AKICILJ: the video game edition

[mrissa]

What Playstation games does Carter Hall play? First-person shooters and racing games, categorically, but what specifically? I can send a couple of short stories to anyone who's interested in helping but doesn't have a feel for Carter. The quick demographic run-down is that he's a male hockey player in his early twenties, both originating from and living in northern Minnesota.

Comments

[pabba.livejournal.com]

Gran Turismo 1 or 2 for the first Playstation.

[carbonel]

Would he sneer at a video version of a hockey game?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Here, I'll give you Carter:

They've put a lot of work in those hockey video games, motion-capturing some of the big names and all that. It's pretty good. I mean, it's not hockey--that's the big point. It's not hockey any more than Minesweeper helps those poor little bastards in countries they got wars in, our wars, their wars, whoever.

But hey, pay me what they pay Sid the Kid and I'll put on some sensors to capture my wrist shot for some game. Why not? Pay me what they pay the Kid and I'll put the damn things on and play Gollum in a remake of that movie Heikkanen likes. I'm not cheap, but I sure am easy.

But I don't really care about it myself. It's not hockey, and if I'm playing a video game, somebody's car should explode or somebody's head should explode. I'm not too picky on which.

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

If car explosions are required, Burnout 3 might work. It's also good for playing with people who aren't so into racing games, as you can play for speed or just try to ram your opponents. Suits my general style of cornering by bouncing off things, for instance (I don't play PS2 games very often, and racing games even more rarely), but you can also take it more seriously and use actual skill if you want.

I heard good things about Call of Duty (a few years ago) and Half Life (a few more years than that, I think) from people who play that sort of thing.

I take it you don't want platform game suggestions? The game I played most on the PS2 before Guitar Hero was Crash Bandicoot.

All of the games I've mentioned are solidly in the 'buy second hand' territory over here, and have been for some time.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

What is Crash Bandicoot like?

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

It's a platform game series (starting in the mid-90s, I think) with a vaguely jungly setting (in theory, a small island somewhere near Australia) with a slightly annoying bandicoot as a protagonist. I don't think it necessarily did anything particularly new as a platform game but it was popular for a bit and I used to compare progress in a mildly competitive manner with a few friends.

Things I liked about it:
- It's not really age-dependent, although it probably wouldn't appeal so much to someone without a reasonable tolerance of silliness.
- It's not at all serious.
- Different levels had different camera angles, so the character might be running away from (or towards) the player on one level and side-to-side on the next level.
- It was reasonably fast-paced.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

What year is this? Because PS1, PS2, or PS3 is a very different set of things.

Also, I can probably be quite helpful on this if you send me a couple of short stories.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Nowish, but Carter doesn't have the time or money to be absolutely au courant. One of the advantages to making a major team, to his way of thinking.

[cadithial.livejournal.com]

Time / Date is important here :) As is knowing if he stays current with the console gaming.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Nowish, but not very current: not enough time or money.

[cadithial.livejournal.com]

In that case, probably the PS2 and playing Call of Duty.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

What is a successful middle-of-the-game thing to achieve in Call of Duty?

[cadithial.livejournal.com]

That's a different story. I'm not a first person shooter player. I just know that's one of the hotter ones out and can be played on the older PS2 platform.

[meallanmouse.livejournal.com]

I kind of want to suggest he be a Resident Evil series fan. Heaven knows, that'll fulfill the head exploding quota right there. ;) Call of Duty is a good one as suggested above. Half-Life is another.

For car racing, the series Wipeout has enough iterations to defy time/platforms: it's notable for the futuristic theme (antigrav car racing) and music tracks (techno). =)

Edit: I'd have suggested the Halo series for FPS (it's just big/known enough that you don't need to be up to date to play it really) but that's an Xbox exclusive game for consoles.

[rmnilsson.livejournal.com]

Is there a reason you went with Playstation as opposed to XBox? I mean, if Carter Hall is a Sony fan, that's fine, but the next generation of consoles (PS3 and XBox360) have significant advantages and between the two, the 360 has been cheaper the whole time.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Scansion.

[joeboo-k.livejournal.com]

You mentioned that Carter isn't about the latest and greatest because he doesn't have the money.

That tells me he *probably* has a PS2 and shops for used games at Gamestop (I think it was the best selling console of the decade and had a relatively long life for a console). Now, caveat of if he is friends with a slightly more affluent Xbox crowd he might have an Xbox (probably not a 360).

Racing games: He probably didn't play Gran Turismo. That's more of a simulator and works w/ greater realism. He's probably playing Burnout 3 (2004) or one of the Need for Speed Games. He'd probably refer to the NfS games just as "Need for Speed" and not by the full title w/ subtitle and number.

Shooting Games: Call of Duty is solid (no clue about midpoint achievements) and everyone will recognize it, but if he's big into shooters, he may be playing Black, Coldwinter, or Project: Snowblind. It gets him out of the historical shooter and more into a mercenary and possibly SF shooter.

Also consider God of War 2 - a third person action / adventure game where the lead character is on a mission to kill himself a greek god. It's chock full of brutal action and violence that someone Carter's age would very much love.

He may also be playing Grand Theft Auto (San Andreas, let's say). You're generally playing as a criminal, can jack cars and beat up hookers and pedestrians. Among other things.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Here, I give you Carter on GTA:

Yah, that's just what I need. I sit down to play a game to relax, and Janet walks in and says, whatcha doin', Carter, and I say, beating up fake hookers, and then when she's done kicking my ass, she gets my aunt Nancy and her grandmother to tag in. No freakin' thanks. Did I mention I do this to relax?

Translation into English:
I am deeply uncomfortable with beating up prostitutes even virtually, and also with the subject of prostitution in general, and I am grateful that I can foist this discomfort off on other people in my life without having to talk about my attitudes towards sex, gender, and sexuality in straightforward, personal terms.

[joeboo-k.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. Seemed like a possibility for the hockey playing twenty something.

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

Mario Kart on the Wii. :)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I have a very clear picture in my head of Carter playing Mario Kart with Rob. Not Rob Laird. Our Rob.

[seagrit.livejournal.com]

This was what I was thinking too (Mario Cart Wii), but it doesn't fit the criteria of cars exploding. Although sometimes they fall off of the track and into hot lava. Does that count? :)