In life, whatever we do affects the future. For every action there is a consequence, and for every decision, a resulting outcome. In the past, role playing games have been a fitting portrayal of their titled genre. In a role playing game, the player "plays" the role of a character in a distant, forgiving world. Usually, no matter how complex the environment is, the player is steered down a somewhat linear path. The game\'s outcome will always be the same no matter who is playing the role of the lead character. Project Ego is a title that will change all of this. Though categorized as a role playing game, Project Ego is actually a real life experience. Created by Peter Molyneaux, the mastermind behind such massive titles as Populous, Black & White, and the upcoming Xbox title BC, Project Ego is being developed by Big Blue Box in the UK. This is a game that cannot be classified into any group or genre, for it is a boundary-breaking adventure that no gamer has ever experienced before.
Project Ego is so complex and so comprehensive, that appropriately describing this game is like trying to explain life itself. You enter the world of Project Ego as a 15 year old male or female, living contently with your family in your home. This comfortable life is shattered as quickly as you become a part of it. After going to town on a errand for your parents, you come home to find your world changed in an instant. Your parents have been slain, and you will take this trauma with you, and choose the manner in which you want to live the rest of your life. From now on, every single decision you make or action you take will affect every aspect of your life and your world. Will you choose a path of heroic righteousness or of vengeful evil? If there is something which you desire, you can wound, kill, or maim the bearer of the desired item. But be warned; the self-serving decisions that you make will haunt you. Be it in the form of loneliness due to the world\'s fear of you, or be it in the form of a past victim or foe who desires the personal satisfaction of the taking of your selfish life. As rumor of your cruelty and dishonor spreads, expect to be feared and hated everywhere you go. If you choose to live a noble life, never harming an innocent and partaking in courageous deeds and honorable acts, you will be exalted and endeared. Choosing a life of valor will bring you fame and legend. Enter a town to the tune of songs and tales of your heroic feats. In time your myth will become larger than your actual persona. Engage in conversations with passers-by who give you the utmost reverence. Watch as little children choose imitation as a form of admiration. Living your life righteously will mould you into the most beloved figure in the land.
Even the clothes you wear will affect the way in which people view you. Dressing poorly will cause people to look down upon you and think less of you. While dressing meticulously in fine clothing will be an impetus for others to admire you. Doing generous deeds for people may return to you later in life, and harmful deeds may return to you as well. Your actions will cause changes in the environment also. For instance, if you plant a seed, the corresponding type of tree will grow to be a tall shade-giver in years to come. Each delicate flower and each blade of grass which you step upon, and every creatures life which you take will have an indelible effect on the environment.
As time goes by, you will grow from a pubescent teenager to a dying old creature. All along the course of your life, you will make decisions that will affect the time of your death. Stay healthy, work hard, increase your strength, and your muscles will actually grow. Follow this path and you will live a long healthy life. But choose an alternate course and the outcome will be dramatically different. Remain weak and indulge in food and liquor, and you will become a lethargic, lush glutton. Choose this path and your life may be short-lived and plagued with illness. But there are no two identical ways in which to live your life. Every little thing you do will affect your life and make you a unique individual. If you enjoy working out in the warmth of the sun, you will become a strong muscle-bound person with a golden tan. On the other hand, if you enjoy relaxing indoors, your skin will become a pallor white, while your body becomes weak and fragile. If you receive a wound, or injure yourself, the result will be a scar of size and shape unique to your laceration. You may even choose to mark your body so that your appearance becomes even more unique.
As time passes, and you grow older, your body and face will age accordingly. As you mature from a teen to an adult, your body will fill out and take shape. Young men will grow facial hair and body hair, while women\'s hair will grow long as they mature. You can choose your haircut and style, and shave your beard if it becomes unruly or you want to maintain a more clean cut image. As time goes by, the effects of age will become apparent on you. Your hair will turn gray, and your strength will diminish ever so slowly. While your face starts to wrinkle, beginning with fine lines and ending in a very aged, mature appearance. Your eyes may no longer shine quite as brightly as they did in your youth, and your hands will show the work they endured, or lack thereof. Your hairline may even begin to recede if you partook in mentally stressful tasks. Everything you do in life will take its toll on your body, and determine the nearness of your death.
Project Ego allows you to truly live life. You can court and choose your wife of husband, and become a parent. But live your life wisely, as your decisions and actions will shape your children and determine the way they view you and what kind of persons they become. You will be responsible for the way you treat your spouse and the way you handle your children. They will grow older as you grow older and will learn to love, hate, fear, or respect you - or perhaps all of the above.
As in life, you will be able to learn a variety of attacks and fighting skills. Choose to delve into the mystical realm with powerful spells, or put your muscles to use with traditional sword fighting techniques. Whatever form of fighting you choose will also affect your character\'s appearance and longevity.
Prepare to step into reality. Look all around you and be a part of living, breathing nature. Watch as the sun glistens on the nearby water, and as it lends its beams to trees which cast their shadows upon the land. Every petal on every flower, every leaf on every tree, and every blade of grass react in turn to the changing environment; they are still on a calm quiet day, yet blow gently if a gust of wind propels their weight. All of the people in your world look real, with incredibly detailed faces, costumes, and movements. Be a part of this real world of people going about their daily business. Every minute detail on every character, creature, and living being is perfect. The houses, shops, and the environment itself are so realistic, that it is in essence, it is surreal. Graphically, Project Ego is a masterpiece. It is breathtaking, yet so real that you will find yourself so deep into the game, that you may not even notice the beauty, but simply accept it as real life.
Project Ego is not a role playing game; it is a life experience. Revolutionary in every aspect of the word, Project Ego cannot be formatted to any type of genre. It is a new breed of game that will have a dramatic impact on the entire videogame industry, gamers, and the way all people view video games. Never before have any of us been a part of the new conceptual dimension that Peter Molyneaux has ingeniously created. Project Ego is so true to life that it can be understood quite easily. All you need to do is reflect upon your own life, they way you age, the decisions you make, and the way you affect others and the world around you. Doing this will allow you to step into the realm of Project Ego - the realm of a new reality. This is a game that all gamers must play; not as a game, but as a new type of perceptual experience. Project Ego is being developed by Big Blue Box and is scheduled to have its cataclysmic effect on the Xbox in the Fall of 2002.
http://xboxactive.com/software/games/index.php?action=preview&ID=45I\'m hopeful that Peter Molyneaux,the mind behind titles as Black&White,will do a great job...I hope...
