@pip3dream @TomMcShea @Summercontest Okay, fair point, Mr. McShea. As for pip3dream's comments, specifying a certain playstyle that's supposed to be the "real story" is like going through a poem and cutting out the lines that throw a wrench in your personal interpretation. I firmly believe that gaming's strongest story-telling is done through the clever use of mechanics (MGS 3 might be cut-scene after cut-scene, but take a look at how the mechanics inform its themes and you'll see how much of a genius Kojima truly is), and GTA's mechanics are designed for open world, mass murdering chaos.
Also, Rockstar's writers are great...in terms of video games. But they don't write things organically into the world. They're firmly in the cut-scene camp, so their work must be compared to other film. I'll take Goodfellas or the Godfather over any Rockstar story.
Given Tom's historical stance against military shooters that negate all of the "maturity" packed into their cutscenes as soon as the gameplay starts, I have to feel that he was simply told to write this article by a higher up and did the best he could. I mean, really, using GTA IV as an example of how mature video games are? It's a half-rate movie packed in with a psychopath's virtual playground. Cutscenes are not video games; until our mechanics move beyond "red reticule means shoot," we've got a long way to go.
I'm astounded at all the hate Tom is getting. This industry needs more critics who call developers out on their BS. It needs more critics that are willing to see games for what they can be rather than what they are. Guys like this developer, who treat video games as "just games" hold this medium back from its true potential and will be forgotten by history. And for all of you saying that you can just switch to hardcore mode, you're completely missing the point of Tom's argument.
If you see this Mr. McShea, I commend you for your integrity and respect for our beloved medium.
First off, I'm a die hard Packers fan so it's easy for me to say I hate the Bears and they should lose. But on the other hand I hate Peyton Manning because I could throw a better pass than him in a cold weather environment(See: Every game he's ever played at Gillette Stadium in the months of December or January) plus the Colts are a team that simply doesn't know what smash mouth football is. I could go into a huge analysis as to why things will happen the way they will but I won't. I'm just gonna say Colts win because although I believe a solid running game and winning in the trenches is the key to good football, I know that in the big games it always comes down to the quarterback making a game winning drive. And let's be honest, do you think Rex Grossman has a better chance of that than Peyton Manning who will surely dissect the Bears secondary because he understands the game better than most coaches? Grossman completed more passes to the Packers than he did to his own team mates in their week 17 match up. Colts win on a Vinatieri field goal in the closing minutes, 24-21. Everybody will make a big deal about how Peyton won "the big one" and we'll have to hear about how he's now one of the greatest if not the greatest quarterbacks in history. That is until Brett Favre returns next year to win his 4th league MVP award and lead the Packers to glory!
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