April 26, 2005
April 22, 2005
Google me this...
I don't poke around google that much, but today I happened to find a link to their up and coming projects. Or at least a link to information they are willing to share. Found a GEM of an idea hooked into their new mapping system.
They essentially tied in Craigs list to their awesome mapper program. Wonder what would happen if Ebay got into the mix...yikes!
http://maps.google.com
April 17, 2005
FPS episodic content?
Valve recently announced that it will be releasing an expansion pack to it's ever popular Half Life 2 title this summer entitled Half Life 2: Aftermath. I am eagerly awaiting this release as I have enjoyed all three of the prior expansion packs to the original Half Life game released way back in 1998. I may be a little biased in my fanboy-dom, but after playing Half Life 2 and enjoying it all the way up to the ending, I was more than a bit surprised that Valve would choose to end a rather intriguing story at such an inappropriate time. If you've played it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
What has me tickled pink is the way in which Valve is releasing this content and the way in which people are receiving it. Half Life 2 was released via steam and via its publisher Vivendi Universal on store shelves. Despite all the legal problems with this scenario, steam was a way in which to get content without having to go to the store. For a nominal fee, you could just download this game through an online connected program and play it directly.
My point is this; the current “expansion pack” to HL2 will probably more or less be an “episode” that continues the storyline but keeps players coming back for more. FPS episodic content you say? Well, it seems that steam is built just for that, and I’m sure that Aftermath will be less than an ending, and more of a beginning of episodes that will last until they announce Half Life 3. I’m more than convinced that this is the way in which Valve is going to feed their content and their story to the masses. I know I will be playing…
Just for the purposes of building upon a better business model, lets backup for second. Episodic content in an Interactive Game Space? This could be flushed out a bit more, I think. Why is there just one storyline to follow? It would seem to me that the next most dynamic of events to portray in the world of Half Life 2 is that of ALL the characters involved in the story; Barney Calhoun, Alyx Vance, Gordon Freeman and maybe even DOG. Releasing these intertwined stories as several expansion packs that allow for the player to choose which character to follow throughout the rest of the storyline to me would be the next killer idea in an FPS world. Essentially, if you were to choose to follow Alyx Vance in her journeys through the citadel, then you would purchase that expansion pack. If you wanted to play as Gordon, then you would follow his storyline through his expansion pack. The exciting thing about the nature of the delivery of this content is that it can be in short form, much like an episode, and you can have all of them sort of weave together. Many episodes later you would get the ending to that characters story, and possibly the beginning of the next sequel, HL3.
Other hair brained/half baked/screw ball ideas:
1. User defined storylines that are created by the game players that are released as mods to the community through steam. Valve would have the distinct pleasure of sifting through the ones they like/dislike and releasing/promoting the ones they feel are true to the characters and to the story.
2. An entirely interactive space with multiple stories (like GTA style worlds) that are fully explored and experienced by more than one player at a time. Either as a part of the resistance or the combine. The cleanup crews of the world essentially.
3. When can the player experience the triage of characters that makes this series so wonderful? I wasn’t able to play as the aliens in the first games expansion pack…maybe now I can play as the Vortagaunt or as the Combine? Evil is what I want!
Some links to other articles about the release of the expansion pack:
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=58579