To start with, let’s get a show of hands: How many people were worried that the decision to produce a new console with architecture similar to the GameCube would result in a lot of lazy and hasty ports to the new system? Let’s see… 1… 2… 3… um, okay. Yeah, a lot of youA
January 2007
I have to admit, I enjoyed Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball on the original Xbox. Not many people will admit to this, mostly because the game was little more than fan service with a worse-than-average volleyball simulator and a scant number of mini-games involving the attractive ladies of Tomonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja’s successful Dead or Alive 3D fighter franchise. The A
Interview: Jason Rohrer
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What follows is a transcript of our interview with Jason Rohrer, the developer of Slamdance finalist Cultivation, regarding the recent removal of Super Columbine Massacre RPG from the upcoming Slamdance independent game festival.
Snackbar Games: There are some critics of Slamdance who might argue that going back to the fold, as you suggest in your letter, would hurt the credibility of the gaming medium. One thing that’s come up over and over again in my discussions with gamers and developers as I’ve tracked this story is that this would not happen to a film. Do you think there’s damage to be done to games and gaming, at least in the public perception, as a result of Slamdance’s decision?
Jason Rohrer: I certainly do not agree with the decision, and I don’t think that games are being taken seriously by the festival or by the rest of society. When I mention the idea of “a game about Columbine” to people that I know (like my mother-in-law, for example), their first reaction is almost always one of disgust. I’ve even heard things like, “games are for children, and who would want their children to play a game about Columbine?” Granted, this is mostly coming from a generation of non-gamers. They did not play games themselves, but saw their children play games, so they have pegged games as a medium that only interests kids. It’s like a 90-year-old saying, “Rock-and-roll? That’s for kids!” In both cases, those kids kept their taste as they grew up. So we have 30-year-olds that still play games and 60-year-olds that still listen to rock-and-roll.
Did the decision “damage” gaming? How much weight does Slamdance really pull? I was surprised (and impressed) that they picked SCMRPG as a finalist in the first place, given how controversial it is. That initial decision probably boosted Slamdance more than it boosted gaming. Likewise, the second decision, to pull SCMRPG, hurt Slamdance more than it
hurt gaming.
I’d say that the public doesn’t take gaming seriously, and the inclusion or exclusion of SCMRPG at Slamdance would have had little effect on public perception of gaming. If anything, the pulling of SCMRPG has spawned a lot of useful discussion. Before the controversy erupted, there was almost no press coverage of Slamdance at all. Yeah, they picked a controversial game, but no one seemed to notice. It was only through the pulling of that game that people started to take notice and discuss whether games can be taken seriously—you could call this the “bright side” of pulling SCMRPG. This is a discussion that we certainly need to have.
SBG: One of the points you make is that Slamdance, as an event, warrants protecting, even though we might disagree with the decisions of the directors. How much danger is Slamdance in?
JR: I would not be shocked if this was the last year that Slamdance holds a game event. From the original fourteen finalists, only four games will be screened at the festival. The program is in shambles and funding has been withdrawn (so prizes are much smaller). There’s really not much left of the game festival this year. The film festival, on the other hand, has been going strong for many years—I’m sure it will live on in the future.
SBG: Pulling out of the contest, as you say in your letter, is not a valuable method of protest. Do you plan to address the issue during your screening? If so, how?
JR: My game Cultivation, which I will be screening, is about conflict and compromise. The game is set within a community of gardeners on a small island, but their situation is really a metaphor for any situation that involves conflict, from a squabble between board members of a small non-profit to a full-scale nuclear engagement. The metaphor can be usefully applied to the controversy surrounding the pulling of SCMRPG.
Through the mechanics that I’ve set up in Cultivation, you can observe a number of emergent phenomenon. If conflict is allowed to build unchecked, it can lead to the destruction of resources that are valuable to everyone involved. Eventually, the entire island can be ruined by a series of unchecked conflicts, leaving no land to grow food, and everyone starves as
a result.
In the conflict over SCMRPG, I saw both sides sticking stubbornly to their guns, and the result was that the game festival was essentially destroyed. A discussion of these issues will fit nicely into my screening. Will I stand up there wagging my finger at the festival organizers and saying, “Games MUST be taken seriously?” Probably not, since I think they know that already.
SBG: In many circles, the backlash over Slamdance’s announcement deals more with their behavior surrounding the decision than the decision itself. Do you think they could have acted more appropriately?
JR: I’ve had some time to fully digest the series of events that unfolded so
quickly over the past week. I now believe that the problem resulted more from premature press coverage than from the organizers’ behavior. Of course, before making a press release about pulling Danny’s game, the organizers told him about it. As I understand it, Danny went straight to the press with the news (fueling Kotaku’s “exclusive” news flash). The press reported based on Danny’s recollection of the phone call, so we got one version of the “reasons for pulling SCMRPG” (sponsor pressure). Then, still before the official press release was ready, other journalists interviewed Peter Baxter by phone, and we got a second set of “reasons for pulling SCMRPG” (a personal, moral decision on Baxter’s part). Next, we got an “official statement,” which didn’t give details about a reason. Finally, we got a letter directly to gamemakers, which explained that screening SCMRPG could open the festival to a lawsuit.
Several finalists have called the communication coming from the festival organizers “inconsistent.” However, I now believe that they were simply struggling to react to the media firestorm that Danny lit.
If we had known, from the beginning, that the festival could have been sued by the families of Columbine victims (or even by the Harris and Klebold families—after all, Danny used the boys’ likenesses without permission), would people have been as angry about the decision?
SBG: Have you played SCMRPG? If so, what are your thought on the game?
JR: Yes, I played it all way through, and wrote an in-depth review of it, just days before the controversy erupted. You can read my review online. In summary, it surpasses any other video game that I’ve played in terms of artistic achievement.
SBG: What has the response to your letter been? Have any of the finalists agreed to come back? Do you think they will?
JR: Most of the finalists who have pulled out already have written me with negative responses to my letter. None have agreed to come back, and I don’t expect that any will in the future (the “stay the course” mentality prevails). There are other issues lurking here, however. Some of these finalists weren’t planning to attend Slamdance anyway, because they could not afford the trip. Out of the six that have bowed out, only two are still coming to Park City to join the discussion—obviously, those two already had non-refundable lodging and plane tickets. The other four protesters declined to join the discussion in Park City, claiming that they could not afford it. That means that, one week before the festival, they still had no reservations (which would make plane tickets expensive, indeed). They’re much slicker to bow out in protest than to bow out due to financial concerns, I’d say.
When the first wave of Wii titles was announced, most of the staff at eToychest had pretty strong opinions about which titles were most likely to take good advantage of the Wii’s unique controller. Of the titles on the horizon, there were a particular few that seemed well-positioned to really capitalize upon motion-based input and experimental mechanics. EA’s Madden franchise was not one of the titles on this short list. If anything, most of us at eToychest were pretty convinced that football was not one of the genres in need of wacky control schemes. The annual sports arena might be one where innovation is sorely needed, but migration from a standard gamepad honestly didn’t seem like a worthwhile direction. Now, having played copious amounts of the new Madden on the Nintendo Wii, we’re happily willing to admit we were wrong. While EA’s strong initial support of the new Wii console is both surprising and comforting, the presence of Madden on the console is not a big shock. The series has made annual appearances on nearly every platform known to man, so an entry on the Wii was pretty much guaranteed from the start. That didn’t reduce our pleasure at booting up the game and taking it for its first spin around the block, however. With all of the innovation and experimentation the Wii has seen in its initial days, it was nice to dig into a traditional game of football from a publisher that knows how to turn out a solid game. In many ways, Madden on the Wii is identical to last year’s batch of games in the series, with the various modes (such as franchise and superstar), teams and players largely untouched aside from minor updates. On the other hand, while the Wii version of Madden ’07 may initially seem like the same old game of football (a prospect oddly comforting yet frequently criticized), the control innovations introduced in the game really set it apart from all that’s come before.
The first thing players will notice in Madden ’07 on the Wii is that the game has been retooled from the ground up to help new players come to grips with videogame football. The Wii is likely to draw a lot of new gamers to the hobby for the first time, so this is a pretty saavy decision on EA’s part. Tutorials are peppered throughout the game itself, giving detailed assistance with each and every action available, and there are also numerous training camps accessible from the main menu that give detailed instructions and tips on how to play the game. The really clever part of this strategy is that it will make it easy for a new segment of gamers to fall in love with EA’s digital pigskin franchise, but it won’t overtly annoy veteran players (as similar tutorials on other platforms might). This is because the Wii offers completely new ways to play and interact with the game, so even the experienced players will find something to learn in the various lessons.
But, can motion control and gesture recognition lead to a solid game of football? In short, absolutely. We’re pretty shocked to say this, but this type of interaction might be just what the stagnating sports genre really needed to get a bit of boost. Madden ’07 on the Wii has translated nearly every action required in football to some type of gesture or specific motion on the Wii remote and nunchuck combination, and the results are more than surprising. Players can now juke left and right by simply flicking the nunchuck slightly in that direction. Passing is handled by selecting the appropriate receiver with the d-pad and then making a throwing motion with the Wii remote (complete with impressive detection of different throwing speeds). Tackling can be boosted by pushing forward with both remotes, and crowds are likely to get a kick out of watching players lift both arms in the air to catch a Hail Mary pass. This is exactly the kind of extensive overhaul we were afraid of when we imagined a Wii football game, but the developer has actually pulled off most of the interactions with grace and style. The offensive game is now much easier to manage with fluid and very responsive players (we’ve never been able to juke and duck between defensive players with this much success), and outside of a few questionable tasksA
There always comes a time in a man’s life when he must stand up against the masses and overcome a seemingly never-ending barrage of alien encounters in a hostile frozen wasteland. Maybe not always, but it’s certainly in the cards if you play Capcom’s latest game, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. The game’s protagonist, Wayne, finds himself unconscious in the wastelands of E.D.N III, a planet that thrives under its extreme winter conditions. Luckily, he is rescued by a small group of snow pirates, but his problems don’t end there. Wayne has lost his memory with only two things he can recollect: his name and his father’s death by the claws of an Akrid (that barrage of aliens mentioned earlier). Thus begins Wayne’s journey to survive the dangers of this hostile planet and recover his memories to discover the truth. Soon after Wayne is awakened, he begins helping the small band of snow pirates that rescued him. Mission objectives vary between destroying the akrid and fighting a massive group of snow pirates that want Wayne dead. Both human and aliens pose an ever menacing threat to Wayne, and he will have to survive many encounters with both. Thankfully Capcom has provided Wayne with a healthy abundance of weapons and mechs known as Vital Suits with which to combat his foes. As the player, the machine gun is what you’ll find yourself turning to for most of your battles but coming upon a rocket launcher is always satisfying regardless of the small amount of ammunition.
While exploring E.D.N. III, Wayne must monitor his constantly dropping T-ENG, or thermal energy. T-ENG can heal up any damage taken, but using it carries the risk of freezing to death when the meter hits zero. Destroying enemies, blowing up energy tanks, activating data posts, and more all provide him with the life saving energy he needs. While this could have become cumbersome, you’ll find that there is more then enough energy to go around and you’ll happily have it in abundance when you encounter a boss battle. The boss fights in Lost Planet are quite literally a huge endeavor, pitting Wayne against massive creatures that require all of your patience and skills to bring them down.
A key selling point of Lost Planet is the aforementioned Vital Suit, which comes in a number of different varieties. Some of these wonderful robotic toys are very fast and agile, while others are hulking and slow. Each one has its purpose though, and you’ll always be far happier and protected while calling one of these home. When it comes down to dealing with a gigantic akrid, you’ll be thankful for the occasional suit found nearby. Just make sure that once your energy is entirely depleted from your suit that you eject ASAP before Wayne finds himself becoming another frozen body in E.D.N III wasteland.
While surviving in Lost Planet isn’t easy, it’s made more managable by tight, responsive controls. One feature that highlights how well the controls work is the quick turn, mapped to the left and right bumpers. Tapping a bumper will turn Wayne 90 degrees left or right, making turning fast and efficient. Different but effective, the right analog stick is used for reloading (by clicking the button) in addition to aiming. Once the traditional province of the reload button, X is used to fire Wayne’s anchor. This can be fired at almost any ledge. It doesn’t have much in the way of range, but it succeeds in making you feel like Batman, which is an important aspect, especially in the online multiplayer.
Graphically, Lost Planet turns out to be one of the best looking shooters for the 360. While Rainbow Six Vegas did a wonderful job of creating real life environments, and Gears of War had you terrified of the destroyed cities at the hands of the Locust, Lost Planet does the same for its experience: fighting huge aliens and surviving a barren frozen wasteland. Add in an awesome action packed adrenaline-pumping score by Jamie Christopherson, also responsible for Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, and you couldn’t have asked for a better package than Lost Planet provides.
When you’ve finally completed the single player portion of the title, the multiplayer beckons, and Capcom offers four variations from which to choose: Team Elimination, Elimination, Post Grab, and Fugitive. The first two are your basic elimination battles, amounting to shooting everybody that isn’t on your side, either by yourself or as a team. The last two are the more interesting offerings. Post Grab has you running around finding and activating all the energy posts on a mission map. Fugitive mode, on the other hand, has the host becoming the fugitive as the other players hunt them down. While these are different from the normal modes you might expect like capture the flag, these two modes provide something new and altogether entertaining as well. Just like in Halo 2, as you play and do well your experience mounts. Capcom has implemented an on screen statistics HUD that actually appears as you play and will show you how much experience you earn. At the end of the round the experience is added up and your level increases.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with Lost Planet. It has amazing visuals, fun gameplay, and insane boss battles. The multiplayer is remarkably good as well. There are unfortunately a few blemishes that keep this otherwise high quality title from reaching that near perfect plateau. The cutscenes have great presentation but unfortunately over the span of the game, the story comes off as confusing, disjointed, and ultimately unimportant. In addition, which arguably realistic, the characters themselves run painfully slow, sometimes adding to frustrations – especially during multiplayer. Other nagging issues include points where monotony threatens due to a lack of true variety across the missions, as well as lamebrain AI, especially on the part of the snow pirates. However, in spite of missteps, if you can find yourself enjoying what Lost Planet does well (which is a lot), you’re bound to experience one hell of a ride that at times gets close to perfection, but just happens to miss its mark. So strap on your gear, hop in a VS suit and show these Akrid scum what you’re made of.
