241: Why Spy?

[Russ Pitts]

Why Spy?

Russ Pitts talks to the developers behind the upcoming games Splinter Cell: Conviction and Alpha Protocol about what makes spies tick - and why playing as them is so much fun.

Read Full Article

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

Interesting article, but I'm slightly disappointed that Thief 4 wasn't mentioned.

Alright, alright: Thief 4 is nowhere near release, almost no details have been revealed and Garrett is technically a thief (see title), but he's hired as a spy so often; he might as well be one. A kleptomaniacal one that is.

I wonder how Alpha Protocol is going to tackle this "multiple-aproach" claim. It could be a very clunky black-white differentiation with only limited options, or innumerable solutions, limited only by the players imagination.

I'll be checking the Alpha Protocol site now

 

[Dusty Donuts]

Bah, they never mention that Bond actually more often uses an assualt rifle or a sniper in his missions.

 

[-BloodRush-]

i wonder where solid snake falls into. anyway this was a great article.

 

[rddj623]

Sounds like it'll be a good spy genre spring!

 

[Chris Sharka]

i wonder where solid snake falls into. anyway this was a great article.

Obviously he's a spy. He so cleverly hides himself in that box! The guards will never know it's him!

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

I always saw Sam Fisher more as one man Spec-Ops team than a spy.
I'm hoping Conviction actually meets it's release dat ethis time

 

[Blackout62]

Ahh, yes the old Bourne, Bond, Bauer spiel. So I finally figured out what to expect in Alpha Protocol add all those aforementioned spies, sprinkle some Nolan North and somehow you get:

Michael Westen. Yes it is literally going to be Burn Notice the game, but without Bruce Campbell.

 

[Woodsey]

Bah, they never mention that Bond actually more often uses an assualt rifle or a sniper in his missions.

To be fair, he does talk more than the other two (not that that's hard).


Anyway, this has just reminded me of Alpha Protocol. The delay for that thing was a huge cock-up. Less than a month before release, all developer diaries out, gameplay footage, etc. etc. and then it goes underground (hey, like a spy!).

I'd be surprised if they didn't have to retread all that marketing ground again.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Jack Bauer is the only man that bullets are afraid of.

Stealth rarely works; Alot of enemies have phenominal psychic powers, and HiDef surveillance.
Suave rarely works; The guards are trained killers who probably arent gay, or eunuchs.
Bullets work.

 

[Varewulf]

I wouldn't by any stretch of the imagination call Jack Bauer a spy. If you do, I'd like to know what definition you use.

Edit: I also noticed that our esteemed Russ Pitts has a definite Kane thing going on.

 

[Screw_it]

Geezuz! Alpha Protocol?!

I got a game magazine from early 2006 that has that game on the cover... According to the article in the mag, expect Alpha Protocol as early as 4th Quarter 2007!!! Sweet! Can't wait!

 

[soren7550]

Interesting read for me, having written about spies myself. (still wish I can get those published. Anyone know any New York publishers that are looking for authors?) The ones I written up sort of fall in-between real world spies and all the fictional ones we know & love.

But I'm a bit surprised that Miss Joanna Dark wasn't mentioned, but then again I can see why. (in a way she isn't a spy, but then again she kind of is. I'm starting to sound stupid now aren't I?)

 

[CanadianWolverine]

Sometimes the word "special operations operative" or perhaps "secret agent" is really what people are looking for in words rather than spy. Spy is anyone willing to turn over information belonging to those who want that information to be compartmentalized, but an agent requires special training, the kind of training someone goes to prison for teaching. Spies are stool pigeons/rats/etc but "legal". Agents are thugs/hitmen/thieves/etc but "legal".

That's my humble opinion/definition that I use anyways.

So, if you are going to start putting these fictional characters into Versus matches, this is going to be some Mr. Smith vs Mrs. Smith stuff, both assigned to assassinate the other, otherwise it won't be a level playing field because if only one gets the hit notice on them, they are done for right out of the gate. Also to level the playing field, they should go into the job without logistical support aka "out in the cold" or one side having access to the special gadgets is going to have a clear advantage in getting the drop on the other. And is this a royal rumble versus or tournament elimination?

Oh well, fun silliness to consider, guess that is why I watch movies like Smokin' Aces or The Tournament. Very, very silly stuff.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Yeah, I've been following Alpha Protocol for a while, it looks good. I'm looking forward to that and, having gotten over my initial fanboy disgust at Double Agent, I'm looking forward to Conviction as well.

 

[Playbahnosh]

As stated in before comments, Jack Bauer is not a spy. He is the exact opposite, a counter-terrorist[footnote]"Terrorist" is false and ambiguous term, that is too wildly thrown around, I don't like it, but for sake of clarity, I used it.[/footnote] someone who works to detect and dispose of infiltrators, snitches and other dangerous elements. A spy works to get and conceal information, uses stealth and disguise to maneuver hostile territory and give or sell valuable information to interested parties. Jack is there to uncover these elements and force the truth out of them by any means necessary to protect his country and not unusually, friends and family. He barges in, guns blazing, and won't stop until every enemy is either dead, gone or behind bars. He is the exact opposite of a spy.

 

[Loonerinoes]

Still haven't seen a work of fiction depict what spying entails most of all better than Burn Notice in the form of its main character Micheal Weston. And though I like the newer Bond movies and the edging away from spy 'style', a lot of it indeed involves being as inconspicous as possible in real life and playing other people against each other whenever you can.

Doesn't mean I'm not interested in this game though heheh.