Halo 3 - Mixed Feelings
torgie
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I have been volunteering at PAX as an Enforcer for three years. I love the expo and I love what it represents, don't get me wrong there! This year, however, was a little different. I may be in the minority here, but I had, shall we say, negative feelings towards the Halo 3 Omegathon round. Let me explain...
The final round of the Omegathon is, as I see it, a summary of what PAX is all about. It's the last event that EVERYONE goes to, and it represents a bookend to the PAX experience. That last round is like saying: "Yes, the expo is very brightly colored and it is very entertaining - but let's not forget why we're all here - the games that made us gamers. It's the culture and the history that makes us who we are."
I feel deceived, because the last round this year was an advertisement.
Think of it this way: Neither of the Omeganauts actually won the Omegathon. Bungie won the Omegathon.
I mean - the last round could be anything! I could see irreverent: hell, I actually think a single match of rock-paper-scissors would be an edgy and (although quick), beautifully irreverent final round. I could see silly or serious or everything in between...
But what we got was an ad: the moment the 30-foot BUNGIE logo appeared in unison on those projectors, I had a sinking feeling about the future of PAX...
It really didn't seem like it was about gamers anymore; it was about producers, and it was about selling a hot new product. I hate to say it, but it felt very E3.
The final round of the Omegathon is, as I see it, a summary of what PAX is all about. It's the last event that EVERYONE goes to, and it represents a bookend to the PAX experience. That last round is like saying: "Yes, the expo is very brightly colored and it is very entertaining - but let's not forget why we're all here - the games that made us gamers. It's the culture and the history that makes us who we are."
I feel deceived, because the last round this year was an advertisement.
Think of it this way: Neither of the Omeganauts actually won the Omegathon. Bungie won the Omegathon.
I mean - the last round could be anything! I could see irreverent: hell, I actually think a single match of rock-paper-scissors would be an edgy and (although quick), beautifully irreverent final round. I could see silly or serious or everything in between...
But what we got was an ad: the moment the 30-foot BUNGIE logo appeared in unison on those projectors, I had a sinking feeling about the future of PAX...
It really didn't seem like it was about gamers anymore; it was about producers, and it was about selling a hot new product. I hate to say it, but it felt very E3.
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But no, let's hate on the Haloz.
Ps. How do you like being an Enforcer?
oh GOD did Tetris did suck last year... but I don't think it was the fault of the game. I think it was just a really horrendously one-sided match, and that's no fun to watch no matter what game it is. And I'm not hating on Halo specifically... I really don't think they should ever play a game that belongs to a mega-franchise as their final, representative match. It should be something completely original (think Katamari when it was new), or something independent... Otherwise it reeks of a shameless publicity stunt.
Yeah, having a non-retro game was pretty awesome, I agree. I'm just arguing the context, that's all
As for being an Enforcer, holy crap is it a lot of work. It's definitely a sleep-deprived endurance match, with yourself (and possible catboy) as your worst enemies... but absolutely worth it. It's highly rewarding to feel like I helped make PAX run as smoothly as it did. I recommend signing up for next year! If you look at the trends, (3k -> 7k -> 17k -> 42k!! attendance), we'll need all the more in our ranks!
Puzzling indeed. It really felt to me like Bungie simply bought that last round. Some footnote in some marketing budget.
And again - It's not just Bungie hating. If it was Bethesda, or Turbine, or NCSoft, (etc, etc), I would be having this same reaction.
I don't think the last round of the Omegathon should be for sale.
First: Remember "The Wizard" (the movie)? They essentially pulled the trick from the end of that movie on us, and as a piece of gaming history (hell, mythology) I thought it was a wonderful homage.
Second: As a gamer of Any stripe these days, something that is part of all of our lives (going back to the theme that gaming brings us all together) is the theme of Anticipation. Knowing something is coming out-a game, a movie, a comic, a book, whatever-and wanting to get our greedy little hands on it early-is a part of all of our lives now, and this fed that desire.
One other point I want to make; I think the fact that Halo 3 was the final game was less an advertisement for Halo 3 (let's be serious-Halo 3 doesn't need any extra attention) and more of an affirmation of the acceptance the industry is starting to show of the gaming culture in general and the growing ties between the two. The fact that Bungie was willing to put together some custom maps and show off some new shit at PAX show me more that we, as gamers, are finally entering a world where we are valued for more than just how much money we can spend. I, for one, am happy to be part of that world.
Was that the actual final estimate? They never said in the panels like previous years, so I was left wondering.
God, it's grown so exponentially each year, I wonder if they'll really be able to pull of 80k+ next year?
You, sir, make a good point. The fact that the Biggest Budget in Gaming (or is that EA? Meh...) figured PAX was a suitable venue to First Peek some of their latest gameplay does lend the Expo a great deal of legitimacy, and that is appreciated.
I mean, I could just be annoyed/frustrated at the ever-growing tidal wave of advertising super-saturation this country has been experiencing. I just wanted to see some good, clean, Omegathon fun, and I got pitched a sale.
But, like you said, having PAX get the first slice of Halo 3 did send a clear message: "We are the Real Deal."
Well, we're still waiting on the those final counts. The Enforcer Forums will probably have it first, then it will make its way to the main page. There was the PRD count, the Khoo count, the "Add up Pre-Reg and multiply by an arbitrary number" count, etc. They ranged from 33k to 56k, so I took a median.
But yeah, your crazy moon-numbers like "80k+" make enforcers shift nervously from foot to foot O_o
If the creative team at Bungie was truly proud of their product, and they felt like Penny Arcade Expo was the venue deserving of their New Hotness, then I am comfortable with what they did for the Omegathon.
If it was more like "Here's a check. It's six feet long." and PA sold the Omegathon to the highest bidder, then I'm not comfortable with it.
Since I don't know that piece of information, I can't form more opinions on the matter!
Maybe Khoo could shed some light on the behind-the-scenes? Obviously you can't give specific numbers... but... tell me, has the Omegathon turned into Billboard Space or hasn't it?
You really think PA sold out to Bungie / Microsoft?
Now I was kinda disappointed that they didn't use a classic game (I wanted Mario Bros. (Not Super Mario Bros. (I like parentheses))), but c'mon, don't be hating on Bungie and PA for showing their mutual love and respect for one another.
Was it selling out to use Guitar Hero II in the Omegathon last year, before it was out?
Was it selling out to use Rock Band in the Omegathon this year, before it's out?
As a gamer, I saw two competitors playing an epic battle in a great game, not a cynical marketing ploy. I think if you did you're in danger of losing the gaming spirit that PAX is meant to celebrate and encourage: The spirit of fun.
The Guitar Hero(s) weren't blockbuster events. Sub-rounds, they were. The oh-so-sacred Final Round is a symbol, you know? Symbols are powerful.
it was fun
end of story
For real. If you want them to keep throwing in old games to make everyone go "Oh man I remember playing that, daaaamn!" then sure, let it get old and played up. They took a fresh look at final round games, we got to see an awesome demo that nobody else has played, and that sound system was amazing.
Besides, they do "old-skool" games for the regular rounds as it is. Jenga? Come on, give them some credit.
With E3 more or less gone, all the bullshit mojo that E3 accumulated is now cast to the wind, and PAX could be a viable accumulator of such bullshit mojo.
And I think you know what I'm talking about here: fluff over substance. A five million dollar booth promoting a game that isn't worth a dime.
And when you take something that was fun and quaint, like seeing two Omeganauts give their all at a primitive, decades-old game in order to win the grand prize, then turn that in to a promotional tool... well, it understandably makes you nervous.
The Combat final of '05 was amazing. Had that been a sneak peek of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, it would have sucked.
Given the progression of Pong(1972)->Combat(1977)->Tetris(1985), I was expecting Street Fighter II (1991) instead of Halo3 (2007).
As an older gamer, I felt it compromised the trend set in previous years because it sacrificed nostalgia for a new promotion. Yes, the old must give way to the new and you kids had better get off my lawn and all that, but this is our concern, dude.
Don't sell out our roots.
That said, it was great fight. That jumping dead-on rocket launcher shot was awesome, the self-roast with the flamethrower, and the game turning in to a match of "Capture the Sword" were all memorable. Bungie has a lot of well-earned street cred and certainly deserves time in the spotlight at PAX. I just don't think the final round of the Omegathon is the right spotlight.
Abso-fucking-lutely.
What's the beef here exactly? That it was trendy? That it wasn't old-school? That it seemed like a marketing gimmick?
If your concern is that PAX08 may become a vehicle for outing an unreleased game, remember that said game must still be selected for play using the top-secret Omega goodness. Even if it turns out that Bungie bribed gazillions of dollars to get Halo on the screen, the question you should instead be asking yourself is "did you enjoy it?". Because if you did, who cares if it benefited the gamehouse?
So did you enjoy it?
I sure as hell did.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
VIDEO ARMAGEDDON
look, you can make it a race to beat world 1 (or any world, I would prefer 5)
you can make it a time limit points thing, I don't care
just get the guy who played the announcer to introduce the omeganauts
and you're golden
I much preferred the classic video game (although Tetris blew since it's not a good head to head game) for the finals, as the game will generally not be something either person is overly familiar with, but will be simple enough for them to pick up on the fly.
Next year go for an older game, at least ten years back, that is multiplayer focussed.
Oh, and get some gamers who aren't so fucking bad.
I don't see what you're complaining about. If they're so bad, you should have no trouble schooling everyone next year, right? 8-)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
you whiners are bitching about how badly they played but they're the ones that made it through the competition
awww SNAP!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
I'm excited for halo3. My preorder is in and I can't wait for it. I'm disappointed that I didn't have a chance to play halo 3 myself at pax, I'm frustrated that I think I know too much about halo 3 and there will be no real surprises that first night of the halo 3 launch.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=33802