Archive for July, 2010
The Backlog: Silicon Sasquatch’s Finest Hour edition
Jul 23rd
Scott's a rocker. He rocks out.
So this book called Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour came out this week. You might not have read the series yet, but you’ve probably heard about the comics, or the upcoming game, or the movie starring Michael Cera. The reason it bears mentioning is that it’s a spot-on representation of the minds and memories of all of us children of the ’80s who grew up on Nintendo and Sega. If that sounds like something you can relate to, you’re probably going to love the comics.
It really has been a good week for us, too. This is our fifth post in seven days, which is almost a record for us. It’s even more impressive when you recall that we’re only running at two-thirds of our normal capacity because Aaron’s working a summer job in the wilds of Oregon. But while he’s no doubt been perfecting his mountain-man beard and learning to forage for roots or something, Doug and I have been holding down the fort by playing our fair share of games. Check out what we’ve been up to after the jump, and if you’re feeling generous, why not let us know what you’ve been playing in the comments section? Consider it your one charitable act of the day.
Review: Limbo (Xbox Live Arcade)
Jul 22nd
I’ve tried to keep some distance from the debate over whether games can be — or currently are — art. It’s my belief that art is in the eye of the beholder, so who cares if a few critics (including some critics of another medium entirely) disagree? I’ve had experiences with games that have been as thought-provoking and moving as some of the best movies, books, paintings, songs, and so on.
But if you’re not content to sit by the sidelines and just let Roger Ebert trash-talk games, you’ll find some strong ammunition for your viewpoint in Limbo, Playdead’s debut Xbox Live Arcade title and the first game out the door in this year’s Summer of Arcade series. With its bold, almost suffocating art style, excellent use of sound and subtle yet significant method of storytelling, Limbo is a thoroughly inspired concept that couldn’t be realized in any other medium.
Book Review: Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
Jul 21st
Editor’s note: Sometimes — purely by accident — we end up spending our free time on things that aren’t games. In an effort to make the site more useful and to encourage us to write more, I’ve decided to take a stab at a good, old-fashioned book review. In case you’re drawing a blank: books are those things that look kind of like a Kindle but they don’t need to be charged.
John Romero and John Carmack. The rock star and the closeted engineer. The master designer and the virtuoso coder. The gamer and the programmer.
If you’re a human being in the Western world, you’ve heard of Doom, even if you haven’t played it. And if you’re reading this site, you probably know about John Romero and John Carmack, two of the founding members of id Software. But if you’re like me, you only knew the cursory details: the two Johns’ rise to fame, their infamous split after Quake was released and Romero’s failed magnum opus, Daikatana.
David Kushner’s book Masters of Doom does an admirable job of detailing the chronology of each of the two Johns’ rise to fame and fortune from an inauspicious childhood. The entire story is told in a mere 300 pages, which I found myself flying through in just two days. However, the book was researched and written over six years, and features more than 500 interviews with all sorts of industry luminaries and, of course, the original id Software team.
While a narrative about a bunch of awkward game programmers huddled around their desks for months on end might not sound like riveting material, there’s more than enough eccentricity in the characters and drama in the plot to keep the story flowing: Ferraris are bought, rockets are launched, marriages are broken, friendships are severed and money is squandered. But what else would you expect from the guys who turned the industry on its head and got rich on their own terms, all while provoking a national controversy on the role of violence in video games?
I’ve only read a few books about the history of video games, but Masters of Doom stands out as one of the most engaging, compelling, and worthwhile. Even a casual gamer will find something resonant about the story of these two awkward, ambitious guys who defied their families’ expectations and forever changed the course of gaming.
Recommended for
- Anyone curious about the rise of one of gaming’s most infamous studios
- Gaming history buffs who appreciate a thorough, well-documented book
- People who remember the phrase “Doom clone”
Sasquatch Soapbox: Games and gamers — the line begins to blur
Jul 19th
What is a game, and what is a gamer?
In the wake of E3 coverage laced with “it’s not for us,” the rise of games on social media sites and iPhones, and Microsoft and Sony showcasing their motion-control interfaces more thoroughly, this question is coming up more often. An unscientific analysis of quote-unquote hardcore gamers would suggest they’re focused more and more on what appears to be a shrinking market. Nintendo’s press conference at E3 this year, in which it showed off new Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Kid Icarus titles, was held up as a breath of relief; the reaction within core gamers was along the lines of, “Finally, Nintendo is making games for us again!”
A truism about business that I’ve learned in graduate school is that expanding markets begin to fragment and form niches. Read the rest of this entry »
Backlog: Summer Vacation Edition
Jul 17th
It's summertime in the Northwest, which means it's time to come out from under cover and enjoy the scenery, like Crater Lake (photo by D. Bonham).
Much like a bad sunburn, we’re back after a little mid-summer hibernation. Aaron is still out in the Oregon woods getting his camp counselor act on, but Nick and Doug have been snug in civilization and playing games. Doug, now properly equipped with a TV from the 21st century, has been building cities and breaking tackles, while Nick has been matching three, hitting apexes and staring down a worthy opponent. All very thrilling.
But enough of that, let’s get on to the gaming.