Direct Downloads: The Future of Gaming? Blog Assignment #2

This is a topic I've liked talking about for a while now as I am a huge proponent of games shifting into a direct download style of distribution as opposed to the typical physical disc. Why? Because it's healthy for the game studios/companies that are putting years of time and effort into making these games for us. Stores like Gamestop tend to make most of their money by offering gamers minuscule sums of store credit for their used games. This may seem like a benign practice but it takes a chunk out of the profits made by the game creators and hands it over to the store.

In this Forbes article a former Gamestop employee spoke out on the franchise's used game "racket" even going so far as to say it'd be illegal if our government regulated the sales of used video games. This may be an extreme example but it adequately depicts an ongoing business issue for the game industry as 100% of used game sales profits go to the store rather than the game studio that created it.

Essentially what happens is Gamestop, as one of the primary game distributors, orders "x" amount of copies of an upcoming game to satisfy the pre-order/launch demands. After the launch rush is over, most of the future sales of that particular game will be used purchases as opposed to new, giving Gamestop a huge portion of the profits and leaving the people who put years of work into making it in the dust.

As far as digital distribution goes you have distributors such as Valve's Steam interface, a wholly digital means of purchasing and playing a plethora of both mainstream and indie games. What often comes along with this method of distribution is decreased prices for new games, sometimes to the tune of a full 10 dollars less than a physical copy.

In addition to the obvious ease of access and the fair prices Steam also fronts a line of impressive packaged deals that feature numerous games from specific studios. These value packs often help rejuvenate even the oldest of games and profit the developers even more.

But hey, business practices aside, digital distribution's appeal is pointed at us, the gamers! It profits the developers and whatnot which is great for us long-term but the push for digital distribution is fueled by our desires as well. Nobody likes pre-ordering through Gamestop, if they're being honest. Trying to pre-order through them is like giving yourself a 75% chance of getting the game you desired and a 25% chance of having them try to tell you it doesn't come out on the day it came out (My experience with Gamestop on multiple occasions). You're far better off picking up the PC game off Steam/Origin and knowing you're supporting the developers and knowing you've got your game. Hint: Devs like digital distribution and more often than not that method of purchase usually comes with some perks! Especially for MMOs!

The next step in the digital distribution process is liberating the console gamers as there is no nice way to get new releases like we can on the PC through Steam, they're forced to use Gamestop in the same way the game companies are forced to work with them to reach core gaming audiences. With any luck the game industry can provide direct download services at some point in the near future and put businesses like Gamestop back in their place.

Can you tell I don't like Gamestop?

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Virtual Reality: A Step Forward? Blog Assignment #1

Alright so one of the things I looked into/tried out at PAX Prime was the virtual reality headset they had up for demo. I was pretty excited going in as it was my first time trying something like this. That initial excitement died fairly quickly as I realized that first off, the game was pretty "meh" and the headset was rather clunky, among other things.

The headset itself was connected to something else through a fairly thick set of cords that were anchored to the back of the headset. What this meant was the person running this booth was constantly trying to adjust this cable so that I wouldn't wrap myself up in it or trip over it. It proved to be a constant annoyance as I was trying to move freely in the game.

I used to see VR as a step forward for gaming but my experiences at PAX felt a tad bit gimmick-y and extremely disorienting (I had to sit down for a bit afterwards to avoid puking). This entire thing seemed a tad premature and I found myself wishing that they had chosen a different game to demo this tech on along with a host who knew what he was doing.

The gentleman hosting this booth was knowledgeable enough about the headset itself but not about the game I was using it for so I spent most of my time wandering around aimlessly which involved a lot of spinning around (which actually required me to physically spin around, thus the disorientation). Needless to say...things could have been better.

Basically what this headset did was disable the right stick (was playing on a 360) so that all camera movement was directed by where I was trying to physically look. This part was pretty cool but it's also quite a bit more difficult than just using the controller which just begs the question, is VR even worth it?

I could see myself using this type of tech for games like Skyrim or other aesthetically pleasing games that I really want to experience on a deeper level. However, the demo I tried at PAX was for a shooter which proved to be a little too hectic at times for me to deal with while trying to aim precisely with the headset. The whole experience was a bit of a turn off but it also may have just been the specific circumstances that led to that feeling.

So! I'd like to know if anyone else has thoughts on VR tech and especially if you've given it a test yourself. But feel free to comment even if you haven't!

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Morally Correct in a Morally Incorrect World: A Look at the Character of Wei Shen

This past week has been a big one for me since Darksiders II, Sleeping Dogs, and The Last Story all came out together. I decided to start with Sleeping Dogs since Gamestop managed to not have my pre-ordered The Last Story. In addition to the game review itself I wanted to stop and take a look at a character that has now taken a spot on my "Favorite Character" list, Wei Shen.

Sleeping Dogs puts you in the shoes of a fiery undercover cop named Wei Shen as he attempts to dismantle the Sun On Yee (A play on the actual Triad Sun Yee On?) from the inside. The plot felt fairly typical at first and I honestly expected to be playing Sleeping Dogs not for it's gripping characters of plot but rather for a fun, face paced action game. However, as the story progressed, my opinions began to shift as I not only got involved in the story but the character of Wei Shen.

After completing the game the base theme I got out of Sleeping Dogs was the heavy concept of being a morally correct character in an extremely incorrect world. To me, Wei was just that. Throughout the story Wei is forced to play out the age old struggle of the undercover cop, the dynamic shift between criminal and officer that he is forced to go through. Obviously there is a great deal of attachment to his new "family" as he sees how far they would go for him, and he reciprocates.

This closeness to his cover causes great distress for Raymond, his handler for the police department, as he is the only one Wei talks to outside of the occasional case from officer Teng and the caustic interactions with Superintendent Pendrew. As Wei continues down the path of a criminal he is continually presented with morally challenging obstacles that force him to push the boundaries of what he feels is acceptable. The first instance of this is when Wei is essentially forced to take a life as a kind of test to prove he isn't a cop, which he does.

As you progress further into the story there are some very real, very painful situations that lead Wei up the food chain in the Triad. These are all things that Wei needed to complete his job but pain him greatly as he sees his friends suffer. Wei is often displayed in direct opposition to how the police attempt to treat him as well as the people he is working with, even criticizing the Officer Teng for belittling the lives of members of the Triad in a murder investigation. Wei is shown to have an incredibly deep connection to his new family for no reason other than a kind of reciprocal relationship of actually wanting to help them as they do things for him.

Eventually Wei's initial obligation to climb the ladder within the triad fades and he is propelled by his own attachments to his friends. Even though much of what is being done around him could be considered wrong or morally incorrect Wei is often forced into the protector or guardian role as he attempts to stave off attempts to harm his friends. Oddly enough, a vast portion of the crime and, specifically, murder occurs within the Triad itself, leaving the risk of harming innocents almost nonexistent. This seems to be Wei's justification for much of what he does as most of his police work is related to taking out drug suppliers and shutting down prostitution rings, things that are extremely detrimental to the innocents of the city.

However, Wei is continually haunted by many of his choices and the events he is forced into, often hearing replays of conversations in his dreams. Wei also bears a bit of his soul when talking to his Master, Sifu Kwok, as you collect his stolen statues and learn new combat techniques. Their relationship definitely is one of Mentor -> Pupil as Sifu constantly challenges Wei's morality and his choices. Sifu definitely takes the role of Wei's conscience and moral adviser as he is presented with increasingly difficult situations.

Close to the end of the game you are working to put a well-known producer/human trafficker Sonny Wo, behind bars. This set of missions involves getting moderately close to his right hand man, Ricky, and his girlfriend, Vivienne. Sonny is depicted as a raunchy scumbag and is constantly saying things like "Hey, F*** her if you want to! Just don't damage the goods! Hahaha!" Real quality guy.

At one point Sonny forces Vivienne to attempt to sleep with Wei and essentially drag him into Sonny's favor. Wei refuses her advances and sends her home, comforting the clearly surprised Vivienne as she leaves, thanking Wei for not forcing her to go through with it. This scene really demonstrated Wei's dedication to his friends and his desire to never hurt those close to him, even though he didn't know Ricky that well.

For me, Sleeping Dogs became less about the fun, flowing combat, and more about watching how this great character developed. You can't help but like Wei Shen and admire the character's firm dedication to his friends and how and where he draws the line between right and wrong. He is an extremely vocal character who is both the voice of reason and of total opposition to the Triad and the Police.

Wei Shen has definitely become one of my favorite characters, and I'd like to thank everyone involved in crafting this wonderful game!

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