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Far Cry 3 And The Stranger In A Strange Land Fallout 3 is out. People seem to like it. The game press is giving the game good reviews so far, but developer Bethesda Softworks divulges it does get nervous about what reviewers think. Says Bethesda’s Pete Hines, “We’re never really sure how these [reviews]will turn out. So in general, we’re always nervous/anxious.” Hines goes on to say that it’s not just the critics who matter, but also the opinions of those gamers who are purchasing the game with their own hard earned cash. So regular gamer people who have bought Fallout 3, put on your critic cap and feel free to let all know what you think.
Seems Pete Hines is quite talkative now! First the news that the Aussie-edited version of Fallout 3 is the only version, and now the one (yes, single) change made to the game to conform with classification guidelines. First, some background from Pete:
The chems in the original Fallout used fictional names…Buffout, Jet, Rad-X, etc. Those all appear in Fallout 3 in exactly the same way as before. We had added a new chem to Fallout 3 and had given it a real-world name, Morphine. Questions were raised about the use of that real-world drug, not only in Australia, but other territories as well.
Even though Australia’s a good example of classification gone wrong, I understand it’s not the only country with issues. So, what concession was made to appease aging conservatives the world over?
Fans of little graphics popping up on your television telling you how good you are at the game you are currently playing are going to be a little disappointed when they pick up the PlayStation 3 version of Bethesda’s eagerly-anticipated Fallout 3. In an interview with PlayStation Universe, the company’s dashing Vice President of Marketing Pete Hines revealed that trophies won’t be making an appearance in the game…at least not initially. “Not at launch…It remains to be seen what we do down the road. It wasn’t something we were able to incorporate into the game for launch”.
Not all that surprising, considering the company’s documented preference for the Xbox 360. Hopefully trophy support will be added somewhere down the line, but Pete sure doesn’t come off as that enthusiastic about the idea, does he?
Bethesda’s PR man Pete Hines won’t talk specifics when it comes to classification and its titles, but give him a more general angle, and he’s all over it:
“The frustrating thing for us is that the standards and rules can be so varied across territories, that we work with five or six ratings agencies and each one has different ‘hot buttons’.” … “In one place nudity is a big deal but violence is fine, and in another place drugs are a problem but nudity is fine.
How about a county where nudity, drugs and violence are an issue, and the politicians think rape games actually exist on retail shelves?
On a related note, I recently asked the Classification Board a bunch of questions, if you’d like to take a look.
Bethesda: Multiple censorship laws ‘frustrating’ [CVG, via PALGN][Pic]
So what was it that had
Bethesda PR guru Pete Hines is currently in Australia to show off the company’s upcoming FPS/RPG Fallout 3. Well, I should say “showed off” as today was his last press day, with the rest of his trip a meeting-fest.
I had a quick chat to Pete after the two-hour presentation, and one of the topics that came up was the Collector’s Edition. Pete was a bit surprised about the arrangement we have here in Australia (which I’ll fill you in on shortly), but he did confirm the bobblehead included in the Fallout 3 CE will be made of plastic, rather than the ceramic or plaster of the ones from the press preview last year.
At first, plastic might sound like a cost-cutting measure. I can assure you – it isn’t. My bobblehead met an untimely demise when faced with the rigors of international flight. Seems Vault Boy had the ankles of a 90-year old grandma.
A decent plastic construction offers both quality, when done right, as well as structural integrity. I know which one I’d pick, given the choice.
