02/06/2010 11:17:50 AM EST

"Real Gamer" endorses TYT game review

posted by OneHitKill

When it comes to real gamers, nobody is more real than OneHitKill.

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And after watching Wes's (highly humorous) review of Dragon Age, this "real gamer" encourages the Turks not to be shy about reviewing other interactive titles. The game didn't really look like anything I'd get into (BioWare titles piss me off with all their dialog, although I'm currently trying to keep an open mind while I play through Mass Effect 2), but if you guys continue doing game reviews, you'll just get better and better at it.
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"Real Gamer" endorses TYT game review | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden)
It looks so good (none / 0)

Mass Effect 2 looks AWEsome. Im pissed cause TYT wont review it (Wes- WAHHH my 360 is broken).

 Why did they even waste their time reviewing that game with the jetpack?

 And the dialog makes the game better only 1200%. If Mass Effect was all action, it would suck. Trust me, Ive already played Pinnacle Station, and it was less than par. A game full of that? I think Ill pass.

"The term 'national debt' is a way for the rich to con the poor into paying the tab of the former's escapades."

by bballadante on 02/06/2010 11:50:28 AM EST

I already have a PC... (none / 0)
...with a gazillion times the processing and graphics power -- not to mention the storage capacity and bandwidth -- of any console.  Why would I want a 360?

And I'll let my weapons do my talking for me.

by EveningStarNM on 02/06/2010 12:20:54 PM EST

[ Parent ]
you mean (none / 0)
you don't want to have a bunch of 10 year olds insulting you while you're playing?  C'mon...it's WAY better than pc gaming!


Chris

by chrisandyasemin on 02/06/2010 01:24:43 PM EST

[ Parent ]
SHUT UP! (none / 0)
...goddamn kids...

by EveningStarNM on 02/06/2010 01:31:07 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Why would you want a 360? (none / 0)

Well, I personally enjoy playing games on consoles, and not on the PC. Kicking back in my recliner, playing on a huge screen is infinitely more comfortable than sitting at my desk.

And letting weapons talk for you is what Bush did. Worked out well for him, didnt it? ;-)

There's a very fine line between not listening, and not caring. I like to think that I walk that line every day of my life. -Leonard Church-

by Byne on 02/06/2010 02:48:10 PM EST

[ Parent ]
It depends on the ''desk''. (none / 0)
Because I spend so much time at my desk, I've made it super comfortable.  My chair cost almost as much as my monitors, and they were $400 a piece.  I'm grateful for it every time I lean back and put my feet up.  I don't need no stinking lazy-boy.

I'll let you walk out of my crosshairs this time.

by EveningStarNM on 02/06/2010 10:52:55 PM EST

[ Parent ]
PC Games (none / 0)
Reasons why pcs are better:

1. EVERY GAME IS AVAILABLE. Even if they didnt make it for the pc, there are emulators for everything.

2. UPGRADEABLE. You dont have to buy a new one every few years

3. STEAM/HL1 + 2. need i say more?

by SkinGraft on 02/09/2010 12:49:35 PM EST

[ Parent ]
mass effect 2 is easily game of the year contender (none / 0)
I think Wes' reviews are actually helpful as a gamer.  "hardcore" gamers who don't have lives tend to think that they are the "real" gamers, when really they just are the ones who don't have anything else to do but nerd out.  I make video games, and play them, and Wes has more credibility as a gamer than the bitches on the internet who hide behind anonymity.  To those who think storylines don't belong in videogames, you have to realize that video games are pretty much the most immersive form of media you can have, so to not have storylines there would be a waste of the strongest medium.  Video games can be interactive, and when you can actually develop relationships with characters, rather than just reading about them or watching them for two hours on a screen, this is the REAL chance to become part of the story and not just a spectator.  Video games are the pinnacle of storytelling, however great stories like Mass Effect are few and far between, much like great movies like Scarface are just as rare among the masses of crappy films.  Some people romanticize books, or film, but when you look objectively, they come no where close to being able to immerse a person into a story as much as video games.  Some people will argue this point, but it's because they haven't studied the history of video games.

Example, the "story" in super mario brothers is an example of a game where the story is completely removed from the gameplay, and the story is almost non-existent.  A game like Lost:Via Domus is ALL story, with a little gameplay and puzzle solving thrown in.  These games sometimes don't feel like games, but more like movies.  Then a game like Mass effect is pretty much the most interactive game where the player's actions actually affect the storyline, and the outcome of the game.  Many games have one definite ending, and possibly 2, but a game like mass effect has so many variables that every person's game experience is different.  Two people won't have the same experience, and one person could have multiple endings playing through multiple times.  This has been tried in film, but it was an epic failure.  If anyone has ever read "Time Machine" books, you're familiar with books with multiple endings/experiences, so it's not unique to video games at all.

Chris

by chrisandyasemin on 02/06/2010 01:21:53 PM EST

a few things... (none / 0)
I haven't played Mass Effect, but I'd just like to point something out... games are meant, first and FOREMOST, to be fun.  A game can have the best story ever written, but if its not fun nobody is going to bother with it.  Games like mario don't have much of a story, or an extremely simplistic one (aka excuse plot), but if they are fun and entertaining, poeple will love them.

That said, I think the games with the best stories are often my favorite ones, because they often are the full package.  Games like Beyond Good & Evil, Zelda, Half Life, etc.  

A good story is great for a game to have, but its not essential.  

by alienufo on 02/06/2010 04:37:27 PM EST

[ Parent ]
you completely missed my point (none / 0)
I broke down the different types of games for a reason...for some people, a game is nothing more than a game, but for a company like bioware, they are literally creating alternate universes where actions have consequences that make everyone's experience different.  All gamers are not the same, so "fun" is a subjective experience.  Some people only want to play online games with no plot or story at all.  This is not better or worse, than a completely one player campaign, but simply a different preference.  The problem is, when people start talking about "storytelling", video games somehow don't get recognized for their supreme ability to immerse a player into a story.  Even in theater when the fourth wall is broken, it usually does not change the outcome of the play, unless you are talking about LARPing, which is the supreme immersion into a "story".  You simply cannot ignore the fact that this is the most immersive form of distributable media, because if you look at something like the Happenings, they are a venue/event, and not a medium.  Of course every game doesn't have to have a story...that wasn't the argument.  What would be the story behind Pong?

by chrisandyasemin on 02/06/2010 08:33:21 PM EST

[ Parent ]
yeah (none / 0)

Endorsement seconded. Good Job by Wes, especially for the short amount of time. Maybe next time he can give a ranking.

By the way, I liked the old Bioware titles better, especially Planescape Torment. Areas are just to linear by now, and Mass Effect 2's are even more straight forward than those of Dragon Age, whose art design is also too fancy for my taste.

by tomjane7 on 02/06/2010 05:10:37 PM EST

Gamer (none / 0)
I think game play and story go hand in hand with each other and it depends on the game. Like MW2 has a awesome story but the game play alone was worth buying it, but a game like AC2 the game play again was amazing but the story was so interesting you wanted to know how it all fit together. Another great example was metal gear solid where both story and game play were so good it blew everything else away. Personal preference is usually the deciding factor though, because personally I hate the madden games but that's just me.

by PoliticalBS89 on 02/06/2010 06:57:26 PM EST

clarification (none / 0)
with a game like MW2, it may have a story, but the story is not actually interactive.  The outcome is pretty set in stone vs. Mass Effect or Fable where the game documents mission choices to piece together the Epilogue for an individual story experience.  When games like MW2 don't allow your choices to affect the game, you are still an observer to the story, but you play through the action parts of the story.  The plot follows a script like a roller coaster.  In a game like Mass Effect, you can play the missions in any order, as well, you can choose not to complete missions which will significantly alter the outcome of your game.  Linear vs. Non-linear games are the big dichotomy.  Grand Theft Auto was one of the first "sandbox" games, but many games are open world style.  A game like "The Sims" doesn't have any story or gameplay.  You really just end up pointing, clicking and making decisions.  Many people seem to think "the Sims" are "fun", but it doesn't fit any traditional game style, or story telling style.  This is why I started off saying "hardcore gamers only THINK they're the real gamers".  

Chris 

Chris

by chrisandyasemin on 02/06/2010 08:42:07 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Game consoles... (none / 0)

Consoles are nice for "in house" gaming with a bunch of friends. I have just about every light gun game for PS2! Consoles are also better for sports games and arcade/fighting games.  Plus, it's harder for people to cheat online at console games.

That said, I play on my PC way more. I Play various FPS with many of the same guys I started playing Unreal Tournament '99 with 10+ years ago. I sometimes play RPGs too. I played Dragon Age, and it reminds me of a cross between NWN and Temple of Elemental Evil.(A D&D 3.5 game) DA is very beautiful, has a decent combat system, but is a little too linear. PC also better supports deep open-ended 4x strategy games, such as Space Empires or Dominions. (The type I like to play when i'm in a creative and calculating mood.)

by YourHero on 02/06/2010 10:35:56 PM EST

Glad you liked the segment (none / 0)

I don't really have time to prepare or put the reviews together and don't really know what I'm going to say before I sit down with Cenk and start shooting my mouth off but I do play each game for hours, days, weeks at a time. 

 I've been a console player since I've always been a mac user and their game release titles usually felt like crippled versions of PC games.  The one mac game I played, Civilization (every edition), I became so addicted to I knew I could never buy a PC or I'd wither away and die behind a keyboard.  I practically drool reading game previews, even for systems I don't own. 

In response to some of Chris' comments. I love it when a story comes together with a great game experience.  It worked really well in the original Halo game, Fable, and Knights of the Old Republic.  I remembered playing through those titles and telling my wife, "this is the future of entertainment."  I thought Kill Zone Two was mind blowing.

The problem for me is that the stories could be so much better.  I spent years as a screenwriter and even pitched for videogames and helped develop one for the Army (it wasn't a shooter).   I'll give you an example of what I think the problem with most games is.  I was called in to pitch the story on a very popular franchise real time strategy game.  They showed me the various levels on the game and said, "Okay, now come up with a story."  Some garbage you can just tack on between the levels so the gamer doesn't crack out in a tetris-like daze.  I think that is the wrong way to make a game.

 

Uncharted Two took exactly the right approach to game development.  The different elements in the game all complemented and served the story first.  There was something in it for everybody - platforming, gunplay, puzzles (none of which were revolutionary in and of themselves).  And the narrative had great voice over talent and good writers.  Keep making more great games. 

 

Videogames get a lot of grief in our culture and are blamed for violence but I think they are a great outlet and an entirely necessary escape from modern life.

 

I don't think there is any such thing as a "real" gamer.   You either like playing them or you don't.  Everyone gets something different out of them which is what I love about getting a new title.  The second time you play it through you'll find some new way of approaching a problem or handling the control interface.  Some of us like it to be relaxing, others frantic.  I was never the kind of guy who could spend hours to learn a glitch so I could shoot down on people who can't see you or shoot back, I don't think those are real gamers, I think they're pricks who happen to be gamers.  I'm also not a camper but I don't hold anything against campers, to each his own, that's what it's about.

 

I've got to go stick a windmill up next week, so there won't be a review unless Jesus does it.  When I get back, I'll take my lazy ass to the store and get a headset for my PS3.  If there are any other PS3 TYT people out there, maybe we should form a clan, pick a title, and then start crushing motherfuckers.  

 

 

 

 

by WesClarkjr on 02/07/2010 01:09:21 AM EST

Hahahahaha! (none / 0)

Thanks, Wes!  But I'll have to join the slaughter from my PC.

Even though I'm a PC'er, I appreciate the convenience of console gaming.  In fact, a lot of experts, including notables like Paul Thurrott had predicted (and now note) the decline in PC gaming as the popularity of the consoles has taken off.

Console users are much less interested in the performance of their hardware as long as they can enjoy their game without hardware-related distractions.  While PCs will always outshine consoles in overall gaming experience when it comes to graphics quality and speed, there is no denying that games that are designed for their less-capable cousins also can envelope players in fascinating environments.

But you'll never hear me calling a gamer a "geek".  You guys have opted out of that world, and are too willing to settle for less, when you could have so much more!

by EveningStarNM on 02/07/2010 12:22:49 PM EST

[ Parent ]
hybrid (none / 0)

Maybe we find a cross-platform title, but a well functioning TYT clan would almost be worth buying a PS3.

But until they get this thing rolling, I'm sticking to my PC too. Thanks to a program called XPadder, I play every game, even those without support, with my 360 wireless gamepad. So I guess I'm a strange hybrid.

Mainly because I refuse to buy a TV, which would, in an inverted argument of Wes', draw too much time from my live, and that with unbearable German television. Gotta have a QuadCore for work anyways, so why not use it to kick some ass, right?

by tomjane7 on 02/07/2010 01:38:17 PM EST

[ Parent ]
''TV''? (none / 0)
What's that?

Oh!  I remember -- haven't had one for years.

XPadder: must have software.

by EveningStarNM on 02/07/2010 02:00:27 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I knew it (none / 0)
Perfect when you want to play relaxed, also great as a remote control. Let me know when you need some tips etc.

by tomjane7 on 02/07/2010 02:17:03 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Thanks :) (none / 0)
...but Jonathan's XPadder game profile forum has everything I need.

by EveningStarNM on 02/07/2010 03:25:25 PM EST

[ Parent ]
you got it (none / 0)
good hunting:)

by tomjane7 on 02/07/2010 04:04:06 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Games (none / 0)

TYT's gaming reviews are frustrating.  It is like watching movie reviews with one person who has actually watched movies in his life (Wes) with two people who have never been to a theater or watched a movie.  "So you mean people actually go to these 'movies'?  Why would you watch a made-up story?"  And they think those questions are cute and funny.  I honestly don't know who they think their audience is.

But Wes's line about being a gamer while your mom was sucking dick in high school made the whole thing worth it.

by publius on 02/07/2010 12:00:21 PM EST

I think it's a good thing... (none / 0)
... that Wes is presenting the gaming world to individuals who aren't a part of it. As it stands, you either know a lot about how the gaming community ticks, or you have absolutely zero idea and imagine all gamers as greasy-haired nerds who are loners and don't know how to socialize. Cenk and Ana demonstrate the latter. The two of them clearly had no idea how deep, immersive, and interesting video games are these days. The recent Mass Effect 2 being a prime example of how amazing video games have become. Dragon Age: Origins as well. Both of which were developed by BioWare, easily one of the greatest developers of our time. Wes has brought this form of entertainment to a wider audience and shown them that, hey, you think this stuff is for losers... but trust me, if you played, you'd like it too. It opens people's eyes and I thank and commend Wes for it. You've made my favourite pastime that much more awesome. :) Keep the segment going! Looking forward to more Wes reviews.

by invert on 02/07/2010 10:22:00 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Ugh. (none / 0)
Why did the site just eat my paragraphs?

by invert on 02/07/2010 10:23:05 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Comment Formatting (none / 0)
If you select "HTML Formatted" in the drop-down list box next to the comment box, then you have to provide either paragraph

tags (with an optional, but proper, closing

) or breaks (
).  Use Auto-Format as the default.  It's pretty good and guessing what you want, and allows you to use the simple formatting buttons, links, and images.

by EveningStarNM on 02/09/2010 04:13:42 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I agree. (none / 0)

I like the segment.  I'm a gamer (whatever that means), and so far Wes' opinions haven't differed much from my own.

My favorite moment of the previous segments:

  Ana: So, like, you make friends in the game?

  Wes: Fuck no!  I'm there to shoot people in the face.

Nothing summed up online gaming better for me.

by Spencer on 02/08/2010 04:00:07 AM EST

Game culture by title (none / 0)
Yeah. Back when I was playing Halo 3, I met a few people I wouldn't have minded playing with again. But these days, playing games like Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead, all I ever meet are assholes (who throw "Halo player," among other things, around like it's the worst possible insult). It's fascinating how each game has its own culture and attracts different types of players in different numbers. Somehow I doubt I'd run into an angry 20-year-old who calls everyone "faggot" playing something like Xbox Live Uno.

by OneHitKill on 02/08/2010 08:01:43 PM EST

[ Parent ]
My favorite (none / 0)

are the people who are only concerned with winning. The game is supposed to be fun. Win or lose, you should have fun doing it.  But some people are just obsessed with leveling up and rankings and blah blah blah, so they'll pull their plugs if you start to beat them.  It's obnoxious.

I also love it when people leave loud music on in the background so you can hear it through their headset.  Thanks for that.  Or when they belch, or yell racial slurs at you.  Fun!

The more I think about it, why do I even bother playing online?  Single player or local multi-player games are the way to go. 

Speaking of local, why do so many games leave out split-screen multi-player nowadays?  Damn kids.  Get off my lawn!

by Spencer on 02/09/2010 06:07:23 PM EST

[ Parent ]
"Real Gamer" endorses TYT game review | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden)
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