Book Series Explores Kojima, Miyamoto, Wright

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to an overview of the Ludologica book series, offering critical, academia-heavy videogame analysis on a number of seminal titles, from "highlighting the political and ideological messages" behind Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 2, to the "video game becoming a living organism" in Bruce Shelley's Age Of Empires. Unfortunately, these books are only confirmed in Italian-language form thus far, but further volumes will deal with Myst, Silent Hill, Doom, and Gran Turismo (?), as well as a in-the-planning-stages special to mark the 15th anniversary of Sim City.

Comments

Gran Turismo

[WasterDave]

What's with the "Gran Turismo(?)" ... what bleeding question mark? Gran Turismo is a *great* game, and when played properly encompasses many of the skillsets that are needed when playing any game well:

* The optimal distribution of finite resources.
* The creation of short, medium and long term strategies.
* The absolute, positive *need* to enter a mental state of heightened concentration while remaining relaxed. Much like Rocket Arena on a good day, actually.

The only thing I can't do is rail my mate through the back of the head.

Dave

Re:Gran Turismo

[josephgrossberg]

Why do you think people, who are otherwise gaming fans, disrepect GT like that? Because of its genre?

Re:Gran Turismo

[Anonymous Coward]

Preach on brother!!

Re:Gran Turismo

[Anonymous Coward]

They disrepect it 'cause they aren't any good at it. Its sorta like fearing the unknown.

The hell?

[IIRCAFAIKIANAL]

Are these books all in Spanish? Are there english versions available? I can't seem to find any on the site...

Excerpts would be nice too....

Re:The hell?

[MrResistor]

Had you read the /. blurb you might have noticed that they are only in Itallian.

Re:The hell?

[IIRCAFAIKIANAL]

Sorry, I read the articles, not the slashdot blurbs.

I never seem to fit in, wherever I go :p

Artificial Life?

[Torgo's Pizza]

That's funny. During our planning meetings for Age of Empires, I don't ever recall the topic of "artificial life" ever coming up. Come to think of it, I don't ever remember Bruce ever talking about it. If he did, he didn't mention it in my presence or write in the design docs. From what I remember, the goal was to make a kick ass real-time strategy game along the lines of Civilization.

Re:Artificial Life?

[Caesar_X]

Welcome to the gaming version of literary criticism:) People can spend hours and hours debating design decisions that occupied maybe 2 minutes in a quick meeting sandwiched between a code review and another meeting on whether or not shadows were worth the performance hit. But to me, that analysis and discussion was always part of the enjoyment of the movie/game/book.

Political/Ideological messages of MGS2

[AvantLegion]

Someone's really writing about that inane concatenation of pseudo-intellectual nonsense that ruined Metal Gear Solid 2??

Re:Political/Ideological messages of MGS2

[lidocaineus]

Thank you for saying that; I completely agree. MGS2 was such a hodge-podge of over-the-top pseudo-philosophical ramblings pasted over a decent gameplay engine that turned it into a wannabe lecture on morality, reality, and everything else under the sun.

It would be an interesting game if it touched on these issues in a straightforward way. It would've been a pinnacle of storytelling if Hideo Kojima had done it in a subtle way. Instead, we get half-assed ideas and conflicting ideals coming from the exact same characters pushed at us over and over and over; "ideas" are pounded into our brains with sledgehammers. It's like Kojima said, "Make sure the player gets this idea. Did he get it? I'm not sure. Have another 30 minute codec scene where they go over the same philosohical territory. And another. And another. Oh and makre sure the characters don't stick by their guns either!"

Maybe Hideo Kojima had something important to say with MGS2 (he always seems to hint at that in interviews, hint in this case referring to someone that might as well blare from the rooftops 'This was my message!'), but it was lost, turned around, and blended into oblivion by someone who desperately needs an editor.

Even Evangelion was more elegant, and that's saying something. Hell, XENOGEARS was more elegant, and Xenogears is about as deep as a coat of paint on the wall covering up the philosophical grafitti of a street urchin (though Xeno was still lots of fun to play).

Re:Political/Ideological messages of MGS2

[krelian]

I might have missed your metaphor for the lameness of the plot of xenogears, but i still find it as the most ambitious and successfull in trying to the deliver a plot that is a little bit more clever and engaging than the average video games.

Re:Political/Ideological messages of MGS2

[Dsal]

Yeah MGS2's story was a complete train wreck, but the gameplay underneath it was as finely crafted as anything else out there. If the story wasn't such a glaring weakness, it might've been remembered as one of the best games ever made.

That's why I still play the Substance missions now. It's all the great gameplay without the annoying long-winded narrative.

Kojima still makes incredible games as long as you plug your ears/press skip repeatedly at certain points.

Re:Political/Ideological messages of MGS2

[AvantLegion]

I think the game's intent on one-upping itself ruined the story as well. It started great - first the ship sequence, then the President is being held hostage on a huge oil rig.

Now we're going to go into left field and fight Metal Gears on an astral plane or some crap.

Now you're talking to an AI.

Now all of politics is a lie.

Now we're fighting in some other location that we got to with no apparent rhyme or reason.

It just got LAMER and LAMER. You know what could've been gripping? Rescuing the President before a nuclear launch could've started. You DON'T HAVE TO go into comic book land to make a good gane storyline!

Thank god for Splinter Cell.