STAR WARS GALAXIES DOWN

It has just been announced Star Wars Galaxies is going to been put to sleep in December. I have mixed feeling about it. I spent almost 2 years playing that game, but I have to admit it was really crappy. The developers tried to create a game without challenges or design-oriented content, and just let users create all the fun. They obviously failed.

However there was a hidden objective which allowed users to become a jedi, and that was what I tried to achieve for all that time. I eventually made it, but the game was re-designed and everyone was allowed to create a jedi character, which sent all my efforts to the trash.

Now Raph Koster, the game director, tries to convince people he created something unique. He just fucked it up. He's probably one of those guys who sell themselves much better than they really work.

Anyway, I may re-open my account in December to say goodbye to my characters, travis-san, truman-san and trantor-san. So many hours together...

STEVE JOBS HAS MADE ME HIS BITCH

Well, after many years resisting, I eventually bought an Apple device. It was the iPad2, but in its most basic version (16 gigas, no 3G). Why? Well, iPhone and iPad have become videogame platforms, and I felt guilty for not having one of them. I somehow felt a bad designer for not having played Angry Birds at least once.

Anyway, right now I'm looking how to integrate the iPad in my life. I can't make it use as an agenda since I don't have the intention of carrying it everywhere I go. I'm currently using it as a secondary device for checking my email, browse internet and listen music since my laptop is slightly old and slows down dramatically when it's multitasking.

On the other hand, I've found some excellent videogames. Ok, I'm not impressed by Angry Birds but I paid for it... and I think it's money well spent. I dowloaded other apps such as Doodle Jump, Helsing's lite, Paper toss, Traffic rush... and Game Dev Story. I love this game, a videogame company simulator. It reminds me when I used to work for Dinamic Multimedia (creator of PC Atletismo, PC Futbol, PC Basket...) and we joked about making a game entitled "PC PC".

L.A. NOIRE

And another game I finished: L.A. Noire. This time was special since I was really eager to play it since I found out they were making a 'neo-noir' videogame. I love movies and I like that sub-genre. I pre-order the game and I've been playing it as much as I could since I got it.

My impression is the game is great, but not the best of the year. They've tried to do something different and in general terms they made it. I respect that deeply. However there are minor mistakes and bugs that make me think the game is not perfect. I'd say it's an 8. 8.5 maximum.

The best of the game is the fabulous face animation system which is nicely integrated in the gameplay during interrogations. The documentation for recreating L.A. in 1947 is remarkable. It has a variety of game mechanics and it's the game that made me feel for the first time that I was really investigating a case. Aside from that it shares many interesting features with GTA, like a big city to explore and some optional challenges that made me (and still is) invest my time on it until I complete 100% of the game.

On the minus side the final outcome of the interrogations is often random, you never feel you've complete control over what's going on in them. Also I think the storyline has several black holes, but at the end they solve some of them. And not to mention several bugs, one of them crashed the system and I had to reboot the console.

In summary a great game, but I suspect L.A. Noire 2 can be much better. I'll buy it for sure.

CONCEPT ART

I didn't know about it but seems like the Academy of interactive arts & sciences has like a hall of fame for concept art images. They've just added some more to the list. You can see them here.

I've always liked good concept art. They help at an early stage to understand what the game will be in a future. And some of them expand your gameplay ideas with potential features or feelings.

Also, at a certain extent, I think there is more creativity and hard work in videogame concept art than in most painters I've seen in Arco or some museums.

SUPER MARIO GALAXY

Ok, after 3 years I finally completed the last levels of Super Mario Galaxy. Why did I wait so much? Didn't I like it? On the opposite, I consider the game one of the finest design of history and the level design is incredibly creative. There are tons of lessons to learn in that game.

Then why took me so much to finish the game? Well, I think it's because the story sucks. Like all Mario games, the plot involves princess peach being kidnapped by Bowser, and Mario going level after level after her, only to hear 'Well done, Mario. But the princess is not in this castle'.

Oh, there is a nice story in the game, the only involving Mom, that blonde girl who adopted the little stars. Small pieces of her story are provided as rewards, and the final story has a certain flavor close to The Little Prince. Although small, I liked it.

But no, from a story point of view the game is poor. As a consequence, I never felt compelled by the characters or the storyline. While I was not playing the game I knew Mario was not having a hard time. As the matter a fact he smiled all along the adventure. Is he some type of sadist who enjoys thinking about her girl's suffering? Or is he a sociopath? Maybe gay? Who knows.

The thing is Super Mario Galaxy is completely focused on gameplay, and excels on it. But I need a story to make me go back to a game. Is it possible for a videogame to be too focus on gameplay?

CLASSIC POSTMORTEM: DOOM

Here is a nice conference offered in 2011 GDC by John Romero and Tom Hall, designers of the original Doom, the game that in most aspects defined the modern FPS genre.

Although the title, the conference it's not a postmortem per se. It's more a nostalgic 'How we did it', with many private jokes and funny moments to remember. However it includes footage of early stages of the game's development, and it's definitively worth to watch. Enjoy!

DIGITAL LEGENDS

Just some quick lines to say I recently accepted a position in Digital Legends. They've got some interesting projects and I know people there who told me the company was nice to work for. So here I am back in Barcelona!