manny_c44

Yeah regeneration is from System Shock...and the turrets and the hacking and the vending machine upgrades and the audio logs etc. It seems like it is pretty much System Shock 2 lite from the little I've read. I have to admit I was hoping the game would focus around exploring and interacting with the environments and characters in a non-shooter fashion, but it seems like it's primarily an FPS. Strange that SS2 was released 9 years ago and the game design crept back towards run-and-gun in the interim. But who knows it could be really good; maybe the developers did make steps forward in other areas that just haven't been mentioned in preview coverage. I have to give it a shot at least, Art Deco fan that I am.

That wide angle lens stretched your face a bit. It doesn't count.

I've never heard of this book (or author) but it sounds interesting, I will definitely read it.

Only 100 more years of graphical updates to go before we finally create trump l'oeil B-movies.

I am in the dirty-student/oxfam boat as well.

The robotic passive-tense really adds that extra something.

...I can't look away. I'm trying to find the fat-suit seams, or maybe an obvious pillow-stuffed-under the shirt. I'm not seeing it though .

3d is just more versatile: you can use the same model and animations from any angle, scaling/rotation is a breeze, it is much easier to tweak a 3d animation than a 2d one. For example the boss fights in phantom hourglass look like they take place in a more traditional 3d space...and all of Link's animations and graphics can be reused, whereas they would have to be redrawn in 2d. I like 2d as well, but for some applications it just isn't feasible.

Yes that's what you need to do. This was probably the easiest episode for me, but also the best.

Of games coming soon Bioshock is the only one I was really looking forward to, perhaps only for its setting. I'm always optimistic about the potential of gaming, the abstract idea I mean, but the upcoming commercial releases aren't inspiring. But then again there are some far-off or nebulous titles that look intriguing: A Vampire Story, Insecticide, Braid, The Party (from the academic team that made facade- does anyone know what's happening with this?), anything Tim Schafer, Fallout3, Ico team's next project. Maybe Portal, Mario Galaxy, MGS4 (they've been getting worse), HL2 Ep:2, Spore. Time and money are definitely a factor, as Marek said, but often times there is just nothing current that looks interesting.

Hilarious! and quite true.

It's true Blizzard has the benefit of brand, essentially guaranteeing an initial player base of 1-2 million (at least) and can build from there. I can't imagine there are too many stray potential-MMO players anymore, seeing as they have been soaked up by large franchises like everquest, Wow, and final fantasy. The only reason I can think of for this wave of MMO development is excited bean-counting departments have been ogling Blizzard's revenue sheet. I suppose they need to be burned before they'll learn. Maybe some will succeed by some fluke, who knows? EDIT: Our Benefactors links illustrate the bean counter effect quite well.

Yeah I thought it was his HAM-radio handle or something.

As opposed to his 90's collaborations with Ingmar Bergman...

There's no rumble so the wavebird as actually quite a bit lighter than the regular GC controller. As for Thousand Year door, it seems most people like it, but I think its derivative and tedious, try the gameboy advance mario RPG (superstar Saga I think it's called) if you haven't already.

In the most technical sense, power is very much a limiting factor in the visual aspect of creating games. You can have environments and models that are too difficult for the wii to render regardless if you are going for grimey realistic or a representational style. Ideally you'd have no constraints, so whatever is being made can be displayed. (Just imagine making a 3d game on the DS....the grinding teeth, the poly-shaving!) The same can be said for CPU, or input devices for that matter. Generally better hardware and more options are a good thing. So "one doesn't make art easier by providing cutting edge technologies" is kind of untrue. I don't know much about AI, but I would assume some dedicated AI developer could put more power to use.

I'd heard of him...I think it must have been on Grand Text Auto, or an interview somewhere. Anyway, I'm actually pretty interested in Braid, is there any release information anywhere?

I'm fairly certain the armed-to-the-teeth-and-butchering-mutants screenshots are enough to lay that hope to rest.

There are no ideas in EA games. Playing them is like participating in weird fiscal calculus, where every investment and asset has been hedged totally. They serve their audience well enough I suppose, and the recent $30 million+ payout on class action lawsuits to their victimized workers hopefully put some fear into the boardroom...I'm not sure though. None of their upcoming games interest me. It would take a lot just to get me to buy an EA game, so loving them is unlikely. I like Microsoft a whole lot more.

Basically 'real games' are the only reason I play games to begin with...I'm sure first party titles specifically designed for the remote will show that so called big games have a place on the wii. The big Metroid and Mario franchises are coming out soon enough, so we'll be able to tell how well-funded studios with long development times fair with this system.

This is a problem for me too, and I've got 2.1Ghz core2duo, X1900GT, 2g ram so I believe it's just a weird fluke in this episode. I didn't happen before. Specifically on the street in front of Sam and Max's office whenever the train passes behind the buildings (the train isn't visible but you hear the sound effect) the frame rate bogs down heavily.

This one was a bit short/easy, but really the only real complaint is a lack of new environments---that last factory scene was well designed and animated, I just wish there was more like it. If they really only have 3 or 4 weeks to create new content it's pretty surprising they can get a good episode out at all. I wonder how much of the content creation happened at the start of the endeavour, before the episodes were even released, as compared to the work that goes on in between episodes. It's nice to see telltale, as basically the only real producer in the episodic format, succeed. ...although this episode is generally being panned by critics. I really liked it however, and look forward to it every month.

I've played the demo for a while, it seems exactly like Total Annihilation...even the style is the same. Why didn't they just name it as a sequel?

This thread title was disconcertingly foul though; just imagine the unsavory types you're reeling in from bizarre, late-night google searches. Anyhow, Ocarina of time is an ugly brute, no doubt, but a player can acclimatize to the graphics if he is willing to devote some time at the beginning. Personally I think it's strange having this game topping 'best of' lists everywhere, Windwaker was very similar and much better (I theorize that a lot of people missed their horsey). If you are plumbing the back catalog of videogaming for classics there are better games to spend your time on. Even just from 1998.

No need to get edgy, I was really wondering how it would benefit the user (since the resource use isn't a problem as you said)...you have to admit though, if it is crash prone those subjective returns will dry up quickly.