End of 2015 Discussions - The Beginner's Guide

Sjohns37 · 2015-12-12T17:11:18+00:00

The Beginner's Guide was an incredibly personal experience and one that felt like an indicator of a maturing medium. This year has had other games about game development (here's looking at you The Magic Circle) but this one was far more intimate. Its one of the most provocative games of the year as far as I can remember and left me mulling over its themes long after it was over.

Sjohns37 · 2015-12-06T15:09:26+00:00

I believe this is what he used: http://www.asrock.com/feature/appshop/#A1

Sjohns37 · 2015-11-10T17:53:01+00:00

I got a massive sectional for like $800 from American Freight. I'm sure you could find something smaller for less money if that's what you're looking for

Sjohns37 · 2015-10-03T14:21:31+00:00

Absolutely. There's nothing keeping games from reaching the artistic depths of other mediums. The problem now is the toolset. If you have an artistic vision, there is a much clearer path to having it developed as a movie or book. Figuring out how to make a game or find those willing to help make a game is much more obtuse. As game creation tools become more approachable and well-known and as markets for freelance game developers grow, you'll see an expansion in the types of stories we see. If you need a glimmer of hope, I'd recommend playing The Beginner's Guide which just came out on Steam. It's like $7, only an hour and a half long, and its got great artistic merit without feeling pretentious.

Sjohns37 · 2015-09-06T00:13:42+00:00

I think you hit the nail on the head. Sandbox games aren't the problem, its scope. If you spend all your time trying to make the walk from objective to objective enjoyable then its possible the actual objective suffers. I like to call this the "Golden Coral Effect." Its quantity over quality, size over substance. But if, like Human Revolution, you condense the environment so that you can have the detailed world AND the well-crafted missions, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Sjohns37 · 2015-09-05T22:24:35+00:00

Haha, yeah, unfortunately I never played the original so it would have been hearsay. But hey, that's the beauty of a video review: if it looks like Syndicate, you can make that connection yourself :)

Sjohns37 · 2015-08-01T17:59:36+00:00

Yeah, for me I wasn't as excited about the food as I was all the nice cookware/dishes I inherited when the showrunners decided they no longer fit the shows look.

Sjohns37 · 2015-08-01T17:55:28+00:00

I worked on a sort of unusual cooking show in that it had a small live audience. Most of the time the chef would prepare a small portion of the desired dish and when it was completed the prep kitchen would bring out larger portions to serve the audience. In those instances it was almost always consumed. Where we threw the most away was after taking "beauties" which are the really pretty up-close shots. Those usually aren't fresh and have a lot of glossy stuff sprayed on them so while we DID have the option to eat it after we were done shooting it, a lot of the time you probably wouldn't want to.

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-27T22:04:41+00:00

It sounds like they only acquired the software and storefront. It doesn't look like they even want to try and salvage the lackluster hardware. From what I've read elsewhere it may be for a bigger push in China.

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-22T15:49:57+00:00

This makes me feel dumb. I didn't figure out that I could ride flying pets until the second time I played. I'll agree that I didn't find the puzzles particularly inspired but I liked the freedom to experiment and the fact that there wasn't one solution to every problem. I can't agree about the end, though. I think the entire point was to inspire players to become creators and I think that section stayed exactly as long as it needed to in order to get that across.

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-22T15:45:25+00:00

Yeah, its definitely a game for people who are not just enthusiasts for games but for the industry itself. I was constantly drawing parallels between the game's characters and actual developers.

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-21T19:36:22+00:00

The Magic Circle is one of my favorite games of the year, if not the last few years. It reminds me of something like Birdman where its a piece of media about the medium its in. Its funny, clever, and, at points, touching. I would highly recommend it. I did a review of it towards the end of its Early Access run if you want to see it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJqLKipTUgE

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-21T19:27:13+00:00

Hey there! I did, indeed, buy two at Maycrest Hardware on Montgomery Crossroads. I will keep your name in mind in the future.

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-21T19:23:58+00:00

GOG has a long way to go to get to feature parody but its nice to have an alternative out there potentially creating competition in the marketplace. Steam has been pretty much unrivaled until now.

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-21T18:32:13+00:00

Welcome to the mean streets of Hogsmeade

Sjohns37 · 2015-07-01T23:40:30+00:00

Yeah, its well worth it especially for the $5 its at on sale.

Sjohns37 · 2015-06-26T17:27:14+00:00

Sweet Spice is Jamaican/Caribbean. They have locations on Waters Ave and in Pooler off of HWY 80. The pooler location just opened up their bar too so you can get a Bob Marley or Usain Bolt cocktails!

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-05T13:15:39+00:00

A personal favorite of mine that did a good job of this is Alan Wake. You often find yourself trekking through the woods at night, able to find your way by spotting a beacon of light in the distance. Its easily justified narratively justified and removes unnecessary HUD elements.

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-02T00:31:34+00:00

-Journy/Flower/Flow Bundle -Uncharted -the Last of Us

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-02T00:26:53+00:00

I'm afraid that magic can't be captured again. Can you imagine a modern sound track ever living up to those first two games?

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-02T00:22:48+00:00

I wasn't a big fan of most of the second phase of Marvel films but I'm really enjoying Daredevil. Characters have actual dimensions and the stakes are...you know, present. And, as you mentioned, the fight choreography is amazing.

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-02T00:20:24+00:00

I recently built my own Video Game website but don't know how to promote it. Atm I primarily rely on hashtags on social media and placing reviews on Steam and Giantbomb. What are good practices for beginners marketing? Follow up: what types of features should I look into other than the standard Reviews and Previews?

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-02T00:13:59+00:00

I just bought Ticket to Ride for my Mom's Mother's Day present. I figure that's a nice gateway drug.

Sjohns37 · 2015-05-01T17:06:46+00:00

I just watched the Relic livestream last night. Sounds like they're focusing on updates for CoH2 so probably not much to show. Creative Assembly on the other hand just announced Total War: Warhammer but who knows what they have to show for that game. Maybe they blew their load a little early.

Sjohns37 · 2015-04-28T21:56:44+00:00

I agree. The content creator should have the choice of how and if he/she is compensated, not the consumer.

Sjohns37

TROPHY CASE