Jane Jensen to unveil next adventure game in Leipzig
It's certainly taken her long enough. Indeed, one can only assume that after writing and completing the excellent Gabriel Knight trilogy of adventure games for Sierra, Jane Jensen was somehow imprisoned in a small room with naught but a couple of random objects at her disposal. After combining every single item with every other one in her possession, she must have finally attained to freedom by combining the giraffe-shaped balloon with the priceless fabergé egg.Since her dramatic escape, Jensen has been hard at work on Gray Matter, a new adventure set to debut at the Leipzig Games Convention later this month. Published by dtp entertainment (they're staunchly opposed to capital-ism, it seems), not much is known about the game aside from a fourth quarter 2007 release. Carsten Fichtelmann, marketing director of dtp, seems pretty confident that Jensen, "a real star of the adventure gaming scene," will be a great asset to the team. "We are very happy to be working with her on her new project, Gray Matter, bringing the adventure gaming genre forward once again."
Many would argue that bringing the adventure genre forward would result in it bumping its head against a sealed coffin lid. A great article on Old Man Murray once suggested that the genre had committed suicide, largely motivated by the kind of puzzles found in Jenson's own Gabriel Knight 3. In one infamous puzzle, the protagonist had to create a disguise using a ridiculous combination of masking tape, maple syrup and a cat. In other words, a contrived act of following "daredevil of logic Jane Jensen as she pilots Gabriel Knight 3 right over common sense, like Evel Knievel jumping Snake River Canyon." She's undoubtedly a superb storyteller, but let's hope that she utilizes her own gray matter more effectively when it comes to puzzles this time around.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
socrates @ Aug 16th 2006 6:20PM
So someone here is an OMM fan at least.
How does Joystiq not use the StC criteria to weigh games? This is inexcusable.
geehal @ Aug 16th 2006 6:44PM
Gabriel Knight 1 was awesome, and one of my favorite games of all time. #2 was pretty good, but nothing special. #3 was a steaming pile. Hopefully Jensen will reverse that trend.
Ryan @ Aug 16th 2006 7:34PM
Bonjour amis d'adventure! Here's the Jane Jensen link quoted in the post for those who didn't catch it six years ago:
http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/77.html
GhaleonQ @ Aug 16th 2006 8:59PM
I'll just say, "Win. Win, sir."
Bryan @ Aug 17th 2006 9:07AM
The genre isn’t dead, but it sure has been quite. Syberia and Syberia II were amazing, and the Adventure company has been putting out some quality titles lately. The truth is, Adventure games don’t sell very well anymore, so why invest in them. I am looking forward to grey matter. I will keep myself occupied with KQIX(or whatever they have to call it now), and the classics. I am curious to see what the Wii can do for adventure games, there sure are a lot of options for new puzzles with the remote.
Bulky @ Aug 17th 2006 11:05AM
Yes! Finally! I've been waiting for Jensen's next game for a while. Hell, I *paid* for BeTrapped! Everyone has slip ups now and then. The cat hair disguise can be forgiven. GK3 was still a really good game.
Almirena @ Aug 23rd 2006 2:12AM
Hmm... the article's just a tad mean-spirited. There are those who ENJOY adventure game puzzles, and while the one quoted (which has been quoted and quoted and quoted and referred to and quoted ad nauseum by detractors of adventure games or simply those who like to jump on bandwagons) does in fact mention a legitimately BIZARRE puzzle that could have been conceived more effectively, but to say "let's hope that she utilizes her own gray matter more effectively when it comes to puzzles this time around" is unfair and verging on the snide.
To further suggest that adventure games are dead as a genre is to commit an odd act - similar to pronouncing someone dead, getting a death certificate signed, and subsequently slashing that person's throat on the grounds that they are dead already. Have adventure games committed suicide? Clearly this is an illogical concept! To commit suicide is to do oneself to death, wilfully and with intent. A genre obviously has no wishes and no willpower. It cannot kill itself. Even as a metaphor, it fails to work; adventure games are not self-destructive and don't wish to come to an end. Those who love adventure games - to take this very tired metaphor to a thoroughly overworked end - don't want adventure games to die.
It does seem there are game players who are determined to slam the lid on adventure games, even as a possibility. There are those who feel that adventure games have had their day - based upon what specious reasoning, it's hard to discern. Perhaps the adventure games of the past can act as an inspiration story-wise and ambience-wise for some absolutely riveting adventure games today. There's nothing - absolutely nothing - in all of human history to suggest that a linear adventure game, which tells a thoroughly good story, includes daring heroics and tricky little puzzles (albeit puzzles that CAN be figured out by logic) and the overcoming of a terrible danger and a dreadful villain, has had its day. No, no - to suggest that is to suggest we burn all books except possibly for self-help ones or technical manuals. STORY ITSELF... will never die. And that is the glory of the adventure game genre, a glory that has been forgotten, ignored, punched and condescended to by game developers for the last six or seven years. But have you noticed that there is a growing dissatisfaction with plot-poor games? That better plots are creeping back into games of several genres? That this spells hope for the adventure game genre which has for so long been unjustly neglected?
I am happy to see that there is movement in the ranks of adventure games, and that movement may lead to a stunning renaissance in which a new generation may discover afresh the wonders of real storytelling.
Now THAT is what I call immersive...