Guy Cocker

This is Start/Select, a new show that I’ve been doing for GameSpot UK. We’re now on episode five, with the latest edition seeing us transported to Montreal for a first look at Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 and Far Cry 2. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be invited to see Rockstar London for a first play on Grand Theft Auto IV. This was an occasion in itself — Rockstar never allows journalists to play a GTA game ahead of release. But regardless of the game, Rockstar has to be commended as a publisher that really knows how to show off its games.

For anyone who isn’t privy to the world of games journalism and/or PR, here’s how a typical preview event goes down. You and an assembled throng of journalists will be invited to a central-London location. There, you’ll be given a short introduction by the game’s designers, after which there’ll be the chance to ask some questions. If you’re lucky, or the game is due for imminent release, you’ll get to play on the game while anxious PRs look over your shoulder to make sure you’re not breaking anything. You may also have the chance to have a one-on-one interview, although you’ll invariably have to wait around for the publisher to fit you in.

Rockstar works differently. When they invite you to see their game, they invite you personally and put you in a dark room with an awesome home cinema setup. They spend ages with you (two and a half hours with GTA IV), talking you through everything they’re showing you and answering any questions along the way. They give you time to explore at your leisure, allowing you to have an experience that’s different to everyone else who’s played the game. They even have bowls of sweets lying around in case you need a sugar hit. There’s a passion and a buzz about everything Rockstar does, and while it obviously helps when you have one of the most anticipated games of the year, the way they demo things serves as an example to the rest of the industry.

Sadly I can’t talk about anything from the game itself as it’s all under embargo, but rest assured, the coverage will be up on GameSpot in the next couple of weeks. Instead, I’ll leave you with some random shots that I took from the company’s office. Sorry they’re a bit…rubbish, but the office itself is pretty secretive.

I’m going through a real cherry scone phase at the moment. I love making them for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, just like today in fact.

I got the recipe from my mum, who says that they’re actually more like rock buns. Got any good scone/cake/weekend lunch recipes? Let me know!

Ingredients

• 8 ozs plain flour
• 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
• 3 ozs butter
• 1 oz caster sugar
• 3 ozs cherries
• 4 fluid ozs of milk

Mix the flour, baking powder and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add caster sugar and cherries( cut into halves or quarters) and mix in approximately 4 fluid ozs of milk. Bring the mixture together with a fork into a ball (do not overwork). The mixture should be soft but not sloppy. Take off small amounts, slightly less than ball of your hand, and roll gently around in your hand until scone shaped. Place on the baking sheet and bake in over at 200 degrees centigrade for approximately 10-15 minutes until well risen and golden in colour. Look at the bottom of the scone to make sure it is cooked. It should look and feel firm to the touch. Serve whilst still warm with butter and jam and, of course, a nice cup of tea!

This week I was lucky enough to interview games industry legend and all-round nice guy Jon Hare for the GameSpot UK podcast. In it, he talks about Cannon Fodder and Sensible Soccer, working with Nintendo, and his general opinion on the state of gaming. Anyone with a passing interest in the UK games industry should check it out.

I’m now back in the UK after my first trip to Australia. I managed to fit in Melbourne, Sydney and Port Douglas during my three weeks there — full photographic evidence is available on Flickr.