The International House of Mojo

I will say this: I have a hard time acknowledging Tycho's opinion when he fails to even get the man's name right. I mean, come on.

This is ridiculous, if you disagree with his points then articulate why. Resorting to ad hominem makes you look like an idiot.

Just sayin'... And I think his points are valid! It just bugged me that he's rhetorically inclined, but has trouble spelling an simple name. The review was well written, and basically covered all the aspects of the game that should have been honed before launch. That said, I don't exactly understand how he could empathize with Activision. That stroke was a bit much. And when it came to evaluating the finished product, he failed to mention any of its redeeming qualities...

Tonight on adult swim here in the US Eddie Riggs was animated into a 2 minute or so bit with Dethklok...basically an extra long commercial for both their tour and Brutal Legend!

What I don't get is why everyone keeps calling this an RTS. It's clearly an Action Strategy game, a totally valid genre. It's probably because it's a more PC-led genre that no one's mentioning it. Sacrifice or Giants are good examples.

Well-said. I've been pretty struck lately by how well the gaming community at large knows the history of console gaming and how completely the history of PC gaming falls by the wayside; not to mention that Giants and Sacrifice weren't exactly huge titles to begin with.

(On an at-best-tangential note, I've spoken to several big-time BioShock fans in the last few weeks who have never heard of the System Shock series. It happens.)

I can't play BL for now(no console), but the RTS aspect of it and the absence of the jumping ability is part of what makes me excited about playing it someday.

I mean, I found the platforming bits of Psychonauts so terrible that I'm glad that Tim decided to try something else here. Also, the chosen mix of genres sounds like some fresh, new gaming experience.

As much as I love Tycho, he is dead wrong. Just because he writes better than Schafer doesn't mean his ideas are better. You could write an Idle Thumbs song, even: "Tycho You Are Wrong"

Well, I can't compare a 3-times-a-week comic strip the to someone has to release a few thousand lines of dialogue every few years, but, if I had to pick, I'd go with Schafer. Penny Arcade's gone a little on the wayside, lately.

As for Brutal Legend: I still have no idea. I own a copy, but I can't touch it. What I've heard is that the gameplay is unique, but not fully implemented at times, but then, very little new is, right?

Tycho's true merit lies in the news posts. I read them without fail, unerring, every update. In many cases, his writing does indeed surpass Schafer. The comic is fairly bleh, and should only be taken in the context OF the news posts.

I just don't think he likes Schafer's games all that much in general. He subtly bashed Grim Fandango in his review of Layton, for its obtuse puzzles, and whenever he talks about Psychonauts, it's detachedly. Just because he has a superior writing style doesn't mean he is an adept or skilled creator of worlds. Tim Schafer, at least, has this to his merit.

He lost my ability to find his opinion valid once you said "he subtly bashed Grim Fandango". Who the hell in their right might doesn't like GF?

I think GF has some terrible puzzle design. Does that make my opinions invalid too?

I'd appreciate the "writing that surpasses" Schafer's, though. Any links would be great.

This one, for starters: http://www.penny-arcade.com/2008/4/11/

"Perhaps the dice themselves evoke something, that their shape refracts the structures of life into their numerical girders. At two o'clock in the morning, he began to argue (with much heat and light) about the possible interpretations of a particular card and its grave implications. I saw the rules lawyer well up in him, a hunger for the bright, certain shapes of clean systems and the dark shadows they cast."

That was the one that won me over. But there are others: http://www.penny-arcade.com/nimozeran/ Not Really A News Post, More Of A Secret Short Story.

I don't think I would survive a computer game with this kind of writing. In fact I've quickly given up on some interactive fiction titles that had similar style.

I've always found him overblown and ridiculous when he writes like that.

I've tried reading his stuff - really. It's just that he's so very...flat. I mean, I get that he's superb, but as far as writing goes, pure writing, he isn't, in my own, completely subjective opinion, as good as Tim Schafer. But tastes are subjective. At least, we can both agree they are both terrific.

I love Jerry as well, I'm always struck by his bizarre, cynical brilliance. Still, I'm not willing to say he even writes better than Tim-- just more presumptuously.