I’ve been trying to work on some more thoughtful and reflective pieces for the site, but this week’s been bananas, and who in their right mind wants to read my navel-gazing when there’s some serious game business to discuss?
This week saw:
- the release of a South Park videogame that doesn’t suck;
- the announcement of Rocksteady’s long-awaited, next-gen only Batman game (with a Batmobile you can drive!);
- the release date (and some explanations for the delay) for Watch_Dogs (and do we really have to write it with that underscore thing?);
- the sudden departure of Sony’s Jack “Mic Drop” Tretton; and
- the heartbreaking news (and fundraising page) of Brendan Boyer, a champion of the indie scene.
1. My rental copy of South Park showed up last night, and I played for around 45 minutes or so. The biggest news is that this was the first time I’d turned on my 360 in maybe 3-4 months, and I suppose more than anything else I was pleased to see it’s still working. As for the game itself – I don’t feel like I’ve seen enough of it to write a “First Few Hours” post just yet; I’m also not sure I’m the game’s intended audience. I mean, I like South Park but I haven’t watched an episode in years, so there’s a strong possibility that a lot of the more referential material is going to sail right over my head. That being said, it’s still really funny, and the RPG systems are surprisingly enjoyable, and I’m going to try to push through as much as I can.
1a. Speaking of which, I may have reached the point in Thief where I stop giving a shit. It’s not that it’s bad, but it is starting to get dull and tedious. I’m doing some side missions where the objectives are on the complete opposite side of the City, and the map continues to be horrendous and irrelevant, and these side missions only seem to be doable if you go ahead and knock everybody out first. I was trying to play as non-lethally as possible, but now I kinda just want to get it over with. I’m not quite ready to give up on it, but I’m having a harder time staying engaged with it than I’d like.
2. So, yeah – that Batman game looks terrific. And I’m pleased to see it’s next-gen only, frankly. If the rumored release date is correct (which I think is mid-October?), both consoles will have a rather healthy install base by then, and I’d be hard-pressed to find a new console owner who isn’t going to pick this up – this is already near the top of my own “most anticipated” list. Keeping the game on the new platforms prevents the game’s vision from being diluted, and should ensure that it makes the most of the more powerful hardware.
3. I’m trying to not read too much about Watch_Dogs, though sometimes I can’t help myself. I’m mostly just glad to see they’ve entered the home stretch, and that they seem to be happy with it. Of course, most AAA games at this stage of development are spoken in exceedingly positive PR-approved tones, so it’s unwise to take that stuff too seriously; and yet, well, look – this was the game that made everybody’s jaws drop when it was first announced, and it’s just exciting to know that we’ll all get our hands on it soon enough.
4. I can’t possibly fathom a guess as to what Jack Tretton’s sudden resignation means; under his leadership (or, at least, his E3 keynote speeches) the PlayStation brand has come roaring all the way back from oblivion and they now appear to be sitting very comfortably in the driver’s seat, and I suppose one could argue that if you’re going to go, go out on top. It’s just that the rest of Sony’s businesses seem to be flailing wildly to stay afloat, and one can only hope that the games division has a backup plan to keep riding this wave of momentum.
5. The US healthcare situation is a goddamned travesty, and that’s all there is to it. What’s happened to Brandon is a fucking disaster. If you can support him, please do.
Shouts From The Couch 
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