Tuesday 15 February 2011
Monday 14 February 2011
yahtzee calling american game box art shite
Extra Punctuation: American Box Art Sucks
by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, 8 February 2011 5:00 pm
There are too many examples for a complete list, but whenever I think about this subject, and I think about the games that were really hit hard by this trend, the ones that outside the US had, not just slightly better box art, but truly exceptional art that the American version ground unfeelingly into the sand, I think of Delphine Software. Based in France, Delphine created some of the best games to come out of continental Europe in the early 90's, and what did they get in return? Shitty American box art. And bankruptcy in 2004, but mostly shitty box art.
The first example is Future Wars, Delphine's early sci-fi point and click adventure, which was a) about a window cleaner travelling through time to save the human race and b) about as good as it sounds, but when I was young the box art was what made me buy it. It shows our main character's humble origins, of his smallness in the face of the city's massiveness, with the stars in the paint hinting that he is destined for greatness. Although he's supposed to be a window cleaner, so I'm not sure why he's got a can of paint up there.
America didn't want that box art. It wanted this box art. Look at it. It's a mess. All those floating elements look like random bubble gum stickers someone put all over their pencilcase. Also, note the tits.
Next, Flashback, probably the best game to ever come out of France, a roto-scoped platform adventure with the physics of an action movie being filmed by a camera fixed about fifty yards away. The European art is simple, readable, and instantly makes me want to know what this man's so startled about and who's pointing that orange laser thing at his face. The US art comes right back to messy collages and an artist who had only found the pixelate function on his art program that very weekend.
But the cruellest example for me is Another World, the spellbindingly atmospheric polygonal odyssey near enough solely developed by Eric Chahi, who also hand-painted the fantastic original box art. Fantastic, because it prominently shows the titular Another World that the game is all about. Now admittedly this was used in the US for the DOS version (renamed Out Of This World for copyright reasons), but this was also the first game of Delphine's to get ported to consoles.
The art for the US Genesis version looked like one of those illustrations old-style pulp sci-fi publishers used to pump out for their covers, forcing the writer to come up with the actual story around it. OotW is about a struggle against a hostile alien culture, the big black monster only appears right at the start and you never get to shoot it. And what's everyone doing on extremely narrow rock mesas? At least the art for the SNES version couldn't possibly get any woAAARGH...
Why do you do these horrible things to the French, America? And after they gave you that lovely statue, too.
http://www.gamesradar.com/f/why-japanese-box-art-is-better/a-20080729123833874037
click this RIGHT NOW
Some countries just do things better than other countries. America exports films and fast food; France is famous for its wine and snooty red berets; Cuba has cigars and dudes named Castro. And Japan, in addition to many other feats of geek-related awesomeness, can claim the coolest and most creative videogame box art in the world.
You've seen cover comparisons before, of course, but have you ever wondered exactly what makes the Japanese versions so preferable? Or why gamers are constantly complaining about the mangled translations? We did, and after scouring through hundreds of examples, we discovered these nine undeniable trends.
Game covers are usually pretty predictable. Is it a shooting game? Put a gun on the front! Is it a cartoon action game? Make sure to include a wacky animal with saucer-sized eyes! How about a kids' game? Eh, just throw together a bunch of shiny, candy colors.
In Japan, they take chances. Strange and wonderful chances. The kids' title is marketed with images of healthy food and kitchen utensils. The cartoon actioner gets a photo of a foot. Yes, a foot. The shooter is sold with nothing more than a naked man, curled into a decidedly un-badass position.
Ironically, these bizarre scenes are actually much more accurate to the game experience than their Western counterparts.
Guess what? Having fun is not necessarily a bad thing. Being happy is sometimes rather pleasant, really. Japanese developers understand this mysterious truth, but while they keep trying to export their eternally sunny characters to us, we just keep transforming them into gloomy, moody tough guys. And when we send over our own short-tempered mascots, they're forced to give them a makeover, lest our incessant misery rub off on any innocent Japanese children.
Hmm. In this case, we'll take the adorable Pikmin family, posing and waving, over the terrifying taxidermal lineup on the Japanese cover.
Ah, the disembodied head. So helpful. So necessary! Without those inexplicably hovering faces, how would we ever know whether the game has characters or not? Without that eye contact, how would we ever be convinced to buy?
Japanese box art assumes that things like lightsabers, spaceships, fighter planes and school girls will be enough. How naïve.
Eternal Sonata or Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream? You have to admire that direct of a title, but points off for the lazy, probably last-minute addition of a drifting cloud head. Hey everyone, there's a girl in here!
Okay, you'd think this would be simple. If you've got a game about dragons, you put friggin' dragons on the cover. Zombies? Zombies! Superheroes? Superheroes!
If you've got a game featuring both fantasy adventure and knockoff Bejeweled gameplay, you highlight the former and not the latter. If you've got a game about sweaty, shirtless men wrestling in their backyards, you lie and put a picture of half naked women on the front. Simple, see?
Whatever the hell your game is about, do not emphasize two balding middle-aged men on the box. If you must, at least don't force us to stare into the depths of every scar and wrinkle. Yuck.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/first-personmarketer/8525-First-Person-Marketer-So-You-Got-a-Bad-Game-for-Christmas
click me next please.
http://timewarpgamer.com/features/box_art_disparity_snes.html
another cool articles
Mirrors Edge 2 cancelled
by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, 8 February 2011 5:00 pm
There are too many examples for a complete list, but whenever I think about this subject, and I think about the games that were really hit hard by this trend, the ones that outside the US had, not just slightly better box art, but truly exceptional art that the American version ground unfeelingly into the sand, I think of Delphine Software. Based in France, Delphine created some of the best games to come out of continental Europe in the early 90's, and what did they get in return? Shitty American box art. And bankruptcy in 2004, but mostly shitty box art.
The first example is Future Wars, Delphine's early sci-fi point and click adventure, which was a) about a window cleaner travelling through time to save the human race and b) about as good as it sounds, but when I was young the box art was what made me buy it. It shows our main character's humble origins, of his smallness in the face of the city's massiveness, with the stars in the paint hinting that he is destined for greatness. Although he's supposed to be a window cleaner, so I'm not sure why he's got a can of paint up there.
America didn't want that box art. It wanted this box art. Look at it. It's a mess. All those floating elements look like random bubble gum stickers someone put all over their pencilcase. Also, note the tits.
Next, Flashback, probably the best game to ever come out of France, a roto-scoped platform adventure with the physics of an action movie being filmed by a camera fixed about fifty yards away. The European art is simple, readable, and instantly makes me want to know what this man's so startled about and who's pointing that orange laser thing at his face. The US art comes right back to messy collages and an artist who had only found the pixelate function on his art program that very weekend.
But the cruellest example for me is Another World, the spellbindingly atmospheric polygonal odyssey near enough solely developed by Eric Chahi, who also hand-painted the fantastic original box art. Fantastic, because it prominently shows the titular Another World that the game is all about. Now admittedly this was used in the US for the DOS version (renamed Out Of This World for copyright reasons), but this was also the first game of Delphine's to get ported to consoles.
The art for the US Genesis version looked like one of those illustrations old-style pulp sci-fi publishers used to pump out for their covers, forcing the writer to come up with the actual story around it. OotW is about a struggle against a hostile alien culture, the big black monster only appears right at the start and you never get to shoot it. And what's everyone doing on extremely narrow rock mesas? At least the art for the SNES version couldn't possibly get any woAAARGH...
Why do you do these horrible things to the French, America? And after they gave you that lovely statue, too.
http://www.gamesradar.com/f/why-japanese-box-art-is-better/a-20080729123833874037
click this RIGHT NOW
Some countries just do things better than other countries. America exports films and fast food; France is famous for its wine and snooty red berets; Cuba has cigars and dudes named Castro. And Japan, in addition to many other feats of geek-related awesomeness, can claim the coolest and most creative videogame box art in the world.
You've seen cover comparisons before, of course, but have you ever wondered exactly what makes the Japanese versions so preferable? Or why gamers are constantly complaining about the mangled translations? We did, and after scouring through hundreds of examples, we discovered these nine undeniable trends.
Game covers are usually pretty predictable. Is it a shooting game? Put a gun on the front! Is it a cartoon action game? Make sure to include a wacky animal with saucer-sized eyes! How about a kids' game? Eh, just throw together a bunch of shiny, candy colors.
In Japan, they take chances. Strange and wonderful chances. The kids' title is marketed with images of healthy food and kitchen utensils. The cartoon actioner gets a photo of a foot. Yes, a foot. The shooter is sold with nothing more than a naked man, curled into a decidedly un-badass position.
Ironically, these bizarre scenes are actually much more accurate to the game experience than their Western counterparts.
Guess what? Having fun is not necessarily a bad thing. Being happy is sometimes rather pleasant, really. Japanese developers understand this mysterious truth, but while they keep trying to export their eternally sunny characters to us, we just keep transforming them into gloomy, moody tough guys. And when we send over our own short-tempered mascots, they're forced to give them a makeover, lest our incessant misery rub off on any innocent Japanese children.
Hmm. In this case, we'll take the adorable Pikmin family, posing and waving, over the terrifying taxidermal lineup on the Japanese cover.
Ah, the disembodied head. So helpful. So necessary! Without those inexplicably hovering faces, how would we ever know whether the game has characters or not? Without that eye contact, how would we ever be convinced to buy?
Japanese box art assumes that things like lightsabers, spaceships, fighter planes and school girls will be enough. How naïve.
Eternal Sonata or Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream? You have to admire that direct of a title, but points off for the lazy, probably last-minute addition of a drifting cloud head. Hey everyone, there's a girl in here!
Okay, you'd think this would be simple. If you've got a game about dragons, you put friggin' dragons on the cover. Zombies? Zombies! Superheroes? Superheroes!
If you've got a game featuring both fantasy adventure and knockoff Bejeweled gameplay, you highlight the former and not the latter. If you've got a game about sweaty, shirtless men wrestling in their backyards, you lie and put a picture of half naked women on the front. Simple, see?
Whatever the hell your game is about, do not emphasize two balding middle-aged men on the box. If you must, at least don't force us to stare into the depths of every scar and wrinkle. Yuck.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/first-personmarketer/8525-First-Person-Marketer-So-You-Got-a-Bad-Game-for-Christmas
click me next please.
http://timewarpgamer.com/features/box_art_disparity_snes.html
another cool articles
Mirrors Edge 2 cancelled
Saturday 12 February 2011
VIDEOS I HAV BEEN LOOKING AT FOR REFRENCE
videos such as Invisible walls, and packattack on Gametrailers, on the escapist i got abit of yahtzee and extra credits.
I need to post some vids i checked out or put a link to them here as well as the date and time i checked them out, so starting now:
12 of february 2:40pm-http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-146-invisible-walls/710487
this episode of invisible walls they talk about Dark Souls, Duke Nukem Forever, and Sony Suing the world for jail breaking the PS3, and also Fox news not doing their homework and calling Bullet storm the most vial piece of crap in history.
a look at game addictions, minecraft. relays on user generated content.
I need to post some vids i checked out or put a link to them here as well as the date and time i checked them out, so starting now:
12 of february 2:40pm-http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-146-invisible-walls/710487
this episode of invisible walls they talk about Dark Souls, Duke Nukem Forever, and Sony Suing the world for jail breaking the PS3, and also Fox news not doing their homework and calling Bullet storm the most vial piece of crap in history.
a look at game addictions, minecraft. relays on user generated content.
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Notes taken from "VideoGame Hardware _1977 to 2001_Vol.2_retrogamer
Sega Megadrive_pg 16
Modem Wars_
Sega dabbed in modem usage for the mega drive. Nagumo- San explained, " it was called Mega Modem, who's sale date was november 1990. It is a modem unit for Mega Drive that enabled online game communication. The service named "game Toshkan" enabled downloading of games, delivery of sega related news and online matches. Records vary wildly on how many games utilized online play (one source stating six). We only found solid confirmation regarding Tel Tel Mah- Jong and stadium titles. More interestingly was the "Game Toshkan," which allowed downloading of games like phantasy Star text adventures, Pyramid magic and Flicky to a special cartridge. Closing in 1993, fans worried the online only games would be forever lost. Luckily in 1994 there were two Mega CD compilations, Sega Games Can Vol 1 and 2, which included nearly all available titles. Prized among Phantasy Star collectors, these are incredibly rare.
Nintendo's fate has often been intertwined with the Mega Drive System. It has long had a history of benefiting from Sega in one form or another, often due to the direct competitive challenge it posed. The SNES would have been nothing without the Mega drive; the reverse is also true. it was the Mega Drive that pushed Nintendo into updating it's aged NES hardware, and it was also the Mega Drive that changed the market forever, cutting a trail towards the situation today. it is undeniably one of the most important pieces of hardware in gaming history. So it should have come as no surprise to find that MD games would support Nintendo's soon- to- be - released Wii system. In a moment of irony, it must be noted that Sega had already dabbled in downloadable MD games with the Sega Channel, making its announcement quite apt. The decision was obvious. later sega systems would prove difficult, technically, and also the mega drive was far more successful than the Master System. As will be shown, the MD can be credited for many things- it was a magical high Sega never again reached.
Globally Gamed_pg 19
To bolster the inside information available to retro Gamer, ken Horowitz of Sega-16.com kindly donated interviews he conducted with industry figures. One such individual was Michael Katz, former head of Sega's America branch, who presided over the genesis' initial sales year. Katz explained the early days. "I arrived one month after Genesis launched. The company was small ( nder 50 people). They had gone throw 2-3 presidents (Gene Lipkin, Bruce lowery) in the "Master System" days. Dave rosen- vice chairman of Sega (and original founder), was over seeing the running of the company. i reported to him and Nakayama in Japan. Sega was basically a distribution company in the US. Hardware and software development came from japan. I initially had to deal with keeping employees happy, determining the quality of the staff and getting into the job of building the Sega vs Nintendo juggernaught." Arriving after the american launch, Katz wasn't aware of the details surrounding the name change from Mega Drive to Genesis. Consensus states it was due to the trademark dispute. The facts are blurred, but point possibly to a US manufacturer of storage devices called Mega Drive Systems Inc.
We also questioned Katz ourselves, and he revealed a fascinating anecdote from before the Genesis launch. "I will tell you that Atari was offered the Genesis (when I was president of Atari games devision) and jack Tramiel turned it down. it would have gotten Atari back in the game with a 16- bit system. I attended the meeting at Atari, when Dave Rosen (Sega Chairman) visited us (Jack and I) and made the offer. Jack thought the deal as too expensive, and he was more interested in the Atari ST computer project."
(interesting) _pg20
In America it seemed Nintendo was unstoppable, and that was indeed its intention. It used some very unorthodox meathods to maintain superiority. Stores were bullied into not carrying Sega products, and developers were forced to sign strict licensing agreements stating they'd only develop for Nintendo. But everyone loves seeing a tyrant deposed and a colossus fall, and so various developers began thinking of the Mega Drive as a serious, more profitable alternative. Popular companies like Namco changed allegiance, while EA reverse-engineered the system before developing high quality exclusives. This all helped make sega a tempting alternative for consumers.
Vic 20 _pg27
The Vic-20 was such a success in the west that it led to the creation of the commodore 64 and then the purchase and production of the Amiga. Of course what happened to the company several years down the line is now a major part of computing history.
William Shatner was hired to promote the computer just before he signed on to play TJ Hooker as his fees were quite low at the time.
Those "banned" Games_pg28
Much has been theorised regarding the fate of two of commodore's titles, but in light of some recent new information, her is the most likely series of events. Commodore actually had the license from Namco to convert Pac-man, Galaxian and Rally-X to the Vic-20, these cartridges do indeed exist. However because Namco had licensed the arcades for distribution in the west to other companies. This deal solely applied to japan. Not one to let a minor triviality such as this get in the way of profit, Commodore released Galaxian as Star battle, and transformed Rally-X into Radar Rat Race by way of altering the graphics. While the later appeared to avoid the gaze of Bally Midway, the other did not and it's sales ended up restricted. Most likely as a way of placating Bally in this situation, Commodore set up a deal to officially convert some of its other arcades including sea wolf, Gorf and Wizards of Wor. More was to follow for Pac-man, now called jelly monsters, as the home license was owned by Atari and it directly took out an injunction against the game. Curiously enough this was levellued against Commodore UK rather than the parent company; either Atari thought it better to use legal means in this country or the origin of the game was European.
Turning down Nintendo_pg 29
In today's climate that would be a rather foolish move to make. Back then though it was an entirely different world, one in which American companies mainly ruled the waves. According to Tomczyk, shortly after the release of the Vic-20 in the west, he was able to begin negotiations with Nintendo regarding converting some of it's arcade titles, including Donkey Kong, to home formats. Such a deal would have been a coup but as Tomczyk was about to sign, Tramiel told him to cancel the agreement. Tomczyk believes that because of his enthusiasm in general for home formats, Nintendo decided to have a go itself. The timing would seem logical , as development on the famicom began in August 1981 and the first wave of arcade conversions of Bally Midway titles appeared on the Vic-20 in 1982. Tomczyk believes Tramiel snubbed Nintendo due to the agreement now in place with Bally. Atari ended up with the license to convert Nintendo's arcades to home format, although it wasn't immune to later following suit and screwing up royally on a potential deal...
Best of British (small quote)_Pg 45
Looking Back, the UK computer scene in the early Eighties was a crazy mess, with very little direction and dozens of different machines all vying for attention, it was a time of innovation, experimentation and risk. For many computer owners it was also an incredibly exciting time; one that has never been bettered.
Playstation_ by Damien Mcferran Pg_47
Why Playstation was so great..
Some would argue that the videogame industry in the mid nineties was in dire need of a boot up the backside, and the PlayStation delivered this kick. Technologically groundbreaking and supported by a wide range of third-party developers, the machine is home to countless classic titles. While some of these games have aged badly, most remain just as essential today as they were over a decade ago.
It's almost impossible to conceive it now, but prior to the 32-bit PlayStation's launch in 1994 there were real doubts in the media over its chances. Over 100 million hardware sales later, such pessimism seems woefully misplaced, but it's easy to forget just how many hurdles Sony had to overcome to make a success of its first piece of videogames hardware - and media scepticism was the least of those problems. The playstation concept actually has it's roots way back even before the 16-bit generation had hit the marketplace- 1988, to be precise. Always thinking a few steps ahead of it's rivals, Nintendo was actively courting manufacturers to create some kind of expanded storage device for it's super NES console, which was in development and was due to hit market in just over a year. Sony- in conjunction with Dutch electronic giant Phillips - was working on a new format called CD- ROM/ XA,a new type of compact disc that allowed simultaneous access to audio, visual and computer data, making it thoroughly compatible with the medium of interactive entertainment. because Sony was already being contracted to produce the SPC - 700 sound processor for the SNES, Nintendo decided to enlist the electronics manufacturer's assistance in producing a CD-ROM add on for its 16-bit console. For Sony, it was a dream come true. having been instrumental in the production of the ill- fated MSX computer format, the firm never hid it's desires to become a key player in the burgeoning videogame business. Therefore, an alliance with what was unquestionably the biggest and most famous name in the industry would not only help elevate Sony's standing; it would also enable the company to set the wheels in motion for it's ultimate plan: to put it's consumer electronics to good use and produce it's own videogame hardware. The industry was growing at an alarming rate thanks largely to nintendo's hugely successful NES and Game Boy Systems, and Sony was keen to obtain a foothold.
the initial agreement between the two firms was that Sony would produce a CD-ROM expansion for the existing SNES hardware and would have license to produce games for that system. Later, it would be supposed, Sony would be permitted to produce it's own all in one machine- dubbed PlayStation- which would play both SNES carts and CD-ROM games. The format used by the SNES- based version of the PlayStation was called 'Super Disc', and Sony made sure that it held the sole internal rights- in other words, it would profit handsomely from every single SNES CD-ROM title that was sold. It was a match made in heaven: Sony would instantly gain a potentially massive installed base of users overnight as the SNES was a dead cert to sell millions of units. SNES users would upgrade to the new CD_ROM add on when they knew that Nintendo's cutting-edge games would be coming to it, and Sony would make money on each software sale. What's more, once the all in one Playstation was launched, Sony would gain even more in the way of profits and become a key player in the videogame industry. The man behind the audacious scheme was ken Kutaragi, the engineer also responsible for producing the aformentioned SNES sound chip.
However behind the scenes Nintendo was predicably far from happy with the proposed arrangement. It was very protective of it's licensing structure, which allowed it to extract massive royalties from third- party publishers. Allowing Sony leverage in the sector would only damage nintendo's profitability; the Kyoto- based veteran reasoned that it should be making the majority of the profit on SNES CD sales, not Sony. The plan- if it came to fruition- would ultimately benefit Sony far more than Nintendo: the former would merely be using the latter as a way of getting a ready-made market share and would eventually become a determined rival as a result. nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi was famous for being particularly ruthless in his business practices, but what happened next is one of the most infamous double-crosses in the history of the videogame industry.
It was at the 1991 consumer electronics show that Nintendo dropped the bombshell. Sony went to the event full of enthusiasm and on the first day proudly announced the details of its new alliance with nintendo, as well as news of the Super Disc format and the impending development of the SNES-compatible PlayStation. Sony had less than 24 hours to soak up the palpable level of excitement generated by the press conference before Nintendo confirmed that it was infact, infact, working with phillips on the SNES CD-ROM drive. Yamauchi had gone behind Sony's back at the last minute to broker a deal with the Dutch company- a deal that was predictably skewed in nintendo's favour- leaving Sony publicly humiliated at the pery moment it had expected to usher in a new era as a serious contender in the videogame arena. At the time, Yamauchi and the rest of Nintendo's top brass were suitably pleased with their skulduggery; such a swift action had prevented Sony from taking a sizable biite out of the company's profits. As it happened, the planned Nintendo- Phillips alliance resulted in little more than a handful of risable Nintendo licences on the CD-i, and the abject failure of Sega's mega CD seemed to lend credence to the viewpoint that expanding existing consoles was a mistake, so while nintendo had protected its best interests by leaving Sony at the altar in such degrading fashion, it actually gained little else of note- aside from a dogged rival.
Sony by this point, poured a significant amount of cash into the proposed Playstation concept. it had even moved as far as the prototype phase, with PC CD-ROM titles such as Trilobyte's The 7th Guest being mooted as possible launch games. Despite the temultous events of of the 1991 CES, a deal was signed between Nintendo and Sony that would allow the latter to make it's machine compatible with SNES CD_ROm titles- with the proviso that Nintendo would retain all software royalties. Although it was nothing more than a clever stalling tactic by nintendo to keep Sony from entering the market on it's own, this proposed alliance nevertheless kept the increasingly frustrated Kutaragi and his team busy. However, by 1992 it had become clear that such a union was going nowhere. Sopny cut off communication with Nintendo and the company was painfully close to withdrawing from the arena for good.
Only Kutaragi's intense resolve and determination prevented the Playstation dream from ending in 1992. During a meeting with sony president Norio ohga in order to decide the future of the project, Kutaragi made bold claims about the kind of machine he had been developing. he argued that the 16-bit Playstation, with it's reliance on a union with the incumbent- not to mention untrustworthy- Nintendo, was a dead end. the only option was to go it alone and create a brand new piece of hardware capable of shifting 3D graphics at a hitherto unprecedented rate. When Kutaragi's ambitious proposal was greeted with derision from the Sony president, he presented another side to his argument: could Sony's pride allow it to simply walk away when Nintendo had so blatantly abused its trust? By making the Playstation project a success, the company would experience the sweet taste of revenge at the expense of it's one time ally.
Kutaragi's speech hit a nerve, and early in 1994 Sony confirmed that it was entering the videogame arena with it's own console. Despite Sony's wide entertainment portfolio, Sony boldly decided not to focus on the multi media market, as its rival Phillips, with it's CD1 and 3DO, had done, to it's great cost. Instead, Playstation was unashamedly proclaimed as a dedicated gaming machine. The sheer power of the new system shocked other players in the industry; Sega of Japan president Hayao Nakayama was reportedly so furious when he read the specs for the Playstation that he personally visited Sega's hardware division and gave them a stern talking to. His tirade would result in the Saturn, Sega's entrant into the 32-bit console war, getting an additional video processor to boost it's graphical muscle, but this would make the system harder to program for- an issue that had severe ramifications in the future.
Modem Wars_
Sega dabbed in modem usage for the mega drive. Nagumo- San explained, " it was called Mega Modem, who's sale date was november 1990. It is a modem unit for Mega Drive that enabled online game communication. The service named "game Toshkan" enabled downloading of games, delivery of sega related news and online matches. Records vary wildly on how many games utilized online play (one source stating six). We only found solid confirmation regarding Tel Tel Mah- Jong and stadium titles. More interestingly was the "Game Toshkan," which allowed downloading of games like phantasy Star text adventures, Pyramid magic and Flicky to a special cartridge. Closing in 1993, fans worried the online only games would be forever lost. Luckily in 1994 there were two Mega CD compilations, Sega Games Can Vol 1 and 2, which included nearly all available titles. Prized among Phantasy Star collectors, these are incredibly rare.
Nintendo's fate has often been intertwined with the Mega Drive System. It has long had a history of benefiting from Sega in one form or another, often due to the direct competitive challenge it posed. The SNES would have been nothing without the Mega drive; the reverse is also true. it was the Mega Drive that pushed Nintendo into updating it's aged NES hardware, and it was also the Mega Drive that changed the market forever, cutting a trail towards the situation today. it is undeniably one of the most important pieces of hardware in gaming history. So it should have come as no surprise to find that MD games would support Nintendo's soon- to- be - released Wii system. In a moment of irony, it must be noted that Sega had already dabbled in downloadable MD games with the Sega Channel, making its announcement quite apt. The decision was obvious. later sega systems would prove difficult, technically, and also the mega drive was far more successful than the Master System. As will be shown, the MD can be credited for many things- it was a magical high Sega never again reached.
Globally Gamed_pg 19
To bolster the inside information available to retro Gamer, ken Horowitz of Sega-16.com kindly donated interviews he conducted with industry figures. One such individual was Michael Katz, former head of Sega's America branch, who presided over the genesis' initial sales year. Katz explained the early days. "I arrived one month after Genesis launched. The company was small ( nder 50 people). They had gone throw 2-3 presidents (Gene Lipkin, Bruce lowery) in the "Master System" days. Dave rosen- vice chairman of Sega (and original founder), was over seeing the running of the company. i reported to him and Nakayama in Japan. Sega was basically a distribution company in the US. Hardware and software development came from japan. I initially had to deal with keeping employees happy, determining the quality of the staff and getting into the job of building the Sega vs Nintendo juggernaught." Arriving after the american launch, Katz wasn't aware of the details surrounding the name change from Mega Drive to Genesis. Consensus states it was due to the trademark dispute. The facts are blurred, but point possibly to a US manufacturer of storage devices called Mega Drive Systems Inc.
We also questioned Katz ourselves, and he revealed a fascinating anecdote from before the Genesis launch. "I will tell you that Atari was offered the Genesis (when I was president of Atari games devision) and jack Tramiel turned it down. it would have gotten Atari back in the game with a 16- bit system. I attended the meeting at Atari, when Dave Rosen (Sega Chairman) visited us (Jack and I) and made the offer. Jack thought the deal as too expensive, and he was more interested in the Atari ST computer project."
(interesting) _pg20
In America it seemed Nintendo was unstoppable, and that was indeed its intention. It used some very unorthodox meathods to maintain superiority. Stores were bullied into not carrying Sega products, and developers were forced to sign strict licensing agreements stating they'd only develop for Nintendo. But everyone loves seeing a tyrant deposed and a colossus fall, and so various developers began thinking of the Mega Drive as a serious, more profitable alternative. Popular companies like Namco changed allegiance, while EA reverse-engineered the system before developing high quality exclusives. This all helped make sega a tempting alternative for consumers.
Vic 20 _pg27
The Vic-20 was such a success in the west that it led to the creation of the commodore 64 and then the purchase and production of the Amiga. Of course what happened to the company several years down the line is now a major part of computing history.
William Shatner was hired to promote the computer just before he signed on to play TJ Hooker as his fees were quite low at the time.
Those "banned" Games_pg28
Much has been theorised regarding the fate of two of commodore's titles, but in light of some recent new information, her is the most likely series of events. Commodore actually had the license from Namco to convert Pac-man, Galaxian and Rally-X to the Vic-20, these cartridges do indeed exist. However because Namco had licensed the arcades for distribution in the west to other companies. This deal solely applied to japan. Not one to let a minor triviality such as this get in the way of profit, Commodore released Galaxian as Star battle, and transformed Rally-X into Radar Rat Race by way of altering the graphics. While the later appeared to avoid the gaze of Bally Midway, the other did not and it's sales ended up restricted. Most likely as a way of placating Bally in this situation, Commodore set up a deal to officially convert some of its other arcades including sea wolf, Gorf and Wizards of Wor. More was to follow for Pac-man, now called jelly monsters, as the home license was owned by Atari and it directly took out an injunction against the game. Curiously enough this was levellued against Commodore UK rather than the parent company; either Atari thought it better to use legal means in this country or the origin of the game was European.
Turning down Nintendo_pg 29
In today's climate that would be a rather foolish move to make. Back then though it was an entirely different world, one in which American companies mainly ruled the waves. According to Tomczyk, shortly after the release of the Vic-20 in the west, he was able to begin negotiations with Nintendo regarding converting some of it's arcade titles, including Donkey Kong, to home formats. Such a deal would have been a coup but as Tomczyk was about to sign, Tramiel told him to cancel the agreement. Tomczyk believes that because of his enthusiasm in general for home formats, Nintendo decided to have a go itself. The timing would seem logical , as development on the famicom began in August 1981 and the first wave of arcade conversions of Bally Midway titles appeared on the Vic-20 in 1982. Tomczyk believes Tramiel snubbed Nintendo due to the agreement now in place with Bally. Atari ended up with the license to convert Nintendo's arcades to home format, although it wasn't immune to later following suit and screwing up royally on a potential deal...
Best of British (small quote)_Pg 45
Looking Back, the UK computer scene in the early Eighties was a crazy mess, with very little direction and dozens of different machines all vying for attention, it was a time of innovation, experimentation and risk. For many computer owners it was also an incredibly exciting time; one that has never been bettered.
Playstation_ by Damien Mcferran Pg_47
Why Playstation was so great..
Some would argue that the videogame industry in the mid nineties was in dire need of a boot up the backside, and the PlayStation delivered this kick. Technologically groundbreaking and supported by a wide range of third-party developers, the machine is home to countless classic titles. While some of these games have aged badly, most remain just as essential today as they were over a decade ago.
It's almost impossible to conceive it now, but prior to the 32-bit PlayStation's launch in 1994 there were real doubts in the media over its chances. Over 100 million hardware sales later, such pessimism seems woefully misplaced, but it's easy to forget just how many hurdles Sony had to overcome to make a success of its first piece of videogames hardware - and media scepticism was the least of those problems. The playstation concept actually has it's roots way back even before the 16-bit generation had hit the marketplace- 1988, to be precise. Always thinking a few steps ahead of it's rivals, Nintendo was actively courting manufacturers to create some kind of expanded storage device for it's super NES console, which was in development and was due to hit market in just over a year. Sony- in conjunction with Dutch electronic giant Phillips - was working on a new format called CD- ROM/ XA,a new type of compact disc that allowed simultaneous access to audio, visual and computer data, making it thoroughly compatible with the medium of interactive entertainment. because Sony was already being contracted to produce the SPC - 700 sound processor for the SNES, Nintendo decided to enlist the electronics manufacturer's assistance in producing a CD-ROM add on for its 16-bit console. For Sony, it was a dream come true. having been instrumental in the production of the ill- fated MSX computer format, the firm never hid it's desires to become a key player in the burgeoning videogame business. Therefore, an alliance with what was unquestionably the biggest and most famous name in the industry would not only help elevate Sony's standing; it would also enable the company to set the wheels in motion for it's ultimate plan: to put it's consumer electronics to good use and produce it's own videogame hardware. The industry was growing at an alarming rate thanks largely to nintendo's hugely successful NES and Game Boy Systems, and Sony was keen to obtain a foothold.
the initial agreement between the two firms was that Sony would produce a CD-ROM expansion for the existing SNES hardware and would have license to produce games for that system. Later, it would be supposed, Sony would be permitted to produce it's own all in one machine- dubbed PlayStation- which would play both SNES carts and CD-ROM games. The format used by the SNES- based version of the PlayStation was called 'Super Disc', and Sony made sure that it held the sole internal rights- in other words, it would profit handsomely from every single SNES CD-ROM title that was sold. It was a match made in heaven: Sony would instantly gain a potentially massive installed base of users overnight as the SNES was a dead cert to sell millions of units. SNES users would upgrade to the new CD_ROM add on when they knew that Nintendo's cutting-edge games would be coming to it, and Sony would make money on each software sale. What's more, once the all in one Playstation was launched, Sony would gain even more in the way of profits and become a key player in the videogame industry. The man behind the audacious scheme was ken Kutaragi, the engineer also responsible for producing the aformentioned SNES sound chip.
However behind the scenes Nintendo was predicably far from happy with the proposed arrangement. It was very protective of it's licensing structure, which allowed it to extract massive royalties from third- party publishers. Allowing Sony leverage in the sector would only damage nintendo's profitability; the Kyoto- based veteran reasoned that it should be making the majority of the profit on SNES CD sales, not Sony. The plan- if it came to fruition- would ultimately benefit Sony far more than Nintendo: the former would merely be using the latter as a way of getting a ready-made market share and would eventually become a determined rival as a result. nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi was famous for being particularly ruthless in his business practices, but what happened next is one of the most infamous double-crosses in the history of the videogame industry.
It was at the 1991 consumer electronics show that Nintendo dropped the bombshell. Sony went to the event full of enthusiasm and on the first day proudly announced the details of its new alliance with nintendo, as well as news of the Super Disc format and the impending development of the SNES-compatible PlayStation. Sony had less than 24 hours to soak up the palpable level of excitement generated by the press conference before Nintendo confirmed that it was infact, infact, working with phillips on the SNES CD-ROM drive. Yamauchi had gone behind Sony's back at the last minute to broker a deal with the Dutch company- a deal that was predictably skewed in nintendo's favour- leaving Sony publicly humiliated at the pery moment it had expected to usher in a new era as a serious contender in the videogame arena. At the time, Yamauchi and the rest of Nintendo's top brass were suitably pleased with their skulduggery; such a swift action had prevented Sony from taking a sizable biite out of the company's profits. As it happened, the planned Nintendo- Phillips alliance resulted in little more than a handful of risable Nintendo licences on the CD-i, and the abject failure of Sega's mega CD seemed to lend credence to the viewpoint that expanding existing consoles was a mistake, so while nintendo had protected its best interests by leaving Sony at the altar in such degrading fashion, it actually gained little else of note- aside from a dogged rival.
Sony by this point, poured a significant amount of cash into the proposed Playstation concept. it had even moved as far as the prototype phase, with PC CD-ROM titles such as Trilobyte's The 7th Guest being mooted as possible launch games. Despite the temultous events of of the 1991 CES, a deal was signed between Nintendo and Sony that would allow the latter to make it's machine compatible with SNES CD_ROm titles- with the proviso that Nintendo would retain all software royalties. Although it was nothing more than a clever stalling tactic by nintendo to keep Sony from entering the market on it's own, this proposed alliance nevertheless kept the increasingly frustrated Kutaragi and his team busy. However, by 1992 it had become clear that such a union was going nowhere. Sopny cut off communication with Nintendo and the company was painfully close to withdrawing from the arena for good.
Only Kutaragi's intense resolve and determination prevented the Playstation dream from ending in 1992. During a meeting with sony president Norio ohga in order to decide the future of the project, Kutaragi made bold claims about the kind of machine he had been developing. he argued that the 16-bit Playstation, with it's reliance on a union with the incumbent- not to mention untrustworthy- Nintendo, was a dead end. the only option was to go it alone and create a brand new piece of hardware capable of shifting 3D graphics at a hitherto unprecedented rate. When Kutaragi's ambitious proposal was greeted with derision from the Sony president, he presented another side to his argument: could Sony's pride allow it to simply walk away when Nintendo had so blatantly abused its trust? By making the Playstation project a success, the company would experience the sweet taste of revenge at the expense of it's one time ally.
Kutaragi's speech hit a nerve, and early in 1994 Sony confirmed that it was entering the videogame arena with it's own console. Despite Sony's wide entertainment portfolio, Sony boldly decided not to focus on the multi media market, as its rival Phillips, with it's CD1 and 3DO, had done, to it's great cost. Instead, Playstation was unashamedly proclaimed as a dedicated gaming machine. The sheer power of the new system shocked other players in the industry; Sega of Japan president Hayao Nakayama was reportedly so furious when he read the specs for the Playstation that he personally visited Sega's hardware division and gave them a stern talking to. His tirade would result in the Saturn, Sega's entrant into the 32-bit console war, getting an additional video processor to boost it's graphical muscle, but this would make the system harder to program for- an issue that had severe ramifications in the future.
Friday 10 December 2010
Killer Aps
Here is a list of Killer Aps that came out for various consoles. What I mean by a Killer Ap is a game that is considered far superior to games that proceeded it on a new console.
So for instance, NES players grew up playing Castlevania 1, 2 and 3. Come the time to Upgrade to the new SNES hardware, When the console comes out and has a huge price tag, it can be hard to convince buyers to Upgrade. So one idea is to release Castlevania 4 on the hardware, and add "Super" on the end of it. Fortunately this was a great game and worthy of that title. Gameplay wise it was superior to its original counterparts and graphics were superb. This came out before Super mario, Zelda, donkey Kong.
another example is the Resident Evil Remake on Game cube and later the remake of Metal gear Solid called the twin snakes a year later. These are Killer Aps that have a built in audience, so there will definitely be hardcore fans who will buy the console to play these games alone.
Playstation had a great stroke of luck because of Nintendos sticking with cartridges policys, which lost them the final fantasy series when they jumped ship around 1995-7 to develop Final Fantasy 7 on the new cd format of the playstation. the game was a smash hit, that and the original resident evil were great killer Aps. Plus at the time alot of other CD formats outright failed where playstation succeeded. Sega couldnt get their act togethe with the sega cD peripheral, they had a fighting chance with the sega saturn and later on the dreamcast, but thats a different story.
For playstation 2 you had Silent hill 2 which is still considered the benchmark of that entire franchise. So I think Devopers really have to work their socks off to create a game that really sells people of the "Endless" possibilities of the new hardware. So you need a pretty looking game as well as functional and fun. So it is a tall order but this challenge has seen alot of incredible games come out in the first year of a new generation. A lot of developers seem willing to meet this challenge.
Often the game is developed in house, but sometimes konami or capcom it is outsourced to or squareenix.
Its not just recent consoles, even if you go as far back as the ATARI 2600, it had pac-man, space invaders, the donkey kong arcade. they were all arcade conversions, but incredibly faithful. By conversions I mean they could not fit the whole of the arcade experience into the tiny cartridges you insert into the console.
the closest the Sam coupe' got to a killer ap was a rather interesting conversion of the original prince of persia. it took a long while for Lemmings ot appear on the machine, and by the time it did Lemings 2 the tribes was out, but people were so excited ot get hold of it that it satisfied its audience.
So for instance, NES players grew up playing Castlevania 1, 2 and 3. Come the time to Upgrade to the new SNES hardware, When the console comes out and has a huge price tag, it can be hard to convince buyers to Upgrade. So one idea is to release Castlevania 4 on the hardware, and add "Super" on the end of it. Fortunately this was a great game and worthy of that title. Gameplay wise it was superior to its original counterparts and graphics were superb. This came out before Super mario, Zelda, donkey Kong.
another example is the Resident Evil Remake on Game cube and later the remake of Metal gear Solid called the twin snakes a year later. These are Killer Aps that have a built in audience, so there will definitely be hardcore fans who will buy the console to play these games alone.
Playstation had a great stroke of luck because of Nintendos sticking with cartridges policys, which lost them the final fantasy series when they jumped ship around 1995-7 to develop Final Fantasy 7 on the new cd format of the playstation. the game was a smash hit, that and the original resident evil were great killer Aps. Plus at the time alot of other CD formats outright failed where playstation succeeded. Sega couldnt get their act togethe with the sega cD peripheral, they had a fighting chance with the sega saturn and later on the dreamcast, but thats a different story.
For playstation 2 you had Silent hill 2 which is still considered the benchmark of that entire franchise. So I think Devopers really have to work their socks off to create a game that really sells people of the "Endless" possibilities of the new hardware. So you need a pretty looking game as well as functional and fun. So it is a tall order but this challenge has seen alot of incredible games come out in the first year of a new generation. A lot of developers seem willing to meet this challenge.
Often the game is developed in house, but sometimes konami or capcom it is outsourced to or squareenix.
Its not just recent consoles, even if you go as far back as the ATARI 2600, it had pac-man, space invaders, the donkey kong arcade. they were all arcade conversions, but incredibly faithful. By conversions I mean they could not fit the whole of the arcade experience into the tiny cartridges you insert into the console.
the closest the Sam coupe' got to a killer ap was a rather interesting conversion of the original prince of persia. it took a long while for Lemmings ot appear on the machine, and by the time it did Lemings 2 the tribes was out, but people were so excited ot get hold of it that it satisfied its audience.
Wednesday 10 November 2010
What is your measure of a good game..
maybe some day, games will flash up a little warning sign along the lines of "Warning, you have been playing this game for 8 hours straight, we suggest you save and shut the console off now. And we suggest go stare out a window, read a book, do your work!"
Usually a game that you can play for 8 hour straight and have no end in sight is said to be a good game or done its job.
games are meant to be played to the exclusion of everything else. the problem comes when you have trouble starting an important project, so you play a game in the meantime to calm your nerves. So you play and play and play, and before you know it , its already dinner time and all that time you could have spent working has all disappeared into the ether.
I guess starting a new project or anything other undertaking where the outcome is unknown, it can be intimidating and sometimes too much for a person to bear. its easier just to slip into your favorite game and make some progress on that RPG.
I think eventually games will have to acknowledge their connection to the world and their impact on people. Accepting that they touch many peoples lives, in both constructive and destructive ways. Games dont harm your health, not immediately, but a lot of productive time can be lost.
Although most gamers would say constant flashes on your screen telling you to go get some sleep would say that would get pretty annoying eventually, but in the long term It would be doing people a favor. Game developers need to weather the risks in order to benefit their audience in a long term. Most games are best played for an hour or two and then you set the controller down. Getting some fresh air, and maybe contacting some friends is a great way of not getting too frustrated by constant play, starting and restarting levels.
Usually a game that you can play for 8 hour straight and have no end in sight is said to be a good game or done its job.
games are meant to be played to the exclusion of everything else. the problem comes when you have trouble starting an important project, so you play a game in the meantime to calm your nerves. So you play and play and play, and before you know it , its already dinner time and all that time you could have spent working has all disappeared into the ether.
I guess starting a new project or anything other undertaking where the outcome is unknown, it can be intimidating and sometimes too much for a person to bear. its easier just to slip into your favorite game and make some progress on that RPG.
I think eventually games will have to acknowledge their connection to the world and their impact on people. Accepting that they touch many peoples lives, in both constructive and destructive ways. Games dont harm your health, not immediately, but a lot of productive time can be lost.
Although most gamers would say constant flashes on your screen telling you to go get some sleep would say that would get pretty annoying eventually, but in the long term It would be doing people a favor. Game developers need to weather the risks in order to benefit their audience in a long term. Most games are best played for an hour or two and then you set the controller down. Getting some fresh air, and maybe contacting some friends is a great way of not getting too frustrated by constant play, starting and restarting levels.
Saturday 16 October 2010
How much does a new game have to make?
A question i want to find the answer to,
How much does an new game cost, as in, when developing your first game, whether it be a new Intellectual property or like an old franchise you want to resurrect.
Development costs are certainly smaller for 2D platform games you could buy on steam or the playstation network, as
Obviously you need to recoup the amount of money you put into the equipment and resources, paying your staff of artists and producers. But when it comes to making a return on your first fledgling title on say PlayStation 3, and your a new developer, what is the return you would be expecting for it to be considered a success or a break through title?
because people have to see the title, marketing is important too, so money will go into that and how you market it is important.
I see a lot of Adds on gaming websites, either in the side banner or interruption you on youtube before you can watch a video for 30 seconds.
so anyway, to be considered a commercial success in the big leagues ,how much money does it have to make?
it obviously depends what it is, as for example certain genres such as horror historically haven't made as much as action games.
I guess getting a world wide release is also a big thing, some games don't make it past the local territories. Alot of Japanese games don't make it across for various reasons, mostly differences in taste between the East and the West and licensing and ownership issues.
Breaking into the American market is usually the big target.
How much does an new game cost, as in, when developing your first game, whether it be a new Intellectual property or like an old franchise you want to resurrect.
Development costs are certainly smaller for 2D platform games you could buy on steam or the playstation network, as
Obviously you need to recoup the amount of money you put into the equipment and resources, paying your staff of artists and producers. But when it comes to making a return on your first fledgling title on say PlayStation 3, and your a new developer, what is the return you would be expecting for it to be considered a success or a break through title?
because people have to see the title, marketing is important too, so money will go into that and how you market it is important.
I see a lot of Adds on gaming websites, either in the side banner or interruption you on youtube before you can watch a video for 30 seconds.
so anyway, to be considered a commercial success in the big leagues ,how much money does it have to make?
it obviously depends what it is, as for example certain genres such as horror historically haven't made as much as action games.
I guess getting a world wide release is also a big thing, some games don't make it past the local territories. Alot of Japanese games don't make it across for various reasons, mostly differences in taste between the East and the West and licensing and ownership issues.
Breaking into the American market is usually the big target.
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