Kotaku: memories

Industry Figures Share Michael Jackson Memories, From E3 To Neverland

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:40:42 MDT

Yesterday's passing of pop superstar Michael Jackson has provoked widespread reminiscences. Today, leading game reporters and game designer Dave Perry recalled when they crossed paths with the King of Pop.

In addition to starring in a few video games, Michael Jackson appeared at the first E3 more than a decade ago. GTTV's Geoff Keighley recalled the event to Kotaku:

"Michael showed up at the first PlayStation E3 party in 1995 as a surprise guest of Mickey Schulhof, the then-CEO of Sony. There were rumors he was going to perform, but as far as I recall he never actually took the stage. Instead, he walked around the party and spent most of his time holed up inside the ice cream parlor on the backlot. I seem to recall he was also caught sitting down and playing the arcade version of the original Ridge Racer that was set up at the party."

Electric Playground host Victor Lucas was also at that E3 and shared his memory with Kotaku:

"He was at the first ever E3 Sony party in 1995 and it was at one of their studio backlots so it was set against a fake small town street with fake little shops. There were games in some of the fake shops, some PlayStation standees and some arcade machines. [Former Sony Computer Entertainment president] Steve Race had given a short speech thanking everyone for coming and how exciting it was for Sony to be entering this new era for their business.

"A band started playing on a stage after that, and I remember rumors being whispered that Michael Jackson was going to perform. He didn't, but I remember a small crowd had gathered around one of the fake shops, peering into the windows. I took a look inside and there he was sitting down and it looked like he was being catered to by at least a half dozen people in his entourage. Eventually he stood up and started playing a game machine in that room. I remember people saying he wasn't going to come out of there, so I moved on and walked around the rest of the party.

"The Sony party that year was big but much smaller than they grew to be over subsequent years at E3, so it didn't take long to circle the party and eventually get back to where Jackson was. Only, when I got back, he wasn't in the fake shop anymore, so I turned the fake street corner and almost walked into him and his entourage as they walked down the street. It was weird. It was like a force field had been built around them and a circle of people had given Michael Jackson 20 feet of space as they followed him. He walked down the fake street, stopping now and then to play a game or two. He didn't perform. All he did was walk around and check out games and wave, smile and say hello to people.

"We were all pretty blown away—a bunch of developers and brand new game journalists were in the presence of pop culture royalty. And as I left the party, collecting my PlayStation Polygon-Man t-shirt and still buzzing about being mere feet away from Michael Jackson, one of the most famous people the world has ever known, I remember thinking how big the videogame industry was already and wondering how big it was going to grow..."

Game designer Dave Perry had a more personal memory, one he shared on his blog today. Perry recounts a story of visits to the star's home at Neverland Ranch, Jackson's playful behavior around his kids and... an egg fight.

Michael Jackson was a gamer, he wanted me to come up to Neverland and talk to him about games. The first time I went up and after walking in the door he handed me a black plastic trash bag and told me to put it on. I was like, "HUH?" He started putting his trash bag on. Then one of his staff walked in with a giant PILE of eggs. A bunch of his friends came in (wearing the requisite black trash bags) and we all went into the garden area and started a giant egg fight. I threw my first egg FULL FORCE (I have long arms), then the world went into bullet-time, I thought, "Oh No!", as I saw the egg flying full speed towards his son's face, and I noticed they were filming everything for Michael's home video collection (so they'd know who did it!) What a great start to make his son cry. Luckily, it whizzed right by his ear missing him by millimeters. I then went into "Here, take this" as I performed the lamest egg throws you've ever seen. So everyone survived, and I was invited to stay.

There's much more from Perry about his view of a Michael Jackson he very much respected over at Perry's blog.

Jackson was a historic and controversial figure, sure to be missed by many. While his connections to the gaming industry were few compared to his influences on music and television, his influence has registered throughout entertainment.

GTA: Remembrances of Cars Jacked

ogood — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 MDT

Not to be too indulgent here, but it's no stretch to say Grand Theft Auto is one of the few titles out there that rates the kind of visceral, first-time-ever memories that people usually have of events in the real world. The first song you heard on the game's radio, isn't it bizarre that it takes you back — just like a song popular in junior high — except it takes you to a place inside a video game?

These were some of the reactions we at Kotaku had as first-time players ourselves. We'd like to hear your feelings in the comments, too.

But I think it's all because GTA, widely accepted as the progenitor of the sandbox genre, is one of the few non-RPGs to deliver a real sense of place in its virtual worlds. It's not just knowing your place on a map in a shooter, either. In the lobby of the Ocean View Hotel, with "La Vida Es una Lenteia" playing on a scratchy radio, you are in Vice City, 1986, and there's always a beat up Oceanic parked out front, that you can get in to drive to Rosenberg's office in Washington Beach. Go north, first left, right at the T-intersection. That sort of thing.

It helps that all of the titles have been evocative of real cities, of course. But even in the fictional wastelands of Bone County, for me one of the real powerful memories is standing under a moonlit sky and watching the contrails of passing jets overhead and feeling almost like I was having the greatest summer ever lived.

Here are some of Kotaku's memories of the series.

Back in the late 1990s, a friend of mine at school started telling me about this awesome game called "Grand Theft Auto." Why was it awesome? Spectacular firefights, unbelievable police chases and AI that sounded like it could kick Big Blue's ass. Flying through town at 80 mph, my crazed military friend would zig zag through traffic, think he lost the cops, and then be greeted by a barricade. Busted.

Brilliant! One day after school, he loaded the game for me to see on his PC.

This was the original top-down game. Oh, the heartbreak. Even for the late 90s it looked like shit. His criminal escapades were so much better in my head than on his 15-inch CRT.

But when GTA3 came out, I'd assumed that the series' rights had been sold to another company because it looked so amazing. For the first time, I felt like I was interacting with a real city ... in a video game. — Mark Wilson

The radio spot for Pogo the Monkey from GTA III made me realize how much detail was packed into the game. Just having commercials was impressive enough, and most of them were funny. But Pogo poked fun at platform action games, with a little dig at EA in there too — so here was Rockstar parodying the gaming industry from inside the game. I stopped whatever car I was driving in the middle of the street and switched stations trying to find that commercial again. — Noah Robischon, managing editor, Gawker Media

When I first started working at Kotaku, we'd get like three or four emails daily that were like "Can I haz Hot Coffee code, kthanxbai." And we got these emails pretty much everyday for months. And when we didn't get emails, I was getting IMs from strange internet people. Apparently people then didn't know how to Google very well! — Brian Ashcraft

I've never actually completed a Grand Theft Auto game. Every time I buy one I get so caught up just running around exploring, listening to music, and killing people that I don't have time to actually move the story along. When Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out, I literally spent 8 hours in a cul de sac, just killing anyone who happened along. — Michael Fahey

Death Row, Vice City. Most impossible, controller-throwing-fit mission ever. One night I went after it hammer and tongs, playing it nearly 24 times, I think, utterly determined to pass this roadblock. The shootout required no less than choreographed timing and movements. Even after rescuing Vance in time, I still had no shot against the relentless Sentinels, bashing me and running me off the road on the way back to the hospital. I seriously considered spawning a tank with a cheat code. And then it hit me to get in the garbage truck. I shrugged off the attack cars on the long drive back, dropping Lance off at the hospital as the sun came up — in the game and in real life." — Owen Good

My absolute favorite part is the radio, of course, to the extent my boyfriend and I have memorized some choice snippets from the "advertisements" and the talk shows. When the situation calls for it, we're prone to reciting them, much to the confusion of family and non-gaming friends. Try blurting out in the middle of your family dinner, "Dad! No one wants to hear your stupid Vietnam stories!" or, when things don't go your way, "I'll cry when I'm done killing." Classic. — Leigh Alexander

A single moment in Vice City, involving a getaway, a rainy night, an aqua-blue motorbike, pink neon lights and Jan Hammer at full volume. For a minute, I wasn't playing a game set in the 80s, I was in the 80s. Real, honest-to-goodness time travel. Can't think of another game that's pulled that off. — Luke Plunkett

Microsoft Erases Gamer's Memories

Mike Fahey — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:20:46 MST

Nathaniel loved his Xbox 360, and it loved him back. Purchased at launch, the Nathaniel brought his beloved console everywhere he went, and it showed. The case was lovingly festooned with signatures from Bungie staff, Xbox 360 team members, and even a sketch from Rooster Teeth Comics Luke McKay. His 360 was covered with fond memories, but the outer beauty was soon betrayed by the inner ugliness. Nathaniel's 360 died, and he had no choice but to send it in for repair. He took every precaution to make sure that he would get his friend back in the same condition he sent it, getting assurances from the phone support specialist and even including a heartfelt letter in the packing box, sure to catch the attention of even the most mindless of Microsoft repair drones. And it worked! Soon he was holding his beloved Xbox 360 in his hands - and probably crying.

The serial numbers matched of course, but the case would never been the same. Completely blank save for a few smudges thought to be the remnants of diluted permanent ink. Unless they somehow printed up a new serial number sticker to match the old one, someone had cleaned off the case completely. No signatures, no custom artwork - nothing.

I cannot even begin to imagine what was going through the head of the person who did this. Perhaps there was an accident of some sort - some thinner spilled or something - and rather than return the case with a smudge they simply cleaned it off. Maybe someone was just being a sadistic bastard. I've no clue, but knowing the reason why won't help. That's the saddest thing about the whole situation. Nothing will bring those signatures back, so what could Microsoft even do to appease Nathaniel? Even if they somehow got the case passed around to the various signers and had the artwork redone it could never be the same. What a complete and utter nightmare.

As with all stories of this sort, there's always the chance this could be some sort of hoax, though I highly doubt it, as other than discrediting Microsoft I see no real gain from making this up. We're currently trying to reach Microsoft for comment on the situation.

Hit the link below for the full story, including the text of the letter Nathaniel wrote and more pictures of the formerly signed 360.

Another Gamer Screwed by Microsoft [Hawty McBloggy - Thanks Everyone!]

Chrono Resurrection - What Could Have Been

Mike Fahey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:20:52 MST

I am currently hip-deep in Sakaguchi's latest RPG Lost Odyssey, which got me thinking about all the awesome games I've played in the past courtesy of the Gooch, including my personal favorite, Chrono Trigger. In the middle of my ponderings, this video shows up in our tips email, containing footage of Chrono Resurrection, the 3D remake of Chrono Trigger that Square Enix put a stop to back in 2004. The video, uploaded by project lead Nathan Lazur, depicts what would have been a Chrono Trigger fan's wet dream. *wistful sigh* Damn lawyers. Thanks for sending in the vid anyway Mathew!

Sega Superstar Tennis Takes Me Back

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:40:09 MST

While I have no doubts that Sega Superstars Tennis will be just another throwaway Sega title that kids will love but critics will pan, there is just something about seeing Samba De Amigo that warms my heart and takes me back to a better place. Back to the year 2000, when the Dreamcast was still a going concern. When I lived as one of three roommates in a spacious apartment and could afford 2-3 new games every weekend. Back when games still came in jewel cases...I think I prefer the smell of a new jewel case to the plastic of a DVD case. Don't look at me like that - you know the smell. As you look through this gallery of screens for the Xbox 360 version of the game (due out in March in case you were curious), think about the sights, sounds, and yes - the scents of gaming. Where do they take you?

Rush N' Attack and Xevious for XBLA

Mike Fahey — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:20:54 MDT

And the multiple Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday trend continues! This weeks sees a double dose of classic gaming with top-down shooter Xevious bombing the grasslands and Rush n' Attack pitting you against the Soviet military complex wielding only a bowie knife, just like real special ops.

Both games will set you back 400 MS points. Xevious is a straight arcade port, while Rush n' Attack features the option to play in enhanced mode with 3D models as well as Live versus and co-op.

Between these classics and the Nintendo VC, it seems like I am slowly having my childhood sold back to me, only without me having to steal the money from my mom's purse. That part's just for fun now. Michael Fahey

Rush 'n Attack and Xevious Come to Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday

Cold War Combat Heats Up as Rush 'n Attack Arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade This Week

A rescue mission to remember, "Rush 'n Attack" is a heroic arcade action game, equipped with enhanced graphics, music, and sound effects. Fight through four stages of increasing difficulty to free prisoners of war using a trusty knife along with an array of other weapons from which to choose. Opt to rescue compatriots as a lone soldier, or form a united front with a friend utilizing Xbox LIVE's multiplayer capabilities. "Rush 'n Attack," also known as "Green Beret," will be available for download this Wednesday, May 23 at 2:00 a.m. PDT.

"Rush 'n Attack" will be available worldwide for 400 Microsoft Points and is rated E10+.

Game Features

* Fight through 4 stages to free the prisoners of war
* Up to two players can play together locally or over Xbox LIVE in either Versus or Co-op mode
* Local multiplayer features split screen action with results captured on Leaderboards
* Players can chose to play with either the authentic, original graphics or with enhanced graphics which features fully rendered 3-D models
* All music and sound effects have been digitally enhanced
* Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.

A Blast From the Past: "Xevious" Lands on Xbox LIVE Arcade This Wednesday

Did you run out of quarters the last time you played Xevious at the arcade? Don't worry, because this Wednesday gamers will have a second chance to take down the nefarious supercomputer GAMP and defeat the Andor Genesis mother ship in "Xevious." Newcomers to this arcade classic that helped pioneer the vertical scrolling shooter genre can also experience it for the first time on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, May 23 at 2:00 a.m. PDT.

"Xevious" will be available worldwide for 400 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone.

Game Features

*Play the 100% arcade accurate reproduction of "Xevious" for the first time anywhere
*Test your memory: uncover hidden bonuses that are scattered throughout the levels just like in the arcade version, where shots to the ground uncover power-ups like Sol towers and 1UPs
*Compare your high score against other "Xevious" players from around the world on the Leaderboards
*Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.

MTV Needs You

Brian Crecente — Thu, 25 May 2006 12:00:26 MDT

Mysterious MTV folks sent us word that they are looking for your "most memorable gaming moments" for a project they are working on. Here's the full email:

Hello! If you could post this announcement, it would be greatly appreciated.
ATTENTION GAMERS!
MTV is doing a video game project and wants to hear your most memorable gaming moment. From victory to heartbreak or anything related to your passion, this is your chance to tell your ultimate trial and tribulation. Please email us a brief paragraph describing your most vivid gaming related experience. If chosen, you'll get a chance to tell it to our cameras! Please respond to mtvvideogame@gmail.com We are shooting on June 3rd and will get back to you immediately. *all submissions become property of MTV Networks, please respond only if you are available on June 3rd and can appear at MTV in Santa Monica, California.

I like their enthusiasm and desire to profit off of others' memories. Brian Crecente

Frogger Turns 25

Brian Crecente — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 10:00:52 MST

Wow, I can't believe Frogger is 25-years old. I remember playing Frogger in Seoul, South Korea in the base's officer's club. We used to spend a Saturday afternoon there trying to get the frog across the street and then would walk home through the golf course and carry off as many golf balls as we could stuff into our pockets.

I'm still not sure why I wanted the golf balls...

Anyway, eToychest reports that Konami will be celebrating the anniversary with a bunch of events throughout the year. The first will be at New York City's St.Patrick's Day parade. Someone take pictures.

Frogger 25 [Anniversary Website, via eToychest]