Well I'm not quite done with the podcast figured I should post while the majority of it is fresh in my mind.

I agree with everything said on Bioshock 2. Like Portal, a sequel just really isn't necessary and there is a good chance that the only place to go is down. Bioshock was a fantastic and unique experience but I just don't see more of the same cutting it for a sequel. The need to step it up in some meaningful way or it just won't have the same impact. I think it taking place during the fall of Rapture could work well but the trailer seems to be hinting at a different direction. I guess we'll see.

Even after playing through ~1/2 of GTA4 on the 360, I'm very excited about the PC version. Yeah, better graphics, controls, mods, replays, multiplayer, etc are all good but namely I just want to be able to use a friggin trainer so I can finish the game. Yup, I want it on the PC so I can cheat. The game got too hard and too frustrating on the 360 for (that bank mission f*cking blows hard) and I never was able to finish the game. So with the PC version, I'll be able to pop on God Mode when a mission gets too trough and now I'll actually get to see the last area of the game and the ending.

As for Sex and Violence. I want more of both in games. Violence has been pretty well explored obviously but I would like to see some emotion and consequences put behind it for a change. As for sex, I disagree that it can't be done well in games. I think it fully can, it just needs to be worked in. I also think the player also needs to exercise a little imagination and role play for it to work too. I thoroughly enjoyed coming home to my family in Fable 2 and had to think very hard at the final decision in the game. The relationship in Mass Effect helped add weight, attachment, and motive to the game for me too. We're rarely fed the emotions that stage violence in games, I don't think we need to be fed emotions for sex or love either. We can create them ourselves of like most games the romantic subplots can be skipped altogether. I just have a vision for more mature games were the hard topics can be fully explored and we'll never get there unless we try. Also, raunch for the sake of raunch can be fun too. We don't have the equivalent of something like the American Pie series in our industry and I think a little funny and raunchy would be fun.

I'm only up to the first question in Would You Rather.
Which Blizzard game would I cancel? Well WoW obviously. It's time to release the millions of addicts out there back to their family, friends, careers, and studies. The world would be a better place for it. If I have to answer the question as given, I'd cancel Diablo 3. Simple reason is that the action/RPG sub-genere has never appealed to me and I didn't really like Diablo 1 or 2. Granted Diablo 3 looks like a better game than the first Diablo games but it doesn't measure up to Starcraft in my opinion.

Great podcast this week, I look forward to the drive home from work so I can finish it up.


...bysmittyPosted at 8:26AM on Nov 3rd 2008 by bysmitty