Revolution: The Quest for Game Development Greatness by Tony Warriner - Book Review

I'm not doing it. I refuse, point blank, to begin this review with that line. Nope, not going to happen. What? Really? Oh, ok then, since you asked nicely. "Paris in the fall..."

Alongside Barrington Pheloung's classic composition, thus begins one of the finest point and click adventures ever created. In this engaging, revealing and heartfelt volume, Tony Warriner (with the support of Martin Mulrooney) details how he found himself as a co-founder of Revolution Software, as well as the trials and tribulations of working in the videogames industry as it matured from bedroom coders to increasingly larger teams. There are corporate shenanigans ahoy along the way as the small British studio managed to stay the course almost despite, rather than because of, the support of larger publishers. 

Written in an easy going style, there is a lot of detail as to the daily workings of a development studio, as well as a fine line in humour sprinkled throughout (minstrels and Ferrari's!). Individuals are treat fairly, even during the most difficult of circumstances, and the author accepts blame where he was at fault, as well as evenly pointing out where mistakes were made. This is evident by the lovely foreword from Charles Cecil - the context of which becomes clear as you read through the book. Where things get technical, the explanations are easily understood and nothing is left unexplained. 

There is also a great line of cynicism working its way through the text (which is a common thread in many a memoir of the industry), and the behaviours of the corporate layers of publishers gets short shrift as you realise all the team ever wanted to do was create a great gaming/artistic experience - and yes, gentle reader, videogames are art. We've had this discussion already and it's not up for review!

Speaking of art, the book, over its 630 pages, is crammed with artwork, concept drawings, diagrams and photographs. For fans of specific Revolution titles or just the studio in general, there is much to enjoy here. 

As for the topics covered, I particularly liked the chapters focusing not only on the fan favourite Broken Sword series, but also on In Cold Blood, a mis-understood title upon release (got to love marketing people), as well as Tony's involvement in developing for the Gizmondo console - I did order one, then got cold feet just before the company collapsed. It was also enlightening to discover more about the Kickstarter process for Broken Sword 5. 

What comes across clearly here is the author's passion for creating games and being involved in videogame development, as well as an historical taste for chicken, red wine and Silk Cut. Hey it was the 90's, that's how games development rolled back then! 

Revolution: The Quest for Game Development Greatness is a warm and illuminating tale of videogame creation in the UK, told with a personal touch that brings the successes and failures vividly to life. However, it is more than just a memoir or a history of Revolution Software. It is also a searing critique of an industry that has grown over the years yet not necessarily matured - the rise of "the publisher" from small scale outfit to multi-national corporate entity, and of a financial and stockholder focus that threatened then (and continues to do so to this day across the industry) to kill the very geese that lay the golden eggs. As such, it also sounds a note of caution, a message to those who wish to work in the industry, especially for a mainstream publisher-supported (or owned) developer. No matter how good you are, how brilliant your work is, or how talented the team is in which you belong, money and inter/intra-company politics will always talk. 

Yet, so as not to end on a negative note, this book is also a guide. A encouraging observation that, despite the changes over the past thirty years, there are now, more than ever, avenues for those who wish to push themselves in to the industry, opportunities to create and release titles that can demonstrate skill, dedication and artistry. The author puts forward some sage advice, born from years of experience, advice that any would be indie-developer (for Indies are growing segment of the market - next week's post will be my review of Debug magazine, a publication centred purely on said scene), would be wise to take note of.

You can pick up a copy of Revolution here, as well as follow Tony on Twitter here, and Martin here. 

P.S. Upon finishing this excellent tome, I realised that the memories dredged up by it were leading me back into the adventures of George and Nicole. Be it on the Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation, PS2 or Switch (the versions I have to hand across the five titles), I set my mind that I would start at the very beginning (a very good place to start), and once again hear that timeless opening: 

"Paris in the fall..."

Clipped Claws by Boris Kretzinger - Book Review

The Atari Jaguar was the last throw of the dice for Atari v3.0. You know, the one the Tramiel's ran for a decade or so, scoring hugely well with the original ST and then slowly screwing it up as the competition, and computer market itself, changed. Returning to Atari's (v2.0 - the Warner year's, as opposed to v1.0 - the Nolan years) gaming roots, the '64-bit" Jaguar (calm down, we all know it's not that simple!) launched with high hopes and tragic prospects. For the first time, combining freely available information along with interviews, chats and conversations from over forty individuals with links to the machine, Boris Kretzinger has written the story of the Jag. In this self-published (and free) pdf, the question is though, has he "done the math?"

Version 3 of Atari was always a contradictory creation. Never cash rich, it had at least a fighting spirit that certainly kept fans (and a few wavering converts) happy as it tackled the new 16-bit computer market. If you ever get a chance to read Karl Morris' excellent "We Love Atari" duo (especially the second volume), or Jamie Lendino's sublime "Faster Than Light", you'll know exactly why Tramiel and sons failed. Further evidence is amply provided in this publication.

What Mr Kretzinger has done is investigate, research and compile a variety of sources to give a highly detailed, blow by blow account (and conclusion) of what happened when Atari tried to re-enter the home console market after blowing several years worth of effort and cash with increasingly re-hashed computer products, combined with some absolutely bone-headed business decisions. 

Searing as it is deep, the narrative here covers everything you need to know, from press interviews (I do recall the Edge ones from the time and still have pdf copies of the magazines now), to the recollections of those who coded, sold or just enjoyed the games on the more-powerful than you'd think box.

Some of the tales presented here have more than a hint of tragedy about them: the sales figures for some of the most well-received/well-remembered titles are dire, as is the emphasis on spending money where it would do no good (VR anyone?), but you, gentle reader, also have to remember that this was the company that mostly sat on the ST with little or no improvements (aside from announcing kit that never appeared), as well as the one that screwed their US dealership connections into the dust.

Overall, this is a well written book. Maybe another editing pass to correct the odd typo, but nothing else stands out, leaving Clipped Claws as the must-read single volume on the Atari Jaguar, as well as a highly informative look at Atari themselves as the company slid towards the abyss. The abundance of footnotes is also greatly appreciated for further reading. I can also add that, if the author ever thinks of getting a physical copy published, I'd be more than happy to buy it.

You can pick up a copy of Clipped Claws from the Internet Archive here, and I would recommend the pdf version over any other, purely based on my reading experience. You can also follow the author on Twitter here.

A Selective History of 'Bad' Video Games by Michael Greenhut - Book Review

Bad video games have been a favourite topic of writers since the very beginning of the industry. I have reviewed a couple of books focusing on the subject here and here, but one of the things that quickly becomes apparent is that, outside of the usual suspects (E.T. is always up there, even though Howard Scott Warshaw's excellent memoir - reviewed here - dispels the myths surrounding that particular title), it's usually with a UK focus. Sure, E.T. is an easy target, but it does the subject good if a different insight is offered, and this is where the White Owl-published volume from Michael Greenhut comes in.

It is the subtitle that defines the focus of the book: Unfulfilled Potential, Interesting Mistakes and Downright Clunkers. That variety is comforting, as unlike the Ashen pair, this isn't just an excuse to give a few games a good kicking, deserved or not. Nope, there is definitely some constructive criticism offered and this book is all the better for it. But what games did a kid from the Bronx play?

Atari, that's what, and the usual suspect is the first title covered. Of course E.T. has to be mentioned, because in the psyche of video game history, it is an "accepted" fact that this game nearly killed the industry. Greenhut knows better (and has possibly read HSW's book), and offers some much kinder words about the maligned film tie-in than you may expect. That approach works time and time again as the likes of Cosmic Ark, Tron Solar Sailor and Tax Avoiders (really!) are given an airing. 

Just a reader of the contents.

The NES comes under some scrutiny next, and despite that wonderful Nintendo Seal of Quality (now there's a gimmick and a half), the grey box of wonders held court to the likes of Dragon's Lair, Back to the Future 2/3 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (obviously the US didn't care about the violence associated with the word 'ninja" back then. We got "Hero Turtles" instead - that had been long forgotten by the time ITV started broadcasting Ninja Warrior UK!).

There's a break in this list of gaming goodness to highlight the start of the SNES era, where we're quickly shown the delights of Ballz (Oh, do grow up!) and the first Streetfighter, definitely a case of the sequel far surpassing the original. Rise of the Robots is a very familiar title to UK gamers of the period, being both lauded in previews and, with the exception of some very dubious shenanigans, almost terrible reviews from the UK gaming press.

For the rest of the book, the author's love of role playing games shines through, although there's still some action-orientated "gems" such as Shaq Fu and Bubsy 3D to savour. Indeed. There are plenty of screenshots throughout and the captions of some are truly inspired. 

This was a very enjoyable book to read, the author's voice coming through loud and clear, as is his knowledge and deft opinion of the games featured. To write about forty plus games and not descend into a generic "They were just a little bit poo" levels of commentary is a rare ability, and the wrap up at the end is a lovely little summary of where he thinks things go wrong. From past reading and my own QA experience (albeit not in the video games industry), I can agree with many of them. The awards ceremony appendix is a nice touch, whilst the other sources of interest and work cited sections give the reader plenty to follow up on. 

It does get more exciting than a QR code, honest ;-)

A Selective History of 'Bad' Video Games is another brilliant White Owl publication and one that should appear on many gamer's shelves just to add a bit of balance to the field. Michael Greenhut is to be commended for writing an excellent, and slightly different, tome on the subject, and I look forward to his future work. You can buy a copy direct from the publisher's website here, or from the usual online and physical bookshops (like this one spotted in Waterstones Newcastle upon Tyne). You can also check out the author's website here, and his Twitter account here.

Ada Lovelace: The World's First Computer Programmer by Beverley Adams - Book Review

You may, gentle reader, be aware of Ada Lovelace, or what she was known for, but even though I knew of her and vaguely appreciated her legacy, that knowledge was pretty shallow. When I saw this tome being advertised in the coming soon section of Pen and Sword's website, I decided to remedy that issue.

A slim hardback, you may think that the brevity of this tome denotes a lack of substance. It does not. What we get here is a highly detailed and well-researched telling of not only Ada's life, but also of her origins - as aptly noted by the author, you cannot talk about Ada and her life without knowing fully the story of her parents, the most famous of which was Lord Byron. In reading this book, you'll find out a lot more about Lady Byron and, well, yes, there is a lot to learn.

The first third of the book gives us the background on the Byron family and Ada's parents. To say that there was controversy back in the day would be a mild understatement. Hell, some aspects would be completely outrageous now! The middle third describes Ada's childhood, her upbringing and contains a focus on her work with Charles Babbage, most importantly, Note G, whose importance cannot be understated. The final third details her marriage, parenthood and her decline, aided by an addiction to gambling, before finally succumbing to cancer at too young an age.

I often joke with my good lady that if I'm feeling too happy, I'll watch something like Jane Eyre to bring me down, as there is nothing like a simple tale of 19th Century folk to sort out a good mood. The real world events of Ada's life, her circumstances and the actions of the people around her (especially her mother), make the efforts of the Bronte sisters seem like a BBC Radio 4 light comedy. Both engrossing and horrific in turn, it is both a testament to Ada herself for achieving what she did, and a cautious note to those who might deny her legacy because of her actions (and most notably) reactions to those around her. 

Ada Lovelace is rightly remembered for her mathematical genius and her accomplishments as a woman in the early Victorian-era. However, it is the story of her heritage and her life after Note G, that provide ample evidence that although the lady was an outlier of her time, the societal behaviour and expectation of Pre-and Early Victorian England meant that she could never truly escape the Byron connection. 

Beverley Adams has written a compelling and very readable account of Ada Lovelace's life and times, and one that should be read by those with an interest in the very founding of computer science (for to know the person is to know their work). It also highlights an important woman whose abilities were doubted at the time and whose achievements are recognised today, and who should stand as an example to others as to what they can achieve. 

You can purchase this book directly from the publisher's website here or from the usual online and physical book stores. You can also follow the author on Twitter here. 

Was That Film Really That Bad??? - Far Cry (2008)

Boll is back! Even if you didn't want him to be. At a time when videogames rights holders weren't too picky about who they licensed their titles to, Uwe Boll was usually the first in line grab the film rights. Here, it's Crytek's classic, Far Cry (before it went and got all Ubisoft'd, for better and for worse). Could the Movie Man of Mediocrity finally deliver a film worthy of the source material? Or would it be the case that, once again, he's created a pile of complete Boll-ocks? Find out as I ask of Far Cry, was that film really that bad???

Let's get the "plot" out of the way first, and, to be honest, I shouldn't be that disparaging. On a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, dodgy scientist Dr Krieger (Udo Kier) is experimenting on behalf of the US Government to create super soldiers. This doesn't sit well with some of those attached to the project, in particular Max (Ralf Moller), who is secretly passing on information on the project to his niece, Valerie (Emmanuelle Vaugier), who happens to be an investigative reporter. She journeys up to the nearest port to the island, charters a boat captained by former Special Forces dude and functioning alcoholic, Jack Carver (Til Schweiger), who used to serve with Max, and tries to find out what's going on. Along the way, they clash with Katia Chernov (Natalia Avelon), Kreiger's head of security, Mike (Craig Fairbrass), leader of the US Special Forces guarding the island, and Emilio (Chris Coppola), a food delivery guy and alleged comic relief for the film. 

If you see this in future, RUN!

Taking a broad view, there are some similarities to the plot of the original game, and we do get a horrible Hawaiian shirt for good measure, but as you can probably tell, as a Boll meisterwerk(!), it's got its issues. 

Audience looking for the good bits, your humble scribe in the background after watching the film.

To cut a long story short (too late, Clue fans), it comes down to watching a film directed by someone who either a) hasn't the money to do justice to their vision, b) is going through the motions or c) is just a little bit shit at this directing malarkey. The answer, by the way, is all of the above. Budget-wise, this was a $30m production, which is respectable for a Boll movie and not bad for a video game adaptation either. Max Payne, released the same year, was made for $37m, and that had at least a sense of style. Where it seems to go wrong with Far Cry is that, to do justice to the source material, more money was needed, so you get the best that Canadia can offer and some truly terrible performances. 

NOT how to load a break barrel rifle. EVER!

In fairness, the majority of the main cast range from decent to actually quite good, even if their characters are two dimensional at best. Kier is always tremendous value, even if in this instance, he seems to be channelling Yuri from the C&C Red Alert games. In any case, his purring menace is pitched just right here. Schweiger is also decent, if a tad wooden and blank. Not exactly leading man material in action scenes but he can do light comedy now and then, but the less said about the "rating" running gag, the better. That's a prime example of pitching to a teen boy audience - which is funny as the DVD version is rated 18 in the UK. Avelon plays it hardball all the way, whereas Vaugier does have some good moments opposite Schweiger (aside from the "rating'.. dammit! I wasn't going to mention that again!). Fairbrass is Fairbrass, which is playing to his strengths, although it must be said that his "American" accent veers from almost ok-ish to "bloody hell, mate, you havin' a bubble" levels of silliness. Bless him for trying though. Even the late Don S Davis takes time out from Stargate Command to rock up in a neat little cameo. 

Budget James Corden. Fuck off, bonny lad, then fuck off some more!

However, it is the inclusion of Coppola that really grates, even more so than the bit-parters I'll get to in a minute. Emilio is the "food guy," a loud, annoying and almost never quiet sidekick that the film really doesn't need. He ruins every scene he's in, overacting, underacting and wandering free, Emilio's pointless, pointless is he. Think James Corden in The There Musketeers. Actually, think James Corden in anything! An obvious graduate of the shouting school of acting, it's almost enough to make you stop watching, but then you'd miss the bit part players. The newspaper boss whose as genuine as a politician's smile. The harbour couple, running the dock Jack uses - straight out of a Canadian sitcom (and with very poor air gun handling skills, I must say). Finally, the American tourists who want to watch whales. Stereotypical tourists, but so terribly overacted and pitched so badly it hurts, you kind of wish they'd get stuck on the island just to shut them up! However, as bad as the cast might get, there is still Boll's directing to consider...

Rate my set up...

Far Cry features car chases, boat chases and numerous fight scenes. These are actually boring, combining a penchant for being overly linear and being edited in such a way that all sense of fluidity and comprehension disappears in the final cut. Rather than making the fisticuffs feel real, it's as if you're watching a highlights video of the training sessions. And as for the gun play... 

SHUT IT!

Look, I get it. Until the turn of the 21st century, most action films tended to stick to the "hold gun in a cool way and pull trigger as there's a magic bullet supply" technique. It worked for Arnie and co, so why not here? Well, over the last couple of decades, the presentation of firearms use has changed, and in many instances mirrored the real world use as the actors would be trained by those who know. Here, we have "Special Forces" (my ring piece they are) acting like they're just walked out of a paintball competition. Boll's direction can't even make that look good. 

The new Smurf movie goes really dark.

That lack of realism extends to other weapons, like the RPG that acts like a Javelin. If you don't know, then fair enough, but watch enough action movies, play enough games or be interested in military history anyway, and you'll know. There's the helicopter and harpoon bit (like, seriously, just no!), and a scene where scientists literally just stand around as a dude with an M60 sprays across a room. And let's not get onto the make-up of the super soldiers. Ok, let's! If you ever want to know what a zombie Smurf movie would look like, then the exact shade of dead Smurf flesh is right here. 

The Mitchells if Eastenders was set in the military.

Given that Boll can't do action, can't do characters and really can't do story, what is left from the hodge-podge of Predator, The Island of Dr Moraeu and even the video game Far Cry? Not much, and yet...

For all of it's faults (for they are legion), Far Cry isn't as bad as some of Boll's other films (although I have yet to see Postal). It's not good. It's barely passable in fact, but it lacks the flaws that hammer some of his other efforts - the overly long and confusing battles in In The Name of the King, the absolute phoning it in style of Bloodrayne and whatever the actual fuck was happening in Alone in the Dark. However, saying it's not as bad as his others is like saying a type 6 is better than a type 7 on the Bristol scale. It is, but you'd never want to experience either if you could avoid it, so yes, Far Cry really is that bad, but there are shades of (Zombie Smurf) grey here too.