[5abanja]

Hey there folks,

If you have been keeping a sharp eye on what's new on Grey Matter 1up has a new preview of it with a couple of new screen shots. The game's first official title has also been revealed which is Gray Matter: Such Stuff as Dreams are Made Of, and yes it is one of the longest game titles there is, but expect the game to ship in the near future, like Q1 of 2008. Looks pretty nice.


Enjoy





-- 5abanja

[Kolzig]

Nice to finally hear some news about this project.

[Orange Brat]

But unlike the third Gabriel Knight game, Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, Gray Matter returns to a semi-2D game environment. Jensen explains that, quite simply, real-time 3D isn't conducive to adventure gameplay. "For an adventure game," she says, "you want atmosphere. Moving the camera is not only unnecessary, but [also] a real detriment for many people. Studies have shown that women and older people don't like moving a camera in 3D, and these demographics are an important part of our audience."

Then don't make it a controllable camera, Jane. We've gotten to the point where realtime environments are every bit as detailed and nice looking as pre-renders (via modern shaders), so it can still be designed with camera angles and a camera that moves to the next angle when needed.

[MoonBird]

But unlike the third Gabriel Knight game, Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, Gray Matter returns to a semi-2D game environment. Jensen explains that, quite simply, real-time 3D isn't conducive to adventure gameplay. "For an adventure game," she says, "you want atmosphere. Moving the camera is not only unnecessary, but [also] a real detriment for many people. Studies have shown that women and older people don't like moving a camera in 3D, and these demographics are an important part of our audience."

Ah! Music to my ears! Even if i'm not woman or old, I still simply hate 3D environments. Hand-drawn 2D-graphics are not only more beautiful and more sharp, but they also require much less from your computer!

[Keregioz]

Originally Posted by MoonBird

Ah! Music to my ears! Even if i'm not woman or old, I still simply hate 3D environments. Hand-drawn 2D-graphics are not only more beautiful and more sharp, but they also require much less from your computer!

eeehm.... as far as a can tell from the screenshots the graphics are not hand-drawn, they're pre-rendered 3D enviroments.

[AdrianWerner]

Originally Posted by Orange Brat

Then don't make it a controllable camera, Jane. We've gotten to the point where realtime environments are every bit as detailed and nice looking as pre-renders (via modern shaders), so it can still be designed with camera angles and a camera that moves to the next angle when needed.

yeah...except maybe 1% of adventure audience has strong enough hardware to run it decently And it would cost more to develop. Without controlable camera...what's the point really?

[aries323]

This is very good news, indeed and music to my ears, too

Finally, there's a writer and game developer who have studied who plays adventure games. And found out that it is mostly women and older people who do this. It is nice to see and hear writer understanding her audience, targeting this game to the core adventure game market Very nice it is

The screenshots is prerendered 3D environments and they look nice. So does the characters in them It's sort of a 2.5 D thing, I think. I just think Jane Jensen means that the game will be point n' clik with a fixed camera, they will not have a moveable camera. Something I really don't like either - in adventure games or in any other games as well.

Since we know what the title is, and a little bit about the game, I simply can't wait for this game....

[MoonBird]

Originally Posted by Keregioz

eeehm.... as far as a can tell from the screenshots the graphics are not hand-drawn, they're pre-rendered 3D enviroments.

Yes, well, my point was, that they are not real-time 3d

[Kolzig]

But unlike the third Gabriel Knight game, Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, Gray Matter returns to a semi-2D game environment. Jensen explains that, quite simply, real-time 3D isn't conducive to adventure gameplay. "For an adventure game," she says, "you want atmosphere. Moving the camera is not only unnecessary, but [also] a real detriment for many people. Studies have shown that women and older people don't like moving a camera in 3D, and these demographics are an important part of our audience."

Thing just is, Gabriel Knight 3's camera control was revolutionary. Still one of the best I've seen in adventure games ever.

Almost total freedom and then they also included fixed camera angles. GK3 truly had everything.

[Terramax]

Originally Posted by MoonBird

Ah! Music to my ears! Even if i'm not woman or old, I still simply hate 3D environments. Hand-drawn 2D-graphics are not only more beautiful and more sharp, but they also require much less from your computer!

There are a few acceptions. Like Silent Hill 2 & 3 and Shenmue. But, yeah, 95% of the time.

[D.C.]

Originally Posted by Kolzig

Thing just is, Gabriel Knight 3's camera control was revolutionary. Still one of the best I've seen in adventure games ever.

Almost total freedom and then they also included fixed camera angles. GK3 truly had everything.

I definately have to agree with you there. The GK3 camera has shown the most potential in a point-and-click interface so far in my opinion. I hope Jane eventually changes her mind on the 3D issue, but even if she doesn't I just hope she keeps making games. Definately looking forward to this one...

[jcgamer60]

2008 seems so far away...

[oxygene]

Thing just is, Gabriel Knight 3's camera control was revolutionary

Yes, and no. Tex Murphy was the first game to use control scheme of that type. Gabriel Knight 3 was a modification, albeit a major one.

I don't know if focusing on women and old people is a such a wonderful idea, because it means ignoring the gaming market as a whole. Adventure gamers are somewhat stubborn and are holding on to what they're used to. From my experience, if this primary negative reaction is overcome, people usually realise that technological progress is good.

Like it or not, these days real-time rendered graphics looks better. Just take a look at bioshock screenshots.

[eriq]

The big Jane-O will come through for us! She is a master. Her light will blind us. Watch out. A classic adventure gaming masterpiece will surely emerge from her loins-o-talent(tm).

[CrimsonBlue]

Originally Posted by oxygene

I don't know if focusing on women and old people is a such a wonderful idea, because it means ignoring the gaming market as a whole.

I'm not sure she meant old people as in 50-60+. I'm sure she meant older, as in not people who missed the whole golden era of adventure games in the 80s and 90s.

And no, I don't think adventure games today should try to cater to all of the gaming market. It should aim at doing what it does best, and only that - something that doesn't necessarily involve fancy 3D graphics with lots of violence and explosions, or spells with orcs and dragons etc etc. I think it's pointless trying to move the genre "forward", when it's in fact perfect the way it is. The problem lies with the games - they just aren't good enough anymore. That's why the interest in the genre is so low. If there were games like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Broken Sword, Monkey Island 2 (cue all classic masterpieces), then the interest wouldn't be low. Believe it or not, the gaming market as a whole likes good games, regardless of the genre. Look at Phoenix Wright or the Katamari games - when games like these are huge successes, it certainly doesn't tell me that the gaming market is close-minded, which seems to be the general idea of it on these forums.

On topic, this is one of the very few games in the genre I look forward to, and when I found out it was going the classic 2.5D point'n'click route, I got even more interested in it.

[oxygene]

It should aim at doing what it does best, and only that - something that doesn't necessarily involve fancy 3D graphics with lots of violence and explosions, or spells with orcs and dragons etc etc.

There's no need for blood and orcs, but I don't see why fancy 3d graphics is such a bad thing. You see -> crappy graphics -> low sales -> small budget -> worse games (something you agree with). In other words if you ignore the gaming market as a whole, in the end everyone is worse off.

Imagine how amerzone would look if it was powered by Bioshock: moving water, dynamic lightning, weather effects etc. I bet Sokal himself wouldn't mind the idea...

[SamandMax]

Yesterday I was at the store and saw a new Sam and Max game sitting next to the Police Quest and Leisure Suit Larry collections, and there's a preview for a new Jane Jensen game on a pretty big games site. The Adventure genre is doing pretty good these days.

[MadTricks]

After reading the AG's article, i'm very interested about this game. Hoping to see decent adventure, which doesn't lack of main adventure game aspects, like we see in many adventures nowadays.

[TiAgUh]

German Trailer - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/24471.html

[Atlantis]

Well that sounds and looks awesome.
And you can tell it'll be a hit.
People are already bitching about it.