Articles

BEND OVER AND
PASS THE VASOLINE – ADVENTURE COMMUNITY SCREWED
AGAIN

What is Ubi Soft thinking?

In the August 9th issue
of Time Magazine a wonderful article about Myst
IV was tainted
by Gamespot executive editor Greg Kasavin who
said, “Myst is no longer relevant to gamers as it used to be,
it represents an antiquated style of gaming.”

But now that UbiSoft has thrown a bushel of money at Gamespot, they
are more than happy to host the exclusive, international demo of
Myst IV.

Could someone explain
UbiSoft’s marketing strategy? Instead
of taking the effort necessary to market to their true demographics
– which would involve some innovative new marketing techniques –
they’re content to continually reward the magazines and websites
that continually slag their adventure games.

ANOTHER MYSTED OPPORTUNITY

Speaking of UbiSoft,
has anyone seen even one whit of marketing – other
than a press release – for their Sherlock
Holmes & the
Silver Earring game that is scheduled for a late September release?

In the meantime Digital
Jesters – the
U.K. publisher for the Sherlock game – has banners across adventure
sites on the Internet, they are sponsoring giveaways on Just Adventure
and elsewhere, offering screenshots, interview opportunities and
even a free movie dvd with game purchase.

If you really want to support those who are supporting the adventure
community, then order Silver Earring from Digital Jesters. Sure it
will cost a little extra for shipping to North America, but which
publisher would you rather support?

WHY ADVENTURE GAMES SUCK

Wait a minute! I didn’t
say it, but Ron
Gilbert, of Monkey
Island fame (and the even more excellent Humongous children’s
adventure games) did and you can read all about it in his blog.

The article – even though
it is 15 years old – makes some
valid points, but why is it that the talented people (like Gilbert & Tim
Schafer) who aren’t
making adventure games anymore are always the first ones to claim
they suck?
You never read about any ex-Sierra employees
deriding the genre. But given recent events, it’s easy to understand
why so many ex-LucasFarts employees are so grumpy. Oh, oh – now I
did it, the fanboys will be ripping me a new one – gotta hide…

WHAT’S IN A NAME? APPEARANTLY NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE

This past April, The
Adventure Company released Crystal Key 2 to less than stellar reviews. So what do you do when your newest
title is not selling – why rename it of course!

So if you are scanning
the shelves at your local game store and see a game called The
Far Realm, it’s actually Crystal Key
2 renamed.

But wait! It gets even
better. If you’re in Europe and you
spot a game titled Evany – Key to a Distant Land, it’s
actually – all together now – Crystal Key 2.

And if you’re in Cuba and spot a game titled Key
to Freedom,
it’s actually….okay, I just made up that last one, but
how would you know unless I told you?

DOOM 3 – ANTIQUATED FPS GAMING

I played Doom
3 with my son last night.

Is this what the industry
considers to be innovation? Sure the game is fun, but this is the
same FPS crap they’ve been regurgitating
for the last ten years! All you do is run around and kill monsters.
The plot is nonexistent and the few characters have as much depth
as Jessica Simpson. Sure the graphics are more realistic, the blood
bloodier and you can even **gasp** see texture in character’s
faces.

Whoopdy doo.

Bottom line – all
you do is pick up health packs and ammo, find new weapons and kill
monsters. Much like an adventure game where
all you do is pick up inventory items, speak to other characters
and solve puzzles. At their core, both genres have remained true
to their roots.

And twitch jockeys like
Greg Kasavin have the audacity to claim that adventure gaming is ‘an
antiquated style of gaming.‘

THEY PROBABLY THINK TORTURING PRISONERS IS HILARIOUS

An honest-to-gosh true game advertisement for publisher Hip Games
CT Special Forces 2: Back in the Trenches:

“The threat
of terrorism is greater than ever before. Intelligence agencies
are reporting
an increase in terrorist activity across the
globe. CT Special Forces are once again being summoned to protect
democracies the world over.

Be prepared
for hours of fun!”

Yeah, I can’t think of anything that’s more ‘fun’ than
watching terrorists fly airplanes into towers, slaughter innocent
civilians and car bomb mosques.

HELP JA SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

Newly wed JA reviewer
Scott Jelenik is currently proudly serving his country by pulling
duty in Afghanistan. As the following email
illustrates, our men would appreciate some diversions to alleviate
the stress. So if you have any PS2 or PC games you no longer play
and would care to donate, please contact me at for details
so we can send a care package to Scott’s troop
in Afghanistan and maybe make their stay a little easier:

Hey Randy

I don’t know if you know what happened to me, I can’t remember
the last time I wrote. I got deployed to Afghanistan. I now work
in middle of the desert with little contact to any real civilization.
I wish I had more time to myself and to get things done, and keep
in touch with people I should keep in touch with.

I have not lost
interest in JA. The other day I saw a JA review on a gamebox out
here, so you are even out here, where there is
no civilization. Comforting thought, huh.

I hope things are
going well. I want to review again someday, hopefully you will
still have
me when I get back to the states. I have my
PS2 out here, but the game selection is terrible, and I only have
about an hour a night to play around, if I am lucky. I am playing
Nights of the Templar, probably an illegal copy of the game, it
was sold on PAL at a Haji Market. Its mindless violence, but that’s
what is called for after a long day doing what I do.

Keep safe and
well back in the states.

** SCOTT **

RED HERRINGS

Who is Just Adventure? Unlike the coveted 15-25 year old male demographic
that comprises the staff of most gaming websites and magazines, we
are of all ages and races from across the world and truly represent
the wonderful diversity of the adventure community.

JA is Scott Jelenik and Dawn
Johnson both proudly serving their
country.

JA is wonderful reviewers like James
Saighman, Robert Washburne,
Ugur Sener, Michael Chourdakis and Michal
Necasak.

JA is professional singer Jennifer
Miller, pilot Tally-Ho, author
Jeff Strand, photographer Ray Ivey and cartoonist Steve
Ince.

JA is Vicky (Crash)
Indrawan of India, Arjan Speelman of The Netherlands,
Agustin Cordes and Ricardo Pautassi of Argentina and Alexander
Tait of Australia.

JA is Dimitris
Manos and
The Inventory, the Internet’s only
adventure magazine.

JA is webmaster Valerie
Davis and her new Greek hubby Aya.

JA is college students Audrey
Wells and Matthew Desmond and high
school student Ryan Casey.

JA is Bob Freese, Harriet
Gurganus and Karla Munger – all
of whom are curiously the same age – 39.

And JA is all of you, thank you for reading and visiting our site.