New HORRID EGM article

[Gamereviewgod]

For anyone who has the latest issue of EGM, there is an article in which they claim to sit 6 kids down and let them play some "classics" whih is supposed to tell us if these really are good games, or just good to "the older crowd who grew up playing them." First and foremost, half of these things said seem way off for a 10-11 year old. Maybe it's just me, but something isn't right here. Second, they never say what system these games are being played on. ET is obvious, but what version of Space Invaders are they playing? Am I missing something? They show a SNES and NES, but no other mention is made. The entire article is a complete farse in my view. I was haning with EGM through the change, but this article has me rethinking the 'zine.

[Dire 51]

Anyone got a scan of this article? I'd like to read it, but I refuse to buy EGM.

[Anonymous]

I'd say that many parents are starting their kids off on NES and SNES games, then moving them slowly into the newer systems. I haven't seen the article yet, can you post some quotes, or maybe the general opinion of the article (did kids hate older games? did they enjoy them?)

[Gamereviewgod]

I wish someone would scan it, but here's a few quotes from the kids (who HATED everything they played)


Playing Donkey Kong:

"It's princess peach!"
"No, it's a hooker."

Playing Space Invaders:

"This is nothing compared to GTA III because you can't steal a taxi cab, pick up somebody, and drive them into the river."
"Yeah, and you can't pick up an AK-47 and go kill."
"I'm sure everyone who made this game is dead."

The worst part is that there's an occasional EGM quote strewn about, but none of them ever give the kids any info about the games, just blatantly stupid quotes. Worse yet, I've concluded that there playing Space Invaders on the SNES (because of the pic). Go figure.

[evilmess]

My 12 year old son loves 16 bit games. He's had various gameboys since the color version and he loves playing my Nomad. At our local second hand video game store he looks thru the Genesis carts regularly and he even bought, with his own money, Vector Man. Makes me so proud!

Metal Slug and Gundam Wing Endless Duel are his current favorites and he's really been digging on shmups lately. So I i'm getting him Ikaruga (GC) for his B-Day.

I don't think he's real interested in 8 bit gaming tho.

If he was allowed to play the GTA games I know he'd be all over those too but I think he's pretty open minded to gaming systems that are older than he is.

[kainemaxwell]

Playing Donkey Kong:

"It's princess peach!"
"No, it's a hooker."

Now that's kinda humorous. Outside of that it's really a shameful article.

[Retsudo]

I'd say that many parents are starting their kids off on NES and SNES games, then moving them slowly into the newer systems.

I disagree with that one. My nephew is 14 and has lots of friends, and hes says none of the have the older systems. I think only kids with parents that play or have played and know something about the old systems are started off with them.

[Lady Jaye]

that article was published in the September issue of EGM, wasn't it? I just got the October issue (with Socom II on the cover) and there is no such article in it.

On a related topic, have you guys read Gamespy's 25 most overrated games list and Penny Arcade's take on it? I agree with Tycho: I don't understand why GameSpy is blasting DK Country so much. Oh, and now the Gamespy crew is saying that it overshadowed Yoshi's Island. I love Yoshi's Island too, but I wouldn't go and say that DK Country is as overrated as they say it is.

[Gamereviewgod]

Yeah, it's the Sept. issue. You JUST got the Oct. issue?? I think you have a complaint.

[jonjandran]

I have almost every system ever made , and my kids won't play the 8 bit or below.
They will play the Genesis and SNES some , but mostly it's N64 , PS1, PS2 , XBox and Gamecube.
They say the old games are boring. I think we have to face the facts. Video Games (like movies) have grown up. What used to sell only sold and was fun because it had never been done before. Now it's just outdated.
We always are looking for better and more realistic entertainment.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with that one. My nephew is 14 and has lots of friends, and hes says none of the have the older systems. I think only kids with parents that play or have played and know something about the old systems are started off with them.
Yeah you could be (and probably are) right. My comment stemmed from the calls I take. I get lots of parents who are calling up trying to get their NES hooked up so their kid can play games, but I guess it is a minority that gets overrepresented since most parents who buy newer systems don't have to call the number, but parents who try to hook up a NES are bound to run into problems...

[Lady Jaye]

@Gamereviewgod: Actually, I bought my copy of EGM in newsstands and I wasn't exactly on the lookout for it (ie. buying it as soon as it's released).

[SoulBlazer]

I think there's other reasons as well also -- there are far more games being relesed these days, prices of new games have stayed the same while people spending money has shrunk, and people no longer buy games just on faith, like they did in the pre-crash days, and trust rentals and reviews and word of mouth a lot more.

Let's face it, a lot of 'older' games did well just because there was nothing else to play and the game was at least playable. :)

[Ed Oscuro]

On a related topic, have you guys read Gamespy's 25 most overrated games list and Penny Arcade's take on it? I agree with Tycho: I don't understand why GameSpy is blasting DK Country so much. Oh, and now the Gamespy crew is saying that it overshadowed Yoshi's Island. I love Yoshi's Island too, but I wouldn't go and say that DK Country is as overrated as they say it is.

Yeah, nice article. I think I'll have to make sure I'm ready for 15 FPS in Final Fantasy VII...whenever I get to that one, that is (not really enthused with the Square games right now). DKC seemed really fun at the time I first played it, but I'll have to try it again. I didn't get very far.

I will say that they're right in saying that the "technological leap" of prerendered 3D stuff isn't really that big of a deal (but I only saw a webpage that claimed that just recently, an IGN's page on the history of Donkey Kong, in fact), but it looks better than Gamespy is allowing, if my memory serves.

The part about Yoshi's Island...well, it's a fun game, but really nothing there to keep me coming back (my cart's battery is dead, though, so that certainly plays a part).

I wonder why The 7th Guest wasn't in the top Five, nevermind its absence from the list in any form.

Wonder why Black and White was so high on the list; I think it's because GameSpy Industries folk got so swept away by it.

The thing to remember is that of this list, they're talking mostly about games they remember, so the big 'exciting' titles such as Mortal Kombat seem to have gotten more empasis. On the other hand, they seem more aware of different games than I; they mention that Dungeons & Dragons Pool of Radiance remake (I still like the original, a very classy piece of software) which I was aware of but didn't play.

Morrowwind I agree with, especially since I had to suffer through the XBOX version. I loved that game, though; lots of time to do things but it really was hard to "get away" with stuff (i.e. escape crashes or seemingly illogical attacks from guards).

Zero Wing is probably deserving of a spot on that list just because of its place in internet culture: It's not that great as a game, and I don't know whether those infamous words are as good as people believe. I don't know how I could say either way, since I'm poisoned by proximity to that phenomenon. That said, I like the back of Square's FDS (pre-Final Fantasy, I believe) game "Karine the Sword," or especially the second Super Shinobi 2 beta's intro (But it was not a truth) for bad translations. Even the Jolly Green Giant in that hack Karateka is worth a shot. But no...we still have to hear silly kids shouting "OMG AYB." That said, this would become "Ed's list" instead of "GameSpy's List;" and the fun is seeing what they picked up on and I missed. (oh and Jorpho...http://grblitz.overclocked.org/karagren.htm)

Daikatana, I think, has been beaten into the ground so far that you could bury folks at least twelve deep in the crater formed around John Romero's reputation. Saying that Romero or his game overrated is like saying Hitler is overrated (though I don't wish to compare the two outside this example): these have all had their heyday, but since they've fallen so far from favor that they'll never come back.

With Daikatana, it's still a revenge thing. Personally, I think he's getting roughed around for an ad campaign that some other moron thought up, and that the game deserves a fresh look for what good there is in it. It has its bad points which prevent it from being a good game--but what about the graphics or the background technology? I hear (though it's Tom Hall's word :P) that the AI pathfinding was pretty darn good :P

But I'm getting tired of seeing Daikatana in these "worst of" lists. Makes you acutely aware that the GameSpy folks haven't let go of that tangled mess called the late 1990s yet ;P

[buttasuperb]

Yeah, it's the Sept. issue. You JUST got the Oct. issue?? I think you have a complaint.

No, it's the Nov. issue. I just got it earlier this week.

[Jorpho]

On a related topic, have you guys read Gamespy's 25 most overrated games list and Penny Arcade's take on it? I agree with Tycho: I don't understand why GameSpy is blasting DK Country so much. Oh, and now the Gamespy crew is saying that it overshadowed Yoshi's Island. I love Yoshi's Island too, but I wouldn't go and say that DK Country is as overrated as they say it is.

I think they missed the point. Gamespy wasn't saying those games were bad, just that beyond representing pivotal moments in the history of gaming, they weren't that remarkable. Does that make sense?

I would say that it is true more people have probably heard of Donkey Kong Country than Yoshi's Island, because DKC was a milestone while YI was one of the last games released for the SNES. But ultimately, aside from the graphics, YI is by far a superior game. There were many platform games released before DKC, after all, and many of them accomplished much of the same gameplay-wise (although they probably weren't quite so challenging).

@Ed: Thanks, I was wondering about that. A most bizarre reference indeed. (Short movies made with Karateka actually date back to the Apple II, but nothing quite like that.)
________
FREE JOOMLA THEMES (http://themesfree.org)

[JackDark]

I just wanted to say that I've been reading EGM for years, but even I think that they've been a bit off lately. Mostly in their review department... their review of PN.03 was terribly incorrect and seemingly bias in my opinion. And a lot of the potty low-brow humor that is all over the magazine gets really old after a while. But, maybe I'm just a grumpy old bastard.

[Gamereviewgod]

No, it's the Nov. issue. I just got it earlier this week.

:embarrassed:

Oops...

[Kid Ice]

Let's face it, a lot of 'older' games did well just because there was nothing else to play and the game was at least playable. :)

Hey fellas, let's keep in mind that these are the same kids that go out and get their parents to buy them the same licensed garbage month after month. Frankly, the fact they don't (according to the article's phony-sounding quotes) appreciate older games shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

[Kid Ice]

Metal Slug and Gundam Wing Endless Duel are his current favorites and he's really been digging on shmups lately. So I i'm getting him Ikaruga (GC) for his B-Day.



For HIS birthday? :)

Now you've got me thinking about becoming a daddy...

[Hamsnibit]

I wish someone would scan it, but here's a few quotes from the kids (who HATED everything they played)


Playing Donkey Kong:

"It's princess peach!"
"No, it's a hooker."

Playing Space Invaders:

"This is nothing compared to GTA III because you can't steal a taxi cab, pick up somebody, and drive them into the river."
"Yeah, and you can't pick up an AK-47 and go kill."
"I'm sure everyone who made this game is dead."

The worst part is that there's an occasional EGM quote strewn about, but none of them ever give the kids any info about the games, just blatantly stupid quotes. Worse yet, I've concluded that there playing Space Invaders on the SNES (because of the pic). Go figure.

Are you sure this isn't supposed to be a joke? Sounds like some made up quotes to me.

[Flack]

My kid is almost 2, and the plan in my house is that he'll have to beat me on at least three games on a particular system before he moves to the next one. Kid better start practicing Atari Basketball and Asteroids now.

I don't know about that article, but I do know kids now are different than we were. I was playing Tony Hawk III with my nephew (7) who kept asking, "so, how do we kill each other?" "We don't kill, we just skate!" I kept telling him.

Flack

[Sotenga]

I'm a bit of a young chap, and I enjoy both classic and modern games, but mostly classic. EGM continues to piss me off... I'm glad my subscription ran out. :angry:

[Duncan]

I was playing Tony Hawk III with my nephew (7) who kept asking, "so, how do we kill each other?" "We don't kill, we just skate!" I kept telling him.

Anyone else find that mildly disturbing? :hmm: I know your nephew's probably a well-adjusted kid, but you might want to ground him in the finer points of games like Sonic or Mario before turning him on to anything like fighters or GTA.

Duncan :D

[Jorpho]

Well, the game is full of skateboarders injuring themselves spectacularly, so the question isn't entirely surprising.
________
Ass Oiled (http://www.fucktube.com/categories/159/oiled/videos/1)

[Anthony1]

My kid is almost 2, and the plan in my house is that he'll have to beat me on at least three games on a particular system before he moves to the next one. Kid better start practicing Atari Basketball and Asteroids now.

Flack


That's funny. I have a little boy who is almost 3 1/2, and when he starts showing an interest in gaming, I thought I might start him off with the Atari 2600. The reason is because if I start him off with the SNES, then he probably would never even want to try the Atari 2600 or the NES, or the TurboGrafx. I would love for him to get a gradual feel for how systems have improved over time.

[ApolloBoy]

You see, this is the reason why I hate EGM. I'm actually 14 years old, and I love classic games, as you can easily see. I do like the modern games, but they aren't as fun as the old games.

[norkusa]

Are you sure this isn't supposed to be a joke? Sounds like some made up quotes to me.

This is exactly what I thought when I first read the article. Some of those quotes are way too witty & funny to be spoken by 10 & 11 year old kids. I'm sure EGM took some liberties when editing the article to make it more humorus. One kid even says something like "aren't these buried in Mexico?" while playing E.T. for 2600. Bullshit. Like he'd know that... :roll:

[evilmess]

I didnt read the article but I speak from experience as a father of three - ages, 16, 12, and 8. Kids are smart and they say the funniest stuff when you least expect it.

As of late my son has been a real smart ass in a funny way. :?

[orrimarrko]

I've been buying EGM since issue number 6 - many, many moons ago.

It used to be great, and has somewhat deteriorated over time, as it has gotten more and more popular.

The most recent layout change was pretty poor, and the constant attempts at witty humor with multiple subreferences gets old after a while.

While I am not ready to give up yet, this most recent article that you are refering to is exactly the kind of crap that pisses me off.

I got my magazine today, and briefly thumbed through it - stopping when the old consoles caught my eye. I read the "interviews" and have to say that either that was embelished by the writers, or you've got some of the more advanced 10-13 year olds that I've seen in a while - and siblings nonetheless.

Regardless, I would like to make one comment on the point that the article was trying to make, and how it relates to this discussion.

When you grow up with Pong - it's great, because it was the first, and undoubtedly, you have some emotional or sentimental attachment to it. As the systems improved, you were there to witness it. You could bask in the glory of playing the Atari until your thumb blistered - and can still remember how awesome it was.

You can remember when the NES was constantly being played until sun-up, or when the Altered Beast pack-in made the Genesis incredibly awesome.

The list goes on and on, with the point being that we were involved with the progression from point A to current day. The ride has been enjoyed from when there was NO system, to the XBOX and everything in-between.

By experiencing all of these games, and the evolution of console gaming, we not only have experience playing them all, but have specific memories that make us happy, when we look back on them.

Kids who have only grown up with the N64 to present (PS, PS2, GC, XBOX), have absolutely NO connection to any of that old stuff. Since there is no connection - experience-wise or emotionally, the games are simply viewed for what they really are - graphically unstimulating, poor to average sounding, repetative, easy games (for the most part.)

Honestly, would you expect a 10 year old kid to choose Combat over MechAssault? (Insert your own comparison here.)

By the way, games today (also for the most part) are goal oriented - points are secondary, if included at all. The "quest" or the action is what's important.

Many of the old school games are repetative, with the goal being an attempt to get more points than your previous play. Monotonous and repetative.

Now, don't get me wrong - I love it all. However, the article was biased from the start, and had a ridiculous premise. The results were inevitable.

Besides, if any one of those kids said that they though the ET game was cool - he would have been ostrasized from the group until he was fifteen. :-D

Just my thoughts...

Steve

[Sothy]

these are the kids that made 50 cent a millionaire of course they dont appreciate classic games.

guess what if you had a badass muscle car they would ignore it to gawk at a fucking mitsubishi with tail fins. The world is going down the toilet.

[evilmess]

C'mon they're just kids and they're not all the same.

Sothy, if you're just being funny that cool but not all kids like 50 cent and ricers. Again speaking from experience and knowing my own kids and their friends and knowing the 2 dozen or so kids in my neighborhood I’d say half of the kids are as you say and the other half are well rounded and open minded to things that are *older* than they are.

A lot of this is due in part to the parents and other influences they have.

Just because a 10 year old doesn't dig space invaders doesn't make them any less of gamer than you or I. Shit, I remember when I walked in on my son just about the time he was 10 and he was playing Star Craft on his PC and going to war, managing resources and all that shit and I'm thinking "I don't play RTS games, where did he learn to do that?"

I gained a lot more respect for him as a gamer for playing that game instead of N64 GoldenEye 007.

My point is that kids today have a unique perspective on all things and when they are shall we say "pre teens" they are inquisitive and want to learn so give'em half a chance and whenever possible share a little of your enthusiasm and your knowledge for our hobby with those pre - teens because by the time they're 16+ it's too late.

FYI, I drive a muscle car and I guarantee you the pre-teens know and love a classic V8s

:cheers:

[SoulBlazer]

It's allready been said. If you were'nt around to experience the older games first hand when they were NEW, it's hard to gain a healthy respect for them.

My first system was a Atari 2600, but the NES and SNES were my first 'real' systems. So I love the classics and still play a lot of them. I play more modern games on my PC, GC, and PS2, though. :)

And I can even recall as a kid playing Araknoid on the NES and then seeing a old Pong stand alone unit at a friend's house and being like "Why would anyone ever want to play THAT when Araknoid is the same game and MUCH better?" :D

[Flack]

It's not just games guys. A couple of weeks ago they released Breakin', Breakin' II: Electric Boogaloo, and Thrashin' all on DVD. I rushed home to watcch them and after a half an hour, I was like ... hm, I don't remember these sucking this bad.

I'm still thinking about hiding all the nextgen consoles in my bedroom and making my 2 year old grow up with an Atari like I did.

Anyone who would like the age gap thoroughly demonstrated to them, go ask some kid about Pokemon. My 8 year old nephew started rattling off crap I've never even heard of. Pokemon this, Digimon that ... then some Yugioh stuff. I'm telling you what, I think it's physically impossible for anyone over the age of 25 to understand that stuff.

Flack

[Oobgarm]

I just noticed this thread, and I have the same feelings as Señor Paprocki.

Upon reading it, I noticed that the only thing the kids wanted to do was kill each other. It's disheartening to see that they were only concerned with killing.

I'm not going to point fingers in this debate as to who's responsible. The argument tends to lean in two directons, and I think you all know what side I lean towards.


Now, don't get me wrong - I love it all. However, the article was biased from the start, and had a ridiculous premise. The results were inevitable.


Couldn't have said it better myself. Bravo.