For those of you with a PlayStation 3, I have a wonderful recommendation. The PlayStation Network has a downloadable game entitled flOw and it is really quite pleasant. (For more information and to view some in-game footage, visit Sony’s site.) For those of you with a PSP, I have a similar recommendation. flOw for the PSP was released last week and it is every bit as beautiful as its PS3 cousin. However, there are some differences worth noting. Let’s begin with the PS3 version…
My son and I played flOw on the PS3 about a month ago and he really seemed to enjoy it. We can both play simultaneously so I can help him in some of the more overwhelming situations without him having to surrender his controller. The game takes advantage of the PS3’s six-axis controller to move your onscreen character. All you need to do is tilt the controller to determine the direction that you want to move. If you want to dart in a given direction, just press any button on the controller. That’s all there is to it!
The simplicity of the interface is really what made this accessible to my son. Combine that with the stunning visuals which he seems to think look like “skeleton-fish-bug-things” (a big plus for him on all accounts) and it’s hard not to have fun. But what is flOw?
It’s hard to describe but as an avid gamer I have found it a rather relaxing experience. There are occasional conflicts, but essentially you are an organism that is seemingly swimming around eating other organisms. As you eat more, you grow. Your shape evolves as you play through the game. After you go through all the levels, you return to the beginning and have the opportunity to grow a different organism through the same trials. Though similar, the experience offers enough variety in the gameplay that it is no chore to experience this growth process repeatedly. The visuals, the sound, and the simplicity of the interface makes it a very pleasant experience and one that I can highly recommend for a younger (or older) audience.
As for the recently released PSP version, there are two major differences that I have noted so far. First, since the PSP does not incorporate six-axis control, the player moves his/her creature around using the analog nub. This is fairly intuitive for the average PSP owner, but it does not convey the subtle nuances afforded to those who play the game on the PS3. Most moves on the PSP are more abrupt and less flowing. (Yes, I chose that word intentionally.) The second issue that I observed on the PSP version was that when you proceed from level to level, there seems to be a slight pause or stutter in between levels. This too detracts from the flowing experience.
All in all, each version of the game is under $10 and well worth it. I look forward to more games that seem so simple, yet convey such a deep sensory experience. I recall that someone on the PlayStation forums commented shortly after the original PS3 version of the game was released that it was the most cost effective therapy session money could buy.
For those interested in viewing the original Flash version of the game, you can check it out here.
If you see the above graphic someplace, chances are that the individual who placed it there isn’t trying to bring back roman numerals. This is just one of the ways that Rockstar Games is promoting Grand Theft Auto 4. As of today, they announced the official release date for this anticipated title. It is due to hit the streets April 29th, 2008. If you’re interested, you can read their actual press release.
Before we go into a little history, let’s establish that the Grand Theft Auto series has been steeped in controversy since the original was released in 1997. In fact, I would venture to say that GTA is considered by many to be the most notorious gaming franchise on the planet. Many parent organizations point to this series when they want to criticize videogames. We expect that another wave of uproar will coincide with the imminent release of GTA4 - the first incarnation of the series on this generation of consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360).
We are not here to tell you what is good or bad. We’re here to help you make informed decisions for yourselves. The fact is that we have played these games over the years and we consider the Grand Theft Auto games to be some of the most impressive titles in the industry…for adults. These are very much mature games and are rated accordingly by the ESRB. These games are NOT intended for children. You should think carefully about the subject matter of these titles if you are considering bringing them into your household. They are violent. They include strong language. They involve drugs. They are filled with sexual subject matter. Yet the content is no stronger than most R-rated movies. Having said that, my children won’t be watching such movies or playing these games for many years.
Episode 4 is live! In this episode we rock out with some friends and learn why we haven’t quit our day jobs to be come the next Rock Band. We also play some PAIN and discover why it might just be the best party game for ‘07, but not for the reasons you think. We wrap things up with a bit of talk about how our video game related holiday acquisitions turned out.
We mentioned some of our top game suggestions for this year in our last VodCast. We promised that we would follow-up with a longer list for each system to cover a wider range of games. This is the collection of those lists. Not all of these games are brand new, but almost all were released within the year. Please note the ESRB ratings for these games when you’re deciding what would be best for your family and feel free to comment below or chime in on the forums if you have questions about these titles. We’ll gladly get into more detail. (Chris can testify that I would easily talk anyone’s ear off about practically any of them. You should see how much editing he has to do on our videos. Once I get going…um…there I go again.)
Before I get sidetracked again, we present our lists. They are in ESRB rating order (lowest to highest) per system and alphabetical within the rating group. Enjoy!
In our last article, Chris brought up the concept of licensed games and how they make their way onto our children’s wish lists. It is important to understand the politics of making a game that has a television or, especially, a movie tie-in. The rule of thumb is that these games are rarely great games. There are exceptions, but they are infrequent. The fact is that nothing can be more frustrating for a family during the holidays than to get a highly anticipated game as a gift only to realize that it isn’t fun at all. Well, one thing is more frustrating…being the parent who paid $50-$60 for that game and realizing that it was wasted money.
Licensed games are titles that are created to extend the experience which began with the film upon which the game is based. The thought is that if you really loved the movie, you’d like to take on the role of the hero and experience it yourself. The concept makes sense and to the massive entertainment industry, it gives them yet another opportunity to market something based on a successful franchise to its target audience at the height of its popularity. This last part of the equation is crucial. I will reiterate that it should be timed for release at the height of the franchise’s popularity.
This means that as teenagers were leaving the theatre after seeing Spider-man in the spring/summer of 2002, it was important to have a playable game available in the stores that they could buy while the experience of the film was still fresh. With this in mind, the game was released two weeks before the movie and was available accordingly. In the case of the Spider-man games that tied to the movies, they haven’t been bad. (Although the current Spider-man 3 for the PS2 and Wii isn’t highly recommended. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are better.)
The challenge is that to have a game available for the optimum sales window, it must be completed, packaged, and in the stores when the movie is released. This is a firm deadline and cannot be pushed back. There are many developers who estimate game releases and then push them back when they realized that they have unforeseen challenges. GTA 4 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 was delayed from Fall 2007 to a Spring 2008 release. A number of developers (and most gamers I know) would prefer that a game get delayed in order to provide the developers the time needed to fully realize the experience. Sure, we all would prefer to get things sooner, but how many people would rather have pancake batter poured onto their plates at a restaurant instead of waiting until the pancake is finished?
In the case of a firm deadline, game companies have to ship the game in the state it’s in. Since this deadline is understood early on, sacrifices are made during development in order to stay on schedule. There are three aspects to any project (not just games):
1) Time
2) Resources (i.e., money, staff, facilities)
3) Quality
If one of these is firm, then adjusting to handle unforseen challenges falls upon the other two. In the case of a licensed title, you can’t change the deadline so you either have to put more money into the development or you sacrifice the quality of the production.
One of the first (and most notorious examples) of a poor franchise videogame was the original E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600. In Howard Scott Warshaw’s (the game’s programmer) defense, he only had 5 weeks to make the game and he told me in a conversation that I had with him a few years back that two of those weeks were spent on coding the title screen alone. He had a firm deadline and no one else in the company wanted to work on a doomed project so his resources were limited. What happened? Quality was sacrificed.
This was only the first of hundreds of licensed games that have not met the expectations of the game-playing public. This is not to say that all movie-based games are bad. Two of the three Lord of the Rings games (all rated “T” for teen) for the last generation consoles (Gamecube, PS2, & Xbox) were excellent. The Two Towers and The Return of the King had co-op play that allow you and your kid to share in the experience. As for The Fellowship of the Ring, you’re better off watching the movie again or, better yet, just pull out the book and read it with your family!
The Scooby Game, Part 2: For those of you who missed Part 1 or would like a refresher, you can find it here.
As noted previously, when a game is rated “E” for Everyone it is referring to the content. Let me qualify this, if I may. Since viewing a film is more passive, the rating is appropriate for all viewers because everyone who sees the film is capable of participating similarly based on their level of interpretation. (This is not to say that everyone walks away with the same experience.) However, with a videogame, you have the player and you have others who may view the game. Now if a game is rated “M” for Mature, I would infer that my four-year-old should neither play the game, nor watch someone else playing the game because of the content. Does that make sense? In contrast, a game that is rated “E” should have no objectionable content for practically anyone in the room to view. But that doesn’t mean that anyone can play the game. (Keep in mind that games rated “E” for Everyone are actually intended for ages 6 and older, not everyone as the rating implies. For more details, check out the ESRB ratings guide here.)
In the case of Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights I found nothing that was objectionable for my son to watch. However, playing the game requires a level of hand-eye coordination and patience that was far beyond my (then) three-year-old. In fact, as a seasoned gamer, there were a number of sequences in this game that truly frustrated me and required that I play them over and over until I accomplished the objective (and survived). Many more challenging games have such sequences and provide a sense of accomplishment for a veteran gamer. However, sequences like these can discourage and dishearten a younger and less-experienced player.
There are a few specific sequences in this title that hearken back to old arcade games or early 2D platformers where the only way that you can survive the sequence is through memorizing the patterns. Gamers 20 years ago thought that this was “fun” and it provided an opportunity for bragging rights. However, these days it can be a bit tiresome.
As I mentioned in the first part of this article, Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights is a hub-based game. This means that as you accomplish certain tasks and navigate particular areas, you then can return to the starting point. Usually, sucessfully navigating an entire area gives you the opportunity (thankfully) to unlock another linking point. This allows you to jump in at that point instead of having to go through the whole area again. In many cases, this saves time. In certain instances, it truly preserves sanity. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse. As I said before, overall the game is actually pretty good. It’s just those few areas that test whether or not you are committed to finishing the title.
In part one I mentioned the monster tokens. These are for the completist and are simply a novelty within the game. Acquiring them neither pushes the plot further nor helps in any way to finish the game. What they do offer is another opportunity to nurture the desire to collect things. It was this aspect of the game that really captured my son’s attention. He wasn’t as interested in the story or the plot line as much as seeing the different monsters in the areas and collecting the monster tokens. Once a token is acquired, it unlocks that creature in the monster gallery. There were entire 0ne-hour sessions during which all my son wanted to do was look at the statuesque representations of the monsters in this cavern showcase. This macabre trophy room became more important than any other aspect of the game. And it was his interest in this that got me thinking.
Whether it be Pokemon, Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars, or baseball cards, our culture encourages children to collect things. When I was a kid, I collected rocks and coins. As a young adult I began to collect comic books and videogames. The fact is that there is a big difference in collecting rocks as opposed to comics or baseball cards. Though there are rare gems and minerals, there are no lists that say, “only 1,000 gold nuggets were made.” Yet no matter what, when you want to fill a gap in your collection with a rare or limited item, it usually costs more and can become a bit of a thorn in your side until it’s acquired.
This concerns me. I see games that encourage this level of collecting (and we can trace this as far back as the original arcade version of PacMan) and I wonder what we’re “wiring” our kids brains to do. If my son becomes as obsessive about baseball cards as he was about those monster tokens, is he going to justify spending a thousand dollars on some single card one day to complete an historic team from his childhood? Should this be an issue for concern?
I don’t have answers. I have questions and concerns for my family. We all want what’s best for our children. And we want to help our kids navigate the challenges that life offers. Sometimes games (including sports, board games, and videogames) can offer the opportunity to role play and problem solve to enhance a skill-set for life. But they can provide the opportunity to learn other behaviors as well. Some of which may not serve our children’s best interest. All I can say is that as with all things, we parents must try to maintain open communication with our sons and daughters to better understand what they are learning and to help shape those lessons accordingly.
