A spark of interest - E3 2013

After watching this years E3 conferences, the game that sparked my interest the most was the game aptly named "Project Spark".
The thing about this game is that it isn't really a game per se, but actually more of a tool for making games, which makes it similar to the "Unreal Development Kit" or Valve's "Hammer". As opposed to these advanced game engines, however, Spark targets a wider audience, meaning that both seasoned game developers and young players will be able to create games by using, or maybe rather playing Project Spark. Gamers are often highly creative people, which is shown in games like Minecraft and Little Big Planet, and many seem to enjoy building their own worlds, designing their own challenges, customizing weapons, changing appearances, and so on. This spark of creativity is definitely important to both gamers and game developers, and letting gamers alter their games in such ways could be the beginning of many new game genres, or simply add more replayability to games that would otherwise get boring in time.

At this moment, there really isn't much information about project spark, other than what was shown on E3 and the fact that microsoft has been working on it for 2 years, while simultaneously halting the development of their other game-making toolset, XNA, which was used for making games like Terraria and Bastion. Project Spark seems to be focused on making 3D games, but we can tell from the E3 video that it will also be able to make 2D games, and its limitations are not very clear.
It is, however, very clear that the "game" will have its limits. Making something like a third person 3D game usually requires a lot more work than making, lets say, a 2D platformer, but pcworld apparently made an interesting and fun 3D game in only 20 minutes with project spark. This is definitely good news to unexperienced gamers who want quick results, but it could also mean that the tool is too restricted, or too simple to use for making complex or highly innovative games. Considering the fact that the tool will be free to play, there's also a high chance that assets such as 3D models and other content will be restricted, and in a worst case scenario, unlockables which you have to pay for via micro transactions.

Well, it's hard to judge the game at this point, and some parts of the E3 trailer look really fun, so it has the potential to become one of the most interesting games for the Xbox One. Although it will also be playable on PC, and I can't imagine using a gamepad for game development, so I'm pretty sure which version I'll get.

Project Spark E3 Trailer:

Sources:
http://www.destructoid.com/project-spark...tools-to-be-successful-256061.phtml

http://www.gameskinny.com/d9fpn/project-spark-beta-and-content-sharing-detailed

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2041617/...with-microsofts-project-spark.html

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/...Microsoft-Confirms-the-End-of-XNA

http://www.x360magazine.com/opinion/project-spark-holding-creativity-to-ransom/

Waiting for Pokémon

After having finished Tomb Raider (if the game would have let me I would have had another, more interesting ending) I had a sudden urge to play something that wasn't action and so I searched the web for a bit, looking for a rpg of some sort.

What I found, that caught my attention was "Ni no Kuni" and the "Atelier" games and after some reviews of the games I decided that "Ni no Kuni" would be the better one for me (since Atelier was described as really slow paced and difficult to get the hang of) and I really need a game that is not too slow paced because the lack of progression is what makes me stop playing in most cases and is why I have bought several of jrpgs and never finished them.

I hope this one will work out for me, it seems beautiful and charming at least!

Ila

Good bye Versus, Hello XV!

How I've waited and now they've come around and announced that Final Fantasy versus XIII will instead be Final Fantasy XV, not that it makes any real difference to me but it feels nice that it's no longer associated with FFXIII (which, in my opninion, wasn't that great).

However, I guess I'm not done waiting yet, no date has been announced for this title yet and since I really bought the Playstation 3 in order to play this title I won't do the same mistake again. I'll wait until this FFXV actually hits the stores before I purchase the PS4 (unless some other game gets my attention before that)!

The game looks great so far though and the fact that the KH guys has been working on this one shines right through. It actually feels like I'm watching Kingdom Hearts in a true Final Fantasy setting. I feel my thumb going wild on the X button and every once in a while executing something cool with the triangle.

I like that, I don't know if that's how it will turn out in the end but anything that takes me away from the "Auto Battle" of FFXIII will make me happy.

What interests me the most is the weapon menu at the bottom, how will that work out? Will it change your weapons automatically? Will you toggle though them? Will they have different abilities linked to them? Can you exp them separately? Tell me everything!

I'd really like a game where you get to exp your weapons, almost like how you exp your class in the Tactics games, but I think I'm being a bit too unrealistic if I believe that's how they're gonna do it. The best guess would be that you toggle through them and that they're good at fighting different things, aww...

Ila

Who cares about achievements now?

I finally bought Tomb Raider! Well, it was a while back but I'd been thinking about getting it since it's release so I guess I'm a bit late.
However, I've come to like it quite a lot. People complained about a lot of quick time events and sure they're there but, at least for me, they're not intrusive but they've caused my death several of more times than they actual enemies have so far.
Deadliest so far's got to be the spruce's branch, I always got impaled when trying to land with that parachute! And you shouldn't underestimate giant, falling rocks either, the tutorial killed me with this way too many times before I actually focused and read what the game wanted me to do, pressed "F" and lived to see another day. Damn adrenaline.

As (almost) always I decided that I wanted to play this game based on three things: Box art, genre and graphics. I didn't know much about this game, didn't know much about the series either actually but I've come to like it, or... I never disliked it to begin with.
The story is intriguing and as the mystery deepens it leaves me wanting to progress the story further and faster, way faster!
To be honest, this is one of the games that's got achievements but where I do not feel any interest in completing them, I just want to see the story unfolding! And for me that's a rare feeling, I usually get stuck in games, focusing way too much on the achievements and therefore never finishing it.
However, here, I'll make my way out of this bloody mess and become the survivor!
Promise.

Ila