Thanks for the interview! 
It was VERY interesting... especially this part:
His comments on the reasons for the decline of the Adventure Game genre are spot on in my opinion! And with the amount of money it would cost to produce a game that takes advantage of new technologies (he mentioned 10+ $million) the risk factors are just too damn high.
Whilst I would love to disagree with his comments on Myst... I have to agree!
The series was a beautiful landscape. Not necessarily a story, but a place where you could interpret your own story, your own adventure, aided by some stellar graphics. It required a huge imagination.
It's good to know Aaron is comfortable doing what he loves most, and I guess that's what's most important. The usual "when's the next Tex game" tippy toe'ing was present in the last question but who can blame him... we are a dying breed.
Thanks again, was an excellent read... and very well structured.
-Cub. =o)
It was VERY interesting... especially this part:
It's like I have been saying for ages, if you are able to provide a product that will appeal to everyone, and not just hard-core gamers you will hit the gold mine! ...especialy if it is DONE WELL.The Holy Grail in our industry is to reach those millions and millions of "casual gamers" (as classified by MS). I think it would take just one true adventure game to hit it big and the entire genre could be immediately revitalized. But until someone creates that hit game, publishers won't take the risk on a large scale.
His comments on the reasons for the decline of the Adventure Game genre are spot on in my opinion! And with the amount of money it would cost to produce a game that takes advantage of new technologies (he mentioned 10+ $million) the risk factors are just too damn high.
Whilst I would love to disagree with his comments on Myst... I have to agree!
The series was a beautiful landscape. Not necessarily a story, but a place where you could interpret your own story, your own adventure, aided by some stellar graphics. It required a huge imagination.It's good to know Aaron is comfortable doing what he loves most, and I guess that's what's most important. The usual "when's the next Tex game" tippy toe'ing was present in the last question but who can blame him... we are a dying breed.
Thanks again, was an excellent read... and very well structured.
-Cub. =o)
Very interesting read.
I've seen the 'no MS-produced games' prediction being made somewhere else recently...Slashdot I think. I agree. MS are in the business for the cash and wanted to test the console waters. Then they discovered the Xbox titles were hurting Windows games sales (big surprise there), so all signs show them pulling out of that arena within the next decade or so.
As far as Tex's future is concerned, we will most certainly see a change of interface and possibly a hybrid action/adventure game for 'casual' gamers if such a game were to be made at all in the current PC gaming market.
I've seen the 'no MS-produced games' prediction being made somewhere else recently...Slashdot I think. I agree. MS are in the business for the cash and wanted to test the console waters. Then they discovered the Xbox titles were hurting Windows games sales (big surprise there), so all signs show them pulling out of that arena within the next decade or so.
As far as Tex's future is concerned, we will most certainly see a change of interface and possibly a hybrid action/adventure game for 'casual' gamers if such a game were to be made at all in the current PC gaming market.
Interesting read indeed.
I think what appealed to me about that whole feature was the differing opinions of the 3 interviews, yet they all seemed to agree on what makes a decent game.
The feature also made me very interested in Psychonauts. I shall have to buy this game.
Also...
"You saying i don't have a good enough imagination to click through a bunch of screens and pull some levers"
I think what appealed to me about that whole feature was the differing opinions of the 3 interviews, yet they all seemed to agree on what makes a decent game.
The feature also made me very interested in Psychonauts. I shall have to buy this game.
Also...
Hehe, i can just see that kind of comment angering all those people who don't "get" Myst even further.Whilst I would love to disagree with his comments on Myst... I have to agree! The series was a beautiful landscape. Not necessarily a story, but a place where you could interpret your own story, your own adventure, aided by some stellar graphics. It required a huge imagination.
"You saying i don't have a good enough imagination to click through a bunch of screens and pull some levers"
Great article Froggie!!Frogacuda wrote:Actually it's like 6 weeks old or something like that, but it got pushed back so we could get caught up on more time-sensitive things.
http://www.got-next.com/features_read.php?id=290&pno=0
Hope you enjoy. I think it's interesting to see how what he said contrasted with what Al Lowe said.
Thanks for posting it!
Jen
"Myst was an interactive screen saver. Gorgeous, moody, inspiring...but not (in my opinion) a story game. Creating a long, complex, involving story with lots of characters and dialogue is a lot riskier than creating a slideshow of beautiful scenes."
Very apt. I never liked Myst because I couldn't see any fun in it. Pretty pictures just don't make a game to me.
The comments about Microsoft still making games in 10 years is interesting too. The papers in the UK today are talking about lots of problems with MS's new xbox 360s. Apparently they overheat and lock up and papers suggest the launch was rushed just to beat Sony and Nintendos new boxes.
Very apt. I never liked Myst because I couldn't see any fun in it. Pretty pictures just don't make a game to me.
The comments about Microsoft still making games in 10 years is interesting too. The papers in the UK today are talking about lots of problems with MS's new xbox 360s. Apparently they overheat and lock up and papers suggest the launch was rushed just to beat Sony and Nintendos new boxes.
"... papers suggest the launch was rushed just to beat Sony and Nintendos new boxes."
That doesn't surprise me. I think the console that is released first usually gets an advantage. I know XBox lost a lot of potential sales by being released so much later than PS2, and it never really caught up. However, if it isn't working properly than it may end up being disadvantaged by the early launch.
That doesn't surprise me. I think the console that is released first usually gets an advantage. I know XBox lost a lot of potential sales by being released so much later than PS2, and it never really caught up. However, if it isn't working properly than it may end up being disadvantaged by the early launch.
You can blame most of the overheating on the GPU (Graphics Processor)... which is only passively cooled! Which means instead of having what most high end GPUs today have which is at least a fan and heatsink, it just has one very flat heatsink covering the surface... and for a GPU which is meant to be more powerful than anything on the market today I am totally shocked they had not realised that it was not going to be enough!
I prefer the tactic of seeing what your competition has to offer, rather than trying to cream them on release dates. If M$ does not have anything up their sleeve with the 360 I think we might see the PS3 or the Revolution steal the show.
-Cub. =o)
I prefer the tactic of seeing what your competition has to offer, rather than trying to cream them on release dates. If M$ does not have anything up their sleeve with the 360 I think we might see the PS3 or the Revolution steal the show.
-Cub. =o)
You mean they didn't put a fan on the GPU? Geez, way to go Microsoft.
I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to being the first console out. Look at the Dreamcast. I still think it's one of the best consoles i own (and i still have every console i've owned) but it was out way before the next gen of its time and it bombed hard (but that was also due to poor marketing and bad 3rd party support).
Lauch titles can also do it. I hear the 360 launch titles are iffy at best with only maybe one or two games worth getting at all. PS2 had the same problem but they recovered a year or so later.
I guess it's a fine line. You don't want to risk coming out first with an incomplete machine and bad games, but you don't want to risk coming out last so everybody has bought the competition and don't have any more money, no matter how superior your range might be.
Well the point is moot for me. Until i get employed again, i'm not buying any new release. I got plenty of games to play through anyway ^^
I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to being the first console out. Look at the Dreamcast. I still think it's one of the best consoles i own (and i still have every console i've owned) but it was out way before the next gen of its time and it bombed hard (but that was also due to poor marketing and bad 3rd party support).
Lauch titles can also do it. I hear the 360 launch titles are iffy at best with only maybe one or two games worth getting at all. PS2 had the same problem but they recovered a year or so later.
I guess it's a fine line. You don't want to risk coming out first with an incomplete machine and bad games, but you don't want to risk coming out last so everybody has bought the competition and don't have any more money, no matter how superior your range might be.
Well the point is moot for me. Until i get employed again, i'm not buying any new release. I got plenty of games to play through anyway ^^
at least, Atomic, PS2 had one advantage which, I think, made things easier for it. It plays PS1 games, so if no new good games are available, at least you can play your old ones, or watch a dvd.
as for xbox, I don't have one and I don't intend to. I'm waiting for the PS3
as for xbox, I don't have one and I don't intend to. I'm waiting for the PS3
"Wer ein holdes Weib errungen..."
"My religion is the one in which Haydn is pope" - by me.
"Set a course, take it slow, make it happen."
"My religion is the one in which Haydn is pope" - by me.
"Set a course, take it slow, make it happen."
Just noticed that you can see and hear Aaron in Gamespot's Developer Interview.
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/ ... media.html
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/ ... media.html
Look, I'm going to take Microsoft's side ... ::ducks::
Honestly, I've had no problems with my box. And the place where I bought it, I asked them about all the problems I was hearing about, and he told me that not one of the 360's they sold, nor any the company (EB Games) had sold (In Dayton and surrounding areas) had been sent back because of that problem. The Media tends to blow things out of proportion. Mine has never overheated, and locked up, however, I don't sit and play the thing 17 hours at a time either. If you're one of these people who sat out in the cold for days waiting to be the first in line to get it when it was released, and then brought it home and never turned it off for four weeks straight, I would expect you might have an overheating problem or two. Granted, they should be set up so you don't have that problem, but geez. If you actually ate, or took a shower, and shut the thing off once in a while, you might just make your system last longer. I mean remember when the Playstation was released? I had more problems with that thing than any game machine I ever owned. (Except for maybe the NES ... the cartridge blowing techniqe.)
People just like to jump all over Microsoft because they're the big bad wolf of the industry, and any little negative thing they can say against them is an attempt at saying "not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin."
But the huffing and puffing has only just begun.
Honestly, as far as first person shooters go, Perfect Dark is like the most amazing game I've ever played. Almost, almost I daresay, better than Halo. And with Morrowind being released in March ... This system is the best gaming investment I've ever made.
Honestly, I've had no problems with my box. And the place where I bought it, I asked them about all the problems I was hearing about, and he told me that not one of the 360's they sold, nor any the company (EB Games) had sold (In Dayton and surrounding areas) had been sent back because of that problem. The Media tends to blow things out of proportion. Mine has never overheated, and locked up, however, I don't sit and play the thing 17 hours at a time either. If you're one of these people who sat out in the cold for days waiting to be the first in line to get it when it was released, and then brought it home and never turned it off for four weeks straight, I would expect you might have an overheating problem or two. Granted, they should be set up so you don't have that problem, but geez. If you actually ate, or took a shower, and shut the thing off once in a while, you might just make your system last longer. I mean remember when the Playstation was released? I had more problems with that thing than any game machine I ever owned. (Except for maybe the NES ... the cartridge blowing techniqe.)
People just like to jump all over Microsoft because they're the big bad wolf of the industry, and any little negative thing they can say against them is an attempt at saying "not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin."
But the huffing and puffing has only just begun.
Honestly, as far as first person shooters go, Perfect Dark is like the most amazing game I've ever played. Almost, almost I daresay, better than Halo. And with Morrowind being released in March ... This system is the best gaming investment I've ever made.
I'm not fat ... I'm festively plump.