I think there’s a slow emergence of emotional connection with the player through the interface device itself, as well as the feel of the controls; Steel Battalion, obviously, is a reference point, but I remember being surprised at the first Guitar Hero controller – whilst it obviously wasn’t real, it was real enough and that made all the difference to the connection I had with the game. Certainly, it was solid enough.

Weight and fragility are two sensations (understandably) not experiment with enough in interface design; I’d quite like somebody to make a game that involves having to handle a really heavy object, or a very delicate one, if that’s appropriate to the emotional connection the game demands. The needs of mass production, unfortunately, put dampers on controllers at the extremes (of weight, fragility, and size)…

(Incidentally, I misread the “papal sexologists” as “Paypal Sexologists”. I’m not sure what they would look like.)

The teaser was pure BGE, in good and bad. Relaxed, characterful without too much effort, even somewhat subtle as Pey’j snorts a bug into his nostril and mutters “Fifty.” to himself.

“Any other game would have probably had another character ask him “So how many have you snorted so far?” just to drive the point home.” I thought to myself.

I recall the first game doing that. Being pretty and beautiful and clever, but not completely trusting the player enough not to underline most of its jokes and subtler details. So many games do this.

And I realized many of my most cherished games are the most understated (ICO, Rez, Vagrant Story, Halo 1) even in their likely grand narratives.

And then the trailer continues, and Pey’j can be heard snorting another bug and going “Fifty-one.”

Just to make sure everyone gets it. Pure BGE, then.