I’m pretty far behind in my podcast listening. I haven’t listened to the PC Gamer podcast or the Games for Windows ‘cast in a while.
The Gamers With Jobs podcast is still a weekly listen, though. And this week’s broadcast deals specifically with strategy gaming. Maxis’ Soren Johnson sits in and talks about Civ IV, World in Conflict, Sins of a Solar Empire and board games. The real big strategy discussion starts about forty percent of the way in, but the entire podcast is worthwhile.
It’s very important that strategy games not go down the flight simulator path.
I’ve never gotten into podcasts. There’s no good time for me to listen to them, I think. Any time that would be appropriate for a podcast, I’d rather read a good book instead of listen to people rambling for an hour. Perhaps if I had a car.
Yeah, the best times to listen to podcasts seem to be while commuting or exercising.
I haven’t listened to the podcast (definitely agreeing with Andrew and Alan above concerning podcasting) but from the quote you picked out I have to ask, “Haven’t they’ve already gone down that path?”
Nah, Sorensen argues that more indie developers breaking through is good as long as their games do have clear commerical success. Strategy can never die, is just too much a part of gaming…
I listened to the podcast. It was interesting. Funny how Soren has a hard time articulating his ideas sometimes; I just imagined him to be able to easily converse at all times.
In my opinion, podcasts et al are to be listened to while playing computer games. One only needs to turn down (off) the game music while leaving on the effects. I listened to it while starting a new game of Sins of a Solar Empire. Too bad I couldn’t finish the game before the podcast was done… but it was a large map!
I liked the comments concerning the old-style board wargaming and how, while they are generally considered difficult , their gameplay was often quite simple: Napoleonic battles where the only difference between infantry and cavalry was one hit harder and the other moved faster. And their observation that games like SPI’s Battle of Moscow were actually rather simple (no computer to do the book keeping will do that) – though no doubt fun and interesting strategically. I’m not sure I understand what they meant about flight sims. That flight sims are now fit only for a tiny group of enthusiasts – and that strategy games (esp. wargames) will decline even more? Anyhow, it gets interesting 40 minutes in (imo).
Like musical tribes, gaming tribes are merging and blending. Strategy will continue to be present in most MMO and multiplayer games, never mind the eternal MMORTS (well it was expected no?), it will be interesting therefore to see which genre will dominate the central ground and which will become minor aspects of gaming. Any community based RPG , such as that evolving in Eve with elections, will lead to large amounts of strategic thinking and gameplay. It will be interesting to see how developers deal with this – code it into the game or allow players to manage strategy externally.
errr.. havent listened to podcast yet, dont normally bother tbh with them, but I will for this.