SpaceChem

Most puzzles make you feel intelligent when you get level done, but this game makes you float in air like almighty godking whose genius mind is not fit in this world of mortals.

So this game I've resently played is one of best puzzles I've played and good timekiller.
It's puzzle game called "SpaceChem" which I found via steam. Its fanbase is growing pretty fast, even though it's not game for everyone, it has it's own niche.

                                        SpaceChem is all about assembling molecules from simple atoms using a series of programmable commands. You work from a grid and two colored WALDOS that function as conveyor belts. By laying commands on to these belts, you can move elements around the grid, outfitting them as instructed by the level goals, and depositing them in the correct positions.

I do like play good puzzle games, not maybe favorite genre but they'll do.
First time I played this, the time was flying and soon I had working on it for 3hours straight, something unusually long for me to play puzzle game.

I were good in chemistry and other natural sciences at high school, so I though this game propably is easy for me. But boy I was wrong.

Really this game has not much to do with actual chemistry (only number of bonds, correct molecyle structures etc.) as the main thing here is to build a production line as simple and efficient as you can. So no worries if you don't know much about chemistry, it wouldn't help anyway.

You can do really large and complex lines and still you end up with some weird molecyle instead of the specific one. 
But after you have thinking and testing solution for few hours you may come up with maybe some simple change that makes it work like a dream!

And soon after that you just watch in deep euphoria how your production line spits out perfect molecyles. It is really great feeling, something that you can't really expirience in most games.

Also if you feel game is laughing how much you can suck at it, you can run raging in to youtube and put the mission name on search and there is likely to be solution for every mission (I believe), as there is in-build record possibility after you complete level and the video it creates is easy to upload on youtube.

This game really requires thinking. There won't be any hints and desing is not forgiving, the molecyle must be perfect. No just remembering certain patterns in this game, but to think abstract - real honest problem, you will work on problem, refine it and maybe get solution.

So if you feel interested, try the demo from steam or website: http://www.spacechemthegame.com/
Even it's demo, it's very long and sufficient.

Virtual goods market...

So some Australian games site wants to create this website where you could buy pointless virtual stuff.

"Trading of various in-game equipment and perks, for titles as diverse as Farmville and World of Warcraft, already takes place on the site's forums, but site founder Roy Hui hopes to turn that trading into a business model.  "

                         "AWESOME! This is even more fun than virtual stuff!" ...I guess

“Initially looking at the more hardcore gamers, they really want the super-duper noble 21 platinum horse. They've been trying two weeks to get it but there isn’t an efficient way to get that horse — we’ll give them a more efficient way of getting it.” 

  - I would rather say people who wants to buy superdupernoble21platinumhorse should seek help.


I think it's pretty lame bussinesmodel, feels they are bit desperate for some $ ideas.
Theres no need to try make businnes from everything.

I'm not even sure will they sell the trading game card prizes for WoW or those in-game pets Blizz sells itself ? There's already sites trading TCG prizes and why should Blizz take third party for selling in-game pets.

Not that someone even should buy one... Also as I posted earlier, Zynga had his own scamshop opened.

DirectX intentionally blocking PC performance?

          We often have at least ten times as much horsepower (in PC) as an Xbox 360 or a PS3 in a high-end graphicscard, yet it's very clear that the games don't look ten times as good

                          ~Richard Huddy, AMD.

AMD suggested that without API:s like DirectX, we could use full potential of modern pc hardware. Company claims that directx is being held back for the sake of console development. According to Huddy one of the most common requests from developer is to, "Make the API go away."

"Being able to have total control over the machine, which is what the very best games developers want. By giving you access to the hardware at the very low level, you give games developers a chance to innovate, and that's going to put pressure on Microsoft – no doubt at all," said Huddy.

When API was created, it had intention to ensure code can run on as wide a range of hardware as possible. He admits it's not suitable for every developer to remove DX: "I don't want anything to do with that, but presumably it depends on what you're developing. If you're making Crysis 3 or something like that, then it may be exactly what you want."

I don't think he means talking the metal directly but to take away the hand holding that DX, as it can be done lot better than it is currently.


Also here's some finnish reggae again for weekend :

Scamville AKA The Social Gaming ecosystem from HELL

     "The real story isn't the business success of these startups. It's the completely unethical way that they are going about achieving that success."

Notorius FarmVille developer Zynga has launched a new promotional site called RewardVille which gives players additional in-game items in return for zCoins.
Zynga's in-game currency is based on the experience point style zPoints, which are used to increase a player's "zLevel". Eventually this unlocks the ability to earn zCoins, which can now be traded for items on RewardVille.

And that is just evil system, completely designed to make as much $ as possible without loosing too much  gamers, who actually notice how bad the games actually are.

Yeah... zynga designs those games the way you WANT to buy all the best stuff you can get with real money. Think about it, people buy this virtual shit with few million dollars everyday, just in farmville!
I want people see how lame this kind of businnes is.

I don't say you shouldn't shovel money to Zynga if you want to, but if you have come to the point in life where you pay for virtual stuff in shitty game, I recommend crashing your computer.

Micro-transactions (I hate them, you should too), which over time brings much more money than actually buying a game. People just don't notice how much money they will put overtime in the pockets of owners.

If you want to play game like farmville that is much better and won't make you buy stuff, try Minecraft.

Here's nice article also about zynga: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/01/AR2009110100018.html

- Noock

Portal 2 demo footage

At PAX East 2011 Valve released some game footage for press from Portal 2.
I really like the athmosphere, humour and looks of it.

Weekend

I will be posting later about Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Team Fortress 2

But here's some finnish reggae for the weekend:

Iwatas concerns about quality games in future

Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata recently talked about concerns of game developing in future.

Now to talk again about social network games and mobile gaming, the publishers are not interested about the quality of games they will deliver to markets.
Nintendo/PS/Microsoft etc. gaming only platform manufacturers do care, but Iwaka is concerned the rising of social network games and smartphone apps.

"Their goal is just to gather as much software as possible, because quantity is what makes the money flow - the value of videogame software does not matter to them." With value the quality would increase.

A few games do become mega-hits, but it's not easy. With such competition, even being noticed is extremely difficult - huge investments promise nothing. Now, consider this. The corresponding number of games available to download from app sites is in the tens of thousands. Game deveploment is drowning.

 
"Why is this happening? To answer, it's necessary to understand two very different ways of looking at our business, and these approaches focus on a single question. Is maintaining high value games a top priority, or not?"

Ultimate thought Iwata described what, in his mind, was an effective solution to the challenge in a single word: "Innovation."

I don't think the problem is as big as Iwata describes it, but it can take down qualitity at least in future.

5 Facts you may didn't know about Pac-Man

There are interesting articles recently made about Pac-Man, there's few things you may did not know about it.
You can see the article at http://www.cnbc.com/id/41888021/

Here's small flash version you can play!

Portal 2 release in April

Valve's Managing Director Gabe Newell announced that Portal 2 is "finished", confirming that the often delayed first-person puzzler will be ready for release in April.

"It's pretty much put to bed and we're just waiting for final approvals and to get the discs manufactured."

I'm really interested about Portal 2, as the first one was great. Portal 2 has been hyped and there should be lots of new innovative stuff, also Gabe himself said it's Portal 2 that he is most excited about.

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is one game I have high hopes on!
They haven't announced the release date, but it is around 2011-2012. As long as they do it properly and it meets with the expectations they've created so far, I can wait easily.
Check site at http://www.guildwars2.com/en/

For those who don't know, Guild Wars is succesful mmorpg, even though it didn't grow as much as some other mmorpgs, it has still decent sized loyal fanbase.

So when it comes to Guild Wars 2,  I have high hopes that it may become best mmorpg so far (WoW killer!).
Still, you have to remeber there's much to do in developing and I hope they will take the time to come up with quality game.

They have published lot of info about the game and they have certainly very cool and unique design manifest.
You should see the video about design http://www.guildwars2.com/en/media/videos/

I like the way developers emphasize they wish "to avoid forcing players into the grind-based gameplay that too often accompanies a high level cap."

They have very good points about mmo games today and they know what players want.
So, if they can execute the manifesto properly, it will be awesome game.

- Noock

Demon's Souls gives what gaming needs = innovations

Demon's souls is one best games I have ever played. You've probably heard lot about it.
So I've played it through now and I'm starting new game+

                                                - Enjoy some art

I'll list some things what I love in it:

* Great atmosphere, dark and beautiful, sunny but eery... it has lot of attributes

* Worlds are large, detailed and imaginery

* Innovative enemies, bosses ( every boss/mob = actually very unique unlike in WoW)

* Combat challenging and rewarding

* ARMORS are best looking! Weapons are awesome, cool spells too

* EVERYTHING WAS INNOVATIVE. More games like this.

And in this vid some dude had made mildly disturbing character !

Social games are "evil"

There is interesting article at gameindustry.biz and PCgamer where Jonathan Blow chats about the evil minded game companies like Zynga etc. And I agree with him.
I think it also shows part of reasons why I stopped playing WoW sometime ago.

So here's what usual evil designer thinks:


'My goal is to get people to think about my game and to put more money into my game and get other friends to play my game to the exclusion of all other games and all other things that they might do with their free time.' 

That is the job description of those designers. And that's evil. It's not about giving people anything. It's about taking from people.

PC Gamer: Do you blame the player? I mean, is it the player’s fault for getting involved? Even if they don’t realise they’re being harmed?


But the thing about these games though is they’re made to look really light and friendly or whatever. So it’s very difficult especially for someone to think about games and how their design affects the world – which is most people in the world, they don’t think about that, right?
It’s very difficult for them to see how this could possibly be detrimental in any way. They’re just like, “Oh, I’m clicking on the items, I’m having fun”. You know, whatever.

Witcher 2 pre-beta gameplay

I found new video from the gameplay of Witcher 2. Even though it's taken from pre-beta, it seems nice. I actually never tried Witcher, it looked like good game but I'm not a fan of round based combat and I just hadn't time for it (damn WoW etc.)

But since there's new combat system in Witcher 2 and got more time, I'm exited about it.




- Noock

Gabe Newell - world's richest game entrepreneur ?

There has been lot of articles about how succesful Valve is, but now people are interest about how much money two owners (Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington) makes.

                                          
There is no published info about Valves finance, but revenue for one year is estimated to be hundreds of millions:  

"Steam made around $300 million to $400 million for Valve in 2010. Valve tells that the revenues for Steam and its own videogame publishing arm (Half-Life, Team Fortress, Portal) are comparable. So, doubling Steam’s revenue gives Valve around $600 million to $800 million in 2010 total revenues."  writes Forbes.

So yeah, Gabe is probably by far the richest person in gaming industry.
Also worth of noting, that if Gabe and Mike decides to sell Valve,
they would receive around 2-4 billion dollars total.

- Noock