My guest this week is Sam Reich, creator of Dutch West and director of many CollegeHumor’s originals, including Rejected Wii Games and Street Fighter: The Later Years.
TALKING POINT: Last week, Rockstar Games pulled back the curtain and gave us our first look at Grand Theft Auto IV. Did it live up to the hype?
TALKING POINT: Last week, Rockstar Games pulled back the curtain and gave us our first look at Grand Theft Auto IV. Did it live up to the hype?
Sam: It was certainly a teaser and not a trailer. We learned that GTA 4 again takes place in Liberty City, but a more New York-ized version of it. People surely will say that a game like this is inappropriate in a post-9/11 world. Though the setting is present day, which rules out the option of flying a Dodo into the World Trade Center.
Jeff: You will, however, still be able to run over cops in a tank. New York’s Mayor Bloomberg already made a statement that setting a game like GTA in New York is inappropriate.
Sam: Apparently Mayor Bloomberg only ever plays Bubble Bobble.
Jeff: It’s so frustrating to me when movies and video games are judged on two different standards. Every year dozens of movies about killers and worse are filmed in New York. Does the interactivity of a game make it a different art form, or is Bloomberg being a pussy?
Sam: I think the fear is that playing a game in which you’re a terrorist somehow encourages terrorism. Which makes sense. After playing Rampage all day, I promptly ate the Empire State Building.
Jeff: Even though the preview showed no gameplay, it definitely got the nerds wet. The last generation’s Grand Theft Auto was a graphical achievement, but only because of the scope of the game. Close up shots of people and places looked awful. If the GTA IV itself looks as good as these movies, and Rockstar claims they were all in-game, it might do for the 360/PS3 what porno did for VCRs.
Jeff: I can’t wait for their Rock Band follow up, Virtual Polyphonic Spree.
Sam: Or Marching Band, which combines the thrill of Guitar Hero with the still-hip Power Pad.
Jeff: Harmonix proved with Guitar Hero that there is a market for games that come with girl-repelleing peripherals. MTV recently purchased the company, so expect a big mainstream push.
Sam: How long is it going to be before people abandon their cyber bands in favor of real ones? I’d be a Rock Band supporter if it actually taught to you play, but it seems like you could learn as much about bongos from Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.
Jeff: That’s the biggest criticism I hear about Guitar Hero. “Why don’t you go play real guitar?” Nobody expects the Track and Field to make you an olympic triple jumper. At least I’m gaining an appreciation of how far away I am from ever actually playing music. The Allman Brothers always have to play on expert difficulty.
Sam: But the technology is there for an actual guitar. Digital guitars are being built for Garage Band on Mac. Driving games give you the option of stick or power. Dance Dance Revolution increases your Irish stepdancing skills. I’m not asking for tuning pegs, just for more than an Xbox controller in the shape of a Gibson.
Jeff: but I can’t play guitar, that’s why I play Guitar Hero! Do you think Tiger Woods plays Wii Sports? Do you think god plays The Sims?
Sam: Conan O’Brien beat Siena Williams in Wii Tennis. I guess I just proved your point.
Jeff: Bottom line – Harmonix has already developed a great guitar game (Guitar Hero), a great bass game (Guitar Hero 2), and a great drinking game that has some singing (Karaoke Revolution). Assuming they don’t mess up the drums, and they won’t, Rock Band should be a classic for anyone willing to invest.
Sam: Most would say Mario Galaxy, but I don’t think anything will replace Sports. It’s sold with the system and alone is worth the price of admission. I’m a tennis fanatic, and have spent months reaching a pro score of 2400. I’ve lost 30 pounds, have a model girlfriend, and lunch every day with Agassi.
Jeff: Mario Galaxy will be the first real test of the Wii’s ability to support a full, single-player game. Zelda was designed for the GameCube and spruced up to have fishing. Mario’s a Wii game from the ground up. Single-player Wii Sports teaches you a lot about yourself.
Sam: A 2400 score is no joke. Around 2100, you can’t lose a rally without losing pro points. Around 2200, a perfect game earns you less than 10. Around 2300 I lose my girlfriend, and around 2400 my whole body smells like feet.
Jeff: In twenty years, people will talk about Wii Sports like we still talk about Duck Hunt. It’s a classic.
Sam: And Wii Sports would be improved if you could shoot a dog.
Sam: Street Fighter: The Later Years was first conceived as a single video. When it got popular, we decided to do more, but quickly realized that we’d need to know the whole story before we continued. We don’t want to be Lost and full of hollow drama and red herrings. We’re writing six more episodes, the first of which should premiere early next month.
Jeff: God help you if I find out you’re lying to me, Sam.
Sam: Apparently Mayor Bloomberg only ever plays Bubble Bobble.
Jeff: It’s so frustrating to me when movies and video games are judged on two different standards. Every year dozens of movies about killers and worse are filmed in New York. Does the interactivity of a game make it a different art form, or is Bloomberg being a pussy?
Sam: I think the fear is that playing a game in which you’re a terrorist somehow encourages terrorism. Which makes sense. After playing Rampage all day, I promptly ate the Empire State Building.
Jeff: Even though the preview showed no gameplay, it definitely got the nerds wet. The last generation’s Grand Theft Auto was a graphical achievement, but only because of the scope of the game. Close up shots of people and places looked awful. If the GTA IV itself looks as good as these movies, and Rockstar claims they were all in-game, it might do for the 360/PS3 what porno did for VCRs.
TALKING POINT: Harmonix just announced the follow-up to their hit Guitar Hero. Rock Band will allow one person to play guitar, one to play bass, one to sing, and one to play drums. Is Rock Band another hit, or is this four piece set-up too cost prohibitive?
Jeff: I can’t wait for their Rock Band follow up, Virtual Polyphonic Spree.
Sam: Or Marching Band, which combines the thrill of Guitar Hero with the still-hip Power Pad.
Jeff: Harmonix proved with Guitar Hero that there is a market for games that come with girl-repelleing peripherals. MTV recently purchased the company, so expect a big mainstream push.
Jeff: That’s the biggest criticism I hear about Guitar Hero. “Why don’t you go play real guitar?” Nobody expects the Track and Field to make you an olympic triple jumper. At least I’m gaining an appreciation of how far away I am from ever actually playing music. The Allman Brothers always have to play on expert difficulty.
Sam: But the technology is there for an actual guitar. Digital guitars are being built for Garage Band on Mac. Driving games give you the option of stick or power. Dance Dance Revolution increases your Irish stepdancing skills. I’m not asking for tuning pegs, just for more than an Xbox controller in the shape of a Gibson.
Jeff: but I can’t play guitar, that’s why I play Guitar Hero! Do you think Tiger Woods plays Wii Sports? Do you think god plays The Sims?
Sam: Conan O’Brien beat Siena Williams in Wii Tennis. I guess I just proved your point.
Jeff: Bottom line – Harmonix has already developed a great guitar game (Guitar Hero), a great bass game (Guitar Hero 2), and a great drinking game that has some singing (Karaoke Revolution). Assuming they don’t mess up the drums, and they won’t, Rock Band should be a classic for anyone willing to invest.
TALKING POINT: Wii Sports is still the most popular title on Nintendo’s console, with no strong challenger on the horizon. What’s it going to take to unseat the free pack-in game?
Sam: Most would say Mario Galaxy, but I don’t think anything will replace Sports. It’s sold with the system and alone is worth the price of admission. I’m a tennis fanatic, and have spent months reaching a pro score of 2400. I’ve lost 30 pounds, have a model girlfriend, and lunch every day with Agassi.
Sam: A 2400 score is no joke. Around 2100, you can’t lose a rally without losing pro points. Around 2200, a perfect game earns you less than 10. Around 2300 I lose my girlfriend, and around 2400 my whole body smells like feet.
Jeff: In twenty years, people will talk about Wii Sports like we still talk about Duck Hunt. It’s a classic.
Sam: And Wii Sports would be improved if you could shoot a dog.
TALKING POINT: Where the fuck is the next Street Fighter: The Later Years?
Sam: Street Fighter: The Later Years was first conceived as a single video. When it got popular, we decided to do more, but quickly realized that we’d need to know the whole story before we continued. We don’t want to be Lost and full of hollow drama and red herrings. We’re writing six more episodes, the first of which should premiere early next month.
Jeff: God help you if I find out you’re lying to me, Sam.
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