Mersey Remakes

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/07/22/your-thursday-silly-canabalt-for-pink-daleks/

Which is totally awesome. Just as awesome was watching how much he’d come on when typing a thank you comment (and getting the CAPTCHA right, something I routinely fail at). Only a few months ago I’d have had to hang over his shoulder to be a guide but no such larks this time. I went off, made a brew and et voila his first comment on the internet was done.

Everyone who has a kid and can write games should totally make a game with them.

Although, until yesterday I didn’t actually realise that this was something even remotely exceptional to do.

I make all my games with Boo and have done since he was old enough to sit down and play them and make suggestions. It’s how War Twat (he has his own “War Bus” version) ended up with handbags and yellow diggers as the enemies and well, everything I’ve put out since has been done with his input. Because he’s fab.

Sometimes it’s just testing things out and playing them lots but more often than not, he’s got ideas to throw in the ring too and I’ll listen to them and talk them through with him and more likely than not, end up with them in game.

I’m not one of those parents who wants a long and successful career for him in game dev or whatever daft stuff like that, it’s just fun and one extra thing to spend time doing stuff together because we can. That it could be argued I write games roughly on his level probably makes us the perfect team.

So yeah, parents! Make games with your kid. It’s ace.

Ah, it’s that time again.

Whilst I sit here and on one hand wonder how complaints about Limbo are “3 hours for £10″ instead of “£10 for Fat Bob Smith’s Another World Emo Edition Extreme” and on the other hand try and suppress the urge to shout out “WHY DID YOU KILL IANTO?” at James Moran at this Friday’s GameCity Nights entirely for my own amusement, it’s time to do some links.

Because I like links.

Pixels At An Exhibition – Magical Wasteland

“Even the most beautifully pioneering ones have clear points of inspiration, still the result of a non-gaming lineage”

Lovely piece and bang on the nail.

A New Challenger Appears

Excite Mike vs Dejobaan at Indie Kombat.

As myself and Farbs are close to wrapping up our bout, it’s time to get in the ring once more with two kings of the indie frontier.

And watch them beat the shit out of each other, obv.

Benchmark Reviews Busted.

Note to editors. A cursory google search of who you’re actually emailing might help in future.

Gillen on the Develop Micro Studio panel.

Well, not on it but writing about it.

Also, this is why I read RPS.

Edge go Bullshit Hunting.

And find some. SCIENCE FACT!

The Stifling Of Creativity

SCIENCE FACT! No wait, the other one. FALSE PREMISE! I’m not sure whether to be confused, irritated or angry over this one. But that was last week and it’s a new happier day now!

Ehhhhhhhh [stop with the Fonz - Ed]

…it may come up and surprise you.

So sang Ian Mcnabb and for once in his life, he was actually right.

Theory:

Games do music wrong. Ok, ok, not wrong but we’re very much stuck in a tried and tested formula which we rinse and repeat ad infinitum.

There are notable exceptions. Runman: Race Around The World gets it right. The bar scene in Prey gets it right. The end of Portal gets it right. Music is emotive and wonderful, it doesn’t have to be variations on a techno theme, aping John Williams or generic movie score #21 or some bleeps and bloops.

The right soundtrack can elevate something into the wonderful more often than not, we get a soundtrack that just fits. It doesn’t elevate.

I have been equally guilty of this in the past.

Experiment:

If you have both Left4Dead (the first) and Spotify. Turn the default music down and play through a campaign with this playlist.

You will, naturally, lose a number of audio cues so be on your guard. Despite playing the exact same game you normally would, the experience is drastically different from normal.

Proof:

via the lovely Mike Meyer. A request from earlier in the week from myself. Fulfilled for Klik Of The Month. Give it time to load.

The simple addition of Moroder porn ‘tache disco makes all the difference.

Conclusion:

More games need disco.