"Warren Spector getting Lifetime Achievement award at GDCAs"

[Massaca]

http://au.gamespot.com/news/6349767.html

Dunno if the GDCA's are anything to care about but still cool.

[bobby 55]

That's awesome. Thanks for posting.

[Jonas]

God, I wish the man would put out another game. For a platform I actually own, this time.

[Jetsetlemming]

God, I wish the man would put out another game. For a platform I actually own, this time.

You weren't missing anything with Epic Mickey. In fact, I'm actually a bit uncomfortable with the idea of Spector getting an award when he hasn't done anything noteworthy in over eight years, nothing truly groundbreaking in twelve. His lifetime achievements are all weighted heavily towards the 90s, with little to show for the last decade.

[Jonas]

Well that's why it's a lifetime achievement award and not a recent achievements award. I mean, I love the Fable games, but I assume they're not the reason why Peter Molyneux got that award last year.

[Jetsetlemming]

Polyneux is at least still making good games, even if they're not incredible. I dunno, I'm not saying Spector doesn't deserve it, just that it feels weird, given how disappointing his output's been since Thief: Deadly Shadows (and really, since Deus Ex. I went back to play DS a couple weeks ago and it's aged terribly imo).

[Undisputed]

I'm with Jetset, how does one solidify a legacy when they haven't accomplished anything recently.

[AEmer]

it's probably because the industry has changed. You just can't get individual game developers excited about the same kinds of games anymore; the newer schools of design are becomming prevalent and erasing the ones from the 90es.

I'm not sure Spector could get a team to make the original Deus Ex even if he wanted to...in fact, I think that's what happened with invisible war.

On the other hand, it's more important than ever to recognize his original contributions for their incredibly solid game design.

[Jonas]

Yeah we're talking about one of the main architects behind Wing Commander, Ultima Underworld, Wings of Glory, System Shock, and Deus "the reason we're all here" Ex. Moreover he's just a solid videogame theorist - one of those guys who work extremely intellectually and publish their thought processes as they go. He's one of the primary sources we've got on the Looking Glass school of game development, along with Smith & Smith. He deserves a lot of recognition for that, even if he hasn't been able to keep it up.

And though it's been about a year since the last time I booted up Thief 3, I still think it's amazing. My only problem with it is that the technology always sucked and still sucks, but now it sucks to such a degree that the game is very difficult to get running right on a modern PC

[bobby 55]

Moreover he's just a solid videogame theorist - one of those guys who work extremely intellectually and publish their thought processes as they go (

I'd imagine the award would be because people still listen to what he has to say, as well as the development side of things.

I still think it's amazing. My only problem with it is that the technology always sucked and still sucks, but now it sucks to such a degree that the game is very difficult to get running right on a modern PC

Yeah, Thief 3 crashes around the extinguishing of the light (lion!?) in the first mission for me. Maybe GoG will get it running at some point in the future.

[kdawg88]

Even the best artists can produce some pretty awful stuff, although I'm not suggesting that _any_ of his games can be described as awful.

[shadowblade34]

The award is for people who have made an "indelible impact on the way video games are made" and Spector had done just that, so I suppose he deserves it.

g

[Jetsetlemming]

Even the best artists can produce some pretty awful stuff, although I'm not suggesting that _any_ of his games can be described as awful.

I would describe Epic Mickey as awful. It brings back platformer camera issues that the industry solved over a decade ago, and that's completely inexcusable. The new mechanics it brings to the table are simplistic and boring in how they're used. The only thing of value in Epic Mickey is the license it's built around.

[AEmer]

yeah, player managed viewports always suck. Sometimes they're excuseable - but never in the puzzle genre.

Not that I think many puzzle games are particularly good about their systems either...there's litterally no viewport scheme that doesn't have tradeoffs. For example, 2d platformers where the screen is always centered on the character have blurry environments whenever you move, distances are hard to gauge, and targets are hard to lead. 2d platformers with static screens are a whole genre onto its own, known as single-screen platformers, and the transition points are awkward, noticeable, and often build as room transitions to make things appear more consistent, which just raises other issues. 2d platformers with dynamic advancement of the screen, like the original super mario brothers, are blurry as you run forward and traverse the levels in that fashion, but you have a reasonable amount of space where you can play around in with a static screen when you get in trouble and need to fight...but then, there's suddenly 2 screen schemes you need to be good at managing, not just one, and the switching between the two happens at awkward moments during the platforming sequences.

You just can't win. Obviously, player controlled screens/viewports is the worst of all solutions in almost every single game genre, so Spectors team made a giant mistake...probably brought on by not understanding the conventions they were up against. Even so, it's easy to see why it's a troublesome issue; I actually think they considered their options, knew what they were, and just chose the wrong one.

[Jonas]

Obviously, player controlled screens/viewports is the worst of all solutions in almost every single game genre

Wh-- what?

Care to elaborate on that?

Cuz... you know. Most RPGs, all strategy games, and every single first- or third-person game with mouse-look...