I finally have a phone line!

That means some quick and dirty Internet…and at least half of that statement was true!

By that I mean we’re restricted to dial-up at the moment while we wait for the ADSL to kick in - it’s as bad as it sounds, and it reminds me of those painful times when I went over my download limit back home and was capped mercilessly. But losers can’t be choosers, so to speak.

I figure the ADSL line is going to take a couple more days, so until that pulls through then there’ll be some sub-par speeds. I am, however, passing the time wonderfully with Day Of The Tentacle.

On a completely unrelated note, I may be on my way to gainful employment, which will then mean some opportunities to get back into the swing of games (sound investments and financial planning be damned), once I land myself a second hand 360. That’s if I actually get the job in the first place…but the agent made it sound like as long as I spoke competent English they would be happy.

Not to get ahead of myself or anything.

Phone line is coming in next Monday, internet should be within 5 working days from then. It has been a looooong few weeks.

Anyways, I checked my email today and I saw that Gears of War 2 was on the way, slated for release on November 2008. I think the date is a bit optimistic, even if they already have the bulk of the assets and the core engine in place + some heavy tweaking. Nevertheless, depending on the feature list I might add a few more months, but they’re obviously targetting for the Xmas rush, so if they pull it off they’ll be enjoying some solid profits.

The announcement is interesting news for me (and no doubt mana sent from the heavens for legions of die-hard fans), because at the time I was drafting up an article about the nature of sequels after having finished the surprisingly detailed and engrossing world of GTA: San Andreas.

As you no doubt know, there’s going to be a “fourth” GTA on the way (or sixth/seventh, if you’re really keeping count). The gaming industry is no stranger to sequels - some gaming IPs are up to the double digits. Once I get the internet and am able to do some real research then I’ll churn some facts and figures out, using GTA as the case study.

I should really keep a record of things I say I’m going to finish…expect to see that later.

We’ve moved out of the nice serviced apartment that was relatively close to the CBD, had floor heating and various other niceties. Our new place is now a bit further away from the CBD, has more asian’s milling around the streets, has complementary pool and billiard tables, and looks like it was furnished by Emily the Strange. My room looked like all that was missing was a webcam and a tray full of $100 bills - the lampshades and quilt covers were red, the curtains were red, and there was a giant mirror overlooking the bed. Hot.

We got rid of that shit pretty quick smart, and now it looks somewhat respectable. There are a couple of niggles here and there, but otherwise I’m quite satisfied with it.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a phone line into the apartment, so that means less phone line and more mobile phone. Oh, and no Internet.

I thought letting go of the 360 was bad, but I’ve resorted to watching Weeds to pass the time. I’ve now got serious cravings for some sweet, stinky bluebell blend.

Since there is a distinct lack of non-contract based phone plans in the UK, my sister has opted to sign up with the Post Office phone plan, which was obviously put there as a low cost service provider for less financially able families. The only downside is that it takes 2 weeks for an engineer to move the wires around and make things work.

Add another week or so for the internet connection to get up and running, and you’re looking at Tim “all work and no play makes me a dull boy” Chang.

Anyway, it’s not all that bad. I’ve been exploring the environs…someone around here must sell weed?

Another day, another dream to chase.

• Members from Cheap Ass Gamer have launched an effort to supply the troops in Iraq with video games to pass the time, according to 1UP. Because, you know, the first thing a soldier wants to do after losing their platoon brother in a firefight is to replay it all over again, but it’s a great gesture nonetheless.
• More news from 1UP, where they talk about the recently announced characters in the highly anticipated Street Fighter IV, as well as provide some commentary on the gameplay mechanics. I must admit I was never much of a fighting game jockey, and regularly got my ass handed to me by social degenerates who were more adept at mastering double-digit combo moves in King of Fighters than at mastering their interpersonal skills. But hey, Blanka - I loved that guy.
• I love debates about scoring games. More 1UP-ness news as they are soon going to be revamping their scoring system to show letter grades (A+ to F) instead of numbers. Good or bad? Again, it’s all subjective. I know of some people that would be very pleased with a D, but the overachieving schoolkids might give it a miss if it’s anything less than an A-.
• An IGN review of Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles, the DS-prequel of last year’s hit. I didn’t really like how the whole thing looked. Of course, there’s no comparison between this and the respective 360 / PS3 versions, but it feels more like an elaborate mobile phone game enhanced for the DS. Then again, I sleep on public transport rather than game the commuting hours away…
• Aussie fans of MGS will be disappointed to know that they will not be receiving the special “Essential Collection”, which is being released in North America. It consists of “Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for the PlayStation 2. To celebrate their rerelease, all of the packaging has also been redesigned by artist Yoji Shinkawa.” Sounds like a great package for those that have heard of but not played these classics, but if you’re a die-hard fan you would have already purchased these and played them several times over.
• More GameSpot news, where they report that the Dallas Business Journal accidentally “confirmed” Duke Nukem Forever for 2008. However, after some clarification by 3D Realms, the title was quickly changed from “confirmed” to “possible”. Don’t you love it when you’re interviewing someone and they add as a little postscript, “Oh, that’s off the record”?
• More Yahtzee goodness as he delivers a Call of Duty 4 review.
• More mindblowing atrocities as PS3 owners need to wait up to 25 minutes to get DMC4 installed on their consoles. Be still, my beating heart. Capcom have suggested that, while it’s installing, you “go make a sandwich and grab a soda”…bitch. Plus, if you really loved Capcom, then you’d stir its fucking eggs.
• And then there was soon to be a game based on the movie Juno, and I put out my eyes.
• Finally, here’s a little article about how game dev grads in the UK are having a bit of trouble finding work, thanks to the abundance of gaming-related courses and not enough demand to soak up all the young talent.

There, that should keep you occupied for a bit.

For some people, games are just filler.

They breeze through titles in a couple of days, make some snide comments about how it failed to meet expectations, and eventually dismiss it as another minor molehill successfully overcome. These people would be the very same to proudly proclaim that they have never paid for a game in their life.

I, on the other hand, led a humble childhood. Having a game purchased for me was not unlike mana from the gods. I would play my Gameboy cartridges over and over, wearing the contacts down to the nub. I would relish every detail of the experience, every nuance on the screen and every midi byte burning into my memory. I respected games for what they were back then, and couldn’t help but spend more time on my cousin’s computers than with my actual flesh-and-blood cousins.

Nowadays, in a world where there are walls, rows and stores worth of titles to pick and choose from, it’s all too easy to think, “Geez, there are actually a lot of games to get through and yet I only have so many hours in a day. No time to hearken back to yesteryear - let’s focus on the here and now and play the same formula but with sexier pixels.”

And you would be right for thinking that - there are many quality titles to play on multiple platforms, but only so many hours in your day and only so many dollars in your wallet.

But (to flog a dead horse further) they just don’t make ‘em like they used to. Games try so hard to be “cool” and “novel” that some have managed to blur the distinction between quasi-realism and enjoyment. Being Xbox-less on my trip, I decided to install Quake 3, Deus Ex and GTA: San Andreas on my laptop.

I had almost forgotten the joys of strafing into railgun headshots and juggling bots with rockets. I had almost forgotten the intricate detail that was offered by Deus Ex, and remembered why the upcoming title was exciting me. And I remembered the simple joys of a sandbox environment, and how most of the other offerings were cash cow ventures, abusing the formula until there was only skin and bones left (although there have been some excellent exceptions).

These are games that, even when I return to them years later, I still find I enjoy immensely. And there are certainly more titles in the past than in the present.

It’s not necessarily the fact that old games are better than new games simply because I’m a cynical old prick (and I’m not all that old compared to a majority of other gamers, either).

I think it’s the fact that standards have dropped - there are no longer just “hardcore” gamers, but casual gamers who think that the flashing lights are neat and that those karaoke-esque games are unique enough to spend $90 on. I think that we are being promised the world but we are left with a sour taste in our mouths. We are given descriptions like “the spiritual successor to (seminal title)” and “it’s like (pioneering title of its genre), but with more awesome graphics”.

Have we peaked too early? Have we, as gamers with years and years worth of experience, set the bar too high? Is anything less than the classics of yesteryear doomed to failure? Are we now too quick to brand new-age titles as “filler”?

I have faith. I’ve seen a few timeless games come out, tempting me to install it just one more time and relive the good memories and the “Fuck, yeah” moments.

I believe we will see more games that will turn from a molehill to a mountain, and impress even the most bitter cynic. And I’ll pay for it, and wear the contacts down to the nub.

Happy Lunar New Year all - may the numerous deities acknowledge your various wishes.

I’ve got an article in the works since I’m starved for review material, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, enjoy those red pockets.

It’s been a while since I last checked in on what’s out there at the moment, so here goes:

• I’ve been checking out this new gameplay video for Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and I like what I see. Vegas was like the fresh college graduate to the 30-something-overly-demanding-housewife of other Rainbow Six titles. Vegas 2 is like finding out the fresh college graduate doesn’t wear panties (or is hung like a horse, whichever you happen to prefer). It’s more arcadey than before, and whether or not this is a shameless effort to attract more (*readies fingers*) “mainstream gamers”, the experience and unlock systems look to make this last for a few replays at least.
• American McGee is working on a new episode-based production called Grimm. I never realised how violent those stories were… Anyway, according to PALGN it will be using the Unreal 3 engine (as is the current style of the moment). The artwork on the blog looks pretty interesting and will probably end up being a sleeper cult hit.
• Yes, by now you have probably heard of Gears of War 2 rumours, and you will have no doubt heard that it is “complete nonsense“. I’d rather wait a couple more years. Let it simmer down. Think Starcraft 2.
• I was never a big fan of the Saw movies. Sure, the first one was alright and had plenty of twists, but do we really need an extra 3 of the same cringe-worthy material? I didn’t know that there was such a strong market for taking dips in swimming pools full of syringes.
  Well, according to GameSpy, they’ve decided to release a game based on the successful franchise. So far they’ve only got a basic site up. I hope it isn’t just a collection of stills from the movie where you can print out stickers and iron-on transfers. Then again…

And in other news, I think I am suffering from some nasty 360 withdrawal syndrome. Duelling Xaero over and over only goes so far.