It wasn’t long ago that film director Brett Ratner was screwing up the X-Men movie series, now he aims to take down another modern classic. Ratner stated in a recent interview, that he would like to take on Guitar Hero as his next film project. At first glance, this does sound like a terrible idea, but on second thought—it’s still a terrible idea.
I recently had the opportunity to put a genuine game producer on the spot. I asked Adam Powell, CEO and creative director of Meteor Games, a few questions, and he graciously played along. Adam has been in the online gaming realm for nearly a decade. He hit it big with Neopets, an online version of the virtual pet experience, and his new MMO, Twin Skies is currently in closed beta (released at PAX). He shared some great details on Twin Skies, and online gaming in general. Hit the jump for the interview.
Game Design, Gamer Culture, Nintendo Wii
I remember even before the Wii was released in 2006, it was marketed primarily based on the very bizarre controller it came with. The public dubbed this device: the “Wiimote”. The initial teaser ads contained a slightly creepy montage of people looking into the camera while waving the Wiimote around in unusual ways, amidst the sounds of everything from cars driving, tennis balls being hit and guns being fired. This magical remote could do anything it seemed. So why is Nintendo tripping over itself in a rush to change it?
It looks like Mars and Venus can play together after all. The number of female gamers has grown in recent years, and with the variety of games out there, it’s a wonder that anybody out there is still not playing them. The taste in games may differ between the sexes, but at least the playing field is leveling.
Game Design, PC, Virtual Worlds
There’s a new shop in Pleasantview creating quite a buzz. The Sims may have their own pets, and they discovered seasons (Winter…cold?), but something was missing. Thankfully, your Sims can rejoice and relax now that you can give them Swedish, new age furniture with the IKEA Home Stuff expansion pack. The good news: everything comes pre-assembled. The bad news is: there are no meatballs!
I remember being in my elementary school library trying to study with the distracting and ever-present threat of losing an axle in Oregon Trail. Those even less ambitious would spend the hour hunting the “Trail“, coming home with no more than twelve pounds of gopher meat and a B-minus. The true academics would forever ask the question, “Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” I don’t know about you, but I never did figure out where the hell she was; fortunately, today’s kids have a slew of new ways to not learn.
I stopped trying to be on the cutting edge of technology years ago. Every time I picked up a “new” gaming system, it turned out to be a big let down. Die-hard gamers think that if it’s new and expensive, it must be good. That’s what you think before you pay $180 for a Virtual Boy.
Gamer Culture, Nintendo DS, Technology
Now that we’ve reached a point in technology where two mildly-techie people don’t even have to be in the same room to get to know one other, a lot of people are getting together that normally wouldn’t. Thanks to the social pastime that is gaming, these people are brought out of the shadows and into the arms of someone that has the same interests. Making a love connection over a LAN connection is not exactly new, but some online gamers have found exciting new ways to pop the question—without making eye contact.
