Zachary Profile | Bitmob.com

On Matt McArdle's Why are developers playing it safe with soundtracks?

"100% agree. Music is another part of the overall experience, and all it's being used as is background noise. Just like there's a huge conversation (on the interwebz) about pairing game design with narrative and creating something emergent, there also needs to be a conversation of pairing game design with music.

Brian Eno did something unique with the Spore soundtrack. He used different loops that would come together randomly, and it created a really organic soundtrack. One of the most disappointing soundtrack moments was during the end of Mass Effect. Loved the music for the game, thought it worked really well with the themes, but then the credits roll and the badass song "M4 pt. II" by The Faunts comes on. Why was this saved for the credits???? Because there are lyrics? Take the plunge and do something cool with your sound, game developers."

Friday, October 21, 2011

On Rus McLaughlin's Rehabilitating the escort mission

"What about games like Fire Emblem, where there's character development of each character but they have the potential of dying in combat and NEVER coming back. It's almost like an escort mission built into the whole game. With that example, I'm tempted to add one more item to your list: utility. Does the character serve a functional purpose that actually helps the player accomplish their mission? If yes, then the player is already invested in that character simply because they are useful. I don't think this should be the only reason, but I think it certainly is a reason for keeping a character alive.

After reading your list again, however, this might just fall under "do they have a real reason to be present," although I think that could be two-fold, either for story development and for utility."

Thursday, October 13, 2011

On Rus McLaughlin's Shadow of the Colossus isn't the game it used to be

"Thanks for the response! After reading this it's more than apparent that I need another playthrough (I had to refer to the wiki page to get my bearings on the characters).

And to comment on the general.. commentship of this story: Colossus is definitely one of the standards of excellence with regards to interactive storytelling. I think the power of games to conflict the user (in the head) with multiple perspectives is still incredibly understated. There's a wide range of capabilites, be it for learning about a topic, understanding a complex issue, or in this case just telling a great story.

What's amazing is that Colossus was released more than five years ago, and the vast majority of games still don't take advantage of what makes this medium different than others.
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Sunday, October 09, 2011

On Rus McLaughlin's Shadow of the Colossus isn't the game it used to be

"Really nice write-up and some excellent insights to boot. I remember when I played Colossus originally, I was sympathizing with Wander. It felt okay to kill the beasts because he was almost being forced to do it. Looking back, I realize that I was the one forcing him, in a way. The game does an excellent job of marrying game design with storytelling.

That said, I'm curious as to what other perspectives there are to be offered? Siding with Wander or siding with the Colossi seem to be the only two. Did anybody else see it in a different way?"

Thursday, October 06, 2011

On Dan "Shoe" Hsu's How to enjoy the inconsistent Rage

"After reading the interview Gamasutra put up (link at the bottom), I'm not surprised at all. The interviewer asked some really tough questions, almost challenging Rage, and I felt the answers just didn't put up enough of a fight. It gave the impression that Rage was simply going to be derivative of the post-apocalyptic theme, even though it's been in development for so long, and I think that statement sums it up pretty well.

Great interview, great comments afterwards as well: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6500/the_creative_intent_of_rage.php"

Thursday, October 06, 2011

On Jasmine Maleficent Rea's Horrible games: Power Piggs of the Dark Age

"So what are you trying to say about Radical Entertainment? I haven't played Prototype, but looking at it from an outside perspective puts it right next to games such as Crackdown and inFamous.

Are they simply following their track record of cash-ins? Can anybody who's played Prototype give some input on whether that claim has any validity?"

Thursday, April 07, 2011

On James DeRosa's Bitmob Game Club Fourth Edition -- Game Selection

"gonna have to vote for Braid, and while I'm at it I'm going to try and contribute this"

Thursday, December 10, 2009

On Omar Yusuf's My Life as a Gamer: A Letter from a Son to His Parents

"at letter man, very bold of you to share this. I hope your parents can understand how much gaming means to you now, or at least have a little more appreciation for it. Fortunately, I've never had this problem. My parents have always been encouraging with whatever I do, and while they may not express much interest in gaming with me (besides a few failed attempts at some Gears of War sessions with my dad), I know they'll always back me up. Hell, they're paying my college tuition knowing my goal is to break into the industry. Can't ask for anymore than that. I really hope they receive that letter well goo"

Thursday, December 10, 2009

On Mike Gingras' Musings of a Gamer: Does Nostalgia Hurt the Industry?

"hink we're all forgetting that people like us, who go on the internet and have conversations about games, are in the minority. They aren't trying to appeal to us; we're the informed consumer who knows what they want and reads about it before they make a purchase. Joe Schmoe is the one who's going to recognize a name from when he was a kid and instantly feel a connection with a rehashed title. Same thing works with sequels nowadays. Modern Warfare 2 will be an awesomely fun game, but it's little more than an updated story and weapons. It's all about the masses with some companies and"

Monday, October 05, 2009

On Isaiah Taylor's Dante's Inferno: How Not To Promote A Game 101

"ote]Here's a scary thought - they are using this silliness to cover up the fact that they have nothing to sell; that this is a game so uninspiring and uninteresting that this is their best idea.[/quote] Somebody stated earlier how before this campaign started, the game was drawing endless comparisons to God of War. Now everybody is talking about the marketing. I'm not saying that this is their motive behind the campaign, but if their goal was to differentiate the game, then well done. Mission accomplished. That said, I think the check idea was brilliant. $200 to however many journalists they sent them to, and then they all go onto their website and blog about it. Financially the bottom line must have looked pretty. Very effe"

Saturday, September 26, 2009

On Michael Donahoe's Are We There Yet?: Long-Ass Mario Kart Art

"c. Good thinking on the wallpaper idea. Nintendo themed room an"

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

On Dan "Shoe" Hsu's Wet's Bad-Ass Influences

"style of this has me alone, but from what I've heard it might just be a rental. Anybody able to recommend it? Is it beatable over a we"

Monday, September 21, 2009