The Joke That Is: E3

Okay... So the title may be a little harsh, but this year's E3 has been a sad comparison to the years before. In previous years, E3 was a massive entertainment expo held at the LA Convention Center, with 60000+ attendees, and was for us gamers, an absolute cavalcade of information about games, surprise announcements, and jaw dropping tech demos.

Every year, I would look forward to E3 both online and in local game magazines for giving me the best news of the year.... It seemed as if every publisher out there was striving to have the most impressive demonstration, and every publisher was putting out the big bucks to fill the booths with scantily clad booth babes (and.. once, a very scantily clad Conan.) This year... There were very few surprises, and quite a few of the big names (eg Vivendi, Activision (inc. Blizzard)) held their own conferences or chose to defer to having their displays at the GDC earlier this year.

2006 was the last year of the impressive press event that was E3, and was one of the most interesting and progressive things that there was to show... How many developers went into massive crunch periods to have that E3-award-stealing demo in the past? This year... The number of exclusive, and new E3 demos was... well.. minimal.. The only one that really stood out was Fallout 3.. Which was hot.

The ESA are now in discussions about how to restructure E3... If they even choose to continue the format.. Personally, I'd like to see a week long E3, which starts with the open floor of past E3s... Allowing a huge chunk of the industry to see up and coming games, annoucements, and their ilk, and then a two day, press-only follow up (after maybe 3 days of open floor) where there can be summary confrences and last-minute announcements (Hey... perfect time for the big surprises). What're your thoughts?

And... Expect a vlog veerrry soon *looks mysterious and is sure you're sick of this soon business*

*cough cough*

Well, it's a bit dusty around here, but I think we're set to get back up. I'm back from my adventure much wisened and enlightened, and ready to get some reviews done!

Though, I couldn't help posting this little pearl of gaming for a purpose, a subject that I think is pretty interesting and challenges us not only as players but people. Gaming is, as the Ludologists
would say, it's own medium and completely different from films or any other type of media, and this means it can achieve things that those media's cannot.

So on my adventures in the internet I found this:



Yes, that's right, join forces with John McCain in fighting those damn pigs! *sighs* I hold very little political opinion towards America, but this amuses me to no end. Is it just me, or does it remind you of the glory days of propaganda? Either way, enjoy and take it with a grain of salt. =P

Hopefully you'll be seeing Aeon and myself soon with a maybe review of Phoenix Wright and an update on Age of Conan's long term playability.

Updates... and news.. and a question!

Ahoy! AFK-Games is.. struggling to be alive! But we are, we are, don't worry! You won't see a video from us for a little while as Edrissa is wondering around Europe at the moment and hence we are unable to film.. together.. unless one of us puts some points into the "Teleport" skill...

Anyway, whilst Eddy is away, I'll post some text news and some bits and pieces... For this post, lately it has been reported that Fallout 3 could be possibly banned for classification in Australia due to the fact that the OFLC (our ratings advisors) do not currently have an R(18+) rating for games (unlike films etc). (Continue reading after the tears and anger have abaited...)

On the flipside, it looks like Dark Sector, a game previously banned here due to "excessive" violence (at least, it allowed the player to cut off limbs using the glaive weapon, bit by bit with extra precision.. to my awareness) is now looking at grading a toned down version, possibly a custom one, or the version that was released for Japan, and authorizing that for release...

Obviously, this raises a few points... in a very public attempt, recently, IGN AU attempted an endeavour to get the OFLC to introduce an R rating. Apparently, the OFLC are "open" to introducing a rating, and are looking for public opinion. Personally, I think the largest issue the game industry has here in terms of getting an R rating, is the simple fact that the board appear relatively uniformed about the games medium today.

A simple example was the massive (haha) Mass Effect blowout over the steamy hot alien sex. Although mostly an american issue, the game was suddenly on just about everything, even The View, and was reported as a "online sex simulator" that "enabled online rape" with hyper-realistic humans that allowed you to do whatever you wanted. Suddenly, the public (who are the ones who vote and are requierd to put forward their opinion) thought there was this game that existed that basically allowed players to live out sick sexual fetishes in all manners of realistic environments and that this was being marketed to children.

What they failed to note is that the sex in the game, was a short cutscene, where the player had no control, it showed either a butt or side-boob, and that it took about 15 hours of game time and an invested effort in talking too, and interacting with the NPC you are to be with, in an entertaining relationship side-plot (which was far deeper then the relationships we often see fleshed-out on screen in your average action flic), in an outcome that was far less graphic or gratuitous then previously described films.

Here, the public (well, those who often air their opinions, which I'll unfarely place with those who would watch A Current Affair or Today Tonight with a serious demeanour - i.e. boorish fools with IQ's less then their shoe sizes) seem to have a false understanding of any sort of mature game that falls outside of their experience (eg, Wii Sports). Instead of asking what do you think about the OFLC... What do you think about the public perception of video games? And how do you think that affects the OFLC's decisions about implementing an R rating? Do you think that the mass-public have a skewed image? Do you think that's changing?

Anyhow, more news to follow over the weeks, and a video review (possibly... of Phoenix Wright.. and again.. a follow up of the.. well, dissapointing, Age of Conan). See you all round!

Sources: IGN, Kotaku, GamePolitics