Anime E3 2013 June 10-13th

[Western]

I was about to open a new thread on how the awesome button suddenly became so last gen, but it seems the news found its way into this thread as well.

How can the gaming industry sink so low? Are they going to cather to the people with Parkinson desease and those in deep coma?

Ryse - so awesum that it plays by itself even if you don't want to (or can't).

At this rate Play4real will be a legit gaming news site in 3 years.

 

[Nadosh]

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/why-ryse-is-the-most-frustrating-game-of-e3/

I’m on the battlefield. I’m stomping through the corpses of my comrades swinging my sword at anything that moves. I begin a combo, I slash twice and then whooom slow motion is initiated, shit is about to get ‘cinematic’. A button prompt hovers elusively above the sword I’m about to drive into the throat of my enemy… argh I’m too slow! The prompt flickers, disappears.​

I missed it. Damn.​

But then somehow, for some reason, I still complete the cinematic ‘kill’.​

What?​

Maybe it’s a bug I think, but no. Next time I deliberately press the wrong button. The kill goes ahead, no consequences. Then I try hitting no buttons whatsoever. The kill goes ahead. I put the controller on the table in front of me, the kill goes ahead.​

What is going on here?​

I ask one of the Crytek people hovering at the booth – is this a bug? Why am I completing kills when I hit the wrong button prompt? Or, worse, no button at all. Turns out it was a deliberate design choice.​

“We don’t want the player to feel frustrated,” I am told.​

They did it, they finally did it. They actually managed to make the game without gameplay everyone was always joking about.

I... I think I just threw my keyboard out the window in a moment of pure rage

 

[Stabwound]

If it's any consolation (huehue) most people seem to think Ryse was the worst game at E3, but that doesn't mean it's not completely retarded. It would be like playing Super Mario Bros and running into the first goomba on level 1, except it dies anyway and you keep moving like nothing happened. What in the fuck has happened to gaming?

 

[Delterius]

And people used to make fun of Heavy Rain.

At least you can kill (most) everyone you hate in that game. Its, like, the one most cherished feature in BG2 (killing Aerie).

 

[Gurkog]

Xboners are going to flip their shit when they realize retailers won't except their DRM laden returns. The butthurt will be glorious.

EDIT: "Sorry little Timmy, but you opened the game, and our policy dictates that we do not accept returns on opened Xbone titles. You will have to contact Microsoft for a license exchange for their M$ store points."

EDIT2: Returns will probably have to be mailed to the respective publishers and if the customer is lucky they might receive a refund check a few months later.

 

[RK47]

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/why-ryse-is-the-most-frustrating-game-of-e3/

I’m on the battlefield. I’m stomping through the corpses of my comrades swinging my sword at anything that moves. I begin a combo, I slash twice and then whooom slow motion is initiated, shit is about to get ‘cinematic’. A button prompt hovers elusively above the sword I’m about to drive into the throat of my enemy… argh I’m too slow! The prompt flickers, disappears.​

I missed it. Damn.​

But then somehow, for some reason, I still complete the cinematic ‘kill’.​

What?​

Maybe it’s a bug I think, but no. Next time I deliberately press the wrong button. The kill goes ahead, no consequences. Then I try hitting no buttons whatsoever. The kill goes ahead. I put the controller on the table in front of me, the kill goes ahead.​

What is going on here?​

I ask one of the Crytek people hovering at the booth – is this a bug? Why am I completing kills when I hit the wrong button prompt? Or, worse, no button at all. Turns out it was a deliberate design choice.​

“We don’t want the player to feel frustrated,” I am told.​

They did it, they finally did it. They actually managed to make the game without gameplay everyone was always joking about.

I... I think I just threw my keyboard out the window in a moment of pure rage

Next-Next Gen Dev: They removed the button and just gives you the Awesome.

 

[Bruticis]

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/06/i-got-thrown-in-microsoft-jail-for-taking-pictures-of-nothing/

Gawker network employee....if only they'd have done a body cavity search.

 

[Keshik]

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/why-ryse-is-the-most-frustrating-game-of-e3/

I’m on the battlefield. I’m stomping through the corpses of my comrades swinging my sword at anything that moves. I begin a combo, I slash twice and then whooom slow motion is initiated, shit is about to get ‘cinematic’. A button prompt hovers elusively above the sword I’m about to drive into the throat of my enemy… argh I’m too slow! The prompt flickers, disappears.

I missed it. Damn.

But then somehow, for some reason, I still complete the cinematic ‘kill’.

What?

Maybe it’s a bug I think, but no. Next time I deliberately press the wrong button. The kill goes ahead, no consequences. Then I try hitting no buttons whatsoever. The kill goes ahead. I put the controller on the table in front of me, the kill goes ahead.

What is going on here?

I ask one of the Crytek people hovering at the booth – is this a bug? Why am I completing kills when I hit the wrong button prompt? Or, worse, no button at all. Turns out it was a deliberate design choice.


“We don’t want the player to feel frustrated,” I am told.

 

[Gozma]

Off-topic: What so good about Bayonetta?

Bayo and DMC are beat 'em ups with a high skill ceiling and usually interesting "action puzzle" bosses and set pieces that can often be handled in pretty free, creative ways.

I find the story and designs in Bayo be like the peak of Japanese obnoxiouness. As in not obnoxiously Japanese but extravagantly obnoxious in a Japanese way. The way Mortal Kombat is obnoxious in an American way.

 

[DragoFireheart]

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/why-ryse-is-the-most-frustrating-game-of-e3/

I’m on the battlefield. I’m stomping through the corpses of my comrades swinging my sword at anything that moves. I begin a combo, I slash twice and then whooom slow motion is initiated, shit is about to get ‘cinematic’. A button prompt hovers elusively above the sword I’m about to drive into the throat of my enemy… argh I’m too slow! The prompt flickers, disappears.

I missed it. Damn.

But then somehow, for some reason, I still complete the cinematic ‘kill’.

What?

Maybe it’s a bug I think, but no. Next time I deliberately press the wrong button. The kill goes ahead, no consequences. Then I try hitting no buttons whatsoever. The kill goes ahead. I put the controller on the table in front of me, the kill goes ahead.

What is going on here?

I ask one of the Crytek people hovering at the booth – is this a bug? Why am I completing kills when I hit the wrong button prompt? Or, worse, no button at all. Turns out it was a deliberate design choice.


“We don’t want the player to feel frustrated,” I am told.

 

[bert]

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/why-ryse-is-the-most-frustrating-game-of-e3/

I’m on the battlefield. I’m stomping through the corpses of my comrades swinging my sword at anything that moves. I begin a combo, I slash twice and then whooom slow motion is initiated, shit is about to get ‘cinematic’. A button prompt hovers elusively above the sword I’m about to drive into the throat of my enemy… argh I’m too slow! The prompt flickers, disappears.

I missed it. Damn.

But then somehow, for some reason, I still complete the cinematic ‘kill’.

What?

Maybe it’s a bug I think, but no. Next time I deliberately press the wrong button. The kill goes ahead, no consequences. Then I try hitting no buttons whatsoever. The kill goes ahead. I put the controller on the table in front of me, the kill goes ahead.

What is going on here?

I ask one of the Crytek people hovering at the booth – is this a bug? Why am I completing kills when I hit the wrong button prompt? Or, worse, no button at all. Turns out it was a deliberate design choice.


“We don’t want the player to feel frustrated,” I am told.

 

[Blaine]

I like the motivations above as long as the mechanics aren't frustrating and the presence of traps makes the game more enjoyable.

 

[Gurkog]

I like the motivations above as long as the mechanics aren't frustrating and the presence of traps makes the game more enjoyable.

Sawyer likes VD because it makes his celibacy more enjoyable?

 

[retardation]

Male game journalists don't want you to see female boobs, but they'll gladly grab their male colleagues' butts:

http://www.destructoid.com/touchin-butts-and-taking-names-in-glow-tag-256174.phtml

 

[Roguey]

I think gameplay is most enjoyable when there's a balance of frustration and triumph. Without frustration, triumph becomes cheap. Continuous frustration with minimal/infrequent triumph often feels like it isn't worth the effort.

Fixed.

 

[Blaine]

Fixed.

1.) That's not what he actually said.

2.) In a hard but fair game, frustration will only be balanced with triumph if your head isn't up your ass, which it would have to be not to be able to press a button, wait a few seconds, and look for a giant red square instead of sprinting willy-nilly around a dungeon like a fucking imbecile.

2a.) Meaning that a severe crippling or outright death when triggering a trap is a tough but fair consequence and should mix a bit of frustration with triumph for paying attention and being careful, but they won't be that deadly in P:E because Sawyer doesn't want anyone to be frustrated.

 

[Roguey]

1.) That's not what he actually said.

It is something he's said.

press a button, wait a few seconds, and look for a giant red square

This is stupid and boring "gameplay."

2a.) Meaning that a severe crippling or outright death when triggering a trap is a tough but fair consequence and should mix a bit of frustration with triumph for paying attention.

Unless you're placing it on a container full of awesome equipment, a death-inducing trap is just going to result in a reload. Pointless, time-wasting crap.

 

[Ebonsword]

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/06/i-got-thrown-in-microsoft-jail-for-taking-pictures-of-nothing/

Jesus Christ, just when I thought game journalism couldn't decline any further!!

Journalists are dying trying to cover the war in Syria, but this loser lets himself get intimidated by Microsoft security while standing on US soil?!

I mean, WTF did he think they were going to do to him? More to the point, didn't this idiot have a cellphone? I'm sure a quick call to the police informing them that he was being detained against his will would have changed Microsoft's handling of the situation in short order.

 

[Blaine]

Roguey
So then death-inducing fights are pointless, time-wasting crap. Got it.

Finding and disarming traps in and of itself may be a straightforward mechanic, but that isn't all there is to them. Their very presence, placement, and the various types are also important factors. Besides which, it doesn't matter if traps are a simpler and more straightforward mechanic than combat—the principle is the same regardless.

 

[Stabwound]

Hahaha, I know it has been typical for E3 demos and the like to run on PCs instead of actual consoles, but all signs point to the Xboner games running on a standard Windows 7 install. It would be hilarious if they went through all the trouble of creating proprietary hardware just to run a slightly modified version of Windows.

I have a feeling that future consoles starting now are just going to be constricted PCs in a "cool" little case with a ton of bullshit DRM built in.

 

[Infinitron]

Roguey
So then death-inducing fights are pointless, time-wasting crap. Got it.

Finding and disarming traps in and of itself may be a straightforward mechanic, but that isn't all there is to them. Their very presence, placement, and the various types are also important factors. Besides which, it doesn't matter if traps are a simpler and more straightforward mechanic than combat—the principle is the same regardless.

But the principle isn't the same. Fights aren't binary - you can lose, you can win a pyrhhic victory if you were heavily wounded or used lots of precious strategic resources (wands, potions, etc), you can be lightly wounded or you can emerge unscathed. And each fight is a complex and unpredictable series of checks that's much harder to "game".

In contrast, a trap that kills you if you don't notice it is a mechanic that's just begging to be metagamed.

 

[Bruticis]

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/06/i-got-thrown-in-microsoft-jail-for-taking-pictures-of-nothing/

Jesus Christ, just when I thought game journalism couldn't decline any further!!

Journalists are dying trying to cover the war in Syria, but this loser lets himself get intimidated by Microsoft security while standing on US soil?!

I mean, WTF did he think they were going to do to him? More to the point, didn't this idiot have a cellphone? I'm sure a quick call to the police informing them that he was being detained against his will would have changed Microsoft's handling of the situation in short order.

Stop fucking calling these idiots journalists, ffs. These guys are BLOGGERS, there is NO such thing as video game journalism. This is a hobby job and nothing else and has zero to do with real journalism. What's next, calling developer's artists? Oh wait....

 

[Horus]

If this is his full time job he's a gaming journalist, if he's just blogging on his free time like some of us do. He's a blogger.

 

[Blaine]

In contrast, a trap that kills you if you don't notice it is a mechanic that's just begging to be metagamed.

I really don't understand the insistence on having absolutely no mechanics that might force a reload if you fuck up. That may seem like a path to incline to you and Roguey, but in my view it will accomplish the exact opposite. Situations that encourage absolute save-scumming should be avoided, certainly, but the occasional "gotcha" shouldn't be a problem. I don't savescum regardless, so "gotcha" moments happen to me on occasion in a variety of games—accidentally falling off a cliff, setting off a trap, etc. Hopefully, I'll have learned my lesson and will be more careful next time.

Every other mechanic in the entire game will be simpler than combat, even dialog—so, should every other choice and skill check and dialog option be forgiving and non-frustrating and non-fuck-uppable? People can and will metagame anything, even if they don't strictly need to: That conversation didn't go the way I wanted, this important door jammed, that guy died but I wanted to save the other guy, that combat didn't go as well as I wanted and it's right at the entrance anyway, I regret selling this item or buying that item 30 minutes ago, I didn't catch some guy running from me so I'll try again, etc. P:E will be stuffed, absolutely packed to the heaven-high rafters with metagame-able stuff no matter what Josh Sawyer does or says... period. No argument is possible, end of story.

We'll just have to wait and see. If traps tickle the health and sup at the stamina, then I say he's a milquetoast and a blackguard and a jackanapes and he's up to gigglesome frippery.

P.S.: I'm extraordinarily grumpy right now.

 

[Horus]

I think, they should put an enforced loading option that weakens your characters if you load your game after 30 minutes of saving and scale the weakness curse to player's difficulty.