SEKim

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Inside The "Gamer's" Studio

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Inside the "Gamer's" Studio Presents:

The Stories of Final Fantasy

With your host, James Lipton

"Today Inside the Gamer's Studio, we will talk about the game-stories that changed the industry single-handedly as we know it.

Stories that made you re-examine your life.

Stories that make Citizen Kane and Casablanca look like excerpts on a Bazooka Joe's gum wrapper.

Yes, I'm talking about the stories that made young teenage boys look pretty.

I'm talking about the stories that make chicks that look like rabbits look darn sexy!

I'm talking about the stories that made white-haired villains make a man believe he could be evil and love his mother too.

I'm talking about the game that made Shakespeare's idea of a big sword look like a tooth pick. 

I'm talking about the stories that make young noobs believe that he and his friends can save the world from impending doom.

I'm talking about the unexpected death we all witnessed tragically of one of the most beloved heroins in RPG history just so the developers can make room for another scantly-clothes vixen!

I'm talking about the Fantasy that will never, never, never, never, NEVER end....

Yes...you all know what I'm talkin` about!"

 :P

DS is a Hit! But Will the Phase Die out like the N64?

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 When I first saw the DS I wasn't too impressed by it. A year later, here I am playing it more than my current consoles which includes my PSP.  But I'm just wondering, how long will this phase last?

I'm quite impressed with the must-have DS games so far. Games like Metroid Prime Hunters,  Mario Kart DS, and Tetris DS makes me glad I bought Nintendo's little fun machine. And seeing news about New Super Mario Bros., Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and Final Fantasy III gets me all the more excited about being a Nintendo fan.

 

Mario Kart DS was the first must-have title for the DS. Metroid Prime Hunters continues Nintendo's all-star line-up and the soon to be released New. Super Mario Bros. shows that Nintendo just can't go wrong!

But not even Nintendo's beloved franchises saved the N64 and Gamecube from drowning. I think the Gamecube had a similar situation where there was a season of great games being released that suddenly came to a halt with long dry-spells with no sunshine beyond its horizon. Occasionally there was some ray of light with games like Resident Evil 4 and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, but since then, the Gamecube has been in hibernation with no scent of spring to melt away its dead winter.

  

Although the sequel to the stellar Metroid Prime was a impressive endeavor, but Tales of Symphonia being the only worthy RPG for the system, not even Resident Evil 4's prowess was strong enough to keep the Gamecube interesting among Nintendo gamers.

Even though I'm excited about Zelda: Twilight Princess, it's been such a long time since a must-have GC game was released. This makes me worried about the DS because it almost seems to similar with all the flood of great games coming in right now. And like I said, "How long will the DS's success last?" Will Nintendo continue to pour out great games or will the DS also go through its own season of dry-spells? I hope not. But then again, it is Nintendo and if history does repeat itself, it's scary to think that the DS is basically a portable N64 more than anything else. And also, unlike the GBA, the DS doesn't have a SNES-legacy to port that could keep the system alive.

    

Classic ports and re-makes of memorable games sky-rocketed the GBA to be a phenomenonal success. However, the DS doesn't have the same extensive legacy of games from the SNES era that kept the GBA's fuel burning.

 As a gamer who loves the DS and as a long-time Nintendo fan, I guess I'm worried if the DS's moment in the sun will begin to set soon after all the great line-up of games are released. So in order to avoid a dry-spell similar to the N64 and even the Gamecube, Nintendo better start working hard through the graveyard shifts and continue to play their cards right. I have ideas on how the DS can at least keep me interested. If they decide to make new titles like a Kid Icarus DS game, a new side-scrolling Metroid game, a DS version of Tetris Attack, AND continue to provide new adventures with Mario and Link, I think the DS will stay strong. But if Nintendo fails to do so, I'm afraid to say that I may be going on a vacation with my PSP and play in Sony's world.

Let's hope for all our sakes that Nintendo continues its success with the DS. I'm enjoying gaming more than ever because of it, so I don't want this season of great games and fun to end anytime soon. :)

My Thoughts on Grandia III's Storyline...

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When I first read the preview of this game in Electronic Gaming Monthly, I was so excited to play this RPG since it involved aviation and flying.

When I popped in that first disc and saw how much I enjoyed the beginning, how the game introduced a collage of Schmidt's amazing adventures in aviation, when Yuki was introduced, I couldn't wait to see how his adventures in aviation would play out.

As Yuki, I wanted to race world class pilots all over the world in the game, maybe even race Schmidt to see who's better. I wanted to fly all over the world, meeting other pilots, go on adventures together, and play through a story about a fantasy version of the golden age of aviation. I dreamed of joining the air force and shooting down hordes of enemy aces and maybe flying side by side with Schmidt fighting for the same goals. Gosh did I want this game to focus everything on aviation, adventure, and heroism, experiencing the main character develop as a pilot and a individual. And I wanted to see Yuki become a true aviation hero, following the footsteps of Schmidt, playing this type of story throughout the whole game...

...until a pointy-eared, whiny, crybaby messed everything up.  

What's More Important: Gameplay or the Graphics?

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Hey Guys, this is an article I wrote  that asked gamers the question what they think is more important in a video game: "gameplay or graphics?"

Here's the following link for that thread:

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24386932

Some gamers told me why would I  ask this question in the first place since the answer is the obvious in that many gamers agree that when it comes to video games, gameplay will always remain more supreme. But believe me, I've talked with many gamers that say they are able to play a game with great graphics even though it has poor gameplay, and these same gamers say that they don't show any interest in a game with poor graphics even though it has excellent gameplay. I don't understand this preference in the way a game is played because for me I think the gameplay is the most important thing in a video game. But that's just my opinion.

Please feel free to read the link to that post if you want to. And at the same time I'd like to ask the gamers here what they think is more important when it comes to video games. Is gameplay more important, or is it the graphics?

What Makes a Great Character Design, Part 2: Cliche Characters.

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In part 2 of my discussion, “What Makes a Great Character Design,” I will now talk about "cliche characters."

What makes cliche characters important in video games? Because they serve to please the gamers by becoming fan-service and 15 minute thrills. Although they are very popular with the gaming crowd, at the end, their lasting value grows thin through the test of time. And soon they become lost in the shuffle when some new characters come around to become the next "in" thing to replace them. 

For my example I will use the ever popular, (especially among male gamers :wink:  ), the DOA cast. With the exception of Ryu Hayabusu and perhaps Katsumi, I think the DOA cast epitomizes what it means to be a cliche character.

To those who think, that the DOA characters are great designs have a similar taste kind of like the movie goers who think Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich films are masterpieces.  In other words, it only accommodates to the patron's own senses on the kind of satisfaction they want from a video game character. Basically, it's all about "eye-candy," and when it comes to aesthetics in visual pleasure, DOA is the best there is! :D

To illustrate this point further, RPG characters are also good examples. Since RPGs are a form of escapism, cliche characters are a essential because many gamers want to fantasize about going on adventures with attractive people. DOA is just another fantasy. I mean come on, are 14 different costumes, half of them bikinis, and one a topless girl in overalls really needed in a fighting game?  :x

If DOA characters are great designs, than I guess the characters from Rumble Roses are the next Street Fighter II-caliber type of characters that will set the standard for the next generation in the gaming world! With next-gen graphics now....maybe it will?  :?

But....*sigh*....only a few more battles before I unlock Katsumi's polka-dotted bikini!   :P

(Other honorable mentions include: Necrid, 75 % of the SNK cast, almost ALL of the JRPG cast, and some western RPGs.)

Yet, I still enjoy DOA and other cliche J-RPGs, so it doesn't matter what I think since it's just my opinion. I guess what matters is the taste we as gamers are in the mood for. :)

What Makes a Great Character Design: Iconic vs. Popular Characters

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I'm a character designer who enjoys creating and writing comic books. So what I think makes a videgame character design great and that stands the test of time is because of the simplicity in design....and having a popular game helps, of course. :)

But what makes a character an "icon" as opposed to just being "popular?"

Mario, Link, and Samus are so iconic because their easily recognizable, have only a few major colors, plus they're also "cool" looking. (yes, even Mario :D  ) So they're simple, yet, brilliant in design. Like they say, "Less is more." I think the perfect example of a game with the most memorable cast was Street Fighter 2 including Cammy. ALL of those characters are brilliantly designed and are iconic even till' today. 

I counteract my views by pointing out RPG characters. Lately they've been looking complex and are designed with too much detail. For example, like the characters from the newer Square-Enix games. Since FF7, most of their character designs are now looking more complex and they all tend to look the same. No matter how popular a game is, if the characters are too complex and crazy looking, I don't think it will become an icon like the characters that we all know and love.

(OTHER ICONS INCLUDE: Solid Snake, Cloud Strife, Master Chief, a bundle of others, AND OF COURSE....Pac-Man! ) 

The Next Generation Reminds me of Jordan vs. Bird vs. Magic

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The next generation consoles remind me of Jordan vs. Bird vs. Magic. All three are considered the greatest basketball players of all time. All three changed the way basketball is played today. And all three are champions and hall of famers and identified to one single team throughout their whole career.

    

Jordan is all around. He had the best offense and the best defense. He was also the most graceful and perhaps the greatest acrobat to the game. He has the potential to be a team player, yet his single handed domination of the game was uncanny. And most of all, whenever he stepped onto the court, his opponents trembled before his presence. 

   

Bird was a straight shooter. He was not the greatest acrobat, but he was the most intelligent player the game has ever seen. He's the perfection of a fundamental player, and he's arguably the greatest shooter in the history of the game. Everytime he was in the zone, he would out think his opponents before they even made their first move.

   

Magic is known as his name says. He's the ultimate leader when it comes to making his team better. He's unselfish yet he can be dominating when he wants to. And most of all, Magic has got all the tricks in the book when it comes to razzle-dazzling plays that Hollywood can't even script.

   

And finally, what do ALL these players have in common which is that one thing that they are mostly known for? They are the ultimate competitor and they would do anything to what it takes to win.  

   

The next-generation consoles are coming; Sony vs. Microsoft vs. Nintendo....reminds me of Jordan vs. Bird vs. Magic....and it is up to the gamer to decide which system to "who" they can compare.  8)

Sceptical, yet Hopeful...My Thoughts on Nintendo's Revolution

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I'm a life-long Nintendo fan, and I only wish for their contunual success.  In the past, whenever Nintendo came out with a console, I told myself that I'd buy every console Nintendo makes ALL because of the big three: Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. However, since the Revolution is dawning over the horizon later this year, this is the first time I'm sceptical on Nintendo's future. But even among all my doubts, if the DS is any indication, there is hope.

Hironobu Sakaguchi said in Nintendo Power that the Revolution is like a DS, instead, the touch screen is the television. I was always taught to be faithful with the smaller things, so that when the bigger things come around, I'll be prepared and ready to face the challenge. With the DS's success, Nintendo might be holding true with that same belief. The DS is kind of like Nintendo's way of being prepared for the greater challenge that's to come. And at least from their perspective, for a gaming revolution.

I'm looking forward to the Revolution and I hope they do take gaming to the next level, but I'm VERY sceptical on its success. Regardless of my doubts, as in the past, as long as there's the big three...I'll buy it anyway.

What does everyone else think about the Revolution?

1. Is it the next level for games?

2. Will Nintendo's belief hold true that gameplay is more important than graphics?

3. Is the DS any indication that Nintendo is going the right direction?

4. Or is it just another N64 with cheap gimmicks and "kiddy" games, and the only reason for its success will be Nintendo's first-party games?

I don't have any answers for these questions...but it's fun to think about what's to come.