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Even a bigger problem sometimes is the hype of the hardware! Look at the PSP. Sounds like it should be better than the current generation home consoles. If that's not hype, I don't know what is!

That's why I've NEVER believed ANY of the hype that surrounds these new systems/games that come out unless they're from Nintendo. For example. When they announced the wavebird, every GameCube owner peed their pants in anticipation. What does Nintendo do? Give out CONSERVATIVE numbers. They said it should last 100hrs and have a range of about 20 feet. What happens in reviews?, well, turns out that 90 feet wasn't a problem and (the testers couldn't test battery life) but let me tell you from experience, I've only had to replace the batteries twice since I purchased mine.

So, when Nintendo says the DS has a battery life of 8-10 hours like the SP, I have 100% faith that it will. When Nintendo says the range of the wireless on the DS is 30 feet, I can expect at least that, and a 95% chance it'll be over 50 feet. When Sony says the PSP should be able to play current PS2 games, I say, can you even fit a game of FIFA in before you need to plug it in?!?

Have fun waiting for the overhyped PSP, I'll be with my buddies (and apparently total strangers!) playing wicked ass DS games.

Sorry, that turned out to be more of a rant. Well I guess it is. I guess I'm ranting on all those game devs. that like to tell me one thing, and then deliver me crap. :)

Game-related pain was perfected almost two years ago without even needing additional hardware installed.

It's art. And like all art, it's crap.

Ion Storm? Aren't those the guys who released that pile of executable diarrhea, "Daikatana"? This whole article reads like, "And now, from the people who brought you Daikatana... WE PRESENT TO YOU, THE FUTURE OF GAMING!!!" ..Sounds to me like one last gasp of a company on the brink of failure trying desparately to associate its name to The Next Big Thing (tm)..Thanks, but no thanks..If Ion Storm has a hand in designing the future of games, I think i'll stick to Monopoly.

Cheers,

Just as long as id doesn't forget about those of us who dig good, fun, singleplayer gameplay, as opposed to ho hum multiplayer. Don't tease me with release date shenanigans or release yesterday's product without doing something interesting to it.

Oh, and I ain't suckin' nothing down, neither.

DD

Daikatana is the worst game of the year not because it sucked itself down, not because the sidekick AI was slightly smarter than a watermelon...

Daikatana sucked because of Romero's endless spending and Eidos's decision to back them financially. This (helped) cause the demise of Looking Glass Entertainment Maker of such incredible games as Thief 1 and 2, and System Shock 2.

Its really Ironic that a division of Ion Storm managed to produce one of the best games of the year, Deus Ex. It is even more Ironic that Warren Spector, Producer of Thief 1 works for Ion Storm. And now, Warren Spector has the rights to Thief 3 (damn good thing he does too!) and it looks like Ion Storm will be releasing it.

That is a strange cycle of events...

Daikatana is the worst game of the year not because it sucked itself down, not because the sidekick AI was slightly smarter than a watermelon...

Daikatana sucked because of Romero's endless spending and Eidos's decision to back them financially. This (helped) cause the demise of Looking Glass Entertainment Maker of such incredible games as Thief 1 and 2, and System Shock 2.

Its really Ironic that a division of Ion Storm managed to produce one of the best games of the year, Deus Ex. It is even more Ironic that Warren Spector, Producer of Thief 1 works for Ion Storm. And now, Warren Spector has the rights to Thief 3 (damn good thing he does too!) and it looks like Ion Storm will be releasing it.

That is a strange cycle of events...

In Understanding Comics , Scott McCloud does point out that it's easier to attach oneself to an abstract form than a realistic one. McCloud explains that is is because other people look very realistic, and are obviously "not you", you most people only have an abstract sense of "self." An abstract character is easier to project myself into. However, he points out that there is a place for the realistic. Realistic things tend to look more "other." The comic Tintin placed the very abstract Tintin against much more realistic backdrops for this purpose.

While it's important to remember these details when designing a game, the lesson is not "don't make games realistic." The lesson is "it's easier for a player to project him or herself into an abstract avatar than a realistic one."

One good example of this working against a game is Diakatana . I never felt I was Hiro, Hiro was the nicely rendered character in front of me. On the other hand, it may be easier to feel for the characters of J et Grind Radio , who are rendered as cartoons.

Thief does a generally good job of making Garrent, the main character, abstract. In actual gameplay, you don't see Garret at all (it's first person). I always found it very jarring when Garret spoke while I was playing, it reinforced that I wasn't Garret.

That said, Understanding Comics is a great read. Anyone who reads comics will probably appreciate it. I suspect anyone involved in graphical arts of any time will find some valuable information.

My least favorite characters in Episode 1 were all computer-generated. Jar-Jar was annoying as hell, the robots seemed to defy the laws of physics, it all looked like a horribly done Q2 engine game.

Now, we'll have to watch R2D2 stumble along as unnaturally as the Gungans and robots in Episode 1.

The question is, why do some games suck as much as some art sucks?

Actually, id also did Commander Keen. If I remember correctly, John Romero (you know.. Daikatana) was chief coder for Commander Keen.