Columns Save adventure games, ban Half-Life

http://www.bit-tech.net/columns/2007/06/23/in_support_of_episodes/1

Joe Martin talks about episodic distribution and how to use it to revive the adventure game genre. Can episodic gaming be a success?

 

The youtube video has been removed due to TOS.

Also, you say to get Episodic content we need to boycott episodic content to put pressure on developers. That makes absolutely no sense.

 

We have to ban episodic FPS's to get episodic adventure games, which would be better. We already have millions of FPSs, but adventure games have dropped off the map.

Sorry if that wasn't clear.

 

I don't agree with episodic content one bit, you pay more per hour of potential gameplay with an episode then you do with a standard game. They're just mission packs and should be sold to reflect that, in the case of HL2 episodes, the source engine has already retained it's investment, they promoted their steam distribution as providing cheaper games and they just dissapointed me severely with episode one. Episode two looked amazing when I saw it a while ago, but they've had an effective media blackout and I think Valve are content with CS:S and should leave making proper games to proper companies, not a glorified multiplayer host.

 

Adventure games... I've never played anything closer to an adventure game other than HL2 etc. What is one? How are they defined? You said maybe make it 3D, do you mean they're not?


H.B.

 

Adventure games are the bomb! Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, The Longest Journey, Kings Quest - these are all Adventure games. They can be 3D, but the usual critiscism is that if they are 3D then they are ussually not as good, though 2D ones are generally better but don't sell as well as they tend to be seen as outdated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Of_Monkey_Island

GO, EDUCATE!

 

episodic content is bull*hit and i would probably kill the man who brings it to the adventure game scene. adventure games are best as a whole, why the hell would anyone want to wait to play the other 8/10 of the damn thing. And one full game will be much more thought through and exiting then several crappy episodes. episodic content is just an annoying way to rip off the gamers and give some slack to the developers, with the time they spend on a few tiny episodes, they could make a whole new game.

 

Crazy...Crazy...:headspins:
Would you call any of the GTA series adventure games?


H.B.

 

adventure games have evolved. Are you just after point and click comedy games??? I agree these are gone and nothing has replaced them.

I loved Monkey Island I & II, Simon the Sorceror I & II, Full Throtle, Dig, Broken Sword, Disc World I & II, just to name a few I played.

To me, they have changed to the likes of Tomb Raider and resident Evil types games where you go following a story finding items to solve puzzles. It is my opinion that these are the moden adventure games.

Im against episodic content as its a way of trying to get more money out of us consumers for even less content.

 

First of all!!!!

Your avatar really looks like you Mr. Martin

Did anyone watch the first Lord of the rings movie in theatre's?? At the end weren't you saying to the movie: Don't stop, keep going!!!

Like the sweet sweet blood in an animal being sucked away by a crazed mushroom addict, being deprived of anything that has your love and imagination installed in it is horrible. No offense Joe: but patience is a virtue. Just wait for episode two man.

You said boycott huh? Your gonna be in ass loads of pain if your the only Bit-Tech-ian at the office not being able to play it when it comes out.

Furthermore, your collum title is a wee bit misleading don't you think!@? When I saw the title I was readying my profanity hotkeys and such. What? Ban Half-life!??? I'll kill you blasfimous nerd of stuff with things!

I do think we can all agree that Valve produces industry leading games and they would not keep setting episodes back PURELY to generate hype and hate collums. The satandard is such that the Half life series gets ridiculously better with each installment.. right?

Card joe had one Idea I liked about having different paths in the game like the old adventure books where you could choose: You are caught in the giant spiders web as it slithers to you drooling venom with a hungry looks in it's eyes. Pull your short sword and fight the evil arachnid, turn to page 68. Cut the web falling into the unkown chasm, turn to page 31. Wet yourself and pray the spider has no interest in eating soiled humans, next page.

 

Points all taken in

Firstly, GTA and Resident evil are by no means adventure games, though Resident evil could fall under the brodest definition of adventure games. GTA is much more a sandbox action game.

And no, I'm not seriously suggesting we boycott ep 2. I agree, Valve make excellent games, I'm simply trying to provoke people to think about it, doing my bit to keep the genre alive if you will.

As for the title, well, whatever gets you to read it

 

Joe, Thou need te proofread ye article me heartie. Avast, thar be double thee words n such. Arrggh..

Seriously.. I get the point. Epsodic gaming can be right at the right genra of games. But not FPS games. At least not at the rate valve puts out their episodes. Oh, I have an idea.. Bet your butt on that if the "rights" to SiN was given to the community there would be loads of episodes. But given the corrupt minds of most gamers i forsee little Ms. Cannon go through all sorts of endavours. :snicker:

 

i only want ep2 for portal and tf2. not for ep2

 

I was originally going to wait for the box set for Sam and Max, but when I saw the episodes on steam I just had to pick em up. I hope the folks make a bit of money with that really smart move.

 

Banning HL2:EP2? Not possible for me I'm affraid.. I just have to buy and play it..

I played all Half-Life games, and I love them.. Valve can do no wrong for me, also because they keep on supprting their games.. I also love all the mods and other games that spawn of the Half-Life games.. Like Teamfortress and Day of Defeat, and offcourse Counterstrike.. So I just have to have Half-Life 2: Episode 2 with Teamfortress 2 and Portal.. No ban from me, I'm sorry..

 

i hate episodic content because simply they are asking more for less and it takes a lot of time to make them.....

 

I think it's safe to say Grim Fandango was one of the greatest games EVER

 

I want Myst in episode format.
That would be insane.

 

How is GTA not an adventure game? Yes there is the sandbox portion, but it does have a definitive plot and story line.

And ResidentEvil is a great Action/Adventure. With puzzles and a great story I find it hard not to include either of them, maybe even just portions, in the adventure genre.

 

hmm best adventure game for me is beneath a steel sky it's free to download now aswell so no excuse not to get it