Matt's Game Blogamado

[Matador]

I finished my article on movement. For those of you interested, here's the conclusion.

Movement is part of the story; it defines and supports the urgency of the moment—the intensity of the character’s actions. It defines how the player interacts with the game, and what they come away with. It bridges the gap between the player and the game’s world. It sets the pace and accents the difficulty. Motion reveals what words will not—cannot.
It can and should be used to tell a story.

[Ben]

I'm not seeing anything new posted on your blog?

[Matador]

It'll be posted on this site, and eventually translated into Japanese.

Next post on my blog that doesn't directly link to the article will probably be your, Ben. I haven't forgotten it. I just need to go back and finish off your horrible spelling.

[Ben]

It'll be posted on this site, and eventually translated into Japanese.

Next post on my blog that doesn't directly link to the article will probably be your, Ben. I haven't forgotten it. I just need to go back and finish off your horrible spelling.

It's hard to spell correctly with these tiny tiny hands.

[Matador]

Ben's Rant is online. So is my movement article.

[kleptoman]

It will be interesting to see how much interest that generates.

[Kelso]

One thing we've learned in the past is that gentle forwards to Kotaku do wonders. At least for t-shirts and jellies.

[Matador]

I'm not sending it. I'm too modest.

*Wink Wink*
*Nudge Nudge*

[pie]

Whoa, I like the new layout. And kudos on proofreading Ben's writing, you are a more fortitudious man than I.


(Just kidding Ben)

[Ben]

I'M A RITER NOW

Any chance of throwing a link to my blog in there Mat?
http://bshambrook.blogspot.com/

And kudos on proofreading Ben's writing, you are a more fortitudious man than I.


(Just kidding Ben)

No no, it's a fair call

[EDIT] Just finished reading your movement post, great as usual, although it seemed more like you were talking about pacing then movement.

[Matador]

Hey, you know how I did the banner for Leigh Alexander's Sexy Videogameland? Well, the site was featured on Mevio. Kind of cool seeing my banner on other sites.

[Matador]

Okay, you know how I said I was skeptical and didn't trust myself not to be too naive?

I thought about it.

[Ben]

great read as usual. Honestly though Heavy Rain is massively over rated. It's more of a choose your own adventure movie then a game. Couple that with a heavy case of uncanny valley and robotic animations and the game really creeped me out in ways it wasn't supposed to.

Also funny that we both played a Ubisoft game that spoke to us so much that we wanted to get into our craft to make games. (Pop for you, BG&E for me)

[Matador]

Games that came out the same year no less. And really, BG&E is a close second. Prince of Persia, though is the game I return to time after time when I go on about writing.

Beyond Good and Evil has a great setting, great characterization, and has the moment to moment drive I love, but the pay off where Jade televises the information we've learned to this point... lacks subtlety and scale. The community we see in up rise feels really small. You would think with the small number of people in that community it would be difficult to keep secrets.

Of course, that could be because the number of abductions to that point left the population so crippled. Still.

AS for the art direction, cinematography and the animation; flawless and gorgeous. A game of that year that remains without peer (and deserves a wicked rhyme to boot).

[Ben]

Games that came out the same year no less. And really, BG&E is a close second. Prince of Persia, though is the game I return to time after time when I go on about writing.

Beyond Good and Evil has a great setting, great characterization, and has the moment to moment drive I love, but the pay off where Jade televises the information we've learned to this point... lacks subtlety and scale. The community we see in up rise feels really small. You would think with the small number of people in that community it would be difficult to keep secrets.

Of course, that could be because the number of abductions to that point left the population so crippled. Still.

AS for the art direction, cinematography and the animation; flawless and gorgeous. A game of that year that remains without peer (and deserves a wicked rhyme to boot).

There's a specific animation that only appears in the first dungeon, were Jade has to shimmy up between to bits of wood to hit a switch. It's my single favorite piece of animation from anything I've ever seen. The story is kind of weird though (Especially at the end were she ends up being a magical incarnation of a god or something?)

They also both recently got HD re-releases