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Before the days when I was knowledgable about games, before the times when I played console games, right back to the start of my gaming pastime there were two games. Two games which my father had brought me home from his work, which he'd borrowed off a friend. One was Monster Bash, and the other was Wolfenstein 3D. At the time, I hadn't realised what an icon Wolfenstein 3D was, and due to my dislike of guns, I left it alone.
It was only about a year ago when I got out that old 486 and found Wolfenstein 3D again. Truth be told, I only played it for about half an hour, and thought it was crap, but that doesn't matter. What matters, is that long, long ago, during a time when video games were as important to me as politics, there was a game Wolfenstein 3D, which revolutionised the 3D shooter. I didn't know it then, but I had what was to become an icon in gaming history, because it truly did add a third dimension to gaming.
And it has returned, in all its former Nazi-killing glory. I barely took notice of this game until having re-played Wolfenstein 3D on my old PC, whose name I had up until then forgot. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the proper, true sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, arguably the first 1st person shooter. But what really struck me when I played was how much indifferent it was to other games in the genre.
I like originality, so naturally I should have liked Wolfenstein 3D. Since I was totally ignorant during those times, and everything was new to me, I didn't take a liking to it. If I was my age when it had come out, I'd have loved it. But anyway, RTCW should offer a new breath of life to the dying first person shooter genre. We've seen too many clones of half-life, Duke Nukem and of course, Wolfenstein. So when I found that RTCW was just a clone of itself, I was mighty downheartened.
But hey, if we didn't have clones, we'd never have had gaming classics such as Gran Turismo, Half Life and yes, Metal Gear Solid. RTCW is not a bad game, it just lacks originality. However, it is very obvious that the developers have put tonnes of effort into the game to make it special, and for all its similarities to other games, it IS something unique, in it's own twisted little way.
The first thing you're bound to notice is it's anti-Nazi viewpoint. I'm no expert historian, but I know that the Nazi's weren't bad. They were well led, well organised and if it wasn't for all that genocide malarkey, I doubt anybody would recognise them nowadays. The thing is, because they lost World War 2, and because they were our enemies, they HAVE to be bad. Which is where Return To Castle Wolfenstein makes, in my opinion, one of the worst gaming mistakes in the history of, well... gaming. I find it deeply racist, in that the Nazi's have to be the bad guys. Doing bad, evil, twisted experiments. Why couldn't there be a Nazi game, where you're a Nazi special agent sent to infiltrate an English 'death castle'. Yeah, right.
The fact is, developers are preying on our beliefs. Our prejudices. If they can make money out of scapegoating Nazi's, so be it. It doesn't matter how many people are offended. And of course, organisations which supposedly cencor such games, like the BBFC, turn a blind eye.
Here is a little game you can try. Look in an old magazine, say, from June 2000. Look at the E3 line up. Count the number of anti-terrorism games in the schedule. Now, look at the number from this years E3. Hardly surprises me if there was an increase of about 1000%. If not, more. Developers prey on our beliefs, our prejudices and our dislikes. If there were a game made called 'Kill Osama', it would be the best selling game ever. End of story, no matter how crap it was.
And as Nagoshi-san says, during the first steps of creating a game, to think "What would make a hit" is the first step to negative thinking, and then nothing. To be creative requires no consideration of your environment and focus on you. Fine, if you were a clone of George Bush and Shigeru Miyamoto, perhaps you could make a great game on anti-terrorism. Other than that, it is just developers trying to jump on the bandwagon, once more. This is one of the key reasons I only like creative, ingenious, innovative games. Because people like Toshihiro Nagoshi make them, and they know what they're doing. They're in the business to make fun games, not to make money.
It was only about a year ago when I got out that old 486 and found Wolfenstein 3D again. Truth be told, I only played it for about half an hour, and thought it was crap, but that doesn't matter. What matters, is that long, long ago, during a time when video games were as important to me as politics, there was a game Wolfenstein 3D, which revolutionised the 3D shooter. I didn't know it then, but I had what was to become an icon in gaming history, because it truly did add a third dimension to gaming.
And it has returned, in all its former Nazi-killing glory. I barely took notice of this game until having re-played Wolfenstein 3D on my old PC, whose name I had up until then forgot. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the proper, true sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, arguably the first 1st person shooter. But what really struck me when I played was how much indifferent it was to other games in the genre.
I like originality, so naturally I should have liked Wolfenstein 3D. Since I was totally ignorant during those times, and everything was new to me, I didn't take a liking to it. If I was my age when it had come out, I'd have loved it. But anyway, RTCW should offer a new breath of life to the dying first person shooter genre. We've seen too many clones of half-life, Duke Nukem and of course, Wolfenstein. So when I found that RTCW was just a clone of itself, I was mighty downheartened.
But hey, if we didn't have clones, we'd never have had gaming classics such as Gran Turismo, Half Life and yes, Metal Gear Solid. RTCW is not a bad game, it just lacks originality. However, it is very obvious that the developers have put tonnes of effort into the game to make it special, and for all its similarities to other games, it IS something unique, in it's own twisted little way.
The first thing you're bound to notice is it's anti-Nazi viewpoint. I'm no expert historian, but I know that the Nazi's weren't bad. They were well led, well organised and if it wasn't for all that genocide malarkey, I doubt anybody would recognise them nowadays. The thing is, because they lost World War 2, and because they were our enemies, they HAVE to be bad. Which is where Return To Castle Wolfenstein makes, in my opinion, one of the worst gaming mistakes in the history of, well... gaming. I find it deeply racist, in that the Nazi's have to be the bad guys. Doing bad, evil, twisted experiments. Why couldn't there be a Nazi game, where you're a Nazi special agent sent to infiltrate an English 'death castle'. Yeah, right.
The fact is, developers are preying on our beliefs. Our prejudices. If they can make money out of scapegoating Nazi's, so be it. It doesn't matter how many people are offended. And of course, organisations which supposedly cencor such games, like the BBFC, turn a blind eye.
Here is a little game you can try. Look in an old magazine, say, from June 2000. Look at the E3 line up. Count the number of anti-terrorism games in the schedule. Now, look at the number from this years E3. Hardly surprises me if there was an increase of about 1000%. If not, more. Developers prey on our beliefs, our prejudices and our dislikes. If there were a game made called 'Kill Osama', it would be the best selling game ever. End of story, no matter how crap it was.
And as Nagoshi-san says, during the first steps of creating a game, to think "What would make a hit" is the first step to negative thinking, and then nothing. To be creative requires no consideration of your environment and focus on you. Fine, if you were a clone of George Bush and Shigeru Miyamoto, perhaps you could make a great game on anti-terrorism. Other than that, it is just developers trying to jump on the bandwagon, once more. This is one of the key reasons I only like creative, ingenious, innovative games. Because people like Toshihiro Nagoshi make them, and they know what they're doing. They're in the business to make fun games, not to make money.
Need I remind you that Schindler's List is an American film?
The other point being that the Nazis WERE VERY bad indeed.
Yes, they put on a good front to their people at the time, but they also through terror, were racist and did horrible things for irrational reasons.
Watch Shindlers list.
Yes, they put on a good front to their people at the time, but they also through terror, were racist and did horrible things for irrational reasons.
Watch Shindlers list.
Two points - Half Life and MGS aren't clones.
Yes, FPS games and third person games had been done before, but these two put a whole new twist on them.
Yes, FPS games and third person games had been done before, but these two put a whole new twist on them.
Before the days when I was knowledgable about games, before the times when I played console games, right back to the start of my gaming pastime there were two games. Two games which my father had brought me home from his work, which he'd borrowed off a friend. One was Monster Bash, and the other was Wolfenstein 3D. At the time, I hadn't realised what an icon Wolfenstein 3D was, and due to my dislike of guns, I left it alone.
It was only about a year ago when I got out that old 486 and found Wolfenstein 3D again. Truth be told, I only played it for about half an hour, and thought it was crap, but that doesn't matter. What matters, is that long, long ago, during a time when video games were as important to me as politics, there was a game Wolfenstein 3D, which revolutionised the 3D shooter. I didn't know it then, but I had what was to become an icon in gaming history, because it truly did add a third dimension to gaming.
And it has returned, in all its former Nazi-killing glory. I barely took notice of this game until having re-played Wolfenstein 3D on my old PC, whose name I had up until then forgot. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the proper, true sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, arguably the first 1st person shooter. But what really struck me when I played was how much indifferent it was to other games in the genre.
I like originality, so naturally I should have liked Wolfenstein 3D. Since I was totally ignorant during those times, and everything was new to me, I didn't take a liking to it. If I was my age when it had come out, I'd have loved it. But anyway, RTCW should offer a new breath of life to the dying first person shooter genre. We've seen too many clones of half-life, Duke Nukem and of course, Wolfenstein. So when I found that RTCW was just a clone of itself, I was mighty downheartened.
But hey, if we didn't have clones, we'd never have had gaming classics such as Gran Turismo, Half Life and yes, Metal Gear Solid. RTCW is not a bad game, it just lacks originality. However, it is very obvious that the developers have put tonnes of effort into the game to make it special, and for all its similarities to other games, it IS something unique, in it's own twisted little way.
The first thing you're bound to notice is it's anti-Nazi viewpoint. I'm no expert historian, but I know that the Nazi's weren't bad. They were well led, well organised and if it wasn't for all that genocide malarkey, I doubt anybody would recognise them nowadays. The thing is, because they lost World War 2, and because they were our enemies, they HAVE to be bad. Which is where Return To Castle Wolfenstein makes, in my opinion, one of the worst gaming mistakes in the history of, well... gaming. I find it deeply racist, in that the Nazi's have to be the bad guys. Doing bad, evil, twisted experiments. Why couldn't there be a Nazi game, where you're a Nazi special agent sent to infiltrate an English 'death castle'. Yeah, right.
The fact is, developers are preying on our beliefs. Our prejudices. If they can make money out of scapegoating Nazi's, so be it. It doesn't matter how many people are offended. And of course, organisations which supposedly cencor such games, like the BBFC, turn a blind eye.
Here is a little game you can try. Look in an old magazine, say, from June 2000. Look at the E3 line up. Count the number of anti-terrorism games in the schedule. Now, look at the number from this years E3. Hardly surprises me if there was an increase of about 1000%. If not, more. Developers prey on our beliefs, our prejudices and our dislikes. If there were a game made called 'Kill Osama', it would be the best selling game ever. End of story, no matter how crap it was.
And as Nagoshi-san says, during the first steps of creating a game, to think "What would make a hit" is the first step to negative thinking, and then nothing. To be creative requires no consideration of your environment and focus on you. Fine, if you were a clone of George Bush and Shigeru Miyamoto, perhaps you could make a great game on anti-terrorism. Other than that, it is just developers trying to jump on the bandwagon, once more. This is one of the key reasons I only like creative, ingenious, innovative games. Because people like Toshihiro Nagoshi make them, and they know what they're doing. They're in the business to make fun games, not to make money.
It was only about a year ago when I got out that old 486 and found Wolfenstein 3D again. Truth be told, I only played it for about half an hour, and thought it was crap, but that doesn't matter. What matters, is that long, long ago, during a time when video games were as important to me as politics, there was a game Wolfenstein 3D, which revolutionised the 3D shooter. I didn't know it then, but I had what was to become an icon in gaming history, because it truly did add a third dimension to gaming.
And it has returned, in all its former Nazi-killing glory. I barely took notice of this game until having re-played Wolfenstein 3D on my old PC, whose name I had up until then forgot. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the proper, true sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, arguably the first 1st person shooter. But what really struck me when I played was how much indifferent it was to other games in the genre.
I like originality, so naturally I should have liked Wolfenstein 3D. Since I was totally ignorant during those times, and everything was new to me, I didn't take a liking to it. If I was my age when it had come out, I'd have loved it. But anyway, RTCW should offer a new breath of life to the dying first person shooter genre. We've seen too many clones of half-life, Duke Nukem and of course, Wolfenstein. So when I found that RTCW was just a clone of itself, I was mighty downheartened.
But hey, if we didn't have clones, we'd never have had gaming classics such as Gran Turismo, Half Life and yes, Metal Gear Solid. RTCW is not a bad game, it just lacks originality. However, it is very obvious that the developers have put tonnes of effort into the game to make it special, and for all its similarities to other games, it IS something unique, in it's own twisted little way.
The first thing you're bound to notice is it's anti-Nazi viewpoint. I'm no expert historian, but I know that the Nazi's weren't bad. They were well led, well organised and if it wasn't for all that genocide malarkey, I doubt anybody would recognise them nowadays. The thing is, because they lost World War 2, and because they were our enemies, they HAVE to be bad. Which is where Return To Castle Wolfenstein makes, in my opinion, one of the worst gaming mistakes in the history of, well... gaming. I find it deeply racist, in that the Nazi's have to be the bad guys. Doing bad, evil, twisted experiments. Why couldn't there be a Nazi game, where you're a Nazi special agent sent to infiltrate an English 'death castle'. Yeah, right.
The fact is, developers are preying on our beliefs. Our prejudices. If they can make money out of scapegoating Nazi's, so be it. It doesn't matter how many people are offended. And of course, organisations which supposedly cencor such games, like the BBFC, turn a blind eye.
Here is a little game you can try. Look in an old magazine, say, from June 2000. Look at the E3 line up. Count the number of anti-terrorism games in the schedule. Now, look at the number from this years E3. Hardly surprises me if there was an increase of about 1000%. If not, more. Developers prey on our beliefs, our prejudices and our dislikes. If there were a game made called 'Kill Osama', it would be the best selling game ever. End of story, no matter how crap it was.
And as Nagoshi-san says, during the first steps of creating a game, to think "What would make a hit" is the first step to negative thinking, and then nothing. To be creative requires no consideration of your environment and focus on you. Fine, if you were a clone of George Bush and Shigeru Miyamoto, perhaps you could make a great game on anti-terrorism. Other than that, it is just developers trying to jump on the bandwagon, once more. This is one of the key reasons I only like creative, ingenious, innovative games. Because people like Toshihiro Nagoshi make them, and they know what they're doing. They're in the business to make fun games, not to make money.