The Braid thread of M$ lies and hippie Blow not wanting a job

[dark1x]

I bought it and I regret it every day. Don't be a Patel.

Why exactly are you crusading against this game?

It certainly isn't for everyone, but it's still a quality title that should be given a shot.  How often do we get high-resolution, hand drawn 2D platformers these days?  The puzzles are interesting and unique, the presentation is very solid, and it's fun to play.  The story is pretentious as hell, but it plays a very small role.  I mean, if you hated the storyline for a Metal Gear game you'd be fucked as those games are loaded with cutscenes, but Braid only presents the story in small snippets that can be skipped simply by running past them.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I bought it and I regret it every day. Don't be a Patel.

Why exactly are you crusading against this game?

It certainly isn't for everyone, but it's still a quality title that should be given a shot.  How often do we get high-resolution, hand drawn 2D platformers these days?  The puzzles are interesting and unique, the presentation is very solid, and it's fun to play.  The story is pretentious as hell, but it plays a very small role.  I mean, if you hated the storyline for a Metal Gear game you'd be fucked as those games are loaded with cutscenes, but Braid only presents the story in small snippets that can be skipped simply by running past them.

it's overpriced and I hate the creator

the game itself isn't that bad (though I think it's being massively overrated) but I can't really support someone as full of himself as Blow. and given how full of myself I am that says a lot.

[MCD]

do you have something against baldies, patel?

[dark1x]

I bought it and I regret it every day. Don't be a Patel.

Why exactly are you crusading against this game?

It certainly isn't for everyone, but it's still a quality title that should be given a shot.  How often do we get high-resolution, hand drawn 2D platformers these days?  The puzzles are interesting and unique, the presentation is very solid, and it's fun to play.  The story is pretentious as hell, but it plays a very small role.  I mean, if you hated the storyline for a Metal Gear game you'd be fucked as those games are loaded with cutscenes, but Braid only presents the story in small snippets that can be skipped simply by running past them.

it's overpriced and I hate the creator

the game itself isn't that bad (though I think it's being massively overrated) but I can't really support someone as full of himself as Blow. and given how full of myself I am that says a lot.

Overpriced?!  It's fucking $15!  That's really not asking much for a game of this quality.  Perhaps it is a bit overrated, but that doesn't mean it isn't still worth playing.  You should leave your personal feelings for the creator out of this as that really shouldn't factor into whether someone can enjoy the game or not.

I hate Nintendo (the Wii/DS generation of Nintendo), everything they stand for, and what they've done to the industry but I'll still pick up the few Wii titles that actually DO appeal to me.

[demi]

I cant really support someone who says "buy my game or I'll *shudder* have to get a job! i dont want that!"

[Vrolokus]

I cant really support someone who says "buy my game or I'll *shudder* have to get a job! i dont want that!"

Just so I'm up to speed: are you a full-on joke character now, or what?  God forbid someone wants to be successful at something he loves rather than resort to 8 hour days in a cubicle doing data entry.  "OMFG I'm not going to buy that band's album because they just don't wanna work the fry counter at McDonald's!  What arrogant assholes!"

Please.

[demi]

Blow could take a cue from James Silva.

[demi]

I cant really support someone who says "buy my game or I'll *shudder* have to get a job! i dont want that!"

Just so I'm up to speed: are you a full-on joke character now, or what?  God forbid someone wants to be successful at something he loves rather than resort to 8 hour days in a cubicle doing data entry.  "OMFG I'm not going to buy that band's album because they just don't wanna work the fry counter at McDonald's!  What arrogant assholes!"

Please.

Blow just doesn't come across as enjoying what he does. If he did, he wouldn't be concerned whether he had to "get a job" or not. Musicians do what they do because they love making music. It's what makes us enjoy what they do. We go to their shows, we buy their merchandise and whatnot. If someone doesn't have the heart doing what they do, I cannot become involved - attached. Blow threw all that out the window. Will not be supporting him, I'm afraid.

Comparing his loser ass to Minter was an insult all the same. Minter's game apparently bombed, outsold by Frogger, as noted by his outcry. However, Minter is back at the game, typing up yet another remake of a remake - GridRunner. That takes soul. That is legend.

[Vrolokus]

I cant really support someone who says "buy my game or I'll *shudder* have to get a job! i dont want that!"

Just so I'm up to speed: are you a full-on joke character now, or what?  God forbid someone wants to be successful at something he loves rather than resort to 8 hour days in a cubicle doing data entry.  "OMFG I'm not going to buy that band's album because they just don't wanna work the fry counter at McDonald's!  What arrogant assholes!"

Please.

Blow just doesn't come across as enjoying what he does. If he did, he wouldn't be concerned whether he had to "get a job" or not. Musicians do what they do because they love making music. It's what makes us enjoy what they do. We go to their shows, we buy their merchandise and whatnot. If someone doesn't have the heart doing what they do, I cannot become involved - attached. Blow threw all that out the window. Will not be supporting him, I'm afraid.

This makes no sense at all.

Clearly Blow hasn't been handed a map to a long-forgotten treasure horde on the isle of Monte Cristo, free to follow his bliss without worrying about pedestrian, everyday concerns like, you know, rent.  In case you haven't noticed, there isn't a Game Developer kiosk next to the food court at every mall.  Actually being able to make a living at his preferred career is a longshot, and unless you're independently wealthy, success determines whether you are able to stick with it.  And let me tell you something about musicians (or any artist, or anyone pursuing a non-cubicle career path for that matter): they might do it because they love it, but they only can do it if they're successful.  If people don't care or don't notice their efforts... well, you can't pay the landlord in face-melting guitar riffs.  You got to get a job, and if you're working full time that means less time working on your music, which means there's less chance it's going to go anywhere.

And I'm not sure how you're parsing his interviews to conclude he "doesn't enjoy what he does", but again: please.  You don't like the game, the developer rubs you the wrong way... that's really it.  No need to over-rationalize it by making broad assumptions about a person you've never met.

[Draft]

I'm gonna buy it with my ill gotten space bucks from the car website scam. I don't care if this guy is like 40 and still politicking like some 19 year old philosophy major.

[cool breeze]

Ok, this article about Braid makes Blow seem like a lame art prick.

Independent designer Jonathan Blow's award-winning Braid made its Xbox Live Arcade debut just last week, but Blow says Microsoft's certification requirements might have impeded the game's final quality.

Talking to Gamasutra as part of a larger interview to be published in the near future, Blow says the cert process for XBLA is more geared toward triple AAA games than perhaps is useful.

"They removed some of the requirements for XBLA games, but there are still a lot of requirements, and I believe that, at least for a single-player game like my game, the vast majority of these requirements are unnecessary," he says.

"I put in a tremendous amount of work meeting all these requirements, when I could have put that work into the actual game, and made it even a little more polished, little bit better."

Blow says Microsoft's XBLA certification process is intended to ensure a standard of quality for all titles on the service -- "But I feel like it actually decreases the quality of games, because people spend so much of their energy on these things that users don't even really care about."......


"I mean, maybe in five years when I'm motivated, if I have a really fresh idea for it. But I'm not waiting in the wings with a level pack, or DLC or anything."

Blow says he has considered releasing Dashboard themes since Microsoft announced the redesign. "I didn't want to do them on the old Dashboard, because it's covered with ads everywhere," he says.

"Braid is about setting a mood and a feeling, and you can't do it while there's like, a Burger King ad there, flashing... I just felt that juxtaposition would have been bad for the game."

Oh, and here is a Braid segment from the 1upshow (It has spoiler): http://gamevideos.com/video/id/20638

Very interesting if you want to know what fellating a game designer looks like.  It also helps show that people really do think everything is art.

[demi]

No, I really was interested in the game, from the praise of close friends along with the overall style. I even thought the demo was nice, since I got to see it up close. Unfortunately, I have to stand my ground. He's pompous, as the article swaggaz posted linked. Expect more chest thumping from him in the future.

[Draft]

No, I really was interested in the game, from the praise of close friends along with the overall style. I even thought the demo was nice, since I got to see it up close. Unfortunately, I have to stand my ground. He's pompous, as the article swaggaz posted linked. Expect more chest thumping from him in the future.

Maybe if you support him, he'll earn enough money to OD.

He comes off as a user.

[demi]

I will also accept free download tokens.

[Grecco]

Ok, this article about Braid makes Blow seem like a lame art prick.

Independent designer Jonathan Blow's award-winning Braid made its Xbox Live Arcade debut just last week, but Blow says Microsoft's certification requirements might have impeded the game's final quality.

Talking to Gamasutra as part of a larger interview to be published in the near future, Blow says the cert process for XBLA is more geared toward triple AAA games than perhaps is useful.

"They removed some of the requirements for XBLA games, but there are still a lot of requirements, and I believe that, at least for a single-player game like my game, the vast majority of these requirements are unnecessary," he says.

"I put in a tremendous amount of work meeting all these requirements, when I could have put that work into the actual game, and made it even a little more polished, little bit better."

Blow says Microsoft's XBLA certification process is intended to ensure a standard of quality for all titles on the service -- "But I feel like it actually decreases the quality of games, because people spend so much of their energy on these things that users don't even really care about."......


"I mean, maybe in five years when I'm motivated, if I have a really fresh idea for it. But I'm not waiting in the wings with a level pack, or DLC or anything."

Blow says he has considered releasing Dashboard themes since Microsoft announced the redesign. "I didn't want to do them on the old Dashboard, because it's covered with ads everywhere," he says.

"Braid is about setting a mood and a feeling, and you can't do it while there's like, a Burger King ad there, flashing... I just felt that juxtaposition would have been bad for the game."

Oh, and here is a Braid segment from the 1upshow (It has spoiler): http://gamevideos.com/video/id/20638

Very interesting if you want to know what fellating a game designer looks like.  It also helps show that people really do think everything is art.

Nick Suttner

How awesome is your game?

Blow

So awesome

[demi]

Blow is probably an advocate of the Wii. Is that what you want?

[Van Cruncheon]

what makes jonathan blow so obnoxious? i ask this in all naivete, since all i know of him was his little e3 walkthrough thing.

edit: read the thread. i think it's the cocksucking from the games-as-art gaffertard set that makes his lightweight posturing seem heavier.

[demi]

Just how he comes off, mostly. Maybe if he registered on NeoGAF and called everyone out, I'd like him more.

[Van Cruncheon]

well, i ain't buyin' braid, anyhow

if i ever see him at magic dragon, i'll say hi and tell him how much i enjoyed galaga legions

[Howard Alan Treesong]

anyone who complains about a 9/10 from Edge as not understanding the true artistry of his game software is clearly a fuck

[y2kev]

nick suttner likes everything

[Van Cruncheon]

he complained about a 9/10 from EDGE?

[demi]

he complained about a 9/10 from EDGE?

http://braid-game.com/news/?p=245

UK print magazine Edge has published the first review of Braid, giving the game a score of 9/10. Normally I would not be happy about a 9, but Edge has a reputation for being very tough with scores. (Braid was the only game with a score of 9 or above in this issue [#192]; in previous issues, they gave BioShock and Metal Gear Solid 4 each 8/10. Headline coming soon: Edge says Braid is better than MGS4; PS3 fan riot imminent.) I can’t link the review because it’s in print, but here’s the last sentence:

Braid remains a beautiful and brilliantly demanding game that barely contains its dense population of ideas, taking its place alongside Geometry Wars and Pac-Man Championship Edition as one of the finest original titles available on Live Arcade.

The Edge reviewer didn’t like the story much; but Chris Dahlen did. So there.

pompous chest thumping highlighted in red

[Van Cruncheon]

so he is clearly an asperger's fuck

[cool breeze]

He posts at Quarter to Three, but I don't think at gaf.

(Braid was the only game with a score of 9 or above in this issue [#192]; in previous issues, they gave BioShock and Metal Gear Solid 4 each 8/10. Headline coming soon: Edge says Braid is better than MGS4; PS3 fan riot imminent.)

What the fuck.

[TakingBackSunday]

I might get this.  I don't know, I might really like it.

[Bildi]

I've been buying pretty much nothing recently, but I bought Braid it within about 10 seconds before I even walked into the world-select building. 

It's pretty inventive, I've only completed world two but I enjoyed the puzzles.  Blow sounds like a tosser, but his game turned out good.

[cool breeze]

because he's an artist.  He wants to remain an artist.  He isn't about conforming to society or corporations.  Oh, but he needs more money or else he can't not make games anymore!

[drew]

[demi]

change that emoticon to :braid

[drohne]

arrogance and an aversion to proper jobs are laudable qualities in someone who's got the talent to sustain them -- as blow clearly does. but if you guys want games from HARD WORKING SPIRITED FOLKS WHO ARE JUST HAPPY TO BE IN THE INDUSTRY...well...little wonder that you're all xbots. CAN'T WAIT FOR SAINT'S ROW 2. SAINT'S ROW. SINGULAR POSSESSIVE. THERE'S THIS SAINT AND IT'S HIS ROW

[drohne]

or is it 'saints row,' plural no apostrophe

who gives a shit

[demi]

I see nothing wrong with buying Saints Row. Just helping out some hard working Americans.

[Joe Molotov]

Go back to GAF.

[cool breeze]

I wouldn't exactly sell Blow so high as a game developer.  I would say he is a few levels up from people who make flash games in their spare time.  The writing in Braid is atrocious, the music is borrowed, all the art is are from someone else, many of the time mechanics have been seen in other flash games or just other games in general (people compare it to Blinx).  I think the execution of the ideas was done well, and I do think Braid is awesome, but he isn't some genius guy who is super innovative and all that.  He is the M. Night Shyamalan of gaming and I am sticking to that comparison.  It really doesn't help that he doesn't seem very humble with accepting the hyperbole filled impressions and all that, but I don't think that matters when it comes to the actual game quality.  I'm just saying is all. 

Now, Jonathan Mak is a indie creator to get behind.  Mak is awesome.

[chronovore]

Jesus. Some of you guys a-fucking-maze me.

The game is innovative, interesting, accessible, and beautiful both visually and aurally. It's art; whether or not you like it, that's up to the viewer/player. I've never been a fan of Munch's The Scream, but I'd never attempt to explain that it's not art. I dig Prince's music; I've got stuff going back to Dirty Mind, up to bootlegs of his gig at Coachella. The man's a pompous creep, I'd never let him babysit my kids or house-sit, but I don't let that affect my enjoyment of his music.

But Blow comes along and says some mildly pretentious shit, and all of a sudden it affects what the game is worth, and what the game should be rated?

I really wonder if any of the complainers hold the same standards for David Jaffe and God of War. That game got a lot of fanboy love, even though Jaffe expresses himself less like an industry luminary and more like a level implementer with Tourette's Syndrome.

BTW, Mak's pretty charming, and seems more "artist" motivated than Blow, but that's splitting hairs. In the end, Mak made Yet Another Dual Stick Shooter, but this time with MUSIC instead of explosions. That's less hefty than what Braid attempts, whether or not you like or or the other better.

[drohne]

I see nothing wrong with buying Saints Row. Just helping out some hard working Americans.

yeah but you cancel it out by buying too human and helping a bunch of canadian phonies who sit around and sue hard working americans

[demi]

Dyack has a lot of love for his work. I can respect that.

[Tabasco]

I'll cop to being an xfag, and will happily let drohne and his fellow sony friends keep their "art" games on psn.  saints row, halo, gta, etc.  real games for me thx

[demi]

I really wonder if any of the complainers hold the same standards for David Jaffe and God of War. That game got a lot of fanboy love, even though Jaffe expresses himself less like an industry luminary and more like a level implementer with Tourette's Syndrome.

Hi, me again

I think Jaffe is a fat gump and slouch after hearing some of the comments from his own co-workers at a GDC roundtable, falling on profanity and weed most of the time, which is why Cory Barlog stepped to the plate and completely made Jaffe irrelevant at his own series.

[chronovore]

I suspect Dyack forgot to send them the usual bribe: a young goat.

[drohne]

message boards play dyack like a fiddle causing him to feed at troughs full of salty buttered popcorn

.

[Bildi]

I really wonder if any of the complainers hold the same standards for David Jaffe and God of War. That game got a lot of fanboy love, even though Jaffe expresses himself less like an industry luminary and more like a level implementer with Tourette's Syndrome.

You're my favourite person of the day. 

[Van Cruncheon]

message boards play dyack like a fiddle causing him to feed at troughs full of salty buttered popcorn

.

this. dyack ain't playin' anyone. he can't stop shrieking hoarsely to 1up lapdogs because gaf -- gaf!!! -- successfully trolled him. if saint c weren't off in wedded bliss, he'd call denis dyack a butthurt nerdlinger.

[cool breeze]

BTW, Mak's pretty charming, and seems more "artist" motivated than Blow, but that's splitting hairs. In the end, Mak made Yet Another Dual Stick Shooter, but this time with MUSIC instead of explosions. That's less hefty than what Braid attempts, whether or not you like or or the other better.

Well, Everyday Shooter took probably half, or even a third of the time Braid did.  Braid is also a play on a platformer, it isn't like that or the time usage is particularly innovative.

And a few things Blow did say about Braid do tick me off.  On the 1upshow he basically talks about how he made the levels in such a way that unless you play them exactly as how he intended, you couldn't finish them.  That is ridiculous.  The fun part about games like these are that you are able to find other ways to exploit those powers and solve them quicker.  Just look at Portal and how people can beat that game in mere minutes.  That stuff is amazing.

And I think Mak is more of someone who would consider an element in a game artistic, but Blow seem like the type who was straight up say his game is art.  Watching the 1upshow where they stand by and look at the a scene from the game and try to find the meaning of it  is sickening to me.

[Van Cruncheon]

this. dyack ain't playin' anyone. he can't stop shrieking hoarsely to 1up lapdogs because gaf -- gaf!!! -- successfully trolled him. if saint c weren't off in wedded bliss, he'd call denis dyack a butthurt nerdlinger.

i have it on good authority that the entire gaming community is going to teach GAF a lesson by collectively ensuring that all the game reviews are about 90%

play magazine was doing that for the last four years, before halverson ironically decided to abolish scores and force us to read their impenetrably awful and incestuous screed

[Grecco]

because he's an artist.  He wants to remain an artist.  He isn't about conforming to society or corporations.  Oh, but he needs more money or else he can't not make games anymore!

Im glad hes making a "game that matters"

[FatalT]

Braid is neat. I bought it last night and finished it a few minutes ago. Trying to get all the puzzle pieces was mind numbing but the final sequence was just insanity. Loved that moment.

[Eel O'Brian]

blow strikes me as the sort of dude who, at parties years from now, will keep trying to work braid into the conversation by relating it to everything

"man, that whole middle eastern situation is fucked beyond belief."

"it's funny, when i was creating braid, i intentionally injected an allegorical subtext about the strife in that region, and how if we could all just turn back the clocks in our hearts we - "

"excuse me for a sec, will ya, jon?  i need to freshen my drink."

*never comes back*

and dyack is going to "win" by default, because a great number of the fucktards spamming gif memes are going to run right out and drop $60 on too human if only to feel "legitimate" in shitting on it, which is basically all the dude wanted in the first place - that $60

[archie4208]

Anybody got a walkthrough?  I'm getting bored and wanna finish the game before BIONIC COMMANDO REARMED comes out.

[AdmiralViscen]

In level 6-5, is there a way to reliably lead two of those goombas across the bed of plants? It's the part where there are three plants and you have to drop your ring under them to let the goombas through, so you can double jump on them to get to a puzzle piece.

I can get the timing down for one but by the time I move on to the other guy the timing has changed on the plants, there must be a better way.

[drohne]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

quickest way is to get the plants roughly synchronized, stop time when they're all down, let three or four goombas cross, and then attempt the jump. the ring slows things down well outside its visible radius, so this puzzle can be annoying

[close]

[AdmiralViscen]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

How do you get three guys across at once? Unless I'm crazy the plants will lose their timing after 20 seconds or so. I can get one dude across but by the time the next guy spits out everything is fucked up and I need to babysit them again, and then the first guy is too far gone.


Wait, should I be using the X button to get them across?!

I've been trying to set the timing for all three at once by placing the slow ring beneath each of them one at a time

[close]

edit:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

wow this last level sucks

done

oh shit that was clever

[close]

[y2kev]

who gives a shit if dyack sells a lot of too human. in the process he's burned more bridges than a 2 million seller (as if that were possible) can repair. MS is done with him. nintendo is done with him. sony probably isn't solvent enough to give him money. he's COOOOOKED, jerry.

oh right, sega.

[Eel O'Brian]

who gives a shit if dyack sells a lot of too human. in the process he's burned more bridges than a 2 million seller (as if that were possible) can repair. MS is done with him. nintendo is done with him. sony probably isn't solvent enough to give him money. he's COOOOOKED, jerry.

oh right, sega.

oh, bullshit

if a person's game generates a healthy profit, no publisher is going to give a fuck how much of an asshole that person is

that's how business works

[y2kev]

who gives a shit if dyack sells a lot of too human. in the process he's burned more bridges than a 2 million seller (as if that were possible) can repair. MS is done with him. nintendo is done with him. sony probably isn't solvent enough to give him money. he's COOOOOKED, jerry.

oh right, sega.

oh, bullshit

if a person's game generates a healthy profit, no publisher is going to give a fuck how much of an asshole that person is

that's how business works

cooked. like a goose!

[demi]

Too Human is going to be one of the best games  this year

[cool breeze]

Dyack is going nowhere.

After this he will make Eternal Darkness 2 for the Wii.  Nintendo fans will line up to put their balls in their mouth and write hyperbole filled impressions about that game.  Nick Suttner will give it an A+ for having a segment where the game reverses the motion input, thus making you think different.

[y2kev]

i think nick is just overexposed. it seems like "nick gives everything an A+" because "nick gives everything" because zd is stretched so thin (or at least has been recently). last time i posted about it nick replied with a bunch of shovelware he gave an F. i don't think he gets it. he really gave aitd like a b- or something.

[cool breeze]

Even so, he could have a bit more standards for judging what is a good game, and what is a bad game.  Alone in the Dark is a bad game.  I feel bad for anyone who played more than however the long the demo was, because just that bit was painful enough.  And the Braid A+ score is just ridiculous.  Even Shane and John on 1upyours talk about the insane hyperbole when he talks about that game.  I still enjoy listening to the kids table every Monday, but still.  Plus he was pissed that Psychonauts was chosen for Backlog, so that's cool.