The "DP Challenge"

While I was browsing about on the web today, I came across a wiki site advertising the "David Perry Challenge". Apparently, this challenge goes out to all gamers to look at the top one-hundred games, either from all platforms or the one of your choice, and give them each a 'mini-review'. Detailed information about the challenge can be found here.

Needless to say, I'm going to do my best to complete the challenge, and review the one-hundred games. On the surface, it may seem like all you are doing is giving a short, pointless little writeup... but then, how else would one hone their ability to critique something, especially in the gaming industry? By following the format that goes over such things as controls, game play, and re-playability, individuals taking the challenge strive to gain the experience and knowledge of realizing what makes a game good, what makes a game not-so-good, and everything in between. Furthermore, they will actively be expanding on the different genres they will be playing, which would certainly come in handy in any serious industry job said individual applied for.

It is with these thoughts in mind that I urge enthusiasts to take the David Perry challenge, or design one of your own. Heck... play any one-hundred video games and review them. Depending on the budget, availability, and my own thoughts on the list presented, I might do just that. Remember: It may seem like it's all fun and games, but you build up a diverse yet focused know how on analyzing a game at its core. As for those of you looking for a job at Quality Assurance, well... you've just managed to nudge the tip of the iceberg.

Left 4 Dead: Is it really left in the dust?

A game that still manages to keep me entertained each time I play it, Left 4 Dead has certainly seen some updates that manage to breath life into the game and the way myself and others experience it. No longer am I able to cower under the escape ramp on the roof of No Mercy hospital. No longer can my teammates and I huddle together in a corner on Versus, knowing the Tank can only smack one of us around. A "Survival" mode has me on the ground, desperately shooting my pistols at the multiple Hunter's while my teammates run for cover, all of us murmuring, "Just ten more seconds..." The Left 4 Dead Authoring tools and subsequent addition of "Add-on Campaign" to the level select menu means I can play anything from Silent Hill landscapes to a hot air balloon rescue. Yes, Valve has definitely ensured that I stay glued to zombie-killing, and that more and more downloadable content will be on the way.

But that's not what some fans seem to think.

Enter Left 4 Dead 2, complete with new campaigns, new weapons, new infected, and new characters. Many gripe that this is just the kind of thing we should have seen in the first game, or that Valve could easily add it to the first. But could they? The fact of the matter is, such implementations take a huge amount of time, effort, and money. From designers that conceive new content, to artists that render them, to programmers that tell them how to behave, even a few more special infected is no easy feat. However, Valve has went beyond that. Gamers are getting a title with a whole different setting, a stronger emphasis on story and character interaction, and completely new ways to customize their weaponry (can anyone say Incendiary Rounds?) that will surely excite the players on the same scale as the first game did.

Many still argue that Left 4 Dead will simply be abandoned, left to fend for itself. This is clearly not the case, and Valve is continuing to show the same dedication to the first title as it does all its games, such as the ever-receiving-new-features Team Fortress 2. The latest L4D update came towards the end of just last month, and on August 4th, Valve announced the next DLC (slated for September) wouldn't just be a fix here or a tweak there, but a whole new campaign. Let's remember, all this is going on while Valve works on the next title. It doesn't sound like the original is being "Left 4 Dead" (sorry) to me.

The bottom line is, if you're planning on picking Left 4 Dead 2 up and having a blast with it, I'll see you around launch date, where we can bump into the new "Wandering Witches" together. If you're on the fence about it, the least you could do is go to a buddy that does have it, to help make up your mind for you. But if you're one of the people who are in direct opposition to a game that has more than enough potential to exceed the excitement of the first, I hope to play with you in the future.

Trust me... you'll come around.