[Spann]

This.

And this.

Discuss.

(It's probably worth pointing out that the second link is a video.)

This post has been edited by Spann: 16 October 2008 - 12:54 PM

[FFreak3]

it's probably worth pointing out that people outside of australia can't see that video.

Sorry
Due to copyright reasons this video program is available for download by people located in Australia only. If you are not located in Australia, you are not authorised to view this video.

This post has been edited by FFreak3: 16 October 2008 - 01:36 PM

[David-kyo]

[url="http://www.news.com.au/

I liked the article, it had a non-biased atmosphere up until he started talking about Silent Hill 2.

[Chyld]

Bit buggered with that video thing, seeing as non Aussies can't see it. I could try hosting it on my webspace for non-kangaroos to see, but that's hampered by two things:
1.) My webspace having a pathetic bandwidth, thus being easily sinkable by the rampaging fanboy hoardes.
2.) I'm not in Oz, so I can't see it in the first place.

Fucking stupid Australian websites.

[Spann]

could one of our Ozzie brethren torrent it, perchance?

OOOOOOORRRRR......

Just DL it then throw it on to Megaupload/yousendit etc?

This post has been edited by Spann: 16 October 2008 - 04:04 PM

[AdamM]

Evoking fear is, in itself, an art form – and nothing in the entire history of storytelling has explored it better than video games.

That sounds like a pretty bold claim, but I genuinely believe it.

Anyone care to agree with me that this is a load of bullshit bordering on the pretentious?

[Spann]

Nope.

It's an entirely valid point.

[Dr Lecter]

I'm running the figures through the machines, and they say that it's closer to being pretentious, than to being not pretentious.

This post has been edited by Dr Lecter: 16 October 2008 - 04:56 PM

[Gobbler]

Well it's his belief. Obviously, Mr. Yahtzee never played any horror-games in reality. If you think that video games are the best, I really have to recommond playing a simple game of hide and seek in a completely dark house with a number of people. That alone tops all Silent Hill parts, and just imagine all the other possibilities.

And about the article itself, it was okay, but it just felt like listening to the old sermon again, guess that's to be expected when you've been reading Mr. Y's stuff for a few years.

Edit: Also, what about the original radio broadcast of War of the Worlds?

This post has been edited by Gobbler: 17 October 2008 - 02:05 AM

[FFreak3]

are you listening to yourself, gobbler?

Those really aren't examples of fear at all . . .
not compared to the stuff we have now.

hide and seek ina dark house? oh noes, someone might find me!

[Gobbler]

Give it a try, it's more unnerving than you'd think it is.

[saturnine]

Anyone care to agree with me that this is a load of bullshit bordering on the pretentious?

i actually agree with yahtzee on that. fear is so much more vicarious in game form. movies you just sit back and watch, you can't control it. in a game it's scarier because you're in control and if you fuck up you die and have to start over.

[AdamM]

The strawmen he gives to back up his argument that video games are the scariest medium are 'reading the word "boo" on a page' and Jason Voorhees. I'm not convinced by his flimsy rhetoric and neither should you be.

[Man Of Doom]

I don't know if it's because he has a limited amount of space in which to explain himself in the article or what, but he hasn't quite won me over with his arguments about game being the scariest medium. It's very much hit and miss with games, as it's all to easy to make the player aware that they're playing a game, somewhat limiting immersion.
Then again, it would seem that horror movies are the hardest to do right, as 50% of the ones I've seen were rather poor.
I think books can be an excellent medium of conjuring fear, of course 'reading the word boo on a page' isn't going to be scary, but their ability to build tension and suspense is incredible. And the fact that of course it's all occurring inside your own imagination certainly doesn't hurt.
But to be fair I think games can be a great medium for evoking a response of fear. I've never played, watched or read anything as Scary as the Forbidden Siren games, and even Silent Hill Origins, as much of a poorly painted picture of proper Silent Hill games it is, is still damn scary due to it's insistence on keeping me in the dark and pitting me against hordes of enemies as the least intimidating truck driver in the world armed with a selection of household junk.


I'm not sure where he was really going with the rest of the article. None of it really stuck with me. I suppose I agree with a lot of the stuff he's said but I've considered games a potential form of art for a while now so it's not really something I need to be hearing.
In the concept art booklet you got for Pre-ordering Alone in the Dark it says something along the lines of "we believe the future of entertainment is interactivity." I think that's quite true, and I guess it's part of what was being said here.

[joshofalltrades]

Since we're discussing video games as an art medium (specifically horror), let's talk about Dead Space since it just came out a couple days ago, it's horror and Yahtzee will no doubt review it shortly.

I don't find it especially scary. I'm only on Chapter 3 out of maybe 12, though, so maybe it will get worse. They did do a good job on ammo scarcity (I'm playing on Hard) and pacing.

My favorite segments so far are the zero gravity parts, especially if you're in a vacuum. Your suit has a limited supply of air in these, and you can jump from wall to wall. So can the monsters. A nice touch is that the flamethrower won't work in a vacuum. Also, sounds from outside your suit and muffled while sounds from inside the suit are amplified. It helps with the atmosphere when you can hear Isaac start to breathe really heavily as monsters come tearing through empty space at him and oh shit now I am almost out of air.

I'd say the game does tension really well, but not fear so much. If that makes sense to you.

Any other impressions?