But then, the pianists, smart performers are building that interaction for the article’s title (and in the article itself) they are, saw the wheels of the fun future of games. Enjoy! refers to gender, not intercourse, and the coaster were well-oiled and brought out article actually does address the over- the big guns: the interpretive dance Cheers, sexing of games, and why we as a A few days ago, as I was in the kitchen sing-along. Did you know that there’s a culture seem to be preoccupied with making some dinner, I noted one of my whole dance that goes along with such things. I think you might find a lot favorite movies of all time was coming “Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog”? There is, and to love there, judging from the nature of on the TV: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. all the boys and girls got up, sang your letter. Naturally, as I watched Ferris’ slacking terribly and pantomimed wildly to the antics, my own progress toward a hot pianists’ playing and singing. In the defense of The Escapist though, meal slowed. As he explained to the it’s been quite some time since we’ve audience the importance of stopping to I was engaged. published an article about sex. We looking around in this fast life lest you publish roughly 250 articles a year, and miss something, I found the speed with The directors of these two instances To the editor: Don’t you guys ever get so far this year approximately none of which I sliced zucchini dropped were employing a twist of the adage “I bored with hammering the same topics them have been about sex. In fact, in substantially. Well, it would have been do, I understand.” Games are unique as over and over and over? Jesus, I can’t looking through our archives to find out rude not to have paid attention … he was far as entertainment in that they are by count the number of articles I’ve read in what may have possibly triggered this talking to me, after all. Right? their very nature interactive, and employ The Escapist about sex in gaming. objection, I had to go all the way back to that old bit of wisdom. Where it’s Enough shit already. Stop always trying Issue 64 from last year to find an article I was engaged. innovative and quirky and engaging for to do the “controversial” stories and start in our archives discussing sex. That one, more traditional modes of entertainment covering some of the cool stuff that’s a piece by me covering the growing Another time, for a couple of friends’ to use audience involvement, games do actually happening in the industry. teledildonics industry was pretty racy, I birthdays, a group of us went out to a this as a cornerstone of the genre. admit, but that was eight months (and piano bar to celebrate. This is one of -Dragoniz3r about 150 articles) ago. those dueling piano places with two So, games sometimes have to go a step pianos and pianists on stage who take further to rise above the crowd in Editor’s reply: I’m going to assume We did touch on the subject of being a requests from the crowd. This is grabbing the attention and minds of you’re talking about the article by woman gamer in Issue 92, but aside supported by a bar, so a couple hours players. And in this issue of The Escapist, frequent The Escapist contributor, Lara from a brief mention of raising a family after being there, the crowd is a lively “Reach Out and Touch Someone,” we Crigger entitled “Resident Evil’s Second and/or having children, that issue had bunch, drinking, hooting and laughing. discuss some of the games that have, Sex,” although as far as articles about very little “sexy” content (and even that some of the people that do and ways we sex go, this one was pretty tame. In was a stretch). We also covered the love fact, the word “sex” as used in the story of a couple who met in an online game in Issue 88, but I assure you the alone in perpetuating that. Sexism is Author’s Reply: I don’t think any school kissyface described in that article was alive and well in this country (and the of feminism advocates that women must very PG. There was also a great article world) and, to be honest, letters like always be strong and competent, by Erin Hoffman (AKA EA Spouse) about yours aren’t helping. because that’s impossible, whether the difficulty of being a woman in a you’re a man or a woman. Instead, man’s industry in Issue 70 from - Russ Pitts, Associate Editor strength, freedom, competence; these November, but again, as far as are the ideals toward which we should objectionably sexy content goes, that In response to “Resident Evil’s always strive. We should always try to be one was a bit of a let down. Second Sex” from The Escapist the best we can be. Forum: I think that “feminist ideal” If what you’re really objecting to are needs rethinking a bit. You discuss But you’re right: By adopting that ideal, articles in our magazine discussing earlier in the article the “if-you-can’t- women do risk developing those same gender differences and presenting the beat-’em-join-’em” trap. But this whole fears of failure and of showing weakness viewpoint of women gamers and game business of having to constantly be that men stereotypically struggle with. designers, I’m afraid we’ll have to strong and competent sounds a bit like But rather than seeing that as something continue to disappoint you. more of the same. Not that strength or wrong with those ideals, I think it’s a competence are inherently male, but problem with how we understand fear What interests us here at The Escapist is rather the stereotypically male idea that and failure. Naturally, nobody idealizes how games and media intersect with our it’s never OK to show fear or to fail at failure, but perhaps the proper response lives, and sex, in all respects, is a fairly anything. Is this a case of feminists is to instead understand its role in important aspect of life. But aside from taking on the worst of male culture and forming all those qualities we DO admire; that, the simple fact is that most games embracing it as their own? that without failure, strength, freedom, and game developers are men, and how competence, etc are meaningless. they interact (or don’t) with the other In the context of video game design I half of the human population is pretty see this quite a lot. Games are often Some games do in fact punish the player interesting. In order for more women to designed in a way that punishes the for failure, and I think that’s a mark of find something valuable in games, more player (not their character, the actual poor game design rather than women should be making games, and for player) for failures. I think the whole sociological bias. Thankfully, that style of women to get interested in making mindset underlying that could do with game/player interaction seems to be games in the first place, they should being called into question. going out of fashion these days. probably be playing them. It’s kind of a catch-22 situation and this industry isn’t - Dom Camus - Lara Crigger To the editor: Shannon Drake hits the Okami wrote it off the moment it was spot on “Vision Doesn’t Sell Copies - The released as “too different/interesting to be Short Life of Clover Studios”. Indie successful”, how are publishers and non- developers rely on fresh ideas to pump gamers supposed to change their attitudes? out games like Chronic Logic’s “Gish” and make a living. I’m dead serious about this. Conservatism and fear are self- However, big name developers focus on perpetuating, and the truth is that the revenues from the mainstream players. mass market(s) are far more interested And Capcom is no exception. in “out there”, new or interesting stuff than we give them credit for. The change I believe that the business model is to has to start with us. It’s understandable blame. To sell a million copies (as some to become discouraged when something games do today) we have to sacrifice you think is cool fails in the marketplace, many aspects so that games will be but that’s no excuse to go into a enjoyable by the average Joe. Otherwise, permanent cynical sulk of nerdly elitism the PS2 would never sell 100 million and doom the next Psychonauts the units. With those sales figures in mind instant it appears. We need to be the and development costs rising fast, it is no ones fighting for it. wonder what happened to Clover Studio. - chmmr - Paulo V. W. Radtke

In response to “Vision Doesn’t Sell Copies” from The Escapist Forum: I’m getting kind of tired of hearing this kind of “oh well what can you do” hopeless self- defeating nonsense when something like Clover’s demise comes up, especially from the more sophisticated (I assume) developers, press and gamers that read The Escapist. If even the people who dug It was late, and I was tired. The police computer chair. On a deeper and more had requested help making sense of logical level, I knew that — after all, I certain computer files they had been had to enter my email address before I sent by a suspected serial killer; they felt could even start the game — and yet my unique talents and skills might see they were not logical thoughts I was answers, where they merely saw chaos. thinking, as I read the taunting missive My eyes were gritty with the need for again. It wasn’t logic that sank like lead rest, and my head was throbbing with into the pit of my stomach, and it wasn’t the effort of it all. I decided to take a logic that forced me to turn my head and break from my labors, hoping that, hold my breath as I regarded my front refreshed, I might better see my way door, awaiting any potential knock. It through the apparently random collection was unreasonable, undeniable fear. All of numbers and images that were from an email just a few lines long. contained on the CD the police had supplied. I began to rise from my seat at Breaking down the fourth wall to unsettle the computer, then as I do whenever I the player is not a new concept, of leave the desk, I checked my email for course. Metal Gear Solid’s Psycho Mantis any important messages. My inbox was freaked us out by making our controllers populated by the usual assortment of shake, and Eternal Darkness messed spam, forwards from my mom, ads from with our heads so often we needed Amazon and something completely therapy when we were finished. unexpected: a message from the killer I However, as creeped out as we may was hunting, telling me the next knock have been, it was an easy condition to on the door I heard would be his. cure; all we had to do to restore that fourth wall — and our perceived safety - There was no killer, of course, not a real was to turn off our consoles and walk one, anyway. The email was just away. The game world and the real world Evidence: The Last Ritual’s way of may have bumped up against each other, messing with my head, of rattling my but they were still two very separate and cage as I sat in my oh-so-comfy distinct things. To get better at reaching out and grabbing us, or, more often than Evidence recognizes this mental lapse not, tapping us on the shoulder when we and uses it to its advantage, building on least expected it, games needed a little a game structure that developer Lexis help, and our dependence on technology Numerique first tried inMISSING: Since was just the thing. January. MISSING used various webpages to plant information vital to Our increasing acceptance and solving its puzzles, so for the player to dependence on communication have any chance of arriving at a solution, technology has accidentally fooled us he had to hone his Googling skills and into thinking we’re more removed from comb the internet for the right hints, the outside world than we really are. clues and crumbs of information. It was Checking email has become as regular a a brilliant idea; after all, if you want to routine as brushing our teeth or having know something, what do you do? You our morning coffee, a simple fact of life look it up on the internet. Blending this that’s become so commonplace we everyday activity into the gameplay went hardly realize we’re doing it anymore. As far toward making players feel as though gimmick wasn’t going to be enough to we focus more on what communication they really were helping to unravel the win the hearts of jaded gamers, so Lexis technology can do for us, how much mystery of two missing journalists and a took things a bit further by adding in easier it can make our lives, we tend to serial killer, but it was ultimately a emails like the kind I received from the forget the door swings both ways, and flawed mechanic. Once the game had killer. To further the illusion that the that anything that lets us look out can been released for a few weeks, virtually player’s puzzle-solving efforts are having let others look in. We may be safe at any search players ran turned up so real-world ramifications, players will home, but so long as our cell phones are many walkthroughs and cheats that the receive friendly emails from other turned on and our ISPs are working, emotional effect was lost. That’s the members of the ICPA, the organization we’re still connected to the outside. It’s problem with the real world: It’s they “join” when they start playing the rather a lot like spotting someone devilishly difficult to control. game. Comrades will offer hints for picking his nose as he drives to work — solving puzzles, propose theories of the mentally, he is In His Car, isolated from Evidence solved that problem by killer’s identity and motivations, even the rest of the world, completely integrating an in-game search engine just drop a line to say hi — just like they forgetting that we can see him just fine that weeds out such unwanted “help,” would if they were real. This creates a through the glass. but simply improving upon Missing’s fairly well-maintained illusion that you’re sponsored by not just playing a game in a vacuum, but fact they’re being automatically personal victory and therefore create character, or we’ll find the solutions to rather working with a team toward a generated as you progress through pre- little connection between the player and puzzles have been downloaded onto the goal. The emails arrive at random determined markers in the game levels. the plot of the game. The puzzles in hard drives of our TiVos. intervals, with some puzzles sparking a More importantly, by extending the Evidence are no less obtuse, but its flurry of incoming messages, while gameplay into an area of activity we don’t blurring of the line between real world All of this trickery isn’t just about telling others meet with complete silence, thus normally associate with gaming, Evidence and game world takes the game out of a better story, though; it’s also about giving them an organic feel despite the tricks us into forgetting, even if only for a the player’s head and makes it feel very simple self-preservation. As our gaming few seconds, that we’re not communicating genuine and real. palates become ever more fussy, our with living, breathing people. snobbery increases exponentially to the Breaking down the fourth wall can be a point that any game not boasting the By invading our personal space, the tricky way to tell a story, however, as most accurate physics or glorious game becomes more than just an developers have to maintain that delicate graphics is frequently dismissed as not amusing diversion or a way to pass the balance between being a welcome being worth our while. For a small game time before dinner, it becomes an invader of privacy and an uninvited like Evidence to register on our gaming experience. Creating an emotional guest. Players provide email addresses radars, it has to bring something else to connection with the player is something and cell phone numbers with a certain the table, something special that would classic adventure games, the genre into unspoken expectation of respect and make us look twice at its satisfying, but which Evidence technically fits, have had consideration. We’ll happily accept somewhat antiquated, puzzle-solving a hard time doing, because their core mysterious text messages or even a gameplay. Maybe Evidence can’t gameplay elements force the players into chilling email or two, just don’t ring us in compete with Oblivion’s graphics or an emotional disconnect. The puzzles in the middle of the night. We want to be GRAW’s multiplayer, but what it can do, adventure games tend to be fairly scared, sure … but not really. just maybe, is make you forget you’re esoteric and exotic; when trying to playing a game long enough for you to determine the right heroic couplet to As our lives becomes more and more get up and lock your front door. You recite in order to open a locked vault, tech-heavy, it will be interesting to see know, just in case. the only real emotions you’re likely to what other ways savvy developers find feel are frustration if you can’t figure it to sneak their games into our lives. When Susan Arendt isn’t writing the out and elation if you can. Those feelings Perhaps the most popular download on news at Wired’s Game|Life or feeding don’t have anything to do with the actual iTunes one day will have a hidden her Achievement Points addiction, she’s story, however - they have to do with message from a game’s secret agent training her cat to play Beatmania. Since 1958, The LEGO Group has sold *** over 300 billion plastic toy building bricks, an average of 52 bricks for every A family-owned company founded in person in the world. Did your 52 LEGOs 1934 in Billund, Denmark, The LEGO get lost in the mail? Then you’re missing Group is the world’s sixth-largest a lot of games. toymaker, with 2005 revenue of US$1.1 billion. The company has just weathered LEGO bricks tower high in geek culture, a dire financial crisis and, thanks to its as shown by the extensive LEGO Star Wars license and Bionicle toy line, is Wikipedia portal. In addition to esoterica regaining profitability – at the cost of like The Brick Testament (a retelling of 1,200 jobs, factory closures and sale of a Bible stories using LEGO mini-figures, or 70 percent stake in its four LEGOland “minifigs”), the LEGO Bandit and an theme parks. The company retains its introduction to brickfilm, the portal offers LEGO retail stores, where you can buy a decent list of LEGO-related games. bricks in bulk, like raisins. LEGO also founded the world’s largest maker of Sure, you’ve seen the LEGO Star Wars architectural signs, Modulex. computer games – at The Escapist Daily, no less – but they’re only the tip of a LEGO makes 15 billion blocks annually of huge thermoplastic iceberg. Many LEGO 20 different materials in 55 colors. Bricks games use real building blocks and are manufactured to tolerances of two minifigs as tabletop miniatures. Some micrometers; LEGO bricks made in the games are robotic contests and trials 1950s still interlock with bricks made employing the LEGO Mindstorms sets yesterday. There have been over 2,000 beloved of young engineers everywhere. different products. The LEGO Group And LEGO is now joining a growing field 2005 annual report described the brand of blocky online games. as “a synonym for creative building experiences and roleplaying, which Learning the range of LEGO game makes learning fun, as children learn activities, even the most jaded gamer through play.” may say, with strong emotion, “Huh!” LEGO stands out among toy companies Jackson, owner of Steve Jackson Games fake this); when faced with difficult minifig’s abilities on a six-by-eight-stud for its close relationship with its fan and designer of GURPS, Munchkin, decisions, ask yourself what Homer baseplate divided into regions for base. Fans helped create the new LEGO Illuminati and others. His pirate game Simpson would do.” movement, attack and hit points; on Hobby Train set, and the company covers battles between minifig-laden each area, place a color-coded brick with intends to rely heavily on user-based ships (including rules for being eaten by One technically inventive LEGO a number of studs represent the ability design going forward. sharks) and adds live-action roleplaying. miniatures design is Alban Nanty’s BOW score. BOW is interesting for its At conventions, Jackson runs his pirate (Bricks-Only Wargame). Though slight in complete LEGO grammar, a proof of The LEGO community gathers online at game for up to 20 players at once, all detail and clearly inspired by BrikWars, powerful flexibility. the LEGO Users Group fan site, LUGNET, down on their knees pushing big plastic BOW uses LEGOs not only as figures and and collector site Peeron. At Brickshelf ships across the hotel carpet and scenery, but also as dice and character But if you want true LEGO power, you’re and MOCpages, you can upload photos shouting “boom!” sheets. To determine an action’s success, talking electronics and software. of your own LEGO creations for others to you throw 2x2 LEGO squares; the ones rate. (“Am I studly or not?”) A standout LEGO tabletop effort is Mike that land on their side count as *** Rayhawk’s BrikWars, a voluminous successes. Measure distances with a *** recasting of all imaginable miniatures ruler made of bricks. Record your activity in LEGOlian terms. The 2005 Tenth The tabletop LEGO games listed on Anniversary BrikWar rules are online; the LUGNET’s gaming page are all, 2001 version is a 135-page .PDF. conceptually, tactical miniatures games. The rules explain how to assign differing Unlike industrial-strength miniatures abilities to LEGO creations (usually games such as Games Workshop’s minifigs), move them across varying Warhammer series, LEGO tabletop terrain, attack other figures at range or games, one and all, play pretty loose. hand-to-hand, inflict damage and They charm you with humor and frivolity. (inevitably) destroy stuff in a shower of BrikWars begins with copious etiquette bricks. advice for the Enlightened BrikWarrior: “Be a cunning and challenging adversary, LEGOWars launched the form in 1991. but when your opponent blows your Today there’s BrickQuest (fantasy), prize creation into its component bits, Starship (space opera) and Mechaton share in his excitement and the sheer (giant robots). Evil Stevie’s Pirate Game glory of destruction. Play as if you were is by Steve Jackson - yes, that Steve drunk (many players will not need to We think of LEGO blocks as simple, non-profit called FIRST – “For Inspiration open-source Ldraw-compliant programs and we didn’t screw it up. Which is elemental toys, but the company has and Recognition of Science and model, render and export LEGO software harder than you’d think.” always embraced high tech – first in its Technology” – stages robotics creations. The LEGO Group offers a precision engineering, then by adding competitions for high-school students, similar, proprietary client, LEGO Digital Dan McAuliffe, producer of the GameBoy motors, gears and, later, microprocessors. and has a dedicated LEGO League. Designer, that uses LEGO Exchange port of LSW2, commented in an About. Inspired by FIRST, Wired editor Chris Format (.LXF). You can download user- com interview, “The most important LEGO released its Technic Computer Anderson has proposed an aerial robotics created models into the client, modify element to the overall feel was an Control in 1986, in consultation with league and, with his son, is building a them and then order that exact custom unwavering attention to scale. All LEGO MIT’s Media Lab; in 1998 came the first cheap Unassisted Aerial Vehicle (UAV) set of real blocks directly from LEGO. objects and set pieces were built in 3-D Mindstorms robotics kit. LEGO and other using a LEGO autopilot. using rendered LEGO pieces. This allowed organizations have sponsored many As for computer and videogames – well, all of the game objects and characters to regional Mindstorms sporting games, The booming field of pure-software LEGO there’s a cute Super Mario Bros. remain as though they were constructed such as Botball and RoboCup Junior. design starts with Ldraw.org, which brickfilm, but that’s not what you had in from the original toy sets.” Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, a defines an open CAD standard. Many mind. Wikipedia’s list of LEGO computer and video games has 30 entries, The LEGO-Star Wars connection has including the first LEGO computer game, produced other wonders. The largest 1997’s LEGO Island, and straightforward LEGO kit ever released is the Imperial branding exercises like LEGO Chess. Star Destroyer – 37 inches long, 3,104 pieces. The alliance goes both ways: The Chief on that list are the best-selling most recent DVD re-re-re-release of the LEGO Star Wars games by TT Games movie saga includes a LEGO animation Publishing, formerly the Traveller’s Tales featurette narrated by Mark Hamill. studio. In a February 2007 GameSpot interview, TT Games Creative Director Next up from TT Games, in 2008, is Jonathan Smith credited managing LEGO Batman. director Tom Stone with the original concept: “It seems obvious now, but *** back then we would go into meetings and say ‘LEGO Star Wars,’ and people In March 2007, The LEGO Group licensed would just shake their heads [in online game studio NetDevil to create a confusion]. But it was a brilliant idea, LEGO-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). A Killer Betties interview To an extent, LEGO has always mirrored with NetDevil’s Scott Brown and Ryan society. In the 1950s, the blocks were Seabury reveals little about the new identical and interchangeable; in the game, but it’s early yet. ‘70s, you could buy mechanized kits to repurpose those blocks for many The placeholder LEGO MMOG website functions. Starting in the ‘90s, you could emphasizes building and creativity, buy customized sets; now, there are heretofore notorious weaknesses of online LEGO networks. We can imagine MMOGs. The idea raises bold hopes of more innovation ahead, such as smart, players importing their own models into networked, globally aware LEGOs with the game, in .LXF or Ldraw format, and radio-frequency identification (RFID) gaining status based on, perhaps, tracking tags. community judgments of their studliness. Cross your fingers; NetDevil’s previous And how long until we get collectible MMOG, Auto Assault (published by LEGO games a la HeroClix? Designing a NCsoft), bombed within weeks of launch. good clicky-base miniatures army feels (metaphorically) like assembling a model Yet somehow The LEGO Group, given its The desire for online LEGO has produced - that is, putting together a little high-tech savvy, will probably still make a couple of low-end, somewhat dorky machine with lots of complementary, a fortune in brick-design licensing fees. precursors: Blockland (“that game where interlocking parts. Because LEGO has always mirrored you build stuff”), now mostly dormant; society. Maybe once all those and Roblox, which emphasizes Inevitably, responding to the current Mindstorms-trained robotics engineers multiplayer games based on deathmatch zeitgeist, plastic building blocks will go grow up and get loose, it’ll be the other and other shooter models. The Roblox open-source. The field of 3-D printers – way around. coders are working hard and seem to “fabs” – is barreling along. In 10 years, know what they want, so more power to maybe less, you’ll have one on your Allen Varney designed the PARANOIA them; still, in playing up PvP carnage, desk, using Ldraw-based software to spit paper-and-dice roleplaying game (2004 Roblox shows a regrettable shortage of out LEGO-like knockoffs of your own edition) and has contributed to computer imagination. As all these games amply design - thousands of them, for no more games from Sony Online, Origin, demonstrate, LEGO is about imagination. than the cost of the plastic. Interplay and Looking Glass.

*** For one thing, the pedigree of the Emotiv research, both from a hardware and team is impressive, made up of bright software standpoint, and to evangelize stars of business and award-winning it, so that developers understand how to scientists, engineers and executives. The use it. Basically, [to] get SDKs in their company’s founders include: Allan hands early.” While they’ve been Snyder, a noted neuroscientist and primarily working with developers, they Marconi Prize winner, as well as a plan to get a device out to consumers pioneer in the field of fiber optics; Tan “sometime next year.” Le, a rising young technology star and entrepreneur from Australia; Nam Do, a According to Breen, the company is partner of Le’s and a gifted student and three years old. “Two of the founders manager; Neil Weste, one of the leaders [Le and Do] were acquainted with a in chip design; and Steve Sapiro, a fellow named Allan Snyder … and a heavy hitter from Intel with a passel of fellow named Neil Weste,” he says. “The companies under his belt. Sitting on the four of them got together and talked Board of Directors are two more notable about the potential for creating a device names: John Murray, a heavy hitter in that could tap into unconscious thoughts Australia’s financial scene, and Ed Fries, and use those as a new form of interface formerly one of the head honchos in for computers, and that lead to about a Microsoft’s game division and the reason year and a half of research.” The San Francisco startup Emotiv Systems you’ve heard of the Xbox. fledgling company recruited Breen for his emerged from the shadows at GDC 2007 game industry experience, as the with a rather startling announcement: Finally, Randy Breen is a game industry founders felt gaming was a logical fit for They’re working on a way to read your veteran with a pedigree to die for — 14 the research. Their work produced a mind, and they’re close to release. Big, years as a producer and executive headset that recognizes brainwaves and brassy announcements with nothing producer at EA and four and a half years patterns and the Emotiv Development behind them are the bread and butter of as a Vice President and Head of Kit, which lets developers integrate the the gaming industry, the better to be Development at LucasArts — who now information from the headset into the shoved back in a company’s face when serves as the Chief Product Officer for games they make, detecting thoughts, things don’t work out, but Emotiv seems Emotiv Systems. Breen’s job focuses on emotions and other kinds of brain to be a cut above the usual design-doc- “extending the research into new areas activity. and-a-prayer windbags. and figuring out how to productize that “We’ve announced the release of a your actions onto your character, so that what the player needs. You need to software development kit,” he says. “The not only does your character respond adjust the game to suit the players. And kit is really a subset of what we think will through your facial expressions, but it we think that that’s really important, come to market for consumer might respond through its animation, because the range of player ability right applications. It gives a sense of using your feelings. now is so broad that the games have direction, and the idea is for us to get difficulty really tailoring [themselves] to that equipment and our software into “Calming could be used to provide health suit that range of ability.” Emotiv’s suites developer hands early, so that they can rather than picking up power-ups or offer game developers the ability get “a start to build applications that utilize waiting on timers, potentially,” Breen sense of … how the players are these things.” Emotiv currently offers continues. “You could play out the responding to the content. We think three software suites, “the Affectiv Suite, fantasy by having to get out of the line that’s a really powerful tool to provide which is emotional detection, the of fire and relax somehow.” On the other the best possible experience.” He makes Expressiv Suite, [which] is facial hand, feelings of excitement “could be a comparison with film editing, where “a expression, and the Cognitiv Suite, used on the other end of the spectrum to director has a very fine control of tempo [which] is conscious decision.” Using the enable the character, so if the fantasy of by carefully editing the scene. They’ll Expressiv Suite as his example, he says, the character was to become empowered basically get the audience to an apex “The idea is to be able to express by becoming excited, then, again, you’re and before they deliver new material, yourself naturally rather than using feeling the character’s role rather than they want to make sure that the scene emotes.” So rather than typing /smile or simply forming mechanical actions in the provides time for the observer to relax /wink, “you might just smile and wink, game. And we also think that the and settle before they provide the next and be able to translate your physical emotional detections have the potential big bang.” Games don’t currently have actions into actions that your character to be used to enable dynamic difficulty in this luxury, he says, and Emotiv online, or your in-game character can a game. So, for instance, being able to “provides a method for game developers [use to] communicate with another, non- make adjustments to suit the player’s to sense whether the player is at the player character.” The Affectiv Suite ability or their feelings, rather than emotional level they want them to be detects emotions. “We released predefined specifications for what [at] and then [they are] able to adjust excitement as the first example of that. difficulty should be.” the content accordingly.” The idea is that we can detect a range of emotional behavior, from an excited Excitement may be where they’ve Their third offering is the Cognitiv Suite, state to a calm state, so that those can started, but by the time they bring their which allows the game to detect be used to trigger events in a game, like offerings to market, they hope to offer conscious decisions from the player’s control of an audio score, or [translating] the ability for games to “get a sense of brainwaves and interpret them into in- game actions. “You can visualize an simultaneously, which he says is “just the As for players who will — hopefully — be fantasy fulfillment.” He thinks taking out action and see that action translated into beginning. It’s not clear where the limits encountering Emotiv’s hardware and the middle man and taking out, say, movement on screen,” Breen says. are, but we intend to continue and software packages, Breen is aware of the button presses, “which are not very good They’ve already got some basic expand both the number of things that “gimmick” status of the similarly representations of the actions they movements in, such as lifting, pushing, you can do, [both] the number of things innovative Wii controller in the minds of represent,” would make for a “much pulling, dropping and rotating an object, that you can do simultaneously, as well some of his audience. However, he more fulfilling experience.” “and those actions can be translated to as the list of things you can do discretely.” doesn’t think they’ll run into the same anything onscreen, really, that you might resistance, he says. “The nature of what However, Emotiv isn’t seeking to change use them for.” Developers hoping to work with the we’re doing is providing a method … for things completely, he says. “I imagine system and utilize Emotiv’s development players to become more immersed in the that the device is a supplement to the The science may be complex, but the kits “will find it extremely easy to work material that they’re already interested joystick. It’s not trying to replace it. The interaction is simple: “You think about with,” he says. “The detections in. When you think about the trends, conscious actions, the nature of them is pushing the object, and the device allows themselves have been done, so the there’s a long-term trend toward realism not as immediate as the joystick control, detection for that event, and then you’re information that’s passed through the and toward more complete experience in but it provides a level of satisfaction able to perform that action [in game].” API is fairly standard and easily the game world. When you think about that’s different. ... It’s a different type of Currently, they’re up to being able to integrated into menuing and functions your expressions and your feelings being experience.” And one that may detect three distinct actions that they would expect. It’s not going to part of the scene, this is really providing completely change the way we play. look very different than other types of an avenue for that relationship.” interfaces, other than the fact that it’s detecting these discrete things that they Instead of typing slash commands or Shannon Drake is a Contributing Editor didn’t otherwise have access to. From a emoticons, “now you’re just smiling. And for The Escapist and changed his name functional standpoint, it’d be very when you’re excited, your character when he became a citizen. It used to be simple.” No mind reading required. demonstrates excitement by just Merkwürdigeliebe. changing his body language, or the music changes. It’s just a reinforcement that that’s how you feel, increasing tension the way films do. Or, in the case of the cognitive actions where you’re imagining pushing an object with your mind, you’re really mimicking the things characters are doing in the game. Whether that’s magic or telekinesis, it’s Much has been made of how the Wii is a There is, however, an interesting family console with a squeaky clean contradiction in the Wii’s design image. But does its interface method add philosophy. The Wii is the under the TV yet another layer of gray on an already gaming experience that has been built muggy moral stage? with attracting grey and girl gamers as a primary consideration. In light of such an Nintendo has always played the family obvious bid to entice new demographics, card, their mascot resplendent in Nintendo’s decision to name the Wii’s cheerful toyland shades presenting a primary interface, the Nunchuck, after a clearly defined set of moral boundaries. weapon seems slightly out of step. And For parents concerned about the vapid yet, as the Wii hurtles headlong toward zombie-like expressions fixed on their its six-month birthday, the Nunchuck’s 10-year-old’s face as he plays with an nomenclature is beginning to seem less alien-looking device, the physicality of coincidental. the Wii’s inviting collection of interfaces and the apparent playfulness they Nintendo’s new, inclusive gaming ethos inspire is convincing. has already succeeded in bringing quality casual games to new players. Similarly, The Wii is one of the few genuine master Nintendo has sated the rabid appetites of strokes of hardware design in gaming’s more seasoned gamers. But to be a true short history. Even during the most everyman’s gaming experience and exciting moments of a tense game of snare those moderate gamers who spent multiplayer Halo 2 or a particularly the last generation endlessly playing GTA fraught police chase in Grand Theft Auto, on the PS2, the Wii is going to have to the majority of gamers tend to sit with a be the first Nintendo console to fully glazed expression, inert and apparently embrace gaming’s so called dark side. oblivious to the world around them. The Wii provokes a different response; And it seems as though this is exactly players are animated and acutely aware what Nintendo intends to do. Nintendo’s of their immediate surroundings. For the second wave of Wii titles include the first time, a gaming console resembles a likes of Scarface, No More Heroes and toy in the traditional sense. Manhunt 2, all games with violence and gore as central themes. Not only that, cry from the actions required to control to the ESRB are voluntary, as they are but Nintendo has been vocal about their the boxing game in Wii Sports. The for the BBFC, whereas the European desire to persuade Rockstar to bring the trailer for The Godfather clearly PEGI system (excluding Germany, where GTA series to the Wii in some form. illustrates that the game’s control the slightly more strict USK body method requires the player to make controls game classification) is a self- But given the added level of immersion specifically violent gesticulations. regulated process. Developers have most the Wii’s controllers afford, does this often built relationships of mutual good imminent union of hardware and content Replace a gun with a hammer or a will with classification bodies; misleading present a new gaming conundrum? sword, and the actions the player must them by omitting content in submissions use to control the onscreen action are can have serious consequences, A case in point is Red Steel, a Wii launch even more tangibly violent in nature. especially in light of gaming’s current title and one of the first gamer’s games Suddenly, the Wii’s propensity to make media status as the source of all to put the Nunchuck and remote through players more animated takes on a much societies’ ills. their paces. There is typically an element more sinister connotation. of detachment in console first-person The ESRB, however, doesn’t involve any shooter games; the actions performed Of course, it would be foolish to deem actual play time on the part of the on a control pad are linked tenuously to this emergent play dynamic universally raters, as games are submitted for the onscreen action. Playing a first bad. If a stable, well-rounded individual classification in the form of taped person-shooter on the Wii removes this wants to step into the shoes of a sections that contain certain kinds of dissociation; you have an onscreen twin, gangster and pummel a virtual shop content. According to the ESRB, raters and the tool you have in the game is keeper by waving his fists around, surely are from a wide range of backgrounds, figuratively in your hand. In spite ofRed he should be entitled to do so. The races and ages, have no ties to the Steel’s lack of gore, the removal of those problem comes in rating this sort of gaming industry and are comprised psychological boundaries enforces a content; will ratings boards such as largely of retired school principals, sense of realism even light gun games PEGI, the ESRB and the BBFC soon have parents and professionals. In other don’t provide. to factor the physical actions players words, individuals who might not perform into the classification process for necessarily know about the Wii’s There are other titles where this sense of Wii games? interface method. mirrored action is even more acute. The butts, swings and shoves involved in At present, it seems as though this has Then there is the issue of how the roughing up enemies in the The not yet been considered by any of the players choose to play. For many of the Godfather: Blackhand Edition are a far game classification bodies. Submissions games in Wii Sports, some of the wilder movements can be just as easily Is this a lack of imagination, or a Fraser MacInnes is a freelance game performed with understated wrist flicks; conscious decision to omit violent journalist for pocketgamer.co.uk. He is a it is a matter of how immersed the mimicry? More importantly, should Scotsman but currently lives in Munich, player chooses to be. One of the reasons graphically violent games with Germany, where he loves the weather political figures damn and vilify violent conventional control schemes be rated but hates the queuing etiquette. His games more so than they do violent more leniently than games that are less website is frasermacinnesbitsandblogs. films is because they argue the player is graphically violent but offer a more googlepages.com. allowed to direct the violence tangible connection to the violence via themselves. With the Wii, not only can the control method? the player direct the violence, they can act it out, too. Games are the media’s favorite witch, and the game industry needs to be The way in which a game is played may absolutely above reproach, if it is to have not always be a consideration in violent any hope of rebuffing the spurious claims Wii titles. There are several Wii games of the fanatical and vocal few. The Wii that contain depictions of violence and has enjoyed positive press so far, owing yet do not require violent mimicking with in large part to the undeniable the remote or Nunchuck in order to personality and playfulness embodied by control them. The forthcoming Wii its unique interface. But the mainstream remake of Resident Evil 4 shares The media is a fickle animal, and it will only Godfather’s third-person shooting action, take one game to instigate a backlash which is controlled in a similar way. with lasting repercussions throughout There is, however, no evidence thus far the industry. The ratings bodies will have that Resident Evil 4 will require the to move quickly, otherwise pundits will player to perform violent actions for soon be bleating about how teens are melee moves. Similarly, Mortal Kombat learning how to beat up and shoot their Armageddon’s control scheme makes full schoolmates with their Wii. And the last use of the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities, thing they need is more ammunition. but only a few of the control actions mimic the onscreen violence directly. Sometimes, the best games are the ones executables. The number of original you make yourself. games programmed for the Apple II exploded. You could make a game At the turn of the last century, options yourself. You could play someone else’s for play were decidedly simple. Sliding game - you could even change existing down cellar doors, hollering down rain games. Now, technology was letting barrels and climbing apple trees were at people take fun into their own hands. the height of popularity. Enter the Frogger But the world progressed and technology South by Southwest Interactive is the along with it. By the mid-century mark, yearly conference for technorati and the gameplay could be found, personified in Net Set held in Austin, Texas. Speakers fact, by that new wonder of the Atomic sit on panels discussing the latest issues Age: injection-molded plastic. That feat of in technology, gaming and engineering was closely followed by the communication, all in an atmosphere of perfection of transistors; resistors; good barbeque and good beer. magnets and electronics of all shapes and sizes; circuits; boards; buttons; knobs; There’s even one story – now a legend and poles, culminating in the coin- – of what happened on the night of operated videogame arcade machine. March 14, 2006. After the closing conference party, a small group of Arcade machines were fun, of course, but journalists and techies met in Peter the games were hard-wired into circuits. Ludlow’s Second Life Herald hospitality You couldn’t change them, even if you suite, at the Driskill Hotel. There was still wanted. From soldering iron to dev kit, a bottle of tequila, and other work to be the console games that followed would be done that night. rigid and require special equipment to make; those rules were set. As the party started, Philip Torrone and Limor Fried entered, carrying a bag of Personal computers changed that. With supplies. They made for the kitchen. One disk space and operating systems, of those robot vacuum cleaners, a games could now be programmed as Roomba, appeared. Fried, an R&D fellow from Eyebeam, began to cut a green T- across the street. On the 10th trip across I’ve ever met. Let’s put it that way.” Most shirt into strips. four lanes of traffic,Frogger got crushed games are about imagination, inside a by a white SUV. After they picked up the box. Even the likes of Spore and Torrone, a senior editor at Make magazine, debris, everyone laughed and remarked Katamari, a designer creates a system, explained to a reporter from C|Net News on the world’s first coin-op-inspired and players later look into a machine to that he’d rewired the robot’s remote vacuum cleaner game. interface with that system. But many of control, and by using Bluetooth was able Torrone’s projects seem to take that to drive the Roomba with his laptop. The next morning C|net’s News.com ran same imagination and engineering, the story, which went on to become one of throw away the box and play in real Word spread through the suite. The the outlet’s most-read stories of the year. social situations. “He basically says, ‘I reporter began to take photographs, and “Once you get a taste of Roomba Frogger,” don’t like the box I’m given – I’m the Roomba took shape. As foam cups noted Ludlow, “you can’t get enough.” creating a new box.’” were taped in place and green fabric fitted, the RoombaFrogger rolled across Covering Emergence Terdiman sees more social and hands-on the floor. That C|net News reporter was Daniel gaming in the future, too. Last autumn he Terdiman, who is no stranger to covering took part in a game created by Jane The historic downtown hotel happens to games and technology. What first McGonigal of ilovebees fame and Ian Bogost overlook Austin’s Sixth Street, and the attracted him to games, he says, was of Georgia Tech. The game of benevolent Second Life Herald suite happened to emergence. “I just loved the things that assassination, titled Cruel 2 B Kind, have the third floor balcony. Looking people were doing with games that were transformed New York’s Broadway between down upon the street gave an identical never expected by the publishers.” 48th and 58th Streets, into a battleground perspective to that classic of the of combatants with compliments. arcades, Frogger. Terdiman first encountered Torrone two years ago, when he was writing a Wired Teams of players would try to “kill” other The anticipation turned into debate News piece about four sky-divers teams, by yelling kind phrases at about how long poor Frogger would last jumping from a plane just to attempt a “enemies.” What made it dynamic, notes in live traffic, how soon before the police game of multiplayer Mario on the Terdiman, is you don’t know who is a would arrive and how good a player it Nintendo DS while free-falling at 120 player and who isn’t. Yelling “You look takes to beat the real-life game. mph (it worked). great!” at a group of strangers who end up not be involved in your game ... “the By 2:00 in the morning, the robot was Terdiman has written about Torrone from look on their faces is priceless.” ready. The Roomba went back and forth time to time. “He’s the biggest tinkerer Seize the Play device turns off televisions. Another, the Make My Play Torrone and Fried have moved on to Wave Bubble, disrupts cell-phone signals At this very moment, Torrone is focusing other electronic entertainments. At this within a five-foot radius and fits inside a all his attentions on the second annual year’s South by Southwest they cigarette pack. bay-area Maker Faire, a two-day, family- discussed subversive, yet playful friendly event – it features an Electric technology during their keynote. One Manufacturing and selling cell phone Giraffe – that celebrates “arts, crafts, jamming devices might be less than engineering, science projects and the legal in the United States, and that’s at Do-It-Yourself mindset.” Terdiman, who the heart of what the pair refers to as expects to report on the event, says it open-source, do-it-yourself hardware has similar energy to the Burning Man hacks. They document and publish new festival, of which Terdiman is a 10-year techniques online in full detail. veteran. Beside the more ephemeral crossover between the two events, “It starts conversations,” explains Terdiman refers to “actual projects that Torrone. “You’re not malicious; you don’t were created for Burning Man that are want to hurt people.” So his quarterly on display at Maker Faire.” magazine, Make, strives to illustrate projects that make the most of home In the end, it’s about taking fun into your technology, celebrating “your right to own hands and making it work. Torrone tweak, hack and bend any technology to once wore a shirt made of computer fans your own will.” to Burning Man. People would ask him if it really worked. “Why would I make a Torrone describes his goal as helping to shirt out of computer fans if it didn’t change things for the better by work?” showcasing, writing and celebrating the things people make. “I’m not certain how N. Evan Van Zelfden expects great to solve all the world’s problems, but I’m things for the future of games. Games sure it will involve everyone learning how are the greatest art form to date, he to build (more) things.” Evidently, the asserts. This is why he plays games, more technology available, the more you writes about them, and continues to can play with it. work in the industry of games. EDITORIAL PRODUCTION BUSINESS Executive Editor Producer Publisher Julianne Greer Jonathan Hayter Alexander Macris

Associate Editors Lead Artist Account Executive Joseph Blancato Jessica Fielhauer Rebecca Sanders Russ Pitts Layout Artist Chairman of Themis Group Contributing Editors Jason Haile Thomas S. Kurz Shannon Drake JR Sutich Lead Web Developer Whitney Butts Research Manager Nova Barlow Web Developer Erik Jacobson Contributors Tim Turner Susan Arendt Fraser MacInnes IT Director N. Evan Van Zelfden Jason Smith Allen Varney

Issue 97, © 2007. The Escapist is published weekly by Themis Group, Inc. Produced in the United States of America. To contact the editors please email [email protected]. For a free subscription to The Escapist in PDF format please view www.escapistmagazine.com