An ordinary school day in Columbine, Colorado most likely never consisted of a bloody, pre-meditated massacre at the hands of an outcast and ethically unsound teenager. Two Combine High School students by the name of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold changed this perception on April 20th of 1999. Eric and Dylan single-handedly shook the foundation of American media and propagated concerned parents around the globe to question the consequences of uncensored entertainment. A large majority of psychologists and journalists reporting on the incident were quick to degrade the “Goth Scene,” antagonistic music, and both Eric and Dylan’s immersion in the virtual world of Doom, a hugely popular first-person shooter video game depicting ruthless killing of “demon-esque” creatures.

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Gamers are naturally a competitive group, and we at Spawn Kill are no different.  We often find ourselves arguing over key issues in gaming, and decided to turn it into a public spectacle for all to enjoy.  Each week, we’ll tackle a different hot topic the gets the gaming community riled up, with one staff member taking the side for or against it, telling us all why said topic is RIGHT or ‘RONG.

Just to keep things fresh, we may occasionally take on a side for which we don’t normally agree, just to see things from a different point of view.  So read each staff member’s two-cents and then feel free to add your own view in the comments section.  Keep the battle – I mean, discussion – going!

Battle 1: Some games are too long.

Fighting for the “RIGHT” team, Rebecca “Cuatro Chihuahuas” Quintana, who is currently undefeated in these battles (please don’t remind her it’s also the first). Fighting for the “‘RONG” team, Kevin “K-Tuck” Tucker, who is determined to take Rebecca down!

Let the battle begin!

RIGHT:
Cuatro Chihuahuas: I definitely think some games are too long.  While I definitely want my money’s worth as much as any other gamer, there is a certain point at which I say, “Enough is enough!”  Two games definitely spring to mind when I think of this issue: Persona 4 and Bowser’s Inside Story.  Obviously, these are both great games, and I enjoyed them both.  However, I think each of these illustrates the two sides of the “too long” coin.  I’ll address the second game first, because I think it is representative of a more common issue in regards to excess game length.

Games, like movies, have a certain natural length.  When this length is exceeded, it drags the whole thing down, often because the pacing is thrown off.  Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is definitely guilty of this faux paus.  In attempting to meet the expectations of what “an RPG should be” in terms of game length, I personally felt the game was done a vast disservice.  I know others have jokingly called the game Mario & Luigi: Boring Story or Never-ending Story, because it can definitely feel that way.  While you can see that the developers were trying to keep things fresh, the game went past its expiration date so that you got a 12 hour game in a 30+ hour body.  Even if you haven’t played this title, I’m sure you’ve experienced this phenomenon before, and “padding” is probably one of the worst words you can hear associated with any game.  Yes, I like long games, but only if they earn it.  Some games are meant to be short(er).  Don’t stretch them out and thin the experience.

Persona 4 is a different beast.  You could easily spend 200 hours or more, which, anyone can admit, is great value.  However, how many of us have 200 hours, or even 100 to spend on a single game?  As much as I loved the game, I found myself having to schedule blocks of time in which to play it, and at a certain point I almost stopped caring about finishing because it was just so long.  I logged 130+ hours and still didn’t get the “true” ending.  While I appreciate what Atlus was attempting, I think I would have preferred a tighter, faster paced (in terms of story progression) game about half the length.  As good as the replay value is for a game like this, I just can’t see myself trudging through another 130+ hours.  Persona 4 was great, but I really hope Persona 5 is shorter.

So, in sum, Lennin was wrong: quantity does not necessarily have a quality all its own.  I’d rather have shorter games that blow me away then longer games that grow boring or are too time-consuming for me to finish.

‘RONG:
K-Tuck: I would find it difficult to argue that games are too long, personally, because it seems like the alternative is to ask for shorter games. Even some of the blockbuster games of last year only ranked in at 5-10 hours. Once they have been beaten, the sum of the fastest times for each mission could easily come up as less than five hours — I’m looking at you, Resident Evil 5.

Like many gamers, I work for a living, and I have bills to pay. When I finally (and often prematurely) discover I have a spare 60 dollars to spend on a game, it’s extremely hard to justify a purchase knowing the game is going to be over in a day or two worth of playing. In fact, I do my research to make sure that this doesn’t happen — the only time it does is when I am more interested in the multiplayer mode’s replay value than the single-player experience.

Can a game be too long? Certainly. Still, with the same amount of time to be spent, I’d rather put 100 hours into a couple of games than a couple of hours into a hundred games.

Though we’ve certainly come quite a long way from the days of the arcade where a speaking character was a luxury, games today retain elements that can be traced back to the golden days of gaming. Yes, you still find characters who never (or rarely) speak. Yes, these characters do not speak so that you may live vicariously through them. You speak for them. And in some cases, you’ll choose what “they’re” saying, but is it really them speaking? And how much control do you really have over a set narrative when you have limited control over what they’re “really” saying? Are they simply a vehicle for designers to skip over an entire step?

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A simple choice can change your life forever. For instance, you may selfishly choose to drive drunk and end someone’s life, or yours. You could easily choose to get a ride home and not risk wrecking or endangering someone’s health. Of course, those are choices that can be made with dire outcomes. Gaming is slowly but surely introducing the same kinds of decisions. But are we ready? Are they being implemented correctly? And how do we feel about choosing “right” versus “wrong?”

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The power button on a console is a beautiful thing. Ready to get out of your game? Get up and hit that button. And really, you don’t even have to do that. All three of our current systems allow you to unplug from the Matrix from the comfort of your couch. But of course, you might want to shut that baby down for other, more…dire reasons. Reasons like starting a brand new game.  And that’s okay! Sometimes you just need a fresh start. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what compels us to begin from a blank slate? Here are the top five reasons I’ve found that inspire us to put our current game to pasture and start anew!

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I’ve grown up — rather fondly, I might add — with Pokémon. Over the years the several different hundreds of pocket monsters have become my dear friends. Simply settling into a new game (like I’ve recently done with Heart Gold) is a comfort to me. In a tumultuous, changing world, I find solace in the fact that while the games have metamorphosed over the years, whittling down a health bar or throwing a Poké Ball haven’t changed. When so many things I can’t control refuse to stay the same, these smaller precious memories become infinitely more dear to me.

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Opinions. Everyone’s got ‘em. Especially the staff of Spawn Kill. And we know every single one of you wants to share your own as well. So we’ve put together a way that you can give us your two cents — you know, other than leaving a comment or getting in touch with us in some other manner. Every Friday, we’ll be bringing you a hot topic that’s been cracked wide open for discussion. Your job is to load up and deliver your best opinions on the subject at hand in Spawn Kill’s Agree to Disagree column.

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This past weekend saw game lovers from across the globe converge on the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts for the first ever Penny Arcade Expo East.  PAX has flourished before, but always in the West where North American gaming  finds its brain or heart or whatever organ properly conveys what the West coast is to gaming.  PAX East marked the first time that Easterners could show a little pride in their scenery and show these video game enthusiasts how the other coast celebrates the country’s fastest growing pasttime.

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My game is best played in a pitch black room with the soft glow of my television piercing the darkness. The battle cries of obnoxious ten-year-olds do not tear through my eardrums. I do not waste time with team members who have no desire to play correctly or fairly. Silence and solitude are freedom; gateways to platinum trophies, 100% completion, and a committed relationship with the game in the disc tray. So why am I forced to venture into the sordid world of multiplayer whenever a new release beckons to me from the wild of the retail storefront?

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As a rhythm game fanatic, I thought I’d share  my expertise within the genre (though my first loves are FPSs and RPGs) for those who are searching for the perfect gift for music game mavens such as myself. In this Holiday Gift Guide for the Musically Inclined, you’ll find a sampling of some of the best ideas for that rhythm gamer dear to your heart this holiday season. Get your credit cards ready and make sure you’re in tune, because I’m parading out a symphony of the best of the best, from this year and years past!

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Let’s say you have this friend, and let’s say you haven’t seen this friend in months. Some time ago he (or she) told you he was picking up World of Warcraft because he had heard that it was a pretty cool game. You warned him about the possibilities. You begged, you pleaded, for him not to do it. Alas, he bought it anyway. Now, sad and confused, you still want to include him in your holiday gift list. You’re not quite sure what he even likes anymore since that game has taken over his life. No worries! I, Astrella of Spawn Kill, have the perfect holiday gift solutions for you!

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Though Thanksgiving has swiftly come and gone, we’re all still thankful for even the littlest of things that we have. A few of us have decided to share with you, our loyal readers, exactly what we’re glad that we have. Feel free to comment with what you’re most thankful for on this most gracious of holidays, whether it’s the astronomical amount of deals going on (thanks Amazon!), your leftovers, your family, or the fact that a No More Heroes game is coming to the Xbox 360. Most of all, enjoy and continue to be thankful. And thank you for continuing to visit Spawn Kill!

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Haunted houses,‭ ‬tales of gruesome deaths and vengeful spirits,‭ ‬terrifying movies,‭ ‬and midnight jaunts are all a part of the Halloween experience.‭ ‬People are simply fascinated with scaring themselves out of their wits,‭ ‬and they’ll take the experience of true fear in any form they can get.‭ ‬This fixation carries over into the gaming industry as well,‭ ‬catering to thrill seekers‭ (‬such as myself‭) ‬by producing titles that seek to elicit blood-curdling screams from their players.‭  ‬But why‭? ‬What prompts an average Joe to actively seek out video games that could cause his heart to beat rapidly,‭ ‬his blood pressure to rise,‭ ‬and the potential of soiled underwear‭?

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I think we’ve all heard it –  at some point in our lives, we’ve told someone that we play video games.  Their response was either a skeptical look, mocking laughter, or something along the lines of, “Why are you wasting your time with that?”  There may have been rare occassions when they have eagerly chimed in with “Dude, me too,” at which point music probably started playing in your ears and you each got a dreamy look on your faces while you gazed fondly into one another’s eyes.  At least, that’s generally how it goes for me.  Maybe others are slightly more centered in reality.  Finding that kindred spirit, while it may be more common now than it was ten years ago, is still rare enough that the latter situation probably holds true for most people.

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The vast array of video game consoles available in this day and age is infinitely astounding. Who could ever have guessed that after witnessing some of the first fantastical bleeps and bloops of games such as Pong that the industry would explode into such prosperity as it has? While the early years of gaming offered little more than arcade choices and a few home video game consoles, the gaming subculture has blossomed into a regular bazaar, teeming with multiple console choices, a massive amount of software, and even more people willing to veg out in front of their televisions and monitors for hours at a time.

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