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Calvin Pohlhammer joins us again this week, and we cover two sort of general gripes: 1) Amateur reviewers equate money spent with hours played and score good short games poorly, and 2) Companies are more likely to run an old series (Halo, Call of Duty, Starcraft/Warcraft) instead of starting a new one.

The first discussion talks about things like amateur vs. professional reviewers, buying your own games, good short games, Bioshock’s game extending sections, and where to draw the line in terms of using techniques to artificially expand the time a player spends in your game.

We move from that into a discussion about new IP. Coming off our one of our past discussions about favorite series, and company mentality, we discuss the risks involved in starting a new IP, how a company goes through selecting an IP (based on some of my first-hand experiences), and Calvin throws down a whopper: Games will never be taken seriously by the general public until companies stop running franchises into the ground, and start creating new works of art instead of the next toy.

CLICK THE JUMP FOR THE MUSIC!

EMAIL US!

Time is money!

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Video Games cured my addiction to Dungeons and Dragons.

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Read me.

Calvin Pohlhammer, my long time friend, joins us today for the show! Calvin was my inspiration for starting the show actually, so it’s finally come full circle.  He brought to our halls some excellent topics!  We cover Co-Op games vs. Cooperative game play, and where developers need to draw the line.  We discuss the opening of the new Broadway Lodge for Addiction in England, and whether video game addiction fits among the ranks of drugs and alcohol addictions. Our not so shocking discovery in the podcast!

Later this week, we have a SPECIAL THREE PART SHOW.  We interviewed David Hellman two weeks ago, and we’re going to share the fruits of that sit down with you.  Enjoy!

He must be playing the greenest game ever...and he's too close to the screen.

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Never do a Google Image search for “Girl Gamer” at work.

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It's right, you know.

We got an email one day from this week’s special guest Michelle Flamm, and a few days later we recorded this show!  Being that the show’s cast is entirely male, having two girl students of game design was a blessing to our fair studio!  They’re much better smelling, that’s for sure…

We talked, and we talked of things gender related at first.  We discussed the current situation of women in game design, we discussed how girls that play games in society are on the rise and how playing games makes you look.  We even talked about what it might be like to work in the industry, at an all woman company.  It’s a much different kind of show!

After all that, we took a step back and talked about recurring trends in game design.  What was, and what will come back?  Focusing on the Wii, we talk about motion controls and how they were implemented in the past, and will be in the future.

Conventions are awesome.

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Wave your hands in front of your Xbox 360!

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It's still a lie, sister...

On this show we have a special guest, good friend Steve Crump joins us as we discuss the often misunderstood Activision CEO Bobby Kottick, Jon White’s visit to Blizzcon ‘09, and how we would design a game for Project Natal!  Give it a listen!

Also, next week we’ll have a special show that specifically focuses on Women Gamers and Designers, with two special guests in the studio, so listen for it!  Coming up, Greg and I recorded some of our favorite “WTF” moments in games, moments that make you drop the controller for better or worse!  Once that’s edited up, I’ll let it fly!

Thanks for the mail we’ve been getting, and special thanks to Scott P. for his letter about the music episode!  We’ll try to keep it fresh, Scott!

I am being hyper lazy with Photoshop, and I didn't want to work that hard on this picture...I mean, look at it.

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Critical Hit’s back in action!

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The ads for this game are everywhere.

This week we tackle the issues! We discuss game design motives, and why asking a tech guy like John Carmack about his perfect sunset is a waste of time.  We discuss a recent article about the game Evony, and its impact on the world of online gaming.  We wrap it up by examining the boycott of XBLA hit game Shadow Complex by Anti-Orson Scott Card protesters.

I think this is a good goal for a designer.

Feel free to send in thoughts and topics to IAMCritHit@gmail.com

CORRECTION:  John mentions UGO.com as a gold farming site, which was errant.  UGO is a legitimate gaming site.  Please re-hear UGO as IGE.com , which is actually a gold farming site.  Critical Hit thanks you for your understanding.

DOUBLE CORRECTIIONL: I mention that the new World of Warcraft expansion was released, this was horribly wrong!  The expansion, “Cataclysm”, was ANNOUNCED.  Please do not call Game Stop asking for it, cause I work there.

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Critical Bits Minisode GET!

Joe Locastro and Greg Smith wax on a little video game music talk!

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Who's the knuckleheads? WE ARE THE KNUCKLEHEADS!

With a bit of a stunted cast we have a bit of a stunted show!  We’re all gearing up for the school year, getting our last minute kicks out of the way, so Greg and I decided to do a minisode to keep the spirit alive!  So, welcome to Critical Bits.

Greg and I have a deep passion for game music, we listen to it quite a lot.  For this Bit we decided to share some of our favorite in-game songs and soundtracks, as well as game songs we just liked in general.  Game music has always been integral to design in my mind, so listen in and maybe you’ll hear a song you like!  Give that game a try!

Also, here’s a link to a YouTube playlist I made with some more great game music in it.

The most ballin’ VGM I could think of…a few months ago.

Let us know what you think, click the jump for a full list of songs we reference!

PS: My “Shadow of the Colossus” song is called Revived Power ~ Battle With The Colossus, not Silence ~ Battle With The Colossus.  My mistake.  ALSO, I couldn’t get an MP3 of the original theme from Cheetahmen 2, so here’s a link to the YouTube video I reference!

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I got off work at 4am last night.

James, Steve and I singing Pizza Day by The Aquabats on the car ride down.

During the last two days:

-I escorted Vic Mignogna through the exhibit hall, encouraged his purchase of a Star Trek TOS T-shirt.  Found out Vic is in the Star Trek: New Horizons series, and that he voiced Junpei in Persona 3.

-Met Tom Wayland and assisted him in a few panels including a dramatic read of a Vampire Hunter D story, and Hentai Dubbing.

-Dubbed me some hentai. Quotes of the Dub: “I can’t *** unless you do your best Robert DeNiro!” “Churn my butter!  Churn it like I was Amish!” “701, 702, 703, 704…HIGH SCORE, *****!” and “Focus the camera!  Is it focused? Come ON mom!  It’s the button on the side!”

-Did several interviews, including David Gaiter, the Lead Writer for Dragon Age: Origins and Geoff Battone, Creator and Game Designer from Slugfest Games and James Jacobs, editor-in-chief over at Paizo Publishing. Links to all those coming in soon.  My MP3 encoder isn’t working on this computer.

Hear the interview with Geoff Battone

-I embarassed Geoff Battone from Slugfest when I admitted to playing Red Dragon Inn as a drinking game.  But we talked about his inspiration for designs, and what it was like to be a new company at a convention during their first Gen Con in ‘04.

Listen to me talking to James Jacobs

-When speaking to James Jacobs we discussed their new Pathfinder game (which I picked up).  Pathfinder is written over the open source 3.5 rules, and is poised to take a bite out of the tabletop market from Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition.  Also, spellcasting classes get cantrips for free.  Win.

Observe as I nerd it with David Gaiter

-I press David Gaiter about the dialog choices in Dragon Age: Origins, asking him about the writing process for dialog.  He touched on the Mass Effect meter, but pointed out that Dragon Age: Origins is more about the consequences of your actions.  This made me smile.  Morally gray options!  Yay!  No multiplayer in Dragon Age: Origins, by the way, but he discussed how they worked through the process of deciding whether to have it in the game or not.  I also embarass the hell out of myself with a brain fart.  Listen in.

-Watched “Gamers: Dorkness Rising” and was pleasently surprised.  The movie was funny and very, VERY nerdy.  I got every joke, and I enjoyed the level of detail put into the production.  If you get a chance, watch/buy Gamers and Gamers: Dorkness Rising.  Must have fun films for the D&D player in all of us…D&D players.

-Worked the overnight shift last night, till 4am this morning.  Woke up sleeping people, chased people from the hall, busted people for drinking, checked a room of 1,000 people playing TCGs for their badges.  Some people were nice.  Others gave me sass.  I remained professional, but it was a THOUSAND PEOPLE.  Heh, I had a good time with it.  Then I woke up more sleeping people (Quote of the night: “You don’t have to touch me, man!”), I drove the cart around a bit, I checked badges some more.

-Bought Johno a present. Tee hee hee!

-Got my picture taken by Brandy.

-Might be staffing Otakon next year.

-Went to a bar where the drinks were cheap but sugary as all get out.  Yech.

-I’m listening to the Beyblade opening “Off the Chains” right now in the Westin Lobby and rocking out while Vic signs autographs.

-Trying to get these damn files to compress down so I can upload them faster.  A 5 minute interview should not be 70mbs!

I’ll be back in Chicago on Tuesday, friends.  I’ll see you all soon, but if anyone is a licensed massage therapist…I’m going to need one.  My dogs are baaaaaarkin’.

Working hard, or hardly workin? Hahashutup.

-Joe

PS: “I have an Ouran [Boys Club] guild on NeoPets, and when I told them I’d see you they all wanted me to ask you to say ‘Hi!’.” Quote.

PPS: Vic Mignogna, myself, and the cast of the Westin Indianapolis Lobby singing “Piano Man” while Vic plays the piano.

Day 3, 4:21pm

Gen Con woke me at 8am to the sound of Steve, Diesel and Lisa getting up.  I followed suit.

The day was destined to be a long one.  I can barely believe it’s only 4:21pm.  It feels like it’s been days since I woke up.  I like this feeling, like time is merely a suggestion but at the same time you know it’s going to end eventually.  And it’s like being the light at the end of the tunnel, but this tunnel has a dark ending.

I digress.

I’m up, and out the door.  The lines are already forming out the door for tickets. The way Gen Con works is you pay your badge fee, and that gets you into the hall.  But, certain events require tickets (costing between 2 and several dollars).  I am taking part in no ticketed events this year, I’m here for the good times and the leg work.  I notice lots of costumes, and a lot more generic costume pieces tacked onto outfits.  People with tails, cat ears, goggles, foam swords, zombie get-up, slogan tees, corsets (either too big or too small or useless or ABSOLUTELY NESSESCARY for some girls.)  The smell is notorious, the sound is a din.  You can pull out the keywords:  Card, Roll, Attack, d”x”, Paizo, Magic, Game, etc.  It’s all here for the ones who look and ask.

The open gaming room is already full early in the day, and stays that way.  I’ve barely explored the city outside the convention center but for a thursday this is awesome.  So many people.  Each hotel has their own little section of events, and most hotels in the downtown area are somehow partnered with Gen Con to host some events.  The Marriott is hosting the True Dungeon, and the Red Dragon Inn.  The Embassy has panels, the Westin…etc.  It’s a city wide event with no parallel to my experience.  Still, a guy on his bike rides up and down the line calling for extra tickets.  A woman had a heart attack last night.  Crime and blood already cover the doorstep, and it’s only the SLOW DAY.

I played two games though, let me tell you about them.

Dante’s Inferno

So we covered a little about this game on the podcast, and we all agreed we may have ragged on it a little much that show.  I stood controller in hand to play it and as Kratos swung his mighty…wait a sec lemme try that again.  So as Kratos fought off the GIGANTIC bosses I felt my…no that’s not right either.  I mashed buttons to perform Quick-Time Event kills so Kratos could gain exp…wait a minute.  I’VE BEEN HAD.

EA, EA, EA...hast thou forgotten so quickly the lessons of the ones who came before?

That’s right, EA.  I’m on to you.  The game I played looked, behaved, and played EXACTLY like God of War.  There was NO difference.  I looked for them, trust me.  The buttons were almost identical, save for one remapping, but the combat was the same, the dodging, the QTE finishing moves, the larger that life bosses.  There was nothing fresh.  The only thing that stood out to me was the art direction was rather nice, and the killing blows were appropriately gruesome.  But great, I’ll go fire up my copy of God of War 1 or 2 and get the exact same enjoyment all over again.

I walked away from the booth dejected.  Dante’s Inferno was a great IP to have, with a great and mighty potential to be awesome but EA let it’s potential slip on by, and walked the safe route.  “Rip of God of War,” must have been the exact line from the Executive Producers. That being said, I will RENT it.  What wasn’t broken wasn’t fixed, and I enjoyed God of War a lot.  But I will not give EA my hard earned Simoleans.  I want them to know that piggybacking success is what sunk Midway.  Don’t be a follower.

Dragon Age: Origins

Yay! Baldur's Gate II!

Now this was a delicious breath of nostalgia.  Where Dante’s Inferno blatantly ripped off another game, this game blatantly made everything old feel new again.  Dragon Age: Origins was a game I jumped directly into without needing a primer.  It’s interface is like Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate got together and had a High-Def baby.  With only three of the origin stories to choose from, I took the path less travelled: Human Mage.

Awww yeah yeah yeah! Neverwinter Nights II!

Combat in this game is exactly like it has been, and it was fun.  Spacebar stops time, allowing you to assign orders to all of your party members before resuming the game.  Combat isn’t realtime, per se.  It’s the old dice-roll-behind-the-scenes, tried and true combat from previous Bioware RPG installments.  Dialog was varied and the responses were more than mere “Good”/”Evil” and “Neutral.”  I had fun choosing routes through conversations as well as through the world I was now in.  A decent ladling of challenge kept me on my toes, responding to more enemies on screen and casting healing spells to protect my bear buddy, and defeat demons in another dimension.  The writing was also deliciously twisted, leading me through a few riddles and even a near double cross!  I was excited while playing it, and could see myself doing so for hours.  I didn’t get my hands on the Xbox 360 build of it yet but rest assured I will!

So after one day of events I’ve done all that PLUS!

-Bought a luchador mask.  Hell yes.

-Ate at Noodles & Shit again. I forgot it’s name.

-Watched more NCIS.

-Intend to drink heavily tonight.

Excelsior, my friends!

-Joe

DAY 1

5:00pm, Tuesday August 11th

Steve and I are watching “Meatballs II” on Comedy Central.  So far today we’ve:

-Had a great conversation in the car about super heroes.  We decided that the next Batman movie would be best if it featured Harley Quinn and the Penguin.  We examined the Green Lantern, desiring Nathan Fillion for the role.  We also discussed the Flash, and our favorite portrayals of the heroes to be present in the Avengers movie.  It’s was a great conversation.  I wish you could have been there.

-Been woken up by the housekeeping at 8am.  Apparently I, in my sleep, told Steve to get up and answer the door.  I have no recollection of this event.

-Explored the convention floor.  It was extremely stuffy in there thanks to the AC being off still but we found the Art show in the process of being set up.  We grabbed some convention guides and left.

-Had Lunch at Noodles & Company.  I’d never eaten there and let me tell you, it was fantastic.  Really damned good.  I had the udon and braised beef, Steve had the pesto (which I will be getting next time.)  We ghosted back to the hotel.

-Watched a horrible stand up comedian on Comedy Central. His jokes were mostly unfunny, his voice work was bad, dated and ineffective and often the audience punished him for it.  I felt bad watching it, but I watched all of it.

-Met up with Diesel.  Diesel is an artist from Texas who drove up.  17 hours, blew a tire on the way.  Haven’t seen him since last Gen Con.  His birthday was yesterday, and there’s a surprise party for him on Saturday.  Diesel looks like he could be Andrew Hicks’ lost brother in law.  Talks with the same inflection, is slightly below average in height with a dashing goatee.  Spittin’ image.

-I decided to give the Anime voice acting panels a shot this year. Vic Mingonglalalashaladingdong is going to be there.  Gonna do my best.

-I’m also doing the Hentai voice acting panel.  I’ve been reciting lines like an extra in some horrible teacher/student scene for funsies.  Sometimes as Niko Bellic.

-Started watching “Meatballs II” on Comedy Central.  This movie is really, really bad.  The best moment has come and gone: The Colonel over at Camp Patton deflects an attack from one of his trainees and counters with a powerful backhand, sending the wiry, flaxen haired 6-year old the gravel for a dirt nap.

-Giggled at the “Don’t go to bed before the King” ads on TV.  That shit’s clever.

More to come later!

DAY 2

1:25pm Wednesday August 12th

Once again woken up by the housekeeping staff, I decided to stay awake this time.  Steve and I got dressed and hit the convention hall again to help set up Artist Alley.  I put slips on all of the tables and lifted one heavy thing.

The feeling in the convention hall was one of tense anticipation, a strange sort of busy calm before the storm.  Cranes lifted rigging and truss’ for large displays.  EA is here. CCP is here.  Konami is here.  Paizo.  Wizards of the Coast.  Every major player in the world of traditional (and video) games has some kind of foothold.  I did hear it from one of the EA reps that there PROBABLY was not going to be some kind of PR event tied to a sin at this event.  The marketing guy hadn’t arrived yet though, so maybe we’ll get some action.

After that, I was on my own.  I wandered around downtown Indianapolis for a short time, before deciding to sit down and do what I’m doing now.  Coming to you live from the lobby of the Marriott, taking up space near a table of fellas playing what at least looks and sounds like D&D.  Slugfest Games is setting up a display next to me for Red Dragon Inn as well.  I’m going to interview one of them later. Speaking of audio interviews my SD card reader is kinda f**ked right now, so I may have to improvise once I meet up with Steve or Jim.  But I do have some audio to share!  I promise!

Gen Con is really an event about people.  Above games, above marketing.  People with people, playing games.  Talking nerdy.  Dressing the part.  I’ve seen 3 Utilikilts so far on this trek, and I even brought my own.  Gen Con has games going on all day, all night, in every lobby of most of the hotels in the downtown area.  The streets are transformed already with banners welcoming gamers, signs in windows and on street corners proclaiming the Gen Con love.  The local RAM restaurant has renamed a few of their brews with more…draconian monikers, and other venues offer special convention prices or events.  The movie theater is showing Serenity tomorrow night in honor of the convention.

Working at a con is a fresh feeling though.  I have been on the outside looking in many, many times and (Damn this music is good…”Eat’em Up” by R4.  Look it up.) it’s been a really strange turn of events.  I’m mostly on my own with my work here, I don’t get directly supervised or any of that, and so my days are lighthearted and I can foresee a lot of wandering.  (Mmmmm…Sambomaster…)  Maybe I’ll get into some shenanigans, I sure hope so.  To my left is a man hanging a dragon’s head.  Small dragon.

Small dragons or big, Gen Con is going to be an onslaught of the finest in gaming for the next five days and I’m going to soak it all up like a sponge.  Here’s my current list of goals:

-Talk to/Audition for Vic M.

-Talk to these nice guys from Slugfest (maybe pitch Charlatan?)

-Talk to someone at EA’s booth about being here at Gen Con.

-Eat.

-Sleep.

-Buy something.

The list gets a little base towards the end, but it should be a good time.  If I can get my DS online I may be able to upload pictures.  Next time I will CHECK my computer to make sure it’s SD card slot works, and maybe I’ll bring a camera.  MAYBE.  I’m pretty bad with them.

Joe Masaki, on the case.

Me, at last year's Gen Con

-J.M.

So I’m going to Gen Con.

Gen Con, according to their website, is the “original, longest running, best attended, gaming convention in the world.”  I’d have to agree.  I’ve been to Gen Con two years running and I am in love with it.  Lots of gamers, lots of games.  Board games, card games, tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons and more.  It’s a grand affair, and fun is had by all.

This year I’m going with my trusty audio recorder, laptop, and a keen eye for the scoop.  I’m not going to try and get stories about the next big thing.  I hope to at least ask about the next step for tabletop games, will they fall victim to the New Media?  Things like that.  Or some such.

ANYWAYS, in the interest of the freshness, I’m going to write as much as I can, hopefully one entry a day about what’s going on, what I’ve found out.  If I can get my FTP working and Audacity cranked up I may even post some stuff I record day of.

If anyone has something they’d like me to ask interviewees (I’m going to try to get as many industry people as I can, maybe some gamers,) let me know!  I’ll see what I can do.

Don’t Get Eliminated,

Joe