: Looking for Sr. Modelers with 3+ years of game specific modeling experience. Must be proficient in MAYA and Photoshop. Animation experience a plus.


So again, if any of that sounds like you, hit me up with a comment and let's see if we can make this happen!

Man, how I love this damn movie!

Just got back from Blockbuster with the remastered Indy flix. This is the third time I've bought them all and I am sure I will buy all three again when Blu Ray hits. Don't care. I'm that much of an Indy freak!

So now I sit, working away on the game while Indy keeps me company in the background!

Sweet! Boulder scene is starting- later ya'll!

David

The Man Who Heard Voices...

XANADU meets THE DUKES OF HAZZARD

Fuck the haters. I LOVED this movie! A little long and a little young/kiddie (for ME!) but overall it rocked...and that scene with the truck vs. Racer X on the mountain road?!? Pure Twisted Metal!

Shame this is getting hit as the first big bomb of the summer. I think it'll be remembered much more fondly than that.

I know nothing I write on my little blog will make any difference, but if you are looking for a good, fun, cool time at the movies, Speed Racer- to me anyway- really delivers. And I was never much of a Speed Racer fan. I knew of it, used to watch it on and off as a kid...but had/have no real allegiance to it. So I'm not biased, you know? With Indy 4, it could be terrible and I will still love it cause it's Indy. Not so with Speed Racer.

This makes me wanna go get the game- which I hear is darn solid, especially for a movie game.

David

O 2 B IN LA!

EDIT: Not sure why the video quality is so poor. Will check into it and make sure it's fixed for future posts- thanks!
+++++++++++++




Where it all began! :)


Me and Scott, kicking it as toons!


Only in LA!


Thanks Rey! Fantastic stuff!!! Ya just never know!


Livin the dream, bitch!


My visit with Mr. Wheaton!

Gotcha,fucker!

It's nice to know that sometimes even the biggest, baddest mother fuckers out there have a weak spot!

And that's all I'm saying for now!

David

ps. more posts to come this week...last week was crazy insane. Fill you all in later!

pps. Yes, Iron Man was crazy good! In the rank of all time great summer flicks, it's in the top 20% for sure. In the rank of summer films from the last 10 years, it's in the top 1%. THIS is how they used to make summer movies; this is what summer movies used to be! Not just great fx, but great story, imaginative moments and set pieces, characters you LOVED...and that all added up to a movie you wanted to see again and again. I NEVER see movies more than once but I am SURE I will see this one more time in the theater. And if not that, day one Blu Ray purchase for sure. Get going on the sequel, already!!! :)

Don't forget! Our first LIVE BLOG BROADCAST (is it blogcast?) is TODAY so stop by at 5pm Pacific and interact with me and Brady Fletcher- newly appointed editor in chief of PLAY magazine!-as we talk about the game biz and interact with everyone on the blog LIVE!

Just scroll to the bottom of this blog, click the POPUP/POPOUT window tab, and join in the discussion!

Still scrambling for topics but I think we've got a couple of good things to talk about...and bring whatever questions you may have!

David

Interesting Observation

I was riding in the car with my father-in-law yesterday and he said something that stuck with me.

And I paraphrase:

'Man, the media sure can't get enough of that story of the swimmer being eaten by that shark...it's on the news constantly...'

If you have not heard the sad, shocking news: a man was bitten- and killed- by a great white here in San Diego, about 150 yards from shore! The attack occured- by the way- about 5-10 minutes from my house!

But so I guess it's been all over the news. Local or national, I don't know. My in-laws watch alot of local news. But I did see it on the front page of DRUDGE, so I guess it at least made a few national ripples.

But what struck me as interesting about this comment is how much it says about the way many of us consume media these days.

In the last year- probably two- most of my media has come from the surfing the internet and from playing video games on my tv. Yes, there are still some shows I TIVO and love...but nowhere near as many as back in the day. And sure, I go out out to the movies alot/Netflex stuff,etc. But my sort of bread and butter/daily media-and certainly my NEWS media- is net based. Which means I get to CHOOSE what info bombards me. And if I don't choose what someone else chooses- or if I don't choose what the cable networks are telling me is important- I really do have alot less of a sense of how important something has been deemed to be.

And I sure as hell ain't complaining. I just find it interesting.

For example, these days, based on the info I surf, my view of what has been deemed important is:

-Iron Man opening on Friday
-GTA IV hitting on Tuesday
- Indy IV fluff news
-What certain colleagues of mine in the industry are up to on a personal level
-Why Obama lost PA and what it means for his bid to be the Democratic nominee
- How to get two Asian women and a small, Uraknian folk dancer named Mimi to bend over in juuuuust the right way as to....er, wait...that's...that's private, that's just for me :)

But you see my point. This is the stuff that's on MY radar.

And it gets me wondering something...something that- by the way- I am WELL aware that much smarter and better writers from places like Wired magazine have been pondering for so long, they're bored of the discussion by now...but for me, it gets me wondering: what happens when tv is pretty much dead and we are ALL getting our personalized info off the net? What happens when we no longer- in the real world-have many/any of the same shared info/experiences because our frames of reference have become so specialized? Is this good? Bad? More importantly, it's going to happen so what will the world look like when it does? Will we treat each other better? Worse? No different? What will tie us together then? Maybe we'll then have to start to talk about issues that are more universal regardless of where you get your news.

It also gets me wondering about my father-in-law. He is in his sixties but loves the net and uses it like a pro. Why in the world is he still getting his news from television?!?! Old habits die hard, perhaps? I will ask him next time I see him.

Ok, going shopping- chat soon. later ya'll!

David

ps. don't forget! Our first LIVE BLOG BROADCAST (is it blogcast?) is this Wednesday afternoon so stop by at 5pm Pacific and interact with me and Brady as we talk the game biz! Just scroll to the bottom of this blog, click the POPUP/POPOUT window tab, and join in the discussion!

ROUNDTABLE EPISODE 1

Join me and Brady Fletcher- the new editor-in-chief of Play Magazine- this coming WEDNESDAY at 5PM PACIFIC for our first ever episode of ROUNDTABLE, our live blog show all about games and the gaming biz.

If you scroll to the bottom of this blog you will see the live blog viewer. You may need to click on the POPOUT tab to get a full window that will let you see the show and be able to interact with us.

But interact you will...er, if you want to :) Basically we're gonna be talking about the gaming biz for 30-60 minutes as well as taking live questions from viewers of the show. So any of those questions you always post in the comments section but I never get the chance to answer, now's the time to ask me live. And anyone wondering about game ratings (including Play Magazine's bold new rating system) or game journalism in general, Brady's your man!

We may never do another one of these, we may change the name, we may change the format, who knows (I really wanna get some industry folks on with us). But we're gonna try it...all prepared and everything, this time :)

So stop on by and give us a try, interact with us, tell us we suck...whatever floats your boat! Hope to see ya'll then!

David