A preference was stated for games that “obey the rules of good narrative structure, i.e., they leave out the goddamn boring bits” (here he cites UNCHARTED 2 as well as BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY 2 and MODERN COMBAT).

I’ve played UNCHARTED 2 and RED DEAD REDEMPTION and I understand what he’s getting at. What’s funny to me is that not three clicks later I read an editor’s note in a FILMMAKER magazine email blast trumpeting the virtues of boredom as a path towards discovering art.

I’m not gonna address the “games as art” issue but I think there is something both great and insidious about these massive sandbox games and I’ll use RED DEAD as my touchstone. I think it’s awesome that there is an entire world to explore. Should you grow tired of the narrative, you can always roam about and discover new pockets of land, hunt game, meet strangers, cheat in a game of poker, toss horse shoes, go to a movie, challenge someone to an arm wrestling match, take a job as a night watch man, bust broncos, herd cattle or just collect some flowers. It’s a fun way to get lost, and lose a lot of productive time (do you hear me BORDERLANDS?). Actually, that’s my complaint: there’s too much to do. Honestly, after your escapades in Mexico I was ready for the game to end, not introduce a whole new third plus a coda. And heaven help someone like me that gets obsessed collecting all the trinkets (I resisted this in RED DEAD but did manage to collect all the feathers, statues, codex pages, paintings, weapons, armor and seals in ASSASSIN’S CREED 2).

And that’s my complaint when I’m playing solo.

But then there’s the online component. I think that’s where the sandbox styled games triumph. Sure, the UNCHARTED 2 online multiplayer experience is fun but does it come close to RED DEAD where not only can you duel but you can also posse up to tackle missions, hunt game, race horses or just wander off and pick flowers?

So while I understand the joy in simply taking an active role in a movie-like narrative, I think it’s in these massive game worlds, worlds with that allow for online social experiences with our friends, as well as the potential for boredom, that games will be able to distinguish themselves as something more than just movies staring a superhero version of us.

That said, I’m dying for FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS, CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS and ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD to hit my mailbox this fall (what kind of gamer do those choices make me?).

A Prince Falls.

A few years ago I was introduced to the Katamari games and I was instantly charmed. They’re bright, fun, easy to play and unlike every other game out there. They’re perfect for anyone that says “I don’t like video games.” Heck, I’ve seen it win over girlfriends. So it is with that introduction that I bring news that Katamari creator Keita Takahashi has parted ways with his video game publisher Bandai, possibly to create playgrounds. Yes, he was only involved with the original title but it’s still a huge loss of creative lunacy in an otherwise staid industry. Then again, I’d love to run around one of his playgrounds.

A Jerk Rises

I have such faint memories of the original DUKE NUKEM that it wasn’t big news to me that the sequel was finally coming out. Then I learned the real story: after a decade and close to $20 million in development funds, the creators filed for bankruptcy and then counter sued their publishers. Holy s**t, and I thought movies were slow moving and expensive. So how did Duke rise from the vaporware grave? It seems the hero of the day is Randy Ptichford, the guy responsible my video game addiction, BORDERLANDS. I’m not sure I’m gonna run out and pre-order this title but my interest has been piqued.

A Plumber Celebrates

That right, this sucka is 25 years-old.

Okay, enough blogging.  Time to export more FCP sequences to After Effects.

A bit of background to help you understand my response. First, I don’t subscribe to cable. It’s a cost I cut a long time ago and I don’t really miss it. Then television got great. Suddenly I was hooked on shows like VERONICA MARS and FRINGE; my latest addiction is MAD MEN (I blame my former roommate for that).

For a while it seemed that for $1.99 iTunes could give me what I needed but damn if those files aren’t huge and season passes are expensive (and what if the show starts sucking?). Hulu seemed like the answer. Just a couple of problems: the window of viewing and the window for viewing. A couple weeks of “nose to the grindstone” and I end up with 20+ hours of NBC sitcoms and Fox animation I wanted to watch but they’re expiring in 14 hours.  Plus I was locked into watching episodes on my laptop. Sure, I could always get the DVDs from Netflix but…

But then Netflix introduced streaming on the PS3 and it was as if a whole new world opened up to me.  Suddenly I could follow my whim and watch a movie or a documentary or an episode of KING OF THE HILL and all I had to do was start buffering while I cooked dinner.  I consider that a big win but instantly I wanted more.  I wanted more than a handful of THE OFFICE episodes and why do I still have to use that stupid disc?

So when I heard that Hulu was offering a paid service that would show current shows and allow access to their back catalog, I was interested. When I learned that I’d be able to do this on my PS3, which is hooked up to a sweet TV, I immediately signed up for an invite.

(Still waiting for that invite.)

So obviously I’m excited for streaming services that let me view quality content via my PS3. Therefore, it should be obvious that a film nut like me wants a service showing Criterion like programming (plus I’m dying for something to tear me away from BORDERLANDS). Those are the movies I love, the kind I need to be watching, discovering.

Here’s hoping Mubi & Sony make this happen in North America.

Okay, back to to finishing God of War 3 before Red Dead Redemption arrives… along with some more Borderlands level grinding for good measure.

Suddenly I don’t feel so bad about my turn as a shut-in trying to level up my BORDERLANDS characters. And once I get hooked on GOD OF WAR 3 it’s over. Damn you PS3! I love/hate you so much.

On the other end of the spectrum, did you hear about the prolific writer whose life went to hell once he discovered GRAND THEFT AUTO and cocaine? Yeah, I know, right, it’s crazy! I’m not that bad but then again I’ve barely played GTA IV.

(gulp)

That means time to get my multi-platform web series back on track but first, allow me to take a look around the playing field. According to Mashable, these are among the most watched (and therefore the best, I guess) web series around.

I’ve mentioned The Guild before and am excited to see that I can watch episodes via Netflix streaming on my PS3 (when I’m not playing BORDERLANDS or GOD OF WAR 3).

What would the web be without violent cartoons?

Here’s a fairly typical “high concept” web idea.

Wait, you loved BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, right?

And this is the most watched web series out there.

No, seriously, 8 million people have watched this. EIGHT MILLION?!?!?!

Let me be honest and say that I don’t get the mass appeal of most of these. I’ll forgo skewering the technical shortcomings and simply point out that most employ terrible storytelling and awful acting. I can see why the internet has given “sketch” a bad name.

But I digress… back to grind stone… after a little more GOD OF WAR 3.

So you can imagine my excitement when I saw that the latest DLC is being released today. Say “hello” to General Knoxx.

And say “good bye” to my free time.

So while I hurtle towards the conclusion of BORDERLANDS, I was reminded that TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD was not the first game I beat. No, it was actually PORTAL.

For most of you, PORTAL was an “also includes” when you bought HALF-LIFE 2. When my buddy (and soon to be “hot s#!t” screenwriter) Jeremy let me borrow it, he said it’s like “Radiohead but as a video game.”

Naturally, I was skeptical. I play the puzzle shooter and found it fun. Once the puzzles got loopy, the game really got more interesting. And then once you think you’re done it kicks into this other place that’s pretty f**king cool. Yeah, I’m with Jeremy, I loved this game.

I should also mention that my buddy Sean, the one that got me hooked on BORDERLANDS, also let me borrow SPIDER-MAN: WEB OF SHADOWS and while it was fun web-slinging around Manhattan I found the narrative and missions too repetitive to recommend this game.

And there’s my alarm. Time for another DayQuil.

If you’ve ever met me in a bar or seen me in a decent restaurant and asked “what’s a good beer” then you’ve heard me give an impromptu lecture on brown ales or how a pilsener is different from a lager.  Yes, I’m a beer geek and it’s all because of a documentary called BEER WARS.

This week, that documentary is available on iTunes (and apparently my PS3 too but I can’t stop playing BORDERLANDS to check–help). Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof.

(that’s the documentary on the “iTunes->Movies” homepage sandwiched between NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU and some Hulk cartoon while I download the latest FRINGE).

Of course I’m biased (dear FTC, I worked on it for almost three years but I am not being compensated for this mention… but if the director wanted to buy me some tasty cupcakes I wouldn’t say “no”) but I think it’s a pretty damn good doc. Also, the “making of” was mighty interesting so I can’t wait for the behind-the-scenes book (hint, hint; nudge nudge).