The game was not terribly complex: The were quite familiar, encompassing ideas point of the game is, as CEO, to keep of companies that were no more, such as your fledgling dot-com in business. The “Butler-Hosted search engine,” or “Dot- Allen, I’m in the same boat as you on gameplay emerges through a careful Com Card Game” – whatever that is. this collectible card game thing – I don’t balance of personnel cards and skill And it was these cards that made the To The Editor: If Christian game get it. For those of you wondering, go cards, the personnel cards each carrying game really quite fun in a quirky sort of producers want to be taken seriously by have a read through Allen Varney’s an individual’s burn rate and his skill way, inspiring comments such as, “Wow, the mainstream market (in particularly article in this week’s issue of The level, and the skill cards representing an that really was a bad idea,” and “Yes! I the overseas European and Japanese Escapist, and you’ll see what I mean. action and the personnel skill required to remember the sock puppet!” market) they’re going to have to stop Perhaps this makes me a dimwit, as perform that action. designing their games as blatant well; certainly I’ll admit to some level of But I guess it’s easy to laugh in propaganda and misinformation. dimness on the topic, as many of these During the first couple of dot-com eras hindsight, knowing that these ideas were card games are a smashing success. we played, my companions and I focused indeed bad, as evidenced by their I grant that I am basing most of my How did this happen? on the mechanics of the game, taking failures (though one has to wonder if opinion off of the highly-publicized (and note that not all employees were worth some of those companies didn’t just end widely maligned) future game Left I suppose my confusion is based in my in skill their required burn. Once we up with Vern Slick as VP in the Sales Behind: Eternal Forces which I’ve noted lack of experience with CCGs. You see, realized that the VP of Finance was Department). I mean, free internet includes some particularly juicy my one experience with a card game necessary to keep the money rolling in, access certainly seems like a good idea, creationist nonsense. Such a thing may outside of those played with the usual that an HR VP was needed to keep your even though it didn’t work out. So, work in Bible-belt America, but try 52-card, four-suit deck was a game people from being poached, and that if flipside of the same token, who’d have selling that stuff elsewhere and you’ll called Burn Rate. Now this was not a you were saddled with any Sales VP, you known a card game for which you have find the market won’t bite. card game of the collectible sort, nor was were as good as sunk, we had it all down to build your own deck and give away a there any aspect of “betting” a card of pat. Then we could focus on the third card at the end would be such a huge A lot of video games (which even I, an your own deck based upon the outcome type of card the game offered – the Bad hit? atheist, have enjoyed) include Christian of the match. Nor were there hundreds Idea cards. themes, such as faith, redemption, of possible cards from which to build a Cheers, salvation, divine providence, and deck or hand. Rather, the deck was The Bad Idea cards represented the messianic fulfillment. My favorite game relatively close to the size of a typical obstacles that most confounded a large of all time features a protagonist named deck (as I recall) and the cards were percentage of dot-com era companies: JC who can progress through the divided at random among the players. the business idea. The cards’ contents majority of his challenges in non-violent ways and can come to embody a kind of divine trinity! That’s about as blatant as In response to “One Hand Behind My very scientifically-minded, always wanting I want my rhetoric served though ... Back” from The Escapist Forum: I to find out how things work, and not when the game starts spouting was just thinking about one handed trusting anything that they’re “not propaganda it ceases to be a game and gaming a couple weeks ago, while on a supposed to” understand (which, in all becomes a tool for proselytizing. crowded bus. My DS Lite is a big step fairness, is a stigma many religions carry). backward for mobile gaming on some - J. Azpurua levels as the stylus controls require some In addition, that programmer’s mindset stability to use accurately. I can’t still is the dominant one throughout the In response to ‘OK Computer” from perform surgery in Trauma Center while industry. These are the sorts of people The Escapist Forum: The simple fact is bouncing around in a bus, you know? who’ll look at anything overtly religious until they can make a product that actually And I wish Ouendan let you mash and write it off as either an overbearing works really well for men, no internet sex buttons as an alternative to stylus attempt to “save” them, or merely an toy will ever hit the mainstream, because controls. There are a few people out exercise in preaching to the choir (in a it is men that are the ones seeking a there who enjoy playing DDR with the fairly literal sense). sexual experience online. gamepad instead of a dancemat, afterall. I’d probably be annoyed if my rhythm Women have the rabbit and the pocket I think maybe handheld systems need game told me in all candor to praise or rocket and what do men have? Sure more buttons on the back of the system. worship anything (side effects of the there are toys designed for men, but Something like the PS2’s dual-shock programmer’s bias, I suppose, but I am they are no better than the old tried and controller. The Dual shock has 6 buttons a programmer), but it is refreshing to true low tech methods we’ve been and a joystick all within reach of a see more variety entering the industry - employing since the dawn of time. single hand. especially a vastly different sort of Where’s our masturbatory holy grail? variety, which is what stands the best - shihku7 chance of expanding the medium. I wish Personally I don’t think we can overcome them good luck. the anatomical, material, and In Response to “Dancing for Jesus” engineering constraints of mechanically from The Escapist Forum: I can track -Bongo Bill pleasuring the male organ. However, I one major reason why religiously- do know this: If you build it they will themed games never caught on big: In Response to “Dancing for Jesus” come. How’s that for a pun? Video games still bear the relics of their from The Escapist Forum: I think it history as a programmers’ hobby. has less to do with programmers - heavyfeul Programmers are usually very cynical, specifically and more to do with human nature. I don’t think it matters if you’re a out there who bought a PS2 for the sole which comes with 750 cars and 51 tracks personally very happy to see and use of programmer, a physicist, a doctor, a purpose of rocking. They all thought I included in the price. The Premium micropayments for vehicles seems like musician, a secretary, or a mini-mart was crazy, they said there were other version is the one to which the quoted an intelligent way to balance the high clerk: faith is a deceptively difficult thing games out there, but it didn’t matter to prices apply. There are far fewer cars cost of producing the game assets with to understand. me. I had no aspirations to roll the universe and tracks available currently because the desire to keep the game moderately into a ball, destroy ancient Chinese armies, they’re all being modelled (both visually accessible to those who want to try it. Plus, I think there is a common or hit my opponents in the nads repeatedly and behaviourally) to a ridiculous degree misconception that science is the enemy with a polearm or pike. of precision. In my view micropayments are a good of religion, especially with current tool. Like any tool they can be used well political climates being what they are. My PS2 isn’t a game console so much as To say that having a product like that or used badly. The Chromehounds stuff I But, that idea is only a throwback to it is a guitar simulator. When Guitar Hero released commercially is bad for gaming consider bad. GT-HD, from what little we 15th century thinking (Galileo, 2 hits, my friends and I will most likely is a very odd position to take. High know so far, looks good. Copernicus, et al) perpetuated by zealots go missing for several days until our production values and meticulous on both sides of the argument. Reality wrists start to deform into immobile claws. attention to detail are something I’m - Dom Camus probably lies somewhere in between. - zackola Anyway, my point is that the denial of the existence of God is not so much the In Response to “Gran Tourismo HD: property of scientifically-minded folks as game Not Included” from The it is the property of anyone who might Escapist lounge: I don’t want to not believe in something that they interrupt all the fun you lot are having cannot empirically experience.