Thyroid

You're missing-out. I've said it before, I'll say it again: Sam and Max: Season Two was, by far, the best game of last year. It's up there with Grim Fandango and Monkey Island. Classic in every sense of the word. I still have to finish the last Strong Bad episode, but I've been planning to play it in two weeks, when my exams are over but everyone else is still going. I got three games - Bioshock, Drake's Fortune and (wait for this) LEGO Indy Jones (to play with my kid sister) - so there's those, and Okami, which I got a year ago but didn't start. Still, I have four months of nothing to do, so I should have plenty of time.

I've linked to this from Mixnmojo, if you don't mind (If you do just tell me and I'll gladly take it down.)

They're from pre-Islamic Arabia. Actually the first of them was more than 1500 years ago, as the seven poets were spread out over a century. And I believe Islam is now 1450 years old, but it's the 1430th Islamic year (i.e.: since the "Hijra," which is Arabic for "immigration", and in this case Muhammad's to al-Madinah, a city whose name, quite literally, translates as The City. A city called The City. Is that creative or what?) Upanishad are Hindu scriptures, so they're not related. Although I haven't looked up all of this, so I may be inaccurate. Using my memory here.

Err, what does Islam have anything to do with it?

...What the second spoiler tag is talking about is brilliant. That's incredible. Oh wow, I'd freak-out playing that. That's good horror, right there. And man, that's just great gameplay. You see, games industry? You can break away from what everyone else is doing and still be fucking awesome. Holy shit yes. This has made my day. Games might not die on their ass after all.

Almost every great write-up I've found has been at Gamasutra. It's complete, matter-of-fact, and has none of the fanboyism you'll see in most game journalism.

I'm reading something you probably haven't heard of, poems called Al-Mu'allaqat, or "The Hung". These were long, epic poems written over 1400 years ago. They would be then hung (hence the name) on the Ka'aba in Mecca (the big black building), and they're incredibly difficult to read. For sheer power, they're equal to Shakespeare or Dante. I'm not sure if they lose any of it in translation, though; they probably do, considering that they get their power from manipulating the bolts and screws of Arabic. More info here. Edit: Guys, I am so sorry I came across as such pretentious douche in this post. I hang my head in shame.

Oh my lord, it's Trico. Or so they say. Either way, that's a beautiful screenshot/drawing/fake.

Alex, will you still be covering Ueda's panel? Can you post a link?

Oh, excellent. Could you tell me where? And thanks!

I don't suppose any of you will be covering GDC on your twitters or whatever, will you? I'd love it if someone covered the Suda51/Fumito Ueda panel...

Well, it's a pretty low-budget game...I dunno. I rather like it. I appreciate it very much. It's like listening to Black Flag.

Have fun! Lucky bastard. If there's one GDC I'd kill to go to, it's this one.

I think we're thinking the other is thinking a different thing. Yo. Edit: My wonderful humour aside, what I mean was I have no idea what you mean by "that kind of indie," Toblix.

Is Telltale going to be there, or are you just going on your own to goggle at Fumito Ueda/Tim Schafer?

Well, it's true that games don't have that structure that says, "Oh, this story can only be told through a game." I think the only game that does that fully is Metal Gear Solid 2, as flawed as it is, and there are elements of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, but that's about it. I think if a game cracked that, or figured out how to tell a story like Citizen Kane or Magnificent Ambersons, we'll be set. The closest thing are adventure games, but even those aren't close enough. Not that I want games to become like movies. Movies have died, and are largely irrelevant now. You have two extremes: one that won't watch it if it isn't playing at the multiplex (the Transformers-obsessive crowd) and one that won't watch anything that isn't profound and pretends they understand the niche films that maestros make. I'm lucky enough to be one of the few people who came across those little films that struck the balance - last year it was In Bruges, Let the Right One In, Wendy and Lucy, etc. But Hollywood films, and thus the films that most people see, are largely irrelevant, so I hope games never degrade to that point.

I loved that! Hah! The ending I did not see coming.

Have you seen, well, as a hint (I'm not giving it away, just hints): .

What's wrong with that kind of indie?

I agree, it is an uncomfortable experience, but that's what darker entertainment should be. I've never understood the whole popcorn-horror flick mentality. RPS seems to agree: this is actually a good thing. I'm not saying the game is perfect, but it's great. The fact it was made by two people just makes that much cooler.

I've already posted my quick 5-minute playthrough thoughts on TT's forums and Mixnmojo, but something just occurred to me. This is nitpicking, but it'd be great if Telltale fixed the mouth-syncing it does. I'm not saying I don't like the stuff they do - I love it. Telltale is the only company whose games I play on any regular basis (seeing that all the other ones release a game every billion years). But I do wish that mouth movements at least looked believable. Unless this has been implemented in W&G. I have a hard time running it on my crappy laptop even on minimum specs, so it might be just me.

Isn't that a comedy skit though? I remember reading it was fake, just a comedy skit.

.This guy is even worse.

I came across this game today. It's hard to believe it was made in 1991: although little interactivity is involved, it's well ahead of its time technologically. (Also it's a bit of a weird trip.) Actually, I'd say this is probably the most interesting game I've ever seen. It looks like a movie, and has a certain interactivity to it - but not a full one. How would you improve on a game like this? This is more of a cutscene than a game - interesting. How would you make it fully interactive? Right now the only thing I can think of is making it button-press interactive, like a Choose Your Own Adventure - turn left instead of right, etc. What do you think?

Heh sorry! If it helps I've had the Katamari Damacy song playing in here for a while.