Shit Never Gets Old...

It's always an amazing feeling to see a game you're working on on a magazine cover out 'in the wild';knowing that even while you are holed up banging on the game and just going about your daily life, the mag is out in the world, doing it's job to spread the word! I love this cover and I love that DollFace and Sweet Tooth are out and about preaching the Twisted gospel to the masses!

David

++++UPDATE: One of the commenters- Misael- asked me why Dollface was picked as a cover subject instead of Sweet Tooth. I started to answer him in the comments but figured this may be of interest to some others...so I put it here. Here's my answer:


Misael, We have a great producer on the game named Angelic who does a great deal of the Eat Sleep Play art wrangling when our games are fortunate enough to be offered a cover. Between her, the art folks at the magazine itself, and one of our stunningly talented concept artists (in this case a sickeningly MULTI talented ((and all around nice guy)) concept artist named Owen Richardson) the covers get done.

Ok, ok, YES there is a decent amount of backseat driving from myself, Scott Campbell, Kellan Hatch,Sony PD,PR, & Marketing and- naturally- the publication itself who always (understandably) has their own agenda they need to fulfill.

In the case of Twisted Metal and print mags, it's a bit of a challenge because we are always hearing this sort of thing: 'Vehicles on covers don't sell...we gotta see people/characters. Whenever we have covers with vehicles as the stars- in MOST cases- the sales for that month are not where we want them'.

And this is not just Gamepro. This pretty much seems to be the party line for 99% of the print mags that we've worked with. And we get the point. Most people are visually and instantly drawn to other people/characters instead of machines. Makes sense to us.

But it presents a challenge for our particular game because it's not good for Twisted to JUST put characters with no vehicles on magazine covers because new fans- as well as long time fans just getting wind of a new Twisted Metal- could easily misread the cover's message and think we've turned the new TM into a 3rd person character shooter and/or a game where you can get out of the vehicles and walk around ala GTA. So we're always trying to find the balance between giving the print mags what they need to succeed in their business world while also making sure the message of what the new Twisted Metal is is loud and clear (aka what WE need to succeed in OUR business world).

And sometimes there are mags that simply won't put cars on the covers at all. In those cases we have to look at the magazine's impact on gamers and the mag's cultural relevancy in the gaming space and the magazine's circulation and decide if the risk of potentially incorrectly communicating our brand with a non vehicle cover is worth it.

Usually though, the magazines are happy and helpful to work with us on a compromise and we are always grateful for that. This is why the actual Gamepro cover is different from Owen's initial concept art (which you can see a few posts down)...at the last minute Gamepro (a magazine we all love and were desperate to work with) stepped in with a suggestion of how to keep the cover character centric but still allow our brand message to shine through. I love how it came out and I hope the issue is selling great for the Gamepro folks.*

As for why Dollface was used instead of Sweet Tooth: I honestly don't know why Dollface was picked as the cover subject. Perhaps because PTOM (Playstation: The Official Magazine) had been kind enough just a few months back to also give our game a cover and they used a bad ass Sweet Tooth image (also by Owen) and so perhaps Gamepro wanted their Twisted cover to be different? I'm not really sure.

But as I said, I think it came out FANTASTIC! Hope you all do as well and I hope if you are into/interested in the new Twisted Metal (as well as interested in reading a game mag that- in the last year- has really, really gotten good) that you pick up the new Gamepro.

Later!

David

*Please don't read anything into the fact that the PTOM cover did NOT feature a vehicle. In other words: I'm not even close to suggesting that for PTOM we would live with potentially muddying our brand but we would not do the same for GAMEPRO. That's not the case and for all I know Gary and the team at PTOM would have been happy to work with us- like Gamepro-to create a marketable cover that worked for them while also working with us to more properly communicate our brand. It's just that the PTOM cover- which I also love and ended up getting a mega sized version framed and now have hanging in my office- came together before we had set up our internal marketing/PR/PD primary directive of 'ALWAYS show the game's characters IN/ON/AROUND/ASSOCIATED WITH the game's vehicles.' In fact Owen's submitted image for Gamepro also occurred before we had set up our 'Characters WITH vehicles' rule (thus the difference between his final image and the on the shelf cover). So again, thanks to Gamepro for stepping in with a great, creative solve that seems to have worked out great for everyone!

Shit Or Get Off The Pot...

+++++UDATED: SEE BELOW/AFTER INITIAL POST++++++++




Just because there's wind blowing and a minimal soundtrack and vast open spaces to explore and a slow pace doesn't mean that the game you are playing is art.


And just because a game's story and presentation contains elements you've see in the 'big boy movies' doesn't make a game adult or mean the medium is maturing.


These are all surface elements that-while challenging as anything else in games to produce well- do not speak to the maturation of the medium one iota.


I'm tired of seeing gamers- and game journalists especially- falling for this.


Game journalists of all people need to be calling us developers out on our smoke and mirrors bullshit.


If we really want to get to the top of the mountain we have to be honest about the current state of the 'art'.


Just because your game wears the trappings of relevancy does not make it relevant. Any more than putting on a beret and a black turtle neck and sitting outside a Parisian cafe makes you one of the intelligentsia.

Just because your game's surface elements shout from the rooftops that 'this is important and artistic and meaningful' doesn't make it so. And in fact, the more a game- or anything for that matter- rambles on and on telling you how special it is, the more reason we have to assume that the claims come from a place of ego (or marketing) and not real passion and innovation.

Real art and genuinely important work doesn't need to continually toot its own horn. The very nature of something being artistic and important means that- except in rare cases- its power is evident without anyone having to tell you that it is.

And the sooner the people who write about games for a living start reporting on this angle of the story, the sooner us developers will be forced to shit or get off the pot. 

David

++++++UPDATE: I was responding in this post's comment section to Matthew but it turned into a long ass rant...SO I thought I'd just share it here. Here goes:



Matthew, like you, I'm nowhere NEAR opposed to a more balanced gaming diet. But there is a difference between WANTING a more balanced gaming diet and ACTUALLY- as a developer- BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE GENUINELY GOOD ALTERNATIVES to the already fantastic core/pure play experiences that games have been offering (exclusively, as a medium, it should be pointed out) for over 5000 years.

To me the issue- and the worrying point of all this- is that there seems to be the need/desire amongst some gamers,some game makers, and a number of games journalists to shout from the rooftops that games 'have arrived'. But for those of us who simply don't think that that is anywhere near the case, it's troubling because it sends a false message that actually hurts the very progress that is needed to CREATE AND NURTURE the more nutritious gaming diet we so crave (assuming this sort of diet is even possible with games/interactivity).*

Adults and kids are- in many ways- not that different when it comes to maintaining their motivation. So If I tell one of my daughters- whose current obsession is learning to draw a photo realistic unicorn/Pegasus hybrid- that her art is perfect and her image looks like a photo realistic magical horse AND if this is NOT ACTUALLY TRUE (and instead I only wish that it were true), then am I really helping my daughter? Am I really respecting her? Am I really DISRESPECTING the craft of art, in both the medium and long term? Because best case- assuming she cares what I think- and I think she does :)- she'll think she's a better artist than she really is and lose some of her ambition. WORST case my lie will make her think she's achieved her goal when she really hasn't, and she'll no longer want to improve at drawing. It's not that different when it comes to the 'games as art' issue.

Tell us game makers we've arrived and before you know it, we'll think we really have (some of us already do). As will the fans and the press. But we really haven't arrived at all and it all just seems like this bullshit, backroom, secret-handshake kind of club where we tell the press how important and meaningful we've become in order to stroke our own egos, and then the press (SOME, certainly not all) goes off and writes about how important games have become in order to convince themselves they are doing important work and not 'just' writing about the number of guns in the latest shooter or the size of the levels in a hit game's expansion pak. And they also write about how important games have become so that it seems that their education and time is not being wasted and that perhaps one day- just like their colleagues at the 'important'  periodicals and web sites that they really wish they were writing for- they too will be taken seriously. And all this gets filtered down to certain vocal fans who then go off and spout the very talking points us developers have force fed them through the very press that they are paying for. And so these fans go out into the world, carrying our message about games being important and artistic and as relevant as literature and cinema ('We're in early days! This is just like silent film! Give it time! Which game designer/game development team will bring us our very own BIRTH OF A NATION?!?! Where's our CITIZEN KANE?!?!')...

But let's be honest- if the fans really felt this way, why would they be putting such passion and energy into trying to convince the world? I don't feel the need to convince you that I love cheese pizza, adore Marvel Comics, and think sitting at my kitchen table while having a great conversation with my family is one of my favorite things in the world to do. Those are all true statements, by the way. I just don't feel the need to sell you on that truth. Yes, I may occasionally ramble on about the benefits and joys of said things, but I don't feel the passionate need to convince you of the fact that I really enjoy them. Frankly, I'd rather be spending that energy and time actually enjoying cheese pizza, reading Marvel Comics, and chatting with the fam.

It's the same with 'games as art'. If artistic/meaningful games were even semi-close to being what so many 'games as art' supporters claim, many true believers would be saying, 'you either get it or you don't and it doesn't really matter to me because you not getting it doesn't take away my enjoyment of and my response to meaningful, artistic games'. But many supporters of the 'games as art' movement seem hell bent on convincing the world that GAMES. DO. MATTER. And come on, not to be a prick, but it's clear that this desire comes from the same place as the game maker's desire to create these sorts of arty games and the game press' desire to sell the 'GAMES HAVE ARRIVED' bullshit headline. And that place is: a deep seated insecurity born out of being a childhood/teenage outcast/geek.

Don't get me wrong. LOTS of great art has come- and will continue to come- from creators working through and allowing themselves- as adults- to feel the full brunt of childhood/teenage angst. But putting that angst IN THE WORK/ON THE STAGE/IN THE BOOK/ON THE SCREEN/IN THE PLAY MECHANICS is what matters and THAT is what makes something meaningful. Using that angst - and all that energy- to embrace, support, promote, and fight for a flawed theory (aka 'TODAY'S GAMES ARE AS- AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE- ARTISTIC AND EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL AS CINEMA AND LITERATURE') is sad at best and a waste of time at worst.


Now why do I care so much about all of this? Well part of it is- frankly- I got a SHIT TON of work to do this afternoon on Twisted Metal and we're running out of time and so I'm really anxious and nervous as all get out that we won't get it all done. That's just life in the game making biz. You NEVER get it all done. But it still makes me nervous as shit! So I'm procrastinating by blogging and tweeting about a subject that- no matter what any of us say today- is way too big and has way too many moving parts to predict what it will actually become in the next 5, 10, 100 years...So yeah, there's that. And so it's either blog away or stuff a mega sized cheese pizza into my pie hole. I guess I could simply be with and accept and feel the Twisted Metal anxiety and deal with it like an adult...but come on, who are we kidding? So yeah...there's that. But back to the point: why do I care about this subject so much?

Well the flip side to this whole thing is: those very same 'GAMES ARE ART!' accolades given out (by developers, press, and fans) to 'ART/MEANINGFUL GAMES' does damage to pure games.

'How?', you ask? Well I'll tell you:

Shining the powerful media light on these sorts of games- that tell you they are important but are not really all that engaging/interesting play wise and are nowhere near as emotional or meaningful as most B rate, night time dramas on network television-means that the media light and publisher cash gets taken away from traditional games. And because of this, traditional games are disrespected, devalued, and shown a lack of appreciation, understanding, and love for the very things the medium does so well, so effortlessly, and so successfully.

To shed copious print and e-ink (not to mention publisher marketing dollars) on a title just because it shouts loudly that it is art/important (where- upon closer inspection-said title is usually 'simply' a game ((and usually an average one at that)) cloaked in artistic robes created for- and custom tailored to fit- another medium) is a real problem.

To be going on and on about how games need to be/can be/should be/already are 'more' than 'just games'  to me disrespects the joy and happiness traditional games bring to the world. I don't know about you, but my life would be at least a little less fantastic (and probably a hell of a lot worse) without Baseball, Basketball, Chess, Chutes & Ladders, Old Maid, Ms. Pac Man, Zork, Super Mario Bros., Gears of War, Killzone 3, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty:Black Ops Multiplayer.

See, I'm ok if games are never 'accepted' or 'legitimized' or called 'art' by those folks that many in the 'games as art' argument seem to care about  (although I accept that perhaps one day games may very well be viewed that way, by elitist snobs and your 'average' people alike). But I'm not ok if the progress of making pure games better and more successful is slowed or even stunted by a significant enough redistribution of energy, funds, and media attention into the 'games as art/games are important' camp.

Why doesn't more of the gaming press trumpet the amazing breakthrus in play mechanics every year? Why do television commercials have to sell me the story aspect of the game versus the actual gameplay aspect? Why not more features in the deeper/more serious gaming mags and game sites about things like the chronic problem of conceptual and thematic mismatch of certain play mechanics within the settings/worlds in which those play mechanics exist?

Why spend 2-10 million dollars on cut scenes whose power only super rarely comes close to the non interactive media choices we already have on television and at the movies? Wouldn't that money be better spent on more levels, more weapons, unique play mechanic experiments, extra development time to tune and polish the title until it shines? Wouldn't that money be better NOT SPENT AT ALL so the developer and publisher breaks even faster and bonuses and royalties flow into the pockets of those folks who busted ass to create the game to begin with?

I'm not an idiot. I like IP, I like game fiction, I like stories in SOME of my games. I get all that. I get and enjoy the value of all that. But not when it comes at a substantial expense to the very thing that makes the medium great to begin with: gameplay/interactivity.

Also, this whole thing just seems odd and wrong and broken at a gut level. I mean, check this out:

You don't see folks who love traditional paintings going on and on about how their favorite medium needs to step up and get better at doing car chases and action scenes.

You don't see folks who love reading books going on and on about how books need a symphonic score that plays while you read (and changes based on the page you are on) in order for literature to reach its full emotional and artistic potential.

So why with games can't we just love games for what they are and always have been?

And doesn't this strike you as a bit odd: The core idea/point of/power of a story was painted 35,000 years ago on a cave wall in Europe and that core idea of what a story is still survives to this day (in books, summer blockbusters, indie films, short stories,etc.) Yes, details and specifics about narrative structure and the like have changed (a bit) over time, but the core idea of what a story is and is supposed to do is the same.

And isn't this odd: the core idea of what a game was for/what a game did well was created and embraced over 5000 years ago with ancient titles like UR and Mancala and today that same core idea of what a game is still survives.

The same applies to music. Granted, the tunes played on the oldest musical instrument discovered (35,000 years ago!) would be a far cry from the stylings of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Arcade Fire. But the core essence, the core idea of what music is and music's core purpose has not really changed in all that time.

So this idea of a story/games/meaning/art mashup seems very odd to me because in all of the time we've had games (analog and digital), if games COULD have been 'about' something and could have easily supported both narrative and play mechanics as a single unit, don't you think at least a FEW of those older, analog games from the past 5000 years would have AT LEAST hinted at such a thing? And in all that time, if STORIES could have used more interactivity to make them more meaningful to readers, don't you think at least a handful of stories (beyond CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE books) would have hinted at this? Don't you think readers from thousands of years ago would have naturally come to this conclusion/desire?

+++END UPDATE 

*Not to go off on an even larger tangent than the one I'm currently on, but this issue is strikingly similar to the debate between scientifically minded atheists/agnostics and certain evangelicals. Many hard core religious folks claim to already know many of the secrets of the universe (why we are here, what we're supposed to be doing, what happens after death) and they suggest we should just settle in and enjoy life by using an instruction book that was written- by MANY, MANY humans- some 2000-4000 years ago. In their minds, the case is closed, the day is done, the mystery is solved...let's eat! But to most scientifically minded atheists/agnostics that sort of thinking- and the insistence that others buy into that sort of thinking, many times at the expense of science-  is the very thing that STOPS man from getting closer and closer to life's currently unanswerable mysteries, as well as discovering new ones.

JAFFE VS. UTC LA JOLLA APPLE STORE

I love's me some Apple products, ya'll know I do. And I fucking think Steve Jobs is this generation's Willy Wonka/Walt Disney. I continue to be inspired and pushed and excited by their amazing work. All that said, the Apple Store in La Jolla can go fuck itself.




Great weekend ya'll!

David

ps. by the way, just to be 100% clear: in the above video when I say "I'm a fan of kicking your ass" or whatever it is like that that I say, this in NO WAY should be taken as me making a threat against Apple, ANY Apple store, ANY Apple employee, OR the Apple Store in UTC/LA JOLLA. I would not harm a fly unless the fly attacked me physically first.

I KNOW this is obvious from viewing the video but in this day of sue happy mother fuckers who either a) can't process things in proper context or b) CAN put things in context but choose to clog up the courts with bullshit lawsuits, I figured it made good sense to point that out. Thanks! :)

RAMBLIN' MAN!

Hey- peep my new video blog if you're into such nonsense :)

Mostly talking about remaining design decisions for Twisted Metal DeathMatch/Team Deathmatch.  Also chatting a bit about my GDC talk and hey: meet my new dog, Austin! 

Plus a preview of the next video blog (aka Kayne and Divorced Moms). So check it out! :)

Talk soon- hope all is well!

David 

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE COMIC CON! :)

As fellow San Diego Comic Con freaks know, tomorrow at 9am hotel reservations open up for the show! Last year I was dying to get into the Omni but my amazing assistant ended up booking me at the Hard Rock hotel. And man, I'm glad she did! What a great Comic Con hotel! Right across the street from the center, all the geeky celebs stay there, and right at the start of the Gaslamp. It really makes for the perfect Comic Con experience!


So tomorrow at 9am we're gonna be REFRESHING our browsers and hitting REDIAL on our phones trying to get some of us Eat Sleep Players into the Hard Rock! Wish us luck! Unless you are competing with us for the same hotels...in that case: FUCK OFF!!!! :)

So yeah, my brain is totally jonesing for those 4 amazing geek filled days in July! If you've never been, you just need to make the time. It's as simple as that. Nothing else comes close. Although to be fair, I've yet to attend either PAX convention (but I will be at PAX PRIME this summer). But even still, Comic Con is one of my top 2 or 3 fave times of the year.

Hell, I'm so jazzed I ordered this off Amazon yesterday...and it just came! :)

It's a big ol' coffee table book chronicling the 40 years of San Diego Comic Con. Check it out:

Tons of cool art...covers from all the Comic Con programs from 1970 till last year....

And then lots of great candids from the show itself! 

Man I'm digging this book! Makes the wait for July a little less painful!

Ok ya'll- back to work! Hope ya'll are doing great! Talk soon!

David 

DOLLFACE AS COVERGIRL!

Yes, I'm back. No long explanations, no super secretive reasons. The team and I have just been super busy with the game and so it's been much faster to stay in touch via Twitter. But I'm back now. Got a lot to say these days, lots of cool stuff going on to observe and chat about ,etc.

So let's begin, shall we? 

First up: Twisted Metal made the cover of the new GAMEPRO! Check it out!

Thanks for all the work and support GamePro! Super appreciated by us all! The cover and the article turned out just great!

Also, thanks for the Bunnies idea! If we're fortunate enough to do a TWISTED METAL 2, now I know the FIRST thing I want to propose to the team! :)

And before I forget: to some of the fans out there complaining that we didn't spill any new game specific beans in the article:

#1- I think this is a fantastic and very informative article about the history of the series, some cool behind the scenes stuff, insight into how we make the games and work as a team, a few new pieces of art that shows off what could be coming down the line. 

#2-We know ya'll want new info and I promise: new game related info is coming very soon. It's not my place to go into the PR strategies or give out information release dates but rest assured: the game is coming along GREAT, it WILL hit store shelves in 2011, and sooner than later we're gonna start showing our hand. 

We were actually going to unveil some new stuff at last week's GDC (and the team busted ASS to get the build looking and playing AMAZING!)... but at the last minute we decided to pull it. We all just felt that Twisted Metal is the kind of title that needs more attention and time than we would get by being sandwiched in between some of the MEGATON news announcements that dropped at last week's show.

To put it another way: so many games these days are big, epic, story events and Twisted Metal is PROUDLY and LOUDLY a GAME above all else! So we felt the game's next big reveal needed a little more breathing room than we would get at GDC; away from the bombast of the epic story based games and announcements/displays of next-gen tech. For us, the next time we show off the game we want to really make it clear that- to journalists and fans alike- that we feel we have something really fun and really special in today's market. 

Thanks for understanding! 

Ok- last thing for now:

Here is the AMAZING original cover done by one of Eat Sleep Play's super star concept artists. I'm happy to tell you his name but I need to ask him if it's ok first. Some of the team is happy to do press and put their names out and about while others like to keep a low profile and stay out of the press/spotlight. In the meantime- as Will.I.Am says- check this motherfucker out! 

Isn't that just so cool?!?

We're very grateful Gamepro worked with us at the last second to get Tooth driving his truck in the pic (we didn't want people to confuse the game with a FPS or 3rd Person Shooter vs. the pure vehicle combat game that it is. To people reading this blog, most of ya'll know full and well that TM is all about vehicle battles BUT new fans or fans who have neen away for a while might be confused and we didn't want that). BUT the original image- like the final Gamepro cover-is freaking amazing! And so I wanted to share! :)

And here it is mega big in case you want to- oh I dunno- make it your wallpaper or take it to your tat artist or somesuch :)...

Nice to be back blogging ya'll! Will be tweeting as well so keep following twitter if I've been informing and entertaining you all avec the tweets! 

So that's it for now. We got Panda Express downstairs and the smell of fried rice and chow mein is wafting up the steps. So I gotsta run! 

Take it easy ya'll!

David 

Me WANTS IT!!!!

...GOD I fucking want this!



This is the best Halloween display I've ever seen. So damn cool!

Totally one of those 'I wish I wuda thought of that' small businesses. Not sure how this guy is doing cash wise, but what fun!

Reminds me, I should download Atari's remake of Haunted House from Steam this weekend. Anyone played it yet?!?

David

Dear Max Console...

...please change your headline.

I never said EITHER thing you are saying I said. 

Come on ya'll. Show a little professionalism. 

David 

My Take On Medal Of Honor

I was home sick yesterday so in between bouts of sleeping I got to play a lot of Medal of Honor while crashing on the couch.


If you are interested, here's my take: 


I like it! 


The game has heart. The SP feels more immersive to me than a game like MW2. I think it's clear MW2 has MOH beat to hell and back in production value and sheer 'wow' factor, but MOH almost feels like I'm on an adventure with these three other soldiers...kind of more like playing a war story where as most other FPS war games feel more like I'm living in a war simulation. It's one of the reasons I'm really digging the SP of this game. I don't really know why that is as MW2 DOES have super cool scenario designs where it is just you and a buddy or two (ice pick climbing and such). But for some reason that game- while a fun ass ride- just doesn't feel as immersive. Is it that the scenarios are SO James Bond that it's hard to really feel immersed in the scenarios? Hell, maybe it just comes down to sound fx and music and MOH- I think-has really immersive sound and the music is just great. Makes me feel like I'm in a movie like SPY GAME or GREEN ZONE. 

That said, MOH is crazy repetitive in its enemy scenario design (to the point that- even as a short game- I'm reaching my threshold on how many times I can do the 'advance, hunker down and shoot dudes popping out, rinse repeat' thing). Also, I don't like how I went from being the Tier 1 guys to being Rangers. I was digging my ZZ TOP brethren and now- all of a sudden- I'm some clean cut army guy?!? WHY? 


Oh, also digging the little sub/mini game things like targeting tanks and trucks with the paint target binoculars thing. That's really fun! 


Also, I wish a lot of the non interactive story telling would have been interactive. How cool would it have been for ME to have solved the 'puzzle'- as a player- of kicking the dude in the chair ( with the bomb strapped to his chest) out the window?!? 


But still,all that said, really liking SP so far.

Digging the MP as well and not sure why. It still has the problem most FPS have (in my minority opinion) in that to ME it's not fun to respawn, run out and be alive for 5-30 seconds, then die and then you have this down time of respawning again, walking back to some sort of conflict area again before you are reengaged. I fucking HATE that pacing. But that's most FPS games, not just MOH. And most players seem ok with it.  

But the MP has me hooked for now. Maybe it's the quality of the matchmaking or just the fact that no one has played long enough to rank up to the point that they are fucking unstoppable monsters on the battlefield...or maybe it's the fact that the rank up rewards do a better job of keeping the balance fair while also rewarding players by letting them feel more powerful. Not really sure. But so far I've stuck with this MP longer than I stuck with MW2, KILLZONE 2, and BFBC2 MP. It just feels more 'fair' at the moment, like I have a good chance to get a decent number of kills, complete some objectives,etc. Versus just 'walk/die/walk/die' which tends to be my FPS online experience with other games. Is that only me? 



I also like the big, beefy medals that pop onto screen when you do something cool. Yeah, every online game has medals these days but the presentation of earning a medal in this game is a lot more rewarding to me for some reason than in other titles. That said, the presentation of achieving a rank up in this game is very lame. Just a little piece of text that says: YOU RANKED UP! ....meh :(


Anyway, I dig this game! I know the reviews have been mixed but for me it's a solid win.


David 

My Response to EA Louse...

If you have not read the EA LOUSE letter that is making some waves in the game biz today, I highly recommend it. It's good reading. Here ya go! 

And now, here's my response:

Knowing nothing about the company, game, or people, I'm in no position to comment on how true and valid all this is vs. how much it's just a tantrum from someone who felt they should have been listened to but was not.

I will comment on two things however:

#1- EALouse- no one gives a shit if you or the animators get to express yourselves IF in expressing yourself it breaks the fiction of/immersion into the world of the game. It's not a fucking art class where everyone gets a chance to 'show what's inside them!'...it's work. I don't know much about the Warhammer world but fuck man, seems a pretty spot on comment that if the whole fiction is about some horrid, down and dirty war then mechanics and animations that allow characters to fucking DANCE are probably not going to fit into that universe. And the fact that you feel removing the dancing- which was a good creative call in my mind- served to take away some of the team's ability to express themselves does nothing but paint you as someone with out of touch, unrealistic expectations of what your job is supposed to do for you. Games SHOULD allow for self expression by members of the team- that is FANTASTIC when that happens and something management should always try to offer up- but it's gotta be within context of and in service to the product.

#2- What the fuck is it about making games where it brings out the worst, most immature, most obnoxious sides of certain types of people on a team? Everyone thinks they always know better than the people in charge. On God of War 1 I still remember a small group of hard core gamers on the team that felt we were making the game 'wrong' because there was not all this deep, deep, Street Fighter 2/Tekken style depth to the combat system. "Jaffe's out of touch!" "Jaffe doesn't 'get it!'"...never did it occur to them that we were going for something else...even tho I explained this to them over and over! But still, every few weeks I could count on this little contingency being up in the studio head's office pitching 'their' version of the game, with the goal being to have the head step in- which he never did- and shove their ideas into the title.  Fuck it annoys me!  Am I the only one in games who has experienced this? 

David 


ps. the dancing part is not in the original post but in the Q/A-Comments section of the blog post where Louse goes on to answer reader questions. 

Fuckin' Ugh...

While I like this ad, think it's well made and funny, and think most of us can relate to it (as both the phone users and the people annoyed with the phone users), I really hate when tech companies take this angle. As I recall Prodigy or Compuserve did the same thing back in the dot com craze with some line like, "Log on, get your stuff, log off, and get on with your life".

To me it really shows a lack of understanding about how technology is changing our very wiring. To not only push against that change, but to present our obsession with tech and the ease with which so many of us get lost within it as a bad/wrong/weird thing just seems out of touch at best and intentionally dishonest at worst.

The reality is many people- for whatever reason- DO want to look at their phones and text and get mail INSTEAD of interfacing with the outside world. Stop being such old fashioned snobs and just embrace that fact. Fuck, you want to do something innovative and cool, get to work on a product that lets us dive deeper into the matrix without running the risk of bodily harm as we are walking around the real world (heads up displays for glasses and contacts lenses...stuff like that....Apple should come out with the ieye :)...).

But this just reeks of one of those 'don't be a geek all lost in your phone and your tech but be cool instead' messages that I just hate.

David

It Begins...

My brother came down from LA to help me decorate my yard over the weekend. This year my kids wanted a more scary Halloween display instead of the cute, little kid one we usually have. So I splurged at the Spirit store Saturday and picked up some creepy stuff. There is still no gore- they are way too young for that- but it's a lot more spooky! I dig it!

This is my fave area of the house with my brand new Grave Digger! He is so damn cool that when the holiday is over I'm gonna stick him in my office. :)

Also, the kid's costumes have gotten scarier too. Instead of the usual Disney Princesses and barnyard animal style costumes that they've gravitated towards since birth, this year my oldest is going as a Werewolf and my youngest is going as a...hmm...I dunno what the hell she's going as...she just assembled her own little thing from stuff lying around the store and ended up with this:

Kind of like a cross between a vampire, Star Child from KISS, and something out of a Meatloaf video. I love it...so surreal and creepy!

My brother and I also hit San Diego's famous HAUNTED HOTEL this weekend! I was SOOOO excited but it was kinda 'meh'. The production design/execution/professionalism/crowd control was fantastic! One of the best haunted houses I've been in in those regards; just very well done all around. But the scares were pretty by the book, nothing all that creative or unique other than the 'dot room' (which I won't spoil for you if you don't know what it is). I think it's time for haunted houses to step up to the next level; there is just so much more you could do with them. Not sure if there is a biz model that could sustain a more ambitious, creative haunt but perhaps one day- I hope- I'll get to find out.

Ok, back to work. As you can probably tell by the lack of updates, work is all consuming these days as we try to get the game where it needs to be before we unleash it to the world! Hope all is well!

David

ps. So my brother and I were older than 99% of the other people at the haunted house- naturally. But I got to wondering: why?!? At what age do most people lose interest in haunted houses? To me- assuming it's a good one- haunted houses can still be a fucking blast. What is it do you think that- as people get older- makes them no longer care to head out to the haunts for Halloween?

Peep My Nasty Ass Desk

I've been slammed. Work has been nuts- which explains the lack of updates this week. The state of my life and soul can easily be discerned by the cleanliness of my office and car. And when I am crazy with work, the rest of my life goes to pot (no time to clean, or excercise, or eat well...it's all work). Good news is these come in fits and spurts so it's not like this the whole project...just a lot of design docs to get written this week.

 Anyway, just wanted to share and say hey! Been too long.

Picked up DEAD RISING 2 and FRONT MISSION today. Hope to find some time to play this coming weekend.

Hope you are all well!

David

Jaffe The Couch Potato

I had big plans this weekend.

I really did.

I was going to drive up to LA tomorrow, see a buddy of mine and eat some amazing Indian food for lunch. Then I was going to swing by a friend's surprise birthday party- which has not been a surprise to him for about a week now. Then I was going to go to a show that night and meet the person doing the show (can't say who but I'm a mega, mega fan of this person)! AND I was going to meet a new industry contact who is doing some pretty big work in the biz. And I was going to stay with my brother who lives in LA and who lives right around the corner from the amazing Canter's Deli on Fairfax! Breakfast at Canter's=amazing!

Packed, fun weekend for sure.

But I'm bailing on it. I just have to.

This week was a lot of late nights for work and last weekend was non stop with the kids at Disneyland. And I'm just so damn fried that I think if I don't take care of myself and just let myself veg, watch tv, play some games, hang with the family, get in some exercise, lay in bed and read magazines on my iPad, watch a movie or two, and just- in general- fuck around, then I really think I'll be hating it on Monday. And there really is nothing worse than rolling in to work in a job you LOVE and just not being able to motivate yourself to do great work because your creative, emotional tank is just flat empty.

So sometimes you gotta know when to just say, "Fuck it" and remove yourself from the rat race (fun as that race can be).

This weekend is one such time.

Hoping I can resked all the LA fun for the coming weeks.

In the meantime, I'll be on the couch :)...

Great weekend ya'll!

David

R.I.P. Blockbuster Video

Ok, that may be a little premature but you get the idea. And you never know, they could come out of this stronger than before but I doubt it. Plus shit, much as I have fond memories of going to the video store, most of those memories are from Mom and Pop video stores, NOT Blockbuster. So maybe it should not be R.I.P....hmmm...anyway, I'm slammed. Here's a video blog :)

Hope all is well!

David

I Am Ken Watanabe!!

Just woke from a dream in which I had cracked open the PS2 version of the new Twisted Metal game we are making. It was being created by a different, brand new, much smaller team of people. Brand new start up group. This was their first game.

Now there IS no PS2 version of the new Twisted Metal. THAT should have been a tip off that I was dreaming and my architect had overstepped.

But I stayed asleep.

After I opened the box I immediately grabbed and flipped thru the manual: it was filled with lots of super cool ideas for car combat games. Most of it was the stuff I wanted in the current PS3 TM that we just have not had the time to do (ex: laying oil slicks in the level and then if you drop napalm onto the oil or shoot missiles over the oil, the heat from the napalm ((or from your missile trail)) would ignite the oil slick and create giant protective walls of flame). Stuff like that. And this team- this small, scrappy, brand new 'never made a game before' team- HAD somehow managed to pull all that stuff off!

So all the ideas I wanted for the new TM that we did not have time to do were in someone ELSE'S game...but not in ours?!? Hmmm. Now THAT should have tipped me off I was dreaming...or in hell. But nope, I stayed asleep.

What woke me up was when I took another look at the game manual and realized it was more than 5 pages long and in color.  HA! A nice, slick, THICK, COLOR game manual!?! In 2010?!? PLEASE! Nice try Sidhe! You almost had me! MAYBE next time!

David

ps. It's 5am. I'm goin' back to bed.

Sweet Tooth Returns!

Get all the latest info on our new game in the latest issue of Playstation: The Official Magazine! 

I have not seen the piece yet so no idea if they dug the preview we gave them or they hated us or what. Gulp! Hope they dug what they saw last month! 

Either way- check it out- should be on new stands any day! Lemme know what you think!

David

ps. A character/vehicle many folks have been asking about is revealed in this issue.

pps. Not only is this issue of P:TOM sweet cause it has OUR game in it :) BUT this is also the kick off issue of their brand new redesign! Eager to see what the new look/take has in store! 

Up With The Sun...

It's 5:30am, up since 5 to work. So much left to do on the game and most work days after around 5pm, I'm done, fried, kaput. I can do bizzy work after 5pm, but creative, analytical work is pretty much shot for me once the sun goes down. As I get older, I DO tend to be able to do creative work late at night but I can't always count on that (I never know when that energy surge is gonna hit). So I get up early to try and get as much work in before late afternoon as I can. Hard to tell if it's better to be more clear (i.e. less tired) for less hours (i.e. sleep till 7-7:30 instead of up at 5) OR if it's more productive to get up at 5 and have more hours to work but have less focus. We'll see! :)

Meanwhile...is it odd I'm really excited to see this?!?

I know it's a kids movie...or maybe FAMILY movie is more correct? Either way, I'm taking my kids this weekend. Has sort of a Dark Crystally feel, yes? PLUS it's from Snyder...how can you go wrong with a PG kids movie made by the 300 and Watchmen guy?!?! Anyway, let ya know how it is! 

Ok- gotta get cranking- later!

David 

Journalistic Assumptions

I'm really tired of journalists writing pieces about what they feel is lacking in games- be it deeper artistic sensibilities, deeper stories, meaningful mature views of the world, or more realistic portrayals of women- and framing the opinion as if it's a foregone conclusion that what they are asking for simply needs to happen and it's our lack of maturity as developers or our lack of ability or our fear of a lack of sales that are the things that prevent their desires from coming true.

It's like they never stop to consider that perhaps many of us game developers don't want what THEY want.

Maybe some of us LIKE games that don't want to be art.
Maybe some of us would rather be the Jerry Bruckheimer of games than gaming's Orson Wells.
Maybe some of us LIKE portraying women in a more comic booky way (the same way- by the way- that the vast majority of male game characters are portrayed).
Maybe some of us don't want to load our games down with political and philosophical discourse.

The point is not whether games can or should push at these boundaries. For some developers and gamers they absolutely should try to do so (and some games do try and at times somewhat succeed). For other gamers and developers, not so much.

But just because YOU- dear journalist- may want games to be a certain way (and you have every right and in some ways even an obligation to shout from the rooftops about what you don't like and what you want to see changed about the medium that you cover) don't assume that we all have the same desires that you do. And more importantly don't assume that the reason things are not the way you want them is because game makers are just not trying hard enough or we're all stunted or we're all too scared of not moving units.

And if you really want to write about this topic in a fresh, meaningful way- and since some of you are so clear on the fact that if we were just more grown up as developers we could be making video game versions of Citizen Kane (don't fucking get me started),  how about an article explaining exactly what you mean? Be specific. Explain first off what it is about Citizen Kane you want to see done interactively. Explain the psychology that drives a player to chase after feelings and emotions in a videogame that they can already get in other mediums. Talk about the collapse of the suspension of disbelief in the fiction- that is required to immerse someone in a film or book (and thus allows those mediums to be powerfully emotional and moving)- that occurs the moment you pick up a controller and are given a task to complete. Discuss the challenge - and is it even possible- to create emotion while a player is also- at the same time- busy dealing with a task. Instead of just being accusatory ('developers are stunted' 'developers are scared of real women and/or don't understand women'), and instead of being presumptuous ('games should be ABOUT something! They should tackle the tough subjects like marriage and death and politics and these game makers are just so worried about blockbusters that they avoid making the medium great!) actually dig into whether this thing you say you want is even possible in this medium, how it works, the brain science and psychology behind interactivity and how there may (or may not) be ways to merge play and emotion.

David

ps. before anyone comments about how games can be art and such, I get it. I want games that have deeper meaning and deal with tougher issues as well. I'm not opposed to that. And as much as I'd like some games I work on to allow me to proudly wear the 'Jerry Bruckheimer' label, there are times- and games I want to make- that would let me drape myself in the cloak of Sidney Pollack or Spielberg or Nolan. So I'm not hating on the idea of games being 'more' than just action/adventure and explosions and T&A. I'm bitching about some journalists that assume that the reason most games are not 'more' than this has everything to do with lazy, untalented, and/or scared developers.

2 Quick Thoughts

#1- POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK

Is amazed that so many ultra right wingers can- on one hand- claim to be anti Muslim but on the other hand endorse the very freedom killing beliefs that only the most extremist Muslim folks (who do not represent the vast majority of Muslims) support. 


#2- OLD JIMMY STEWART CREEPS ME OUT AND MAKES ME SAD

I'm watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance these days (taking me a few nights to get thru it) and I just don't like seeing Jimmy Stewart older than say 35. It's just not right, not natural, and it's downright creepy. He's only and always supposed to be young, full of life, energy, and good old fashioned can-do American spirit. Like this:

And this:

Now THAT'S Jimmy Stewart dammit!


Right wingers want to ban media and games and movies? Well start with this: Ban all Jimmy Stewart movies where he's older than 35. No matter if they are classics like Valance and Vertigo, just ban those fuckers. Ban them now! Old Jimmy Stewart is bad for America.


That's is all.


David 

Sweet! New Disney Animation!

Day one! With my kids of course! But hell, it looks so good I'd probably end up seeing it even if I didn't have little girls :)

I know I'm in the mega minority on this but I tend to like Disney animation more than Pixar movies. Princes and the Frog had some big issues but I enjoyed it much more than the latest Pixar flicks (which had tons of heart but mega story issues for me).

Anyway, this looks great!

Torn Between Two Dantes

So this dude above- based on all we know right now- is the new Dante from Devil May Cry.

Fans ain't happy. Well, at least if internet message boards are to be believed (but given how well Scott Pilgram and Snakes on A Plane performed at the box office, isn't it time we just accepted that all of the geeks posting on the net really only amount to like 1000 people or something??!)

I'm torn. As the guy who was very seriously considering turning Sweet Tooth into an inner city gang banger (big ass, super tough black man with fire tats on his bald head instead of flames), I get the need and desire to freshen up and re-imagine characters from time to time. Creative folks have got to have the freedom to play around, experiment, push boundaries. That's why they- we- are creative folks. It's what we do.

At the same time, when you are talking about classic characters- like Dante- how much consistency is owed to the fan base? How much consistency is needed for you to be allowed to drape your product in the name of an established franchise? And does that amount change if what is being delivered- new and fresh as it is- is crazy great? I would imagine if the dude above was all kinds of awesome visually, fans would be being more forgiving. It's not that he's bad at all. He's totally fine but he's kind of generic. Which may very well be the point. Maybe he BECOMES classic Dante with all his crazy quirks and flair as you play thru the game. Maybe he's generic so players can project their own personality on him (ala GTA). Maybe he's generic because they are going for an archetype (ala Nathan Drake). I got no way of knowing at this point. 

Fans should also keep in mind that the Devil May Cry games- at least since the first one- have not been mega sellers. Yes, DMC has its share of devoted fans (and I'm one of them). But it's not like we're talking Modern Warfare numbers here. Not even God of War numbers. So I can see a publisher and developer going, 'Shit, we gotta do something to take this amazing game series and make it more relevant to a lot more people'. So I can see how they ended up where they are now. This guy's design may not be the next Master Chief but I can see him being more commercial to more gamers compared to the very cool but also very effeminate classic Dante. 

So I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Let the team play, let them roam, let them try to entertain us. I'm sure this decision was not made lightly. I think sometimes the net jumps the gun and mocks and makes fun and tears creative types apart without giving them a chance to prove themselves. 

Once the game or movie or comic is out? It's fair game, for sure. Hell, I'll never forgive Crystal Skull for being a shit pile. But until the game is done, I'm all for supporting the creative process. Because when it works, we get amazing, amazing things.

David 

My thoughts on the recent used games court ruling...

Happy to see the the recent legal ruling over used game software. I'm excited about what it could mean to console game makers if game publishers step up- as a group- and make some demands of the retail giants (Gamestop, Best Buy, Toys R Us, Walmart,etc.).

Now don't misunderstand. I'm not opposed to used game sales. I NEVER have been (contrary to what some will tell you). I think used games help the market- to an extent- and I think gamers should always get the very best deal they can get when buying ANYTHING.

And I don't disagree with the doomsday scenario Jim Sterling of Destructoid paints of what could happen to the game business IF used games are no longer sold: fewer new games sold because customers could not use in store credit to buy new copies. Sure, that's a possibility. And a bad one.

But I'd like to think this legal precedent could/would be used instead to either:

a- motivate publishers to force big retail into sharing profits with publishers on used titles (i.e. 'hey, you want to keep breaking the law big retail store? Fine...then cut us in'). This is the ideal solve so publsihers win, big retail wins (a bit less than they win right now but they still get to make gobs of cash), and gamers themselves never have to feel ANY change to their game buying habits. Check it: everybody wins!

b- motivate publishers to force open a window where games can not be sold used OR rented for the fist X months of release. THEN once the window closes, the games can be sold used and rented and the publisher gets a cut. In this case, everyone wins but the gamer who buys used or rents and thus- annoyingly- has to wait a bit longer to play. But this is the movie model and it seems to work fine for those folks.

A common, obnoxious game fan insult thrown at any game maker who voices that they don't like the current used game market system is that game makers are greedy. I hear that a lot whenever game makers bitch about used games. I hear that AND I hear the stupid 'first semester on the debate team' quality analogy comparing used games to used cars which simply doesn't hold up if you think about it for 5 seconds. But on the greed insult, it goes something like this:

'You game makers are greedy fucks! You charge 60 bucks for your games- which is way too much- and they are never worth that much anyway. How much is enough for you? You just want all of our money!'

Now sure, some game makers are very greedy and would sell their mother to the Taliban if they could turn a profit (and we all know who I'm talking about here). But most are not. Yes, publishers want to make money and lots of it. But that's just business. That's not greed.

And the consistent decline in game sales shows that business is not so good. Some attribute it to longer games- ala RED DEAD and COD4:MW2- keeping players from buying more games (aka if a game can last you 100+ hours, you don't need to buy another game for a good long while). Some say it's the free stuff to play on the net (why pay for anything when I get just as much fun- for free- from AddictingGames.com?!?) . Some say it's iphone and ipad games (that are not tracked with the NPD). These are all valid- and in some cases wonderful- reasons the core console business is struggling.

But many suggest- myself included- that a good percentage of the issue is that used games are ruling the roost these days and gamers- especially in a tough economy- are opting to save cash by buying a used game versus ponying up for a brand new one. And since a new game is the only way publishers and developers make cash on their work, well it makes sense why the industry is suffering.

So for me this legal decision is a GREAT thing. But only if publishers use it to force big retailers who sell used games to cut them in on the deal.

THEN we all win.

Well actually- truth be told- THEN the fight will be developers struggling to get publishers to include used game sales in their contracts. But that's a fight for a different day :).

David

It's 12:11am...

...and I know what I'm doing for the next hour or so.

Halo, Abba Zaba, and diet Coke! What could possibly go wrong?!?

Sure, I gotta get up early for work and to take my kids to school but fuck it, I can play till 1 or so and still get around 6 hours of sleep...that should be enough,eh?!?

Thanks to the fantastic help from Jose and Kristen at my local Gamestop for helping me secure a copy at the last second. You guys rock tons!

David 

PICS OF THE DAY!

Hey ya'll! Wanted to share 2 things real quick:

#1-DIFFERENTIATION CATEGORIES FOR TWISTED METAL:

About to settle in and take a first pass whack at getting our vehicles to feel unique and special and make sure each vehicle is balanced. The first step in a long process of tuning and tweaking nobs begins with a spreadsheet.

#2-RESPECT...BUT STILL:

I'm just seeing this for the first time today. I have to imagine this has been going around the net for ages and I'm just now seeing it. It seems like perfect NEOGAF fodder altho I've never seen this image on GAF. But a buddy of mine just brought it to my attention this morning. Hard to not respect the length these gamers went to in order to create an online game experience with a split screen game, as goofy as this picture is. But two things:

#1- as a guy who loves split screen gaming, to me, I always design with the fact that the other guy CAN see your screen in mind. To me, it's part of the fun, part of the strategy. Doesn't mean these guys above are not having a blast doing it their way; I can see that working out really good. But I always assumed others were looking at my screen and planned around that fact (as a player and a designer) accordingly.

#2- Fuck, it must REEK under that sheet! A potent cocktail of nerdsweat, cheetos, and stale farts.

David

VMAS!

Sweet! Excited for the VMAS tonite!

It's odd: I'm almost 40 and I know more of today's bands and singers and songs than the acts that were hot 10 years ago. Why is that? itunes and youtube, man. itunes and youtube have totally kept me in the know and excited about today's popular music whereas 10 years ago I had stopped listening to radio- cause it was just an abysmal experience- and so I fell out of the loop in terms of which singers, bands, and songs were popular.

NOTE: I refuse to call them 'artists'. Entertainers, singers, acts? Sure- totally. But 99% of them don't deserve the title 'artist' and I just fucking laugh when they use it to define themselves. The writers and producers? Yes, some of them are artists for sure. And some of the musicians and singers are as well. But the vast majority of today's prepackaged acts? Not so much. Which is fine. I still dig Taylor Swift and Britney Spears, totally! But they ain't artists. Jay-Z, Kanye, Eminem, Mary J Blige, tho? Yeah, I would say they are artists for sure.

Anyway- artists or not- seems like it's gonna be a great show! Kanye doing an apology song to Taylor Swift? Live performance of AIRPLANES by B.o.B and Hayley Williams, live stuff from Eminem! What's not to love?!? And Chelsea Handler hosting? Should be a great fucking show! I'm jazzed!

David


++++++UPDATE+++++
Ok, I think I just had a cranky senior moment. But I'm only 39! Yeah, I know. But look:  the more I think about it, if you WRITE a song and it connects with people, then fuck it, in my book, you get to call yourself an artist. I mean, isn't that the whole point of art? So sure, while I like the pop bubble gum vibe of Taylor Swift's music (which she does write herself) and simply think it's fun, light, silly music to have on in the background, there are probably millions of teeny bopper girls who do see Taylor Swift as a genuine artist. And who am I to say different? To them, Swift's music is probably an anthem for their lives. For them, Taylor Swift's music touches them and makes them think and makes them feel. So fuck it, she gets to be an artist too :)

And hell, I guess even if you don't write the music, if you can sing it in such a way that your voice- or your guitar or your drums or your fuckin' flugal horn- touches and moves people, then shit yeah, you can be an artist too.

But if you DON'T write it and your voice is pretty much all computer processed out, then no, YOU do not get to be an artist. You get to be an 'act'. And there are LOTS of people out there making hit music who do fall into this category. So them? Those people? I laugh at them.

The rest are ok...in my book. No idea what's up with your book :)

Ok, now I'm done.

FUCK I'm getting old! :)