Editor’s Choice

In response to “The Milkman Cometh” from The Escapist Forum: I’ve played Psychonauts and I can see why you associate “art in videogames” with the Milkman Conspiracy stage. What I want to say is that the joy of navigation, the realness (if there is such a word) you feel because of the procedural feedback you get when you try to snoop around in the Milkman stage is what makes the game a new kind of art.

Conspiracy theories are not new, neither are crazy people who you have to deal with to get on with your life. Graphics depictions of such people’s minds is not really new either. But the freedom to run, jump, live and die in such a mind is what makes the experience unforgettable.

– lietkynes

In response to “The Milkman Cometh” from The Escapist Forum: I can only comment on my experience with Colossus, but what I hear you guys describing of Pyschonauts could be indicative of the large palette of games as art.

Wandering and manipulating any sphere of play is to wander inside the vision of the development team. Wander’s awkward lunges, exhausted panting and half-determined, half-frightened gait highlight his mortality in his environment. That’s noteworthy because most heroes of his ilk are rendered immortal, or worse, swaggering.

I love that Crigger notes [Shadow of the Colossus] as a study on death. It’s an overwhelming, almost heartbreaking experience. And I think one of the reasons it is so effective is the physics that flesh out the avatar interacting with the environment. Do you think that’s why so many GTA clones fall short of being satisfying experiences? The lack of a truly visionary manipulation of worlds?

– nbarbour

In response to “I Didn’t Leave Games …” from The Escapist Forum: I was initially excited to learn that the creator of EWJ was also responsible for one of my favorite new cartoons, Catscratch. Upon further reading though, I began to see yet another disgruntled, ranting and self-absorbed lapsed developer.

Doug, I think the biggest disservice “DP” did you was to inflate your ego and salary so fast that you have no perspective any more. If your love of making games was bigger than your head, you’d get out there and do something like Telltale or Garage Games are doing instead of demanding to be treated like royalty for making some interesting characters almost 10 years ago.

I yell because I care.

– meathelix

In response to “I Didn’t Leave Games, the Games Left Me” from The Escapist Forum: Disagree completely – I love The Netherhood and am really excited that Doug worked on that and Earthworm Jim – two of my all time classic favs!

There’s a real uniqueness to The Netherhood and a an acceptance that it’s not going to be a number one smash like the big shoot ’em ups – Doom 3, Quake, Halo etc. Instead it’s a really cool, special little game – one which makes gaming less stifled and more interesting.

I cant help but feel Earthworm Jim could have gone further down that road if Doug had been allowed more control over it. It’s pretty disgusting that now he’s not even allowed to see what they’re doing with his character. I’m not saying that capitalism is always bad and that the people with the money don’t know what they’re doing – just in this case I think they should have left well alone.

Here be beauty, there be pie charts … that kind of thing. Leave the creative people to do what they do best and we might have a few more games like The Netherhood.

– pixie_lady

In response to “I Didn’t Leave Games, the Games Left Me” from The Escapist Forum: While I can’t really shed a tear for someone who says, “I’m so damn good, you should come and get me,” I also feel like TenNapel sounds like a lot of artists who make their money off of people looking to make a lot of money, for better or worse.

Of course “the suits” are gonna screw you out of your creations, that’s why young & naive creative types need legal council (or at least more than a handshake).

– EvN