Dead Island

I'm not really understanding the cynicism around the subject matter of the trailer. Maybe I'm missing some of the arguments...? I thought it looked pretty interesting as a story

What I have a hard time seeing is how it'll translate into gameplay. I can't imagine some L4D-style action will carry the emotional weight that it looks like they're going for here. Maybe something closer to Heavy Rain? Have there been any gameplay trailers released?

Shaun of the Dead Island:

Huh. That actually worked quite nicely.

So, it would seem the key to pathos in zombie-based media is to reverse the action?

doogiemac wrote:

I'm not really understanding the cynicism around the subject matter of the trailer. Maybe I'm missing some of the arguments...? I thought it looked pretty interesting as a story

What I have a hard time seeing is how it'll translate into gameplay. I can't imagine some L4D-style action will carry the emotional weight that it looks like they're going for here. Maybe something closer to Heavy Rain? Have there been any gameplay trailers released?

I have no expectations that the gameplay will actually resemble what's been presented in the trailer. What I believe is that the trailer is trying to dramatize the personal story that each player will conjure up via the gameplay. Kind of like the stories created out of X-COM games, take one of those and make a movie out of it and that would be pretty sweet though not representative of the actual X-COM game itself.

There have been some previews posted from years ago, so I'm not sure how much has changed since then. Here's one:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...

I think they're hoping that the focus on up-close melee action and RPG-lite elements will give you a sense of attachment to your NPC's and dread when sh*t hits the fan.

New interview

Sounds like they are going for a more serious approach. I like the direction they're going in.

Higgledy wrote:

New interview

Sounds like they are going for a more serious approach. I like the direction they're going in.

Gametrailers has become iPad and iPhone friendly. Yay!

Unfortunately, I don't expect the game to succeed in the way the trailer does for me.
I can't wait until we have a good zombie survival simulator and not just a bunch of zombie killing simulators

MannishBoy wrote:

But games aren't art!

[size=8]stirs pot[/size]

He's infected. We've no choice but to shoot destroy his brain.

I keep expecting that song to be one measure from launching into a very sappy version of Waltzing Matilda.

I absolutely love the new info I've been hearing about this game. It's a GTA,L4D,Dead Rising,Dead Space, 28 Days Later, Romero, Far Cry, and LOST all wrapped into one present

The previews sound awesome but when you think of what has gone into it you wonder how it will all work.

I'm holding out for a good trailer, say one with gameplay and nothing about the idiotic idea of using a little girl for controversy.

Side note I'm curious if all the arguments would of been different if it had been a 10 year old boy instead of a girl.

There are some screenshots of the game in the latest issue of xbox magazine. I didn't read the article yet but the graphics did look rather good. Solely judging from the pics, the perspective looked like Dead Rising in a tropical resort.

Edit: New Ars Technica preview. It looks like its played in the first person perspective, with 4 player co-op, and an open world. Seems like a cross between Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead. For those that wanted a big emotional story, I'm guessing there won't be one.

Wolfen Victrocious wrote:

I absolutely love the new info I've been hearing about this game. It's a GTA,L4D,Dead Rising,Dead Space, 28 Days Later, Romero, Far Cry, and LOST all wrapped into one present

The previews sound awesome but when you think of what has gone into it you wonder how it will all work.

I'm holding out for a good trailer, say one with gameplay and nothing about the idiotic idea of using a little girl for controversy.

Side note I'm curious if all the arguments would of been different if it had been a 10 year old boy instead of a girl.

That's an interesting question, and I honestly don't know the answer, for myself, or in general.

EvilDead wrote:

There are some screenshots of the game in the latest issue of xbox magazine. I didn't read the article yet but the graphics did look rather good. Solely judging from the pics, the perspective looked like Dead Rising in a tropical resort.

Edit: New Ars Technica preview. It looks like its played in the first person perspective, with 4 player co-op, and an open world. Seems like a cross between Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead. For those that wanted a big emotional story, I'm guessing there won't be one.

And that is my fundamental issue with the trailer. If games in general, and zombie game in particular had a history of serious stories, that at least attempted an emotional connection with the player, then my reaction would have been different. But they don't. Sometimes they hint at a story, but it is usually incidental, and even when the story is decent, we've never seen anything like what was represented in the trailer.

The Dead Rising games are about beating up zombies in creative ways. The second one had the substory about your infected daughter, but they didn't do much with it. Left 4 Dead has good writing, but it is mostly in little quips between the characters and vignettes between levels. They aren't really trying for anything serious or emotional. Resident Evil aren't trying for anything serious, and has awful writing and stiff characters anyway.

To be fair, this may be selection bias on my part, at least for horror games specifically, since I haven't played all that many. I think one of the Silent Hills was about finding your daughter, but I haven't played any of them, so I don't know how effective they were. And while I haven't finished it yet, Dead Space 2 is hinting at some emotional issue, and I'm interested in seeing whether they resolve them.

But we're still only talking about a handful of games. So as a short film, the trailer is kind of interesting, but when I hear that it is a trailer for a game there is all this context about what it means to be a game these days, which leads me to believe that what they show in the trailer is extremely unlikely to be in the game itself. Based on the Ars Technica article, it looks like it won't be. The marketing campaigns for Dante's Inferno, and Dead Space 2 are obnoxious and stupid, but this trailer is deliberately deceptive. I'm honestly not sure which is worse, but both forms suggest a lack of confidence in the game itself, or -- more charitably -- lack of understanding of the game's content.

For fans of Rooster Teeth, or if you want to identify with someone else who can't stand watching this trailer:

That was great.

The trailer would have been much better if the zombie girl farted on her way down to the ground.

Wolfen Victrocious wrote:

Side note I'm curious if all the arguments would of been different if it had been a 10 year old boy instead of a girl.

In this video I think it's the father daughter thing that's gives the emotional kick: the father throws the daughter out of the window and the father reaches out to the daughter near the end. It would make no difference if it was a boy.

There's still a chance for the game to have an emotional impact similarly to the trailer. A 45-minute preview meant to show off the mechanics and setting isn't necessarily definitive of the full experience. I won't be surprised if the game ends up being just another zombie game, but I'm just saying there's a chance it will be something more. Still a bit early to call the trailer deceptive, even though it probably is.

Lightning machetes confirmed:

IMAGE(http://ve3dmedia.ign.com/images/08/57/85758_deadisland-all-all-screenshot-022_normal.jpg)

yregprincess wrote:
Wolfen Victrocious wrote:

Side note I'm curious if all the arguments would of been different if it had been a 10 year old boy instead of a girl.

In this video I think it's the father daughter thing that's gives the emotional kick: the father throws the daughter out of the window and the father reaches out to the daughter near the end. It would make no difference if it was a boy.

I think Freud would disagree.

I thought taping car batteries to swords was already Dead Rising's gimmick. The more I hear about this game, the more I want to just try to co-op Dead Rising online.

It really looks like the more they say they aren't making a Dead Rising knock-off, the more the game is coming across as a Dead Rising knock-off. Perhaps it will be something of an improvement over Dead Rising, but they'll really need to push the RPG elements, since DR already has those as well (learned moves, increased health and strength with XP, etc). I bet next they'll show off the camera sub-game, wherein the survivors get points for making the most outrageous zombie-death vacation slideshow possible. But the game is super serious, you guys. I feel like they lost most of their credibility when the dev guy at GDC straight out admitted that they aren't going to use kids in the game for emotional pull-- he all but stated it was used in the trailer as purely a gimmick to gain attention.

I enjoyed both Dead Rising games, except for a few design missteps. If this is just another Dead Rising game but WITHOUT the psychopaths (like Case West) then I'm sold.

The Weekend Confirmed podcast (at least I think it was them. I lose track :P) were saying that one of the mains character is a 'rock star' who has no emotional connection to anyone on the island and who runs around saying things like, "That Female Doggo is REALLY dead now!"

Doesn't really mesh neatly with the tone of the trailer.

Higgledy wrote:

The Weekend Confirmed podcast (at least I think it was them. I lose track :P) were saying that one of the mains character is a 'rock star' who has no emotional connection to anyone on the island and who runs around saying things like, "That Female Doggo is REALLY dead now!"

Doesn't really mesh neatly with the tone of the trailer.

Yep. If that's the case, to hell with this game.

Higgledy wrote:

The Weekend Confirmed podcast (at least I think it was them. I lose track :P) were saying that one of the mains character is a gambler'rock star' who has no emotional connection to anyone on the island and who runs around saying things like, "screw this!""That Female Doggo is REALLY dead now!"

Doesn't really mesh neatly with the tone of the trailer.

I bet he forms a meaningful relationship with the other characters by the end of the game.

LobsterMobster wrote:

I enjoyed both Dead Rising games, except for a few design missteps. If this is just another Dead Rising game but WITHOUT the psychopaths (like Case West) then I'm sold.

Totally agree.

Nothing says mournful pathos like an electrified machete...right?

Rexneron wrote:
Higgledy wrote:

The Weekend Confirmed podcast (at least I think it was them. I lose track :P) were saying that one of the mains character is a 'rock star' who has no emotional connection to anyone on the island and who runs around saying things like, "That Female Doggo is REALLY dead now!"

Doesn't really mesh neatly with the tone of the trailer.

Yep. If that's the case, to hell with this game.

I think it still has the potential to be a good and enjoyable game. It seems like everyone right now is either saying they won't play it because the trailer offended them, or they won't play it because they loved the trailer and the game doesn't reflect that. I personally really liked the trailer, but I've seen enough of them to not let that hype my expectations of the game.

That being said, I'm much more interested in THIS zombie game: http://www.gamepro.com/games/xbox360...
Open-world is what I want.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Nothing says mournful pathos like an electrified machete...right?

Nothing except an electrified chainsaw. That would really emphasize the mournful pathos.

Delerat wrote:
Rexneron wrote:
Higgledy wrote:

The Weekend Confirmed podcast (at least I think it was them. I lose track :P) were saying that one of the mains character is a 'rock star' who has no emotional connection to anyone on the island and who runs around saying things like, "That Female Doggo is REALLY dead now!"

Doesn't really mesh neatly with the tone of the trailer.

Yep. If that's the case, to hell with this game.

I think it still has the potential to be a good and enjoyable game. It seems like everyone right now is either saying they won't play it because the trailer offended them, or they won't play it because they loved the trailer and the game doesn't reflect that. I personally really liked the trailer, but I've seen enough of them to not let that hype my expectations of the game.

That being said, I'm much more interested in THIS zombie game: http://www.gamepro.com/games/xbox360...
Open-world is what I want.

I really enjoyed the trailer too, but the purpose of a trailer is very rarely to simply turn heads. The purpose is generally not only to turn heads, but to also enlighten the viewers of what the intention of the final product is meant to be. In the past, a game trailer like this (sorry for poor quality vid) is meant to showcase what the intended feel of that game is supposed to be. That's exactly what happened to Golden Axe (in the link)-- they showed off what they intended then completely missed the mark. In this case, it appears Dead Island is going the same route. Not that I won't keep my eye on it-- it could still be a fun game-- but it looks increasingly like they are hyping the game with one intention then making something of an entirely different intent, which will more than likely leave the general audience upset and dissatisfied.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Nothing says mournful pathos like an electrified machete...right?

Yeah the "there's still a chance that it's meaningful" followed by "electric machete confirmed" posts about sealed this deal for me.