We've included the top three prize winners below, including their entire article (which we've spruced up with a bit of eye candy) and the prizes they are recieving. Congratulations!
Our first prize winner was Brodie Gibbons, Brodie has picked himself up an amazing collection of games including Prince of Persia 2, Viewtiful Joe 2, Phantom Brave, Dead or Alive 3, Blood Will TellSamurai Warriors Xtreme Legends & Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. This is an amazing list of games valued at $499.95.
Brodie's article was a favourite from the beginning and was very original, and yet very much a true description of how PALGN sometimes feels about E3.
Our second prize winner was Mark Derham. Mark has written an article on the Super Nintendo and for his effort has picked up Viewtiful Joe 2, Haunting Ground, La Pucelle Tactics, Blood Will Tell & Samurai Warriors Xtreme Legends. This prize pack is valued at $349.95.
Our last prize winner (but certainly not least) is Adam Joannua. Adam wrote about the retro gaming days and has won Haunting Ground, Amped, Counterstrike & Altered Beast. We have posted the three articles below, so feel free to check them out. This prize pack is valued at $249.95.
This also might not be the last time we hear of these three gentlemen if their writing is to go by. Thankyou to all the people who entered, you will have a chance to win again come Monday.
Got Milk?
By Brodie Gibbons
It breaks my heart to see something so majestic, and appealing, turn into a corporate milking cow. It has happened to our favourite feature films, and television series, but when it's the most upsetting, is when it happens within our very own gaming industry. It's a shame when we see success turn into greed from the company kingpins, as our beloved gaming names, and idols, turn into mere dollar signs in the eyes of those at the helm. Some of our greatest gaming series have been broken, and shamed, due to unnecessary spin-offs and sequels which have made the originals less appealing, and in some cases, cast aside into exile from the gamer's eye.
An obvious example of this occuring is with the series the Sims, from EA and Maxi's. The original in the series was a phenomenon, stunning gamers world wide with it's humourous glance into real-life gaming simulation, but then, the landslide slowly began to emerge. Not one, not two, but seven expansion packs followed the release of the Sims (Livin' Large, House Party, Hot Date, Vacation, Unleashed, Superstar and Makin' Magic). And finally, after years on top of the ladder from various expansions, the Sims slowly began to die, and then came the release of the Urbz: Sims in the City, across consoles and PC, and naturally, this was merely another spin-off title. And more recently emerged the Sims 2, the official sequel to the original monster that created it all, once again blitzing reviewers world-wide. And it (the Sims 2) already has one released expansion (University) and another confirmed and on the way, set for release later this year (Nightlife).
People may also try to point the finger at gaming series like Resident Evil, but in my opinion, you can hardly call it milking if the sequel in question is superior to all those that came before it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of series that do not meet this criteria; e.g. Pokemon, the Sims, Medal of Honor. Because sadly for the respective developers, these titles just seem to be getting worse as they soldier on into the void.
And it's disheartening to see other developers and publishers following the trend, by releasing spin-offs of some our most favoured gaming series. Final Fantasy VII has become one of the latest victims of this, as movies, sequels and snowboarding game spin-offs have been either confirmed, or released. And the most disappointing point is, developers are still making profit from all of this milking, because
gamers of today have remained ignorant enough to keep forking out their hard-earned money for products that really offer nothing new as far as fresh and innovation goes.
And this leaves me wondering, what does this mean for our gaming in time to come? Will we soon be forced to endure painful, and repetitive spin-offs, as opposed to fresh and new concepts? I sincerely hope a breath of fresh air surfaces soon, because the udder will soon be milked dry, and gaming developers will have nowhere
to hide.
Do you love winning? If so raise your hand: The unique 'rush' of video games.
Written by Mark Derham
The question has been posed, and assuming your honesty, your hand should be raised to the heavens! In the vast majority of video games we play to win. We acquire the required skills to ‘play’ and endeavour to defeat computer, another human being/s or our own selves. ‘Winning’ is a central feature of video games, making their machine/human relationship unique. Most media entertains, inspires or inform us. Why are video games so special? It is because they involve and challenge us, both mentally and physically, providing the rush so integral to the enjoyment of anything competitive.
"What we're talking about are games: they all involve the experience of play." (Hourigan, 2004). Subsequent to the experience of play, video games involve the experiences of competition and winning. They reward our skills and actions. Victory (and failure) comes in many different guises. The primarily ergodic segments of many games comprise races, levels or bouts. These are often time-limited segments of play that you win, lose, complete or die.
Look at the über successful racing game 'Super Mario Kart' (SNES, 1992). Commandeering one of eight characters and their uniquely performing karts, you race (or battle) the computer or another human opponent. The loser is presented with a shaded screen with the word 'lost!' while their driver sits in their kart sobbing. The winner has a brightly coloured screen with the word 'won!' and pumps his fists with joy. Win ‘Special cup’ on the hardest setting (150cc) and the words, 'Congratulations! Excellent driving! You are now a Super Mario Kart expert' explode onto the screen as you dance on top of the podium. It actively makes us feel good about winning. In time-trials mode you race the clock to try and beat your own best times. The straightforward win-lose premise of SMK makes it intensely emotional as you deal with the joys and frustrations of winning, losing and competing..
Take the fantasy adventure game ‘Super Metroid’ (SNES, 1994). Controlling the attractive blonde female, Samus Aran, in a mechanical combat suit, you traverse the barren surface and labyrinthine underground worlds of the fictional planet 'Zebes' in order to wipe out the evil space pirates and rescue the valuable metroid larva. This 2D action/adventure platform shooter only has single player, limiting the competitive aspect to ‘player vs game'. The object is to ‘clock’ the game. Looking closer, we find a reward-based incentive system. Discovering upgrades to strength, fire-power and physical abilities throughout the game allows Samus to reach/defeat areas and bosses that were previously beyond her abilities. How far you make it depends on skill but you are continually rewarded for small victories along the way. In his text 'Joystick Nation', J.C Herz describes this situation on page 141,
“… progress from level to level keeps the serial plot of a videogame from getting boring...The action keeps getting faster and more complicated until you either win or die. Every opponent...demands more rapid/complex responses. Each stage pitches the game further up the slope of a long neurological crescendo."
The end cut scene for Super Metroid’ finishes the narrative. We are presented with a final picture of Samus standing in the centre of the screen. The quicker your completion time, the more of her suit comes off. Take 12 hours, she removes her helmet, under 2.5 hours and she stands in tights and sports bra. The player is rewarded in different ways for 'winning' and the amount of reward or 'fun' to be had is dependent on the players skill-level. Wolf writes:
Elements one would expect to find in a "game" are conflict (against an opponent or circumstances), rules (determining what can and cannot be done and when), use of some player ability (such as skill, strategy, or luck), and some kind of valued outcome (such as winning vs. losing, or the attaining of the highest score or fastest time for the completing of the task). All these are usually present in video games in some manner...By assigning an identity to the computer player and creating a "one-on-one" situation within the game, competition becomes possible and emotional stakes are raised, just as they might be in a two-player game in which human beings compete against one another. (pg 14)
Video games will always provide the most endless and varied opportunities for media stirred excitement and emotional stimulation. In reference to complex new age games such as Grand Theft Auto 3 (PC, Xbox and PS2, 3D platform action/shooter, 2001) Aarseth (2003) states "the potential for new discoveries is endless". This rings ever truer for the humble gamer everywhere.
References:
Aarseth E, J. (2003), Playing Research: Methodological Approaches to Game Analysis. Fine Art Forum Ezine 17.8 (august 2003).http://www.fineartforum.org/Backissues/Vol_17/faf_v17_n08/reviews/aarseth.html
Herz, J.C. Joystick Nation: how videogames ate our quarters, won our hearts, and rewired our minds. Little, Brown and Company Limited, United States, 1997.
Hourigan, B. (2004). An Introduction to Videogame Studies lecture, lecture delivered for the subject "Contemporary Culture and Media", The University of Melbourne, 25 May 2004.
Newman, J. (2002). The Myth of the Ergodic Videogame: Some thoughts on player-character relationships in videogames. Game Studies, vol 2, issue 1.
Wolf, M.J.P. The Medium of the Video Game, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2001, pp 13-33.
Games:
Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar North, 2001
Super Mario Kart, Nintendo, Nintendo, 1992.
Super Metroid, Nintendo, Nintendo, 1994.
Jump man! There’s a turtle on your heels!
Written by: Adam Joannou
I will never forget the day my Nintendo Entertainment System was brought home, with a copy of Super Mario Bros. (the version with Duck Hunt on the cartridge). Strange as it sounds, it truly was a defining moment in my life, introducing me to a world so completely unlike my own.
It was a world where an unassuming hero, an Italian dungaree-clad plumber, faced an army of silent marching turtles. His only prospect for survival was his remarkable ability to jump more than thrice his body hight. Oh, and let’s not forget the mushrooms that facilitated unnatural and instantaneous growth.
And, what was this man’s purpose? Why was he braving such obstacles? Was it in hopes of achieving some level of greatness above his fellow man? Was it in search of a fundamental truth that underlay his existence? No. It was to save a princess, whom he had never met before. A damsel in distress, captured and taken away by none other than the malevolent commander in chief of this cloud-residing, hammer-throwing, dungeon-dwelling militia of reactionary reptiles.
As each fortified stronghold fell to our lone protagonist, one was repeatedly informed that their rescue mission was not yet concluded, as they dealt the final blow to what they thought was the villain but was, in fact, merely an impostor. And so, this recently renamed individual who once faced off against a barrel-throwing primate, marched on. The days turned into night, the nights turned back into days, the geography changed around him, but not even apparent death could not stop this man.
It was nothing short of outstanding. For the first time in my life, and in the lives of many unsuspecting regular people, I met Mario. This blocky man with his red hat and full moustache became an icon. His theme song would become an anthem for what would become a booming industry. His game, this surreal yet addictive experience, would become a muse for many video game designs for years to come.
The story of this tradesman turned superhero would be told and retold through various new instalments in the saga, as well as revisits of the game that changed the world of interactive multimedia. But what lay at the very core of this game series’ success was not its premise (nor its perpetual re-employment of this premise) but its unmatched game-play. Indeed, it set a benchmark for such side-scrolling platform games. The challenge lay not in exploration, or the ability to outwit one’s opponent. It lay in precariously placed impediments to one’s successful completion of each level. It lay in the perpetually present threat that one wrong step could send the plumber plummeting into the abyss below.
Even with a second controller, and the lesser-acknowledged green-and-white-clad “player-2”, it could all become too much, and too often one was faced with humiliating defeat. The number of “Marios” would begin to dwindle, and all hope would seem lost. It appeared as though the captive maiden would endure the rest of her living days as a prisoner, trapped in the confines of the looming castle in level 8-4.
But you would always recover, and you would always start again. No matter what the game through at you, you would guide the plumber through the trials and tribulations, if not because you wanted to save the day and become a hero, then because there was no way you were going to let an electronic game beat you… it was a matter of principal.
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