[Intrepid Homoludens]

OMG those screens looks almost as good as real time 3D!!!!

[DustyShinigami]

As always the screenshots look fantastic.

Really looking forward to the game's release on both platforms.

[kuze]

Oh now I'm hyped.

[Tiocfaidh]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Beware spoilers in some pictures, though, especially David's ones.

I suspected something like that.
I just briefly scanned over the thumbnails and won´t look at any trailers, gameplay videos and even screenshots from now on.

[Lupin The Third]

Originally Posted by Phaid

Except anyone who owns a console most probably owns a PC that can run adventure games "the way they're meant to be played" anyway - if he isn't interested in adventure games to begin with, putting Gray Matter on the console won't magically make him want to buy it...

It might help with publicity somewhat, however.

Anyway, the screenshots are beautiful - I'm just wondering whether the backgrounds are static or animated (trees swaying in the wind, clouds moving, lights flickering etc.). I'd prefer the latter obviously, but doubt that is the case...

While it's true that most of us evil "console" gamers do have PCs fully capable of running any new adventure game why should the genre be restricted to PCs only? Your point that putting Gray Matter on a console won't magically make a console gamer want to buy it is as accurate as saying that putting it on the PC won't make a PC gamer automatically want to buy it. So that's kind of a pointless statement. But I get what you're implying....the implication is that console gamers are idiots who don't have an appreciation for AGs. But if we want to reverse the looking glass onto the PC community it's even easier to say that PC gamers are nothing but pirates who steal games and only pay for infantile crap like World of Warcraft. Halo may appeal to foul mouthed teenagers but console gamers aren't keeling over dead in their seats or running down the streets screaming about monsters because they're so mentally unhinged that they can't separate the real world from a MMO...or leaving their baby at home starving while they spend time in a lan cafe raising a virtual baby like that couple just did. See how that works?

Simplifying the reality of the situation into a "consolers are dumb" argument belies the truth of the situation. Console gaming is just as diverse as PC and AGs, which are a very niche genre now even on PC, are more likely to appear on a PC given simple economics. On a PC there are no licensing fees....on a PC there's no approval process...on PC even the smallest developer can release a game tomorrow via digital distribution. Without spending even a dollar to approve, license, or Q/A a game...and without having to acquiesce to the demands of MS, Sony, or Nintendo in order to meet their digital distro requirements. Combine that with the fact that the genre originated on PC and it's a simple combination of nostalgia and economics that guarantees that the majority of AG will be PC only and only the "larger" devs will be able to bring a title to the consoles.

If you want to berate anyone you should berate PC gamers...after all isn't this where the genre originated? Why have the overwhelming majority of PC gamers turned their backs on the genre? Taking potshots at those of us who prefer gaming on a console when we're trying to support the genre is only silly and unfounded. Especially given that over 100,000 of us bought Monkey Island on XBLA, Heavy Rain has sold a MILLION copies worldwide (name the last PC AG that did that.....), and xbox gamers and media freaked out just a few weeks ago when it was revealed that MS refused to publish Machinarium and that the game will likely never come to the service since Amanita isn't being allowed to simply self-publish the game onto XBLA! Then there's the whole NDS side of things where adventure gaming has been hugely successful.

Some of us simply prefer consoles for one reason or another. For me it's predominantly because I do the majority of my gaming at night. My wife likes to watch many of the games I play as she falls asleep, and I stay up a few hours later while continuing to play. That arrangement simply doesn't work in front of a PC. Plus I'd rather play my games on my 57" HDTV, or even my 36". Recently I picked up Broken Sword 1 & 2 for PC. But even though I have them for PC I actually played through the first game via the emulated version for Dreamcast instead. As a result, my wife who never understood what appealed to me about adventure games, said "I finally see why you play these now" after I'd completed the game. Think that would have happened with me hidden away in the office playing Broken Sword on my PC?

Keep in mind too that while many in the PC crowd love to attack console gamers it was also said for years that FPS games only worked on PC. Until a little game called Halo came along and changed things. PC gamers also claimed that RTS titles could never work on a console and many recent examples have shown that to no longer be true. Given how small the AG genre has become PC gamers should be glad for any console version that comes along. The 360 version of Gray Matter is only going to raise awareness for the genre amongst a group that may or may not have traditionally played AGs in the decades past but has clearly supportive of recent releases.

Obviously it won't match the sales of something like Mass Effect. But if you've been paying attention in the last few years games like ME, KOTOR, Bioshock, Heavy Rain, and others have shown that there is a mature segment of the console gamer market that wants more serious content. Having these gamers on board will only help to make a Gray Matter 2 or a new Gabriel Knight more likely. So please, stop lambasting the consolers. Many of us are doing far more to evangelize for the AG genre than the average PC-only player....


[On a side note I was the first to propose to Amanita on their website that they bring Machinarium to XBLA....instead of being encouraged I got flamed by the PC-only crowd on their forums. Obviously Amanita paid attention to my request, but I have to wonder if MS let the we-don't-need-a-console-version-comments sway their decision...if so well done guys! Your PC-Centric attitude just took money out of a developer's pocket!]

Sorry for the long rant. I'm just tired of coming here and being attacked because I'd rather enjoy my gaming on a console than a PC...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I actually played Still Life on the original XBox. Started it on an analog TV, then about halfway through I acquired an HDTV and proceeded from there. I had a difficult time reading the text, as it was originally done for low res screens for the console.

Regardless, I enjoy the game and was able to kick my feet up, sit back, and just work the controller interface.

It would be awesome to have more adventure game developers and publishers invest resources in bringing more games to consoles and do heavy marketing for it accordingly. I would definitely support it as a consumer.

Gray Matter is gonna look amazing in high res on large HDTV screens!

[Sughly]

Oooo pretty! Thanks JAckal (and Andrea for the heads up - I stopped perusing after your warning!).

[Fien]

Whether there are specific spoilers in the screenshots or not (and I HATE spoilers!), that many screen shots are spoiling my fun as well. I do not want to recognize screenshots all the time when playing.

[D.C.]

Yeah, I've seen enough. I'm glad they're finally available for people who want to see them, though. Now some spiffy in-game footage is an entirely different thing.

[inm8#2]

Does anyone remember a video some time ago that showed one of the developers playing Gray Matter on xbox? Maybe I'm confused and that was another game. Can't seem to find it in this thread or on youtube.

[Luther10]

I'll write to whoever in charge, developer or distributer, and demand a ps3 version. They said they want to reach a broader audience then why not release the game on all platforms? They can just get another company to do the port if they don't know how to do one. Anyway I wonder if different versions have different prices? Will the 360 version have a regular price tag of $59.99?

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Luther10

I'll write to whoever in charge, developer or distributer, and demand a ps3 version. They said they want to reach a broader audience then why not release the game on all platforms? They can just get another company to do the port if they don't know how to do one.

Maybe they ran out of money to pay licensing fees and ports and whatnots? Or the other console companies rejected them?

Anyway I wonder if different versions have different prices? Will the 360 version have a regular price tag of $59.99?

I'm kinda broke these days, but when the game finally launches, if I can afford it I'll buy it at full price. Otherwise I'll have to wait til it goes on sale.

[Roper Klacks]

Originally Posted by Luther10

Anyway I wonder if different versions have different prices? Will the 360 version have a regular price tag of $59.99?

Seems like it

[UPtimist]

Originally Posted by Hannes

It does say "work in progress" on the cover.....................

Sure, but how do we know how much of it is still in progress? Looks like a pretty finished cover to me, so might as well be the gray splotches on the bottom.

The Xbox 360 release will essentially be the same as PC version, although naturally the control system has been adapted. The player moves Sam using the analogue control stick, and hotspots are highlighted when she is near one, eliminating the need for any pixel hunting.

Does this mean that it won't be regular point & click either on the XBox or both that and PC? I don't really want highlighting as it takes away from the immersion. Once again, you feel like you're just playing a game.

[AndreaDraco83]

It's point-and-click on PC, fear not

[Hannes]

Originally Posted by UPtimist

Sure, but how do we know how much of it is still in progress? Looks like a pretty finished cover to me, so might as well be the gray splotches on the bottom.

Why do you worry about things you don't know about? Wait and see.

[Phaid]

De-railing this thread is not my intention, but I feel obliged to respond to certain accusations.

Originally Posted by Lupin The Third

While it's true that most of us evil "console" gamers

There's no need to speak in such an antagonizing tone. If you wish to spark a PC vs console debate however, be my guest.

do have PCs fully capable of running any new adventure game why should the genre be restricted to PCs only?

Last time I checked, it's never been PC only, so I have no idea what you're getting at. The fact remains, an average consumer these days couldn't be less interested in the genre - that for the most part has nothing to do with the platform your typical adventure game gets released on.

Your point that putting Gray Matter on a console won't magically make a console gamer want to buy it is as accurate as saying that putting it on the PC won't make a PC gamer automatically want to buy it. So that's kind of a pointless statement.

Except pretty much everyone who owns a console already has a PC more than capable of running adventure games, yet vast majority of people choose to play Farmville, PoP Cap Games etc. as opposed to giving representatives of the aformentioned genre a chance. Why? "Not enough action, they're BORING." It is delusional to assume that a console release will change anyone's taste.

But I get what you're implying....the implication is that console gamers are idiots who don't have an appreciation for AGs. But if we want to reverse the looking glass onto the PC community it's even easier to say that PC gamers are nothing but pirates who steal games and only pay for infantile crap like World of Warcraft. Halo may appeal to foul mouthed teenagers but console gamers aren't keeling over dead in their seats or running down the streets screaming about monsters because they're so mentally unhinged that they can't separate the real world from a MMO...or leaving their baby at home starving while they spend time in a lan cafe raising a virtual baby like that couple just did. See how that works?

Again, the antagonizing tone and putting words into my mouth won't help you get your point across.

Simplifying the reality of the situation into a "consolers are dumb" argument belies the truth of the situation. Console gaming is just as diverse as PC and AGs, which are a very niche genre now even on PC, are more likely to appear on a PC given simple economics. On a PC there are no licensing fees....on a PC there's no approval process...on PC even the smallest developer can release a game tomorrow via digital distribution. Without spending even a dollar to approve, license, or Q/A a game...and without having to acquiesce to the demands of MS, Sony, or Nintendo in order to meet their digital distro requirements. Combine that with the fact that the genre originated on PC and it's a simple combination of nostalgia and economics that guarantees that the majority of AG will be PC only and only the "larger" devs will be able to bring a title to the consoles.

Yet even the adventure games that eventually made it there despite those difficulties were hardly good sellers.

If you want to berate anyone you should berate PC gamers...after all isn't this where the genre originated? Why have the overwhelming majority of PC gamers turned their backs on the genre?

The number of explosions on screen per minute was too low. It's as simple as that.
Need I remind you that quite a lot of a.g. made it to the consoles, too? How successful were they? Not very, it seems since not a single console publisher funds new releases anymore.

Taking potshots at those of us who prefer gaming on a console when we're trying to support the genre is only silly and unfounded. Especially given that over 100,000 of us bought Monkey Island on XBLA

And how many copies did other adventure games sell? Like recently released Sherlock Holmes on xbox360?

Heavy Rain has sold a MILLION copies worldwide (name the last PC AG that did that.....)

HR is not an adventure game. It's an interactive movie. Dragon's Lair with an enormous budget and monstrous marketing machine of Sony behind it. It caught the attention of the masses with its great graphics and cinematic "feel", in addition, it was hyped for years as "something revolutionary". There are no puzzles, it requires no thought, only button pressing skills.
It's not a surprise it sold decently, considering all the aspects mentioned above.

Gray Matter, on the other hand, will NOT sell nearly as good. It's an adventure game, and those products masses are NOT interested in. Let's see where your "adventure games-loving console audience which bought Heavy Rain" will be when the game ships.

and xbox gamers and media freaked out just a few weeks ago when it was revealed that MS refused to publish Machinarium and that the game will likely never come to the service since Amanita isn't being allowed to simply self-publish the game onto XBLA!

Freaked out? I haven't noticed.

Then there's the whole NDS side of things where adventure gaming has been hugely successful.

Nothing wrong with adventure gaming on the go.

Some of us simply prefer consoles for one reason or another. For me it's predominantly because I do the majority of my gaming at night. My wife likes to watch many of the games I play as she falls asleep, and I stay up a few hours later while continuing to play. That arrangement simply doesn't work in front of a PC. Plus I'd rather play my games on my 57" HDTV, or even my 36".

They ship consoles with 57" HDTVs these days? PCs, including even the cheapest laptops have HDMI ports for a reason.

Recently I picked up Broken Sword 1 & 2 for PC. But even though I have them for PC I actually played through the first game via the emulated version for Dreamcast instead. As a result, my wife who never understood what appealed to me about adventure games, said "I finally see why you play these now" after I'd completed the game. Think that would have happened with me hidden away in the office playing Broken Sword on my PC?

Where you put your computer or whether you buy a desktop or a laptop is entirely up to you. You have only yourslef to blame if you threw your computer into the office.

Sorry for the long rant. I'm just tired of coming here and being attacked because I'd rather enjoy my gaming on a console than a PC...

You twisted my argument which had nothing to do with attacking anything or anyone and for some reason unnecessarily sparked an anti-PC tirade. Let us forget about this incident and get back on topic.

[Luther10]

Originally Posted by Phaid

HR is not an adventure game. It's an interactive movie. Dragon's Lair with an enormous budget and monstrous marketing machine of Sony behind it. It caught the attention of the masses with its great graphics and cinematic "feel", in addition, it was hyped for years as "something revolutionary". There are no puzzles, it requires no thought, only button pressing skills.
It's not a surprise it sold decently, considering all the aspects mentioned above.

OMG, not this again... LOL at the game requiring no thought and only button presing skills... At least get the facts right, if you've not played the game...

And come on, no one expected Heavy Rain to sell this good. It's definitely a surprise. Monstrous marketing certainly helps a bit into making the game a million seller, but quality of the game itself is definitely the main driving force here...

[AndreaDraco83]

Even if I understand where all of you are coming from, can we please stay on topic and talk about Gray Matter? Let's discuss Heavy Rain in the appropriate thread

[Monolith]

And I thought we were talking about the problems of Human Resources. Damn it.