Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 91

Thread: Is classic gaming better than modern gaming?

  1. #21
    ServBot (Level 11) Custom rank graphic
    calthaer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Turks and Caicos Islands
    Posts
    3,014
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    16
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    3
    Thanked in
    3 Posts
    Steam
    calthaer

    Default

    If this is a paper, then you will need a thesis statement. If your thesis is: "Classic games are better than modern games," then you will need to qualify this by first defining what you mean by "better."

    Some books you may want to consider:

    -A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster
    -Got Game: How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever by John Beck, Mitchell Wade
    -What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy - James Paul Gee
    -The Ambiguity of Play by Brian Sutton-Smith
    -Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Berlin Johnson
    -Read some of Chris Crawford's stuff; he has a book about game design but a lot of stuff online too, like: http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/JC...on_Speech.html

    Not saying you should necessarily read the entirety of all of those books, but there may be parts of each that you can glean from and use. Most of those have been mentioned in interviews by people like Will Wright, Warren Spector, and other renowned game designers.

    If your point is that games of yore are merely more entertaining than modern games, you may not succeed in proving your point well. Better presentation is generally more entertaining, and today's games do have better presentation than classic games.

    If you believe that yesterday's games are "better" because they are more innovative, original, well-balanced, etc., then you are really still saying they are more entertaining in some ways; you should probably have more.

    Most good game designers will say that games have a teaching capacity to them, and that the "best" games are ones that do a good job of teaching the player new ways of thinking and / or new skills and knowledge that they can apply elsewhere. It stimulates areas of the mind; we find enjoyment in mastering games because it is making us "better people," or at least more apt to survive in the world we live in. Some might argue that "sandbox" games, where the player is given lots of tools and has to figure out solutions to problems, are some of the best games in this regard, but all games teach some sort of problem-solving skills by giving a set of verbs (jump, shoot, dodge, build, gather, run, etc.) to the player to allow them to explore the manifold ways those verbs can be applied to different situations.

    I think this that there is a lot of truth in that idea and that this is one of the major reasons we enjoy playing games in the first place. Classic games, because of their simplicity, put the ludemes in very raw and accessible terms, and therefore were in some ways "purer" teaching tools than many of today's games.

    There is a lot of potential for a great paper if you take this route, but you will need to do some research. The books above should be able to point you in the right direction. As a final note: you should of course realize by now that school is a game, and your grades are a score. To get a high score, you must simply determine what set of rules the teacher sets before you and play their game to their satisfaction. Gushing about how games are good for learning has, IMO, a good chance of endearing yourself to an educator and netting you a high score on your paper.
    Last edited by calthaer; 07-03-2009 at 03:14 PM.
    You are startled by a grim snarl. Before you, you see 1 Red dragon. Will your stalwart band choose to (F)ight or (R)un?

  2. #22
    Strawberry (Level 2) Pezcore343's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Nutley, New Jersey
    Posts
    448
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Pezcore343

    Default

    I believe he said he was writing this as an article for the school paper, not for a paper for a course.

  3. #23
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Custom rank graphic
    MachineGex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    2,600
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    One major advantage of classic games is you can jump right into a game if you only have 15-20 minutes. I play my retro arcade games all the time when I want a fast game. I love banging out a few games of Mr. DO or DK before bed. Newer games require much more time.

  4. #24
    ServBot (Level 11) Custom rank graphic
    calthaer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Turks and Caicos Islands
    Posts
    3,014
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    16
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    3
    Thanked in
    3 Posts
    Steam
    calthaer

    Default

    Good luck then; I don't think you'll convince your fellow students. Might as well try though.
    You are startled by a grim snarl. Before you, you see 1 Red dragon. Will your stalwart band choose to (F)ight or (R)un?

  5. #25
    Key (Level 9)
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    1,988
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I figure you'll get a lot of bias here.
    "If each mistake being made is a new one, then progress is being made."

  6. #26
    Ladd Spencer (Level 17)
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    9,238
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Scooterb23

    Default

    One thing classic gaming has over modern gaming: when you get into an argument about 2600 vs. Intellivision versions of games... you're usually seeing two people who have at least graduated high school battle. So the flame bait is at least well written.

    FLAME ON!

    Oh ya, Classic gaems pwn j00 n00bz

    Seriously though, the further modern gaming seems to be trying to push forward, the more I'm pulling back into my safe retro-filled world. I like my games pick up and play, and cut scene free.
    gamesandgrub.blogspot.com - My blog about boardgames, and sometimes food.
    roomwithaviewmaster.tumblr.com - My blog about Viewmaster collecting

  7. #27
    Insert Coin (Level 0) Enigmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    the dark side of the Moon, really.
    Posts
    1
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Platypus View Post
    I tried searching for an existing thread for this but I didn't find one.

    I have been asked to submit an article for the school paper, and I am considering putting forth the argument that it is better to play retro games rather than modern ones. I have a few ideas, (e.g. cost, nostalgia, simplicity), but I wanted to ask you guys if you had anything better. Do you agree that going retro is better? Is it just a lie that technology has improved the experience? Or do you disagree with me? I am very interested to hear what others have to say on this, and if I like your answer, I will shamelessly plagiarize it. =]
    When I review classic games, I don't listen to the assholes that proclaim Halo or GTA like it's frickin' god. I reach out to the people with brainpower enought to know what there is to an NES beyond Mario 1 and the controller. I'm smart and I don't listen to them because all they are is morons who copy everything they know off of TV and the internet. Hell, they even copy off T-shirts. So, yes, retro is much smarter, cost-effective and much more fun. Try playing through a game of Mario 3 and then Halo 3 and you tell me, which one is more entertaining, simple, and timeless?

  8. #28
    ServBot (Level 11)
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Posts
    3,791
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Halo 3?

  9. #29
    Insert Coin (Level 0) Enigmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    the dark side of the Moon, really.
    Posts
    1
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TheDomesticInstitution View Post
    Halo 3?
    Yes, because all of the idiots today hold that as the greatest game of all time, when to me Tetris is more epic than that!
    Mario 3 is the correct answer.

  10. #30
    Apple (Level 5) Custom rank graphic
    Cobra Commander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    1,130
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    How can you compare games like Mario 3 and Halo 3? It's like comparing apples to stepladders. Anyway....
    There are too many great games from both epochs to declare which is better. Video gaming is just a long unbroken chain. Each one leads into the next. The question cannot be answered.

  11. #31
    Cherry (Level 1) StakeRaiser's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    WV
    Posts
    285
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I will say that if there wasn't some sort of magic to classic gaming, Nintendo wouldn't be making an old school side scrolling Super Mario game for the Wii, and the Super Mario DS wouldn't have sold so many copies

  12. #32
    Crono (Level 14) Sonicwolf's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Abbotsford, BC, Canada
    Posts
    6,610
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    PSN
    Sonicwolf359

    Default

    Do people start the threads to initiate flame wars or to discover the joys of differing opinions?
    DERP

  13. #33
    Apple (Level 5) mezrabad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    1,160
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Chronogamer
    PSN
    Mekrabad

    Default

    One of my favorite games of all time is Adventure for the Atari 2600. Played it for hours on end back in 1981. The desire to play it again was the most compelling reason to re-purchase an Atari 2600 back in 2001 when I got back into console gaming.

    That being said, if it were 1981 and someone handed me an Xbox 360 with Oblivion on it, I think I would've said "screw this little square, I'm playing Oblivion..."

    While older games have their thrills, some of the games coming out today are the games we literally dreamt of playing back when we were kids and teens.

    While a lot of us might look back on our gaming past with nostalgia and scoff at the modern games, the kids and teens we were back in the early 80's would have traded every cart in their collection, and maybe even all of their Star Wars figures, to own their choice of just one of the modern games we take for granted now.
    Chronogamer. Every game. Chronologically.
    Latest entry 31 March 2010
    I have forgotten to feed my fish...

  14. #34
    Cherry (Level 1) obesolete's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Toronto, ON
    Posts
    237
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    yes.




    oh wait, you want more?
    I'm not really into games that are all eye-candy.
    I remember final fantasy being really special because you had to use your imagination.
    final fantasy now, I don't even know what number they're up to. I lost all interest after 6... well part way through 7 then I got bored.
    Closet Monsters: Custom and Retro Game Plushies Obesolete.etsy.com

  15. #35
    Insert Coin (Level 0) chilimac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    46
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    The classics are better because they provide the player a greater sense of accomplishment upon completion or obtaining a high score, since they demand more from the player, mentally and physically. Timing, reflexes, memory, pattern recognition, inductive reasoning, patience and perseverance... like a martial art, they require great discipline to master, but once mastered they give the player a much deeper sense of satisfaction than games of today.

    Today's games are more like movies, they're designed so as not to challenge or give great sense of accomplishment, but rather to kill the player's free time by having them do mundane tasks, such as 'go here, blow up this building, kill 5 men with a water cannon, chop down 3 trees and return to base before the time runs out'. No level design to speak of, just a landscape to traverse, with a few obstacles here and there to slow your progress, such as a collapsed bridge which will cause you to have to spend time searching for another way to cross a river. Just a whole lot a walking and looking, and not much else. Yeah, they may look really nice, but they better, because in many cases, they are more fun to watch than to play. And of course today's games lack replay value. Since their about looking at scenery and repetitive tasks and are story driven, once you've seen the story and the scenery, there's not much reason to go back. Best just to move on to the next game with a new story and new scenery to admire.

    Needless to say, this new style of game gets old real quick, and at this point, I keep asking myself, "why do I continue to play?". And the only answer I come up with is "because I don't know what else to do with myself". But I tell you what, when I do figure out what to do with myself, I'm dumping gaming like an ugly girlfriend. Gaming isn't for gamers anymore. It's for everyone else.
    Last edited by chilimac; 07-04-2009 at 11:27 PM.

  16. #36
    Mega Man (Level 19) The 1 2 P's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    The World Is Not Enough
    Posts
    11,193
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    If you mean classics as in pre-Nes era, than no. If you mean classics as in the Nes era and beyond, then.....um, maybe. I loved/love gaming on my Nes, Genesis, PS1 and all the systems between those years. But I also really love gaming on my Xbox, PS2 and 360. I actually think theres a place for both classic and modern gaming. As far as naming one better than the other, theres way to many variables there. I loved the longevity of classic games but I love the online multiplayer and downloadable content of modern games. So to me neither is better than the other. They both have their pros and cons.
    ALL HAIL THE 1 2 P
    Quote Originally Posted by THE 1 2 P
    Why? Once you've seen one partially-exposed butthole you've seen them all.

  17. #37
    Peach (Level 3) VG_Maniac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    The Evergreen State - Washington
    Posts
    711
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I definitely prefer classic gaming. I like the more simple games that you can just pick up and play, and not have to go through hours of cutscenes, dialog, tutorials, etc. I also feel that the gameplay of older games was better overall. Graphics are usually the thing that modern games focus on the most, while gameplay comes second.

  18. #38
    Banana (Level 7) Atarileaf's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    1,483
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    Threads like this one and the one about which era of gaming was the best really need the author of each post to post their age. I think its very easy to see that if someone says the current generation is the best or N64/PS1 era is the best, etc, then they grew up with that system and clearly has a nostalgic factor that drives their choice.

    As for me, I'm an old fart of 39 who grew up with Atari. I played Adventure, Outlaw, Berzerk, Chopper Command, etc on end with my friends and cousins and those memories drive me to collect for that system primarily today. Same with the NES when it came along, lots of great memories of playing contra and blades of steel with friends for hours on end. I have NO fond memories of any system beyond 1989 when I had my first TG-16 so for me, hands down, classic gaming is where its at.

    There is nothing on current gen consoles that impresses me nor can I see future consoles changing my mind unless they fundamentally change the kind of games they make. Unless you love FPS's, RPG's, or the yearly sports games updates, there's not much left for you. Wii comes the closest to me in terms of games that interest me but even then its Wii sports and not much else. PS2's only title of interest to me would be Little Big Planet. It looks like a fun throwback to older platformers with some great customization features. Perhaps some of the racing games too. 360 holds no interest to me at all, especially with the well documented hardware problems.

    Nope, classic gaming is where its at. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play Bubble Bobble.

  19. #39
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    14
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I would say the past is the best period I mean I still play my genesis every single day

  20. #40
    Startin' From Scratch Custom rank graphic
    AB Positive's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    not on the coast of massachusetts
    Posts
    6,201
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    I hope we all realize, myself included, that one day, we'll be those slightly odd grandmothers and grandfathers, shaking our canes from our rocking chairs yelling "I remember when games were on cartridges! Or disks that took 2 minutes to load, and we loved it!"

    I can't wait for that day
    -AB+

    Holy crap. It's been a while.

Similar Threads

  1. Classic gaming over modern gaming? What's you're stance? Video included.....
    By TheRetroVideoGameAddict in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 75
    Last Post: 07-23-2016, 12:08 AM
  2. Modern tv good for classic gaming?
    By Fatalstar64 in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 11-23-2010, 08:50 PM
  3. classic gaming vs modern gaming
    By Iron Draggon in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 12-28-2008, 12:42 PM
  4. Classic vs. Modern Gaming
    By digitalpress in forum Modern Gaming
    Replies: 63
    Last Post: 11-22-2005, 08:00 PM
  5. Classic vs. Modern Gaming
    By congobongo in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 09-09-2004, 01:39 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •