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[li]Be Rockstar San Diego.[/li][li]First, create an excellent table tennis simulation. Make sure it has excellent graphics, physics, sound effects and player models. Ensure it really captures the spirit of the real game, and provides a fun, challenging experience.[/li][li]Consult with company MBAs, and determine that it “needs more cowbell”.[/li][li]In this case, conclude that “cowbell” means a super, Steve Austin, Matrix-y Max Payne “bullet time” slo-mo mode called “focus”.[/li][li]Preferably, make it so whenever the computer player is a few points behind, a whooshing sound is heard, the computer player goes into Super Power Rangers! mode, and kicks your ass with ridiculous shots.[/li][li]Just in case the human player might have a chance against a CPU ping pong champion running at the speed of silicon, be sure to immobilize the human player while the computer player takes his shot in oh-so-cool slo-mo. As any game designer knows, it’s really fun for a human player to have his character paralyzed while the computer gets ready to kick his ass.[/li][li] Profit![/li][/ol]
Seriously, Rockstar…WTF?! I loved this game until I discovered the focus crap. It feels like table tennis (I’ve played the real game for many years). So whose bright idea was it to ruin it, yes, ruin it, with this focus “feature”? Did a bunch of suits get together (a focus group? :smack: ) and decide it needed more Matrix elements to attract the Street Fighter crowd? After all, it’s just ping pong, right? How about adding a few Mortal Kombat-style “fatalities” when one player beats another? Or even power ups? A bat that fires missiles! Exploding ball! Yeah! A bat that barks, and when it barks bees come out of its mouth! Or even leave a few GTA-type weapons lying around…first player to grab the rocket launcher wins!
And it was a blast, too.