Roger Edwards 9/9/15 Roger Edwards 9/9/15

Once Upon Atari (2003)

Once Upon Atari is a documentary exploring the meteoric success of the Atari company during the seventies and eighties. It consists mainly of interviews with many original Atari 2600 game development staff. Made by Howard Scott Warshaw, a programmer and author of titles such as Yar’s Revenge, Indiana Jones and the infamous E.T. the documentary provides a fascinating insight into day-to-day life at what was one of the most iconic companies of its era. The work environment as described by those who laboured there is the polar opposite of the way many businesses are structured today. This was the age of the game auteur, where successful coders were indulged.

Once Upon Atari features informal but in-depth interviews with the likes of Larry Kaplan (Kaboom! ), Rob Fulop (Missile Command ), Tod Frye (Pac-Man ) as well as Atari co-founder, Nolan Bushnell. The documentary format is predominantly "talking head" interviews intercut with some game clips and a wealth of personal photos. If you're at all interested in the significance of Atari and its place in the annals of gaming history then you'll be extremely satisfied. This is an honest snapshot of how the game industry worked over three decades ago. It certainly paints a vivid picture of the organised chaos that occurred daily at the Atari office.

Once Upon Atari is filled with anecdotes such as “the hot tub, the sprinkler lobotomy, the flying frog, walking on walls”. Many were fuelled by the use of recreational drug. It’s amazing how these talented individuals were given creative freedom and fiscal responsibility at such a young age. It reminds me of the similar culture that existed in dot-com “companies” of the late nineties. The programmers essentially worked their own hours, eschewed the conventional formality of the business world and were known for their hijinks both in and out of the office. As with dot-com “millionaires”, the programmers often made their fortunes, only to lose them shortly thereafter.

Although very simply made Once Upon Atari highlights the unique situation at Atari and how through synchronicity, it brought an eclectic group of talented freethinkers together at the right time. It’s amazing to think that during the eighties, a hit game could be conceived, written and lovingly crafted by just a single developer. A freedom that I’m sure many who currently work in the gaming industry would view with envy today. If you are a gamer who is at all interested in the history of the medium or have fond memories of the Atari 2600, then you need to watch this documentary. It’s funny, informative and compelling.

Roger Edwards 9/7/15 Roger Edwards 9/7/15

Gamers and Self-deprecation

Wisdom does not automatically accompany age. I know people who are just as dumb as they were twenty five years ago. Age does however offer a new perspective and an opportunity to reflect upon change. It’s down to the individual whether they choose to do this or not. I happily admit that I have shed a great deal of my nobler ideals over the years. I'm no longer passionate about many of the things I was in youth. I also tend not to get angry or irritated by things any more. Getting mad is not good for your health and seldom solves anything. Also why hand someone the ability to push your buttons on a plate. For me age has brought equilibrium and a degree of contentment because I don’t give a shit about lots of things any more.

Now that I have set out my proverbial stall, let us move on to main point of this post. Some gamers are their own worst enemy and once again because of the behaviour of a few, the perception and credibility of the whole is harmed. I refer of course to the recent incident involving US talk show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. He made a few flip remarks regarding gaming and live streaming on his show and subsequently received a tide of abuse, outrage and death threats which seems to be the default response these days. It was all very predictable and thoroughly demoralising.

Kimmel’s comment themselves were far from original and not especially vitriolic. He merely referenced how incredible it was to him that people would wish to watch other people play games. Such comments are not surprising. Comedians traditionally favour soft and obvious targets. The more you protest the more they’ll continue to mock. In this instance I can even appreciate his perspective. Kimmel and I are both the same age and I still find the idea of watching someone else play games somewhat incongruous, although I also see its benefits. From my perspective, I simply didn't find his remarks problematic.

Sadly some gamers did and responded in an all too familiar manner. Which beggars the question why do they do this? I would suggest it’s because these gamers completely lack any sense of self-deprecation. They take themselves far too seriously and their behaviour demonstrates that they are emotionally illiterate. Since when has it become the social norm to go nuclear as your opening gambit to any form mockery or criticism? I also worry that some gamers perceive themselves as an oppressed minority with commensurate needs. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Gaming is very much the preserve of the middle-class professional or their offspring; hardly a marginalised group.

Some gamers still cling to the myth that they are some sort of über problem solvers or have a unique set of skills. This again is nonsense, perpetuated by some spurious scientific research taken out of context. Gamers therefore deserve no special treatment and should be subject to the same amount of deference or lack of it, as any other social group. Frankly the social dysfunction that is so often demonstrated by those that shout the loudest, simply invites further opprobrium.

Is this lack of perspective solely the province of gamers or evidence of a wider cultural problem? Are we as a society losing our sense of tolerance and emotional maturity? Are we too quick to go off alarmingly when criticised and turn our response up to eleven? Well politics and social commentary has certainly got more confrontational of late, especially on social media. It can be argued that the internet has removed some people’s inhibitions and freed them from social etiquette and responsibility. Sports fans also don’t take mockery well. Yet I can’t think of any other group that seem to have such a short fuse as gamers. Perhaps it stems from intense fandom associated with gaming culture.

Humour such as that demonstrated by Jimmy Kimmel is par for the course and not something that is likely to be going away any time soon. The correct response when confronted by such loaded comments is to shrug it off and let it lie. Ask any politician, scientist or religious leader and they’ll tell you the same. So will your Mum. Until this particular subset of gamers learn this invaluable lesson and cultivate a sense of perspective and dignity, they will continue to find themselves squarely in the sights of comedians and others. Sadly their predictable reaction to being baited simply encourages their more socially adept colleagues to further disassociate themselves with the gaming community.

Roger Edwards 9/4/15 Roger Edwards 9/4/15

My Work and Gaming Environment

I know a good bandwagon to jump on when I see one, so I’m also going to write about my personal work space. Joking aside I don’t consider this sort of post to be just filler. As a self-employed person my desk and PC set up has a major impact upon how I make my living. I spend a significant part of my week based at my desk, so it’s essential to me that it is an organised, efficient and healthy work space. As I use the same set up for recreational purposes, it is doubly important that this is an agreeable environment.

First off there is my chair. It is an executive model that is two years old and has certainly seen better days. It conforms to all the usual health and safety regulations, being fully adjustable and fire resistant. However it doesn’t matter how well designed a chair may be, if you don’t sit in it properly then all its health benefits are mitigated. I have a tendency to slouch but when I do sit properly my trusty chair has proven to be comfortable and supportive.

The desk is actually a dining table I bought back in 2008. It is a little higher than the average office desk and as a result my monitor is directly level with my line of sight. I favour a clear desk and tend to avoid the miscellaneous bric-a-brac that usually accumulates. I keep an A4 notepad to hand as well as my 7 inch Android tablet. I use this so I don’t have to tab out of games to web browse and to also playback podcasts. This has the benefits of not placing additional system demands upon my PC. I tend not to eat at my desk while at work or gaming. I use a coaster for drinks because someone has to maintain standards.

My primary display is a single Samsung SyncMaster T240HD dual monitor and TV. This is a curious hybrid with a native resolution of 1920 x 1200. It’s becoming increasingly hard to find 24 inch screens that accommodate this resolution these days. Although seven years old this screen still has a bright and vivid image quality. Audio is via a pair of Logitech LS21 stereo speakers and subwoofer. These are over 12 years old but still provide adequate sound quality for gaming.

Having worked in IT for twenty years, I have until recently maintained a stockpile of spare peripherals. These were mainly surplus stock from corporate rollouts and tended to be Dell or HP items. I get through a keyboard and mouse every twelve months as I wear them out through constant use. This summer I exhausted my stock and had to buy a new gaming mouse. I chose a mid-range Steelseries Rival Optical mouse which I’ve found to be perfectly adequate. My keyboard is the one that came with my Zoostorm PC when I last upgraded in spring 2014. Cataloguing the finer details of one’s PC is incredibly tedious. Let is suffice to say I have system based around the ubiquitous Intel Core i-5 processor, an acceptable amount of RAM and a suitable Nvidia GPU. I recently upgraded to Windows 10.

Overall I am content with my work and gaming environment. Much of the hardware could be upgraded if I chose to but everything that is currently in place is both functional and a known quantity. The space in which you work and play is just as much about comfort and familiarity as it is about performance and reliability. So at present I am happy to maintain the status quo. It suits my needs eminently and ensures that my desk is free from water marks. Finally before anyone asks, yes I do dust my desk and PC about twice a week. I am not a barbarian.

Roger Edwards 8/29/15 Roger Edwards 8/29/15

Retro Gaming

Despite having a robust gaming PC and a multitude of new titles to choose from, I have recently found myself returning to older games. I even went so far as to track down a SNES emulator recently so I could revisit some classic titles. Retro gaming is a curious phenomenon and a more complex subject than you may expect. Having examined my own motives and feelings I have concluded that it is not driven purely by a rose tinted view of my gaming past. So I thought it would be interesting to list some of the different factors that have encouraged me to look backwards, rather than forwards. I suspect they may strike a chord with other gamers.

The power of nostalgia.

Nostalgia is a very strong emotion that is often perceived to be a false interpretation of past experiences. However it doesn’t have to be so. One can be nostalgic while maintaining a degree of balance and perspective. When I started console gaming in the early nineties I found games to be far simpler and accessible. I often played them for long periods with a circle of friends. Overall this was a good period in my life so I don’t consider my memories of this time to be incorrect or misleading. I had a similar experience with MMOs and as a result enjoyed the genre the most between 2008 and 2010. Although it is impossible to recreate these experiences, simply by revisiting specific titles, I do sometimes get a flashback of how I use to feel and it is often brought about by the most trivial of things.

Bargain prices.

Many classic titles are still available usually at bargain prices. The advent of gaming bundles is a major contributory factor to the rise in retro gaming. Ten dollars will buy you a fistful of titles, where many modern games and DLC can cost you six or seven times more. Google is your friend when it comes to tracking down older and discontinued titles. There are plenty of forums where vintage titles are exchanged and traded. If you are comfortable with straying off the path of legality and entering the “grey” market, then there are even more options available to you.

Better gaming?

It is frequently argued that some older games are superior to their modern equivalents. Although they may be graphically lacking, they often have stronger game mechanics, challenge the player more and require a greater degree of application. However this is not a universal rule. Ultimately this comes down to personal taste, although I do think that the technical limitations of the previous decades did force the game designers to be more innovative. Another thing to consider is “replayablity”. There are console titles from the nineties that I regularly return to and enjoy. I don’t find this to be the case so often with contemporary titles. Perhaps the simplicity factor is the key here.

Emulation.

I have emulators for several old consoles installed on both my phone and my seven inch tablet. The simple nature of many of the SNES and Genesis titles makes eminently suitable for these platforms. Unlike many contemporary Android and iOS games, retro games do not restrict content behind pay walls or mislead you about their gameplay. Emulators can also improve and enhance classic titles to standards beyond their initial incarnation. PC emulators will often add multiplayer and other features that weren't necessarily available on some titles.

Running older games on modern PCs.

Because technology has advanced so rapidly over the last three decades, many older PC games will not run in a modern Windows 64 bit environment. However companies such as Good old Games do optimise classic titles and bridge the compatibility gap. If you are technically minded it can be an interesting challenge to see if you can do this for yourself. I spent several hours recently looking at re-installing the classic horror title Nocturne. Designed to run on Windows 98 and with older graphic cards, the game can be coaxed to run normally with a few tweaks and additional drivers.

I do not view retro gaming as an alternative to contemporary gaming, nor do I consider it preferable. It is simply another facet of gaming per se and something to be enjoyed as equally as playing the latest blockbuster or indie title. Does reading Charles Dickens or Joseph Conrad constitute retro reading? Once again we have a phenomenon that really requires a more sophisticated name, rather than a binary label such as retro or old school.

I do think that as games have evolved over the years, the technicalities and aesthetics have on some occasions over shadowed the gameplay or narrative. Necessity is the mother of invention and some older titles had to rely more on their creativity rather than on their looks. But this is a subjective observation rather than a hard and fast rule. There are just as many old titles that are bad as well as modern releases.

I would encourage younger gamers to checkout some of the classic games titles as it may well prove both fun and illuminating. Having an informed perspective on the past can be very useful when considering the present. Reconnecting with older games can demonstrate how some underlying concepts and mechanics are timeless and why they’re still prevalent today. It’s also amusing to consider that many of the title that we consider cutting edge, will be deemed old school in thirty years’ time and subject to scepticism and amusement by our children and grandchildren.

Roger Edwards 8/24/15 Roger Edwards 8/24/15

The Enigma of Role-play

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the years from reading forums, blog posts and chatting online, it’s the fact that gamers play games for many different reasons. Furthermore these differences can be quite pronounced and often you’ll find each respective group equally dumbfounded by each other’s motivations and personal preferences. As a result gaming is a very broad church and certainly not the homogenous, stereotypical group that the some would have you believe.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the years from reading forums, blog posts and chatting online, it’s the fact that gamers play games for many different reasons. Furthermore these differences can be quite pronounced and often you’ll find each respective group equally dumbfounded by each other’s motivations and personal preferences. As a result gaming is a very broad church and certainly not the homogeneous, stereotypical group that the some would have you believe.

I mainly play games for entertainment and leisure. I usually prefer games with a strong narrative, although I do occasionally succumb to the instant gratification fix that the FPS genre can provide. For me gaming is very much akin to an interactive book, with potential puzzles and obstacles to be overcome. However I am aware that many gamers have different criteria and although they may not be to my taste I understand their allure. The competitive nature of PVP and high level raiding are easy to understand, as are the motivations of the gaming completionist. I can also appreciate the relaxing nature of simpler games that provide so many people with a means to unwind after a hard day’s work.

However there is one subset of gaming that is more enigmatic than others and for some a little harder to relate to; namely role-play and role-players. Furthermore it is a form of gaming that is often pilloried not only by those who do not play games but also by those who do. This is something I find very curious. For years gamers have endeavoured to dispel the myths and stereotypes surrounding their activities and yet some will happily indulge in this form of internal discrimination when the fancy takes them.

I must admit, role-play is a very nebulous term. Within the confines of an MMORPG it may cover simply writing a back story for your character to developing a completely separate persona for your avatar and playing and interacting with the virtual world through that prism. Role-play often involves a great deal of social interaction and can facilitate events and bespoke activities. Some role-players extend this beyond the games and runs websites or blogs associated with their characters. Some enterprising players have extended this in to such mediums as You Tube and Twitch TV. There are also bespoke guilds and social groups based around role-play.

I recently spent some time on the Landroval server in LOTRO, as this is a designated RP community. The Prancing Pony in Bree is often filled with players exchanging stories and news “in character”. The music system found within the game provides a major platform for role-play. The server features a wealth of musical groups and regularly hosts major festivals. Such events are well attended by players, each sporting a bespoke avatar with an individual identity. Some dismissively see role-players as “playing dress-up” but I believe it is a far more complex issues than that. Role-play is a virtual form of self-expression outside of a real world of increasing uniformity.

However it is this level of immersion and involvement that often flummoxes other players. Some see such pursuits as childish or running away from reality. Yet our affinity for narrative is just as common place as our competitive nature. Both are examples of the human need to express oneself. Ultimately role-players, raiders and PVP players are essentially scratching the same itch just in different ways. Furthermore role-play is just another means for humans to create an environment that can be controlled and then projecting a persona that we choose in to it. This is something that we have always done as a species and is the basis of all our literature and plays. It is a facet of human culture that we now see reflected in social media. Writer and social commentator Charlie Brooker argues that twitter itself is ultimately a game where we adopt a virtual approximation of ourselves and play that role with the intent of gaining more followers for personal validation.

So perhaps role-play is far from the province of the eccentric and is in fact an intrinsic part of the so called human condition. Perhaps we all do it to various degrees in other aspects of our life. Think about how we interact with different people and groups in our day to day lives. Is not that interaction both contextual and situational? Is the "you" that Colin in the HR department at work knows, identical to the "you" that your partner or your children sees? Modern life, especially the internet, gives up a perfect opportunity to project the best version of ourselves, free from the reality of our personal imperfections.

I am still not sure that I fully understand all facets of role-play within MMOs and I do not feel the need to participate in such activities myself. I guess I express myself through the medium of this blog and prefer to talk about the things I enjoy or find interesting that way. For others fiction, art or music provides more appropriate outlets. But I do see that role-play can be a lot more than just the sum of its parts. It certainly offers an alternative window upon both gaming and the world. Whether it provides a means of expression or psychological comfort to those who adopt it, I see no harm in it and certainly see no reason why people should be denied it. Role-players as a group certainly seem to be more positively orientated and contribute a great deal to the community. That said they are not free from vanity and other human failings. I do get the feeling that some role-players are very much in it for the “me, me, me” factor. However that is a personal issue rather than a role-play issue.

So in conclusion perhaps the enigma of role-play is the fact that there is no enigma associated with it after all. It is simply people exploring the medium of games through a different but no less valid path. It is curious that some games developers understand this and nurture it, by offering dedicated servers, where others are not so accommodating. Yet despite this role-play still seems to thrive within the MMORPG community. Perhaps it is the dogged determination of the role-players themselves along with their perceived “difference” that gets them noticed and labelled in so many ways. As for myself, I do my best to keep an open mind.

Roger Edwards 8/19/15 Roger Edwards 8/19/15

The Relationship between Gaming and Cinema

The distinctions between film and games are have certainly blurred over the last decade. Modern games are often visually cinematic and frequently include soundtracks by established film composers. They are clearly influenced by prevailing style and trends that emerge from Hollywood. Yet simply plagiarising set pieces from popular cinema and revelling in excess for its own sake does not a necessarily make a good game. Involving mechanics is one of the keys to success. A strong narrative is another. The latter is often neglected, leaving a market littered with products based around excruciating clichés, hackneyed storylines and painful dialogue.

However the games industry has become increasingly aware of these short comings and has endeavoured to fill this narrative gap by employing the talents of established writers and creative luminaries from other genres. Fear 3 utilised the talents of legendary director John Carpenter helping on the cinematics as well as 30 Days of Night writer Steve Niles. Kaos Studios Home Front was written by John Milius who co-wrote Apocalypse Now and wrote/directed Red Dawn. The Bond franchise game, 007: Blood Stone developed by Bizarre Creations was penned by Bruce Feirstein who co-wrote Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. As you can see, the current budgets and increased standing of the gaming industry can attract some major talent.

I mentioned earlier that composers of note are now often creating the soundtracks for high profile games. Furthermore, these soundtracks are then commercially sold as part of the total marketing campaign for the respective title. Hans Zimmer’s outstanding soundtrack to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is still a top seller, nearly six years after its release. It is the inclusion of well-orchestrated themes at key points within the story that helps blurs the line between film and game. The fate of the characters Ghost and Roach are especially highlighted by the score and cinematics in MW2.

With the inclusion of stronger narratives, developers have managed to secure the voice acting talents of increasingly higher profile actors. This in turn has altered the public perception of the gaming industry and such work is now deemed totally respectable. Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Merchant, Daniel Craig, and even Timothy Spall have all contributed their talent to major franchises. Furthermore, many big blockbusters films inevitably spawn a game these days and many major games often make it to the big screen. LOTRO, SWTOR and AoC are examples of the former; Hitman, Doom and Silent Hill examples of the latter. The quality of such genre crossing products can vary but they still seem to make money.

However this synthesis of mediums seems to have moved a step closer with the release of L.A. Noire in 2011. The game is effectively an interactive film “noir”, with the actor’s performance motion captured. The reviews were positive, reflecting the games complex narrative, strong performances and immersive atmosphere. The gaming industry flirted with FMV during the early 90s considering this to be an innovative way forward. It wasn’t. The technology of the time could not deliver the quality required and often resulted in a shoddy compromise; Star Fleet Academy being a prime example. However with modern day game engines becoming increasingly more robust, the concept of photo-realistic gaming is becoming viable once again.

Ultimately the world of film and gaming despite being increasingly derivative of each other, remain different entities due to the single major difference between the two mediums. Cinema is a passive experience (although it is not emotionally neutral), lasting several hours where the story and outcome are shaped in advance. Games however are dependent on those who play them and are structured around the resulting interaction. A single player RPG or FPS can have anything between 10-40 hours of content. This makes cinema and gaming very different beasts, in the same way that listening to music is not the same experience as playing an actual instrument.

Film has flirted in the past with audience interaction in a very clumsy manner but it seldom works. When watching a DVD in the comfort of your own home, do you wish to have to press buttons on your remote control to decide from multiple endings? Conversely when playing a game, sprawling cinematics and cuts scenes along with an over burden of dialogue choices, can often interrupt the flow of the game. The emergence of “augmented reality” is potentially something that could be integrated into both games and films. However so far this does not seem to have taken off. So regardless of the superficial elements that each genre borrows from each other, ultimately both gaming and cinema seem fated to remain separate entities due to their different nature. Until someone can come up with a convincing argument I see no reason why the status quo needs to alter.

Roger Edwards 8/18/15 Roger Edwards 8/18/15

Discovering Music Through Games and Movies

Growing up in the seventies I was very fortunate to have exposure to a wide variety of music. My parents were older than most and therefore their personal frame of reference musically was the forties and fifties. During my youth there were a limited number of music programs on TV and radio, so I would often have to sit through an entire show just to hear the artists that I liked. As a result I have become familiar with a wide selection of musical genres and now have broad musical tastes. However although there is far more choice available these days, it doesn’t necessarily mean that audiences are more musically literate. Solely listening to a radio station or TV channel that exclusively plays a specific style or genre, can leave its listeners musically isolated.

Movies and games can often provide an invaluable window into types of music or songs from a specific era that the audience may not be familiar with. This is something I have become increasing aware of through the use of You Tube. The comments left under specific songs can be quite insightful and I’ve frequently read quotes along the lines of “I’m here because of [insert film or video game title here]”. I find it very reassuring that classic songs and music are finding new audiences in this manner and that people are widening their musical horizons as a result. So I thought it would be fun to list some examples of this.

The Ink Spots – I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire

The Ink Spots were an American vocal group popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Their simple ballads were driven by tenor Bill Kenny while the rest of the band provided harmony backings. At a time when racial segregation was still common place in the US, The Ink Spots found popular acclaim across multiple communities. Their songs have featured in games such as Mafia II and Bio Shock 1 & 2. But it is in the Fallout series that their work has found a home. I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire, one of their finest songs, was used on the trailer and opening credits for Fallout 3.

Tiny Tim – Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Tiny Tim (born Herbert Khaury) was an American singer, ukulele player, and musical archivist who became popular during the late sixties and early seventies. After several successful albums he enjoyed some success as a TV personality. His most well-known work is a rendition of Tiptoe Through the Tulips which he sung in a distinctive high falsetto voice with lots of vibrato. Like many artists his star inevitably waned and he died in 1996. However he achieved posthumous success once again in 2011 when Tiptoe Through the Tulips was featured in the horror film Insidious. It added greatly to the film’s atmosphere, despite seeming an incongruous fit.

Tchaikovsky – Melodié, Op. 42, No. 3

Mélodie is the third movement of Souvenir d’un lieu cher composed byTchaikovsky for the violin and piano. It has featured numerous times in Frogwares Sherlock Holmes video games series. In titles such as Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, and Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper, Mélodie is played in the background during scenes set in 221B Baker Street. It’s an exquisite piece that is ideally suited for use with the great detective and greatly adds to the games ambience.

The video above features Eugene Ugorski (violin) & Konstantin Lifschitz (piano) and is one of the best interpretations of Mélodie that I’ve heard.

Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas

St. Thomas is possibly the most recognizable instrumental in the repertoire of American jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins. I don’t claim to know a lot about jazz but Mr. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians of his generation. If you want to become au fait with this genre of music then his body of work is a good starting point. St. Thomas featured as a track on the JNR 108.5 Radio Station in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. It is a catchy and uplifting composition which suits the game curiously well.

Slim Whitman – I Remember You

Slim Whitman was an American country music singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. He was known for his yodelling abilities and his three octave range falsetto. His songs were often uncomplicated and focused on universal themes, yet his honest style and sublime vocals invariably made them true classics. He was greatly influential with a broad spectrum of artists from George Harrison to Michael Jackson. Rob Zombie chose to use I Remember You in his debut movie House of 1000 Corpses. It was a controversial choice but its use in such a film doesn’t in anyway detract from the succinct beauty of the song.

Roger Edwards 8/15/15 Roger Edwards 8/15/15

Do You Have a Gaming Philosophy?

We all play games for different reasons. Some will argue that “fun” is the common factor that unites all gamers, but it’s an extremely subjective term. I would argue that we all experience fun in our own way and therefore it is not a universal experience for all. The things that I enjoy in a game and that motivate me may be the complete opposite of the things that you like. It is our individual personalities and personal tastes that shape our motivations, causing us to gravitate towards certain genres of games as well as types of game play.

Our relationship with games is also affected by other factors. Time, money and even our personal morality all play a part in the way we perceive games and how we approach them. The rise of multi-player and social gaming in recent years has added yet another layer to this complex system. I therefore thought it would interesting to see if I could try and quantify my personal relationship with gaming. So here is a summary of my personal gaming philosophy. It’s fairly straight forward and not profound. But it works for me.

I play for mainly for entertainment. I like a good story and the vicarious thrill of shooting stuff and blowing crap up. Gaming shouldn't be a chore. Therefore if you do not enjoy a particular game then don’t play it. It’s your leisure time, why waste it?

I am a lazy gamer. Although I like a modicum of a challenge, I don’t want to have to jump through too many hoops to get the job done. Nor do I want to read an immense tome of instructions or learn excessively complex skills. I have to do that already in real life but at least I get paid for that. I certainly do not want such activities in my leisure activities.

I like games that offer different skills levels. I don’t like it when the learning curve has some rogue peaks in it. Getting stuck at a specific point is lazy game design in my view. Choice is king as far as I’m concerned.

I see games as a simple business transaction. Games are a business transaction and as such should be subject to all the usual consumer legislation. Gamers should not be exploited by the publishers and vice versa. I don’t like a high degree of gated content in games. I have paid for an experience and therefore expect to be able to access all relevant content within the confines of the game mechanics.

I play for my own pleasure and do not consider my in-game achievements of any significance outside of their own context. Outputting 11K DPS in STO says nothing about me as a person or reflects any prestige or merit. I wouldn't big up my gaming on my resume and don’t buy into that theory that gamers are all misunderstood minor deities and geniuses.

Game developers are not social workers or rock stars. The guys and girls that work in the gaming industry are not trying to develop some utopian meritocracy. Some may have aspirations of art but this is often tempered by the fact that they are working in a competitive industry driven by financial imperatives. They are not your friend or your enemy.

I like to play both solo and with groups. There are times when I want to play socially and then there are times when I need to play socially (IE I cannot do something alone and therefore grouping is a tool). There are also times when I want everyone to fuck off.

Treat other players how you like to be treated yourself. Courtesy goes a long way in gaming. Conduct yourself with decorum. Remember that chat can be switched off and problem players can be put on ignore. It is also important to take a stand from time to time. Call people out if they cross the line and never feel bad for reporting someone if they have clearly broken the TOS.

Gaming is just one of the things I enjoy. I like games and facets of gaming culture. I like to interact with the gaming community. However it does not define me. There are times when I will happily ignore gaming and focus on some other leisure activity. Everything in moderation as the expression goes.

I'm sure there are gamers whose personal philosophies are at total odds with mine and my foibles are a complete anathema to them. However there is no right or wrong when it comes to gaming philosophies (with possibly the exception of the “don’t be a dick” rule) and it really comes down to doing what is right for you. It can also be beneficial to take the time out and to actually clarify your own personal approach to gaming. It may well allow you to make better decisions about how you spend your leisure time.

Roger Edwards 8/13/15 Roger Edwards 8/13/15

Completing Games

The last RPG that I played was Arcania (formerly known as Arcania – Gothic IV). In total I spent about thirty or so hours playing the game. Like so many RPGs, as well as the central storyline, there’s a wealth of side quests, usually based around factions or specific zones. I think I possibly completed about a two thirds of these. However once I finished the main story, my interest in the game began to wane. I briefly toyed with the idea of installing the expansion pack but my attention was already focused on the “next game”, so I abandoned my character and uninstalled Arcania from my PC to free up some valuable hard drive space. None of this is a negative reflection on the game. I enjoyed the time I spent playing this quirky RPG. I’d simply had my fill and voted with my feet.

100% game completion is a perennial subject of discussion among gamers due to the fact that so many of us never seem to do so. Titles such as Lifeless Planet, which I purchased last year, are designed to have a definitive ending. Once the player reaches it, they have completed the game. The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is another title with a very linear narrative and a specific conclusion. However although I reached the end, I didn't necessarily complete all the in-game achievements. After spending over three hundred hours playing Skyrim, I did clear all the quest content available and was eventually only left with repeatable activities. However this was a unique experience for me, as I seldom find a game that engages me to this extent.

At present I have Deadlight, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and a host of other titles in my Steam library, all in an unfinished state. This got me wondering why exactly does this happen so often? So I had a quick brainstorming session and collated a few bullet points. There’s no particular order to them. I've simply written them as they've occurred to me.

Finite leisure time: Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in a day to finish a game. A game can fall off the radar due to other demands on your free time.
Familiarity breeds contempt: Sometime it’s simply a question of over playing and burning out.
You don’t like the game: A very straight forward reason. I bought Watch Dogs and didn’t care for the interface or controls, so I went and played something else. I walked away from Dragon Age: Inquisition due to its ponderous narrative that cease to be interesting and became a chore.
The remaining content is not as good as the main story: When I completed the central narrative in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor the ending proved a little anti-climactic. The minor quests proved arbitrary so I left the game and didn't return until DLC became available.
The grass is always greener: I think this is the greatest malady that afflicts gamers. I regularly fall victim to this and am always keeping one eye on the future. Why complete a game you've already got two thirds of the way through, when there’s something else that’s new and shiny, to do?

I also think that there has been a major shift in perception about gaming in recent years and that many titles are now regarded in a more disposable fashion. Perhaps this is something to do with gaming becoming more casual and the growth of mobile games. Gaming on these platforms is often about letting off steam and relaxing, rather than complex achievements. Discounts and bundles also have an impact. A games cost certainly influences customer’s perception of it. Abandoning something that cost only a few dollars is no big deal. Something else that may be relevant is that I don’t think that as many gamers treat their hobby as seriously as they use to. As gaming has become more main stream, it has joined the list of other popular and transient pastimes we indulge in as a society. Being top of the leader board or having 100% completion may not be as appealing as it used to be.

Even the MMORPG genre, which used to be a bastion of hardcore gaming culture with its never ending list of deeds and achievements, no longer seems as compelling. I remember a time when I use to ensure that I completed all the slayer deeds in LOTRO as well as gained kindred status with all reputation factions. In recent years, unless such tasks offer something tangible, then I don’t pursue them. A while ago, I was aiming for 100% world completion in Guild Wars 2, where all areas of the map are fully explored. The effort to reward ratio of that task was not to my liking, so I stopped trying and am happy to leave this task unfinished. Gear grinds, weapons upgrades and all the standard activities you find in MMOs are often dependent on a sizeable time investment. I think this is perhaps the biggest obstacle for many gamers these days.

It’s also worth taking a moment to consider what the game developer’s perspective is on this situation? Much of the content that they’ve laboured on often remains unseen to a large percentage of customers. From a creative and artistic point of view this must be very frustrating. However I’m sure it doesn’t matter at all to the bean counters. Once the revenue has been secured all other considerations are secondary. As I get older my compulsion towards game completion has slowly diminished. Gaming is no longer about the achievements and bragging rights but simply a question of having some semblance of fun. Therefore I’m sure that in the years to come I’ll continue to leave a swath of abandoned and incomplete games in my wake. I suspect this will become the norm for a lot of other gamers as well.

Roger Edwards 8/11/15 Roger Edwards 8/11/15

The Future of MMOs

There is currently an AMA (ask me anything) over at Anook which is providing writing prompts for the ongoing Blaugust event. I was asked to share my thoughts about the MMO genre and where it is going by a Stropp who asked the following question: “Where do you think the MMO genre is heading in the next 5 years? The next 10? Beyond that?” I will most certainly try to address this conundrum because it’s one that MMO gamers frequently return to and with good reason. The MMO Genre has change tremendously since the late 90s when Ultima Online took this niche market game and made it popular. Furthermore it would appear that this evolutionary process shows no sign of slowing and change can often cause consternation.

The first and most obvious point regarding where the MMO genre is heading is that it’s primarily driven by economic and business concerns. This is not something that some gamers like to hear. Many still look at the industry through the prism of idealism and ultraism. Although developers themselves are creative individuals and may well want to make a truly great game, the publishers are more focused on making a commercially successful game. Finding the right balance between these two requirements is not easy to achieve. Innovation comes with a degree of risk, where as simply trying to replicate a successful formula can often be the path of least resistance.

For many years games publishers looked enviously the MMO World of Warcraft and sought to produce their own equivalent product. Yet all such triple AAA titles of this nature have failed to recreate the perfect storm of events that have made WoW the unique game that it is. As a result spending hundreds of millions of dollars on such high risk projects has now fallen out of vogue. The industry has evolved to the point where small to medium niche products are deemed to be more economically viable. A moderately sized player base that is loyal and content to support a particular product is preferred to monolithic titles and their associated population churn.

Gaming has in recent years gone through similar changes to the music and television industries. Broad mainstream appeal, a common consensus and flagship products have given way to separate markets, greater choice and bespoke revenue streams. Increasing mainstream appeal has also caused the gaming industry to adapt core gaming mechanics. Time investment is no longer the hurdle that it used to be. New revenue models have also had a tangible impact upon games development. Such evolution has been embraced by some players and eschewed by others. Gaming like many other aspects of popular culture is now subject to the cult of nostalgia from certain quarters, with some fans doggedly looking backwards rather than forwards.

A few other factors worth pondering are as follows. The term MMO itself has become increasingly nebulous in recent years. Perhaps that needs to be addressed and we need to be more specific terms for the variety of multiplayer games that now exist. Another point to consider is that this ongoing discussion is very Western-centric. The MMO market in Asia is a different beast altogether. Finally I recommend reading the following article by Brad McQuaid, a senior developer with Visionary Realms. I broadly concur with his conclusions and feel that his insider knowledge is invaluable to this debate.

Roger Edwards 8/9/15 Roger Edwards 8/9/15

Gaming and Personal Health

Gaming and personal health at first glance appear to be mutually exclusive subjects. News coverage about these issues more often than not implies that gaming is detrimental to both ones physical and mental well-being. Apart from titles that utilise motion sensing devices such as the Kinnect and require the player to physically move, gaming is a sedentary pastime. Combine that with a society that has an already broken relationship with food and their own personal health in general and there is scope for a wealth of medical problems.

There are many notable issues associated with prolonged periods of time spent sitting down. Back, posture and circulatory problems immediately spring to mind, as well as conditions such as RSI and eye strain. Then there are wider issues associated with long and regular periods of gaming, such as its impact upon the quality of a person’s diet. This in turn can lead to both weight gain or weight loss. There is also scope for adverse psychological issues such as addiction; although I think this simply manifests itself through the medium of games, rather than directly because of them. Overall, although gaming can be great fun, it does have the potential to have a negative impact upon our well-being.

Outside of the obvious health issues, gaming can also keep you from other activities. Although people are free to live their lives how they see fit, it is broadly recognised that engaging with real life does have positive benefits. I often hear gamers talk about how virtual worlds offer a retreat from the hardships of life and I understand that this can be a useful safety valve. However I do have concerns that if this becomes a preferred environment to real life, then it may well have knock on effects for society in the long run. If people are not engaged with their immediate world, then how can they affect any change? I worry about a return to the Roman ideology of bread and circuses. It is also saddening to think that so many people turn to gaming because they simply do not feel they have a stake in the society.

Like many things in life this issue is a question of trying to strike the right balance; ensuring that you game responsibly, while maintaining a healthy body and mind. This can be quite a challenge. Imposing time limits and a schedule upon gaming takes discipline. We live in a world were self-regulation and denial are frequently avoided and in some quarters even frowned upon. Some people seem content to embrace their cognitive dissonance, rather than address it. Unfortunately it is the gamers that fall victim of their own excesses, that always seem to grab the headlines and shape the wider public perception of gaming.

However it is not all doom and gloom and we should take time to focus on the positive benefits that gaming can have upon your life and personal well-being. Through gaming I have met a wide variety of people from diverse backgrounds. This has been very illuminating and has broadened my personal horizons. We often have friends in real life that mirror our own lifestyles. Gaming can bridge socio-economic divides in ways that other real world activities cannot. Such situations can lead to unlikely friendships and a greater understanding of people who have different points of views and ways of life.

When I first started playing online games, I was initially struck by how many other gamers were dealing with varying degrees of medical, psychological or personal issues. However I have learned since that online gaming is often very beneficial for them. It provides a controlled environment for measured social interaction and a means to build confidence. It can also offer physical and mental therapy, through group activities and simply chatting. Online communities are an invaluable social lifeline for some. The ability to log on and hear a friendly voice can in extreme situations mean the difference between life and death. However it should be noted that the opposite is also true. Sadly online bullying is common and there are predatory individuals who see online gaming communities as acceptable hunting grounds.

Over the years that I’ve greatly benefited from my time spent gaming. I have met a lot of people whose company I enjoy and through my involvement in the wider gaming community, learned a lot of new technical skills that have been transferable to real life. Gaming has also had some negative effects upon me. In recent years I've become self-employed and work from home. This has reduced my levels of exercise and gaming has compounded this further. As a result I am currently embarking upon a personal health plan to get myself back it to shape. So I am playing a little less, attending to my diet and doing more exercise.

Gaming is in many ways is a microcosm of the world we live in, for good or ill. It can teach you things about yourself that have a real world application. From time to time it will remind you that you cannot always succeed or get exactly what you want. It makes you reflect upon what you are good at as well as what you are not. Gaming sometimes plays with a loaded deck, just like life. I may not like all the lessons I’ve been taught but it would be unwise to ignore them. Gaming and personal health do not have to be mutually exclusive. Both can be enjoyed and even work together. Make the right decision and you can enjoy quality gaming along with good health for years to come. The alternative is not so appealing.

Roger Edwards 8/5/15 Roger Edwards 8/5/15

DPS Meters – The Gateway Drug of Gaming?

DPS meters are often perceived as being controversial and divisive, especially in the MMO community. Like most tools the problem doesn’t lie with its function but how it is used. A claw hammer is not inherently evil per se but it can be used to bludgeon your Grandma to death. Similarly DPS meters provide data which can be used either positively or negatively. They can inform and prompt change or they can be used as a means of segregation and discrimination.

DPS meters are often perceived as being controversial and divisive, especially in the MMO community. Like most tools the problem doesn't lie with its function but how it is used. A claw hammer is not inherently evil per se but it can be used to bludgeon your Grandma to death. Similarly DPS meters provide data which can be used either positively or negatively. They can inform and prompt change or they can be used as a means of segregation and discrimination.

After returning to Star Trek Online in April, I’ve currently hit the proverbial MMO sweet spot. My primary Federation character is at level cap and has full reputation with all factions. I’m currently experimenting with different Tier 6 ships builds and having great fun. That is to say I was, until I read an article last week about achieving 10K DPS within the game. Alas this set off a chain of events that lead me to installing a Combat Log Reader; a decision that very nearly derailed my enjoyment of STO.

Measuring ones DPS output in a game is similar to measuring the length one’s own penis *. Both start from a position of excessive optimism and over expectation and end in disappointment and hurt pride. Let it suffice to say I was expecting to have numbers of about 5K DPS on some of my ships in STO. After running the DPS meter across multiple vessels and alts, this turned out not to be the case. What happened next is a curious thing. Instead of trying to determine what the average figures where for a casual player; something that would've soothed my injured pride because they are quite low, I jumped straight into the deep end. I mean why have a measured response when knee-jerk reactions are far more fashionable?

So I started to peruse the back waters of Reddit, where people share intricate, esoteric starship builds and a love of anal retention. This lead me to conclude that there were equipment and console sets that I needed to procure, that were only available from the reputation crafting system. Such gear cannot be obtained quickly and requires a great deal of resources and grinding. I soon realised that such an undertaking would require a lot of logistical management. If only there was some way to keep track of it all; a spreadsheet perhaps?

I have stood on the edge of the abyss and I have looked in. As I did so the words of Merlin (Nicol Williamson) from the movie Excalibur rang in my ears. “Look into the eyes of the Dragon and despair”. Mercifully common sense prevailed and I managed to prevent myself from stepping into the void at the last moment. I passed the test. I will diminish, and go into a nursing home and remain moderately perilous.

Hyperbole and self-indulgent jokes aside, this entire episode did reveal some interesting aspects about gaming, my competitive nature and the culture associated with DPS meters. There is nothing wrong with min-maxing. Seeking personal satisfaction in achieving a high DPS output and being top of a league table are valid pursuits. They are not however the preserve of all players. I very quickly realised that chasing above average DPS required a lot of time and effort and that undertaking such a task would kill my enjoyment of the game. I fortunately recognised this before I embarked upon a very self-destructive course of action.

Now the title of this post is meant humorously. I’m not positing a serious academic question; merely pointing out that a simple chain of events did divert me from my somewhat placid and laid back approach to gaming. This story is based upon my experiences in Star Trek Online but it is easily applicable to many other MMOs. Usually I’m not a fan of “ignorance is bliss” policies but with regard to casual gaming, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If you’re happy with your character build in a game, can happily undertake PVE content and have no desire to enter into an arduous competition with yourself and others then don’t ever install a DPS meter (or measure intimate parts of your anatomy). You’ll be far happier.

*This is a very male-centric metaphor. I don’t believe there’s a female equivalent. It’s just some strange facet of biological specific psychology and social conditioning. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bulk of gamers that use DPS meters and seek to be the “best” are male.

Roger Edwards 8/3/15 Roger Edwards 8/3/15

Gaming and Time

Time is a very unique factor in gaming. It is also a very personal commodity that is far from equitable. The player that has more time to invest in a game has an advantage. It is the one factor that game developers can’t really mitigate through game mechanics. In fact often the opposite is true. In the MMO genre most titles are positively skewed to favour those with more time at their disposal. Time is a gating device. If used wisely it motivates players to pursue in-game goals and keeps them engaged with the overall product. However, if time based gating is clumsily implemented it drives a wedge between the player and the game.

Not only does each individual player have a specific amount of personal leisure time to invest in a game, they also have their own unique perspective on how that time is utilised. Patience is a very subjective thing and a totally separate issue from available leisure time. A gamer that has lots of leisure time may still balk at having to invest a specific amount to receive a reward. Yet another player with only a few hours to spare each week may still diligently pursue a personal goal and schedule the time to achieve it. Everyone has their own internal equation that governs how much time they are prepared to invest in any game related undertaking. As you can imagine they vary drastically and for multiple reasons.

After six years of playing MMOs, my attitude to time investment has changed quite radically. This is due to my own personal outlook and personal circumstances evolving and also down to changes in specific games themselves. In the past, I would happily grind content if it provided what I deemed was an adequate reward. For example I worked towards both the Moria and Mirkwood Radiance gear sets in LOTRO. Furthermore I was happy to do so, as there were raids to be completed and having such gear was mandatory. I also laboured to obtain the Hytbold armour set, although it quickly became obsolete and I never felt I reaped the benefits of my hard work. However two years on, I will not grind for the current Gondorian reputation factions simply because it takes too long and the rewards are insufficient in my view. The game in its current state has no requirement for players to have the top tier gear.

It’s a delicate balancing act for games developers, trying to find the optimal blend of time investment and accessibility. Players usually do not want challenges and rewards given to them on a plate. However many do not wish to be compelled to repeat content numerous times. I was impressed by a simple mechanic that was included in L.A Noire in which if you attempted a challenge and failed it more than a certain amount of time, the game would allow you to progress to the next stage, without sanction. The developers did not want the player to feel frustrated and abandon the game entirely.

At present I am playing Marvel Heroes. Like many games of this ilk it has a skills tree that is unlocked with points gained from completing content. Naturally the skills allow you to take on more demanding missions. The game is well balanced and I have earned most of the skills that are available over a period of fifty hours of game play. This has not felt excessively demanding or too trivial. Although there have been challenges along the way, I have not resented the time spent in any way and have felt the overall investment to have been rewarding. The Sniper Elite series takes this a stage further by offering a game that by its very nature provides a superior gameplay experience to those who are prepared to play slowly and spend time using stealth and tactics. Again I found this to be a rewarding experience and did not consider the time frame required to be punitive.

The move towards more causal gaming in recent years has meant that a lot of developers have become more cognisant of time sinks. Yet the more relaxed approach to time investment of games such as Guild Wars 2 has not met with universal approval. Some gamers look at long term dedication to a specific game as an integral part of their enjoyment. It is a badge of honour and an achievement in itself. For some committing to a game is as important as being successful within it. It’s a curious thing how some players even ascribe a personal moral judgement to time investment. Those who eschew it are labelled “lazy” or “entitled” and are deemed as lesser players.

From a business perspective this inequality in available time among players, often presents lucrative opportunities. Lots of games with cash stores offer items that will mitigate time based gating. This can be something as simple as weapons unlocks in lobby based shooters, to gaining multiple levels in an MMO. The latter genre is specifically designed for long term investment, so players usually expect a minimum time investment before they get to the proverbial “good stuff”. However there are occasions when you get the distinct impression that some developers have deliberately this game mechanic, so they can introduce a store item to bypass it.

Perhaps the most elusive factor in this debate is the value that each gamer places upon their own leisure time. I would hazard a guess that this is determined by the personality of the individual and their individual psychology. I consider gaming to be primarily about fun, relaxation and entertainment. Challenges and bragging rights are of far less importance to me. This outlook has raised a few eyebrows over the years when I have grouped with others. My objection to researching game mechanics by watching videos or reading third party websites has often met with bemusement. I’ve even been asked “Are you like this in real life with things like work”? To which my answer is a resounding “no”. The major difference being that challenges and the investment of time are financially rewarded in reality, which is a far more practical form of motivation.

As a self-employed person with a marketable set of skills, I set a specific value on my time within a work capacity and that possibly colours my perspective in other aspects of my life. I am reticent to invest time in a game if there is no clear quid pro quo. Yet I know other players who are not a gamer per se, who are dedicated to a particular MMO as it is their primary leisure and social activity. They have invested far more time into their game of choice and have not once regretted it. Furthermore they fully recognise that this is something that suits them but is not necessarily right for anyone else. Whatever your perspective on this issue, regardless of how busy or laid back your life is, time still seems to be a scarce commodity these days. Therefore it is pertinent to pause and reflect upon how we spend our time in-game, to ensure that it is not squandered but used wisely and to our personal satisfaction.