In Defense Of Non Arty Box Art

Lots of gamers- myself included- like nice, artistic box art.

Lots of gamers- myself included- bitch when a publisher kicks a nice, arty box to the curb and replaces it with a lesser box. ICO is a pretty famous example of this:

Neither box is that commercial and no doubt the box on the left better represents the brilliance of the game inside the box. BUT I would say that the box on the right- which promises an action adventure to the average person just strolling by the box- is a smarter marketing decision. It's simply more commercial. Not by much cause there are better looking action/adventure boxes out there. But compared to the two, if I HAD to choose one based on which box would generate the most sales, I'd take the one on the right.

Two More Examples:

EXAMPLE #1: Twisted Metal:Black box art. I fucking LOVED it.

Thought it was and still think it is a powerful image. But it was a terrible box for a game about car combat. And I think it hurt our sales. I pushed for the mood and theme of the game over the game itself and I think it was a mistake.

Granted, you can go too far with JUST putting the core mechanics on the box. For example:

 

Now I really like the Split/Second demo and wish the game well. It looks tons of fun. And to be fair to Split, I think they have a new, better retail box and are not using this early box for the retail space. But there are lots of final, retail boxes out there like the one on the left and it illustrates the danger of being too literal and SIMPLY reflecting the mechanics and setting and leaving out the spirit of the game; leaving out the FEELING that the game promises to provide. Hell, now that I think about it, the perfect box for TM:BLACK would have blended the Black image above (what you FEEL) with the Split/Second image to the left (what you DO). With some guns and rocket launchers thrown in for good measure and so it was clear TMBLACK was not a racing game :)...

EXAMPLE #2: HEAVY RAIN. Lots of people don't like the SCEA version of the Heavy Rain box. They'd have rather seen SCEA go with the SCEE box. I happen to disagree. Here is why:

Do you see it? See how the Heavy Rain box- in CONTEXT- kind of...well...to me anyway...fails?

Now Europe- duh- is clearly a different market. So perhaps the lone origami image works great over there. And no doubt it's a very nice cover. But is it an effective cover? I would say- at least for America- it is not. Just look at it: amid the sea of boxes that promise action, adventure, power, fantasy, much loved movies, being a sports hero, and taking home a virtual pet, the Heavy Rain box looks like some dull puzzle game. Is it a jigsaw puzzle game? Do I fold virtual paper to make shapes? For me, I would totally pass it by if I just had the box art to go on (which is how a good % of shoppers look for games. Sure, many use the net or word of mouth to aid in their decision, but when they go into a store, the box art is a major factor in if they are going to take the time to reach out and grab the product).

So I guess what I'm really saying is: I've changed. I don't need art for my box art. I don't need a box that can be turned into a nice poster or tee-shirt or an icon that those in-the-know will respect. These days I want a box that functions, a box that screams- to the masses- pick me up, bitch! :)

David 

ps. I get that for SOME people- and maybe some cultures even- a nice, arty box is JUST the thing that makes them reach out and grab the box. I just don't think this is the case for the majority of American game shoppers.

pps. I also get that for new, unique games like HEAVY RAIN there is value in standing out as different from the crowd. Because a good argument to be made is that a large number of the people who will love HEAVY RAIN are the same kind of people whose eyes are glazing over at ANOTHER box with a power fantasy or sports star...and they would pick up the SCEE HEAVY RAIN box simply because it looks DIFFERENT. I get that. Makes sense. But in the case of the box above, I think that idea could have come across while still creating a box that seems less like a puzzle game. For example, the SHUTTER ISLAND movie poster seems like it could have been a good inspiration for 'something different but still commercial'. Anyway, just rambling now :) 

ppps. Shit, they made PAIN into a retail game over in Europe? Sweet! Did not know that :)

Things Are Tough All Over

Creative products do not magically appear via wishing and pixie dust and good old fashioned hope. Yeah that's part of it for sure. But the rest takes good, old fashioned hard work and hustle.

I know, I know: no shit, Jaffe.

And I should know this.

Given how challenging it is to get a video game made, I should be as aware of this fact as anyone working in the creative industries. Every day all of us on a game deal with the pressures of budgets and schedules and expectations and creative differences and egos and technical snafus and our personal lives that affect how we do our day to day, and the pressures to be great that come from us, from our fans, from the press, from the haters,etc,etc,etc. It never, ever ends. Cause when one game is done, you're off to the next one. Hell BEFORE a game is done, you're already thinking about the next one. 

It's a tough ass job to pull something worthy from the ether. 

And I should know this.

I should know that ANY product- and certainly any creative product- is a multi year long battle just to push that motherfucking bolder to the top of the hill.

Speaking of, here's a little pic I keep taped to my monitor to remind me- when the days are hard as hell and you just want to give up- how great it feels to get that boulder to the top.

Yeah I know. I can't draw for shit. Fuck off. :)

And yet, when I read something like this (detailing the recent challenges and mad rush of the Disneyland corporation to turn around the California Adventure theme park using a 1 billion dollar influx of cash), I am still amazed. Because as a fan- with no stake or involvement in any theme park- I nurse this fantasy that theme parks magically appear and magically run and that there are no egos or budget issues or late nites or time away from family in order to make those truly magical places come to life. To me places like Disneyland simply ARE. They are wished into being and that's all there is to that.

And as a fan, this is how it should be. Unless you want to get into the business of making this stuff (and I highly recommend it cause it's a fucking blast!) then you really never should peek behind the curtain.

Cause if you peek behind the curtain you realize that this stuff- no matter the format- is HARD WORK.

But in many ways I am glad to see how tough the Disneyland people are having it right now. Because it makes me realize that EVERYONE who does creative work is always up against the shit, day in and day out. That it's ALWAYS a struggle. And that it's NOT just me, not just my design partner Scott Campbell out in Utah, not just the amazing team at Eat Sleep Play, not JUST the super talented folks at Sony or Microsoft or Nintendo. And not just people in games. But people in movies and music and comics and television and theme parks and plays and on and on and on.

So I dunno, in some ways, it makes me feel like part of a big ass, hard working club, you know? Like we're all busting ass just to make people happy. I like that :)

And speaking of busting ass- back to work! Later ya'll!

David

Just a shot of the tots of behind the scenes work being done at Disney's California Adventure to create the new CARS LAND area of the park. As a fan, I can't wait. But I'm sure the Disney peeps are shitting a brick to get it done in time :) Thanks Disney! That's why you get my money!

PEEP MY SCHWAG!

Slammed with work and stomach flu. Wanted to share pics of some of my newest office mates real quick tho :)

Got my Doctor Who Tardis in the mail the other day! :) And that's my BEFORE YOU QUIT YOUR JOB book on the right, by the way. Read that to assuage my fears before I left Sony (after a 13+ year run). Didn't help. Was still scared shitless. :)

Damn thing even opens up, lights up, makes cool sounds,etc.  Used to think Doc Who was so stupid (a dude flies around in a Police Public Call Box?!? What?!?!)...now I can't get enough of it. Downloaded the soundtrack to work to a few days back as well :)

LOVE Darksiders! Love the character of War! Love the whole world and art style of the game! Thanks to lead designer Haydn Dalton and comic book super star (and Darksiders Creative Director) Joe Madureira for the super neat signed Darksiders schwag!

Ok, gonna work till I pass out or vomit. Lots of work over the weekend so I hope I sleep this damn bug off. Later ya'll! Have a great weekend! Part of me wants to see the new NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (I LOVE Freddy and that series in general) but I hear it sucks. :( But hell, it's a horror movie. What, I expect Oscar nominations? Freddy is like pizza anyway. ANY Freddy is good Freddy...altho I do not dig this new dude playing him...but I'll give him a chance. He rocked in Little Children.

David

JAFFE ON DAY ONE DLC/DOCTOR WHO/GAME SHARING

FINALLY got my video blogs working again! Pardon the bed head and the messy office. Between tons of work and 2 sick kids at home, it's been a hell of a week so far!

QUICK HITS (E3+SPIELBERG+AFTERBURNER+RED DEAD)

Hey ya'll! Been crazed with work as of late working on TWISTED METAL: HARBOR CITY!

Just kidding! You seen this?!?

Man you'd think if someone bothered to go thru the trouble of trying to fake peeps out with a 'what will be shown at E3' list, the least they could do is avoid some stupid mistakes like listing games that were cancelled a few years ago (like Harbor City or Road Rash HD).

Just for the record: Even tho we can not talk about what we are working on (it is Sony's game so they will announce it when they want to), there is NOTHING on this list that we are making or have ANYTHING to do with. I guess it's possible this list is real tho but I really doubt it given the crazy errors and brain farts that I already mentioned. Kind of hope it is real tho cause MAN I would LOVE to see a new Road Rash!!! :) Altho it would suck if Sony had someone else making a Twisted Metal. I'd love to think if there were ever gonna revive that series they would come to us first. But hey, not my call. 

STILL, gotta admit I'm pretty excited for E3. People keep asking if I'm gonna go and I think I will TRY to get up there for at least one day this year. I missed last year so I've yet to see the new improved 'bigger than before but not as big as back in the day' E3. But my oldest daughter is doing PETER AND THE WOLF on the first day of the show so there's no way I'm missing that. She plays the duck :)...So I think I'll end up just watching the whole thing from the comfort of my office, banging away on our game while the great internet coverage blares in the background. I especially like the Gamespot ON STAGE demos that they stream live from the show floor...makes me feel like I am there. As I've said before, fun as it is to go to E3, I really like experiencing it from home more. Nothing beats live E3 coverage in one window, Neogaf in another (with threads being added to like wildfire), Rubio's at my desk, and the press conferences playing on G4. 

Anyway, so been too swamped to deal with my video blog issue so I'll get to my thoughts on gamesharing and day one/On Disc DLC in a bit. For now, some very quick hits and just saying 'hey!'...

#1- HD KILLS YOUR IDOLS- As many of you know, I grew up IDOLIZING Steven Spielberg. I mean, he was my mega hero and I pretty much wanted to BE him when I grew up. For real. Over the years as I've grown up, built my own life, had my own successes, and actually met the man a few times the hero worship has faded significantly. I still admire and am crazy inspired by the guy but I'm now very happy being David Jaffe. I don't need to be Steven Spielberg anymore. BUT I gotta admit, there's still a tinge of idolization left over, probably always will be there. And I dig that, I like that. I kind of never want to lose that hint of what it was like to be a kid and having a crazy amazing hero/role model. However when I see stuff like this, it helps to make it VERY clear to me that he's just a man, not a God:

So here's a screen grab of my new MINORITY REPORT BLU RAY that I just got from Amazon. Pretty decent Spielberg interview about the underrated  flick (which I think- with age- will find more and more fans). But anyway, point is: what did I notice most about this interview? Was it a new insight into precrime? Or a cool new factoid about the Cruise/Spielberg working relationship? Nah. What I most got out of this interview was this: watching Steven in full HD it makes it SO CLEAR he's just a guy. You see his pores and a few blemishes and lots and lots of unkempt hair and a scruffy beard. All of that oh so human detail just sucks away the magic I usually associate with the man. If I woulda seen this as a kid, who knows if I would have tried to be a movie maker?!? On one hand I think it's very, very good to see our idols as the people they really are. But I admit a part of me is sad by this cause it really does make you realize there are no magical people walking around. We're all just human. And so seeing this interview in all its HD glory goes a big step towards bringing this guy down to a human level. Now most people probably never idolized Spielberg like I did so for you, you'll probably be going, "Well no shit, Jaffe...of course he's just a man!"...but think about someone you do or DID idolize when you were younger? Wasn't it cool/weird/sad/strange/amazing when you finally realized they were just a person? 

#2- PLAYING AFTER BURNER ON PSN- 

Not much to say...it's Afterburner. No surprises but well made, fun, and Sega blue skies! What's not to love?


#3- RED DEAD REDEMPTION- GREAT write up in the Sunday LA TIMES Calendar section! Aimed at an educated mainstream audience the write up makes the game sound really, really fun! Here's a link to it online. The one thing that KIND OF annoys however is the opening quote by Dan Houser. It's hard to make it out in the image above but basically when asked what the game is about, Dan says, "It's America. The birth of modern America. What was gained and what was lost."...

Uhm...yeah. Excuse me but my hyperbole/bullshit/games-as-art detector is going off.

And hey, I dig GTA and think what Rockstar has done for the biz is FANTASTIC! And for all I know Rockstar has cracked the nut and players playing RED DEAD will actually understand and feel what Houser is talking about. And if that's the case, I will take back my cynicism. But for now, please allow me to be a smarmy prick as I think back to the days when I was telling the press that Twisted Metal:Black was 'about' depression and dealing with inner demons. Uhm, sure Jaffe.

Ya know, a good reporter woulda called me on that bullshit and been like, "Ok, tell us about that." Or better yet they'd have said, "You sure it's not really about cars blowing each other up with you basically riffing on the Seven and Jacob's Ladder visual style and surface tone without really understanding what made those movies tick on a more human level? And even if you DO understand those movies at a deep level, how in the hell are you infusing those themes and that meaning into a video game at all...let alone a video game where you drive around and shoot power missiles and napalm at other cars?".... Yeah, a good journalist woulda asked me that. But they never did. Suckers :)

But either way, the Red Dead looks FANTASTIC and I can't wait to play it! 

Ok ya'll back soon with a damn video blog once I get the whole thing sorted out and we're not so damn bizzy with the game. Hope you are all well!

David 

UGH!! DAMMIT!

Hey ya'll- sorry so few posts this week. Hate that. But I tried to do a video post 3 times (which means I spent about 30 minutes total recording). Each and every time, when I hit STOP RECORDING, my browser would crash (using Youtube). So I gotta figure that shit out.

Anyway,I really want to chat with ya'll about my issues with GAME SHARING and DLC DAY ONE/ON DISC stuff. But fuck video for now, I'll just use text. Also wanna show some of the amazingly cool DARKSIDERS toys/schwag that the game's lead designer Haydn Dalton sent me. He also had Joe Mad sign the stuff! Holy cow! Will post pics and do my write up this weekend.

For now, just saying hey and letting ya know why the posts have been so spotty this week. Will look into the YOUTUBE issues as well when I get a sec.

Ok great weekend! Talk tomorrow or Sunday!

David

ps. VIDDLER crashed on me too when I went to process the video so it's gotta be on my end. An update to my software maybe? 

Movie Makin' With The Sony San Diego Peeps

Spent the last few days in the Sony Cinematics offices in San Diego. They are the group that does most of the movies for Sony games, along with mocap, behind the scenes footage, stuff for HOME, and all kinds of other cool, hi-tech stuff that I'm not allowed to share. But they're a cool bunch and always fun to visit with.

So the crew there is handling the flicks for our latest game. And as I've said in a previous blog post, a number of issues have cropped up in the last month (budget, timing, story telling syles) that have necessitated rewrites to the script. But production is so close to starting that we figured we'd skip the rewrite script phase and jump right into storyboards, adjusting (and in some cases out and out rewriting) the story as we boarded. 

So that's what we did, and that's what I've been doing all week.

Super producer Nick Kononelos rolled white boards into his office and we had a big ol story telling/story boarding jam session as we worked thru all the shots and the story. It was fun! Check it out:

That's Tony Washington, super nice dude and he of this video clip right here. World of Warcraft and Comic Con fans may recognize super talented Tony from his super cool work on the WOW and Dragon's Lair comics, as well as the animated Ninja Turtles flick. He's also got a pretty cool audio/visual story telling world going on that he's designed called Stations Stories. To learn more about all the cool stuff he's up to, Check out his site.

And here we have uber talented Mr. Steve High. Great artist, great visual storyteller.

Check out his cool stuff here!  

Steve and Tony split up the work over the week so we could get the whole story banged out (and I still gotta go back on Monday to finish it up with them). THEN the Sony producers gotta take the new boards and run it thru the Dream Killing Machine (AKA the spreadsheet they use to estimate and calculate the budgets) and then we'll prob. have to make some more adjustments so we can afford to make these movies. And then- once that is all done (should be next week)- we can roll into production of the game's movies. Whew! 

Ok, last 2-3 days have been all story telling, now it's time- thank God- to get my ass back to the gameplay! Gotta run- great weekend ya'll....who is going to see KICK ASS?!?!? I know I am! 

Later!

David 

ps. check it out- just got tickets to these two super cool events in LA this May! 

Harrison Ford doing Q/A after a screening of Empire Strikes Back at the Arclight! And all the cash for tix goes to charity!

Kevin Smith Q/A at House of Blues in Los Angeles! 

Can't wait! May's gonna rock! 

Arguing the Argument

Agree 1000% w/sentiment of this Kotaku write up about the new Game Dev Magazine/Gamasutra 'key people in the biz' list not having any women on it.

But I call bullshit on the details.

 MAYBE I'd agree on Meggan Scavio because she is so dang important but it's debatable if she fits on a list that is intended to show off people IN GAMES. Isn't Meggan's business more along the lines of the convention business? As for the list itself, it's utter bullshit Amy Henning is not on it.

But for the rest of the women this article lists- talented and key players as many of them are- the ones I would put on the main list from this list have not (far as I know) released anything in the last year. For example, Kim Swift made a great game in Portal...but that was 2-3 years ago. Why put her on a list for this year? Be the same as someone putting ME on a list for the last few years...why would they do that? They would not.

And splitting the list with 50% men, 50% women = bullshit. Unless you are releasing a list of 'THE KEY MALE PLAYERS" and "THE KEY FEMALE PLAYERS" then fine. But to split a main list just to be 'fair'? Doesn't sound like that would be doing the list the respect it deserves. Women are key to our business and they some of them should be applauded and noticed more than they are, no doubt. But let's not knock key males off the list just so less deserving women can be on it. That's bullshit.

David

COMMENTS ARE BACK UP

Hey- for those who are into such things, I've turned commenting back on for registered users.

Glad to be chatting again with you all!

David

MODNATION RACERS!

Sony sent me a copy of the super cool MODNATION RACERS a few weeks ago and then filmed me talking about the experience. Tell you what man, the creation tools in this game are fuckin' sweet! Within minutes (as in 5 minutes, I kid you not), I was making levels!

Check it out!


Isn't SD Kratos cool?!?!

Ok, gotta run ya'll! Tons to do! Hope you're all well!

David

ps. they listed me as FOUNDER of EAT SLEEP PLAY. Trust me, I was a CO-founder. Other than that, I dig the clip!

HOW TO WRITE GAME MOVIES...THE MARVEL WAY!

Running out of time to get our game movies into production (these things take 12+ months to create). Have already written the scripts a handful of times but production changes everyday which necessitates rewrites.

At this point, we need story boards by end of week and that's just not enough time to write the scripts in. So instead I am meeting tomorrow with some storyboard artists at Sony San Diego and we are going to bypass the script stage and go right to storyboards based on these little stick figure sketches I've been working on all day:

Scary, eh? Gulp! :)

Wish us luck!

David

ps. So I cleaned my office pretty hard core over the holidays and put a lot of my geek toys in the garage. Well 95% of them are still down there but it was just feeling too sterile and lonely up here so I brought my faves back :)

Tweeting Again

Hey all- still super slammed- but I'll back soon.

Real quick tho: I decided to start Tweeting again cause I miss it. Plus I'll be getting an ipad next month (waiting for the WiFi/3G combo to hit in May) and really want to go back to tweet deck.

A few things:

1- my twitter name is davidscottjaffe (as djaffe and davidjaffe seem to be taken). Pretty sure this is the link:

https://twitter.com/davidscottjaffe

2- be warned- when I tweet- I tweet A LOT! I do not do this 'one tweet every 15-36 hours' thing. So if you get your tweets on your phone or you get annoyed by tweet spamming (not ads but like 5-20 tweets and multiple conversations that I have over tweet) then this is NOT a tweet you want to be following. I totally respect that a lot of people like to use tweet in a certain way. Just know that I don't use it that way so subscribe knowing that. I really like following and tweeting on tweet deck and similar programs and that is why I love conversational tweets. So seriously, DO NOT follow me if you are not down with that. It would be a miserable for you (as people who followed my old tweet account told me).

3- Please don't tweet me ideas for games or anything else creative. I don't want or need them. I want to be in touch with people who dig the work we do. I LOVE that. But don't send in your ideas. Thanks!

Ok, heading off to a fun Del Mar lunch with the ex and our kids. Talk soon!

David

This Is The Best TIme Of Making A Game!!!

Hey all- well I gotta say, I have not been this busy in a looong while. And it's really, really good. I love being slammed when the stuff we're slammed with are real, concrete game making tasks. This phase of the game is fantastic, where the pieces SLOWLY start falling into place and you- finally- begin to get glimpses of what you wanted the game to be from the very start. Still a long way to go and still not close to having the game of our dreams yet but we're working our asses off to get there....

...and that's the point of this post. I'm gonna stop posting just for a bit...nothing long, 1-4 weeks just cause I'm too busy to do anything other than post links and videos of other people...and I really don't care for blogs that do that.

I will 100% be back. Not leaving for good or for long so please come back soon and visit. I love this blog and am still eager to keep letting ya'll in behind the scenes of the game making process. Just right now, we're all super slammed.

So I'm off...just for a few weeks- back soon!

Take it easy ya'll!

David

Oh HELL Motherfuckin' YES!

Day ONE! Bitches! DAY ONE! 

Go Wil Wheaton!

Off to LA for a few days of Sony meetings.  Not sure if I'll get to post till I get back.

So hey, meanwhile, watch this if you have not. It's a bit forced, a bit over earnest BUT it's still really, really good. It's Wil Wheaton's keynote kicking off this weekend's PAX EAST. Wish I coulda been there, hope to get to Seattle PAX in the next few months.

Ok, lots of prep work to do before tomorrow am. Gotta run! Take it easy ya'll! Later!

David

Make Over

This just ran on the fantastic Hero Complex blog. Hero Complex is blog from the LA TIMES that covers all things geek and it's a great, great read.

Anyway- the piece is about the writer of the original Karate Kid movie saying he doesn't get why anyone would remake the movie and thinks many fans of the original are pissed about the remake/not interested in the remake.

You know, I just don't get this mentality. I'm all for remakes. They make total sense to me.

And look: I LOVE original movies. And I can see how there is some frustration on the part of movie lovers if they think the remakes keep the studios from making the new stuff. But that's not a great argument cause the vast majority of what the movie studios pump out IS new content.

And I loved the first Karate Kid, but hell, this new one looks pretty good too. How much of that is cause it uses the kick ass song from Fort Minor? Hard to say. BUT it still looks like a it could be a good flick. I know I'll see it. I know my kids watched the trailer and my 6 year old wants to see it too.

And why NOT remake stuff for a new generation? Times change, tastes change, but good storytelling never dies. So why not redress it so it can appeal to the new generation? Sure they COULD watch the classic, but how effective will that be for MOST younger people? It's kind of hard to get fully caught up in the drama of Daniel VS. the Cobra Kai when you are giggling at Elizabeth Shu's big ass hair, snickering at the lame soundtrack ('You're the best around! Nothin's ever gonna keep you down!'), or wondering what kind of a mother would let her young son spend so much time with a very old, very single man who works in the maintenance shed (in 1984, for some reason, this just didn't seem like an issue).

I think most movies have a shelf life of 10-30 years and then you tend to respond to an old flick in one of the following ways:

a- you're nostalgic for it cause you grew up with it
b- you appreciate aspects of it (story, acting, theme) BUT you can't really get fully immersed because the techniques and cultural touchstones present in the movie are no longer relevant.
c- watching the older movie allows you to romanticize a time you never grew up in (i.e. watching an old horror movie or a classic from the 30's and 40's).

I mean, as much as I love IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and CASABLANCA (and even E.T. and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK), I watch those flicks with my 'this is an old movie' filter turned on. Watching them any other way and it's clear- distractingly so- how creaky and boring and dated sections of those old movies are. And not because they are bad movies. Far from it. They are some of the best movies EVER made. But those old movies are hard to watch in sections because times AND technique have changed SO MUCH that our brains-constantly exposed different,fresher types of visual storytelling- just don't want to go backwards.

And I am not knocking old flicks. To be crystal clear: I LOVE old movies. But I also support remakes of old movies (and old video games too where applicable). On a remake you will probably never capture the same lighting in the bottle as the original, but most of the younger generation isn't going to watch the original anyway. So redressing a classic (if done well) allows a whole new generation to fall in love with the essence that lies at the core of those old flicks (again, assuming the remake is made with an understanding of what made the original so special).

And to answer a question that I imagine someone may be thinking: yes, I'd LOVE to see a remake of a game I've worked on in a few years. Take God of War I. Do it with better graphics, add new puzzles and characters, twist the story a bit, fix the stuff that sucked, redesign Kratos (bad ass in 2035 is gonna look a lot different than bad ass in 2005). I got NO issues with this and think it would be very cool. Ideally they would retain the core of the game (violent action with a strong central character and a blend of accessible combat mixed with some puzzles and platforming all set against the backdrop of the ancient Greek myths). As long as they didn't walk away from that core, I'd have 100% no issues.

Same reason I'd love to see a RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK remake with a new, younger Indy and a more modern director (much as I LOVE Spielberg).

But I know full well there are MANY movie lovers out there who would disagree with me. Ah well, can't please everyone :)

Ok, later- great weekend ya'll!

David

ps. I don't see a lot of theater so I don't know how this argument applies to remakes of plays and musicals. I do know musicals went thru a phase of getting grander and more expensive (Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, etc). And I do know that many musicals DO get reimagined as the years go by (Sweeny Todd, Annie,etc). And I do know that some old plays (Ibsen, Shakespeare) for ME feel like taking medicine (I appreciate what it does for me, but I still don't like it...not one bit). So in their own, medium specific way, my gut tells me my thoughts on remakes for movies and games also applies to theater/musicals.

Books as well...but books do seem to have a longer shelf life. Probably because:
a- A book occurs in your brain and so you bring your own sensibility ((which naturally you like/enjoy)) to a book. You add your own music, sounds, smells, pace, hair styles, clothing choices. Not always (sometimes an author will do this for you) but your brain- on a subconscious level- fills in a lot of blanks, plugging the wholes with your own made up stuff that resonates with you. Because of this, there is more protection against the culture and trends of the times whittling away at a book's power.
b- In a book, the out of date stuff is not always pushed in your face. For example: if The Karate Kid were a novel, I may read a description about Elizabeth Shu's character's big, 80's style hair but I probably would not have that on my brain every time her character appears in the story (cause the prose would probably not mention it every time she does something). Not the case with a movie. In a movie, you can't escape it.
c- Because books tend to do a much better job than movies at expressing the internal desires and wants and needs of the characters, that aspect tends to wind up being the essence of a book. Thus the surrounding trappings (which can clash badly with modern times if the book is old) are not as relevant because so many internal wants and desires- brought to the fore in a book- resonate strongly across millennia (love, longing, hope, ambition,etc).

 Even still, I think there is a shelf life for books as well mainly because of the language and shift in narrative techniques. Because of that, for me, trying to read a book written before 1850 or so and it feels like something I'm doing to better myself, not something I actually enjoy.

YES, IT'S VERY COOL

LOVED the first IRON MAN. Fully expect to love IRON MAN 2 even more.  Favreau clearly has a strong sense of American movies and must have studied those rare sequels that are better than the original (Spidey 2, Empire Strikes Back, Godfather II,etc). So I expect this new one to eclipse the first. 

My #1 flick to see this summer! Altho off the top of my head, I can't recall what else is hitting this summer. But you know me, if it's a summer flick, I'll be seeing it! Can't wait! 

David

Oh Come The Hell On!

Regular readers of the blog know of my extreme love for the Disneyland resort. I take my kids all the time and just think the world of the whole place (Magic Kingdom, California Adventure ((now that it's losing it's initial So Cal theme and getting more traditional Disney Magic attractions)), even Downtown Disney has its charms).

We usually go and stay in one of the surrounding hotels (I dig CANDY CANE INN, if you must know). Rates are good, you are 1-2 blocks from the park, and I just love staying in hotels with the kids. Even tho we live only 50 min. away, I have such fond memories of staying in motels while on vacation as a kid that I want my kids to have those great memories too (room service, watching cartoons while lying on the bed, playing in the pool with my mom and dad, going to the lobby and stocking up on pamphlets and brochures for other local attractions, etc).

I really want to stay in one of the official Disney hotels very soon before my daughters get too old to care. I think they will always dig theme parks (what's not to love?) but they are still young enough that they really buy into a great deal of the Disney magic (they get excited to see the characters, love to hear dad prattle on about Walt Disney and the many talented peeps he worked with, love the parades and new rides,etc).  I did take them to see Captain EO a few weeks ago and they thought that was pretty lame (and I have to agree, even tho I do consider myself an MJ fan...I don't recall ever really caring for it all that much and it sure as heck didn't age well...).

But anyway, so yeah, I want to take them to stay in the Grand Californian or at least the classic Disneyland Hotel in the next 1-2 months. It's pricy but hey, you only live once and they'll make some great memories. Also, going to the parks in April/May- right before school lets out- is fantastic cause there are days you can hit it just right and the place is a ghost town. NO LINES and you just walk right on to SPACE MOUNTAIN and INDY and SOARIN' OVER CALIFORNIA (and all the other big, usually packed rides) with waiting times of no more than 0-3 minutes. For a theme park nut, it's a damn treasure to get a day like that.

ANYWAY- the whole point of this post is this: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM DISNEYLAND THIS MONTH!!!! LOOK AT THIS!!!!

Oh my God I would want to shoot myself. Bad enough to be an adult trying to traipse thru this hell. But trying to navigate these crowds while also keeping watch over crazy excited 6 and 4 year olds? No thanks, man.

That said, check out this pic:

Only thing better than SEGA Arcade game blue skies are real life, theme park blue skies! Man, spring is So Cal is just an amazing time!

Ok ya'll just wanted to share those crazy ass crowd pics. Eager for April when spring break dies down and us locales can get our parks back :)...altho that said, how cool for all those people who never get to go and are there now, digging what I get to enjoy at least once a month!

Later ya'll!

David

ps. by the way, these pics are from the fantastic Disney Parks fan site MICEAGE. If you are a Disney geek like I am, you owe it to yourself to spend some time at that site. TONS of great fans of the theme parks over there, lots of good forum discussion about everything from ride design to nostalgic trips from childhood and everything in between. Every week they also do a good number of meaty photo updates from the parks which allow you to track the major construction going on (and there is TONS of it happening in California Adventure) as well as just get your Disney theme park fix when you are not able to hit the parks in person. Check it out!

My First Comic Book Crush...

...was Ms. Marvel. I had the very first issue and just thought- and still do- that she was the coolest- and hottest- female super hero around.

Sideshow Collectables- who make simply AMAZING props and statues that I really, really love- just released shots of their very first Ms. Marvel statue. Check it out:

Man, I think she looks so cool! The details, the color, the pose. Just great stuff! It's not her original outfit- which I love much more than this new one- but she still looks great!

Thing is, it's like $270 bucks which- to me- is too much to pay for something that's just going to sit on my shelf and probably get broken by my kids (or me and my clumsy ass self).  Plus I go thru phases where I take all my statues and trophies and toys and stuff and stick them in boxes in my garage. It's an energy sort of thing, like I just want my office clean of clutter (even cool clutter like this) so new ideas and new passions and new adventures can more easily flow into my life. This stuff is really cool but it almost feels like clinging to the past, you know?

Anyway- even with all that said- I still love this statue and if I see one at Comic Con this year for a good price, I may just pick her up.

Ok- later!

David 

Welcome HOME, Old Boy

You can now walk around the virtual PS3 world of HOME as SWEET TOOTH or MR. GRIMM! Check them out!

No, Sweet Tooth, those pants don't make your ass look fat. Your ass being fat makes your ass look fat. 

When I first heard about HOME I kind of hoped there would be Sony game characters walking around but that they would be Sony controlled, so it would be like seeing Mickey at Disneyland and they would be controlled by members of the team who could go out and be the mascots and stay in character, give out cool demo codes, exclusive virtual goods,etc. I still like that idea more than anyone/everyone getting to dress as the characters. BUT that said, these are still dang cool! Hopefully we can get Dollface, Calypso, and a few other characters from Twisted Metal in as well. 

Ok, gonna get to bed so I can be up at 5am to get some work done. Take it easy ya'll!

David 

Still Alive, Still Bloggin'

As regular readers know, I hate blogs that don't get updated.

But work has been super, super busy this last week and so I've just had no time. Sorry bout that ya'll. 

It's 2:30am Sunday morning as I write this (got woken up) and figured I'd say hey before I drop back to sleep.

Here are some quick hits:

- Tried to watch NINJA ASSASSIN tonite. Opening was campy, bloody fun...rest of the movie was kind of boring to me. Saw a panel with J. Michael Strazensky (sp?) at Comic Con last year and I THINK this was the movie/script he said he banged out in 48 hours. It shows :(...I wanted to dig it in a B movie kind of way but just could not get into it. Very dull. Way too much of an origin story (tons of flashbacks) for a character we don't know or care about or think is interesting. 

- Speaking of bad movies, walked out of GREEN ZONE with Matt Damon. Hurt Locker, Rendition, Three Kings, The Kingdom, and about 3-5 more Iraq war movies were better and this one brought nothing new to the party. And so many of the Iraq War Movie Cliches were on display here that after about 45 minutes I had seen enough. People don't get how I walk out of bad/boring movies. I don't get how more people don't. Isn't your time more valuable to you? I know mine is to me.

- Bought some toy eggs at the grocery store yesterday while picking up breakfast fixins for the kids. You put these in water and after about 8 hours, they hatch on their own and little toy dinos come out. Then if you keep the dinos in the water, the dinos get like 500% bigger! I lied to my kids and told them I found the eggs outside and they were bird eggs and we had to clean them in the sink so the mama bird would be willing to take the eggs back to her nest (kid logic=easy and fun!). Toys are so cool these days!

-Got my Comic Con hotel reservation! Sweet! Still not the hotel I wanted to stay in but hell, it's Comic Con! Hard to complain! Plus it's only 6 blocks from the show so much geeking out will be done during the day and lots of trolling the Gas Lamp district and drinking will be done at night. And I'll never need my car...just footing it everywhere!  Man, for a geek like me, Comic Con is such a fun show! 

- Ipad only about 5 week away! Yes, getting the 3G/WiFi Combo! 

- Can't wait to see the God of War 3 sales figures for the week. Did they do a million in the first 7 days?? I Hope so! That would make it the biggest GOW launch week by a looooong shot!  

- Speaking of God Of War 3, been seeing some very cool Kratos/GOW 3 billboards all over Los Angeles via pictures posted by the team (Facebook). I think that is so damn cool! 

-I went to a school fundraising party/function/event for families Friday night at my daughter's grammar school and almost tripped over a kid's backpack. Next to the backpack? A God of War Slurpee cup! :) I was both excited and kind of appalled (this is grammar school... I sure hope 1-4th graders do not play God of War games).

Ok need to crash/go back to bed. Hope you are all doing well. Talk more next week, promise :)

David 

OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO...

Look what UPS just dropped off :)

I love to design maps and take game design notes using pencils (not sure why, just makes me feel more creative and in touch than using pens).


So a few weeks ago I was looking at my 6 year old's pencils from school and they had all these cool designs on them. That got me to thinking: why are my pencils always so boring and dull and plain? I should get some fun, inspired, creative designs on my pencils too.

And since it was Dr. Seuss' birthday a few weeks ago- and since he is from San Diego and is a local hero round these parts-he was on my brain. And since- as a parent and creative kind of person- Doc Seuss really is a wonderful inspiration, it seemed like a good idea to surround myself with the magical, Seussacal energy. 

Anyway, so I got to wondering if I anyone had ever made some Dr. Seuss writin' utensils. And low and behold, they had!

And the pencils I found are from what I think is one of his very best books ever, "Oh the Places You'll Go!'If you have not read it, PLEASE give it a look. It's a fantastic book for kids and grown ups alike.


Anyway, so there ya go :) Now back to work! Later!

David

BONUS ROUND

Check me out on this week's episode of THE BONUS ROUND from Gametrailers.

Along with host Geoff Keighly, I chat with game design consultant N'gai Croal and Bioware Co-Founder Greg Zeschuk all about videogame stories.

Hope ya'll dig it! Part II hits this Sunday.
David

Shut Up And Bleed You Mother Fuc-!

Out in Utah the last few days working on the game. Some cool pics with a Sweet Tooth mask :)

Me and Scott Campbell (Eat Sleep Play co-founder/co-pres) posing with our boy's head. My understanding is a former Incognito employee made this for his Halloween costume back in the day. But this was the first time I'd ever seen it. It's so dang cool!

Me, being a dork :)

Me as dork, Part II :)

               

Close up of the mask. Nice detail!!!

Great weekend ya'll! I'm stuck inside tomorrow doing more work for our game. But I don't mind- game is going well so it's fun to keep cranking :). Plus, I'll spend a little time with War/Darksiders. Yes, I am STILL trying to finish it. I thought I was gonna do it last weekend but a little game called GOD OF WAR III hit my inbox and I played that all weekend (finished it too!...when is the last time I finished a game in 1-2 days?!? Probably it was ICO back in tha day!)...

Ok...take it easy, ya'll!

David 

SUMMARY JUDGEMENT GRANTED

Motion for Summary Judgement Granted...you can read it here if you are so inclined.

Here is the Hollywood Reporter's take on the judgement. 

GOD OF WAR III THOUGHTS SO FAR...

Playing GOD OF WAR 3 this weekend and really, really loving it.


But it being a great game aside, it is an AMAZING and RARE game design learning opportunity. To play a game based on your initial design formula that you had nothing to do with is eye opening! Because for the first time, I can actually see how the game/God Of War formula feels to a normal player! Before this, I could only go off reviews and player reactions and guesses in terms of gauging just what the game really was and how it felt to play. You can try to imagine that experience when you make the game but since you know it so intimately, you never really know what it feels like for a normal member of the audience. You never know how others are actually experiencing it. Now I get to see and know and experience that! What a very cool learning opportunity! 


I'll post my final thoughts on the game when I finish it (and once it's been out a bit) but I can say now that visually and production wise, I really don't think there has EVER been a game that has executed at this level! Presentation and production wise, this is a crazy ass bar raising simply staggering game! And the execution of the story telling process? Fucking fantastic (amazing opening credits)! Amazing job all around! NOTE: Not suggesting he new GOW doesn't add and change the formula- that's up to you to determine- I am just saying the original formula is still present as well and that is what I am talking about.

AND BY THE WAY...

UPDATE:
And I gotta say, pissed as I am about this, I STILL think Brian and Stephen are two of the really great ones in game journalism right now...and I still consider Kotaku my fave site for game news...that said, this pisses the shit out of me....but no need to throw the baby out with the bath water I suppose....
++++++++++++


You gonna fucking quote from my blog, the least you could do is print the whole mother fucking thing. Here is what just got detailed over at KOTAKU:

[I]f I owned the rights to TWISTED METAL and GOD OF WAR, I sure as hell would at the least send a sternly worded legal letter.

Heck, I'd send two legal letters if it were me.

I mean, first Microsoft puts out a car combat game and calls it SCRAP METAL?

Hey, looks like a great game! Right up my alley! Day one purchase for me. But come on guys, isn't that just a little too close to Sony's own car combat game TWISTED METAL?

And then Sony has GOD OF WAR, a game and potential movie about mortals fighting ancient Greek Gods. And then this movie gets announced called WAR OF THE GODS about- yep!- mortals fighting ancient Greek Gods.

Oh my, they left out the last paragraph...you know, the part where I make it CLEAR I am talking about game titles and not Sony suing over game CONCEPTS. What's the matter Kotaku, run out of fucking space on your blog? You couldn't afford to print these last few lines from the original post?

And look: Sony doesn't- and should not- own the concept of the Greek Myths. Nor should they own the idea of mortal fighting ancient Gods, Greek or any other kind. That's all public domain stuff. But the TITLE? Sony DOES own that. And GOD OF WAR/WAR OF THE GODS seem a little too close to comfort ya'll.

Anyway, like I said, not my fight. I don't own shit! :)

Yeah, I can see how that would have really added so much length to the post. What, did you run out of virtual ink? 

Nah, better to remove that part and- in my opinion- make me look like I was going off about lawsuits and thinking that Sony should own game concepts. And let's leave off the smiley face emoticon at the end of the post that- along with the picture of Chris Rock from a Kevin Smith comedy and the title of the original post (also a line from the same Kevin Smith comedy)- makes it clear this was a lighthearted observation and not a serious claim to anything.  Good move there guys. 

Anyway, I hope you guys will cover our games in the future. There are numerous companies and numerous people- not just me- who are busting ass to make our stuff. So I hope we can all count on a fair shake when you play and cover our games. But please- fucking stop covering me. You clearly can't do it right. And please, don't call me for any more favors. I have a feeling I'll be busy.

Thanks.

David 

KRATOS HAS ARRIVED!

Look what FED EX just dropped off!

To Stig, Scat, Whitney, Allan, Tim, Christer, Ken, Todd, Johnny HaHa, Johnny Hight, Jason, Shu, Matt, Scott, JoJo W, Max, Phil,  and hell SO MANY MORE peeps (from the original team and new folks along the way that I just don't have the time to ramble off)- thank you so much for bringing Kratos back to the world in such a grand, amazing style. What an amazing achievement!  I hope you all are as proud of this game as us fans are excited to play it!

And Allan, thanks for the advanced copy!

David

GEORGE LUCAS GONNA SUE SOMEBODY

++++++++UPDATE:+++++

I checked out a few boards last nite and it seems this latest post has rubbed some folks the wrong way. Let me try to address here some of the most common complaints some of the game forum folks seem to be having.

#1- I AM NOT SUE HAPPY- I have never sued anyone and unless someone really steps over the line, I look at lawsuits as a last line of defense. Trust me, as someone who gone thru the process of being sued, the whole thing is a nasty, nasty, expensive business and it seems- to me- that it is meant to be. Like burying someone, divorce, our complicated tax system, and so many other institutions of our society that are important but more and more just seem like they exist for the sake of big business, there's a whole lot of people with expensive suits and expensive degrees who make a crap ton of cash off lawsuits. And I sure as hell don't want to contribute to their bottom line. And that is why I suggested sending a letter. I would guess in 99% of cases like this, no one is out to harm anyone else. It is simply a misunderstanding or an oversight that, when brought to light, could be corrected. I harbor no ill will or resentment towards the people making SCRAP METAL or the people making WAR OF THE GODS. They both sound like products right up my alley and I will be purchasing a download and a ticket to each one, respectively, once they hit...whatever their names end up being. 

#2- YOU ARE NOT AN EXPERT AT COPYRIGHT LAW AND NEITHER AM I- I know experts in copyright law (I actually do) and you, sir, are not an expert in copyright law. With the exception of MAYBE .1% of the people who are even aware of this discussion we are having, you don't know if my claims have merit in court and neither do I. And frankly, just because you or I think we are right on this, there is no real right or wrong. There is a judge who decides if there is a case and if there is, then there is a jury who decides who wins the case. And there is a lot of gray area simply because- while the law is very concrete- the subjective interpretation of that law requires a human brain. I can tell you that when I saw the titles, they rubbed me the wrong way and seemed worth mentioning. I can live with the fact that I could be wrong and I can live with the fact that most folks may not agree with me. This doesn't make me an idiot and it doesn't make you a genius. YOU go spend your precious time on this planet working with others and giving everything you've got to create some intellectual property and I assure you, you will feel protective of it. Again, being protective does not mean my assumption that these titles cross the line is right. But being a smarmy asshole- like a good % of board posters have been towards me over this issue- doesn't make you right either. It just makes you a smarmy asshole. NOTE: It has been pointed out to me that because my issues are clearly with title and not idea, this is a TRADEMARK LAW issue, not a COPYWRIGHT LAW issue. Fair enough. I stand corrected on the type of law. My comments and thoughts still stand tho. 

#3- TONE- See the big Chris Rock picture? You know, the comedian? See the quote from a Kevin Smith movie that I use for the title of this post? See the smiley face at the bottom of this post? People, I'm not on a crazy rampage about this. I never said I was going to sue anyone. I was bringing it up as something that interests me and something I thought would be worth sharing with people who come to this blog to hear about- mainly- my game making life. And I was doing so in a lighthearted manner. I assure you, this is the farthest thing from a big deal in my life. If nothing were to change on this front, I really would not care. 

#4- FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK- Finally, for the people who are like, "JAFFE! GET BACK TO WORK ON YOUR GAME!"...please, let me assure you, I am working very hard. The team is working very hard. Sony is working very hard. We are all busting ass and- even tho we may not agree on these particular legal issues- we are still eager to entertain each and every one of you with what we've got cooking. Just like you, I don't work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even during my day, I take breaks. But as some of you know, I work at home. So while at your job you may hang in the breakroom with your buddies and chat about last nite's episode of LOST or what game you are playing, I video chat with friends and I blog. Fucking sue me. But the point IS, we are working hard on our game and we're looking forward to showing it to you today on GTTV...oh wait...that's not us :) 

Ok so that's my update. Thanks for reading. Later.

END UPDATE:

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

Ok, maybe not Lucas but Sony should. Or if I owned the rights to TWISTED METAL and GOD OF WAR, I sure as hell would at the least send a sternly worded legal letter.

Heck, I'd send two legal letters if it were me.

I mean, first Microsoft puts out a car combat game and calls it SCRAP METAL?

Hey, looks like a great game! Right up my alley! Day one purchase for me. But come on guys, isn't that just a little too close to Sony's own car combat game TWISTED METAL?

And then Sony has GOD OF WAR, a game and potential movie about mortals fighting ancient Greek Gods. And then this movie gets announced called WAR OF THE GODS about- yep!- mortals fighting ancient Greek Gods. 

And look: Sony doesn't- and should not- own the concept of the Greek Myths. Nor should they own the idea of mortal fighting ancient Gods, Greek or any other kind. That's all public domain stuff. But the TITLE? Sony DOES own that. And GOD OF WAR/WAR OF THE GODS seem a little too close to comfort ya'll.

Anyway, like I said, not my fight. I don't own shit! :)

David