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Thursday, August 28, 2008
Written by: Thor
I'm sure the game of Line Rider needs no introduction. But in case you've been living under a rock without a wi-fi connection, let me explain. It's not really a game so much as it is a "toy". There's no objective or goal than that which you make for yourself. You draw, using your mouse, a path for a sledge rider to follow. If you're good, he goes up and down slopes, loops-the-loops and looks damned impressive. If you're rubbish (like I am), he will inevitably fall into the abyss.
Left: Bosh - rider of lines - on his sledge in trademark hat and scarf
It originated on deviantART where (as of me writing this) it has 28,500,022 views since it was uploaded nearly two years ago. It spread in the classic viral way that the Internet promotes. Friends showed friends who showed friends and it snowballed. Within weeks, impressive Line Rider tracks sprang up all over YouTube as the most skilled showed off. Hacked versions popped up everywhere, offering new tools like an eraser or just new, novelty vehicles. It was innovative, fun and spread like wildfire.
Before long (December, three months after its debut), inXile Entertainment snapped up the game officially. It was here that the promising, addictive Flash toy started its slow move to jumping the shark. For those unfamiliar with the term, when something "jumps the shark" it has "undergone too many changes to retain the original appeal". It was announced soon after inXile bought it that the game would be turned into a videogame proper, for the Wii and DS. That was a major marketing stroke of brilliance - what two formats suit this game better than Wii and DS? Now, we're still waiting for them to hit shops and videos have been unveiled of what we can expect.
It's gone officially rubbish and leapt with gusto over the Carcharhinus leucas.
inXile's rush to turn it from fun to cash cow has resulted in loading the game with gimmicks. Yes, an eraser is a gift (particularly for me, who barely manages to get a decent slope on the first attempt) and speed-up lines are nifty. But do we really need graphics of snow-capped mountains? Do we want lines that break off once the rider (called Bosh) has gone over them? Do we need the fourteen other new types of line? We certainly don't need a "puzzle creation mode"...what's come over them?
The charm of the original was in its minimalist subtlety. Even if that meant tools were limited to draw, delete track play and stop, we loved it regardless. But they've come along and turned it into a bloated game full of unnecessary nonsense. And, to make it worse, they've even sacrificed Flash. The latest version of Line Rider on the website utilises Microsoft's new Flash-rival plugin, Silverlight. Barely anyone has it, whereas nearly everyone has Flash. It's a stupid move however you look at it. (Although, in a breathtaking display of sense, the old Flash version is still available should you wish to play it.)
If you haven't yet learned today's lesson (big companies ruin the fun, always), check out the final nail in Line Rider's coffin:
Yes, it's a McDonald's advert using the Line Rider game in a pitiful and frankly embarassing attempt to be cool, hip and down wid da kidz. It completely fails on every level, but that hasn't stopped them creating a whole website devoted to this fast-food/game partnership where you can submit your own "Mickey D's Line Rider" which adds gimmicks like an energy bar which can only be replenished by hitting golden arches logos. And if that's not bad enough, look what's written at the top of MiniSizeFun.com (how I wish this were a joke):
Labels: games, jump the shark, line rider, thor's day, worst advertising job since halifax hired howard
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