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Can You Handle 'THEY'?
In a refreshing turn, over at Newsweek's LevelUp blog N'Gai has some suitably chastising commentary on the newly-announced FPS entitled simply THEY. This overly-simplistic name is accompanied by a nearly informationless press release, and reinforces the idea that whatever THEY is, it's not worth looking into. "Generally, the role of a press release is to inform. But having read the THEY press release, all we've taken away from it is hyperbole and buzzwords, assembled Mad Libs-style for maximum unintended hilarity. What is THEY? Apparently, THEY is a 'next generation mystery first person shooter for PC and next generation consoles.' Who are THEY, you ask? ''THEY' are huge--'THEY' are different--'THEY' are hostile!' How good will THEY be? It's 'so mysterious, so stunning and so amazing--that 'THEY' might become one of the most anticipated world premiere titles from this year's Games Convention!'"
Production Costs $17 million
Theatrical Gross $13 million
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,832 in DVD
a low budget, high-concept, Lovecraftian horror flick that still managed to lose money.
Platforms: PC & next generation console
Release date: 2008/2009
Genre: First person mystery shooter
Scenario: Near Future
* next generation 3D engine
* unique weapon system that makes you "love" your weapons
* mysterious science fiction background story
* diversified enemies--thrilling and intelligent
* heroes to identify with
* heavy usage of physics
* destructible environment relevant for gameplay
* haunting single player mode
* versatile multiplayer modes
Honestly, this pretentious crap needs to end. This doesn't make me want to purchase or play the game. Sure it's an announcement but honestly, every single buzzword is touted for every FPS game when they come out. Besides, it looks like a third-grader wrote this for a book report and copied the box on game. It provides just enough information to sound real but not enough to be useful, like this up and coming game from downtown ATL.
Title: Protecting and Analyzing the Next-gen Transportation System (PANTS)
Platforms: PC & next generation console
Release date: 2008/2009
Genre: First person strategy thriller
Scenario: Present Time
* next generation 3D engine
* unique tactics system that makes you "love" planning
* politically-charged background story
* diversified citizens--pissed off and delayed
* support characters with realistic backgrounds
* mild usage of physics
* adaptive environment relevant for gameplay
* intellectually challenging single player mode
* variety of multiplayer modes
I happen to remember that many, many, many years ago some magazine editor decided to rag on some company that had sent the magazine some doodads. The doodads weren't even promoting a game! Instead they were announcing the creation of a new videogame company. The doodad was actually a knick knack with a bloody brain in it (or something like that) with the name of the company printed visibly on it. For some reason this irked the game magazine editor, and he proceeded to expound, on said magazine's editorial, on how gimmicky the whole affair was, and what a loser of a company this was going to be.
For some reason, Croal's post reminded me of that editorial... And I will tell you this: PR is PR, that's why we have hot babes selling beer and spam emails to make our dicks longer. But in the end, the game will stand alone and speak for itself, gamers will either love it or hate it.
You see, that company the magazine editor ragged on? A couple of years later it went on to release Grand Theft Auto for the PS2, and arguably single-handedly brought open-ended sandbox gaming to the masses...
I wish I could filter out the annoying Pickens articles...