Reading this reminded me of something that happened a while back. In 2004 I managed to make it to E3, the largest video game conference in North America. Besides running around to see all the game previews, fan fun, and tech demos, I attended a couple of game industry seminars where guest speakers discussed a variety of topics such as creating good games, and evaluating game markets.
One seminar I attended discussed the burgeoning video game market in China. This seminar only had one speaker, and instead of sending a game developer or someone at least connected in some way to the field to speak to the audience, the Chinese government sent a Communist bureaucrat. The bureaucrat explained how all games developed in China first had to receive approval by his office before they were allowed to be created and released. To this man censoring ideas and words was not only acceptable, it was natural.
It was something I had personally never witnessed before, but it was important to understand. This was different from occasionally hearing a few loud mouth U.S. politicians crying “Won’t somebody please think of the children!” and blaming the ills of society on things like a nameless pixilated space marine who blasts hordes of monsters with a chaingun. This was real censorship, real oppression: bold and shameless.
I value freedom of speech and freedom of expression. I feel that it must be protected, because there are people in the world that would take it away from you in an instant. Never forget it.
Oh and by the way, video games have a rating system. Developers are not responsible for what your children play, you as a parent are.
R.I.P. Duke, there never was an FPS hero with more attitude and better one-liners
Well this may be it, Duke may be dead. Duke Nukem Forever, the LONG awaited sequel in the Duke Nukem series may have been officially cancelled. As most fans know, Duke Nukem Forever has been in production for around twelve years. The average game takes around two and a half to finish. No one really knows for sure what went on behind the scenes that caused the incredible delay.
During development the studio declared its release day to be “when it’s done.”
So people began calling it Duke Nukem….FOREVER and Duke Nukem Never.
Hitler took the news especially hard, and this may be the real reason why he committed suicide…
Warning video contains dirty and hilarious content.
Publisher Take-Two Interactive is now suing 3D Realms over the canceled project and the lost money they invested.
There may be hope on the horizon for the army of loyal fans who have been waiting well over a decade for the return of Duke Nukem. Shacknews reports that Gearbox Software was mentioned in Take-Two’s lawsuit with 3D Realms, and that Gearbox is currently developing a prequel in the Duke Nukem series.
The mystery character is a character that we know very little about, yet many times plays an absolutely crucial role in the storyline of a game. The less we know the more intriguing the character is to the players.
The Benefits
Besides simply being interesting, there is an incredible degree of flexibility with this approach. If you don’t have a complete story, for example one that evolves as sequels are created, your character is not penned in a box. The character has more possibilities for development and the storyline could take interesting turns.
Examples
I’m going to use two of my favorite mystery characters as great examples of this. They both share similar traits. Both seemingly have special, sometimes superhuman powers, and both have mysterious motives and goals in the storyline.
#1 – The “G-Man” (Half-Life Series)
The G-Man
Rise and shine Mr. Freeman, rise and shine…..
The G-Man is a mysterious character in the Half-Life series who with inexplicable powers exerts influence over the protagonist/player Gordon Freeman
The name “G-Man” was created and spread by the players, after some found the character model’s name in the game’s engine. A name for the character has never been given by the developers and no other game characters have stated a name. The phrase “G-Man” is a real term that is used to refer to government agents.
During Half-Life 1, silent protagonist Gordon Freeman (the player) will sometimes catch a brief glimpse of the G-Man as he progresses through the Black Mesa research facility. The G-Man always appears to be watching you, always out of reach, and this created a very creepy effect. One of my most memorable experiences of Half-Life 1 was attempting to follow the G-Man around a corner to only arrive at a dead end with him nowhere to be found.
In Half-Life 1, the G-Man may have intentionally caused Earth to be invaded and conquered by alien forces. However, after completing Half-Life 2, it becomes apparent that the G-Man places Gordon Freeman in the right place (the start of the game) to trigger a series of events that lead to a desired outcome, the partial liberation of Earth from the alien forces. The G-Man’s words at the start of the game to the player/Gordon Freeman come true. “The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference”
So whose side is the G-Man on, or is he on any side? He occasionally makes references to his “employers” but nothing more. He has the ability to teleport, slow down time, and is seemingly omnipotent or at least able to predict certain outcomes. The goals of the G-Man are still unknown.
So who is the G-Man? Is he human, a government agent, an alien, or something else?
Alien theory proponents point to the G-Man’s awkwardness whenever he talks, stating that he is not comfortable with speaking the English language.
Some believe that he is a government agent with access to advanced technology.
Others believe that he is actually the protagonist Gordon Freeman from the future, believing that the word G-Man is another way of saying Gordon Freeman.
Until more is revealed in the upcoming sequel Half-Life 3, the debate rages on.
# 2 – Kane (Command and Conquer: Tiberium Series)
Rejoice Children of Nod! The prophet is here and he brings the technology of peace!
Kane (The Messiah!)
Command and Conquer is a real time strategy game that follows a futuristic war between two factions. On one side is the United Nations Global Defense Initiative or GDI for short. On the other is the Brotherhood of Nod, an army of fanatical followers of a man named Kane who claims to be a messiah.
In the storyline, a meteorite crashes onto Earth, seeding it with a new plant that would come to be called Tiberium. Kane is a charismatic leader who prophesized that it would arrive on Earth. Tiberium emits deadly radiation, and spreads rapidly, however Kane creates technology that harvests it and unlocks its power. GDI views Tiberium as a threat, while Kane views it as beneficial and necessary for humanity.
The entire story is told through wonderfully cheesy live action videos that fans have come to love and appreciate.
Kane makes an appearance in the alternate game series Command and Conquer: Red Alert, where he works as an advisor to Stalin. Red Alert takes place in the 1950s while the Tiberium series takes place between 2000 to 2050. Kane never shows any signs of aging despite this timeline.
Kane is seemingly killed several times throughout the game series, yet always reemerges to lead the Brotherhood of Nod. Also like the G-Man from the Half-Life series, Kane appears to be able to predict certain outcomes in the near future, and Kane never clearly states his end goals.
Who is Kane, or quite possibly what is Kane?
The fans debate on and on…..
Is Kane the biblical Cain? Some of his supporting characters in the game series seem to think so, although Kane never says anything himself to confirm this. The hints might be there. Kane is seemingly immortal, there is the name Nod where Cain goes to live in the bible, and Kane’s enemies seem to suffer greatly (biblical 7 fold vengeance) whenever they “defeat” him.
Is Kane a time traveler who uses this ability to see the future, learn about advanced technology, and seemingly defy death? Time travel was available in the Command and Conquer: Red Alert series where Kane makes an appearance. Time travel would certainly explain his foreknowledge.
Is Kane merely one of an endless series of clones that is created upon each death?
Is Kane an alien? Is this why he has superior knowledge of Tiberium and the technology to unlock its potential? There are aliens in the Command and Conquer: Tiberium storyline.
The interesting thing is, all of these could fit into the Command and Conquer universe and it wouldn’t surprise the player.
The Interesting Results
A simple search of videos of these characters on YouTube will yield pages of video comments of Half-Life and Command and Conquer fans debating on who these characters are and what their real goals are.
You will find the same in many video game forums, consisting of page after page, where people not only state their beliefs, but will cite various parts of the games to back up their arguments. The debate never ends! You know that you have created an incredible character when people spend hours of their free time arguing points of view.
I will conclude with this…..You can’t kill the messiah.
As you travel the long winding dirt road you always keep an ear to your Geiger counter, listening intently for its clicking song. It is the herald of an agonizing death by radiation poisoning. You pass by a crumbling factory; its ruined facade makes it look like a building from an ancient past. All is silent except for the occasional gusts of wind sweeping across the barren landscape.
The eerie tranquility is broken by the loud metallic clang of the charging handle of an AK-74 racking a 5.45x39mm full metal jack round into the chamber. It’s a universally understood sound that tells you all you need to know.
They were hiding behind the rubble; red cloths bound around their heads to hide their faces. Their rifles begin to bark and spitfire. Bandits aren’t known for their marksmanship skills, spray’n’pray that’s what they call it, but when there’s a swarm of them bearing down on you it makes even a veteran S.T.A.L.K.E.R. sweat.
You have spent the day risking your life to get your hands on this artifact. An artifact, the rarest of treasures, bending the very laws of physics, born out of this man made hellhole they call the Zone.
You’re not giving it up without a fight. You run to the nearest tree to take cover and return fire with your rifle until suddenly you hear a click. A bullet casing has stove piped in your rifle’s chamber causing a jam. There’s no time to clear it. In desperation you un-holster your handgun, its 9mm bullets don’t have the punch of your rifle. Your shots need to count.
You don’t want to die again, your last save point was so far away……
Welcome to the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. a unique first person shooter that combines elements of a role playing game to create an incredible experience.
Storyline
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. mixes real world and fantasy histories that make it a FPS that really feels like the creators were thinking outside of the box. This is not your typical humans vs. aliens, counter-terrorists vs. terrorists, army vs. army, etc style game, it’s something completely new. The storyline takes place in the Ukraine many years after the horrific real world event of the meltdown of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Radiation has contaminated a 30 kilometer area around the power plant. This area has come to be called the ‘Zone.” The Zone is a blighted place where few dare travel. However, strange and almost unexplainable things are being discovered there that are attracting explorers.
The most important of these discoveries are objects known as artifacts. Artifacts are materials which generate or augment certain properties of someone who wears them. An artifact for example could grant a degree of resistance to physical trauma such as a high fall.
Artifacts are created by “anomalies.” Anomalies are dangerous distortions of the physical world which began appearing in the Zone after the Chernobyl incident. They can occur anywhere within the Zone and many are difficult to detect, accidentally stepping into an anomaly is oftentimes fatal. Artifacts are extremely rare and valuable to scientists or on the black market.
The player takes on the role of a “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” which is an acronym for Scavenger, Trespasser, Adventurer, Loner, Killer, Explorer, Robber. It is a broad term for people who try to make a living in the Zone. Some are mercenaries for hirer, and some are average people who were lured to the Zone in the hope of getting rich quick by finding and selling artifacts. Most who have come though have found nothing but misery.
Players will have tons of fun missions to complete. The main story of the game is also very original…..if you can figure it out. There are a number of “bad” endings you can get if you complete the game under the wrong conditions.
Gameplay
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a sandbox style game where the player can move freely across different areas with only a brief loading screen identifying their separation. The landscape was modeled using photos from Chernobyl and the surrounding countryside. You can even explore the real world ghost town of Priypiat, which was evacuated during the reactor meltdown. Comparisons between game locations and photos of their real world counterparts are impressive.
While the Russian military has attempted to prevent any outsiders from entering the Zone, several warring factions have established bases within it. Many of the missions that players receive will come form these factions. There is also an interesting array of enemies for the player to battle which range from bandits, military forces, and mutants.
Despite the game’s outdated graphics, the Zone feels as if it’s truly alive. You might return to an area and find the people you had once spoken to dead or gone. Some areas of the Zone experience almost constant battles as opposing forces vie for control of territory. You can also interact with almost every NPC as long as they are not hostile to you. Interacting with NPCs can help the player gather information on missions or garner more backstory of the Zone. Players can also trade with NPCs for items such as ammunition, medical kits, or food.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. can be one of the hardest FPS games you could ever play. Even on its lower difficulty levels the game can be very challenging. However, I find that over all it enhances the gameplay and makes some of the large scale firefights very intense. Combat in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. can require a fair amount of strategy and planning. Running straight at an enemy will get you very dead, very fast. You have to assess their weapons, armor, numbers, and terrain. You will also need to use cover and flank enemies where you can.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has a wide selection of weapons including handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, and grenades. Every weapon has advantages and disadvantages and will also slowly degrade as it’s used, eventually breaking. Weapons also have a chance to jam during use.
The first thing that is recommended after installing the game is to download a patch to fix a long list of major bugs that can randomly crash your game, or render you unable to save your progress. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has a dedicated mod community that has created an impressive list of add-on packages such as adding more enemies, missions, and even drivable vehicles. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. also has a multiplayer mode where players can fight online in traditional single or team death matches, or a version of capture the flag using artifacts. The mod community and multiplayer mode gives the game an impressive amount of replayability.
Sound
Sound effects in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are well done and help create a deep sense of immersion, especially the ambient world sounds. There are few musical tracks in the game though, but what is there is very well done. One of the most noticeable musical tracks can only be heard from radios in scattered locations, making you occasionally search for the mysterious song when you hear it. There are a couple of noticeable audio bugs in the game. For example in a bar the NPC characters around you repeat the same sentences out loud over and over again. Either it will drive you crazy, or you will find it hilarious.
So if you are looking for a fun and unique first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is what you need.
The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo.
The killer explains to the man he kidnapped why he is here; he’s crossed the wrong people. He begins to cut his victim, but only deep enough to make him bleed a little, that’s all he needs. One by one the hungry rats in the cave begin to assemble. There is no mercy; the killer is as cold as ice. He turns on a video camera, and leaves. The next morning he collects the video tape and all that’s left of the body are bones. This is the Ice Man, this is Richard Kuklinski, one of the most successful and brutal mafia contract killers in history, who also happened to be a devoted husband and father.
To really place Richard Kuklinski into perspective for the people reading this post, you must understand that to this day, police and other investigators are still unsure of just how many people he murdered during his lifetime. Some estimates range somewhere between 100 to 200 victims. The author of the book, Philip Carlo, conducted a one-on-one interview with Kuklinski while he was in prison serving multiple life sentences for murder.
The book unfolds as a fast paced biography that encompasses Kuklinski’s tragic childhood, his rise as a top killer for hire, and his arrest at the hands of a police investigation team determined to bring him down.
The most fascinating aspect of the book is attempting to understand the mind of Kuklinski; he is intelligent, cunning, and cold. He may have been the real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Kuklinski could murder a man just for cutting him off in traffic, yet he always took care of his wife and children. Amazingly, his family never knew of his murderous career until he was arrested. Kuklinski’s morality was radically compartmentalized with a unique set of rules. While Kuklinski was a sadistic killer almost straight out of a horror movie, he oddly chose to save the lives of children on several occasions.
I strongly recommend The Ice Man for those in search of something new to read, it is an interesting and often times chilling book.
There was also an HBO interview with Richard Kuklinski that can be found on the following Youtube links
