The State of Adventure Gaming

By Randy Sluganski

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

When I started Just Adventure + (it had existed before then as Just Adventure) back in February of 1999, little did I know what was in store. What was supposed to be "for fun" quickly turned into an all-consuming hobby. Nor did I even in my wildest dreams imagine the influence Just Adventure would have with developers and publishers worldwide. I have been able to convince a few publishers to take a look at some games in development, and if they are purchased, well, that would be more than I ever expected. But I am just one insignificant person who is proud to be part of a staff of professionals who have exceeded my wildest expectations (I must say, though, that I seem to have an eye for talent).

Our news editor, Cindy Kyser Morgan, had her review of The Longest Journey featured in the September issue of Computer Games Magazine. Cindy awarded TLJ 4½ stars and the Computer Games Stamp of Approval. Harriet Gurganus, who does a masterful job updating JA's Upcoming Release section, is so trusted by developers around the world that they send her proprietary information on new projects. Her natural charm enabled JA to secure exclusive one-month rights to Arxel Tribe's The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin. Tom Houston's excellent, in-depth reviews are so respected that game developers have written to him expressing their heartfelt thanks and offering behind-the-scenes information. Erik Reckase recently conducted an interesting interview with one of my heroes and a legend of computer gaming, Scott Adams. Ray Ivey has had developers from Index contact him and ask for suggestions on how to improve the English versions of Paris 1313 and Louvre. Valerie Davis is working on the JAVE (Just Adventure Virtual Encyclopedia), a project that I promise will have the adventure community abuzz. She is, as you will find out, extremely talented. Audrey Wells, who has just started college (good luck, Audrey!), is working on a special column about free adventure games on the Internet. Adam Rodman has my utmost respect for establishing our sister site, Just RPG, and though the site is currently on hiatus, it took a lot of courage for him to attempt such a daunting task.

I applaud every one of you and thank you for your dedication and perseverance.

The Times They Are a'Changing ...

So now what? We have the ear of the adventure community, so what do we do now? We change. For if there has been any constant in adventure games it has been change--from text to 2D, to FMV, to 3D. And just as adventure games have changed to survive, so should any good webzine. We are finally about to live up to the promises we made a very long time ago. By the end of September, we will have a regular reviewer of children's adventure games--Sean (aka Crayoneater) who is a teacher studying for a masters degree in children's education. Erik Reckase will be penning a biweekly column on the history and future of text adventures. Audrey Wells will be reviewing and recommending free adventure games on the web. Plus, we have our very first Just Adventure intern, Matthew Desmond, who will be sharing his fresh outlook on the adventure genre in his "I Was a Teenage Adventure Gamer" columns. And in what is probably our biggest step, we will be reviewing many of the fine action/adventure and survival horror games that are available on the top console systems--Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation, and PSX 2 and eventually Microsoft's X-Box. To refuse to acknowledge the existence of these games is a serious oversight by "pure" adventure gamers. The adventure community is already splintered by point-and-click fans who will not try 3D games, 3D players who will not acknowledge action/adventure games, and so on. No other genre suffers from such division. Maybe therein lies a clue to the downswing in the popularity of the adventure genre. By the way, don't forget to let us know your opinion of our new console reviewers, Twitch and Spaz.

Spam Spam Spam Spam (Sung to the Tune of "Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam")

Monty Python sang about it. Armour sells it canned. But we will not spam you, we won't even corned beef hash you (... we now pause as we present Randy with the bad joke of the year award). That's right, if you visit our new JA Forum, the place were the elite meet to eat and talk adventure games, your IP address is safe with us. We do not and never will sell or provide any of your personal information without your express written consent. If you are on our subscriber list for our newsletter--then that is all you will ever receive--our newsletter. We are not Big Brother and I don't even have a Big Sister. We just want to provide a common meeting place for adventure gamers worldwide. So please, if you have been hesitant to post on our forum or subscribe to our newsletter, rest assured that you will never receive any unsolicited material (though we have been to known to randomly award brand-new Porsches to JA Forum posters). Plus, later this month we will have some special visitors from Arxel Tribe live on the JA Forum! Now where else would you get that kind of service?

Cindy Yans, We Love You, and You Too, Tom Chick (In a Manly Sort of Way, of Course)

If you are standing up while you are reading this, then you might want to sit down. For two months running, a major magazine, Computer Games Magazine to be exact, has featured adventure games on its covers. Their September issue featured a wonderful cover story on Escape from Monkey Island by Cindy Yans, and the October issue featured a cover story on Myst 3: Exile by Tom Chick. Let's not forget to mention reviews of Dracula Resurrection, The Longest Journey, and Martian Gothic and a must-read editorial by editor-in-chief Steve Bauman in which he offers no apologies for spotlighting Myst 3 on the cover. Ms. Yan's review of Dracula Resurrection is a textbook example of how an adventure game review should be written. Though she gives the game three stars out of five, she accentuates the positive points of the game and offers solutions to improve the negative aspects. Compare her review to the garbage spewed forth from the Gamespots of the world. On the other side of the fence, we have Computer Gaming World, which must exist in some sort of bizarro alternate reality universe. The September issue declared graphical adventures to be dead (yawn), and the last page of the same issue promised an Escape to Monkey Island feature in the September issue. It must have gotten lost at the printers, as Jeff Green's "feature" article is only two pages in length as compared to Cindy Yan's six-page article on the same game. If Johnny Wilson and Scorpia were dead, they would be turning in their graves.

Yes, Ziff-Davis does own both Gamespot and Computer Gaming World, so is it any wonder they have the same misconstrued vision of adventure games? Shame on the excellent Jeff Green for not speaking out more on behalf of the genre. And yes, this is the same Ziff-Davis with the nonexistent customer service. They finally sent me a check for the subscriptions I had canceled. They also sent a postcard informing me I would not receive any more issues of Computer Gaming World. So, of course, the September issue arrived in my mailbox. Even better, the October issue also arrived, and my subscriber information sticker shows my subscription extended to September of 2001.

Book a Room at the Hotel

Cut-rate rooms. All bloodstains have been meticulously scrubbed from the bathtub. Dead bodies have been removed from underneath the beds. Family rates available. Room service available from our front desk clerk. Just call and ask for Norman.

Seriously, though, this game needs your help. The Hotel is attempting to establish a new direction--on-line adventure gaming. To do so, the developers need a show of public support. You can show your support by simply signing up for their newsletter. They do not want your address, they do not want your credit card number. Whether we like it or not, there is a new age and attitude in gaming, and unless some games are shown support up front, then the sponsors will not supply the developers the finances they need to complete their project. It does not matter if you dislike online gaming, it does not matter if you think the game will not succeed. What does matter that you show your support of the adventure genre as a whole by supporting all adventure games.

Coming Attractions

We ruffle Duckman's feathers as we review this hard-to-find game. Take a trip into literature as we go on an Odyssey. Plus, we'll have the skinny on all of the adventure games from the ECTS in London in a special report from our English correspondent, Penelope Picklebrine. Look for inside info on Schizm, Riddle of the Sphinx, and Myst 3. Put your suntan lotion on as we journey to hell to meet The Devil Inside. Hide under your covers to read "Son of the 10 Scariest Adventure Games Ever." Console reviews of D2, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Carrier, Clocktower, Spider-Man, and many more. Interviews with the creators of Gilbert Goodmate and Catechumen. Special articles on Sierra fans young and old. The return of the Dungeon of Shame and a very special article written in conjunction with ... oops, I can't tell you about that yet! Well, how about those Tex Murphy rumors, are they true? There's only one way to find out--stay tuned to Just Adventure, the number one adventure site for all your gaming news.