Welcome to this week's Gist List that looks at the pulse of the
gaming industry. Here's what's on tap this week:
System
Shock II Demo
Last year Half-Life clearly showed us where 3D action gaming was going in the future, but
so far 1999 has been relatively void of any particularly innovative or exciting action
games. I think that's all about to change
with the release of System Shock II if the demo is any indication. Although I enjoyed the original System Shock, I
found its control scheme to be somewhat frustrating and overbearing on the player. Although the sequel is still heavy on the
user-interface side, the demo immediately draws you into the world thanks to a series of
Tron-like training missions. Once inside the
game – in the full game you'll custom-tailer the player character stats to your
liking but the demo has pre-set characters – the world comes alive thanks to a highly
modified Thief engine. Although it's too early to declare the full game a certified hit,
if it can maintain the same sense of adventure present in the demo, look for this title to
be one of the hottest 3D action/adventure games since Half-Life. If you are interested in checking the demo out, download it here.
Werewolf:
Too Many Full Moons
When Unreal
was released over a year ago, there was a lot of hype surrounding Engine licensing and how
we would see everything from Star Trek to Hunting games putting Unreal's technical magic
to work. One game that has long been
announced as being based on the Unreal engine is ASC Games' Werewolf: The Apocalypse. It seems like this game has been around forever
and that's probably in part due to the fact the developers spent months marketing the
concept without even showing one in-game screenshot, instead opting for 3D-rendered
"artistic representations" of the game.
Late last year ASC started releasing in-game screenshots and other
material on every full moon. Is it just me or is this campaign wearing very thin? Sure, some of the screenshots from the game look
interesting – especially the werewolf model – but the levels still appear to
have a very boxy and unimaginative look to them.
Although I haven't had a chance to extensively play the game, what rubs me the
wrong way is the extensive promotion being done for this game and how the release of every
screenshot is suppose to be an "event." After
all, I don't know anyone who rushes home on every full moon to check out a few new
screenshots. If they are so eager for
promotion, here's an idea: Release a demo!
Tiberian
Sun Goes Gold
Last week I had the distinct pleasure to be on-site at Westwood Studios for the final
hours of development on Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun.
Later on this month you'll be able to read a special GameSpot feature
I'm writing about the game, but based on my limited playtime with the title, I must say
Westwood really did a lot of things right. The
first thing that struck me was how comfortable a C&C player will feel in the game
environment. Westwood has opted to forgo any
kind of glitzy new-fangled interface in favor of keeping the basic game mechanic the same
as C&C – A very smart decision. To
me, the real innovation lays in the new layers of strategy that have been introduced
because of new units, deformable terrain, and waypoints.
Although Tiberian Sun has been subject to a number of delays, I think gamers are
going to be very pleased with the final product.
The game hits store shelves on August 27th, and I'll definitely post a
more detailed opinion on the game once I have a chance to sit down with it for an extended
period of time.
Skydive
Game
When a game box says "Made with Macromedia," beware gamers! Despite the exciting packaging, Skydive from
Electronic Arts and Gonzo Games has got to be one of the worst pieces of PC software that
has ever passed across my desk. It's
appropriate the game comes from a company named Gonzo Games because it looks like this
piece of rubbish was designed by a bunch of drunk Muppets let loose in C++. 'Now now Geoff,' you say, 'is it really that bad?' Yes,
believe me, it is really that bad. Although I
was pleasantly surprised the game supported 3DFX cards, the gameplay is virtually
non-existent. Once you jump out of the
airplane, you feel like one of those spinning plates at a circus twirling around in the
air with little or no sense of height – and then you land. I have to admit the concept of a Skydiving
game – like in the original Pilotwings – has potential, but this value-priced
title released through Electronic Arts should have a large buyer beware sticker on the
box.
and
One
Month Until DreamCast
Well, it just about a month until the Dreamcast hits store shelves. Are you going to buy one? I have to admit the launch lineup of games for the
machine looks incredibly impressive to a jaded industry analyst like myself, but I
question whether a huge segment of the gaming public is going to rush out a buy a
Dreamcast. After all, unless you diligently
read gaming magazines every month you probably don't even know about the Dreamcast
software lineup thanks to Sega's inane MTV teaser ads that are still running day in and
day out. Isn't it time to start showing the
games, guys? I know I'll be one of the
first in line to buy titles like Ready 2 Rumble and Sega NFL 2000, but does Dreamcast have
a shot long-term? I think Sega is going to be
very hard-pressed to sustain its business long-term, but I see no reason why Dreamcast
won't have a relatively prosperous fourth quarter.
At $200, industry-savvy gamers will likely pick up the machine even if
its only good for a few months of exciting gaming. But to me, Sega's pitfall lies in
the fact that I think few kids are going to be asking Santa for a Dreamcast at
Christmas -- Sega needs those consumers in order to survive long-term. It will indeed be an interesting few months for
the industry and Sega. Look for more
Dreamcast coverage on GameSlice in the coming weeks.
PC
Gamer Game Gods
Hats off to PC Gamer magazine and its editor-in-chief Gary Whitta. The September issue of
the magazine highlights 25 Gaming Gods, including John Carmack, Sid Meier and Richard
"Lord British" Garriott on the cover. It's
seldom that game industry publications highlight the visionaries behind the games, but PC
Gamer did an admirable job introducing gamers to some of the lesser-known designers who
have made a big impact on gaming. Although no list is ever perfect, I think there
are only a few notable omissions such as Gabriel Knight creator Jane Jensen.
Although it would have been nice to hear a bit more philosophy out of the designers in the
article – especially regarding current trends in the industry – any die-hard
gamer will get a kick out of seeing a photo that includes legendary designers such as
Carmack, Sperry, Schafer, Molyneux, Wright and Spector together in the same room. Wouldn't it have been amazing to be a fly on
the wall in that room?
Coming next week: The long awaited return of my
game ad reviews!
Until then, that's the Gist of It.
Your Ideas?
Do you have a suggestion about something that should be added to next week's list?
E-mail gistlist@gameslice.com
and we'll consider your suggestion.
Thanks for reading!
Geoff
Keighley
Editor-in-Chief
GameSlice
