Um...Those exist. They've been mentioned to have been raking in the dough at the box office in the last few posts about it and have even already been nominated for an Oscar:
Massively Multiplayer: Gaming In The New Millennium
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This is a personal thing, isn't it
? I mean, not that I don't agree, I like WIld Cards a lot more then Martin's other work, but still. Also, have you considered: Why not both?This is a personal thing, isn't it
Because it'd bankrupt HBO?
Okay, maybe GoT can stay on HBO and Wild Cards can air on, I don't know, UPN/The CW?
That was kinda my thinking. That, or quite a large gap between the two would need to exist.Because it'd bankrupt HBO?
Okay, maybe GoT can stay on HBO and Wild Cards can air on, I don't know, UPN/The CW?
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Spring 2003 (Part 5) - More Badass Xbox FPSes
Deep Black 2
Deep Black 2 is the sequel to Microsoft's Xbox launch window FPS Deep Black. The game retains the original's playstyle and level of difficulty, which involves playing as a sparsely armed character who must obtain their own weaponry through any means necessary in order to complete nigh-impossible missions with little to no outside help. While Deep Black was a somewhat simple game, created as a fairly rushed FPS title due to the lack of FPS games in the Xbox's launch window, Deep Black 2 is somewhat more complex and involved. It features improved graphics and more levels, and a more developed plotline as well. Rather than play as a nameless operative, you play as Lorenzo "Ren" Busko, a Marine who ends up trapped behind enemy lines after a botched attempt to capture the terrorist leader Khadal bin Fasaid. This is one of the first video games to deal with Middle Eastern terrorism post-9/11, and considering the subject matter, the game presents a surprisingly multifaceted group of characters: bin Fasaid isn't some cackling, single-minded warlord, he's presented as a well-rounded villain with strong motivations for becoming a terrorist (though none of these are presented as being in any way justified). Also, many of Busko's few allies during the course of the game are Muslims, including a defector from bin Fasaid's organization who sacrifices himself to save Busko's life at a crucial point. The levels are relatively straight-forward, with few opportunities to go off the beaten path. Despite this, the gameplay presents a high variety of situations and numerous approaches to getting through those situations. The difficulty does get frustrating at times, with many gamers complaining of unfair firefights or cheap kills, but overall, the game is quite well received. The multiplayer mode, which includes online gameplay (unlike the original game's multiplayer, which was local only) is among the best in an Xbox FPS to date. Overall, Deep Black 2 builds on the original game, exceeding it both critically and commercially, and ensuring the continuation of the series. It's released on May 12, 2003, and is one of the top selling Xbox titles of the month, beating out rival FPS Gemini: Shadow In The Dark.
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Return To Castle Wolfenstein
Return To Castle Wolfenstein is a port of the 2002 PC title (released in 2001 IOTL) which re-imagines the classic Wolfenstein series with enhanced graphics and presentation. It sees Army Ranger B.J. Blazkowicz return to action to battle the Nazis after being captured and locked inside Castle Wolfenstein, where the Nazis conduct their most deadly and vile experiments. While the game starts out inside the castle, eventually Blazkowicz breaks out and travels to a nearby village, and eventually to other European countries. Blazkowicz must not only battle living Nazi soldiers, but their army of undead as well, and must also battle soldiers armed with futuristic technology. The game's plot and gameplay have much in common with the OTL title, but also includes a mission set in occupied Paris, in which Blazkowicz liberates the city (one year earlier than OTL) by battling an enormous panzer tank that can transform into a giant battlemech. In general, Return To Castle Wolfenstein is somewhat more ludicrous than OTL's game, owing to the longer development time and bump up in technology. There are new characters, including a stoic Nazi sargeant who wields an electric sword, and a femme fatale who serves as a triple agent: she originally works with Blazkowicz, only to defect to the Nazis, only to secretly be working with Blazkowicz's superiors the whole time, even having to fool Blazkowicz so that his reactions to her betrayal would seem authentic. She serves as somewhat of a love interest for Blazkowicz, but even after she reveals that she's been on his side the entire time, he decides he can't be with her because someone that good at being a spy probably can't be trusted. Like OTL's game, Return To Castle Wolfenstein features a robust multiplayer mode with both local and online multiplayer. It pits a team of Allied soldiers against a team of Axis soldiers, and has a large variety of modes, moreso than almost any other Xbox FPS. Return To Castle Wolfenstein is released on May 26, 2003, and like many of the other big Xbox FPS sequels of its time, is a commercial success.
Like the racing title boom of early 2002, the Xbox FPS wave of spring 2003 gives a lot of Xbox owners "FPS fatigue". There are too many quality shooters, and not enough time or money to play them all. In addition, a few of them start to blend together: Gemini: Shadow In The Dark and Return To Castle Wolfenstein have very similar playstyles, which almost certainly limits the sales potential of both games. It also contributes to the ongoing criticism of the Xbox, with some fans of other consoles giving it the "FPSBox" nickname without much irony. Despite this, the Xbox's hardware sales remain strong, a close second behind those of the Nintendo Wave throughout the spring, and far ahead of Sega's Katana. While fans may be starting to tire of the constant stream of FPS games, the Xbox remains a very good seller, and as long as the hardware sales held out, the system would continue featuring the games it's perhaps best known for.
Deep Black 2 is the sequel to Microsoft's Xbox launch window FPS Deep Black. The game retains the original's playstyle and level of difficulty, which involves playing as a sparsely armed character who must obtain their own weaponry through any means necessary in order to complete nigh-impossible missions with little to no outside help. While Deep Black was a somewhat simple game, created as a fairly rushed FPS title due to the lack of FPS games in the Xbox's launch window, Deep Black 2 is somewhat more complex and involved. It features improved graphics and more levels, and a more developed plotline as well. Rather than play as a nameless operative, you play as Lorenzo "Ren" Busko, a Marine who ends up trapped behind enemy lines after a botched attempt to capture the terrorist leader Khadal bin Fasaid. This is one of the first video games to deal with Middle Eastern terrorism post-9/11, and considering the subject matter, the game presents a surprisingly multifaceted group of characters: bin Fasaid isn't some cackling, single-minded warlord, he's presented as a well-rounded villain with strong motivations for becoming a terrorist (though none of these are presented as being in any way justified). Also, many of Busko's few allies during the course of the game are Muslims, including a defector from bin Fasaid's organization who sacrifices himself to save Busko's life at a crucial point. The levels are relatively straight-forward, with few opportunities to go off the beaten path. Despite this, the gameplay presents a high variety of situations and numerous approaches to getting through those situations. The difficulty does get frustrating at times, with many gamers complaining of unfair firefights or cheap kills, but overall, the game is quite well received. The multiplayer mode, which includes online gameplay (unlike the original game's multiplayer, which was local only) is among the best in an Xbox FPS to date. Overall, Deep Black 2 builds on the original game, exceeding it both critically and commercially, and ensuring the continuation of the series. It's released on May 12, 2003, and is one of the top selling Xbox titles of the month, beating out rival FPS Gemini: Shadow In The Dark.
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Return To Castle Wolfenstein
Return To Castle Wolfenstein is a port of the 2002 PC title (released in 2001 IOTL) which re-imagines the classic Wolfenstein series with enhanced graphics and presentation. It sees Army Ranger B.J. Blazkowicz return to action to battle the Nazis after being captured and locked inside Castle Wolfenstein, where the Nazis conduct their most deadly and vile experiments. While the game starts out inside the castle, eventually Blazkowicz breaks out and travels to a nearby village, and eventually to other European countries. Blazkowicz must not only battle living Nazi soldiers, but their army of undead as well, and must also battle soldiers armed with futuristic technology. The game's plot and gameplay have much in common with the OTL title, but also includes a mission set in occupied Paris, in which Blazkowicz liberates the city (one year earlier than OTL) by battling an enormous panzer tank that can transform into a giant battlemech. In general, Return To Castle Wolfenstein is somewhat more ludicrous than OTL's game, owing to the longer development time and bump up in technology. There are new characters, including a stoic Nazi sargeant who wields an electric sword, and a femme fatale who serves as a triple agent: she originally works with Blazkowicz, only to defect to the Nazis, only to secretly be working with Blazkowicz's superiors the whole time, even having to fool Blazkowicz so that his reactions to her betrayal would seem authentic. She serves as somewhat of a love interest for Blazkowicz, but even after she reveals that she's been on his side the entire time, he decides he can't be with her because someone that good at being a spy probably can't be trusted. Like OTL's game, Return To Castle Wolfenstein features a robust multiplayer mode with both local and online multiplayer. It pits a team of Allied soldiers against a team of Axis soldiers, and has a large variety of modes, moreso than almost any other Xbox FPS. Return To Castle Wolfenstein is released on May 26, 2003, and like many of the other big Xbox FPS sequels of its time, is a commercial success.
Like the racing title boom of early 2002, the Xbox FPS wave of spring 2003 gives a lot of Xbox owners "FPS fatigue". There are too many quality shooters, and not enough time or money to play them all. In addition, a few of them start to blend together: Gemini: Shadow In The Dark and Return To Castle Wolfenstein have very similar playstyles, which almost certainly limits the sales potential of both games. It also contributes to the ongoing criticism of the Xbox, with some fans of other consoles giving it the "FPSBox" nickname without much irony. Despite this, the Xbox's hardware sales remain strong, a close second behind those of the Nintendo Wave throughout the spring, and far ahead of Sega's Katana. While fans may be starting to tire of the constant stream of FPS games, the Xbox remains a very good seller, and as long as the hardware sales held out, the system would continue featuring the games it's perhaps best known for.
TheRedRageCorps
Banned
What's so bad about the dudebro crowd? They bring in money. It'd be stupid not to go after an open market, plus its not a crowd that has been targeted so far in this timeline, so the Xbox has a monopoly on them for now.
The money is not the problem here, but it is an contributing to the fact of the circle of destruction.
It's the sexism and the cultural issues that we have to deal with from the dudebros IOTL, that's why. The focusing of so many games on the dudebro crowd for the past decade IOTL due to the genres involved have built up a belief and stereotype that games are only for men, and not for girls and dismiss women who actually are gamers as not real. This has lead to the problems of portrayal of women in video games as either helpless ditsy people or bad seductresses and has lead to several massive internet uprisings/incidents/riots in the past couple of years, and we all know the names in that regard.
Also, these problems IOTL has lead to the infamous Tumblr insanity that basically triggered a low level internet civil war, like Newtons Third Law is coming into effect on the internet.
So, although the dudebros is going to be courted eventually, they should stay away far away from mainstream video game culture as possible for the sake of everyone.
TheRedRageCorps
Banned
But why should they be excluded? They can have games pandering to them, like games pander to other people. Plus I think at this point we're past the poorly made argument of "portrayal of women in video games as either helpless ditsy people." Both IOTL, and in this timeline. Plus you had strong female characters in the 80s. They're video games, anyone should be allowed to play them. Excluding the "dudebros" is a huge market loss, and keeps video games from reaching that massive market audience that can get their friends into video games.
If you don't like "dudebro" games (which are hard to even describe) don't play them and you avoid them, it's as simple as that. You trying to say "Hey these video games aren't for you, they're only for us" is quite hypocritical. When you say that all "dudebros" try to exclude because of their perceived stereotype has "built up a belief and stereotype that games are only for men, and not for girls and dismiss women who actually are gamers as not real."
With gaming having become or in the process of becoming mainstream I wouldn't worry about "dudebros" dominating the video game market. Especially with GameTV having made it clear to everyone that women want to play video games too. There's more than enough room for interesting female characters ITTL. Especially with Anita Sarkeesian having a more fair and balanced approach to her videos rather than the ideologically-driven lectures she gives on her channel.
While "dudebros" will still have games marketed toward them they're far from the only demographic being marketed towards in TTL's game industry. At this point ITTL the whole stereotype of gaming just being for men is fairly dead, never mind the changes that are sure to happen in the 10+ years in between the present date ITTL and now.
The whole dudebro is something older that they think and the same think newer...when otl infamous and legendary sega marketing would have been look like that, even Doom would not have been safe by today standards they issue was....the whole 'dudebro' movement was a industry wide defensive maneavure to two things. 1) The unexplicable sucess(at the time) of the wii and 2) the growing pains of the HD era, as say before 3D dream become HD nightmares and companies collapsing right and left, the issue is.... couting wii industry healthy, not couting whii industry was ailing and now industry is more ailing that never.
in general more that 'culture' was selling games to people have the disponsable income at the time...the kids and teens who grow during 90's and early millenium and would play games forever.
The issue was...taste is highly subjectived and influenctianble and the whole 'either dark or sexual to be matured' is too childish aproach to any form of media.
Not to say spoilers but Xbox is cattering that segment to beat sega over it and having a foot against nintendo-sony, the rest they want to break into mainstream but will take time.
Another gaming is more big ittl so rather 2/3 the market, the 15-30 segment would be far different in taste rather the 'dark, gritty and edgy' tendency
in general more that 'culture' was selling games to people have the disponsable income at the time...the kids and teens who grow during 90's and early millenium and would play games forever.
The issue was...taste is highly subjectived and influenctianble and the whole 'either dark or sexual to be matured' is too childish aproach to any form of media.
Not to say spoilers but Xbox is cattering that segment to beat sega over it and having a foot against nintendo-sony, the rest they want to break into mainstream but will take time.
Another gaming is more big ittl so rather 2/3 the market, the 15-30 segment would be far different in taste rather the 'dark, gritty and edgy' tendency
Having downloaded the .pdf I've been re-reading P2S off & on, and right at the beginning was this quote/blurb:
Particularly after SEGA's Very Special Announcement that may be forthcoming as soon as E3-'03.
That suggests to me that the Xbox really is the "Dudebro Box", and that may well bite them in the ass in the next couple years.Player Two Start said:
Particularly after SEGA's Very Special Announcement that may be forthcoming as soon as E3-'03.
I can see the point here.
But Red basically tripping up the argument and making it a ideological debate over hypocrisy, wether or not we should follow the "don't follow don't play" argument and the fact that he just called the debate two sides is just too far. Not going to bother responding to that.
TheRedRageCorps
Banned
That's fine, I don't see how I made it an ideological debate. lol. And I don't think it was a debate, but a reasonable discussion. If you don't want to respond that's all on you.
In my mind, it was getting heated with all the words going around. So that is why I didnt want to repsond in case it explodes into a internet arguement.
You have your POV and I have mine. And that is rather reasonable.
RedRageCorps has a point. A lot of the FPS games coming out right now for the Xbox are REALLY good. Deep Black 2 is considered to be excellent and Gemini and Wolfenstein have very good ratings as well. Culture concerns aside, the games are selling well and they're good games.
Also, let's not forget what last year's best critically received game was, according to GameRankings: Techno Angel, a brilliantly crafted Xbox exclusive third person shooter starring an extremely well rounded female protagonist. So it's not like the Xbox isn't getting non-dudebro games. It is, and a lot of them.
Also, women play FPS games. Brittany Saldita LOVES them. The Frag Dolls are showing up a year earlier than IOTL.
Also, let's not forget what last year's best critically received game was, according to GameRankings: Techno Angel, a brilliantly crafted Xbox exclusive third person shooter starring an extremely well rounded female protagonist. So it's not like the Xbox isn't getting non-dudebro games. It is, and a lot of them.
Also, women play FPS games. Brittany Saldita LOVES them. The Frag Dolls are showing up a year earlier than IOTL.
So, why do you think ITTL the Xbox is getting the whole Dudebro label on it then?
The Xbox 360 IOTL got the dudebro label due to all the military macho shooters between 2006 and 2010.
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