Everyone should take at least one Journey, as Jesse said. It's evocative, it's gripping, and it's wonderful.

True, but investors have a different agenda. They're primarily financing something to get something back, like you said, in a way that benefits them in the future. Kickstarter doesn't appear, to me, to be an investment platform in the traditional sense; it's simply a platform for people to fund a project that they want to see come to fruition.

The original purpose of Double Fine's kickstarter was to finance a small project, mostly for devotees of a genre that Double Fine wanted to tap into, but one that would be difficult to finance otherwise. Out of all the people who grew up playing games akin to Double Fine's pitch, most of them have jobs, many wanted to see a game like this--why not see if people are willing to make that happen? You get a free game out of it and perks, also like you said. If you only want to get the game, then you pay a low price, and you're effectively paying for just the game. If you pay more, it's based on your desire to see the game happen, or maybe the perk is worth it to you. I'm assuming the people who made larger investments simply had the expendable income to do so.

In the case of Double Fine's game, if you do a small contribution, you're effectively just paying for the game. They get the support they need, you get a copy of the game you wanted to see come to life, and everybody's happy. What it boils down to is that you're donating to a purpose that you want to come through; if the result and perks aren't worth it to you, then you simply don't donate.

Me, too. It had an odd ambiance to it, but it was a fun game.

And that Kiki Trick trailer was pretty fun.

In retrospect, I still like it, but it's not my favorite game I've played in a while. However, it's still very good, taken as a whole.

@Nick: It wasn't too hard, agreed (IIRC). I think being able to tune out the narrator could be considered a success for those who don't want to listen to it; given that the narrator is supposed to be important (even though the concept of a narrator in a player-is-unfolding-the video game almost seems hard to be considered of utmost importance), maybe that's not such a good thing.

I understand where you are coming from about the free-to-play MMO. I think Bastion's are better than that, particularly in reference to the story and the transitional elements of the world "appearing," but it matches the style you mentioned somewhat.

Soundtrack is great, indeed.

Also agree about the levels melding together a bit; thinking back, there isn't a significant amount of variation. But it's definitely not without variety... it could have pushed it up a bit, though.

Overall, I thought it was fun. If they ever make a sequel, considering the team was pretty small, I have a feeling they would be able to improve on some of these more mundane facets. The main point: Bastion developers have good heads on their collective shoulders. Must have faith!

This seems like a really weird thing to do. I can believe the cross-franchise utilization, but this just seems like they picked a random character from the recent AAA character phone book.

And awful character designs? Not every one is great, but to use a double awful?

Paired with the rumors started with the job posting labeled "God of War," I wonder if this is happening. It seems soon; I thought God of War 3 was supposed to be the "end," at least for a while?

Is that picture just random art someone put together for that retail site, or is it supposed to be real-concept-art-acquired-from-somewhere? The background makes me think it's fake.

I agree with Jason, here. This device certainly fits with what Microsoft is doing with its products, but it doesn't sound like a successor to the Xbox. The name Loop holds weight in that regard, particularly with the decreasing number of seams Microsoft wants between its products. I'm thinking this could be a modified Xbox, but that seems like an odd move, so I would imagine it to be an additional product, maybe as a part of the Xbox family. But it still seems odd based on this information.

That's actually a good point about re-releasing PS2 games.

And Final Fantasy VII wasn't an ugly game, honestly. The models were pretty limited, and the blockiness was bad, but the settings and most other elements were well done. But yes, today, it would need to be remade. Upconverting wouldn't cut it.

Awesome. The trailers sold me immediately, and the gameplay looked like it upheld the quality presented. Very glad to see such a positive reaction. Will definitely get this this weekend.

As for the original, I player through it this past Christmas. It looks incredibly dated and some aspects are archaic, but it was still plenty of fun. The level of choices and interactions are there, and the scale of the game was exciting to me. You can always wait for a Steam sale, and if it's too old for you, then no worries, but I would recommend trying it. It's good.

I hope they release a studio recorded version of the symphony performance, or at least a live recording.

But PC release, and now Wii U port fest? What if it's not ported to Wii U? I would be very surprised if they ported it to Wii U, honestly. You're straddling a very dangerous edge here. I think you would be safer with a Bastion to rely on.

I'm pretty sure you should get it right now. I'm afraid I fail to see your logic (and I'm a slime, according to my icon--you'd think I have difficulty seeing, but I don't).

I've got to say... I think I'm on board with "Woo" and its explanation. I also like !!M. Wiities?

Welcome, Bradley! Looking forward to reading your work!

And, ohhh at the Eight Melodies music. I'll wanna hear this. I trust you've heard the Eight Melodies performance with the children's choir? (Quality isn't very good, but it works.) I was very surprised when I found it; for an orchestral type rendition, it's awesome. It can get a little repetitive, and maybe a little cheesy if you don't like the context, but it's very good.

I think you're missing the big opportunity that is Noby Noby Boy. The controls would be mind blowing. MIND BLOWING.

I think part of the problem is that the game offers a narrow frame for a wide variety of experiences. This is no fault: the tools provided by its creators were intended to work this way. If someone wants to tell a story, then they only have a certain number of ways to present its elements, like a sidescrolling adventure where events occur by stepping on or through a trigger. A huge variety of games can be created, but they are bound by the frame set by the tools Little Big Planet provides.

For many people, the levels themselves aren't always the problem. It's the context. For Jason, the physics don't jive with him. While a user-created level might be a lot of fun for one person, it's not for another purely on grounds like these. And perhaps not understanding this is a contributing factor to many of the game's shallower user creations.

Like Nick said, the tools provided don't have a refined purpose; that refinement is intended for the players. If the game is geared towards platforming, though, and that seemed to be the case with Little Big Planet, then this causes a problem. Looking at levels as an impressive creation is one thing, but treating levels like interactive museum exhibits isn't for everybody. And then if someone wants to play a level and doesn't like the limitations imposed by the tools, largely the platforming, then it loses its luster.

So if I were to peg a problem with the game by having very little experience with it--which, granted, isn't very helpful--it's that the thought of "make anything" doesn't always pair well with the limitations Little Big Planet inevitably imposes. While the game may be a great deal of fun for some, it may not be for others. In this regard, the message projected by the game is arguably misleading.

I think they should have at least warned him first, presuming this type of thing hasn't happened before.

(As for Glee? Yeah.)

Yeah, keep us posted, Nick. Be sure to catalog your experiences. I think a diary of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is just what the doctor ordered for mankind.

Oohh, good point. I need to refresh myself on Minish Cap, then. I thought the character looked familiar.

I can see the GTA 3 variety falling by the wayside, or at least siphoned into the next evolutionary vat of its kind. And Dead Rising is a game like that, but I'm thinking of a different one that was announced or shown relatively recently. I seem to remember what looked like a fair in the background, or some sort of park, with a dark sky, and the article was talking about a zombie open-world game, which reminded me of Zombieland (but I'm not mistaking the memory with Zombieland, I don't think).

StarCraft II isn't enough for the genre, agreed. I'm interested to see what games like Age of Empires online attempt, but I'm not sure what's going to happen to the genre. Deathwatch, I agree, but it is down to a soft murmur by comparison to what it was 5 to 10 years ago. A modified RTS to fit console games may be exactly what the genre needs. Not only would it find new life on consoles, it could potentially reignite RTS trends on the PC. We'll see! I'm a fan of RTS as a genre.

Hmm, control option, perhaps, but not as a main control feature. I can't see that happening, really, but yeah, why not a control option? Or at least the ability to do so. I wouldn't ever expect to see it as a focus of the next generation, though. Unless we're talking holograms or something. Then, who knows!?

I was wondering about that character as well. I'd say the character looks mischievous, so I'd say some sort of villain-but-helper type character, perhaps?

Interesting take, Nick. You make some good points about the FPS genre sticking around. It is, in my opinion, a staple of the casual-but-hardcore-venturing gamers whose main anchor in the gaming universe prior was childhood IPs or sports games (terribly stereotypical of me, but it's a familiar sort of pattern). It's the other major pillar in appealing to the mainstream consumer. I'm wondering what they're going to do to innovate it further, though. I can see them squeezing out another wave or two of established IP sequels, but I wonder if that same audience that is driving them now may shift their collective gaze a little bit.

I hadn't thought about sandbox games before in this way. I think there are still enough themes to explore that will grab players' attention for a while longer (that zombie, open-world type game whose name escapes me, for example), but when the locales and settings start drying up, what's left? Good question.

The genre I read someone questioning recently was the RTS genre. Sure there's StarCraft II, and I know of a few other titles here and there, but this front is much less active than it used to be.

Looking great, I agree. I'm glad they showed a little more about how the more precise sword motions could be used. Even similar motions used in different ways can go a long way.

I imagine a holiday release, wouldn't you guys? Especially with Ocarina of Time 3DS coming in June. I'd be just fine with that.

Official congratulations Nick and Chessa!!!

And of course we could come do a playbit! Babysitting I'm sure is the secret forte we've never discovered. I'm sure there's going to be some augmented reality game on the 3DS that will require Pixlbit staff participation.

But I'm glad everything is going well.