Heavy Rain - A few thoughts, and loads of spoilers

I bought Heavy Rain, played and completed it over 3 days, and promptly returned it. But that is not an indication of the quality of the game. Rather, it was because I considered my experience with it complete. And holding onto it would be akin to trying to grasp onto the last wisps of a dream. And letting it go was probably the best thing for us all.

But I'm hoping to be able to quantify my experience with it, and where I think the game truly resonated with me. And I hope that sharing my perspective will enable other games to hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.

*Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers*

Scott Shelby is the Origami Killer.

This is an important development in the game, and not just in the narrative. It seems that for some players, this particular revelation reveals several inherent flaws in the game, and thus tainted the overall experience.

And the criticisms leveled against Heavy Rain's red herrings, and logical gaps in the narrative are fair and deserved. And the criticism against the mixed performance by the voice actors are also fair. These are lessons that should be accounted for if a sequel or successor emerges.

But the problems listed above should not be a deterrent to enjoying the game. And I believe that the game challenges our understanding of our role in the game, and this challenge may have left some gamers cold.

It seem that most players engage the game with the thought that we are the primary actor. We control Ethan, Madison, Norman and Scott. We are in control of the characters' actions, thoughts and impact in the game world. This is a commonly understood language of games, where the player is the sole determinant.

However, in Heavy Rain, we have to understand that we are not the primary actor. We are not even the director. Our role is not to determine their progression for them. They have already done that for themselves through their own independent actions. Our role in this world is far less involved, serving only as observers, as flies on the wall. And the game serves only as a window into which we glance briefly into the lives of these characters. And these characters, who exist completely independent from us, do not conform to our understanding of the world. If we were to extend the film-making analogy, we would be more akin to that of a post-production editor. We can affect the pacing of the narrative, and pick out one scene over a selection of alternatives. But ultimately, our impact is minimal.

And because we are placed in this unfamiliar position, various story elements may seem out of step with our understanding of the game. And we ask whether the reveal, or any other plot point made any sense to us. That, I believe, is the wrong question to ask. The question should instead be, "Did it make sense to them?".

Was the character of Scott Shelby internally consistent, within the confines of the world he lives in? Yes, it was.
Did Ethan truly believe that he was the killer? Yes, he did.
Did the peripheral characters also believe that Ethan was the killer? Yes, they did.

Ultimately, there are fair criticisms that can be laid against the game. But we should not diminish the game's challenge to our commonly understood role as a gamer. It may seem disempowering that we have no impact within the game. It's like picking up a snow-globe that won't work whenever we shake it. But I believe that this challenge could change our perspectives of our roles as gamers, and our expected interactions with a piece of interactive creative work.

PixelCast 14: Said One Pixel to Another

We are an unstoppable podcasting juggernaut. Tim, Dylan and I are back again to talk about magazine sales, true cross-platform gaming, and how media can affect/improve/dampen your game-playing experience.

We also talk about Just Cause 2, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Starcraft 2 beta and Street Fighter IV on the iPhone.

You can download the episode directly from here.

Dear Ramly Burger,

Sometimes the smallest, most insignificant object can play a pivotal role in a person's life. A trinket or a memento from long ago; a battered old souvenir or a loved toy.

The Ramly Burger would be that one thing for me. I don't remember when I ever had my first one. But its taste and aroma evokes memories that would otherwise been forgotten.

The Ramly Burger, in essence, is the lowest quality burger that one could ever find. A meat patty made from suspect ingredients, wrapped in a thin layer of egg, smothered in sauce and spice, and drenched in oil. The flavours are so strong and overbearing that one can never tell what one is exactly tasting. And truth be told, that is the one true way.

I remember late nights at a pasar malam. And that one trip to KL which I made with friends from the Army. I remember always seeking out the same Ramly Burger man because his skill on the grill cannot be imitated.

The overpowering flavours mirrors the vibrancy and life of home. It brings to fore fond remembrances of friends and family. And it is this that makes the lowly Ramly Burger transcend itself, and become an iconic food not just for myself, but for many people back home.

PixelCast 13 - Tear from a Pixel

On this episode of PixelCast, Tim, Cody, Dylan and myself talk about Heavy Rain, Plants vs Zombies, Brutal Legend and Aliens vs Predator.

We also consider the utility of Ubisoft's DRM in upcoming PC games and anti-R18+ ratings sentiment. We also discuss the futility of Nintendo having a press event when there's really nothing to say.

You can download directly from here.

PixelCast 12 - Pixellent

The crew is back together for another stimulating, invigorating and exhilarating conversation about videogames. This episode, we've got Michael, Tim and myself talk about the average games that somehow still gets a little love, and how a Brisbane man can afford to pay a whopping AU$1.5m piracy settlement.

Grab the podcast, and give it a listen. It'll put hairs on your chest. And that's a good thing. For everyone.

PixelCast 12. It's Pixellent.

Download directly here.

Marshmallow Head Shot; Reach out and shoot someone with sweet, delicious gooey goodness

Why haven't I heard about this? And why don't I already have one? A marshmallow shooter makes so much sense I'm amazed I hadn't thought of it myself. Or sought one out.

The guys at the Marshmallow Fun Company are, and I daresay, geniuses.

Life in Melbourne: At the drive-in

Audrea and I went to the drive-in for the first time over the weekend. It's been something I've wanted to go for the longest time, having only read about them in old Archie comics. For me, it sounded like a place for that old-time movie magic. And making out.

And there being a drive-in just minutes away from us, it seemed silly not to give it a try. And not knowing what to expect, going to the drive-in was quite an experience.

We drove in, bought our tickets and promptly met with a wall of cars which were parked for whatever was presently screening. I think we broke a few courtesy rules leaving the headlights on while we prowled for a suitable parking spot.

And getting the sound on was another little tale. We were told to tune our radios in to the cinema frequency, but we were both worried that leaving the radio on would drain the car's battery. Audrea and I have had some bad experience with cars whose batteries drained after about a half-hour of radio. I asked a guy in the car next to our's, who said it's never happened to him. I also posted on Twitter and Facebook to ask, and was promptly assured it wouldn't happen. Still, I think we were both nervous about the car refusing to start after the movie; Luckily those fears were unfounded.

Being in your own car whilst the movie runs definitely gives more privacy, and personal space. We could shuffle about in the car, use our mobiles, and chat with each other at our own discretion. But a car gets uncomfortable very quickly. We didn't have the right tools with us this time, which we'll remedy the next time: pillows, blankets, and finding the right angle to simultaneously stretch out while maintaining the optimum viewing angle.

Still, the drive-in was something quite memorable, and definitely worth going back to again. And something for us to do with visiting friends who may have never been before. But like I said earlier, we'll have to arm ourselves suitably the next time round.

PixelCast Episode 11: Them Old Pixels

Eliot Fish, Producer on ABC's Good Game and former editor of Hyper, joins Tim, Dylan and myself as we once again gather round the fireplace reminiscing on the old games of yore.

We talk about aging games and whether they live up today's standards, as well as explore the virtues of Beyond Good & Evil.

You can download the episode here.

PixelCast Episode 10: Year of the Pixel

I took a break on Episode 9, but I'm back again to talk about Bayonetta, Torchlight, Trine, Tales of Monkey Island. We also discuss about playing games all the way to the end, a task I often fail in.

You can download the episode from here.

New Year's Resolutions 2010

The New Year has come and gone in a blink of an eye, and we're well into 2010; The final year of the first decade of the 21st Century. And there have been monumental changes in the past nine years, changes that have drastically shaped my life, and the person I've become. And hopefully by the close of this year, and the decade, I'll be able to mark some more notches on my belt.

Resolutions

1. Take a course and learn something new.
2. Watch more movies.
3. Write more.
4. Read more.
5. Ride a bicycle. Regularly.

Since leaving University, I don't believe I've applied myself vigorously to new thoughts, new ideas or new experiences. And as such, I believe I've stagnated mentally for a good period of time. I need to break out from my complacency and malaise, and try to reignite my brains once again.

Pixel Hunt Issue 10

The latest issue of Pixel Hunt has just been released. It's Christmas, so why not download it and read all the in-depth features and reviews contained within.

I've got an opinion piece, and two reviews in this latest issue, so go check it out!

You can download Issue 10 from here: www.pixelhunt.com.au

Merry Christmas. Here's more lame jokes for you

These are some lame jokes taken out from Christmas crackers (bon-bons).

Q: What do snowmen wear on their heads?
A: Ice caps!

Q: Why does an elephant wear sneakers?
A: So he can sneak up on the mice.

Q: Do you know how to make a bandstand?
A: Take away their chairs.

Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
A: Snowflakes

Q: Why did the apple turnover?
A: Because it saw the cheese roll.

Q: What do you call a sleeping bull?
A: A bulldozer.

Q: What insect is musical?
A: A humbug.

Q: What did the winner of the race lose?
A: His breath.

Q: Why did the scientist install a knocker on his door?
A: He wanted to win the no-bell prize.

Q: What comes up when the rain comes down?
A: An umbrella.

Q: Why is an elephant large, gray and wrinkly?
A: Because if it were small, white and smooth it would be an aspirin.

Q: What travels around the world but never leaves its corner?
A: A stamp.

Merry Christmas!

Buying a house, and lessons learnt

Audrea and I moved into our new home over the weekend. The house is shaping up nicely, and aside from a few other bits of household items, we're mostly settled in.

But the entire process has been extremely trying and exhausting. And I think we're learnt a number of lessons, which will help if we ever move again in the future.

1) Making the offer, and signing the contract
We made an offer on the higher end of the price range, and perhaps that was a novice mistake. We were afraid that someone else would make a more attractive counter-offer. Making an offer of a reasonable amount to yourself is important.

I also made the mistake of not insisting on including "Subject to finance" in the terms of my offer. This would have given us an exit option, should things not work out. This is particularly pertinent when we were buying off the plan, which would take about 6 months till settlement.

Understanding the penalties is also very important. As I'll share later, we had a hard time securing the loan. And had we defaulted on settlement, we would have lost the house, forfeit our down payment, and paid the difference if the vendor was offered less on the re-sale. We didn't ask about the penalties in greater detail because we were so confident that securing a loan wouldn't be a problem, which in hindsight was a poor decision to make.

2) Not keeping an eye on the house
I think we placed too much trust on the real estate agent, the vendor and the builder to look after us. And as such, we didn't keep as close an eye on the building process as we should have. We didn't insist on being consulted with regards to the internal fixings, or even some of the larger aspects of the building (such as ducted cooling). We were lucky that the builder had a good eye, and picked the colours and materials that we otherwise would have. But we did end up with a couple of things we wished were included into the house.

3) Mortgage, brokers and lawyers
Because settlement was so far removed from the contract signing, we had a bit of time to secure a loan. And because of that, I think we both procrastinated a little bit. This was further compounded when advised by the broker in October that we still had plenty of time to secure that loan. Things did not turn out that way exactly.

The whole process took longer than it should have, taking almost one and a half months before we could confirm our loan arrangements. For some reason, the bank kept requesting for additional documents. And given there was a 6-8 day turnaround with each request, this greatly extended the time needed for the loan. And with our initial submission, we were assured by the broker that we had already provided sufficient documentation, so the constant delays caught us off guard. We only got final loan approval less than a week from settlement.

The lawyer we engaged was a great help to us, because his constant reminders to us emphasised the urgency of the situation. But I think we had different expectations on the services provided. His services were to prepare the required documents for settlement, and in a normal situation, this would have been sufficient. But given our particular scenario, I had assumed that he would also represent our interests in dealing with the broker, bank, and vendor. I guess I had slightly different expectations of what engaging a lawyer entails, so there were moments when I felt quite frustrated by a seemingly lack of assistance from all sides.

4) Stamp duty
One of the biggest shocks we received near the end of the whole process was the amount of stamp duty we had to pay. Buying an off-the-plan property often means a much lower stamp duty than buying an established one. And one is always told that the duty is based off the value of the land. This is close, but not exactly true.

What we've found is that the duty is calculated by taking away the value of the construction from the purchase price. So say that the purchase price is $10, the value of the construction is $4, and the land is $3. The duty is not calculated on the value of the land ($3), but rather on the purchase price minus the construction price ($10-$4=$6). As such, we were hit by a higher stamp duty that we previously assumed, which has left us in a undesirable position.

5) Final inspection of the house
It's important to do the final inspection of the house as early as possible. Because we hadn't secured our loan until the last week, we weren't confident that we would get the house. We found a number of issues with the house, and because it was so close to settlement, there wasn't much that could be done aside from putting a request to have the builder resolve the issues. However, if we had done this earlier, it would have been possible to have these issues resolved before we get the keys. As it is now, those issues are now up to us to resolve.

PixelCast Episode 8: I'm dreaming of a white pixel

Christmas is upon us, and the Pixel Hunt crew gather once again to chat about games, the many seasons of Christmas, and the wonders of multiplayer. This episode, Alex Walker joins in the discussion with Tim, Dylan and myself.

If you listen to podcasts, and you like videogames, you must listen to the PixelCasts. It's a great show for the whole family! No foul language = kid-friendly.

You can download the episode here.

I'm a Beatles; Rock Banding

It was a difficult trek, making my way to Airport West just to pick up Beatles Rock Band for the PS3: An hour round trip from the office, with the game that was unexpectedly heavy. Getting the thing home was another challenge. But the quest was completed, and at a discounted cost of $150, the game (which came with drums, guitar and microphone) was well worth the effort.

Setting up took a lot longer than expected; there were so many parts in that huge box. The drums had to be fixed onto a stand, along with a foot pedal. There were wires, and dongles and assorted bits and pieces. But again... well worth the effort.

Because the game is bloody excellent. Being the Beatles, it doesn't need to be said how remarkable the music is. And the range was impressive, from their early years to their later, more experimental music. It's amazing how many songs I actually know... and how many that I didn't.

I was already familiar with Guitar Hero, so picking up the guitar again wasn't too difficult. Singing on the microphone wasn't too difficult either; I remained mostly in-key and on time. But the drumming was tough. Even though I can play a normal 4/4 beat on a real set, playing the drums in the game wasn't not an easy feat. It really does test one's coordination and timing.

But when you've got 2-3 people playing together, singing Here Comes the Sun... it was gold.

PixelCast Episode 7: Dylan, Ken and Tim on the mics again.

Tim's laptop has recovered from a serious case of blow-upititis, so the crew is back together again for another episode of the PixelCast. This episode, we've got a special guest joining us: James Pinnell from Gamer Limit.

Listen to us talk about Tropico 3, Wipeout HD, Left 4 Dead 2, Brutal Legend, unconventional uses of videogame consoles and the role of game demos.

You can download the podcast here.

Public Service Announcement: Semen Related Costs

Melbourne Stories: Vulture Man

City. Streets.
A trash bin, one of many.
A man sniffs around,
seeking treasures unseen.

He reaches in, pulls it out.
A paper bag in his grasp.
French fries is the prize;
Is the gold that he seeks.

Satisfying his hunger,
He reaches back in.
Finds a refreshing drink,
To complete his meal.

Life in Melbourne: Pearl Jam Live

I'm wearing the tour t-shirt that I bought at Pearl Jam's concert last night. I'm still blown away by the whole experience, and I'm trying to hold on to that feeling for as long as possible.

I've been a Pearl Jam fan for a long time now, even though I was made extremely aware that there are far more dedicated fans than I. I'm only familiar with their more recent albums; I haven't even listened to Ten (their breakout album) yet. And that is something I hope to remedy soon.

But the concert was absolutely fantastic. Eddie Vedder is brilliant as a singer, and so mesmerising on stage. The guitar solos were face melting, the atmosphere exhilarating. People were singing along to all the classics, jumping to the beat and throwing their hands into the air.

Seeing them play live was a huge wish fulfilled for me. And I'm glad I just decided to go, even if it was by myself.

PixelCast Stop Gap Episode

We are unfortunately missing our lead host for this episode. But this latest episode is still packed with gaming goodness. And instead of only talking about games, this time we talk about games while playing games.

Listen to us talk about Dragon Age, Modern Warfare 2, Tekken 6, Gratuitous Space Battles and Borderlands... While we are playing Borderlands simultaneously.

Download the episode here.