Disqus - Latest Comments for kylebarrett

Re: Sponsoring Kinda Funny Games

kylebarrett — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 10:41:50 -0000

He blocked me for a misunderstanding. I'd just leave it. I can't imagine his Twitter feed is empty as it is. You can still be respectful and contact him here. :)

Re: Sponsoring Kinda Funny Games

kylebarrett — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 10:36:06 -0000

Awesome. I like this :)

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 11:39:03 -0000

Hmm, sucks... I am guessing the portfolio clash one was Playstation. That sucks - just so long as it comes to PS4 anyway!

I tweeted it at Phil Rosenburg saying I'd buy it, every little helps :P

I think I could decipher pretty much all of those publishers mentioned. I think...

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:56:25 -0000

Also, I just have to point out, if I will get called a 'corporate cheerleader' above you guys both agreed it'd be great if Valve could publish it, so it'd be PC exclusive.

So I see you guys are entirely hypocritical, and no amount of courteous chatting will help come to a hypothetical situation that we'd mutually agree on.

Sony and Valve are not that different.

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:53:02 -0000

Do you have to be rude?

Games like Papo & Yo were funded by Sony's pub fund, and even published by them. But they came to Steam because Minority owned the IP. So to me, if it's a choice between publishers, Sony seem genuinely eager to have games on their platform, regardless of exclusivity.

And Sony actually care about amazing games, not just big sellers, as I think their announcements at Gamescom made clear.

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:52:31 -0000

The only thing obnoxious is your post, no one asked you to focus on me - you decided to be rude.

I'd love to see the game on consoles, because there's a dedicated market of gamers that work well to boost sales in addition to Steam and keep developers employed. People like myself who can't afford a gaming PC.

It just so happens Sony are in a massive open indie outreach at the moment, and a development like this demands attention, so it was an honest and sensible suggestion.

There's nothing stopping it from coming out on Steam simultaneously.

Just relax and be friendly, not everyone has the adolescent agenda you expect.

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 16:46:07 -0000

Again, that's your expectation and your problem.

Indie and AAA developers both make games which I enjoy playing. They're pretty difficult to distinguish nowadays.

$20 million budget and subsidiary of a huge company is usually a good sign of an AAA developer.

Re: One Year of Daily Reaction: Celebrate and Win 12 Months of PS+ or GTA V

kylebarrett — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 16:34:52 -0000

Congrats guys, I still listen to BadGamers. You should STILL get a third person :D But I appreciate it!

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 20:28:04 -0000

I don't think the word itself is the issue. It means self sufficient, run independently, generally passionate teams creating games.

The 2D Mario Remake is your expectation.

Re: Sony XDev Europe Teases “Fantastic Announcements” at gamescom, Shahid Ahmad Talks PS4 Development Dream

kylebarrett — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:30:51 -0000

Excited, if XDEV is teasing, it'll be stuff we don't expect. New partnerships, no doubt.

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 08:24:04 -0000

As you say it's only artifically exclusive, most indie projects they help out come to Steam months later - even ones they published like 'Papo & Yo'. And they seem like the best people to work for at the moment, because they value content on their platform as opposed to a project earning money.

Re: Warhorse studios: BLOG

kylebarrett — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 11:10:31 -0000

Pitch it to Sony, they leave games alone for the most part, and are happy to fund. I actually tweeted your website at some of the XDEV guys about 3 months ago.

Re: A Message From Ted – Sunset Overdrive

kylebarrett — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:28:05 -0000

Well then FUSE was not for fans. They need to stop relying on that conceit.

If they want to create games for themselves, they need to do smaller games.

If they want to create games that are financially viable they need to do smaller titles.

Anyway, I wish them the best of luck with Overdrive. I don't think I'll be playing it.

Re: A Message From Ted – Sunset Overdrive

kylebarrett — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:32:32 -0000

Dear Ted,

I just wish you guys had gone in a different direction...

You staffed up, and became capable of multiple AAA developments. And now you're part of that AAA ecosystem, where you're creating games for the sake of it. Not because anyone wants them.

Who was FUSE for? Why does this game exist?

It's all for you. They are to 'broaden' your audience. They are to pursue independence. They are to own your big IP. They are strategic pieces of software.

(Heck... Who was Resistance 2, and those ridiculous Ratchet spinoffs for? It doesn't feel like it was for your fans. I loved R:FoM, I drew fanart.)

I just dream of the day you guys wake up, and go Double Fine. Ton's of smaller 3D titles, and browser stuff.

Who cares if you don't retain talent, cut your overheads. Keep the people who enjoy the small quick turnaround. Let your creative people take small creative risks. Stop relying on this stupid fan-based identity. Because there's not much left anyway.

Stop being part of the AAA problem, creating titles for the sake of it.

Anyway, what do I know? Have fun guys, hope this game keeps the studio going.

Re: Egypt Flips Internet Kill Switch, Will the U.S. Be Next?

kylebarrett — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:46:24 -0000

Undercooked piece on an interesting subject. I appreciate this needed to be out soon, to be relevant, but there's no harm in the editor being a little more strict or patient, depending on the situation. It's no good if the article goes out as a body of writing intermittently dotted with hyperbole - regarding the US' state of connectivity, the aforementioned body of which is formed mainly from reiteration of one point - the disruption of connectivity in Egypt.

Maybe it's just that as the article mentions, PC Mag was only recently print format. Perhaps I was expecting print quality editorial . Please make it concise and to the point next time.

P.S That was hardly a concise comment, thanks for reading.

Re: Game Design Logophilia

kylebarrett — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:21:07 -0000

I agree completely that there needs to be development of this industry's specific vocabulary.

It's far too difficult to explain ourselves sometimes, and most of the words we have to use, such as 'fun' are very generic words.

But I think like all language, it will naturally develop, you can't force adoption. The point is, we've only had forums (internet and physical) of game dicussion for 30 years.

I think it's a matter of patience. But there's nothing wrong with people trying to be proactive, infact they might even spur adoption of some terms.

Re: Things That Suck About the Magnetic Butterfly Public Prototype

kylebarrett — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:14:28 -0000

There's nothign really yet to comment on. I'd mirror what Jonathan said that is' a cool mechanical basis, but whether it's implemeneted into the environment well is obviously somethign that will coem with time.

Thanks for giving us the opportuntiy to experience it early though. You very rarely get to PLAY, W.I.P games. I think it's fantastic to be able to.

Re: Game Design Round Table 3: Observing Open Worlds

kylebarrett — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:42:29 -0000

GTA has set the design language, so there is defintely an element of that, I think.

Also this problem is just made worse, becuase some players are open to the idea of procedural narrative, while others aren't. And some are more capable of creating fun, or stories, with the tools they are given than others.

Re: Epic Scale

kylebarrett — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:57:22 -0000

I don't need an answer since you are clearly busy, no pressure, thanks for your reply.

What I understand, of what you've said is that elements which communicate meaning in games most successfully are the more apparent-to-narrative elements, such as characters (and settings)?

If so, I completely agree. I didn't mention it, as every medium employs those techniques to imbue meaning. I just focused on what is specific to video games - which I should have specified.

Looking forward to reading your piece on open worlds.

Kyle

Re: Epic Scale

kylebarrett — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:05:44 -0000

Even games that are given a pedestal when it comes to such matters; ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, they are still both about overcoming (sometimes literally) massive odds.

So this is really true. Not many games focus on intricacies, but as you said, intricacies are hard to map to a controller, and most of the time they aren't that fun.

Now something I disagree with, in that vein, is that game design is exclusive to fun and the idea that a story sets the stage for meaning, as you put it - as opposed to game design. I think meaning can come from 'game design' (of course game design implies the creation of a balanced and well executed set of rules within which the player can have fun - and in this case I am using the term unconventionally).

For example, the lumbering pace, and 'mobile turret' movement in Resident Evil 4 can communicate desperation. And in Shadow of the Colossus the second-person control of Agro the horse, and the horses free will while riding communicates a personality or at least being.

In these ways, I feel game design can communicate more meaning specific to the interactive medium, than story can. But I guess media language in virtual worlds is still young and underdeveloped.

Great read again though. Michael Abbot of Brainy Gamer actually started playing this again recently. Second awesome piece of writing on it, I have read recently.

Kyle

Re: Mechanics 4: Integrating User Interfaces

kylebarrett — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:00:55 -0000

This is interestign having seen videos of both Splinter Cell Conviction and Heavy Rain.

Neither of which I am convinced by.

Namely becuase Splinter Cell was one of a few games about observation and calculated actions. I know this is a game design blog, but how narrative is injected into game design is relevant. And Chaos Theory for example had you interrogate people, listen to conversations and avoid conflict. Why did they feel the need to inject the narrative interface they chose in Conviction?

And as for Heavy Rain, it defies game design paradigm completely. It's very much within a genre of it's own. But it's predecessor still relied on bars.

So there's kind of an arcade vs simulation here. A simulation gives you ambiguous or less information which challenges the 'game' element of it becuase it's based on the ambiguity of real life. And arcade adds the necessary interface , so the player can mechanically interpret a game.

Re: Challenge in Games: Everyone Hates Nathan

kylebarrett — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:46:48 -0000

I think the concept of giving players 'lives' and regainign that tension somehow is really important.

But at the same time, I am an OCD player, who will save every 5 steps, just so that I can replay the game again and again, until I get it done in the way I pictured it.

I can trial and error myself out of a game sometimes, which sucks for the game designer.