- Although it was released back in July, I hadn't taken the time to sit down and listen to the new album from I Come To Shanghai. All of the usual excuses apply. But they all break down to "I'm stupid" because this is an amazing follow up to their debut.
- Eternal Life, Vol 1. lasts only twenty two minutes, with nine songs shoved into three tracks, but it is mesmerizing from start to finish. It is much more conspicuously electronic than the first album, but it is never gaudy or overbearing. The lyrics are just as askew as you would want.
- The album is free to download, but Sam and Robert really deserve your cash. I paid because I want to encourage creative people to be creative.
© 2011 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- The time has finally come for one of my favorite podcasts to wind down. Shut Up We're Talking has come to an end with its seventy-sixth episode. It has been a great run, but Darren decided to hang up his microphone and move on to new goals.
- The latest episode gathers a number of previous guests to send off the show in grand fashion. It is a bit chaotic, but it sounds like friends having a party more than anything else. There are times where everyone is trying to take part in the coversation, times when things quiet down, and times when talk turns weirdly serious. And most of all it was fun.
- I don't remember when I started listening to SUWT or what caused me to give it a try. But I do remember feeling like the podcast was a kind of community gathering point. By bringing on bloggers to talking about the issues of the day, it was a great way to get a variety of opinions and discover new people to follow. It was also a great way to argue with people. If you look at my Listened Lately posts, you'll see that seven out of the ten are about SUWT. It was one of those (the one about episode 47) that got me a Blog of the Week mention and eventually a guest spot on the show. I felt like I was finally part of the community once I was on the show.
- So thank you to Darren, Karen, and everyone else who participated and made SUWT such a great part of the conversation. It will be missed.
- It's times like this that make me think I need to start a podcast of my own.
© 2011 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- Immersion has been a hot topic in the game blogging community of late, especially since Wolfshead's post about his lack of immersion in World of Warcraft. Tipa from West Karana made an excellent point that echoes my feelings as well. It has all been talked to death. However the topic rose from the grave again in an interesting way recently on The Idle Thumbs Podcast.
- In episode four, they was a long discussion about sandbox games inspired by the recently released Just Cause 2. Chris Remo said that he liked sandboxes more when the game narrative supports all of the chaos they all players to make. Since the story of Just Cause 2 revolves around destabilizing a government, you can go completely nuts and the story doesn't dissolve.
- On the other side, Steve Gaynor brought up Grand Theft Auto IV (which is why I'm talking about this at all). He said that he prefers actively avoided gratuitous random violence specifically because he did not want to break the narrative arc of the game. He knew that, so long as he played the game within those constraints that he would have a better overall experience. That summed up my experience with the game in a nutshell.
- For people like Chris, GTA IV failed as a sandbox because the narrative didn't support what they specifically wanted to do in the game. But for Steve and myself, our willingness to play within the guidelines set my the story allowed us to avoid such dissonance with the narrative. We were immersed in the game because we were playing along with the designers' intentions, not subverting them.
- Immersion is contingent on a willing suspension of disbelief. The game can only do so much of the job for you. It's perfectly valid if you decide not to participate. But you should not blame the game because you are not willing or no longer able to meet the game halfway.
© 2010 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- It never fails. Just as soon as I complain that I don't have anything else to say about MMOs, something comes along that makes me want to blog and/or rant. This time, it's related to the long-awaited release of Shut Up, We're Talking #57. So as I've done before, I'm going to pull up my virtual fifth microphone and add my own comments on the episode.
- The question about stickiness in MMOs in quite a good one, especially in this era of the WoW tourist. Why don't people stay with a new MMOs? There are a few things you can blame. MMOs aren't really the best games, always, especially at launch. And people can be flighty, always hopping from one game to the next. But people do stick with games if they are the right one. Just look at Syncaine and Darkfall. But looking for problems is the wrong way around. Best time I've had playing MMOs lately were during the launches of Champions Online and Warhammer Online. That may sound strange to you considering how the games have faired since launch. But the reason I had such a great time is due to the excitement in the community around them. People were talking about them and thinking about them and it was great to be caught up in that. I was caught up in the wave of enthusiam and, darn it, that was fun. You hear or read statements that its the people you play with that make you stay with the game. But that is not just true on a micro level. If other people are in the game, having a good time and sharing that experience, that's where I see the stickiness of MMOs occuring.
- I know it was just a small part of the cast, but Karen mentioned how statistical items in microtransaction games have disappeared from Free Realms and Wizard 101. I have to agree that this is only a good thing. Considering that one the things you play for in an MMO is gear, selling that gear undermines your reward structure. So good riddence. I wonder how well +3 swords are selling in Dungeons & Dragons Online.
- The discussion of MMOs on other platforms went in all kinds of directions, but I think that's primarily because the question was so unfocused. MMOs have a chance to go in a few directions now, especially because they are stretching beyond the standard PC client model. Yes, they can devolve into mindless clicky games like Farmville. But they also have the opportunity grow the genre in new ways beyond the standard DIKU. The question seemed to denigrate MMOs becoming single player games. That's not the problem. The problem is that they are doing it wrong. There have been some awesome single player games released in the last couple years, but MMOs are still copying the same game mechanics used since the beginning of the genre. As little attention that I give to SWTOR, Bioware does have a chance to make a game the steps out of the shadow of the DIKU/UO/EQ/WoW lineage. And if someone wants to put an MMO on the iPhone, they darn well better make a game that takes advantage of that platform.
- I really enjoyed Michael's discussion of the MMO labels. The fact the most games are just iterations on old games instead of restarting from first principles has made the genre stagnate. In its own way, this is part of why WoW did so well. They took the EQ model, stripped it down to the fun game stuff, and threw out a lot of the virtual world trappings. And they keep throwing more of that out as they go along. New MMOs need to question the assumptions made by prior games and throw out anything that is no longer needed.
- Wow, this was much more random and lame than I expected. If you made it all the way down here without skipping ahead, you deserve a cookie.
© 2010 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- Darren and Karen's Shut Up, We're Talking podcast has returned from its vacation imposed hiatus. With Brent (from Virgin Worlds) and Michael (currently of SOE), they discussed the current state of grumpiness in the MMO blogging community.
- I've already got a article on the back burner out the topic, but I heard something from Brent that I wanted to circle back to. He mentioned that the disconnect between the leveling game and the endgame in current MMOs does a disservice to players who have a preference for one style or the other. It's something I've commented on before. Several times. However Brent provoked a few additional thoughts from me.
- The current endgame has been a weird evolution over the last decade. Early games, from MUDs to UO to EQ at launch didn't really have, or see the need for, an endgame. The level cap was this lofty goal that only the greatest (or those without a life) could ever hope to attain. Raiding as an endgame was a reward for those who persevered though leveling.
- As years passed and more expansions were launched, the endgame became a focus for players. So much so that, when WoW launched, raiding was a primary focus for some MMO players. Leveling had become the grind one had to overcome to earn their way to the real game. "The game doesn't start until the level cap" has become a common belief. But it wasn't always that way.
- As it stands, endgame raiding has become this weird evolutionary offshoot that is, to my mind, only half formed. MMOs must have an endgame to keep the subscribers busy since leveling has become a matter of quickly digestible content. And you need something for guilds to participate in as a group. But neither half of the MMO is really servicing the other that well.
- I think it's time to let raiding become its own game. Someone needs to realize that there are many people out there who want to play together in a large group setting and forced to play through what is to them a grind so they can get to the good stuff. I think a raiding leveling path would be an awesome undertaking for an MMO.
- If anything, we'll see if Karen is right and guilds need proper content to flourish or if people only group up for the loot. Me, I'll be sticking to my solo friendly MMOs, dreading the day I hit the level cap.
- Anyway, it's great to have Darren and Karen back at the microphone and I can't wait to hear more from them.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- The most recent episode of The Instance finally ran across my podcast feed. Usually I don't have much to write about the show since it is so news oriented. But today, I had to respond to the discussion about emblems in Patch 3.2. Specifically, everything that drops Emblems of Heroism or Emblems of Valor will now drop Emblems of Conquest, currently only found in 25 man Ulduar. A new emblem tier, Emblems of Triumph, will drop in all versions of the new raid as well as the daily dungeon and daily heroic quests.
- So, is upgrading emblems a good thing? Sure, I think so. There are going to be a lot more people running heroics to get the new emblems. And Naxxramas becomes a big badge run. So unless your self-worth is tied up in who else has access to the same gear you do, who the hell cares?
- And there are plenty of people who care. Just check that WoW.com article I linked above. 226 comments when I checked last. Look for the comments dimmed out because they were voted down. Those are fantastic examples of people who take their games way too seriously.
- My feeling is that Blizzard knows people aren't gearing up fast enough to raid Icecrown Citadel and they want more people to be ready. They said many times that anyone should be able to confront Arthas. However putting so many tiers between a new level 80 and the final boss is a huge obstacle to surmount. Gearing up solely through 5 man dungeons will be slow, but I think they want everyone to have a crack at the guy who's been taunting us all expansion long.
- Of course, unless Icecrown Citadel has a solo option, I still won't be seeing it. But no one is worried about me.
- One final note: I started formulating this response while listening to the podcast. But then they got that Patrick Beja guy to come on and answer everything better than I just did. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- Okay, yes, this is a completely self-serving post. Deal with it.
- Darren was kind enough to invite me to participate on episode 49 of Shut Up, We're Talking. That this came so close on the heels of my screed about episode 47 was a little shocking to me. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. I've used this blog several times to act as a silent fifth chair, eager to participate in conversations recorded days earlier.
- Number 49 was recorded on Saturday afternoon on the 13th with Darren (from Common Sense Gamer), Karen (from the much missed Journeys With Jaye), and Gary (from the new-to-me Ardwulf's Lair). I was panicked. I had spent time during the week preparing notes and readying myself for the show, but I was still very nervous. Any sounds you hear of microphones bumping is really me fidgeting and knocking my mic around. Sounds like Gary was just as nervous. He sounded like a pro to me, so he doesn't have anything to worry about to me.
- When it was over, I had a great time on the show, talking and laughing and interacting about games in a way I don't get to normally. It was a great opportunity. If Darren leaves you a cryptic message on your blog, I suggest you reply.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- This might come off as self-serving, but I really enjoyed the latest episode (number forty-eight) of the Shut Up, We're Talking podcast. Like always, there is a lot to think about. Mixing my metaphors in 5... 4... 3...
- The Matrix Online - In my prior post on MxO, I talked about the game's closure from a personal level. I totally forgot there is a great business angle to this, namely Station Access. There was a assumption (encouraged by SOE) that Station Access would the savior of underperforming games. For only $30, you get access to a number of Sony MMOs. But with Free Realms just launching and with DC Universe Online and the next undisclosed MMO in development, that $30 would get stretched thinner and thinner. With MxO turning the lights out, I think what we're seeing the upper limit Sony will allow for Station Access. When DCUO launches, I foresee either another game pulled or a reevaluation of the subscription charge.
- The Avatar Thing Again - I left a comment at Virgin Worlds, but I'm reiterating here: yes, I was looking at the discussion through the bunny ear lens. It is a huge topic and I'm glad the show went at it a second time.
- Blog of the Week - In a quick e-mail exchange with Darren, I told him I did a little dance when I saw Bullet Points was Blog of the Week. No, I will not YouTube it. You should be happy that I'm saving you potential psychiatric bills.
- And that's it. I'm going to stop typing before all the adulation goes to my head.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- As it's one of my favorite podcasts, I was frustrated this week when the crew from Shut Up, We're Talking took on the topic of avatars as tokens (initially expressed by Tobold and refuted by Raph Koster) that arose from the Shake Your Bunny-Maker achievement in World of Warcraft. The goal of the achievement was to find female characters of level 18 or greater and bestow upon them a set of bunny ears. While many people found this to be a humorous bit of pop culture snark, a small group took such offense to the overtly sexualized theme that they were essentially driven from the game for a week.
- My frustration though, with both Tobold's initial post and with the SUWT crew was the outright dismissal of that minority position. Further frustrating was the conclusion reached on the podcast that putting some psychological barrier between player and avatar was a sign of maturity. I can't fathom the hubris involved in assuming that the position advocated from a personal level is not only immediately valid, but also the superior to any other argument without even examining the counter.
- For some people, the purpose of a role playing game or virtual world is to inhabit that world in a way most games do not allow for. Not everyone acts this way, but it is not invalid to do so. As Raph Koster points out, it is very human react to an avatar in an automatic way. Yes, over time one learns to look beyond the superficial. But one must also understand that avatars are projections of self into the game space, each chosen for specific reason and with specific intentions. Some might choose an avatar solely for game purposes, for personal aesthetics, or entirely haphazardly. But some do so to express themselves in ways they can only do so in a virtual world. Losing control of that avatar, even in such a minor way as sprouting bunny ears, has very real implications for these people.
- I have said this time and again on this blog and elsewhere. I have a propensity toward playing female characters in games. Of course it is easy to fall back on the old standard "If I'm going to stare at a character's backside for hours on end, it might as well be one I find pleasant." But it would be foolish of me to not admit that might I also feel protective of these virtual women that I guide through their lives. Or that I'm expressing a femininity in the game that I cannot in the real would. Or, conversely, that maybe playing a female character allows me to psychologically distance myself from my avatar so that I do not become personally invested. Maybe it is a combination of these or more.
- These are the kind of things that should be examined and taken into account when dealing with a population as large and varied as game players. Dismissing points of view as immature because they differ from yours is counterproductive and potentially dangerous.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- This week's Gamers With Jobs Conference Call had an interesting discussion about face-to-face gaming and how computer and console gaming has supplanted it. While there was nothing to argue about, I did want to share my take on topic.
- The high point for face-to-face gaming for me was high school. Back in the days when my biggest worry was whether or not I would remember to do my homework, I had a lot of time to get together with friends and play games. The game of choice in those days was Dungeons and Dragons. That's not to say we didn't play anything else, but everything else was of the roleplaying variety as well. Top Secret/S.I., Robotech, Paranoia, and Call of Cthulhu all came out at one time or another. But it was never hard to get a bunch of adventurers together to kill, pillage, and loot.
- As I got older, though, my tastes changed and my circle of friends narrowed. In college, I discovered Avalon Hill and the great board games they produced. My problem was not having a group of people or the time to play them. I tended toward games with a solitaire component, but could not keep myself from buying games on the off chance I could get a group together.
- After college, my face-to-face gaming came to a stop entirely. Nowadays, I pick up the core rules when a new edition of D&D comes out, but mostly out of nostalgia. I don't buy many board games anymore, though I do have a copy of Runebound sitting on the table behind me, read for a solo run-through. What I do have is online games.
- For someone who has self-selected a solo gamer role, I find myself constantly amazed about how much fun I have have playing with people online. Raiding in WoW was tremendously rewarding, in spite of the time commitment. And accepting a blind guild invite was one of the big reasons I'm enjoying LotRO so much.
- I do occasionally miss the days of sitting around with a group of friends and slinging a handful of dice, but online gaming is able to scratch that itch. It may not be the same, but it is enough.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
- I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to participate in a podcast as I listen to them. One of my favorites, and the one I want to talk back to most, is Shut Up, We're Talking. So instead of hacking into the podcast to insert my own views, I'm going to say my peace here in warm, inviting text. This is something I've wanted to do for a while, but I never get around to it before the idea gets stale. Plus, then you don't have to put up with my annoying voice.
- The topic that stuck me the greatest during podcast #41 was their discussion about breaking away from the executive gamer mentality. It was interesting to hear all of their views, but I think they only acknowledged my thoughts on the subject tangentially to their own thoughts.
- The "Executive Gamer" was posited by Tim Schafer of Grim Fandango and Psychonauts fame. In the Gamers With Jobs podcast, he defined it as someone plays games as a means to another end, thereby missing the joy of playing the game as its own end. In the gaming community, the term has taken on the broader meaning as a gamer who plays games with any critical viewpoint. While I think this definition is more of a broad brushing than Mr. Schafer intended, it's close enough and resonates with gamers enough to be worthy of discussion. This is especially true as many gamers, like Darren and, well, someone from GWJ, want to shake off this mentality that they think is ruining their fun. While I applaud the sentiment, I wonder if it can be done through any means short of a lobotomy.
- From my perspective, playing games from an Executive Gamer viewpoint is not about criticism for its own sake. Everyone has likes and dislikes in the games they play. And they will take those experiences into every new game they play. No gamer is a blank slate. To me, the executive gamer is someone who has the ability to formalize those feelings coherently, either vocally, in writing, or just to themselves. Where the average gamer will perceive a flaw in a game, the executive gamer will articulate exactly what that flaw is and may know examples of games which have duplicated or avoided the same problem. I don't think that is something you can make go away by trying hard enough. You might be able to avoid strict analysis, but you can't take away the feeling that something is wrong.
- To anyone who wants to enjoy gaming without this burden, I wish you luck. But like Adam and Eve before you, you've eaten the forbidden fruit. This time the fruit is from the more specific Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad Games. Once you've learned to tell the difference, there is no return to a state of ignorant grace.
© 2009 Marty Runyon. All rights reserved.
