The wonderful thing about coming home early is my musical neighbours.

My upstairs neighbour plays the double bass, and my next-door neighbour is a celloist. If I'm lucky, I get to hear both practising - although if they're both going at it simultaneously it's a little like being trapped between battling string instruments. It's usually quite pleasant, however, like something out of a French movie; the soothing notes reverberating through the walls, adding to the creative, urban atmosphere of my oh-so-chic late-19th-Century apartment. Yes. Except, unlike every French movie ever made, there's no tousle-haired beauty lounging, in her risque underwear, in my apartment. Just a tousle-haired (and currently surprisingly smelly) cat.

Pizza time.  ¶ 19:00   

  It's really quite funny, and honestly just one big, happy coincidence:

On Saturday I read Neil Gaiman's Coraline. I'm a rather huge Gaiman fan, as anyone who's played The Longest Journey could probably testify to, but for some mystical reason it took me a whole year to get around to reading it. I have no idea why. Then on Sunday I checked out the man's impressively updated journal (he posts every single day, even when he's on a book-signing tour; I will never complain about being 'too busy' again) - something I hadn't done in a very long time - and I noticed that he was currently in Finland.

"Hmm," I thought. "Either he's just been to Norway, or he's going to Norway afterwards."

So I checked. And yes, he was coming to Norway - on Tuesday, in fact.

Which, as it happens, is - was - today.

So at four o'clock this afternoon I went to the bookstore where Mr. Gaiman was signing. I purchased Endless Nights and The Wolves in the Walls and, together with my brother and a friend, I got in (the suprisingly short) line. Less than an hour later, I'd not only met and chatted with a man I consider one of the great storytellers - a man who has been a constant and important source of inspiration for more than a decade - but I'd also presented him with a copy of The Longest Journey.

(Hey, if anyone deserves a free copy, it's him.)

I'm rather happy about it all. I'm not typically the fanboy type, but you have to make exceptions. There are times when you just have to succumb to the inner geek and admit that you're as giddy (and nervous) as the rest of them to shake hands with someone you really, truly admire.

Gaiman was, not surprisingly, a very pleasant, genial, and humble fellow. There's no reason why he shouldn't be, but signing thousands of books - and personalising each and every one with a neat little drawing - is bound to make even the best of us a bit grumpy. Book tours can't be particularly pleasant things to embark on.

Gaiman is also speaking at a café (Bokcaféen) in Oslo this evening, and I'm considering going. I'm not quite sure what the format is; if he's going to read from one of his novels, or if he's being interviewed live, or if he's going to sing and dance and breathe fire - but I'm sure that whatever it is, it'll be interesting. So I'm considering it.  ¶ 18:37   

  High expectations are hard to meet.

More precisely: High expectations are extremely hard to live up to, and can often lead to great disappointment.

I was just sitting on my couch listening to Heather Nova and working on a few story documents for the follow-up to The Longest Journey. (I say 'a few' because there's never just one. At last count there were at least a dozen different documents covering aspects of the story like plot, characters, locations, and so forth. I like to be able to jump around quite a bit when I write.) I was momentarily distracted and, for some strange and convoluted reason (which began with, of all things, Neil Gaiman's journal - it's ages since I last read it), I ended up scanning Amazon.com's customer reviews from the first game.

Most were very generous, and most pointed, not unexpectedly, to the story as the most memorable part of the game.

(Let me ramble for a bit, because I do that rather well.)

I believe that this is unique to the adventure genre. Games are 'supposed' to be about gameplay first, not story. Even RPGs emphasise the play element over the story element. But adventure gamers - traditional adventure gamers, that is - often consider game mechanics secondary to plot. And that's perfectly okay, because games should be as diverse as any other medium. There aren't, shouldn't be, any rules, and there must be room for variety. Where Halo is all about the mechanics of shooting and running and dying, TLJ (for example) focused almost exclusively on the interactions between characters and the world they inhabited - and not on the relatively simple, perhaps even banal, ultra-traditional (if adventure was a religion, TLJ would be fundamentalism) point-and-click gameplay.

Question is, do the majority of gamers, even adventure gamers, actually play games for the stories or for the gameplay? Is our medium becoming more and more narrow-minded, leaving little to no room for diversity? Would a game that emphasises story over - or at the expense of - interaction be commercially viable two years from now?

Several people have told me that TLJ bored them to death. They thought it was too slow, too convoluted, too dense, littered with endless and self-indulgent monologues, and that there was little to no interaction with the world. That it was, in fact, less a game than a slideshow with voice-overs.

I appreciate comments like that. I take it to heart, because it makes me more aware of my responsibilities both as a writer and a designer; not to please everyone, because that's impossible, but to work hard to not just please myself, to make the story, the world, and the characters accessible, likeable, and immediately appealing, and to always remember that I'm making a game, not a movie.

We (as in 'creative types') are often quick to cry "short attention span" when players - and readers - put our works aside and label them "boring", but the fact is that most people are so inundated with stories every day, every hour, that we have to work harder to make our stories stand out and catch their attention. I'm quick to judge and to toss aside myself, because I know there's always something else, something more exciting, to read, play, watch, listen to.

What does this have to do with those pesky high expectations, then? Right. Ramble off. I know that the existing TLJ fans - the people we're first and foremost making the follow-up for - played the original game not necessarily for the puzzles, the game mechanics, but for the story. To be absolutely honest, the puzzles weren't particularly original or interesting; they followed the conventions of the genre, but broke no new ground. The mechanics were tried and true, and not particularly revolutionary. The 'game' part of the game was, in my opinion, a bit lacking. Of course, the graphics were just wonderful, the acting solid, and the story was (for a game, at least) quite good.

It was a game that succeeded on merits other than merely being a game.

With the follow-up, we're purposely putting a lot more focus on the gameplay, the game mechanics. Not at the expense of the story, mind you, but in addition to, and as important as.

Naturally, this will have implications on how the game plays and is played. If you have been reading my journal for a while, you know that we have made a number of decisions that have caused some (a little) amount of grumbling. Doing away with the point-and-click interface, for example; going all 3D and modern; introducing a new lead character; adding action elements. We have made those changes for both gameplay reasons and for story reasons. This time, there's a more palpable danger, the worlds are more hostile, the stakes are higher, and the characters - who are certainly more hands-on this time around - need to be able to respond appropriately. And while I'm certain that these changes are ultimately necessary and unavoidable, they are also dangerous, because they are certain to affect those pesky high expectations.

When it comes to the story, I'm not a big fan of doing "sequels". That is, I love telling continuing stories that take place inside defined universes, expanding upon the world and evolving the characters. I'd be quite happy telling more stories in Stark and Arcadia (after a short break doing something completely different, one hopes). What I don't like is telling stories that simply take what people liked about the original and making them "bigger, cooler, flashier". In other words, the next TLJ will not be a sequel in the traditional sense of the word. It's another chapter of the story, but it goes in a very different direction and it's unlikely that anyone will know exactly what to expect.

Expectations, therefore, cannot possibly be met.

This is, of course, both good and bad. It's good because that's the only thing I know how to do. I dislike repeating myself, and I'm sure you would all hate hearing the same story all over again.

At the same time, there's something very comfortable about knowing what to expect, and getting it. Each and every Harry Potter novel, for example, returns you to Hogswart, to the professors and students and situations you've become accustomed to. That's part of the reason why they're so bloody popular. There are surprises, but there's also a comfortable sameness to it - and I absolutely don't mean that in a negative way - that makes reading every new book like slipping into a favourite sweater.

The story we're working on now, the story for the second Journey, won't be that favourite sweater. It will be a new sweater, and in time it might turn out to fit and feel better than the old one, but it won't be the same. And it has to be that way, because April Ryan could not go out there and save the Balance all over again. In fact, April could not even be the protagonist all over again. The road she's taken, the things she's seen, makes it harder to empathise with her - and the more complex a character is, the harder it is to get to know, and get inside, that character. April is an integral part of the story, yes, but we could not let the player be April throughout the game. Not this time.

Expectations, therefore, are very hard to meet, because no one will know quite what to expect.

(Can you sense where this is going?)

The decisions we make are sure to disappoint some, and, reading the aforementioned Amazon customer reviews, I'm left feeling slightly ambivalent about having to live up to such vivid and wonderful memories.

There was something fresh and unique about the first game, something that players caught on to, something that's difficult to define - something that was the result of a fresh team making their first adventure, a bunch of early-twenty-somethings wanting, needing, to prove themselves, to create a brand new universe, tell an original story, change the bloody world.

Almost eight years later, I have changed - we've all changed - and the next game will certainly reflect that.

I believe that the story we're now telling is the right story, the only story we can tell; that the characters we use are the right characters, characters that players can empathise with and fall in love with; and that the changes we make to the worlds are necessary and natural. But I'm also aware that, for those who remember the first game fondly, it won't be like slipping back into that comfortable sweater, that favourite sweater. It will look familiar, sound familiar, smell and feel like something you know, but it won't be the same. Your expectations, no matter how high or high low, will not be met.

You can, as they often say, never go back. 'Sequels' are like that. You're never quite sure if you want them to happen or not. Your memories are precious, and you wouldn't want anything to come between you and them. (I'm hearing the Imperial March as I write this.)

So - ambivalence, then, but also relief that we do get to continue, and hopefully conclude, the story. Because, while some stories aren't crying out for any kind of sequel, others are written with holes in them. There were big holes in TLJ, purposely so, leaving the door wide open for a 'sequel-slash-prequel' (the prequel bits will be baked into parts two and three). I don't feel like we're milking a dead cow, because the cow is alive and kicking and doing very well, thank you.

I'm tempted to say; clear your minds and approach the next chapter as you would a new adventure...but then that would somehow defeat the point of the whole 'saga' bit, because you're supposed to know what's happened. Going into the story with the knowledge of what has been, you are guaranteed a more emotional experience...

...just probably not the one you expected.

There is no right answer. Or, more correctly, no simple answer. But we intend to address all of these issues, and hopefully we will create a game that stays true to the spirit of the first game, appeals to the same audience, tells a deep and emotionally involving story, and improves on the gameplay and the play mechanics - resulting in a more layered, more involving, game experience. And then maybe, just maybe, we will exceed your expectations.

That would be nice.  ¶ 14:43   

  It's been a great weekend so far, weather and all - chilly and crisp, a harbinger of the October to come - and I feel alarmingly well rested and high-spirited, as though there's bound to be a catch somewhere.

Yesterday I read Neil Gaiman's Coraline.

Yes, it took me a whole year to finally get around to it, and I'm slightly embarrassed that it's been sitting on my bookshelf (in the ever-growing "unread" section) until now, but also very pleased that I hadn't read it, because it was a fantastic little story that contributed enormously to making yesterday a Very Good Day.

I can recommend the book heartily to everyone. Don't be put off by the fact that you'll probably have to look for it in the kid's section of the bookstore. It's a dark and moody fairy tale that works just as well for adults - at least those of us with a modicum of imagination left - and it doesn't talk down to kids at all, which means that, if you do have kids, convince them to read it, or read it to them. They will absolutely adore it.  ¶ 12:41   

  I just realised why I stopped playing Rallisport Challenge in the first place. It's one of the most frustrating, unforgiving, just plain aggravating racers out there. It looks beautiful, no question, but looks alone are not enough. This game is the equivalent of a supermodel with an attitude problem. Nice to look out, but you wouldn't want to date her. (Not that you would ever date a game...unless you were really, truly desperate. And to be honest, given the chance, most people - most men-people - would date a supermodel even if she did have an attitude problem, because, hey!, free supermodel.)

So now I have an even better excuse to buy Colin McRae 04, because I don't have a single rally game worth playing, and I absolutely, positively do need one.

And speaking of The Longest Journey (nice segue, huh?): Today I got to see April in our spanking, sparkling, totally amazing new three-dee engine (which will premiere with TLJS), and, oh boy, the woman looked simply amazing. You just won't believe it. From the pores in her skin to the wrinkles on her lips, there's such an amazing leap in quality and level of detail from the first game, it's like comparing Pac-Man to...well, a really, really high-resolution, super-detailed Pac-Man. From the future. With a bow tie and a jetpack.

Yes. It's that good.

All kidding aside, this is easily Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 quality visuals - and we're just getting started. I'm absolutely convinced that, when we're finally done, when we finally unleash our next-next-next-generation adventure upon the world, you'll have the opportunity to step into a world that's totally unlike anything you've ever seen before; stunningly beautiful, populated with expressive, emotive characters, projecting a reality that is totally and completely real. And no, I'm not just spouting marketing mumbo-jumbo here, because I'm totally sold myself, and I simply cannot wait to play this baby.

I have the best job in the world. Honestly.

Don't worry about the graphics overshadowing the gameplay, however. Even though we're constantly stunned by what the artists are coming up with, the designers are focusing on the puzzles and the story, and I can say even now that it's going to be tons better than the first game. Tons. For starters, I'm not doing most of the work, which is a Good Thing. Secondly, we're spending lots and lots of time making sure that every gameplay element is as tight, as original, as polished and fun as possible. Nothing is left to chance, and we're not stopping until everyone's convinced that this is as good as it'll ever get. Combined with what's developing into a fantastic new GUI and interface - for both the consoles and the PC - it looks like TLJS is heading in the right direction...

...so let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, shall we? Yes.  ¶ 23:34   

  Got to play Colin McRae 04 at the office today, and I'm now craving a good racing fix. I've already fired up Burnout 2 on the PS2 (still number one for sheer speed, and, dear God, those crashes); tomorrow, time permitting, I'll take Rallicross Challenge for another spin (it's been a while; it's a fantastic looking, but ultimately frustrating, racer) - but I'll definitely have to pick up McRae (the game, not the man) later this week. Though I played it for only a few minutes, the handling felt great, the courses appeared well designed, and the graphics were solid - and most importantly fast. There are few games that get my adrenaline pumping like a good racer.

And now for something completely different: Someone pointed out to me that in the German version of The Longest Journey - and this is all serious geek-speak reserved for the TLJ players out there, by the way - Lady Alvane, the old woman who appears at the beginning and end of the story, refers to herself as "April Ryan".

Well. Since I didn't personally do the translation or, as a matter of fact, ever play the German version of the game (my German is about as good as my Spanish: not very), I cannot verify the information. But I do know that in my version of the story - the original English one (which I obviously consider canon) - the Lady Alvane never calls herself April, and the whole question of her identity was intentionally and deliberately left unanswered. Translated interpretations aside, there are only two people who know the truth. And we're not telling. Yet.

Because it'll all be revealed eventually. When we say so.

Oh, and by the way, for those of you who wonder: I believe that time-travel is often a cheap and dirty solution to a difficult problem - a deus ex machina - and while I'm not saying there isn't time-travel in the TLJ universe; if it is, it certainly won't be cheap & dirty. And Lady Alvane's encounter with April Ryan halfway through the story isn't necessarily what it appears to be. Threads are intertwined not just across worlds, but across the ages; beginnings are sometimes endings; there are places where time does not move in a straight line - where time is irrelevant - and those places are closer than we think; and yes, this is all painfully obtuse, but, hey!, it's my journal. I get to do whatever I want to do.

Without revealing any great secrets - it's way too early for that - the TLJ saga is most definitely heading towards a grand conclusion...involving, amongst other grand and epic revelations, the Truth about Lady Alvane (which the Germans aren't privy to).

But that won't happen in the next game, because the next game is just part two, so you'll have to stay patient and stick with me. There are miles to walk yet.  ¶ 00:35   

  It's a little late to Blog (for me at least; on weekdays I'm usually in bed by a very wimpy twelve thirty, one at the latest), but it's been one of those Busy Days you hear so much about.

Mondays are like that - with the busy - and yet I rarely get anything done on Mondays. There are usually meetings, followed by some more meetings, followed by (surprise!) a couple of meetings. If I was President of the World (and you should never, ever discount the possibility that I may one day become...President of the World), I would rename Monday to Meetingday. Because of all the meetings, you see. That tend to take place. On Mondays.

*cough*

Meetings do serve an important function, though, and without meetings there wouldn't be any games. It's not like the old days where two guys could sit in a bedroom and put together a best-selling title. Modern game production is an unholy mix of the creative and the administrative; schedules are drawn up, budgets are projected, tasks are listed, designs are requested...it all adds up to tons of paperwork and project plans that eventually, eventually, go into production. At which point there's lots more paperwork, tracking, follow-up meetings...and so on. But, luckily, a lot of people get to sit in peace and do what they do best - draw, program, model, write, play - while the rest of us go to, yes, meetings.

I actually do get to be creative most of the time, so I'm not complaining. Much. Except on Mondays.  ¶ 00:40   

  I had the great pleasure of seeing Heather Nova live tonight: An absolutely fantastic concert - one of the best I've ever been to; the sentiment was clearly shared by many, as Nova returned for two encores - and the highlight was without doubt her beautiful rendition of the achingly melancholic "Gloomy Sunday"; one of my all-time favourite songs. This is the second time I've seen Nova - last time was back in '98, at the same venue; a small, perfectly sized club just ten minutes away from my apartment - and hopefully it won't be the last.  ¶ 23:54   

  Apparently, it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day today. I say "apparently", because, as of nine thirty this evening, I've yet to speak, or be spoken to, like a pirate.

I'm quite relieved, actually. I don't know how I would have reacted had anyone spoken to me like a pirate. Especially since I didn't know it was International Talk Like A Pirate Day until a couple of minutes ago. In all honesty, I would probably have reacted quite violently, because, hey, pirates! You have to be careful when it comes to pirates. You can't be too careful.

I think the moral is, always wear protection against pirates - especially today - be it an eye-patch, a parrot, or a wooden leg. Remember: Pirates could happen to you.  ¶ 15:44   

  The latest issue of Edge - usually the best (and best informed) industry publication out there - features ten "top ten" lists, one for each genre. It's an intriguing concept; it's tough to rank, say, Tetris against Doom - not only are they incomparable, but they appeal to wildly divergent audiences. By grouping, and ranking, games by genre, you're theoretically judging equals.

That is, as long as the genre definitions are sound. You see, Edge's top ten adventure games list features only one "proper" adventure, Shenmue, and one borderline adventure-action title, Ico.

The rest? Well, would you categorise Metroid Prime, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night as adventures?

Granted, most of these games contain adventure elements - exploration, object-oriented puzzles (although, to be honest, I can't actually remember any proper puzzles in the GTA games) - and I myself have argued that the adventure genre must learn to embrace a greater range of games, not just traditional point-and-clickers.

But all of the games in Edge's list - excluding the aforementioned Shenmue - lean more towards the action/platform/shooter genres than the adventure genre (heck, even Shenmue was big on the fighting). And when the list lacks even a single traditional adventure, you have to wonder what they were thinking. Where are the widely recognised - and critically lauded - classic adventure games like Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, and Grim Fandango? Too 2D? Too old? Too traditional? Not sexy enough? No Miyamoto-san?

In fact, there's not a single PC game in the adventure category (and none in shooters; there are a few in the strategy list, but that's pretty much it), which is, quite frankly, amazing. Edge has always had a console-bias, and that's fine, but when you profess to list the top hundred games of all time, you really ought to give the PC some credit.

What the list really tells me is that Edge should have considered adding a top ten action-adventures list (not to mention a first-person shooter list, but that's another discussion).

But then they would have had eleven top ten lists, and that wouldn't have looked anywhere as good.

Someone ought to send off an irate letter. That always seems to work. Yes.  ¶ 22:32   

  So this man decides that it's too expensive to fly from New York to Dallas, and instead he ships himself:

http://www.wnbc.com/news/2465306/detail.html

Very original. And also stupid.

True to form, my comments on the "emergent vs. scripted" gameplay are still AWOL, but after a twelve hour workday I don't feel too bad about prioritising other things. I'll get around to it. (Just like I'll get around to posting part two of my exciting California travelogue. Yes.)  ¶ 23:53   

  A lovely, lovely day. Warm and sunny, blue skies, toss the jacket and wear a t-shirt - a real summer rerun. I believe I'll walk home today; a brisk forty-five minute trek through Oslo's biggest park. Just call me Mr Athletic.  ¶ 18:09   

  I think my much anticipated "emergent behaviour vs. scripted sequences" diatribe- uh, 'post' will have to wait until tomorrow. Here's a teaser: I'm against it! I'm always against it.

Oooh, just saw that "the very energetic" Jack Black's on Letterman tonight (we're a week behind the US - we're always behind the US). The Black is always funny. There's no excuse not to watch that.

I just started watching Alias from the beginning (courtesy of the excellent box set), and I'm already seven episodes into the very exciting, very entertaining season one. That's as far as I've ever gotten - I believe I've seen episodes one through eight or nine before; regular TV schedules don't agree with me - and I'm thoroughly hooked. The combination of top-notch action, earnest drama, twists-a-plenty, and great characters - in addition to Jennifer Garner's Sydney, there's a surprisingly solid gallery of lead and supporting characters; not a weak link to be found - adds up to a must-have DVD box set, and one of the best shows currently airing. Lucky for me, the second season will be out before Christmas. This emerging trend of shows appearing on DVD soon after their original broadcasts will change the nature of television - I hope and believe.

Jack Black's coming up. Not on this website, mind, but on my television set.  ¶ 23:54   

  dear sir,

wassup with the chinese stuff in your last post? trite and racial generalisation i'm thinkin. like sayin norwegian blues pine for the fjords. so what if there's a lot of them? they be cool if we be cool. oh yeah the abnaxus character couldda been done better.

I fail to see exactly how my rather obvious (and obviously light-hearted and self-deprecating) joke regarding China has anything to do with racial generalisation.

Trite it may be - I don't claim to be Mr. Funny 2003; at best I'm able to incite an embarrassed chuckle - but taking offense at my "you know, there are so many people in China..." joke would be akin to being offended by "you know, it rains so much in England...".

There are a lot of people in China. They could take over the world if they were so inclined. Luckily, they are not. If China begins exporting their culture as expertly and ruthlessly as USA has done, however, we may all be speaking Mandarin and celebrating New Year's in February.

However, in the spirit of equality, feel free to send me jokes about Norway and Norwegians, and I'll be more than happy to post them. This site shall forever remain a bastion against rampant and misguided political "correctness".

Maybe you can convince FunCom to offer a Platinum Edition bonus DVD (assuming everyone is finally moving to the more cost-effective single DVD by then) featuring TLJ with higher-rez 3D models and other minor tweaks (like the cop shop fix)? For newbies, the first adventure would be required playing and even if it isn't, the opportunity to obtain TLJ in 2006 or whatever might be slim not to mention the models being dated.

Just one more idea for the creative bonfire.

"The creative bonfire". I like that.

Excellent suggestion, Z, and we've already been toying with similar ideas: A remake using our next-generation 3D adventure engine, perhaps; or simply a tweaked "special edition" with improved visuals; or maybe a plain budget relaunch on one DVD or two CDs.

We're definitely looking into it. I'll let you all know what happens with that.  ¶ 11:45   

  It's a clear, crisp, surprisingly warm Sunday morning - and I am, obviously, up rather early. (Well. 'Early'. It's Sunday.)

I'm listening to Heather Nova and Storm - brilliant, melancholy, melodious; the stuff early autumn is made of - and the cat's got her head out the window, breathing the wonderful Sunday air, which, even though it's city air, feels clean and fresh and new.

I've already been out and about to get a tall latte and a blueberry muffin, and even though I was there only one minute after the place opened, the line began at the door.

I'm up early because I plan to get a bit of writing done today...although now it's tempting to just spend the day at a café or on a bench in the park, reading. A day like this one is precious; a Sunday like this one is quite invaluable.

Of course, it's also the sort of the day that inspires good writing, so I'll do a spot of work and then head out for a little while.

The proverbial carrot and all that.

I'm also working on a post (okay; I'm thinking about working on a post - no sense lying about it) that will be up a bit later today (we hope, meaning 'tomorrow'), about emergent behaviour versus scripted sequences in games - inspired in part by this discussion, and in part by some of the design work we're currently doing. I, obviously, have Strong Opinions - especially since fancy buzz-words and marketing hype can be dangerous things to play with - and I'll air them later, so stay tuned. As it were.  ¶ 11:47   

  This promises to be an exciting autumn.

Not in a "whiz, bang, boom" World War III "the Chinese are marching west, everyone to the barricades!" sort of way (one hopes; I have absolutely nothing against the Chinese, but let's face it: if every man, woman, and child in China picks up a harvesting scythe - or whatever it is that farmers use these days - and decide that there's fun to be had in our direction, we're screwed), but personally and professionally exciting.

Yes, I'm being narcissistic again, but what do you expect from a guy who's got his own name.dot.com website? Humility? Pft.

So in addition to working on two very different games - TLJ.s and the super-ultra-top-secret Project NBT - and tinkering a bit (in the dark hours and on weekends) with the story and design for the follow-ups to both of them - yes, Virginia, we are very much hoping and planning to embark on a third (and quite likely final) Journey, and you might have read my (short, guarded, cryptic) comments regarding a project entitled Miracle - I'm also working on a couple of non-game-related projects that I have great hopes for.

I have, of course, been working on said non-game-related projects for quite some time with nothing much at all coming to fruitition, and I don't necessarily expect (or even plan) for that to change before the end of the year. There's only so much one man can do (unless you're Superman, and even then you have that whole secret identity thing to keep up, which is just so time consuming). My number one priority - above all others; normal life and my sanity included - is the next Journey. Christmas is a big, huge (internal) milestone for us, and it's my firm intention for that milestone to be absolutely rock'n'roll. And after that, there's E3, and after that....well, there's certainly no shortage of work. My number two priority is to meet similar (though probably not simultaneous) deadlines for project number two. And after that - hopefully there will be time for everything else. Including the personal-and-private stuff.

But we'll see. I'm a young man with my whole life (minus thirty-plus) before me. I'm not worried (except about the Chinese and those scythes; us Westerners really do deserve a good hiding for screwing up the world, and our karma has just about run dry). I believe in options and a full slate. Everything else is just deadly dull.  ¶ 13:26   

  Christian Bale is the new Batman, and thus begins Warner's latest and long anticipated (also much, much delayed) push to get their comic-book franchises - primarily Batters and Supes - going again. Best of luck to 'em. At least they've chosen a talented writer/director for the new Batman. Not so much with Superman; McG (very street, dude) is still rumoured to be in the driver's seat, and his 'oeuvre' consists of, uh, Charlie's Angels one and deux.

Saw a brand new Elgwan walking yesterday...and for those of you who have absolutely no idea what that means - I'm not telling. At any rate, it looks damn good, and a good indication of what's in store. I'm very much excited. Yes.  ¶ 13:20   

  Briefly now:

I finally got around to seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the (deep breath) Black Pearl (phew). It was hugely entertaining, and I had a big, silly grin on my face from beginning to end. Johnny Depp was fantastic, Keira Knightley looked stunning, and Orlando Bloom did the hero thing with gusto. Top notch score and slick sword fights rounded out the package. Very much a satisfying summer movie, then - albeit arriving well after the hot weather here in Norway.

Next up: Bad Boys II. Can't wait.  ¶ 00:01   

  Not only is the Norwegian government talking about introducing censorship to computer and video games, but they also want stores to require a concession - a license - to sell games; in essence equalling games with drugs or alcohol. Their argument? Kids aged 8 through 15 play games one hour per day, and the government ought to protect them.

No, really.

After all, them poor kids is being subjected to the violence and the evildoing! And who better to make it right and take care of us all than our wise and benevolent rulers?

Gotta love 'em.  ¶ 23:55   

  Slow days. Nothing particularly blog-worthy going on, except that Shadowlands - the Anarchy Online expansion pack - has finally gone live, and appears to be doing well.

If you haven't played AO for a while (or at all) this would be a good time to start. Shadowlands is a fantastic new world that looks and feels very different from Rubi-Ka proper, and if the hard sci-fi desert planet setting never appealed to you, the Shadowlands may. The expansion is more of a sci-fantasy hybrid, and there's generally much greater variety in terrain and (weird, alien) fauna. The whole interface has been revamped, too. There really is no good reason not to try it out, and, hey, it's not like you have anything better to do.  ¶ 17:20   

  I was pointed in the general direction of this thread, and you're probably all painfully aware of my much maligned policy on Internet forums:

To announce firmly and loudly that I don't intend to get drawn into any kind of discussion at any time with anyone on any topic, and then boldly break that promise and make an arse of myself.

So I won't. Arse it up, that is. Not this time. Besides, there's not much to add. Production on the game (The Longest Journey: Static for those of you who wonder) is well underway; we have our deadlines and our production plans and our designs; of course we'll keep polishing away at the story until it sparkles, because, hey, we can do that; and we're not going to reveal any details regarding gameplay, plot, characters, platforms, or scheduled release date(s) until we're much further along. So there. The game is, thankfully, in good hands. And I don't necessarily mean mine. We have an amazing (and increasingly large) team consisting of seasoned veterans - artists, designers, and programmers - and I'm more confident about this game than I have been about any other project, ever.

Feel free to scuttle the butt, however, because that's what "the Net" is for - doomsaying and drawing premature conclusions. Where would we be without it? (In a bad place, that's where.)  ¶ 12:52   

  Dark Water, director Nakata Hideo's follow-up to his Ringu movies, is an astonishingly creepy movie that features a suffocating and almost unbearable build-up - followed by a somewhat disappointing finale that nevertheless managed to bring more goosebumps to my neck than any recent Western horror-slash-ghost story.

Aside from being similar in tone to the Ring movies - all grey and rainy and, well, Japanese - Dark Water reminded me a bit of Nicolas Roeg's seminal Don't Look Now (scariest movie ever - that ending is still giving me nightmares); with the water theme and the little (dead) girl in the raincoat. When I say 'disappointing', I mean that the set-up is so intense, it's hard to live up to it - and Hideo doesn't quite manage it, but it's still a knees-up-and-heart-pumping ending, with some truly frightening imagery. It's also a very sad movie, but that's about all the spoling I'll do today.

Suffice it to say, I stayed true to my word and watched two DVDs (as well as completing another level in Buffy; I'm growing increasingly weary with that game, but I battle on...God do I battle on). Aside from the aforementioned Dark Water, I finally watched LOTR:TTT again (for the first time since January, actually), and there's not much to say about that. I'm already itching to spin the DVD again, but I think I'll hold off until the extended version arrives.  ¶ 23:41   

  Tried posting yesterday, but Blogger was down - or at least inaccessible - and it's still exhibiting problems; I had to log in twice to get here. Blogger has been a little shaky from time to time lately - which is strange, considering it's the most popular Blogging-tool out there, and it's now operated by Google - and since I'm actually paying to use their 'pro' service, I expect to be able to post whenever, wherever. Yes, I'm griping. It's only fair, you know. Gripe.

Rainy day today, which is okay, because I'm staying inside to catch up on my ever-growing pile of unseen DVDs (been a little too shopping-happy lately, and there hasn't been enough time to actually sit down and watch the movies). I also plan - time permitting, as always - to polish off a few more levels in the new Buffy game.

I'm surprised how much I'm actually enjoying playing it, because to be absolutely honest, it's not that good. The problems range from awful dramaturgy (in a game where the focus ought to be on the story, that's a shame; after all, the potential's there to tell a cracking tale) and often bad voice-acting (though the real problem is probably with the writing and direction; after all, we know these people can act), to sometimes lousy controls, confusing and illogical level design, and too-long levels that take an hour to play through without the ability to save. So why do I keep playing? Fighting vampires is always fun. I want to unlock more cast interviews. There are some good bits. And it's not too hard, which is good, because otherwise I probably wouldn't bother. The main reason I keep playing is that I'm a Buffy-fan, and there's just no other way of getting my fix...except for watching a few episodes on DVD, that is.  ¶ 14:43   

  Blogger is flaky. Tried posting this earlier, several times, but no go. Here I am, though, and the old adage still holds true: Better late than...yes.

My cold's been coming and going all week - yesterday I had to leave work early with a giant headache - but I'm cautiously optimistic about this weekend; I think I've got it beat. Going to stay low through tomorrow, though, so as not to wake the beast again. The change of seasons has triggered a lot of runny noses.

So far, autumn has been absolutely brilliant (except for the big cold, of course): Crisp, cool air; blue skies; the leaves on the trees are just beginning to turn yellow and red. I'm reminded again how much I love this time of the year. It's my favourite season, more so than summer - although summer is a close second - because it's a more nuanced season; more melancholy, more affecting, and more inspiring. I do my best work in autumn, before winter sets in and everything is just cold and white. Autumn also feels like a new start, a new beginning, and it's the best season to begin working on something new.

(We have, of course, been working on something new for quite a while, and yet it feels like now, for the first time, we're actually producing something, actually making daily, visible progress.)

I watched the excellent documentary Lost in La Mancha last night. It was heartbreaking to see how the movie - The Man Who Killed Don Quixote - fell victim to every conceivable 'Act of God' (including hail storms, NATO F-16 fly-bys, and hernias), leaving Terry Gilliam - who'd been working on and dreaming of the project for a decade - looking increasingly dejected and powerless. I've had my share of creative obstacles and cancelled projects, but this film puts everything into perspective. Luckily href="http://www.smart.co.uk/dreams/">Terry Gilliam is now well into production on a new movie; Brothers Grimm. Fingers crossed, it won't suffer the same fate.  ¶ 21:07   

  The Simpsons: Hit & Run is a Grand Theft Auto knock-off. How cool is that? Potentially quite cool. We remain skeptical, but hopefully optimistic.  ¶ 12:21   

  The Quickie Verdict™ on yesterday's triptych of games:

Soul Calibur II was predictably perfect; a serious contender for the Best Fighter Ever throne. Tight ("toit!") controls - surprisingly well-suited for the Wavebird (best controller ever) - clean, smooth, and slick visuals; great sound, virtually no loading times...but it's quite amazing how good the Dreamcast progenitor looks compared to its offspring. There really isn't that much of a difference, and some of the ladies (ah, Xianghua, thou hast stolen my heart - my virtual heart, that is; not the real one, that would be just wrong) looked even better in the first one.

Buffy, I didn't play for more than twenty minutes, but it's already obvious that it's not on par with the first game - visually, at least. There's more combat and less adventuring (so far), but on the positive side you do get to play as several of the Scoobies. (Finally, my dream of becoming Xander is realised. Too bad there's no Andrew, though.) And the interviews with Whedon and the cast are fun. But why, why, why not incorporate more adventuring elements into a game that would clearly benefit enormously from them? A free-flowing GTA type structure, with missions all over Sunnydale, would obviously be the best way to go with the next Buffy game: branching quests, vehicles, time-of-day (go patrolling in the cemetery at night; hunt for vampire nests during the day), and more character interaction - and get the real Willow back as Willow; the substitute Willow is just painful to listen to - would make this the Best Game Ever...

...though that's probably hoping for waaay too much. Someone should hand the license over to us...

And finally, briefly, Silent Hill 3 is more or less exactly the same as the last two games, only a bit prettier. The opening freaked me out - it took me a little while to figure out (spoiler!) that it was a dream (ah, too late) - but the game makes the same mistake as the second one: you don't get to spend nearly enough time in the "normal world" before being thrown right into the sick nightmare, and thus the transition doesn't have as much impact as it should have. You expect it. It takes five minutes. You don't even have to wait for it. Everyone who's ever told a good horror story knows that the longer you wait, the more wound up your audience will get, and the more shocked and horrified they will be when you finally unleash...the horror, the horror! Still, it's got a neat setting - the mall - the characters look stunning, the voice acting is more than adequate, the controls can be reconfigured to something that's actually playable, and, hey, it's the new game in the best survival horror series out there (Resident Evil has lost its crown). I can't wait to sit down and play it again.  ¶ 11:07   

  Woke up and felt great this morning - which was nice, because yesterday was just awful. Haven't been this sick in years, but at least it was over quickly. You should all be grateful. My pitiful whining is now officially at an end.

Tonight's a Gaming Night; I just got Silent Hill 3, Soul Calibur II, and Buffy: Chaos Bleeds, and I intend to peruse them all within the next five hours (interrupted only by The Late Show With David Letterman, which is finally returning to Norwegian TV tonight - for the first time on a major network). It's been literally ages since I played anything at all, even though there are quite a few games that I haven't spent nearly enough time with yet - Zelda being one of them - but I just haven't been in a gaming mood most of the summer, what with the great weather and lots of work. Autumn and winter are the Gaming Seasons - and there will be enough dark, cold, and wet evenings in the next seven months to get through a few games.  ¶ 18:25