P Did you get home OK?-C
Sure did. Actually, everything is pretty cool in sunny Calif. I noticed the graphic nature of your blog and was wondering if you have spent any time playing "Gears of War", "Lost Planet" and or Morrowinds newest addition"Oblivion". Also, if you have a 360 gamer tag what is it? See you later.
P
Glad you got home ok! I have played a ton of GEARS and Lost Planet. I have both here at work and we use them for research. I also enjoy Rainbow Six Vegas. J (my wife) played Oblivion for about 3 months till it started ruining her life. She was playing WAY too much.I’m excited about Bioshock that comes out this month. I have a 360 gamer tag at home but I don’t remember what it is... I need to get my 360 hooked back up to my wireless and then I'll let you know. If you have a 360, you should pick up a copy of FEAR or Condemned:Criminal Origins so you can see some of my work. There is also another set of FEAR games coming out on the 360 soon that I worked on too. I'm currently working on the sequel to Condemned: Criminal Origins (In case you were wondering).
-C
Gears has some pretty great graphics but I'm not that into all of the disgusting gore that comes with blowing heads off of monsters. Because of the gore factor I usually stick to games like Lost Planet were the monsters and people are a little more easy to kill and the result of the kill is less messy as well. Games that interest me the most are more intellectual in nature which, is why I am so intrigued by the Morrowind series. I love the fact that when playing games like "Oblivion" you have limitless options to choose from as well as having the ultimate opportunity to create and develop anyway you like. Knowing that I am not following a path someone else has set makes the game much more interesting to me. Having said what I like it would be unfair to leave out the drawbacks as well.
I have to admit that the last version of Morrowind called "Elder Scrolls" kept me captivated for over six months. Which is probably similar to what happened to J. while playing "Oblivion". "Oblivion" probably would have taken over my life too this last time around but in order to stay productive I only let myself get up to level 100 on pretty much every quality and then I had to pull myself away from it. I am definitely going to check out "Fear" but it may be a couple days. I'll check back then. Take care
P
Yeah, the games I have worked on are pretty gruesome when it comes to gore (besides the game that I showed at the reunion). I actually had the assignment of creating a room completely painted with blood for the FEAR game that comes out in the Fall. It was pretty disgusting but, I get into the whole horror thing and love scaring people. So, I enjoy it. I was a HUGE Elders Scrolls Arena fan (Circa 1994). Probably spent an entire summer on it. Fun stuff. Sounds to me like you understand games pretty well. That's exciting.
-C
A whole room painted in blood would be pretty sick. As far as scary goes I would have to rate the last "Doom" game as the most scary just because it was so dark and the monsters moved so fast. There was a lot of blood in that one, which made me sick to my stomach at times. Talk to you later.
P
I'd be interested to hear if you thought Doom3 was scarier than Condemned or FEAR.
-C
Due to a consistent lack of time I probably won't be able to give you a complete review of "Fear". However, after spending a couple hours researching the graphics details and the theme of the game I would have to say that I would probably not like this game as much as I liked Doom 3. The reasons vary but if I could narrow them down into a simple phrase I would have to say that this opinion is a matter of personal preference. One major factor of that opinion would come from my dislike of the inane gory which "FEAR" seems to spend most of its effort depicting. To be honest with you I didn't like "Doom" for the same reason but I got through much of it because I was so intrigued by the contrasting colors and the beautiful graphics. From the screen shots I reviewed taken from Gamespot and Firing Squad I was actually disappointed in the morose, lividness of the whole playing environment. While most of "Doom" is spent running through the dark; "Fear" seems to spend its graphic characteristics glorifying the bright disgust of human decay. I'm sure this is not what you want to hear having spent so much time and effort in creating these environments but I feel that my opinion is just, given the limited amount of time I have spent reviewing the two games mentioned.
Don't get me wrong by thinking that I don't feel that you are talented and creative but my bias revolves around games that are beautiful and aesthetic as well as emotionally challenging. As far as I am concerned games like "Doom" and "Fear" lay outside of my bias because very little of them are created to make a person feel secure and esthetically pleased. I like "Oblivion" because it is a world were one feels safe for as long as one likes. The graphics are great, the world is huge and a person can develop their character anyway they would like. A one builds up confidence one is able to choose how difficult the game gets by either entering a dungeon or not, by approaching an enemy or running from them. "Doom" and "Fear" are good for a quick boom, followed by a couple of sleepless nights but if played for a prolonged period of time the individual feels like they are running through an endless maze which is neither stimulating nor aesthetic.
The draw to games like "Fear" is the release that comes at the end of every level triggered by a symbolic explosion of sorts. The Component Process Cycle(psychology term) says that for this explosion to continue to have an impact emotionally for a prolonged period of time it needs to get bigger as the game progresses and the gamer gets more attached emotionally. While reading reviews of "Fear" I noticed an oversight dealing fairly directly with the Component Process Cycle. One of the main problem with "Fear's" ability to acquire, develop and interact with the gamers psyche is the fact that a young girl with hair covering her face and some great ability to reek havoc has been the theme of some very popular movies recently which made the emotional attachment to her superfluous on an assortment of levels. I am not saying that the normal person wouldn't find a freak looking girl scary but as compared to a game like "Doom" were the theme is more open to imagination due to the very nature of the dark graphic content and therefore open to interpretation from more ranges of psychological vantage points one would have to agree that just from that one perspective "Doom" is a more scary game to play.
P,
...finally got a minute to reply here. Thanks for putting thought into this... I love discussing these sorts of things, especially with someone as informed as yourself. First of all... don’t worry about offending or insulting me about any of this stuff. I often don't have final say on what the environments, storylines, or rating of our games will be. It's all designed with a large group of people... and I feel the same way you do about allot of the design and aesthetic decisions. Hopefully we learn from mistakes and make better games that appeal to more people.
One thing I will note on the comparison between Doom 3 and FEAR is that FEAR is much more of a "game" than Doom 3 is. Doom 3 felt to me like a repetitive roller coaster ride. Though it was full of well done art content, and had great lighting, really there was very little new to expect around each corner in the game. The gameplay was typically : monster jumps out of closet, kill monster, rinse, repeat. I think this is the reason that Doom 3 reviewed lower than FEAR did. FEAR has some interesting gameplay that involves extremely intelligent AI, destructive environments, slow motion, and battles that involve Mechs and Power Armor (Huge enemies with massive rocket launchers and nail guns). FEAR also as much more varied weaponry which to me, makes it more fun. FEAR is more of a Die Hard action movie experience. I still enjoy encountering a large number of enemies in FEAR and hitting the slow motion and having a huge firefight. The enemies react intelligently and the Special FX (bullets flying, sparks, fire, explosions) are top notch. I would admit however that the visuals of Doom 3 were very very well done and at times far superior to the more "realistic" environments in FEAR. Having been a huge J-Horror fan, I don't mind some of the cliché’s in FEAR as much as some people do (trust me I've read this complaint thousands of times on our forums). The little girl thing can definitely get old though. I actually do feel more scared when playing FEAR than I do when playing Doom3. I think this is because you aren't sure of the origin of the supernatural events. I guess Doom3 feels more conventional to me because of the pentagrams, and zombies. I stopped being afraid of those types of things about 15 years ago (about when I stopped playing the original doom games). The blood and gore to me is a very useful tool for portraying different feelings to the player (although negatively). I do agree that it should be used more sparingly. If it were up to me, the horror elements would all be a bit more subtle and creepy instead of innately gory and in -your-face. Sadly enough, marketing doesn’t agree with me. I do enjoy creating dark, dirty, rusty, and generally derelict environments. I think they have a certain beauty to them. I also enjoy seeing those places first hand in a game when I would never dare to enter them in real life!
Also, keep in mind that not every game sets out with the goal of being a life changing event for the player. Some of my favorite games are games that last only about 8-10 hours and pack allot of enjoyment into them. I love the feeling of being able to sit down with a game and finish it in a weekend and feel like I have accomplished something and enjoyed myself. I guess this is similar to the argument that not every game can be the videogame equivalent of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. Sometimes we just need a quick action packed ride that ends when the player completes the task at hand. That's probably one of my main complaints with MMO games and also games like Oblivion.... its almost impossible for the average person to learn the major plot points, reach the climax and feel that sense of accomplishment without getting caught in a 400 hour hamster wheel. Well, there's some stuff for you to chew on. As far as the new FEAR game goes, I worked on one called FEAR Extraction Point, which is being released on the 360 soon. It will be titled FEAR Files however on the 360. The other FEAR title that my company is working on should be pretty neat. We have attempted to address allot of the valid points you brought up. This one will definitely be more technologically advanced as well. There are allot of new larger and more open environments. I think it will do well. I'm currently working on Condemned 2: Bloodshot. This game is pretty insane. Definitely the most violent and gory project I have worked on so far. I am working on the Multiplayer component however. So, I’m not directly involved with that sort of thing. I'm mostly trying to make competing online more fun.
C
That is cool that you are such a good sport when it comes to criticism. I will try to keep my critiques productive but if I get tied up emotionally into some aspect of gore that you don't like or agree with just skim over that paragraph. Most gamers are not so keen on being anything but glorified and perfect. I am sure you are more rational than the average gamer which makes it interesting to comment on your projects.
OK; Seriously, "Condemned 2" is just nuts. Pulling your head apart so that your black brain slithers forth is not just gross but ... (throw up) ... something I can't think of at the moment. Just so you know; psychologists(of which, I have had to study with various types)would have a field day with all the imagery your games are dealing with. All of the suggestive blood and repressed emotional tension would give them lots to analyze. I personally can not help but to notice the connection these games have with the subliminal. Just think about it. All of the negative feelings and angry thoughts that people have developed through years of bad decisions compiled with the societal problems ofdrugs alcohol and emotional abuse being driven from a person through the medium of a little black box.
What is this game saying when it shows black blood? Better yet, what is it saying when black blood is coming out of the characters brain? The answer is different for every gamer but the designers are very keen on the generalizing of colors and themes so that similarities can be reached which may or may not create a distinct culture of rage, depression, greed or hate. They do however, have an impact on emotional responses when a person is least expecting it. The reason your marketing department develops games that are bloody and violent is because they understand addiction. They themselves are probably addicted to many things. Things violent in nature as well as things that are very very sexual. Associated with these addictions are always releases for which these addictions thrive. A case study describing this effect would probably show two opposing emotional stimuli like maybe an upper which in the video games case would be adrenaline and on the opposing end a downer which could very well be real life(problems at work etc). Whatever the stimuli the resolve is always the same; more. More graphic content more blackness more brains spewing forth blackness until more entirely consumes the individual that it is working on. Addiction is not a pretty thing. It is like a fungus which like mold can eat steal an otherwise indestructible material.
Why am I saying this you might ask? Probably because I understand the way black blood coming out of a brain effects me psychologically and I hate it while at the same time I would like to blow the #+** out of it in order to release the tension it brings. I'll talk to you later
-C
Getting back to the psychology of the video game which in one very important aspect appeals to the compulsive nature of humanity. Violent video games especially appeal to the compulsive component talked of by Freud in early psychological theory. The idea as spoken of by him goes as follows. When an individual is taken advantage of or if an individual interprets his ability as inept this individual acquires a desire(either internally or not) to defeat this unwanted stimuli. Everyone experiences this in one form or another which is what video games depicting destruction are intended to counter.
The reason people are so engrossed, obsessed, or otherwise interested in violent video games is because people are drawn to video games that make them feel powerful. People want to feel like they are dominating their surroundings. They want to develop a confidence in their own strength which will then give them a sense of security. Violent video games appeal to people who have lived in a violent world and therefore are comfortable with violence and are using violence in order to control the violent surroundings they are so used to. The reason this works is because all people are treated unfairly or interpret their treatment as unfair and then they create a compulsion in order to dominate that fear. When you have developed a compulsion you then begin to obsess over this particular compulsion until it drives who you are. It begins to make you sick. It eats at your heart strings. It tears you up inside. That compulsion and subsequent fear of that compulsion makes you start thinking of ways to beat that compulsion. Effective video games can either create an environment which stimulates that compulsion and then gives a way to defeat that compulsion.
Violent video games are obviously appealing to compulsions which deal with people who want to overcome violent stimuli. It is possible for a person to look at and play a video game in a completely withdrawn way. Like a scientist studying a lettuce leaf when a normal person would probably just eat it. Marketers and such depend on the latter in order to sell. They push the compulsions that people already have (sometimes to an unhealthy level) so that they are able to sell more and more games. this is kind of the same way cigarette companies make money on cigarettes by saying buy me and your problems will be easier to deal with. Buy me and you will then be able to conquer the world and all of your fears.Hey
P.
Thanks again for the killer reply and well thought out responses.
I agree to some extent... disagree to some extent.
The actual reason video games are violent is allot more simple than what you might think. It is a technical dependence on Artificial intelligence for all interaction in a game. AI is not as intelligent or unpredictable as a human. The amount of social or other interaction that you can have with an AI is extremely limited. This has changed somewhat (especially visible in games like Oblivion) however, the most positive and interesting feedback that a human can receive while interacting with a computer controlled AI is still normally a kill or be killed situation. Interacting with AI in a non violent way can be extremely boring and non- engaging. It is also very easy to judge skill in a kill or be- killed situation. If I kill, I win... if I die, I lose. Most humans literally don't understand much more than that and that makes it much more fun for most people to kill hordes of AI than to interact with them. These limitations have plagued the game industry for ages and are only now beginning to subside.
We are now seeing many games released with "emergent" game play. Some examples of this are Katamari Damacy (which allows you to make many choices and have thousands of outcomes) and Wii Sports (which engages the player physically). Neither game has any killing... but you can still win and be succesful by making good skilled choices. I also think that its important to understand that games like Mario, while they appear non-violent are extremely violent. The violence is depicted in a more publicly acceptable model but, the only actions you can have in Mario are to kill all of your enemies and move onto the next stage where you kill more enemies. I think that this type of violence can actually be more dangerous for young people because it teaches them that taking life is fun, happy, and even a good thing. In Condemned, you never are shown death in a happy, bright, or difficult to discern way. You know from the start that you are brutally killing horrible people. The game that I showed off at the reunion (not sure if you saw it or not) is the project that I founded. There is literally no death in this game. The "combat" is 100% non-violent. The main character turns sad creatures happy instead of killing them. He cleans up their universe by curing the grumpiness out of the enemies. It will be an interesting thing to see if people still have fun playing it.
C
That makes perfect sense. Games have been pretty limited as well as many peoples ability to perceive concepts related to those games. I also like your comment on the way that games, people and theories have come a long way but they still have a hugely negative impact on the world that plays them regardless of which format they are conveyed in. I appreciate your vision and the perspective that you bring to the table. As always thanks for the response. Talk to you soon.
