Welcome to Helghast Plaza
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Big badda-boom
My first thought when entering the recently revamped Central Plaza: “Holy cow, who pissed off the Homelings?”
Seriously. You materialize in the usual spot, but that’s where the familiarity ends. Buildings have been shattered. There are giant blast craters and exposed sewage lines. Corpses litter the ground. Fires rage out of control. Explosions echo through the air. And ominous spaceships fly around overhead, casting searchlights onto the clusters of humans here and there.
No, this isn’t a typical day in Los Angeles. It’s Central Plaza, courtesy of an alien invasion.
Hence why I figured somebody must’ve honked off the Homelings. Nosdrugis must’ve finally decided he’d had enough, and the motherships descended to take klenting to a whole new level. And you suddenly realize that “Saucer Pop” was really just their surreptitious method of evaluating human defense skills — sort of like how Centauri used an arcade game to evaluate who could lead the Rylan Star League against the Ko-Dan Armada.
(Yeah, let’s see who gets that reference.)
So now then. Killzone 3.
I have no interest in this game or this series. It just ain’t my cup of tea. But, that said, I have to compliment the marketing strategy and artistry that went into this extreme makeover of Central Plaza. This makes the Novus Prime attack on Caprica City “invasion” of Central Plaza a couple of months ago look like that episode of Donahue when Donahue put on a dress. Sure, it’s eyebrow arching, but it’s not really as dramatically effective for inducing oddly-captivating horror as, say, Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
The Helghast invasion of Central Plaza is visually scarier than Dr. Frank-N-Furter being digitally inserted into the “group” scene from Eyes Wide Shut. Sony PR people, if you need a poster quote, feel free to use that.
Recently, on the Sony forum, there’s been a fair amount of bellyaching about how Home is becoming dull. Although I disagree with that sentiment, I’ll confess that I think a disappointing percentage of Central Plaza’s population is a bit dull. Too much sexual harassment, “fam” recruiting, and ad nauseam votes for Chain Swing. There have been more than a few times when I’ve been conversing with a friend in Central Plaza and some tank-topped knuckleball decides to run up, body pop in my face, and accuse me of being a homosexual because I use punctuation. And I end up thinking, “Who the hell let these Tommy Hilfiger failures with Tourette’s have an internet connection?”
As a result, I have — more times than I cared to admit — privately wished that Sony would just come in, beat the chili-cooking asterisks out of everyone and lay waste to this failed Beach Blanket Babylon.
So you can imagine my surprised delight when I set foot in Central Plaza and found that Sony had come in, beaten the chili-cooking asterisks out of everyone, and laid waste to the failed Beach Blanket Babylon.
Sony must’ve heard people complaining that things were getting dull, and thus decided to put on a special gutpunch glove that makes you puke everything you’ve eaten since 1988, only to surprise you instead with a soap-in-the-towel blanket party.
Here’s the deal: Central Plaza got destroyed.
But that’s not the cool part.
Sony decided to TEAR THE PLAZA TO BITS. It’s like they combined the destructive power of Chuck Norris, the Tsar Bomb and Betty White into one giant beatdown designed to eradicate all digital life in Home. And it’s the level of detail put into it that frankly is so astonishing.
Some Home spaces are, if we’re honest, a bit static. You do sometimes get the sense that they’ve barely cobbled together enough RAM from recycled Quadra 605 computers, along with lots of duct tape and a hamster wheel, just to present a cohesive space — let alone do anything fancy and immersive. But this revamped Central Plaza, designed to promote the release of Killzone 3, is easily one of the most remarkable virtual experiences in Home.
Dust particles, debris and wind patterns all swirl around you. Buildings lay in ruin. Rubble is strewn everywhere. The lighting effects are surprisingly subtle. There’s so much happening — and it’s all at different times, from different directions — that you can’t really tell it’s on a programmed loop.
And the sound design — the fires, the explosions, the ships flying overhead — is astonishing. I have said it before and I will say it again: sound design (as well as background music) is critical to the immersive experience. There are times when running around in Home feels like being trapped in a silent movie; the Plaza, typically, is like Brian Fargo’s Wasteland — lots of interesting text, but not much else. The Plaza right now, however, feels like Wasteland if Fargo had today’s technology and George Soros’ finances to develop it.
There’s also a massively enjoyable first-person-shooter minigame involving defending Home from the Helghast invaders. Aside from the fact that it’s one of the most addictive games in Home this side of Sodium One, we all know that the majority of Home’s teenage, testosterone-poisoned population can’t resist FPS games any more than I can resist wearing out the pause button on my clicker whilst watching Jessica Alba movies. And this is a good thing, because if the majority of the population is busy blasting space invaders, then maybe I can finally carry on a conversation with my friend without being interrupted by all the tank-topped knuckleballs.
Hm. Maybe there is something to this idea of Home shifting to more of a gaming platform. Keeps the young’uns distracted. I like it.
For those of you who haven’t been to Helghast Plaza yet, HSM has received a very special video contribution from HOMEinformer’s Jersquall:
Take a look at it. It’ll give you a really good sense of the layered and detailed work that went into the plaza revamp.
I’m genuinely excited to see what Home could bring us this year. January already gave us Conspiracy and Killzone, and we know that Sodium Two (a.k.a. Stay Home From Work) is on its way, so I wonder what else Sony and the other developers have planned for us in 2011. I, for one, am more excited than Scrat grasping the acorn to see what happens next.
January 28th, 2011 by NorseGamer | 29 comments
NorseGamer is the product manager for LOOT Entertainment at Sony Pictures, as well as the founder and publisher of HomeStation Magazine. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and presently lives in Los Angeles. All opinions expressed in HSM are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sony DADC.
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THE LAST STARFIGHTER
You are correct, sir!
(Such an awesome movie, wasn’t it?)
1 of the all time classics,but wheres the sequal/prequal?
Nice read, Here is something I thought about when I first seen the Central Plaza reformed. You do not have to be a fan of KILLZONE 3 to enjoy the artistic value that the devs have created in the space. It could be from any post apocolyptic movie or a game like Fallout or Resistance. It simply is very very well done.
I was talking this morning in Central Plaza who designed and executed this event and it is truly ”His Baby” (his words) He was very happy seeing the reactions to the space.
This is not just another event makeover in Home. This type of use for Central plaza is a must to continue drawing in those who are new to Home and might just grab the attention of some who have not been in Home for some time. If nothing else, it has really set the bar when it comes to being creative with pre-existing spaces.
Jers
I completely agree; I have no interest in Killzone, but the quality of the work done with this redressing of Central Plaza is *astonishing.*
Another example of a “refreshed” public space would be the SingStar Rooms, actually. New music, new videos…it definitely gives me a reason to visit it again.
Here’s hoping to see more such reinventions of spaces, both public and private, throughout Home.
True,this is a good use of central plaza but 4 sentimental reasons would like it 2 return 2 “normal”once in awhile,not long maybe 1 month a year total.It is a very well done peice of work,my only complaint is the aiming of the gun,i wish there was an option 2 make up up and down down,but otherwise very well done.I might have pre-ordered it except 4 that,just 1 of my pet pevs.
I’m amazed at, amongst all the devastation all the advertising billboards survived untouched.
I only can assume the Helghast have a great appreciation for American capitalism?
Noticed that too, eh?
Don’t look over here (am hiding from Betty White).
*whispers*
We had nothing to do with the destruction in CP. We love CP and would never harm it or its non-homeling inhabitants. No matter how annoying.
…
The KZ CP is amazing! Went there last night, sampled the minigame, then just stood and enjoyed the environment for a while. Allowed the application to go to “back soon” and just marveled. This is our CP. Set to ruin. Yet, somehow, we are able to take great joy in the destruction. So surreal.
For some reason I kept picturing black Echochrome suits, mass klentings, and a loudspeaker blaring, “ALL YOUR PLAZA ARE BELONG TO US.” It just kept cracking me up to visualize one of the most awesome, mature, pro-Home groups around finally deciding they’d had enough of the harassers in default clothing, and laying the smack down with particle beams…
It *is* intellectually a bit odd to actually revel in a denuded Central Plaza. I think it has to do with the fact that we know the programmers, at any time, can click a mouse and turn it back into the temperature-controlled Macross City that we all know and love. Since there are no repercussions, as such, we’re free to enjoy the carnage.
To me, it’s the level of detail that’s astonishing; it’s the first time I’ve been in a Home space — not just a minigame like Siren Hospital, but an entire space — that felt immersive. Here’s hoping we see more of this sort of detail in future spaces.
::waves arms::
Hey, Norse! Don’t… give… Nos… ideas.
yes doo eet nos… the smell of cordite is a pleasant one!
::hands nos detonator::
just push this button here…
I totally agree, Norse.
Last night I downloaded the new CP, and figured I would go look around for a few minutes before shutting down the console and heading off to bed. I was tired and feeling ill, and had been chaperoning a MS 16 field trip in other spaces all evening. But people kept mentioning how awesome CP was, so I decided I had to see it.
Needless to say, I was there for more than a “few minutes”. Even before the effects had downloaded, I was amazed by the detail and atmosphere. Once the fires appeared, I was utterly hooked. I just kept walking and looking, saying “Oh, wow!” at details like the letter E fallen off the Theatre marquee, the blowing newspapers, or the crater where the Saucer Pop pond had been. The fact that the silly video commercials for Slap-Happy Sam and Robotic Canine were still running made it all the more surreal.
I stayed long enough to unlock the gloves and boots, and finally dragged myself off to bed. I’ll be back, though, to play the shooter. I suck at shooters, but I want to see this thing.
One comment has haunted me: one of our team writers mentioned that she has a friend who saw Nagasaki after the atomic bomb blast, and the new CP reminds her of that devastation. Jersquall, if you talk to that developer again, you might ask him what visual sources he used when designing the space. It feels quite real, and genuinely scary.
I still don’t want the game. But I wouldn’t mind having that jet pack. That is totally cool.
I agree with your assessment Norse. The way they changed CP is astonishing and and it just goes to show what is possible when Sony wants to. I believe there is supposed to be big Steampunker space coming at some point this year. It was supposed to be here already but I think it has been postponed for some reason. That is why they have had the clothing coming out for awhile, to get ppl in the mood for it. I wonder if anyone can get more info on this from Sony. And by the way, did yo see the new animated animals that are available in exclusives? They have a horse, dog, cow, rabbit, goat and a snake in a terrarium I am told. I saw the horse, goat and dog. They are all in pens and can’t do much but move around, but does this mean that there will be a farm in Homes future? You never know.
I made the mistake of posting this in the Home Forum. Why did I think it would be possible to get insights into this situation in there?
CP/Killzone Lesson to Learn
I have an elderly neighbor, Takako, who survived the Atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki. She was 14 years old at that time. It may have saved her life -- at that time she and the other teenagers were being trained with pointed sticks to defend their homes against the impending invasion by the Allied forces. (But that’s a story for another time). She described to me the aftermath -- walking dazed through areas that had become unrecognizable, the sky that had turned brown, the fires and smoke with the outlines of the wreckage in the haze, the dead and dying in the streets, the fear that the planes would return with more bombs. Her descriptions tally very closely with others I heard from friends who survived the blitz in London by taking shelter in the underground stations and then emerging to struggle through the chaos of destruction, the German friend who survived the fire-bombing of Dresden, and others who told me, “You Yanks don’t know what it is to be a kid trying to stay alive in the middle of a target zone!”
The only thing we knew about the atmosphere of destruction in WWII was the John Wayne movies that made it all look glorious and patriotic. And Mash even managed to make the Korean War look funny as well as tragic. It wasn’t until the first “TV war” (a war with television coverage), the Viet Nam conflict, that the atmosphere of being inside a war was suddenly in our living rooms. And the viewers recoiled in horror as pictures of firefights (and body bags coming off the military transport planes) brought it closer to home. Suddenly the streets were full of protesters, “Hell NO, We Won’t Go!”.
Now, something revolutionary has happened: virtual reality has introduced the experience of being inside a war zone as non-combatants. Many of us in CP are wandering around like Takako did in Nagasaki. We are not playing the game -- we were not given an assignment to fight or gather ammo. We just stumbled in out of curiosity to see CP. And then it hits us: Can’t you smell the air in CP? Don’t you want to run when you see that searchlight combing the ruins for survivors? Isn’t it great to reassure yourself that those snipers cannot really kill you? But you are inside a war as a civilian. You walk over dead bodies, you see the splits in the ground with the smoke coming up. It is a simulation of a reality that almost none of us have had to experience in real life -- yet. It makes you ask when will the lesson be learned that humans need to learn how to live together in peace.
That’s just it, Keara: I don’t think anyone is actually reveling in the idea of a locale getting bombed. The enjoyment, as such, comes from the knowledge that not only is it all fake, but it can all be erased and replaced with a mouse click.
Now, that said — yes, humanity is a bestial species with a remarkably thin veneer of civility stretched over it. Just look at what’s happening in Egypt right now. But I think we also, paradoxically, have the capability and indeed the right to enjoy works of art produced from such events — because that art itself can be an anti-war statement.
Would you decry Delacroix for “La Liberté guidant le peuple”, for instance, because of the grisly imagery it contains? Or enjoy it for what it symbolizes?
For me, personally, I don’t care if the next Central Plaza makeover is a My Little Pony invasion. I’m personally enjoying the tremendous artistry that went into making the space so remarkably immersive.
(Olivia and I were actually joking about a “My Little Pony Killzone” Central Plaza. Camo Pony. Kevlar Pony. Pony amphibious assault. Ponies ransacking buildings and trampling humans. Yes.)
Btw art has been showing the dark side of humanity 4 a very long time,this is nothing new.Only the scale of these events has gotten bigger,thanks 2 technology we can decimate the human race faster and on a much bigger scale than the ancients ever thought possible.Our art is just keeping pace with our scientific advances in destruction.
The mother of my best friend was imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp in Indonesia during WWII. She carried the scars of the beatings until she died.
For many years, my friend and I debated the morality of the atomic bombs that ended the war. To me, they were the ultimate immoral action, especially the second one. There was no need to obliterate Nagasaki. To my friend, the bombs had saved the lives of his entire family — they were all in the camps, down to very young children. We finally agreed not to discuss the subject.
Then came September 11, 2001. We both work on the National Mall in DC, and we could see the smoke from the Pentagon from our offices. That day was the most surreal and terrifying I ever hope to experience. Even now, our conversations often drift to our memories of it, and how it changed our lives.
Once the emotional dust had cleared, my friend and I enrolled in night school Japanese classes. For my friend, it was an act of coming to grips with the culture he had been raised to hate, an acknowledgement that, while individuals may be guilty of atrocity, entire cultures are not. We both suck at Japanese, but we have never regretted the decision.
Wildly off-topic, I guess, but seeing the ruined Plaza last night reminded me of this, especially after hearing Keara’s comments. I don’t like the idea that games can teach us to hate indiscriminately, labeling an entire race as worthy of extermination, and make it into living-room fun.
At least the Helghast are a fictional species. The games that really creep me out are the ones that make it fun to replay real wars, throwing cardboard, stereotyped enemies up as targets for children. This is wrong, in ways I should not have to explain.
While its true the whole population of japan didnt support the attack on pearl harbor,not many protested after the attack.Its a truism of war that civilians always pay a higher price when a country is invaded,or atomic bombed,and as an american i think holding the distinction of being the only country in history 2 use atomics on another is shameful,i understand y we did it but its still the most distasteful chapter in u.s. history.I used 2 know a couple of vets. that were participants of another tragic episode from that time known as”The Bataan Death March”,these old timers were of an entirely different opinion.They regretted we only had 2 bombs at hand,i never agreed with these guys but i understood y they felt that way,after seeing so many of your buddies bayonetted that u lose count im sure it changes u and makes your thirst 4 revenge change your thought process’.All im saying is dont think that this was an easy decision 2 make,and as 4 the 2nd bomb,japans wartime government could have surrendered after the 1st one,not saying that absolves our guilt but when WWII is discussed it should b kept in mind that every major country involved made some very bad mistakes and there is blame enough 4 each country 2 share it.
We should have known something like this would have happened when SONY foolishly removed Central Plaza’s only weapon, the Midway cannon. It might have saved the CP we’ve grown to know and love.
Never again should anyone (including me!) complain about weapons being allowed in Central Plaza.
the above said in humour to lighten up the mood.
OK, I am getting out of this mood no matter what! If Sony and a developer can produce a show of this magnitude in CP, imagine other grand events could be staged there. I recommend a remake of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (as referenced by Norse in his article) with NosDrugis playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the Homelings as the lab assistants, and (you can see where this is going -- straight downhill…)
Then Lockwood could turn it into an ongoing game on the outskirts of the Sodium Space where an old mansion would fit perfectly. And we could have costumes! Glorious costumes!
Lets do the time warp again!…. Its just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right…. Puts your hands on your hips, and bring you knees in tight…ect.
Immediate podcast: bring in the Killzone developers to talk about these issues and also tell us how this release in Home has affected their business.
Good idea,talking 2 developers might inspire something other than sequals/prequals.I think we all like 2 see a good story continue but sometimes u just want something new and completely different.
Got to say i Love the new CP(temporary as it is). it adds a falir to home never seen before. Up and till this moment this kind of gaming has taking the sidestage to things like little big planet, modnation racer and other more youthful titles. in my humble opinion it’s good to see a more adult themed game make it’s mark on home, an i hope sony keeps going in this direction.
and who are you kidding Norse? you helped me strap the semtex all around CP! then we stole that mustang from the ford dealership behind the big screen, made our getaway, and hit the trigger. those poor Helghan tourists just happened to be in the way. hope we didn’t start something…
Shhhh…we don’t need Sony to know that we’re secretly the ones behind CP’s destruction. This is only the prelude to something much, MUCH BIGGER! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! MUAAAAAAAA-HAHAHAHAHA--
Oh, sorry, wrong forum.
You do bring up a point about Sony introducing a more mature element to Home; this certainly isn’t a space I’d bring the kiddies to. Now, when CP turns into the My Little Pony show, then yes, they can come back. Because we’ll be busy wiring the Gamer’s Lounge.
There was something similar of the redressing of the Plaza space on Australian Home where they redressed it to look like a graveyard during the halloween celebrations, i thought that was cool, but.. nothing on THIS scale! awesome and i loved the minigame, tho it should of given you a settings options as I wasn’t so keen on the inverted controls. :S
EXT/ DAY -- CENTRAL PLAZA
TITLES: 2032
The Sun is eclipsed into red mist, dark HELGHAN DROPSHIPS pass overhead. Their searchlights spread across a scorchen earth below. There had been better days..
Hidden in darkness, away from view, three RESISTENCE fighters NORSE, TENCHU and BURBIE slowly make their way through the wreckage. At the corner of his eye, Norse spots a HELGHAN SNIPER perched high upon a rooftop.
NORSE
EVERYBODY DOWN..
They dive for cover as the Crack of GUNFIRE erupts.