Can you have too many gadgets?

Since my wife’s family is in Hong Kong, and mine in Canada, we make an annual trek to each location. We go to Canada in the summer (because winter is not my thing!) and Hong Kong over Christmas holidays. As a gadget guy, the annual trip to HK always results in me buying some kind of technology. After this past Christmas visit, I returned to Qatar and this is what my entertainment room looked like:

(pictured left: two laptops, two desktop PCs, an Archos 101 tablet, Nokia N8, PSP, Nintendo DS lite)

 

 

(pictured right: TVPC with 4TB external storage, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Playstation 3)

(not pictured: Mini desktop, Mini laptop, wife’s laptop, wife’s iPhone)

I know what you’re probably thinking, “What the heck does he need all that stuff for?” Well, this accumulation of tech is not merely the result of money burning through my wallet. Though I have to admit, spending money and a gadget-haven like Hong Kong are definitely enablers!

This collection is also the unwillingness to dispose of older technology (but it still works!) If you’ve spent a grand on a piece of technology, it’s awfully hard to accept that, after 5 or so years, it is “useless”. So you try to find uses for it. The mini laptop, a ‘pre-netbook’ netbook of 2003 (not pictured), is an ancient artifact at 7 years of age. Its duties are not limited to printer sharing and playing online radio to a set of nice speakers. I’m still struggling with what to do with a couple desktops that are getting long in the tooth.

This tech gathering is also the result of the understanding I have come to that there really is no single “device for all occasions”. I’ve noticed myself developing a kind of prejudice against portable devices lately. It’s the screen size. My Nokia N8’s screen, like the PSP and NDS, are just too small to play games for long or be productive on. It’s just become too much of a compromise for me. Granted, I don’t have a long commute and don’t spend time waiting around. If I ever have idle time, I’m almost always near a computer or laptop.

So do I need all these gadgets? Of course not! But, in many cases, the gadgets give me access to different platforms for gaming, so I can have a more thorough experience. In the household, I am able to play a new game that comes out for virtually every major platform, from PS3 to Android to Nintendo DS (all that’s missing is Mac OSX and Linux). Access to all these platforms is a definite advantage when the focus of your entertainment and study is video games.

The (un)fortunate thing is with more platforms comes more distractions. So my attention is now split across more platforms-worth of games, and the time to play them has not increased. This is not to mention a full-time job in education, a wife, and social life/holidays! So can I play virtually any game on any platform? Sure! Do I? Not a chance.

What will this year bring for us ‘gadgeteers’? Well, there’ll be a new iPad/iPhone, the Nintendo 3DS, and the PSP2. However, I think I may just go after a digital SLR camera this summer. At least that technology gets me capturing real life rather than simulating it.

Al

Do Games Really Need to be Long?

I don’t know about you, but when I play video games for long periods of time, it often has a negative effect. I get scolded for not remembering to clean around the house, or not spending enough time with my wife. I get reminded that I’m not being social enough in real life. I realize I just used up a lot of time that I could have spent doing something more productive, like learning game development tools or designing games. And, depending on the game, I can come away from a long gaming session feeling a bit nauseous from concentrating on the screen for too long without breaks.

All in all, not a lot of encouragement to play games for long stretches. But, of course, that doesn’t completely deter me if the game is really engaging. Of course, as you get older, you have a lot more responsibilities on your plate – at the very least, employment. There’s a lot more things vying for my time in my 30s than there was in my teens.

So, lately I find myself somewhat puzzled about people complaining that game narratives are too short. When the ESA studies state that the average age of gamers is 34, shouldn’t they all have at least some of the same responsibilities that I do? Who has the time, save for those in their teens?

Besides, I don’t believe length is in any way vital to the enjoyment of a game. Great narrative games can range in time-invested anywhere from 3-4 hours (Portal, Limbo) to 100+ hours (Elder Scrolls Oblivion, Final Fantasy). I suppose there is an economic argument that people don’t want to play $60 for a game that they will finish in 10 hours. But, compared to mediums like motion pictures, video games often provide a cheaper entertainment experience per hour. This is not to mention the online experience, which can easily quadruple the time spend playing the narrative campaign of the game.

I believe it is far more important for game developers to create a quality experience, as polished as possible, than worry about these imaginary time requirements. I’ve played many games over the years where it has clearly been ‘stretched’ to fit a length of game play time. There are sections of the game where it adds little to the overall story, often with a flimsy pretext of having to take a detour to collect an item or recruit an ally. But it’s beyond the mere plot that the problem exists. These sections don’t take you to new locations, use new skills, or add anything new. It’s more like busy time. It reminds me of giving students a bunch of worksheets to take up a class period I wasn’t prepared for. It’s not good teaching, and it’s not good gaming.

In these gaming situations, I’m always reminded back to when I saw the original Star Wars Trilogy. There was just enough to hook you and make you want more. Why do so few games achieve this same effect? I’ve played many games I liked where the last third of the game just dragged along. With the exception of open-world games, my favorite narrative games could often be completed in 12 hours or less. To unfairly single a recent game out of the crowd, Enslaved: Odyssey of the West had sections that appeared merely to extend the length of the game. It would have been better if it was shorter, and the extra resources put into making the existing game play and environments more exciting.

Coming from an English/Film background, I have a strong attachment to narrative. I am drawn towards the single player experience first (it would be nice if there was story-based co-op), and enjoy losing myself in the story. Please, developers, just make the narrative experience top-notch, regardless of the length. It’ll still sell well, especially if it has some online multiplayer or downloadable content to satiate those who want more

Al

Mass Effect 2

I started off 2011 by starting (and finishing) Mass Effect 2 for Xbox 360. Not a new game, I’ve had it sitting on my shelf for a year before I finally got around to playing it. In fact, a friend had even borrowed (and completed) it before I gave it a go. I have to say, I had a great time with it and didn’t want to put it down!

It, in essence, is an “in-depth narrative shooter”, something few games really pull off well (only Uncharted comes to mind in the same ballpark). Rather than a tacked-on story, the narrative feels developed with purpose. Bioware games can always be relied upon to have well-developed storytelling and characters, and this didn’t disappoint. Considering it is a fundamentally a linear story with side missions, it felt much more open-world with the ability to scavenge resources (for upgrades), and choose side missions in any particular order.

The shift (from Mass Effect and other Bioware games) towards a more “action”-oriented RPG was also rewarding. It achieved a good balance between the two genres, with the ability to pause action to change weapons or use biotics/tech (aka “sci-fi ‘magic’). It was a smoother experience than Mass Effect, and they really did overhaul a lot of different elements of the game to speed things up and make them more enjoyable.

There were a few niggles, though. Aside from resource collection (boring! Where’s my Star Control 2!), my issues were surprisingly with the relationships. While I praise the game’s story, character development, and clever mission plots, the way in which you interact with characters always seems a bit disconnected. For example, Bioware wanted to lock you into only having a single character you could be personally (intimately) involved with. As a player, you never knew where the line was drawn between chatting with the player and then crossing that line. As a result, you got locked into a relationship whether you were prepared for it or not.

Secondly, the loyalty level of your team is essential on the final mission, as those who are not ‘loyal’ (merely “normal”) cause team casualties. I thought this was quite flimsy, as from a narrative standpoint all the characters are on your team precisely because they are loyal. That, amplified by its invisible nature as an attempt to make it feel genuine to the player, left the player had no idea why someone died or not. I’m not a fan.

On the whole, it was a great game that I was engrossed in and wholly recommend. Not that you need my endorsement, as it has been nominated across the board for Best Game of 2010, and won at least a  couple.

Al

Game Dev Story

After hearing about this game back in the fall, I was finally able to play it in the New Year through my Archos 101 Internet Tablet with Android OS. It’s a heck of a long time to wait (well, not as bad as my Mass Effect 2 delay), but it was worth it. It’s a great little game that capitalizes on fun and could also be used for some basic business principles.

Game Dev Story is in the realm of a ‘tycoon’-style game, where you start with little and build up your game development company with skilled employees. These employees help you make better games, which sell better and net big profits. You have the choice what kind of game to make for which platform, ranging from a Cowboy Action game to a Bikini Motion game and anything in-between. Both luck and skill still feature, as you can get ‘hazards’ (power outages) or uninspired employees lowering the overall quality of your game. You have 20 years to develop your studio, keep it profitable, train your employees, and make hall of fame games.

What makes this a real treat is the level of reference it makes to the video game industry. The game somewhat parallels video game console history, as certain consoles (NES, Gameboy, Playstation, etc) get released over time. You can attend the “Gamedex” (E3?) conference to attract more fans, and you even have to buy a license fee in order to develop for a new console.

What keeps you playing is the surprisingly-layered experience. You’re not just choosing a game and making it. You’re:

• hiring, training, and ‘leveling-up’ employees so that they make better games
• balancing your budget so that you can have enough money to develop your own games and pay your employees
• using various types of advertising so that you can increase your fan base and hype for the current game in development
• eventually able to develop your own consoles (with enough money and skilled-enough employees)

While the experience will eventually become repetitive, it does keep you playing for quite a while. I played for at least 10 hours, and that’s from a $4 game! Talk about value!

Al

Downloadable contect (DLC), profiles and setting up a whole bunch of consoles

One of the big challenges right now in developing our collection is how go about getting some of the more innovative or interesting games available.  Most of those games for the consoles seem to come from downloadable content, games like Flower.  They do propose an interesting problem for acquisitions and cataloguing.  We are having a meeting this week to look at, and by we I mean all the people involved in the process.  That is the issue, coming up with a regularized process to move forward with, that will become part of a standard process.  I personally have a PS3, and I have a reasonable feel for how its store works.  I don’t have a very good feel for the Xbox360 though, I will have to set up both systems tomorrow morning on campus and run them, see what I can find out.  Our plan is to make the DLC available, soon as I know how we are doing it, I will post it here.  [Jerremie]

Going over SDK training, trying out Unity

So I have been going back over my Source Development Kit training videos, both because I can’t remember how to do a couple things I need to do for some games I am working on, but also because I am also checking out Unity.  Unity is another development engine and as part of the collection we are looking at getting authoring software.  In other parts of the library we have productivity software to help people use our collections to their fullest.  We will do the same with the games collection.  Students and faculty author in gamic environments for various reasons, focusing on different areas of simulation and game design.  Many of them are already designing games or working in 3D environments like Second Life.  I don’t know if we will have Second Life, I am also going to be looking at Hero Engine, but in the end whatever we license I will also have to support it.  Hero Engine, only gives one development space per license, sort of like buying space in Second Life.  Unity has an asset store which makes it attractive as we also want to purchase the assets that are needed in to build 3D environments.  We will have Valve’s SDK, possibly Unity, maybe even Unreal.  Still testing, and as a result open to suggestions.   (Jerremie)

Valkyria Chronicles, a dog and the PSP

The Valkyria Chronicles was a favorite game of mine, in fact after playing it on my brother-in-law’s PS3 I decided the PS3 was the HD console I would get.  I have played it a couple of times, in fact I even named my dog after a game character, Welkin.  Now why all of this?  Because I have never owned a handheld game device (well at least not in 25 years), and when I started buying equipment I realized that I don’t know too much about them.  Particularly when it comes to sorting out access policies and what should circulate with handheld devices I needed to know. Like how long do the batteries last?  How long do they take to recharge?  (Chris did ask Alan for me, so I have a reasonable idea, but still I felt I needed a better understanding).  I am not sure if I enjoy gaming in this format.  I did get Valkyria Chronicles 2, which I enjoy, but there is less animation and smaller maps.  But what I might like even less is how I can actually play all the time, so quick, so easy, I could see losing sleep and giving up reading etc.  I could even play while walking to work, if it wasn’t so cold out.  At any rate it could be just this game.  I have spent more time with the PSP than the DSxl, probably because graphics matter to me more than I realize, or because I am hooked on Valkyria Chronicles 2.  We will have hand held game devices in the collection and they will circulate with  a case, and charging setup.  This will make cataloguing easier (everything in the case is one item, one record, so the cords and chargers don’t need separate records).  They will circulate on a 3hr loan period along with games. Whether or not we can always check them out charged, or how we will make them bookable, if they are needed for a given class I am not sure.  (Jerremie)

In Play: Dragon Age

I mentioned Dragon Age in the previous post and considering the amount of hours that I played it – I should at least spend a little bit of time reflecting on the game.  First off – I absolutely LOVED the game.  I loved the deep story lines, and the ability to return to different areas/cities after certain events, and a sense of freedom in choosing locations and storylines.

I played each of the six origin stories (with a mix of character classes, races, and genders) before choosing which story line to pursue.  I would have LOVED to have created a party comprised of all six of my initial characters and resolved all the story lines – THAT would have been rewarding.  I know that a number of people didn’t like the endless dialogue at the camp but I was curious.  Knowing the wide-range of story possibilities, I was just as curious about the options that I didn’t choose (but not enough to replay the entire game).

However, the main downside was the main reason that I loved the game.  I was playing the noble human line and choose to draw some boundaries to playing the character to be as consistent as possible in each story.  This though, led me to be COMPLETELY POOCHED leading into the final battles.  I was pissed to say the least.  My being ‘true’ to the story line – I ended up losing both my main fighter and mage.  BOTH who I had carefully cultivated for the entire game.  Built tactics and strategies to employ their skills then to LOSE them both at the end.  I even ended up with NO mages to choose from either (thereby losing those kick-ass ice spells) and much of the good fighter equipment gone as well.  I did manage to win the game and I loved the epilogue – it was like a choose your own adventure.  Nice to see the designers tie in the larger impact of the character actions.

I liked the battle sequences at the end – being able to use the recruited allies – but it just about blew-up my laptop.  I had to just about turn the graphics into 8 bits to make it run properly!  Frustrating (hence my change to console – but still not sure how to do these games on a console – I love those PC graphics and keyboard commands).

Overall, I had a great time with this game – too many sleepless nights – but had a blast!
–
Chris

Can one be a gamer and NOT play games?

I finally broke down and purchased a PS3 while I was in Hong Kong in December.  This is the first console that I’ve owned since the early 80s and my Atari 2600.  I don’t have a desktop PC any more and my current laptop cannot really handle most of the next level of games.  I couldn’t resist getting Resident Evil 5 since I loved 4 but not feeling the same passion for it (it could be that I’m playing on a crappy 480p resolution.  I cannot even read the text on the screen. Crappy).  Time for a new TV!
–
Chris

Which brings me to the title of my post.  I’ve played less than 10 hours on the PS3 since I got it and played less than 20 hours of games since August.   A far cry from last fall when I sunk 150 hours into Dragon Age (which for the most part I loved).   I’ve mucked around a bit with my friend Al – exploring collaborative PC gaming but not finding a lot worth playing.  We tried out Titan’s Quest (but didn’t like our initial character balance), played a bit of RE5, and then some Wii games.  So that 20 hours includes that gaming.

So, am I still a gamer?  Is there a minimum hours required to classify?  Is it weekly?  Monthy?  or god forbid, yearly?  Is it a state of being?  My ex and I used to spend hours playing adventure style games together like Still Life and Syberia, yet she did not consider herself a gamer.  I’ve always been curious about game playing and identity, self-labeling, and society labelling.  Do Wii players consider themselves gamers?  Is identification gender neutral?   I would guess that males are more likely to self-label – anyway, I should actually do some reading about this instead of rambling.  If you’ve got thoughts – I’d love to hear them.

Hardplay News: Building a Video Game Collection

We keep talking about how our current roles have distracted us from finishing work on Benevolent Blue and I thought it might be worth discussing what Jerremie is up to these days (since it’s far more interesting than what I’m up to).

Jerremie is currently building the Interactive Digital Media Collection at the University of Calgary.  Here are two news stories on the collection, one from the University of Calgary, and the second from CBC News – Calgary.  The collection has also been mentioned at Gamespot.  Hopefully Jerremie will have some time to post about the process of building this unique collection.  The collection has definitely created discussion about the role of video games in academia.
–
Chris