If there is something you could change about nextgen gaming

[swlovinist]

I would love to hear from my fellow gamers about the current direction of gaming. I personally have mixed feelings of the new generation of video games. I am an avid atari collector as well as gaming in general. I currently own all the new systems as well as 30 "previous" systems. How can the nextgen gaming be changed????

[EnemyZero]

Personally, my favorite generations in gaming was with Genesis and Saturn, 16 and 32 bit days....how much more can consoles possibly progress?? if they stopped with what they have now id be happy...if sony dropped off the earth id be happy, the good old days when it was sega and nintendo duking it out, if they went back to making masses of new games for genesis, snes, and whatever id buy them, x-box can stay, personally right now its my favorite system because it reminds me so much of sega. Well I'm done ranting :/

[Dahne]

The best change would be to stop the 3D fixation.

Sure, it's nice for some games, but I wish some companies had the guts to make a game 2D that would obviously be better off that way (*coughsuikodenIIIcough*). Some very impressive things would be done for a sidescroller with today's hardware.

[Gamereviewgod]

Online gaming has to go. Yeah, I know, a ton of you probably love it, but from a collectors standpoint, what good will Phantasy Star Online be for the 'Box in a few years??? I mean, all of these games will have parts of them that won't even be asscessible in a few years. Yuck.

[Bratwurst]

The best change would be to implement USB and forget all that proprietary crap for controller plugs, devices, etc. etc. but nooooooooo...

[maxlords]

I would like to see a return to a focus on gameplay OVER graphics. Frankly, much as 3D is neat, it seems like the designers focus more on design than on play mechanics and gameplay. Sure, the games are pretty, but where's the fun factor? I can't just pick up and play games as easily with the new generation as I could with the old.

Also, for RPGs....STOP REDESIGNING THE INTERFACES!!!! I'm so bloody tired of having to learn entirely new and "novel" battle systems every time I try a new RPG! They also need to learn that "100 hours of gameplay" doesn't make a game any more fun than 20 hours of gameplay. Tedious item collection in games is disgustingly rampant, especially in the side-quest ridden RPG genre.

Expense is also bad. Memory cards for PS2...double the price for PS1? Why? Controllers...more expensive, hardware, less reliable. how often did you buy a new SNES or Genesis and have it break down? Not too all fired often!

Finally...3D cameras. Someone needs to go to MS, Nintendo, and Sony, and FORCE them to not release games if they have crappy cameras. Games with bad cameras should not be allowed to hit the market at all..it's pathetic!

[IntvGene]

I agree with all that's been said here, but I also think that they need to get simpler. Look at the bloody PS2 and Xbox controllers! It's all unnecessary. I think a joystick needs four buttons maximum... not ten! I hate the fact that if someone comes over to my place, they can't just pick up the controller and play like in the old days. I've got to teach them the controls, the combos and everything. Games these days are all over-done.

Gameplay will have to come back around sooner or later. Look at the games now, we've pretty much hit a graphical limit haven't we? They look pretty damn real to me. So, soon enough, the companies are going to have to start thinking about making the game more fun again.

I really dislike the online play. It is going to kill collecting for me. All of the MMORPGs are going to be useless once they cut the server. There is a possiblity that someone brings out a program to host a server on future technology so that older games can be played, but it is highly doubtful and very speculative. I have yet to buy an online-only game just because I don't want to support them, and don't plan on buying any in the future either.

[buttasuperb]

More 2D games.

More fighters online.

That is all.

[BenT]

The world needs more high-resolution 2D games.

3D is fine too, but there needs to be some semblance of balance.

[Captain Wrong]

I have to agree with gameplay over graphics. Seems like back in the day when graphics were limited, designers had to be creative with the gameplay to draw gamers in. Not to say that there weren't turds released back then too, but it seems like the level of gameplay was just higher then. There was no such thing as an "interactive movie" type of game (laserdisc arcade games aside.)

Too many games just seem to be built more on wowing you with graphics than wowing you with gameplay. And saddly that seems to be how gamers today like it.

Realy 2D gaming on current consoles needs to happen. Not SNES ports on the GBA, I'm talking full on 128 bit 2D. There have been some stunners in the area of shmups (check Ikaruga and DoDonPachi 3) but we need more in other generas too (and Capcom arcade ports don't count, even though their NAOMI based games look pretty good.) I wanna see 2D maddness pushing these supposedly more powerful consoles to the limit.

I'd also really like to see a return to scores in games. Too many games are just a rush to the end or to collect things. Well, any monkey with enough time (and a walk through perhaps) can make it to the end and collect all the baubles. I still say the only way to really gauge your skill on a game is through score.

I'd like to see a return of hard (not cheap) games. It seems like too many games pander these days. Trying to make everyone feel like a winner. Well, there's tons of NES era games I never beat and my psyche is doing ok with that. These games didn't let you save every five steps and really put up a challenge. You had to earn the ending, not just put in the hours.

I'd like to see an end to "treasure hunt" type games. So called 3D platformers seem to be the worst offender. Games where you're running aroung rubbing up against everything and breaking everything to try and collect all the stars, hearts, and anything else that appears ina box of Lucky Charms. In fact, I'd like to make a rule that if it's in a box of Lucky Charms, it can't appear in a game.

Mindless beat em ups need to make a comeback. Did Double Dragon even have a story? I don't think I ever looked at the manual for Streets of Rage. I want a return to games where you're just walking around kicking ass and it doesn't even matter why. No cutscenes. No convoluted story line. Just ass kicking.

And the 60+ hour game has got to go. Maybe if I was unemployed or 13 years old that would be cool, but part of the reason I stick to the old is I know most of those games were designed to be beaten in one sitting. Games today are like having a second job and that's not fun at all.

Yeah, and I'm hoping the GC release of Ikaruga sells through the roof so maybe someone else (NOT XS GAMES!!!!) will bring over more shmups. I can think of at least one that's better than Iky, just waiting for someone to give it a ride across the ocean and I know there's a couple more on the way.

(Yeah, I know I'm dreaming...)

[Xipe]

A system developed for hi-res 2D platform games, and vert/horiz shooters!

[Griking]

Personally if I had my way the next generation of gaming wouldn't come for about 10 more years. I don't know about anyone else but I'm getting tired of being expected to buy the same games over and over and over again on every new console out.

Quite honestly, I'm more than satisfied with the current quality of graphics and sound effects. In fact, many of today's games are already too much flash and not enough quality game.

In my opinion the more horsepower that's available just makes it that much easier for developers to get lazy when they make new games. I'll bet that if they didn't come out with a new console for 10 years they would still find new ways of making the games look and sound better anyways through hard work and better programming. So why bother upgrading?

Oh, and I wrote this before rerading all of the current replies. Looks like mine is a common answer to the question.

[hezeuschrist]

Online gaming has to go? Ugh, what a stupid idea. Don't you buy games for entertainment? How much more entertaining do games get than when you get a group of friends over yelling and screaming at eachother with big huge grins. That's the best fun, and thats why I always go back to CounterStrike. It may not be the best online FPS, but I know the game, I know the people, and it's a fun as hell pick up and play for 10 minutes game. Online is the wave of the future, and it will only make any multiplayer game 100x better.

One thing I would like to see come back are the great multiplayer days of N64. The New Tetris, Goldeneye, even Perfect Dark... I spent years playing these games with my buddies and it was always a good time. Now we've got MVC2 and that's about it on consoles. I've got a slew of online games I lan with my buddies all the time but the consoles have some serious ground to cover in terms of modern multiplayer.

More 2D would be great. Of course I'm talking about Symphony of the Night... the perfect example of a modern 2D game that just rocks your damn socks off. Well, not so modern now, but still an incredibly great game by any standard... 3D models for next castlevania? Lovely. 3D Gameplay? Dammit. Not saying that it can't be a good game, but come on. Castlevania with the power of PS2 and the gameplay of SotN... I've actually had dreams about it.[/i]

[IntvGene]

Where was everyone when I was complaining about the new Castlevania going 3-D?!? I just think that it was one of the few series that actually had a chance staying 2-D.

BTW, I hope that everyone here who loves 2-D has pre-ordered Viewtiful Joe then! :)

[Griking]

Online gaming has to go? Ugh, what a stupid idea. Don't you buy games for entertainment? How much more entertaining do games get than when you get a group of friends over yelling and screaming at eachother with big huge grins.

this sounds like multi-player gaming and not online gaming to me. With online gaming you wouldn't have any friends over.

[buttasuperb]

I really dislike the online play. It is going to kill collecting for me. All of the MMORPGs are going to be useless once they cut the server. There is a possiblity that someone brings out a program to host a server on future technology so that older games can be played, but it is highly doubtful and very speculative. I have yet to buy an online-only game just because I don't want to support them, and don't plan on buying any in the future either.

Once they cut the server for an online game, then you SELL THE GAME. New concept I know, but it works.

Anyone who has the capabilities to play online games and isn't, is really missing out. Competition is good.

edit: haha, I guess you probably won't get much for an online only game that has no server anymore. Next time I'll think before I post. Still online games are great fun if you have a broadband connection.

[omnedon]

It will NEVER happen, but as mentioned above, USB controller ports! Man! That would be schweeeet!

Unlike most consolers, I'm from The PC gaming camp, and am rediscovering my roots, collecting the console classics. I've spent hours and hours and hours playing online... with my computer. I loved all the Quakes, and got quite good online (and have the carpal tunnel to prove it). In my opinion, online gaming is best done on PC's, especially if you have multiple comps on a LAN, and broadband. I have all that, and have ZERO interest in online console play. PC does it so much better with free, privately run servers in many cases. Find one with low lag, and away you go. And with PC games like that, like the Quake games, I can still hop on a server and play quake 1 if I want to. In my opinion, a console online is more trouble than it's worth. Also, I really dislike the way MS scans your hardware, when you are online. It's an ingenious anti piracy tool, and I applaud the effort. Nevertheless, I see it as a privacy issue, and if I have to agree to drop my drawers to connect, and pay to do it, and in addition they can yank service (or stop supporting the game) anytime they want, No Thanks.

Just my opinion. I'm sure the future is bright for online console play, but I won't be a major player there. Once you've had the freedom of online PC play, what the consoles offer seems lacklustre, and a little scary, as those proprietary protections relay whatever info the company wants, back to them. :/

[maxlords]

Online gaming has to go? Ugh, what a stupid idea. Don't you buy games for entertainment? How much more entertaining do games get than when you get a group of friends over yelling and screaming at eachother with big huge grins. That's the best fun, and thats why I always go back to CounterStrike. It may not be the best online FPS, but I know the game, I know the people, and it's a fun as hell pick up and play for 10 minutes game. Online is the wave of the future, and it will only make any multiplayer game 100x better.

More 2D would be great. Of course I'm talking about Symphony of the Night... the perfect example of a modern 2D game that just rocks your damn socks off. Well, not so modern now, but still an incredibly great game by any standard... 3D models for next castlevania? Lovely. 3D Gameplay? Dammit. Not saying that it can't be a good game, but come on. Castlevania with the power of PS2 and the gameplay of SotN... I've actually had dreams about it.[/i]

I totally disagree with this. I know a lot of people enjoy online gaming, but a LOT of people, myself included hate it too. Sure, it's kinda fun on PC occasionally, but I'm sure as hell not going to pay for the privilege to play online, then wire my system up thru the DSL or whatever. Too much hassle, too few people I'd WANT to play with. I tried PSO on DC...hated it. Tried FPS games online....hated it. The only games I've ever logged serious time on online are Worms 2 and Doom, and Doom was direct dial up against friends, not online online. Not everyone has people they WANT to play games against, and frankly that's great for some people..but don't assume everyone wants that. Moving to online gaming cuts down on innovation in exchange for new and improved server research. Has PSO really evolved in the years it's been around? is there anything REALLY more involving about it? Does it have a PLOT yet? If I could play a GOOD online game with a plot...that might change my mind. But I don't want to deal with all the putzs I meet in EB again online when I'm relaxing and gaming.

As for 2D gaming, Symphony of the Night is exactly what I DON'T want to see more of. Not the graphics...cause those were stunning, but the gameplay. It was, in a word, tedious. Walk all over back and forth explore explore explore, find items level up, fight the same guys in the same patterns over and over again. It was BORING. There were high points, sure, but all in all, it dragged and dragged. I want games like Kid Icarus or Bionic Commando or Shadowrun or Rock N Roll Raciing remade in 2D with 3D models! Cause like it or not, there wasn't a whole lot of challenge in SOTN. It was EASY. Easiest Castlevania there is, after Super Castlevania IV. That's a mistake I DON'T want to see when 2D comes back. Give me Ikaruga. Give me Contra Hard Corps. Give me Blaster Master (not that awful PSX one! *shiver*). But don't give me EASY!


Oh..butta? I like to KEEP the games I buy. I don't WANT to have to sell them, or not be able to come back to them in 10 years if I suddenly want to. That's what we're going to lose with online gaming...long term replay value.


It will NEVER happen, but as mentioned above, USB controller ports! Man! That would be schweeeet!

I'm fairly certain the XBox, GC, and PS2 all have USB controller ports already. They just have proprietary male and female connectors. They still use USB for the connection. Anyone know if that's the case for sure?

[kainemaxwell]

I agree with all the above points especially on gameplay over graphics and 3D games. Also more ORIGINIAL games and less cookie-cutter titles flooding the markets.

[buttasuperb]

Oh..butta? I like to KEEP the games I buy. I don't WANT to have to sell them, or not be able to come back to them in 10 years if I suddenly want to. That's what we're going to lose with online gaming...long term replay value.

Well that's where we differ. Certain games after I totally finish the game, I sell them if I can still get a good chunk of change for it. If for some reason I want to play it 10 years later, I can buy it again. Look at this way. You buy a new game for 50 bucks. You finish it within a few weeks, and sell it for 30-35. Then a few years down the road, you can buy the game again for 10-15 bucks, in most cases.

As for losing long term replay value, I think that's only true with the MMORPG's. CvS2 for the xbox will have the same replay value as it's DC or PS2 counterpart's long after the servers are shut down.

Auto Modellista and Turismo online, whenever that comes out, won't lose replay value either. It's only the games that are directed at online play only, and I really don't give a shit about those anyways.

[omnedon]

I'm fairly certain the XBox, GC, and PS2 all have USB controller ports already. They just have proprietary male and female connectors. They still use USB for the connection. Anyone know if that's the case for sure?


The Xbox does. The PS2 and the Gamecube do not, but the PS2 does have a USB jack of course.

/I silently wait for jjessop to come and tell me I'm wrong, and the PS2 has USB controller ports sticking out it's exhaust fan....

[zektor]

I have grown up with 2D shooters/platformers/etc and I love them. As I got older, games became more and more 3D, with Wolfenstein pretty much starting it off. I love many 3D games as well. I have been playing around with the N64 lately, and I do love quite a few of the games, but I do agree that there really should be a happy medium of 2D and 3D titles on any system. There are just a handful of 2D based games on the N64, as with the consoles after it. I really need both 2D and 3D to be happy.

[Captain Wrong]

As for 2D gaming, Symphony of the Night is exactly what I DON'T want to see more of. Not the graphics...cause those were stunning, but the gameplay. It was, in a word, tedious. Walk all over back and forth explore explore explore, find items level up, fight the same guys in the same patterns over and over again. It was BORING. There were high points, sure, but all in all, it dragged and dragged. I want games like Kid Icarus or Bionic Commando or Shadowrun or Rock N Roll Raciing remade in 2D with 3D models! Cause like it or not, there wasn't a whole lot of challenge in SOTN. It was EASY. Easiest Castlevania there is, after Super Castlevania IV. That's a mistake I DON'T want to see when 2D comes back. Give me Ikaruga. Give me Contra Hard Corps. Give me Blaster Master (not that awful PSX one! *shiver*). But don't give me EASY!

max, if you're ever in Indy, you gotta come over for some shmups and beer! Again, I agree with you 100%. Man, I never finished SOTN because I too found it TEDIOUS as all hell. Pretty, but kinda boring and not as challenging as the older CV games. Once the novelty of "wow I'm playing a 2D game on my PSX and it doesn't look like ass" wore off, there isn't much left.

[maxlords]

Well that's where we differ. Certain games after I totally finish the game, I sell them if I can still get a good chunk of change for it. If for some reason I want to play it 10 years later, I can buy it again. Look at this way. You buy a new game for 50 bucks. You finish it within a few weeks, and sell it for 30-35. Then a few years down the road, you can buy the game again for 10-15 bucks, in most cases.

As for losing long term replay value, I think that's only true with the MMORPG's. CvS2 for the xbox will have the same replay value as it's DC or PS2 counterpart's long after the servers are shut down.


Hmmm....well, I suppose, but sometimes I latch sentimental value onto the copy I have of a game. And I like to crack them myself and keep the minty one I bought new. But yeah...I meant MMORPGs and other games that are online only. I have no qualms with games that add an online mode, as long as they don't sacrifice other game development for it.

[maxlords]

max, if you're ever in Indy, you gotta come over for some shmups and beer! Again, I agree with you 100%. Man, I never finished SOTN because I too found it TEDIOUS as all hell. Pretty, but kinda boring and not as challenging as the older CV games. Once the novelty of "wow I'm playing a 2D game on my PSX and it doesn't look like ass" wore off, there isn't much left.

Except for the fact that I like torturing myself with 60+ hour RPGs occasionally, I suspect we're pretty much the same kind of gamers :D I'll have to bring over some obscure shmups and stuff if I make it down that way. Only about a day's drive away I think...I'm two hours from Detroit! I'll look forward to it! And if you're in my neck of the woods, the same invite stands! :D

[Gunstarhero]

Games have become to 'cool'. I don't want to be cool dammit, I want to be an outcast, like the old days! Now to be an outcast, I have to not play games!

Seriously, the big picture in my eyes is that next gen gaming isn't very special at all anymore, because like many other products i.e. Bands, clothes etc...the whole thing is just overexposed, and the gaming watered down shovelware. Now I'm just doing what 100 million other Americans are doing, I want to be a little different! It's like parents used to think arcades and home video games were evil vices, now they look at a Playstation, and see a $100 babysitter. What the hell happened? And the games are actually violent now! Centipede was an evil influence on the youth in the 80's, but GTA:Vice City is something we feed our kids for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Gaming has to crash again for us to see something great appear.

[jaydubnb]

If I were the high deity of the gaming universe i would do something to spice up RPGS..there has to be more to em than spikey-haired anime looking guys with big swords out to save princesses, or angst-driven teenagers piolting huge robots.

In addition, like others have stated, I would love to see a STRONG return of 2D gaming. Guilty Gear X, SotN, and Capcom's fighters show that when done correctly, sprite based games can be works of art.

[swlovinist]

[Man, I think you hit it pretty square to the mark, I truly believe the same and I DO think a crash is coming....at least a video game recession. There are too many choices for people that suck.....Frankly, I want it to crash! I know that is crazy talk but remember.....the NES came out of the last crash we had and that is one of the greatest neoclassic systems ever!!!

[YoshiM]

I don't mind 3D models. Metal Gear Solid is a perfect example of a good mix of 2D style movement (the top down view like the orginal Metal Gear) which switched to 3D for special instances (looking around corners, crawling through tunnels, using a scope, etc.). It's when you have a full 3D environment with a bad camera that messes up your perception and makes the game more difficult due to technicalities rather than true tests of skill. The camera situation is what sours things the most for gamers. If I can control the camera and not having to worry about it getting stuck in walls (Sonic Adventure 2), getting bopped around where I can't see what's going on (Zelda: Wind Waker & Super Mario Sunshine) or see if the chasm that's in front of me has a ledge I can land on or not (Maximo) I'd be a happy gamer.

I too am not hip into the scavenger developers think we need to be on when we play. If the game is only going to be 10 to 15 hours long, just put all your effort into making the initial game a blast to play and then afterwards put different modes in that can be unlocked with score (which I also agree is the best measuring stick for accomplishment) that are separate from the main game. The extra games in Conker's Bad Fur Day is a wonderful example of this, or the modes in Tekken 3 and Soul Calibur. If they have to quick add these little treasure hunts or talk about collecting certain items as a way to stretch the game, they must have done something wrong in the planning process.

This is what I'd like to see: more beat-em-ups with co-op play, a break away from CRPGs and back into create-a-character RPGs like the original Final Fantasy or classic SSI gold box games. What's wrong with dungeon crawls? And bring back the twitch action shooters. While I am not fond of the PS2, I am glad games like Contra are coming back. But it's not enough.

[Nature Boy]

If I could change one thing I'd stop the 'movie video game' trend. Games need to be games, not movies. Keep the 'watching movie' stuff to a minimum please.

I like what GTA 3 does. Quick movies to set up your mission. MGS2 was terrible - my wife once said to me "I thought you were playing games". That drives me nuts. Too much movie watching while 'playing' will drive people away in droves methinks.

[Tempest]

Personally I'd like to see the end of games where you have to keep doubling back every five minutes to unlock some new area in an area you previously cleared or to find some new item in a previous area now that you have XYZ power. I'm one of those people that when I clear an area I'm never coming back. I've cleared it and now I'm off to new unconqured areas. And even though I enjoyed it, Metroid Prime was one of the worse offenders of this I've ever seen. There were so many items you couldn't get till the very end but you saw right from the beginning. It drove me nuts!

Schizophrenic camreas have to go. If you can't make a decent camera, don't make the game 3D. .Hack has one of the worst camera controls I've ever seen!

Another hate of mine are games where you have one oppertunity to unlock some hidden secret at a certain point in the game and that's it. I don't mind hidden things in games as long as they don't take away from the story if you don't find them and as long as I can always come back and do them. I cna't count the number of games where I had to start over because I missed some event at the beginning of the game and now I can't find a certain item at the end of the game. The Final Fantasy series is a serious offender of this.

Speaking of unlockable secrets, what's the deal with hidden endings? When I beat the game I want to see the whole frekain' ending. I don't want to get some lame crappy ending because I didn't find the 100 hidden corn flakes of Rhyn throughout the game. It's almost as bad as those "Try Again at a More Difficult Level" endings you used to get in most NES games whe you didn't play on the hardest level. How many people actually went back and played it again?

Ok I'm getting off topic. I'll stop now.

Tempest

[Daniel Thomas]

You know, if you really need your modern 2D gaming fix, then you need to get a Gameboy Advance. Look past the usual SNES ports, and you'll find a number of really great titles that the modern era seemingly left behind.

My primary beef with game today is that everything's far too easy. What happened to hard games? Are companies so afraid the "casual gamer" (who only buys the one or two games that get mentioned in Entertainment Weekly) will abandon them if they aren't being held by the hand all the way through? Just this weekend, I was playing the new Castlevania game on the Advance (Aria of Sorrow). The damn game is just a cakewalk. Even when you finish the game, you get to play a "hard" mode which is even easier than the first run-through!

Maybe I've just outgrown videogames, and maybe I'm just being nostalgic for the older days. After all, I remember being bored silly by the glut of Final Fight clones and mascot platformers during the 16-bit era. It's no surprise that every game today wants to be Tomb Raider and Grand Theft Auto. That's what sells. Old-skool games like Rez haven't sold at all, and that's why those kind of games aren't being made.

[Dobie]

I know this is really a cross-generational problem, but I'd like to see less of the HYPE surrounding new titles. Every time I walk into a game store, there's some freaky looking kid saying "want to pre-order Warioland? It's going to be really good!!" A month or two ago it was "want to pre-order Legend of Zelda? Its going to be really good!!" Dang it, I just want to look at what's on the shelf NOW. Not what is going to be there several weeks down the road.

Its just like with the movies--they get hyped for six months (or more). Ads, magazines, and the hype-machine of E3 all tell you that THIS game (unlike the previous 10,000) is the BEST. GAME. EVER. You HAVE to get in line now. Then it sucks ass when it comes out. Please, its gotta stop. Very few games that ever get hyped like that live up to their advance billing. Yet we see it every day.

[Tempest]

What's with pre-ordering games anyway? I think the only game I ever pre-ordered was Legend of Zelda just so I could get the bonus CD. have you ever not been able to get a game on release day? The only game I think of off hand was GTA: Vice City.

Tempest

[lionforce]

Stop the with 10 million Sequels! that's all thank you :D

[Nature Boy]

What's with pre-ordering games anyway? I think the only game I ever pre-ordered was Legend of Zelda just so I could get the bonus CD. have you ever not been able to get a game on release day? The only game I think of off hand was GTA: Vice City.

I think it's just EB trying to make the sale ahead of time. Even if a game was going to be sold out on launch day I can wait. And with games going everywhere I find it hard to believe I couldn't track something down on day one anyway.

I'd preorder more if they gave out goodies like the Zelda discs though. That was sweet!

And back to the topic:

I'd like to see next gen RPGs come down a little as far as time to complete them goes. I'd rather play 8 10hr games than one 80hr game. Which *doesn't* mean I want them selling me 8 sequels :)

[chadtower]

I had to preorder Panzer Dragoon Saga at 5 different stores just to end up with a single copy... it does happen.

[game-o_v_e_r]

well as you know swlovinst i love the old school. i enjoy nintendo and atari.
centipede to super mario bros. so what do i think of video games today and the video games of tommorow... ...not that good. i like to play 007 golden eye, and splinter cell and most of all GTA vice city. but other than that i like to play the old school. know your roots and well my roots atari and nintendo. take a look at this, game-o_v_e_r 's top 5 favorite games of all time.

1. centapede (atari)
2. super mario bros. (nintendo)
3. excitebike (nintendo)
4. Rampage (arcade style)
5. asteroides (atari)

I see none of the games of today are tommorw there, but hey thats just me. dont get me wrong i like to play some of todays games but i ENJOY playing the games of the old school.

GREAT QUESTION ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !



[/u]

[christianscott27]

a lot of people have mentioned 3-D cameras, my complaint is what i call "resident evil" style cameras, you know what i mean- in one room you're seeing your character from a over the shoulder prespective and when you go into the next room (filled with attacking enemies) you're viewing the action from a side on prespective. i cant adjust to this, i know its part of the cinematic style and all but it ruins the action for me. i cant say how many titles i liked from the description only to hate them due to the camera shifts (fear effect in particular).

my other gripes are the genres, too many similar games without any breakout innovations. i was listening to an interview with one of atari's arcade programmers, he said that in the classics era the company would not greenlight a game concept unless it was a wholly new game idea. with the nearly unlimited power of modern consoles we should be seeing more unique ideas not less.

oh and i hate CD games, that highly scratchable, breakable medium will pretty much rule out good thrift and flea market scores 10 years from now. i hope game companies will embrace a format like the mini disc where the CD part is protected in a floppy disc style case.
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[hezeuschrist]

The problem with originality now is that SO MUCH has already been done. It's really easy to sit back and say, 'games need to be more original' but when I try and think of some kind of kickass new style of play, different type of game or something that would greatly improve some game that just didn't meet expectations... I can't. Sure, I can think of a thousand little things to make pretty much every game I've ever played better, but none of it is original.

[Nature Boy]

The problem with originality now is that SO MUCH has already been done. It's really easy to sit back and say, 'games need to be more original' but when I try and think of some kind of kickass new style of play, different type of game or something that would greatly improve some game that just didn't meet expectations... I can't. Sure, I can think of a thousand little things to make pretty much every game I've ever played better, but none of it is original.

Baloney. The biggest problem with originality now is it's cost. Games cost a hell of a lot more to make now than they did 20 years ago. Publishers don't want to take a chance and start bleeding $$$. It's easier to make a 'me too' game and pull in guaranteed sales.

[hezeuschrist]

If you had the funds, what genre would you create, or what incredible gameplay innovations would you devise? I honestly can't think of anything that hasn't been done at least once.

[ste]

I've had a list for a long time :D

1. Less 3d. Platforms/2d games were wonderful and orgininal
2. Less focus on 1st person shooters/fighter We've been stuck in this world for almost 10 years!
3. More original story ideas. Remember Bubble Bobble?
4. Less focus on (graphic/human directed) violence - there's plenty more to shoot and blow up than human(oids). Kinda goes with number 2

I always thought we should have new more games that don't fade into one genre. You could argue platformers were genres, but there were so many variations compared to todays hunt-seek-kill-kill games. (And don't get me started on sports games....)

I'll say that I'm not against violence in video games, I just think violence isn't a requirement for a game.

[AB Positive]

A Sega/Sammy/SNK merger. Call it S-Cubed and make beautiful 2D-fighters for all systems! NOW!

-AdamG

[Nature Boy]

If you had the funds, what genre would you create, or what incredible gameplay innovations would you devise? I honestly can't think of anything that hasn't been done at least once.

That's because you're not *creative*. And, you see, neither am I. But there are people out there who *are* creative. Just because we can't think of something doesn't make it a truism though.

[Captain Wrong]

The problem with originality now is that SO MUCH has already been done. It's really easy to sit back and say, 'games need to be more original' but when I try and think of some kind of kickass new style of play, different type of game or something that would greatly improve some game that just didn't meet expectations... I can't. Sure, I can think of a thousand little things to make pretty much every game I've ever played better, but none of it is original.

Baloney. The biggest problem with originality now is it's cost. Games cost a hell of a lot more to make now than they did 20 years ago. Publishers don't want to take a chance and start bleeding $$$. It's easier to make a 'me too' game and pull in guaranteed sales.

I have to agree with Nature Boy 100%. I've read things from people "in the business" stating that they really aren't encouraged to be too creative because the companies are worried that they aren't going to sell. Back in the day when it was just one guy coding on an Atari 800 or whatever, they could afford to take more risks. But now with games approacing and sometimes surpassing the cost of movies, the companies don't want to gamble.

This is the reason why, as a for instance, when Tony Hawk became a suprize sucess we were treated to a bunch of clones and almost yearly sequels. These companies are interested in latching on to a trend and milking it rather than innovate. There's just too much money involved to take a risk.

[DigitalSoapbox]

How about the majority of the games not utterly sucking goat teet? I mean, sure, they're pretty, the push lots of polygons, they have motion-captured animations, but they're just damned boring to play if you're looking for interesting, in-depth gameplay. The last console I purchased was the Dreamcast, and there isn't a single game on any of the newer systems that I don't get bored playing after half an hour. The few that did manage to grab my attention - GTA3 for example, just for the ridiculousness of it - are available for PC. Pretty graphics are nice, but I wouldn't mind some gameplay that's at the same level and doesn't stick w/ the typical button mashing so prevalent in today's console games. I guess that's why I am, and until the situation changes, will always be, more of a PC gamer.

[omnedon]

How about the majority of the games not utterly sucking goat teet?

In my opinion, that's nothing new. It's ALWAYS been like that for video games, especially consoles. I jumped ship from console gaming to PC in '93, because I was disgusted with the dreck coming out for my expensive SEGACD.

PC gaming is rife with crap too, but I think it's easier to spot. With consoles, it's usually all "licensed" with a seal, gauranteed "top quality". LOL I'm back into console gaming now, and consider myself a member of both camps. However, when I buy modern games for $60+, I am very careful and very picky. I see the same vast sea of dreck I saw in '93. You just have to know what to watch for. Yeasr of experience buying games and such.

The dreck can come into my collection when it's used and $4.99. :)