Horror video games scare up record sales.....

Horror video games scare up record sales
By Saudi Ali Fri Oct 30, 2009 

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - What do Jigsaw from "Saw," Freddy Krueger, and Jason from "Friday the 13th" all have in common, besides serial killing? Video games, if the horror stars' latest round of promotions are to be believed.

Horror video games are having a record year as zombies, monsters, demons, and chain-sawing wielding psychos fight against the consoles, making video games the new home of horror for some.

Michael Pachter, video-game analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securities, said about $147 million worth of horror video games have sold in the United States alone this year through September compared to $131 million in total for all of 2008.

Actor Kane Hodder, best known as the man behind Jason's mask in the "Friday the 13th" movies, believes scary games have an advantage over horror movies as disillusionment sets in with horror movie remakes and recycling old horror themes.

"Whenever horror movies do well, Hollywood always rushes more into theaters and people get a little burned out on them," said Hodder, who has worked in the videogame industry.

"But with games, there are fewer choices in the genre and they tend to be spaced out better."

With Halloween this week, movies like "Saw VI," "Paranormal State" and "Zombieland" are luring audiences seeking a scare to the movie theaters.

Haunted attractions have also risen across the United States, with these increasingly high-tech venues doing everything possible to make a scary scenario seem real, which includes hiring actors to jump out at people and using theatrical sets.

HORROR IN YOUR HANDS

But actor Robert Englund, who played Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films, said video games gave horror-seekers a different experience.

"Halloween gives fans the chance to dress up in costumes and celebrate horror, but video games are the best way for fans to actually participate in these worlds," he told Reuters.

For those looking for virtual scares this Halloween, there are some new options. Konami Digital Entertainment and Zombie Studios just released "Saw" on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in tandem with the new movie that features killer Jigsaw putting his victims in deadly contraptions to torture them.

"The game, itself, is very "Saw"-like because you get to make a bunch of different choices," explained actor Tobin Bell, who plays Jigsaw in the new game and the six films in the series.

"Of course, the choices have consequences, which is very much like the films. What's interesting for fans is that the game is set between the first and second films, so it will be a new experience for them."

However the monster of the horror video game genre remains Capcom's "Resident Evil 5," which was launched on Friday, March 13, this year.  Continued...

Netflix will boost if video game team up...

Edited by Saudi Ali, 27.10.2009
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2009
HOT RESEARCH AM
Videogame Team Up Would Boost Netflix

Netflix (NFLX: Nasdaq) By Wedbush Morgan Securities ($49.63, Oct. 23, 2009)

THIRD-QUARTER EARNINGS per share well above expectations, as Netflix (ticker: NFLX) exceeded guidance on every metric. Revenue was $423 million, compared with our estimate of $424 million and the consensus estimate of $420 million. Netflix ended the quarter with 11.1 million subscribers, compared with our estimate of 11.0 million. EPS was 52 cents, compared with our and consensus estimates of 45 cents.

The company's third-quarter guidance was for revenue of $416 million-$422 million, ending subscribers of 10.9 million-11.1 million, and EPS of 39 cents-47 cents.

The company raised 2009 ...

buy two and get one from Best Buy promotion.

Buy two and get one free is the latest offer by Best Buy stores.
edited by: Saudi Ali 23.10.2009


From this Sunday (October 25th), Best Buy is hosting a buy-two-get-one-free sale on any game under $59.99.

Handily, “any game under $59.99″ essentially means any game, aside from those pricey Rock Band/DJ Hero/Guitar Hero bundles, so it’s a bit of a good deal, really. You can even buy games from different platforms, and Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii games are all part of the deal.

I recall the store did this last year and got a stellar reaction from consumers. A repeat in 2009 will mean we get to feast on cheap games again in 2010, so get your wallets out, people.

an interview with the video game creator

Miami Shark: An Interview With the Videogame's Creator...
1
The Naked Carpet King Gets a Spray-Paint Facelift
2
Costumes Based on Miami's Spookiest Celebrities
3
Miami Shark: An Interview With the Videogame's Creator
By Dave Landsberger in Flotsam
Wed., Oct. 21 2009 @ 9:20AM

If you haven't yet played or heard of Miami Shark, allow us to set the scene: You are a shark in the waters surrounding Miami. You are angry and hungry. You eat flocks of ducks and people, and soar into the air to drag airplanes into the ocean. Explosions ensue. Basically, Miami Shark is the greatest videogame ever.

The game was developed by Felix Wiesner (Wiesi), a Flash artist who calls Hamburg, Germany, his home. Miami New Times recently probed the mind of the developer to find out more about this insane game.

New Times: What was the inspiration behind Miami Shark?

Wiesi: One day I was trying random words on Google Picture search and stumbled over a pretty famous fake photo from 2002 which shows a great white shark attacking an Air Force Hawk helicopter and I thought, Wow, this is hilarious; I have to make a game out of this!


Dave Landsberger
A re-creation of the famous shark/helicopter photo.


Not many flash or console games (with the obvious exception of GTA Vice City) are set in Miami. What led you to set the game in Miami? Do you have any personal connection to the city?

I think I just loved the idea of a cruel shark in an environment where most people in the world relate to paradise and sunshine. Besides, I am a huge fan of the '80s, the Miami Vice style, and so I tried to tie it all together.

The backgrounds in Miami Shark are a pretty realistic depiction of the architecture of the city and the overall look, aside from the UFOs, that is. What elements of the city were you trying to capture in the backgrounds and overall art direction of the game?

Basically, I took my inspiration from pictures you get when you use search words like Miami mansion on the Internet. I myself have never been in Miami before, so I am happy to hear that the game pretty much nailed the look.

In the YouTube clip, which runs a beta version of the game, you can hear Will Smith's "Miami" in the background. I'm assuming this was left out due to copyright reasons? If you ever were to make a sequel to Miami Shark, what would you like to add to the game? Were there any features of the game you had to leave out?

Yeah, I had to leave that song out; otherwise Will would have sued me, I guess. If I make a sequel, which is likely, I think I will add some beach environment with a lot of people standing there and screaming in horror and stuff. Also, there will be completely new aircraft and other things to attack and pull out of the sky, but that remains a secret for now.

What is the awesomely Miami-sounding music playing at the title screen?

That song is called "Galactic Race" by Benanderson. You can find the long version on the audio portal of newgrounds.com, where people submit their homemade songs. (Direct link here.)

Is there anything in the world cooler than dragging a stealth bomber into the ocean as a shark?

Yes, there is. You will see in Miami Shark 2!

Dave Landsberger
Shark > NASA


Wiesi, we here at New Times believe you sure have set the bar dang high.

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Default Game/Anime/Movie OSTs in your iPod
...so what OSTs do you listen to?

here's my list

Metal Gear Solid
Xenogears
Tekken 3
Street Fighter EX+@
Metal Gear Solid 4

Gundam 00
Gundam Seed
Gundam Wing
Rurouni Kenshin

Transformers 1 & 2

...and i'll be getting Tenchu soon
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Old 10-18-2009, 04:37 PM #2
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Super Mario 64
The Witcher
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Ghost in the Shell (3 movies, 2 seasons)
Dragon Ball Z
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The Rock
Terminator 1, 2
Predator
Commando
Advent Children

From the top of my head.
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NBA Live video game will definitely getting better...

Electronic Arts, Graphics, Animation & Game play is the reason why NBA Live generally having bad reputation every year.The Electronics did not fix this 'arcades' feel for years resulting ingrained which served the major downfall to the series. I remember playing Live 2004. They had a nice soundtrack, but the game itself was freakishly NBA Hangtime. Here are the problems that plagued Live ever since 2K came out.

Written by:Saudi Ali - Bio info: Saudi Ali is a regular basketball junkie who pays top dollar for NBA League Pass who currently resides in California. Saudi’s goal is to bring some real fan noise and unnecessary PR (...) More

Flagrant Foul (most popular)
2008-2009 Top 20 NBA Fantasy (...)

Derrick Rose’s Rookie Year: (...)

NBA 2K vs NBA LIVE

more...


Electronic Arts’ NBA Live generally gets a bad reputation every year.
By Saudi Ali

10.19.2009 - Updated on 10.19.2009

Why does NBA Live always get trashed by the general videogame community by default? This was a questioning plaguing me for years now. I couldn’t figure out many of the reasons why this train of thought has become the “go-to” conclusion for the series. Why? With all things, I had to travel back to the day when the Sega Dreamcast made its’ debut in late 1999. Anyone remember those days? The NBA 2K series was released around that same time, too. Allen Iverson was still torching up the league with the corn rows sporting the Philly Sixers gear. How time flies eh?

Graphics – Live was holding it down for awhile, but take one look at 2K’s graphics engine evolving and then we notice that EA has some catching up to do. I can’t describe it. They just look better right down to the facial expressions. Even the faces themselves on the models are closer to their real life counterparts.

Animation – 2K’s animation moves a lot more realistic than Live’s disjointed action figures. Most players dribble the rock in a similar fashion in Live. This is still noticeable.

Gameplay – The game feels too “arcade.” This is supposed to be simulation basketball. I didn’t pay to play NBA Jam. If I wanted that, I can just play it on my MAME emulator. Electronic Arts did not fix this “arcade” feel for years. This became ingrained with the series. This is their major downfall right here. I remember playing Live 2004. They had a nice soundtrack, but the game itself was freakishly NBA Hangtime.

Despite those two things distracting the gamers, those things do no destroy the game. The decade long dominance of NBA 2K really put Live in the backseat. That type of dominance somewhat destroyed Live’s significance, but I’ll address the true problem of EA’s flagship basketball series. This is the one thing that turned off former fans.

There were also games before NBA 2K that gave EA a run for their money such as Kobe Bryant’s Courtside, NBA Shootout, and NBA In the Zone. Those series did not last long because they didn’t strive to improve the game unlike EA’s Live. I’m pretty sure they didn’t get to improve due to lack of support from the company. Nonetheless, 2K came around and changed everything.

In retrospect, competition is a great thing between the two series since we get to observe differences. Think about it; if the NBA ever gave this up just like how the NFL let Electronic Arts rape the football license then that means we are in huge trouble. Madden is just a bunch of roster updates. That’s pretty much it. Live could have been that way, too. Here is the good news: NBA Live is somewhat back. They’re almost on par with 2K. Give them another year or two and they’ll eventually over take them. The gap between the two series is closing. That’s a great thing. NBA 2K10 has more problems compared to their past games from frame rate issues, My Player problems, and “in the paint” battles are too easy. Kudos to the EA crew who worked on Live 10 because based on Metacritic’s overall review, Live is getting an 80 while 2K10 is averaging an 83.






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The Ultimate Multiplayer experience Title: Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls: The ultimate multiplayer experience. edited by : saudi
9 hours ago - 2:30 PM on 10.19.2009, Saudi Ali    

Demon's Souls: The ultimate multiplayer experience photo
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[Editor's Note: We're not just a (rad) news site -- we also publish opinions/editorials from our community & employees like this one, though be aware it may not jive with the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on our community blogs.]

For quite some time I didn't know what, exactly, I wanted to say about From Software's RPG Demon's Souls, but I knew I wanted to say something. That's one of the most amazing things about this game. It makes you talk about it. It makes you think about it. You'll be at work, trying to concentrate on business, but in your mind you're just plotting out new strategies and approaches to the game's many and varied obstacles.

Demon's Souls is a bleak game, set in a dead world. It's a game about loneliness and desolation, madness and loss. Yet never in a videogame have I ever felt such comradery, let alone in a game as alienating as this one. It's incredibly curious to note that nearly all RPGs are lonely games for lonely people, yet along comes perhaps the most isolating and forsaking RPG of them all and I don't feel lonely at all when playing it.

I now know what I want to say about Demon's Souls, a videogame that may not act like a multiplayer game, yet has more multiplayer spirit than any round of Halo could even imagine possessing. Read on to find out how Demon's Souls delivers its ultimate message, and how it manages to be the ultimate multiplayer experience.

You should all know by now that Demon's Souls is a hard game. Much of the difficulty is more grinding repetition and trial-and-error than actual challenge, but there's no denying that some of the game's bosses require real strategy and dexterity to defeat. This game is one of the most hardcore experiences released in years, cut from the same cloth as Mega Man and Contra. A real old school game that reminds us just how easy we've had it for the past two generations.

Usually these are games I have no interest in. I don't like to feel punished for trying to enjoy a videogame, and I don't like games that force me to replay vast tracts of old ground each time I day. Demon's Souls, however, has a certain magic to it, some brilliant magnetism that keeps drawing one back into its dark and devastated world. Part of it is the fact that the methodical combat is intensely satisfying and brutal. Part of it is the fact that Demon's Souls' universe is incredible and fascinating. Most of all, however, I believe it's the fact that Demon's Souls constantly reminds you that you're not just one guy going up against this cruel, spiteful game. You're one guy of many, and you're all in this together.

Demon's Souls has plenty of monstrous baddies to conquer, but the true villain of the piece is the game itself. Demon's Souls is your enemy. It wants to be played on its own terms, and its terms are favorable to itself and nobody else. However, you do have things that the game does not -- moral support, community spirit and the knowledge that there are hundreds of people out there, just like you, struggling against the same great opponent. This isn't just a game, it's a full out assault, and you are one of many proud soldiers.

From Software added several wonderful in-game features to remind the player that they are not the only one suffering. When playing online, you will see ghostly spirits running around, attacking invisible foes, and doing things that you have either done, or are yet to do. These are other players, warring against their own version of Demon's Souls in real-time. As you struggle against a particularly nasty boss, you will see these spirits, reflections of other players, who are fighting that very same boss at the very same time as you. Your sympathies are with them and the sympathies of other players are with you.

The ghostly apparitions of other players could be taken as a metaphor if you want to get pretentious. It's a message from the game that others are with you "in spirit," that every hardship you face is being faced by countless peers right at that moment. Many is the time I have passed a ghost, and watched it go about its business for as long as it remains in my world, pondering what adventures it's faced and where it's headed next. The specters of other gamers serve as an inspiration, encouraging you by letting you know that there's a world full of Demon's Souls players out there, all striving to the same ends as you.

Driving home the idea of sympathy and comradery are the bloodstains. When a player dies, they leave a pool of blood behind that contains a recording of their final actions. Visible in the worlds of other players, the stains can be activated and they'll replay these last acts, giving off a clue as to how they died. While there is an obvious tactical advantage to this, giving players an idea of where traps and sneak attacks may spring from, the stains also reinforce the concept of shared suffering and instill the feeling of empathy that keeps players invested in the Demon's Souls experience.

The game lets you know that, no matter how many times you die, you're not to feel like something is wrong with you. It's not a lack of skill that killed you as much as a lack of preparation. You weren't ready for what the game threw at you and, judging by the fact that you're surrounded by representations of your fellow players' deaths, you're not the only one who keeps getting slaughtered. It's positive reinforcement through negative feedback. Not a single portion of the game is without a puddle of somewhere, from the first world to the last, and even in the Nexus, where some poor sod fell off a high ledge or got punched to death by Blacksmith Boldwin because he felt like killing some NPCs.

Then, of course, we have the messages. Demon's Souls has a very wide selection of pre-written messages that players can select and then leave on the ground throughout the course of their adventure. These messages will then show up in other peoples' games, and they are predominantly used as warnings, letting others know of upcoming traps, ambushes, or useful items. Malevolent players might also attempt to lure gamers into danger or guide them off cliffs.

Interestingly, I have very rarely come across notes designed to trick me. I am sure more exist, and I'm certain players have been fooled by other people, but the majority of messages have been put there in good spirit. Most Demon's Souls players truly want to help each other out, and I've even had my life saved a few times with a handy "Behind You" message, helping me avoid an arrow ballista or a sneaky assassin.

Players can rate messages that they find useful, and whenever a message is rated, the person who left it is rewarded with full HP regeneration. There are even messages that say, "I'm in trouble -- please rate this message," allowing players to essentially heal others who are in dire straits. I have very rarely come across one of these messages that lack at least a few ratings, and this tells me that the community spirit of Demon's Souls is a very healthy one indeed. For the most part, this is a game that unites people -- and they can't even talk to each other properly!

This sense of community continues outside of the game as well. Demon's Souls is a game that often requires the counsel of others. There are certain things in this RPG that you'd never know without being told. For example, if you face the Penetrator demon without having fulfilled other objectives, you will most likely get eviscerated. However, how will you know that without being told? In most games, this would be considered a complete failure of game design. In Demon's Souls, however, it's all part of the experience. Learning the game's many secrets and then sharing that knowledge with others seems to be at the very heart of the game.

In Demon's Souls, there's no shame in asking for advice and getting told where to go next. It's a game in which you must survive any way you can, whether that's flicking through a guide or asking someone where to find some weapon upgrade material. Anecdotes and the passing of wisdom are what keeps people in the game, plugging away at the many cruel enemies and vicious traps. If you get two Demon's Souls players together in the same room, their conversation could last for hours as they compare notes, discuss battle strategies and recount many, many horror stories.

Demon's Souls does include some more traditional multiplayer elements, namely PvP and limited co-op. However, these "real" multiplayer options seem almost totally unwarranted in comparison to all the amazing things the game does elsewhere with its online servers. While certainly welcome (many players rely on co-op to deal with tough bosses), it's ironic that these "real" multiplayer elements manage to lack the same sense of community that the single-player mode does.

Demon's Souls is, predominantly, a single-player game. It's true, certainly, that games such as Halo or Killzone have far superior multiplayer modes, because that's what they're designed for. However, this is less about gameplay and more about capturing what it means to play with hundreds of people from around the world, connected by little more than a concept. To me, the Halos and Killzones of the world certainly have the gameplay part down perfectly, but the community? Not so much. The sense of "us vs. them" that Demon's Souls encourages is inspiring and truly brilliant, and provides a multiplayer experience that feels so much more alive and engaging than your average frag-fest or action game with a forced co-op mode.

That's why Demon's Souls is the ultimate multiplayer experience, and something I don't think will be topped for quite some time.






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The best anime movie title: King of Thorn

This is the best ever anime movie produced by a very creative Director. The time and effort they have taken to produce this movie will definitely give a fun and interesting impact to the movie lover.

By: Saudi                                                                              King of Thorn Film to Run in London on October 24

posted on 2009-10-17 23:58 EDT

Also at Sci-Fi-London Octoberfest: Eva 1.0, Time of Eve, Sky Crawlers, Eureka 7 film

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The Sci-Fi-London Octoberfest 2009 event will screen Kazuyoshi Katayama's anime film adaptation of Yuji Iwahara's King of Thorn manga on October 24 at London's Apollo Piccadilly Circus theater. King of Thorn's story follows Kasumi, a girl who was infected by a pandemic virus along with her twin sister Shizuku. Kasumi — but not Shizuku — was chosen to be among 160 people placed into cryogenic suspension until a cure is found. The 160 wake up in the dark future populated by monsters, and Kasumi must survive while she searches for clues on what happened to the world and her sister. Even though the film held its world premiere at Spain's Sitges Film Festival on October 9, it has yet to open in Japan.
The event will also screen the British premieres of Hideaki Anno and Khara's Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Jo), Yasuhiro Yoshiura and Studio Rikka's Time of Eve net anime, Mamoru Oshii and Production I.G's The Sky Crawlers, and Tomoki Kyoda and Sunrise's Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers -.
Image © Yuji Iwahara, Enterbrain, Inc./Ibara Committee
© Khara

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News & Forum invitation on Video Game/Classic Video Games

 THIS IS THE LATEST NEWS AND FORUM INVITATION ON VIDEO GAME.

As our children is growing up, video games gave them a big impact on positive and negative side of it. No doubt the games playing will keep their brain working but on the negatives side our children will be isolated from the outside world as this is indoor games. They will definitely dont have any outdoor games which can make them sweating under the sun and most of their times will be spent inside their room and this will soon affect our future society as they never mixed around even with their own neighbour. It will also affect their study, homework and health as children spent hours and having sleepless night. There are also cases where children turn to be in an anger mood as this is due to their failure in their video games playing against computer.


Well i do hope that everybody out there will give some comment and useful assistance in terms of positive and negatives side of this video game and also real experience faced while bringing up their children in this dynamic modern world so that it could lead us to a better society. edited by: Saudi.

What makes the video game scarry....

Review                        How does it becomes scarry...

Operatio By : Saudi

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  What Makes A Video Game Scary

  By AJ Glasser, 11:40 AM on Mon Oct 12 2009, 18,531 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)
  

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  How can a video game be scary? Unlike horror movies where you're stuck watching some hapless victim succumb to scary stuff, video games empower players to fight back. Or at least run away. It's October. Time to identify horror-gaming's essentials.
  Some of the scariest experiences I've had in my life come from video games. I can remember running from the family computer room in tears after a wax skeleton in an Are You Afraid of the Dark game chased me through a basement.
  My chest still gets tight whenever I hear a burst of radio static, thanks to Silent Hill.
  And there is this one scene in Dead Space that gives me goose bumps whenever I think about it.
  Horror in video games is more complex that what goes on in horror movies. True, the feeling of terror you're supposed to experience is similar. Scary video games and movies both rely heavily on pacing, shocking imagery and music. However, games are an interactive experience. There are consequences for the player that nobody in a darkened movie theater could relate to. Horror games need gameplay elements that don't distract you, level design that leads you into danger in ways you can't predict and art direction that plays with your head so that you buy into what you're experiencing instead of rationalizing it away as "just a game."
  
  Scare Tactics: Dead Space
  Here's how a game can use its gameplay, level design and art direction to utterly freak you out: see Dead Space. In this game, you're a space mechanic stranded on a ship overrun with creepy, crawly aliens. On a superficial level, it's no different than a zombie shoot-em-up game. However, there is so much going on at a deeper level in Dead Space that it creates a multifaceted horror experience.
  For example, art director Ian Milham explains that the use of differed lighting over a setting that looks like the inside of a rib cage was a big part of making Dead Space scary. "In a horror game, when you're walking around, you walk slower than … in a shooter game," he says. "You look at the world a lot more intently because you don't know where [enemies] are and you get kind of spooked out. So the ribbed motif created hard scissor-lines in the background and moving shadows — there's a lot for the light to play across."
  
  The effect creates the scene that gives me goosebumps. You're walking down a hall where all you see is harsh shadows. Then you round a corner and see a mutilated person banging their head against the wall. The light from a nearby doorway plays across the gray steel wall and the red, ragged flesh hanging from the man's torso. The image is so shocking that for a moment you don't realize what's happening to this person. Then he shifts backward and slams his head against the wall so hard his skull cracks and he falls down dead. His smashed head leaves a red smear on the gray wall.
  That part of the game stuck with me almost more than the creepy aliens that still retain fragments of the human bodies they took over. It's beyond scary to me — it's flat-out disturbing.
  "Scary is the result of lot of things," Milham says. "The first thing you've got to do is give the world and what happens in it consequence and reality and make it super-grounded. So … when you see something terrible, you really believe it in a way [that you don't normally believe with a video game]."
  A big challenge the Dead Space team had to face was making you believe that you were powerless as the main character – even though you're able to make him run away from danger or shoot aliens with space weapons. "One of the things I said [to the design team] is ‘No Final Fantasy effects with weapons,'" says Milham. "If you're too fantastic with something, you don't really believe it. All the scary stuff just kind of goes away."
  
  Head Games: Arkham Asylum
  Here's another game that can freak you out, even though it's not a horror game: Batman: Arkham Asylum. In this game, you're following a story based on familiar characters from a comic book series with an established history. Batman seems nearly invulnerable because of his high-tech gadgets and rippling muscles. But then you encounter a character called the Scarecrow who employs mind tricks to weaken Batman. Okay, fine, that's canon — but the Scarecrow level design in Arkham Asylum isn't just playing with Batman's head. It's playing with yours.
  "During the Scarecrow levels we wanted to provide a constant sense of tension and vulnerability, as if they're constantly just inches from the Scarecrow's grasp," explains Jamie Whitworth, designer on Arkham Asylum. "We compared this to common scenes in slasher flicks when the protagonist is attempting to hide from the villain whilst both characters are in the shot and would usually end in a panic stricken dash to safety."
  But unlike a slasher flick where you're yelling at the dumb bimbo to run or call 9-1-1, you're the one responsible for getting Batman through the levels unscathed. You see him cough and know he's been Fear Gassed by Scarecrow. Then the lighting begins to change and the long corridor down which you're walking skews to one side. Little by little as you walk down the hall, the pieces of the realistic setting fall away to reveal things you know can't be true — like rain falling inside a building. But your eyes are still seeing them. The gameplay communicates to your hands that, yes, that is, in fact, a gap you can fall through in the floor. You believe the upsetting things you start to see: such as a weeping person who sometimes appears as Batman and sometimes appears as an Arkham patient, depending on the light.
  
  "[D]ropping players directly into the surreal Scarecrow levels wouldn't have provided the necessary set up and it was easy to lose the sense of dread when these rooms were taken out of context," says Whitworth. "The hallucination sequences were used to chip away at the player's confidence and sense of reality so that they were on the edge before Scarecrow even shows up."
  The overall effect is unnerving in a way that's similar to that hallway scene in Dead Space, if ultimately a lot less disturbing.
  Lingering Fear
  Horror in video games is both a tangible sensation and abstract emotion. Unlike a movie, which can only appeal to a limited spectrum of those senses at a time, the horror we experience in video games can come at us both from what we see and experience and what our minds supply us with as we play. When done right, it leaves a lasting impression on a player... like a scar on the mind you worry at whenever the lights go out.
  That's probably the best tool developers have to work with when making their games scary: your own mind.
  "A lot of the horror comes from not knowing what's coming next, that sort of endless tension," Milham says. "You set up rhythms where you do an obvious scare with obvious foreshadowing and then you do another. And then you do the foreshadowing and you don't [scare them], and you wait a couple beats longer just long enough for them to go ‘Oh you guys, you were going to scare me and then you didn't.' And then... OH MY GOD!"
  
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