47. guillermo del toro wants to make you cry

del toro in wired magazine

we're at the point in gaming (particularly console) now where i don't think tech is so much of an issue anymore.  the xbox 360 and ps3 can both generate excellent graphical experiences and the wii... well if the wii's your primary console you probably don't really care.  like motion?  you have your pick of the litter between the wii, the move and kinect.  but either way, giving a player ridiculous graphics is more or less commoditized now.  and since that (in my opinion) doesn't enter too much into user experience anymore, some game makers are trying their best to bring players something unique through the game itself.  the fable series was one of the few games where your character's choices had direct consequences, and you gradually had to choose whether or not your character would be good or evil through action (yes i know, you're thinking chrono trigger and maybe jedi academy, but i'm working from a current graphical platform here).  as RPG's have more and more cinematic elements than they used to, quantic dream tried to mix it up earlier this year with heavy rain - which was really an interactive movie more so than a game.

and now the lines between movies and games are becoming even more blurred.  THQ announced that they are entering into a multi-year deal with guillermo del toro, director of pan's labyrinth and screenplay writer of the upcoming the hobbit movies, for a series of horror games called inSane. he's going to be a creative director, and while THQ has rights to the game series, he has the rights to any and all associated "filmed entertainment."  which less than explicitly says that this is going to be a project with multiple media outlets, the bare minimum of which will be games and movies.  i'm sure there will be some sort of web element to tie the whole thing together, but that's just a guess.

so back to games challenging players with creative play styles.  how is inSane any different than other games of the horror survival genre?  well according to him, "with this new series of video games, i want to take players to a place they have never seen before, where every single action makes them question their own senses of morality and reality" (1up).  and coming from del toro, that's completely believable - he openly comments to the media and press on the topic of video games as art.  passionately.  when he was asked at a book signing in october, he described games as the comic books of our time, and is upset that the medium "gains no respect among the intellegentsia (gamerant).  he goes on to say, "they say, 'oh, video games...' and most people that complain about video games have never ****ing played them." (i know i know, this here's a family show, but that noise was on point)

so needless to say, i'm a fan.

logo from the teaser

and the teaser trailer that is out there right now supports that - which consists of 30 seconds or so of viewer discomfort, followed by 10 seconds of an image that may even make horror buffs twitch a little bit - see for yourself on the game's official website, www.insanegame.com.  according to del toro, we can also expect some sort of lovecraftian tentacled creature.  i'm still waiting for details to slowly drip out from the THQ camp, because there will be a lot more to come.  the first installment of inSane won't be out until 2013.

now i'm trying to treat this film-game union with a healthy bit of skepticism.  there have been a number of partnerships like this that never really panned out to much.  remember the movie hard boiled?  john woo tried to make a direct video game sequel in 2007 with stranglehold, but it never really took off.

but then again, no kind of movie/game crossover/sequel will EVER be the goonies II.

09. for those about to rock

WE SALUTE YOU (sorry, had to be done).

by now i'm sure all of you, regardless of your gamer or geek status, or lack thereof, have spent some time in the world of console game rock.  by this i mean taking part, willingly or not, in the guitar hero or rockband franchises, by activision and harmonix.  and while playing these games gives you and your friends a chance to play pretend living room rockstar, and those blazing 5-button riffs make you a regular eric clapton in front of your tv, OUTSIDE the sphere of the game series you pick up a fender and you're still absolutely useless.

activision and harmonix have have sold millions of units since their first inception years ago, spawning numerous sequels and highly popular band-specific spinoffs such as aerosmith, metallica, and even the damn beatles.  some musicians (major ones) and music critics panned the entire series - claiming that the virtual rock is causing less young people to pick up real instruments to get into music by encouraging them that learning is unnecessary.

nick mason from pink floyd, when asked about the phenomenon at abbey road studios late last year, said "it irritates me having watched my kids do it," and further, "if they spent as much time practising the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they'd be damn good by now."  that sentiment was shared by the rolling stones' bill wyman.  activision and harmonix of course defend their products, saying that they've been flooded with letters from customers saying the game inspired them to take up music.  there are cases for both really.  on one hand, playing the game does provide instant gratification.  on the other hand, when i think about amazing, truly great american guitarists, not many more than jimi hendrix and slash come to mind.

i myself own the now outdated guitar hero 3, and i still have fun with it.  my friends and i have also been guilty of getting on a rockband set and celebrating finishing hard songs in various stages of rock out glory.  *cough* this may have been sometimes fueled by rum.*cough*  none of us are really musicians - we've all played something at some time or another, but our five button jams and free form drum solos made the ramones sound good and that was good enough for us.  personally, i'll still play for score.

and damn it i will not rest until i get 5 stars on devil went down to georgia.

ANYWAY, here's something that might appease critics.  fresh from the ongoing game developers conference in san francisco comes seven45's power gig: rise of the sixstring, a music simulation game that blows rockband and guitar hero out of the WATER.  its interface is completely unique and realistic in comparison to its predecessors.  the reason?  cheap plastic parts, batteries and a toggle are replaced by wood, pickups, strings, a real neck, fretboard... keys... wait a minute... this is a real guitar!  so who's seven45 studios?  they're a part of first act musical instruments, a company that makes both entry-level and high-end guitars and other instruments for aspiring musicians.  you've probably seen some of their stuff in retail stores - usually guitar/amp packages at places like best buy or target.  the power gig guitar is able to be plugged into a regular amplifier in addition to either the xbox360 or playstation 3.  it clearly won't sound QUITE as sharp as a stratocaster or les paul, but it's good enough for a beginner to learn.

back to the game - seven45 will not only be offering a standalone software version, but will have packages bundling guitars, strings, and even a drum set.  the game allows different flavors for different players - either the player must time and strike the appropriate chords to properly play the song, or the guitar gets converted into a rockband-esque version with the addition of a damper on the neck.  as far as the playlist, they're promising tracklists that are comparable in size to guitar hero and rockband, BUT, they will be using ALL MASTER TRACKS, not any ill-sounding covers.

this game is going to be huge in getting more kids into music, especially since it will be priced about the same as bundles currently sold.  many educators that say that an education is not complete without music are absolutely right, and with the number of school music programs at risk, this may be of some help and educational value.

plus, maybe some young kid somewhere will learn all along the watchtower and really show us something 15 or 20 years down the road.