RED DEAD REDEMPTION

Although I finished Red Dead Redemption days ago, I've been busy with some funny achievements I wanted to do. Mixed feelings about the game, but mostly good:

- On the 'plus' side the production values are huge, as it's common when you deal with Rockstar games, the multiplayer has many options (possibly the free-roaming game I've played with more features in this area), the length and challenges of the game are definitively worth the money, and your overall feeling about the game is great.


- On the 'minus' side, the main problem I see in the game is the story. Apparently it was written by the lead designer, and you can see that. The starting situation is poorly conceived and the main character has uninteresting secrets and few inner conflicts. Although the resolution is nice, the overall storyline is clearly improvable. Also, Rockstar creates big games with lots of mechanics but most of them are not polished 100%. Glitches are common, and some unbalances too.

Well, the truth is I liked the game, but it didn't drive me crazy. Maybe all the hype created around the title played against it while I was playing. But what the hell, it has to be a good game, otherwise I wouldn't have finished the 100% of it. Or maybe it's simply that I like western games, I also completed the 100% of 'Gun'. Or maybe it's that I like games based on historical times. Who knows.

SINGLE PLAYER ECONOMY

Many times I’ve read papers regarding how to handle virtual economies in online worlds. Lots of great minds are thinking about it, and so far (especially when considering the success of many free-to-play models) they’re doing a good job.
But what about economies in single player games? I’ve been playing Red dead redemption lately, and a funny economy issue has arisen. I’ll try to explain it without spoiling anything: At some point of the story, the main character complains a lot during cut scenes about how poor he is…. But since I was very active finding hidden treasures, in fact he had a really wealthy position. Or he should if he would have paid any attention to his inventory/wallet.

This is not the first time it ever happens to me. While playing GTA Vice city stories, and quite early in the game, the main character justifies all the violence around him with the need to get some money to help his sick brother. Thanks to certain side missions, I’ve managed to make him so rich he could have afforded not only to provide his siblings the best medical care, but to buy a brand new brother from some third world country (if you know what I mean).

A similar situation has arisen in the project in which I’m currently working. Since it lacks of any story I don’t think we’ll have inconsistencies between story and in-game economy, but still seems to me an area that most developers leave for late in the project, and not always solved effectively.

TIM SCHAFFER PITCHING A MONSTER

Oh, man, how I hate those executives who pay zero attention to people putting their hearts onto something. How can he treat like that to the creator of classics such as Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and The day of the tentacle? Heartless bastards... this one is a real monster.

GAMELAB 2011

Although it was during the week and I was working, I found the way to attend some conferences at the Gamelab 2011. Nothing I haven't seen before, but definitively the best spanish videogame summit. Aside from certain organization problems, I think it was a remarkable event which could be very good for the future of the industry. Let's see in the following years.

Oh, and here are some pictures I took or I was taken.