Franchise Frenzy or When is Enough, Enough?
It would be racist of me to make the Italian plumber talk like that if the Japanese hadn't made him talk like that ages ago anyway.
Every dog has his day. Back in the early 1990’s, a blue hedgehog was Sega’s best bet for a win against the stocky Nintendo plumber. At the time, it seemed the newcomer, Sega, had a good shot. their mascot, Sonic, turned out three incredible games in his time on the original Genesis, and began appearing in as many spin offs as his Nintendo rival. For the early 90’s, Sonic seemed to be on equal footing, if not just on the heels of, Super Mario. Sega’s marketing strategy was an approach of the times: Super Mario wasn’t cool anymore, Sonic matched the early 90’s attitude, and it sold.
We know how the story turned out though: Super Mario, donning his yellow cape, then becoming the baby supporting character in the subsequent epic (Yoshi’s Island), weathered the storm that was the early 90’s and is still going strong today. Sonic, on the other hand, was victim of the times and has not managed to recover since. One solid game for the tragic Sega Dreamcast, and miss after miss after miss since has more people questioning why developers are still bothering to try rather than just moving on.
While it’s no mystery why Super Mario is still around and Sonic is losing what few fans remain (the former has had more consistent hit games), I’m still a bit curious why we still wait expectantly for the next Mario game. Would Mario Galaxy have been as successful if it were a different/new character and “universe?” Would critics have been more critical of the wonky camera and overall simplicity of the game? Mario has become a part of our cultural zeitgeist, especially as gamers, but, in light of Super Mario Galaxy 2 (ed. note, More like “1.5″) being on the way, do we actually need more Mario games? Why are we so dependent on franchises?
We criticize studios in movies, TV, and even video games for the lazy shoveling of sequels (or formulaic production) down our throats when we’re feeling intellectually superior (you know you’ve been there), but the reality is: the studios have our numbers. Show me a Transformers 2 critic, and I’ll show you someone who’s just dodging that formula for the sake of another formula. Yet, we do see franchises fail, and we have seen franchises and series end. When is the proper time to call it quits, and what are the options?
TV provides two examples of ways to conclude an ongoing series: Seinfeld and The Simpsons. I grew up on both of these shows. When Seinfeld threw in the towel at its peak, many people were confused, perplexed and upset, I was one of them. The Simpsons soldiered on, continuing for the sake of its still expectant fans. I look back on the Seinfeld finale and respect it. When I look back on the Seinfeld canon, I see nothing but a solid run, and a show that was not only smart with its writing, but smart enough to know when to quit so they stayed strong. The Simpsons? They’re wallowing away and whenever they finally end (which won’t happen anytime too soon, they’ve been renewed for 3 more seasons), I’m going to look back on it as a show that was great when I was a kid, but had 7-10 years of suck before they finally stuck the proverbial fork in it.
What about in movie scenarios and storytelling where sequels come into play? I’d say the same principle applies more or less. Don’t drag a story out, don’t extend a series beyond that original constraint for the sake of just giving the public more. This is why I’m skeptical of a new Jak & Daxter game, and this is why I’ll be skeptical of a fourth God of War game should it ever be announced. Telling a story is like constructing a building. The best stories are grand and strong, conceived in planning before the building is fully erected. When you start adding on sequels and fourth parts to functioning trilogies, you wind up with a shaky, infirm structure and jackass moves like making your hero survive a nuclear blast in a fridge.
There is no golden number, no perfect ratio unfortunately. It’s all just a matter of aesthete and story structure. How much is just formulaic safe packaging washed, rinsed and repeated for sale figures? What was the original story structure and how well can the universe sustain continuation of a saga and evolution of the aesthetic and style? All applicable questions, but all with different answers depending on what you’re asking about. As always, we’ll just have be picky and expect more of our game, movie and TV products. Eventually the little plumber has to bow out gracefully or go the way of Sonic.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
Gerry’s DVD Win! Henry Selick’s Coraline
& Balloo’s Gameplay or Storyline: The Sad Admission
5 Stereotypes About Female Gamers (That Need to Change)
If marketing statistics are to be believed, anywhere from 25-45% of devoted gamers are female (and if we can’t believe focus testing marketing statistics, what is there?) Regardless of where on that range you choose to believe (probably the low end since this site has had 1 female writer for the 4 of us “Junkies”), this still means that there is a very serious female gamer population out there. Since these rare women move among a stereotypically socially awkward slice of the population (irony right in the intro), they can be victims of stereotypes themselves. The problem with these assumptions is they lead people to being patronizing and even offensive (e.g. not all people sleeping in the streets want a dollar, some people are just that tired). So, let’s try to move on to a more realistic and down to earth age of gaming after we consider these 5 Stereotypes Surrounding Female Gamers (that need to change).
5. Female Gamers Only Play DS
It had to be Pink, thank you Google
I put this one first to point out a sad truth about stereotypes: that they’re often based in truth. In fact, statistics show that at least half of all DS owners are female (52% according to this article).
However, the problem with stereotypes comes when you let a fact like that statistic lead you to painting a broad exclusionary picture. Yes, black people like fried chicken, but EVERYONE does (and should), so just like that information shouldn’t change how you interact, don’t let this statistic (unless you want to use a DS with Nintendogs to try to pick up chicks).
I guess there may be a chauvanist subtext to this that female gamers simply can’t handle hardcore games which makes the meat heads think-
4. Girls in Games Need Saving
This is just the result of video game upbringing. We all started our formative years rescuing the damned princess, so, with that and natural masculine instinct, we all think that the girl on our team is talking to us because she needs our help.
Didn't you beat it? You just get sent on another damned adventure, no kiss, nothing. There's your life lesson kids. But you warped and still didn't beat it, didn't you?
If a girl is on the mic during an online gaming session, she’s talking to you for the same reason you’re talking to the other guys you play XBL with: to communicate strategy and enemy positions while you play (although if you’re the kind of guy who really needs the advice not to ask her what kind of underwear she’s wearing, I doubt you’ve read this far because of the lack of boobies).
Okay fine, there are your boobies.
Conversely, there’s always an aggressive targeting of the girl when she’s an adversary which is the result of an interesting mental acrobatic within the male mind “I want her to like me, but I don’t want her to think I suck or am letting her win, so I have to try extra hard to beat her so she doesn’t think I’m taking it easy on her.”
As if you haven't seen this photo enough already. If her Foxiness doesn't want an adorable little knight with a rose, you should get off your horse and just focus on the game already.
Believe me, I’ve seen it happen, and we need to realize: the nature of a video game is that we’re all playing as equal avatars, so she doesn’t need saving anymore than she needs you to play differently to prove anything. This also applies to the stereotypical “white knight” who will defend the girl from immature guys making fun of her, and then use this as his “in,” because after all-
3. Girls Only Play Games to Get Hit On
Another a priori based conception: we’ve all seen that girl who shows up at a party, and starts trying to play Madden because the guys are. I guarantee you, that was a one night thing, and that girl only did it because she was hitting on one of the guys who were also playing.
I wonder how many guys can really thank the Wii for landing them a "special friend?" Kim Kardashian got paid for this fellas.
I’m talking about devoted girl gamers (not well endowed whores), who play video games on their own time because they legitimately enjoy it. Sorry guys, there aren’t too many girls out there with nerd gamer fetishes, so even if she were looking for a guy, she wouldn’t be looking for one over a romantic game of Call of Duty (the game of love). If a girl’s playing games online with you, she’s looking to pwn some n00bs just like you.
That's a Double-Kill with the Energy Sword; or: n00bs being pwned, probably by someone's mother.
However this is not to say that-
2. Girl Gamers Don’t Exist as Dateable Women
Funny how the stereotypes go both ways, right? A girl shows up in your game of Halo, and suddenly, it’s open season. However, talk to the average male gamer about women, and the idea of meeting a girl face to face who he doesn’t have to hide his gaming habits from, or end them for seems like an impossible dream. Fact is, this one confronts a negative stereotype about gamers in general: you have to be social. Beyond just playing Social Slayer with your mic on, go out and meet some people in person, and compare interests.
It goes both ways gentlemen, this is why you offer to buy them a drink to start things off.
Girl Gamers get out, so odds are if you do too, you could meet one and, here’s the tip: since you’d share that interest, making a game-date night is a perfectly acceptable option. Dinner ‘n’ gaming is a wonderful formula. Let her see your setup (after you’ve tidied up) and give her a selection of games. Don’t patronize just because you think-
1. Girls Can’t Play “Hardcore” Games
Yes, Girls play Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, etc. so do a lot of guys. Girls also play Halo, Guitar Hero, and yes, they play Call of Duty. They actually play them, as in, they’ll cap five head shots off your so fast after you respawn that you’ll think the game is FUBAR.
Even if they’re not as much of a nerd as you are, they can still share the interest a bit. Game Scoop and Podcast Beyond are quality humorous podcasts, and I’m sure you can have a laugh over a site like this one. In the meantime though, try not to be too much of a condescending ass to the girl gamers you do encounter. It’s 2009 people, leave that shit on the elementary school playground.
Although on the playgrounds I was typically beaten up by girls, maybe that's why the whole "don't stereotype" thing was easy for me.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
Ashly Burch of HAWP Fame’s How HIMYM Schools J.J. Abrams
& My Top 6 Games With (Artistic) Style
Game Music
Most of us still remember the days when Super Mario 64 came out in 1996. I was in fourth grade, and some of you whippersnappers might have just been wee little first graders. Long after even this magnificent classic’s gameplay became tiring, its soundtack remains a joy for throngs of game enthusiasts to listen to. Even my sister who doesn’t own a single game will happily shout, “Let’s a-go!” with me whilst listening to the first level theme.
Maybe it’s just a rosy retrospection of my childhood years and the carefree hours of playing Nintendo with friends, but I never seem to get tired of listening to the music from those games.
Whenever I feel a twinge of nostalgia I’ll put on Kazumi Totaka’s Waverace soundtrack or perhaps the Oyster Harbor level music from Blast Corps. My roommate’s cellphone still plays the theme from “Lon Lon Ranch” from Zelda when his girlfriend calls him. A youtube viewer commented that whenever he hears the underwater music from Super Mario 64, it makes him cry. This might be going a little bit overboard, but the point is clear: video game music has the capacity to be every bit as moving, beautiful, and memorable as a song in any other medium.
The really cool thing about video game music is that—in comparison to all other music in other forms of media–there are so few stylistic confinements. Just as sure as we are bound to hear the words, “In a world…” when we are at a movie theater preview, we will hear the same “epic” orchestral battle hymn that rings of war, valor, and bravery in each year’s multitude of Hollywood action-drama blockbusters. While strings, horns, tympanis, and adult choirs passionately singing in Latin gibberish may satisfy the standards of mainstream movie-goers, video game scores often eschew these repetitive orchestral melodramatic pieces and go for quirkier, more daring, and more creative musical expression.
Furthermore, game music is unparalleled in that it is often highly dynamic and reactive to the player’s approach to gameplay. While movies are inherently linear in the manner in which the audience sees the story from beginning to end, most games are open-ended, and when and where they end depends almost entirely on the player’s decisions. With non-linear gameplay must come non-linear mood-matching music, which is exactly what game soundtracks boast as a unique
Take the beautiful scores from Mirror’s Edge or the Penumbra series for example, which seamlessly incorporate elements of danger, caution, and serenity—all based on the player’s choices, motion, and style of gameplay. Independent developer, Tale of Tale’s landmark new game, The Path is another perfect example of game music’s reactivity, which features a curiously innocent yet eerie soundtrack that matches the player’s every footstep.
So without further ado, I give you a very brief starter list of game music you absolutely must check out, regardless of whether or not you’ve played the games, or even like video games in general.
1. Little Big Planet by the Daniel Pemberton TV Orchestra
Sack boys and sack girls unite for this adventurous and inquisitive side-scrolling romp through arts and crafts, odds and ends, and backyard miscellany. This beautiful soundtrack sounds like it was recorded on really warm tape decades ago and then sent to the future for some post-production
Pemberton and crew serve up an eclectic hodgepodge of catchy melodies, bizarre sounds, and overall genre-hybridizing oddness. Add a little 19070s variety show flavor, a dash of Jamaican Dub, some turntable frenzy, and some Spy/Surf Rock to boot, and the recipe is complete.
If Portishead, Koji Kondo, Bruno Coulais, and King Tubby made disturbing love and produced a nimble whool-knit baby, then that baby would make music that sounded like this soundtrack. You could opt for a less unsettling and costly route and just pick up the Daniel Pemberton TV orchestra’s soundtrack: Little Big Music. My personal recommendations to you are “Horny Old Man” and “Get Your Boots On.”
2. Atlantis: The Lost Tales by Pierre Esteve and Stephane Picque.
This fairly obscure first-person adventure/puzzle game from 1997 showed an ideation of the ancient lost city of Atlantis that had never been seen before. French composers Pierre Esteve and Stephane Picq joined forces to produce a massive soundtrack of unprecedented cultural
In creating this hidden Atlantic island, the game designers needed to craft a culture and climate unlike any other historical period, thus giving Esteve and Picque the challenge of creating a unique style of music that defies obvious comparisons to any other culture’s music.
There are faint glimmers of Tibetan throat singing, Egyptian and North-African inflections, lush sub-tropical ambience, beautiful tribal serenades and faint electronic noises. The chameleon-like nature of Esteve and Picq’s composition style and their primal and elemental-sounding instrumentation make this a beautifully mysterious album to listen to in any environment or era.
3. Grim Fandango by Peter McConnell
It’s probably no coincidence that my favorite game of all time features some of my all-time favorite music. Grim Fandango transports the player to the afterlife, which takes on the surprising aesthetic combination of Film Noir tones, Deco and Aztec architecture, and the rich colors of Dio de los Muertos. McConnell’s music beautifully captures this vibrantly imaginative and comedic tale in his jazzy, noirish, and enigmatic compositions.
The Grim Fandango soundtrack features Mariachi music, shady racketeer blues, bebop, and romantic Spanish guitar ballads. The “Rubacava” portion of the game arguably features the most memorable music, with smoky beatnik jazz, detective-monologue walking bass-lines and big band casino swing. These songs are guaranteed to be bouncing around your calavera for weeks to come.