Independently-Speaking.com

L.A. Noire Is Pulling Faces At Me, And I Like It

14 04 2011

It’s been a while since I was properly excited about some new gaming technology or advancement. Motion control à la Kinect and the PlayStation Move was solid stuff, but nothing we hadn’t already seen – the Eyetoy and the Wii had been doing it years before.

‘Real’ 3D gaming hasn’t particularly gripped me either. There’s no way I would buy a 3D TV (at least, not until it drops heavily in price) and I really don’t see why I’d want to sit wearing silly-looking glasses and trying to focus on phantom 3D images. Even the Nintendo 3DS’s stereoscopic images aren’t a huge selling point for me – I just wanted a new Nintendo handheld!

So it’s a big deal for me to say that my ‘Next Big Thing’ is the MotionScan technology used in upcoming Rockstar title L.A. Noire. I’ve always had a huge problem with faces in video games – visually the industry has been pushing the boundaries over and over for many years, but facial expressions have always been a little crappy.

I remember thinking that the expressions in Mafia were the most impressive I had ever seen, and honestly, we haven’t come very far since then. Characters still don’t look like they’re actually saying the words coming out of their mouths, and it’s long been an issue that I’d completely given up hope on, naively deciding that it must just be one area that is out-of-reach.

I was already interested in L.A. Noire before I saw the videos. It’s Rockstar. It’s like a cross between Phoenix Wright and Mafia. Why wouldn’t I like it! Then I caught a glimpse of those facial expressions, and immediately pondered ‘why has this not been done before?’. It’s bloody gorgeous, and gives a real movie feel.

There are plenty of reasons that I’m looking forward to L.A. Noire, but that MotionScan technology is the main selling point for me. Hopefully in a few years time, every studio will be using it. Give this short Gamasutra interview a read if you’re interested.

Dual Wielding

12 04 2011

Around three years ago, I bought a new graphics card for my PC. I think the old one had set on fire or something, I forget the specifics. As with any piece of hardware, there were numerous extra cables that didn’t seem to do much at all, and I was about to throw them all back into the box, never to see the light of day again, when my friend handily pointed out “That one is for adding a second monitor”.

I’d seen people using multiple monitors before. Once at my cousin’s work, there was a guy using six screens in a 3×2 formation. It was ridiculous, but I still looked on in awe. Realising I had a spare monitor in a cupboard somewhere, I thought hey, why the hell not.

Since that day, I have never gone back. Whenever I now use a computer that has a single monitor, I sigh constantly and become frustrated. How am I meant to compare two full pages at once? Switching windows is for big losers. If you’re a games journalist, let me explain to you why you need to go dual.

My left-hand screen is my work screen. I have my Thunderbird email taking up the left half, with Tweetdeck on the right. I always type on the left screen too, as it allows me to have Firefox up on the right screen, and take in everything at the same time. I also have my taskbar on the left screen, so essentially my right screen is solely for internet browsing and game playing.

It sounds so simple, but it makes my work feel so much more streamlined. I can drag crap onto the left-hand screen that is distracting me – such as MSN conversations, emails, etc – and hide it behind Thunderbird until I feel like taking it out again. I constantly think about getting a third screen, but then always remember that 1) I don’t have the space and 2) let’s not be stupid.

You need a second screen in your life – you won’t believe how you’ve managed to survive without it.

Comments : 7 Comments »
Tags: dual screens, makes me feel like I'm working harder than I actually am
Categories : games journalism

Game Journalism Taboos

11 04 2011

Today marks what I hope will be a new-found relationship between myself and this blog. The plan is to update it daily with some new gaming topic I’ve been pondering, or at least multiple times a week. Nothing too heavy, mind – just short points of discussion.

I want to start off with a bang, so let’s discuss a taboo subject – the standard practice of game reviewing, or rather, the bits we’re not allowed to talk about. Actually, it’s not that we’re not allowed to, but rather that no-one dares to.

Certain questions cannot be asked, mainly because no-one else is asking them, and no-one wants to be the first one in. I was discussing this with a couple of my fellow game reviewers last week (behind closed doors, of course), and it’s interesting to see the flood gates open once one person has asked one of these taboo questions.

Questions like ‘how much should you get paid for a review?’, ‘who pays the most?’, ‘do you need to play the entire game all the way through before you can review it properly?’, and other such hush-hushes. I’m not going to answer these questions for the very same reason that others won’t – you don’t want to tick any current (or potential) employers off.

Of course, the other reason why people might not want to discuss money is because no-one wants to find out that they’re earning pennies compared to others.

But when someone does finally ask one of these questions in a public place – such as the Games Press forums, for example – there’s this odd balancing act between jumping in to discuss a topic that is rarely brought up, and keeping your answers safe.

Of course, this situation is found in most jobs. When I worked in a shop, there were plenty of questions that you wanted to ask, but just couldn’t. Yet I still feel like games journalism is one area where reviewers need to start being more open with each other. That way, employers would be forced to start providing better rates and a more healthy career.

Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: games journalism, how much should you get paid for a review, taboo
Categories : games journalism

New Jobs, A Minecraft Trip and My Upcoming Book

3 03 2011

Plenty has happened since my last update, so I thought it was about time I talked about it. First up, I’ve got a couple of big writing gigs at the moment – I’m the UK editor for Gamasutra, and the Handheld editor for Pocket Gamer. I hold both in the highest regards, so it’s pretty exciting times.

I’m continuing on with all my freelancing stuff too, writing AAA reviews for Strategy Informer and casual gaming reviews for Gamezebo. And of course, I’m still the editor at IndieGames.com. I probably will be for, like, ever.

Talking of indie games, I took an exciting trip last month to the Mojang headquarters in Sweden. Apart from interviewing Notch about the wonderful Minecraft (and getting some free stuff, as the accompanying photo suggests!), and I was also there to find out about their next game, the now-revealed Scrolls. I did an exclusive interview for Gamasutra that can be found here.

Finally, I’ve got something veeery awesome on the way – a book! I’ve spent the last 3 months writing “250 Indie Games You Must Play”, and have hopefully outlined some of the best indie releases to date. My hope is that people who aren’t familiar with indie gaming can pick up the book on a whim, and become fully acquainted with the scene. Those people already knowledgeable on the topic will hopefully want to pick up a copy as a momento too!

The book is due for release on April 7th, and can already be pre-ordered from Amazon (although I believe the price is going to drop a fair bit!). I’m going to set-up a standalone page on this site for the book, so I can keep track of what’s going on with it, how it’s doing, who is talking about it etc.

That’s your lot for now!

Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : Indie Game

“So… you just play games all day?”

10 09 2010

My family doesn’t understand exactly what it is that I do, and even those that do understand are a little baffled by it all. It can make for some awkward conversation.

At a funeral we all recently attended, my uncle decided to make with the small talk, and then probably wished he hadn’t.

“So you write computer games now, eh?” he started.

This is a common opener from family and acquaintances. I studied Computer Science at university, so the obvious next step is to go into programming of some sort. Hence, when someone who doesn’t know my life all that well hears that I’m doing something to do with ‘games’ and ‘writing’, the connection there is clear. I must be writing games.

“Well… no, not exactly” I begin to explain. During my explanation, my uncle’s face moves in ways which suggest he’s now a lot more confused than he was at the start of the conversation.

“So… you play games all day and write about them then?” he inquires, with a look of ‘that’s not a real job’ about him.

Again, a common question. The way I answer this question depends on who I’m speaking to – if it’s a friend, I’ll fire back “Yeah I do. See how crap your job seems now?”, while if it’s someone I don’t know as well, I’ll sheepishly reply “Well, not all day…”

Trying to convince people that games journalism is indeed a ‘real job’ is far more effort than it’s worth, and sometimes it’s easier to simply go along with the ‘Yeah, it’s proper cushy’ angle. Of course, any games journalist knows that it’s far more work than anyone will ever give us credit for, but pretending to outsiders that all you do all day is ‘have fun’ is actually rather entertaining.

Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: my family don't think I have a real job
Categories : IS News

My First Writing Gig

6 09 2010

I wrote a piece today for Strategy Informer, in which I talked about in-game voice chat and whether there’s any point. As part of the discussion, I threw in some relevant details regarding how I began my writing career. Would you believe it all started over a game of Counter Strike Source:

“To cut a long story short, after a couple of months the Dutch owners of the server asked me if I’d be interested in writing for their gaming website, as they liked my demeanour and thought I’d work well with them. I then spent the next 18 months writing for them – and all thanks to my trusty microphone.”

Who would have thought that shooting people in the face would eventually earn me some cash, eh? For those interested, the site in question is Steamfriends. I still play online with the SF guys, although they’re in the process of changing to the name GameConnect.

So there you go, now you know.

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: counter strike source, steamfriends, writing
Categories : IS News

August Happenings, Capeesh?

1 09 2010

Been getting my hands dirty with more editorials and AAA reviews this month, along with my regular interviews and casual/indie stuff. I’m also working on something new and very exciting, which I can’t wait to talk about. For now, you’ll have to be content with what August brought my way:

My big reviews this month included the likes of Mafia 2 and Kane and Lynch 2 for Strategy Informer – both games which have been heavily underappreciated. I also wrote about Ninety Nine Nights 2 for Play.tm. Here’s a summary – don’t buy it.
I discussed Liam Fox’s words regarding the new Medal of Honor, and also moaned about Xbox Live Gold.
Other reviews of interest: Shank, Worms Reloaded and Swarm Arena.
More of my interviews with indie developers have gone up, including my talks with Zombie Cow Studios and ACE Team.

That’s your lot for now. I am, of course, still constantly posting the latest indie news on IndieGames.com, so feel free to check that out.

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Tags: stuff I gone done
Categories : IS News