PS3 gets an Exclusive Episodic Adventure Game

[bapenguin]

According to the Playstation Blog (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/16/coming-soon-exclusively-to-the-ps3-rat-race/), the PS3 just got a new exclusive episodic game called Rat Race. The game looks and sounds awesome and is backed by a pretty incredible writing/acting team from the minds of Late Night with Conan O’Brien, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, South Park, Flight of the Conchords, Sex and the City, Ugly Betty, Comedy Central, and so on.

Rat Race is set in an office - an extremely dysfunctional one. The company is called BiggCo, and the people who work there make the Enron guys look like Nobel Prize laureates. Your job is simply to make it through the day as bombs go off all around you. As the clock ticks toward quitting time, you’ll encounter a rogues gallery including: Joy Chung, an impossible, and impossibly hot, PR exec; Chip Bratsby III, a pompous jerk whose career focus is getting you fired; and Dr. Ron Durfman, a research scientist who may or may not be intimate with his lab monkey.

No word on when to expect the game, but more information is coming in the next few weeks.

Any game that lets you photocopy your butt has got to be good.

[Gorvi]

No word on when to expect the game, but more information is coming in the next few weeks.
It says on the blog that it's coming this winter, so I guess that's between November and March. I'm curious to see if they can keep up a good schedule and release these episodes in a timely manner. Also, the pricing is going to be a concern for these. How much were the Sam & Max episodes?

[Skampy]

This is one of the most original games I've heard of in a while. Sounds like it could be a blast.

[MosBen]

I don't know, there's not nearly enough information yet for me to get interested. I don't know why people are so excited already.

[Karmakin]

And continues the trend of the best games on the PS3 being on the download service.

[Roc Ingersol]

I get the feeling that Sony will get these into the pipe before Microsoft finally delivers the PJ/Halo thing.

[Bingley Joe]

Sometimes we describe Rat Race as an interactive sitcom, but that doesn’t do it justice. There’s more to the experience than funny dialogue. Along the way you’ll sneak, sprint, solve puzzles, eavesdrop, steal, and even “neutralize” that lab monkey.


Hmmm.... so they've got a bunch of fancy sit-com writers on board, and in terms of gameplay you sneak, sprint, solve puzzles, eavesdrop, steal and 'neutralize'.. Sounds like straight-up action/adventure fodder to me.

That's not necessarily a bad thing... but these guys don't have any prior experience, and the presence of the sit-com writers doesn't automatically generate compelling gameplay either.

Then again, if they can focus on making it more of an interactive sit-com with hilarious dialogue than an interactive sit-com with sneaking, sprinting, and stealing, it might be fun to just sit back and watch.

I'm cautiously semi-pessimistic on this one so far though :p

[Meglomaniac]

This one does sound a bit original and could be promising. I just think it is sad that every time there is an announcement over something ps3 so many get their hopes up. If history is any indication this could be just another let down. My money is on it being delayed and when it comes out will be mediocre at best like every other PS3 exclusive.

[Gorvi]

This one does sound a bit original and could be promising. I just think it is sad that every time there is an announcement over something ps3 so many get their hopes up. If history is any indication this could be just another let down. My money is on it being delayed and when it comes out will be mediocre at best like every other PS3 exclusive.
They've actually done a pretty good job with the PSN games so far, and to say that every PS3 exclusive is mediocre is a bit of an exageration, don't you think?

Oh, and your user title is spelled wrong, it's Magalomaniac. ;)

[Varsity]

Rat Race is a PS3-exclusive comedy/adventure game – yeah, another one of those!
...there are others?

[Bingley Joe]

This one does sound a bit original and could be promising. I just think it is sad that every time there is an announcement over something ps3 so many get their hopes up. If history is any indication this could be just another let down. My money is on it being delayed and when it comes out will be mediocre at best like every other PS3 exclusive.

Yeah, it's kind of like watching a really good friend fall completely in love with every person they go out with on a casual date. You know it could turn out to be something worthwhile.. and given enough time you know eventually they'll find that special someone.

But your heart breaks whenever you see them go ga-ga for another hunky guy with one leg shorter than the other who still lives with his mom, or the incredibly stacked girl with the crossed eyes and seven cats, because you just know how bad they want it.

[handsalad]

This doesn't sound very original from a writing stand point. If you told me people from Late Night with Conan O’Brien, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, South Park, Flight of the Conchords, Sex and the City, Ugly Betty, Comedy Central were getting together I would say they would probably make a sitcom about an office and all the stuff that happens there. Of course it would be over the top drama because real life is boring. There have already been unrealistic comedy office based games on the web for years. if they were making an office based game where you battle each other using office supplies like the Careerbuilder.com commercials then that would be more "original" and fun.

[Meglomaniac]

Oh, and your user title is spelled wrong, it's Magalomaniac. ;)

Actually your response is spelled wrong it's Megalomaniac

I know I didn't spell it correctly. Perhaps yours is also spelled incorrectly and should be Gorvy

:)

[Gorvi]

Actually your response is spelled wrong it's Megalomaniac

I know I didn't spell it correctly. Perhaps yours is also spelled incorrectly and should be Gorvy

:)
Crap, that was terrible. :p Touche!

[Norse]

They've actually done a pretty good job with the PSN games so far

No they haven't. There are almost no demos of the PSN titles. I always try before I buy (with the exception of some AAA titles), so no demos=no sale for me.

[Gorvi]

No they haven't. There are almost no demos of the PSN titles. I always try before I buy (with the exception of some AAA titles), so no demos=no sale for me.
I agree, no demos is bad, but the original PSN games have, for the most part, been pretty good. The lack of a demo doesn't exactly change the quality of the game.

[BlackPete]

I agree, no demos is bad, but the original PSN games have, for the most part, been pretty good. The lack of a demo doesn't exactly change the quality of the game.

Agreed -- however the lack of demo means there is absolutely zero indication of the game's quality until after you've bought it.

[Norse]

I agree, no demos is bad, but the original PSN games have, for the most part, been pretty good. The lack of a demo doesn't exactly change the quality of the game.

You're right, but it reduces the chance of me (and many others) actually buying these good games.

[KidCactus]

You're right, but it reduces the chance of me (and many others) actually buying these good games.
But then again, a lot of people that buy the games anyway maybe wouldn't have done so if they had tried a demo first. :p

[Norse]

But then again, a lot of people that buy the games anyway maybe wouldn't have done so if they had tried a demo first. :p

Of course. That's why they should only release demos for the good ones :)

[Zeal]

I really think downloadable, episodic content is where everything's headed. It's a good thing.

[Morangie]

I really think downloadable, episodic content is where everything's headed. It's a good thing.
Depends if developers will be like Telltale Games or Valve.

[oldjadedgamer]

No they haven't. There are almost no demos of the PSN titles. I always try before I buy (with the exception of some AAA titles), so no demos=no sale for me.

I'm in the same boat, no demo no sale (with the exception of some AAA titles) or if I've played a public beta.

[Kamalot]

I agree, no demos is bad, but the original PSN games have, for the most part, been pretty good. The lack of a demo doesn't exactly change the quality of the game.

If a tree falls in the forest, and there is nobody around to hear, does it make a noise?

If the best game in the world is released on the PSN, and they don't have a demo for me to try, it may as well be a tree in a forest someplace.

[Gorvi]

If a tree falls in the forest, and there is nobody around to hear, does it make a noise?

If the best game in the world is released on the PSN, and they don't have a demo for me to try, it may as well be a tree in a forest someplace.
You purchased Sin & Punishment sans demo, did you not? I'd assume that you could use the same resources (reviews and word of mouth) to determine whether or not a PSN game that lacks a demo is worth your money. If you then still choose to not purchase them, you're missing out on some good games.

[oldjadedgamer]

You purchased Sin & Punishment sans demo, did you not? I'd assume that you could use the same resources (reviews and word of mouth) to determine whether or not a PSN game that lacks a demo is worth your money. If you then still choose to not purchase them, you're missing out on some good games.

There are a ton of games that I wouldn't have bought after word of mouth or reviews normally but after playing the demo, I bought the game and enjoyed it.

Not to mention all the games I've bought when I was drunk cause I played the demo and was pissed off that I couldn't continue though it. I'm looking at you Wik...

[Gorvi]

There are a ton of games that I wouldn't have bought after word of mouth or reviews normally but after playing the demo, I bought the game and enjoyed it.

Not to mention all the games I've bought when I was drunk cause I played the demo and was pissed off that I couldn't continue though it. I'm looking at you Wik...
Oh, I'm not saying that there shouldn't be demos, they should be there for all games. But the lack of a demo doesn't make a game not worth owning, it's just a much harder sell. Why there aren't demos for all PSN games is beyond me, they should definitely have them.

[Kamalot]

You purchased Sin & Punishment sans demo, did you not? I'd assume that you could use the same resources (reviews and word of mouth) to determine whether or not a PSN game that lacks a demo is worth your money. If you then still choose to not purchase them, you're missing out on some good games.

I'd played Sin & Punishment for a short time years ago and never had time to finish the whole title. The game's been around a while. It isn't a brand-new beast like the PSN games are.

I've purchased a lot of XBLA games after playing the demo. I've also railed on Nintendo for not offering demos of their Virtual Console products. I would have also purchased MORE Virtual Console products, if there were demos for them.

Sony does not have a single damn excuse for not offering up demos of their downloadable products.

[Kamalot]

There's a video (http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/10/ps3s-episodic-c.html) of this game available now.

We thought the idea for Rat Race--an episodic comedy adventure game for the PS3--was brilliant. There just seems to be one small problem: it's not actually funny, at least judging by this brief vignette. We, optimists that we are, still have hope that the gameplay will rescue the lame attempt at humor, or that perhaps this video isn't representative of Rat Race's comedy.