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2004 Indie Games of the Year

Posted by michael on from the think-outside-the-xbox dept.

cyrus_zuo writes "For all those who think that the best games that came out this year were all sequels Game Tunnel presents a different angle on things with their 2004 Independent Game of the Year awards. For those who believe that the best game this year was that badly named expansion pack that they have the nerve to call Halo 2, check out the awards for a different side of gaming than you are used to."

13 of 318 comments (clear)

  1. Unneeded comment by Albert+Pussyjuice · · Score: 4, Insightful
    "For those who believe that the best game this year was that badly named expansion pack that they have the nerve to call Halo 2, check out the awards for a different side of gaming than you are used to."
    cyrus_zuo, Save the comments on the article for the comments section please.
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    1. Re:Unneeded comment by saltydogdesign · · Score: 4, Insightful

      For all those who think that the best games that came out this year were all sequels...

      Strike this -- you can't know who this list is meant for.

      Game Tunnel presents a different angle...

      "Different angle" is a matter of opinion.

      on things with their 2004 Independent Game of the Year awards. For those who believe that the best game this year was that badly named expansion pack that they have the nerve to call Halo 2...

      Opinions have no place here.

      check out the awards for a different side of gaming than you are used to.

      How can the writer know what side of gaming I am used to?

      Finally, my edited introduction:

      Game Tunnel presents their 2004 Independent Game of the Year awards.

      Wouldn't Slashdot be so much better like that? Then we wouldn't have to skim the comments of some boob nitpicking the editors for trying to produce non-cardboard prose.
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    2. Re:Unneeded comment by Rakarra · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Game Tunnel presents their 2004 Independent Game of the Year awards.

      Wouldn't Slashdot be so much better like that? Then we wouldn't have to skim the comments of some boob nitpicking the editors for trying to produce non-cardboard prose.

      But that's not what the introduction is supposed to be for on Slashdot. It's supposed to tittilate and engage the reader, leap out and shout "this is for you!" whether it really is or not. It's marketing.

    3. Re:Unneeded comment by Minwee · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, it's supposed to give you something to reply to without having to go to all the bother of reading the article.

      Didn't it work?

  2. Independant by FiReaNGeL · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If anything, it shows the power of marketing : these all appear to be good, original and fun games (except for the 3-4 rehashes of old games such as Marbles and Arkanoid), but I NEVER heard of them ANYWHERE. Which doesn't help me to buy them... which doesn't help the independant programmers of these gems... which doesn't help them to pay for marketing I guess. Vicious circle indeed.

    I managed to get to the end of the list before a complete Slashdot (happened while I downloaded a top10 game... BreakQuest. Irony?). GISH, the Tarball adventure game is first, and it deserve it. Fun, VERY original gameplay and VERY challenging. Free demo available too.

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    1. Re:Independant by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why doesnt the games section in slashdot cover this kind of stuff?

      All it discusses are Doom 3, Half Life 2, Halo 2, and the odd update to WineX that lets yet another big commercial Windows title run under linux.

      I guess I don't understand what motivates /. in general. They have a lot of eyes watching, but don't really use that to the general advantage of OSS.

      To me, new and good indie games, or hell - any good game I've never heard of is true "news for nerds". SCO v IBM is "news for IP lawyers".

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  3. Halo 2 Rules by Agret · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Halo 2 had more hype than any other game there was no way it would live up to the hype so I just ignored all the hype. The game was brilliant, heaps better than the first one. There was almost vehicles in every level. There were a few too many ghosts but that was a good thing I got to hijack lots of people. It is playable online with a ping of 300 to a US server and it also has awesome LAN play. I don't see how that could let anyone down!

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  4. get off it by mikeg22 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For those who believe that the best game this year was that badly named expansion pack that they have the nerve to call Halo 2...

    Oh for god's sake. Halo 2 had revamped graphics, sound, a completely new single player campaign and XBOX Live support. What is your definition of a sequel anyways?

    1. Re:get off it by VividU · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You must understand, Halo and Halo2 have acheived a sort of symbolic status here on Slashdot as the game offends both camps of "M$" hater:

      First, the Linuxites who can't stand the fact that the Xbox is both cool and a great success (reread early Xbox posts). You see, to them, Microsoft can't do anything right, and so therefore, those who think the Xbox is a good console and Halo a good game are "overhyped" or not true gamers. This despite the fact that both Halo and Halo2 have achieved Game of the Year awards.

      Second you have the Mac people. Halo was supposed to be their own. Bungie was their for them and them only. The very idea that MS bought Bungie and released Halo for the Xbox only..well..it's just too much to take.

    2. Re:get off it by Xzzy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      > Halo & Halo 2 are very well done, fun games, but they're basically regular FPSs

      No, they are the pinnacle of refinement in the "old school" style of FPS. Gripes about the single player story are probably valid in a lot of cases, but the multiplayer feels just like playing Doom back in the day, except it's matured in the same way you'd expect aged wine to.

      Having been a gamer on both PC and consoles for almost 20 years now I'm not a "newbie" gamer in any sense of the word, and the implication that the only way to enjoy Halo is because it's "easy to pick up" is pure rubbish.

      The cautiously balanced weapons and solid feel of the environment is the state of the art, it takes all the classic elements of FPS that causes us to recall Doom or Marathon with fondness and sharpens them to a glistening point. Halo gave it to us on a LAN, Halo2 brought it online.

  5. Meh by SilentChris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Some of us like big-budget games made by major studios (*cough* World of Warcraft *cough*) because the artwork, sense of "success" and even gameplay is plain old better. Same reason why we flock to New Line's version of Lord of the Rings instead of watching the old hobbit cartoon -- it's just higher quality.

  6. Re:TROLL ALERT - MOD HIM DOWN! by MBCook · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sorry. Meant to give a link to "N". You can find it here. I don't know how they came up with it, but it's just so much fun (and the graphics are very simple in a clean and elegant kind of way).

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  7. Interesting anecdote about I of the Enemy by Pluvius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At the forum for the warez .NFO site I frequent, the developer of that game actually asked people for their opinions about it. I'm not sure if he realized that everyone there was a software pirate, but either way he managed to guilt-trip a few people out of downloading his game. Brilliant idea, far better than most copy protection.

    Rob