Videogames in Lost
Lost is much talked about these days. First I hear that two of its writers are famously videogames writers before turning to scripts.. (although I can't find linkage to corroborate this). Then there's thoughtful murmuring that Lost itself is like a game.
Another thing Lost has done is reference videogames as a cultural pastime by showing them as part of an (almost) everyday scene. Four men sitting around in their flat, and there's a game on the TV, and pizza boxes on the table. Very sharp.
It's a bit of a shame that the four blokes are terrorists (well, and Sayid undercover) and OTT stereotyped, but that's a popular theme in US drama these days, it seems.
Extra points to anyone who can identify the game - is it Half Life?
Looks like Quake to me- but I never really made the transition to 3d games and am not certain of anything post Doom.
Posted by: ken | January 23, 2006 at 22:36
It's HL, but it looks a bit weird in widescreen.
Get a load of those repeating textures... woo.. remember when that was cutting edge?
Posted by: Shard | January 23, 2006 at 22:43
I don't recognize the level, and I'm not entirely sure about the weapon - it might be the assault shotgun from Half-Life.
The figure (creature?) definately looks like a headcrab zombie from HL, tho.
Posted by: gilbert | January 23, 2006 at 22:50
Yup, it's Half-Life, and (nerd-hat on) that's the shotgun mid-way through its pump-cycle.
I'm trying to work out if it's the PS2 or PC version of Half-Life; I'd veer towards the latter, because although it's on a TV (and stretched in widescreen), the status HUD is in the very bottom of the screen; it's a bit higher and more central on the PS2 version.
Posted by: tom | January 23, 2006 at 22:53
To add more fuel to the Half-Life fire: During the scene, one of the terrorists tells the guy playing to whip out "the crowbar."
Posted by: Justin Cognito | January 23, 2006 at 23:48
It is Half-Life. As I recall there's a two-line discussion of tactics that mentions zombies and just possibly head-crabs, or at least something's said that made me go, "They're talking about head-crabs" and my girlfriend go, "Shut up. Shut up."
Posted by: James Wallis | January 24, 2006 at 00:24
May 2005
http://blog.rebang.com/?p=197
"But then, after watching the season finale last night it hit me: maybe “Lost” is actually an ARG of some sort, or an MMORPG. It could really be nothing more than a documentary of a group of players engaged in a game not unlike Majestic."
Posted by: csven | January 24, 2006 at 00:49
If I remember correctly, there was an episode in season one with Walt complaining to Michael at the airport that he needed new batteries for his Gameboy Advance SP (which has it's own built in battery BTW).
Posted by: GameDeals.ca | January 24, 2006 at 09:33
I haven't had much time to look into it, but csven, there is a whole spinoff potential-ARG from Lost. Not that the show itself is an ARG, but that there is also an ARG (or proto-ARG) set in the same universe.
http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12593
http://www.accidentalscientist.com/2005/10/lost-arg.html
I found this stuff out a while ago when trying to figure out if there was going to be a Doctor Who ARG or not. Now that would be fun :)
Posted by: Jez | January 24, 2006 at 12:50
I've trackback'd my response in my blog entry, "More Lost Than Ever". Hope you enjoy my thoughts on this.
Posted by: csven | January 24, 2006 at 15:53