Let's talk about the video game industry

[UserNameGoesHere]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

I, for one, want to see more focus on gameplay.

Graphics AND storyline should both take back seats to gameplay.

The control scheme should be smooth and responsive. But level/game design should be nonetheless challenging.

One way to appeal to multiple skill levels is to have different difficulties of play and/or to start out dead easy but ramp up the difficulty steadily.

The problem is actual good games won't make the money these days since most gamers of today aren't really gamers like we'd think of them in the 80s or 90s. So the people who would enjoy an actual really well-made game are fewer than you might think.

And yes, video games are art. Making a good game is an artform. There should be no "maybes", "almost", "sort of" or other fence-sitting about it. Anyone who tells you video games aren't art is both wrong and likely ignorant. As with any art though, you have to include both that finger painting little Jimmy put on mommy's fridge and the Mona Lisa. All art is not created equal.

So anyone who wants to put an actual good game out there needs to do so out of their own artistic desires to do so, and not expecting tons of money out of it. Because most people, despite what they may claim, aren't gamers (at least would not have been considered gamers back in the 80s or 90s).

[Pseudo Enigma]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

You know, I had a really big flashback to my childhood the other day. Like, when I was 5-6 and pretty much spending all my spare time on videogames, ignoring homework and anything else that seemed like a pain in the ass. What kept me playing those games back then?

I thought about this for a while, and I realized that the games aren't challenging anymore. The games were ridiculously tough for my 6 year old self. By that time I had been all the way at the end of FF6 and, if not for my brother telling me to grind at a specific forest-- you know the one, I would never have figured out how to play those games.

Eventually I realized that games were frustrating when I couldn't beat a boss, and that release of anger that occurs when you finally defeat is was totally what was driving my gaming career. I guess I was a little crack monkey who finally discovered his dope.

But with all things, games started to get easier and easier for me, and with that the challenge specifically dropped. I started doing insane shit, like beating Seymour Flux in one shot with Yuna, or beating up the Midgar Zolom at the beginning of the game to see if I could avoid getting the Chocobo Lure, all just to keep that level of challenge. That small amount of bullshitting your game into doing hilarious shit because you exploit the freedom the game allowed you to have made me feel good about gaming again.

But not for all the long however. Once I realized that games were ridiculously easy for me I got really depressed. I realized I had poured all of my childhood into gaming, so no wonder I was good at them. I then was forced to realize that I could've gotten into a different hobby and poured all my time into that instead of gaming. But that didn't really matter to me once I realized that Gaming had made me happy through all those years.

But what is going on now, what with the new generation of games and consoles and all that shit? I don't play them, that's what. The only new generation consoles I own are the NDS and the 3DS. I don't own a PS3, I don't own a 360, and my computer is from the late 90s. I'm not trying to be this retro gamer on purpose though. I probably would be playing on the newer consoles if it weren't for my lack of money. But I am partially glad I get to explore the older gaming libraries of the PS1 and the SNES because of my lack of money. Because I'm starting to find that the more the gaming industry improves the graphics of a game, the more the story and gameplay sucks a shit sandwich.

Why the hell am I sharing this little recap of my gaming career though? I wanted to say that because I was living with gaming all my life it became something I was used to. The games became dull and boring to me over time because, just like chewing on gum for too long, it lost it's flavour. I want to rediscover the love for gaming that my younger self did, but sadly because the love for gaming was based upon difficulty and the release of stress that I got when I had overcome it. I don't think I'll be able to rediscover my love for gaming even if the video game industry magically turns around and gets smarter, better, and realizes the things that I did.

tl;dr: even though the gaming industry is bullshit, I have lost my love for video games regardless of if the vgi decides to pull itself back together.

[UserNameGoesHere]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

Well even let's talk about the gamers of today.

So I recently spoke with someone around age 20 or so who considers himself a gamer. Conversation went something like this.

Him: What kind of games do you like?

Me: Oh I like classically hard, oldschool games like Ninja Gaiden, Battletoads, Abadox... Games like that. I can beat 'em too!

Him: I've never head of those games. What system are they for?

Me: Nintendo Entertainment System

Him: You mean like Nintendo 64?

Me: No. Nintendo Entertainment System. N-E-S

Him: So, Super Nintendo?

Me: No. Before that.

Him: Oh, I like Legend of Zelda

Me: I do too. I've beaten both quests, no deaths.

Him: Wait ... there's two quests?

Me: Yes. You beat the first quest. Then there's a harder second quest.

Him: Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time?

Me: No. The original Legend of Zelda.

Him: Wait what system is it for?

Me: Nintendo Entertainment System

-----------------------------

I mean if this is the state of gamers today, you can't really expect much out of the mainstream gaming industry today. Because keep in mind they are appealing to this new kind of gamer who are much more numerous than the oldschool hardcore gamers.

Keep in mind if you don't have a save point every 5 feet, hand-holding the entire time, unlimited continues, and generally make the entire game far too easy, with emphasis almost entirely on graphics and story, these new gamers won't be interested.

It's not any different from the past -- it's just now that gaming is more mainstream, you get the same mainstream influx that tends to ruin just about everything else. So games are made to cater to the mainstream rather than to traditional gamers.

[Pseudo Enigma]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

What mainly makes me feel bad about my childhood is the fact that I was naive enough to think that games would get harder because the games then were hard enough, and because of that they were fun. They're only getting easier and more boring and I feel like I let myself get false hopes.

edit: and yes, when I talk about games with people and they start bullshitting I feel like punching them in the face after calling themselves a gamer. It happens every time.

[Emanresu13]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

i've been increasingly finding enjoyment in video games through exploits; be it glitches, sequence breaking, low level/percentage runs, stuff like that. makes many modern games more interesting, and breathes new life into older games. i suggest trying it out if you haven't, maybe it'll help break the monotony.

[hi19hi19]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

i've been increasingly finding enjoyment in video games through exploits; be it glitches, sequence breaking, low level/percentage runs, stuff like that. makes many modern games more interesting, and breathes new life into older games. i suggest trying it out if you haven't, maybe it'll help break the monotony.

Add to this list speedrunning. Speedrunning games is a ton of fun.

As is TASing them, but tool-assistance is sort of a "different thing" that is more akin to dissecting a game than it is actually playing it... but you can have a hell of a lot of fun dissecting a game too

[UserNameGoesHere]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

I don't count TASing as legit pwning a game though.
It's more like an artistic interpretation of what it might look like, but not actual pwnage itself.

Plus most of the time TAS runs take advantage of glitches in how a game runs in a particular emulator or such, which it would run differently on the actual hardware. When you get to pixel-perfect precision, this tends to matter.

[FontSize72LOL]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

Some general trends I've been seeing:

- Like in the movies: more and more attention goes to graphics and less and less to the complexity of the story line

- Addiction instead of fun: the WoW-syndrome of appealing to the grinding lust of teenage gamers. Getting enough badges for higher tier gear or getting that 'killing 2000 rare spawn' achievement makes gaming a drudgery.

- Gimmicks and gadgets instead of game improvement. Get people to play a MMO that has potential and then focusing on skins and collector items instead of tuning gaming mechanics

Some games that I can recommend:

- Oblivion
- Civilization IV (with Beyond the Sword expansion)
- Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
- Dragon Age (I and II)

Really, You'd recommend this streamlined PoS? This game is one of the biggest things wrong with the gaming industry right now.

I've played Dragon Age II, and beat it (Yeah, i know... I'm not very proud of it) The story wasn't bad, but certainly doesn't hold a candle to the complexity that Dragon Age: Origins had. The combat albeit more fluid and entertaining was watered down by the shitty 'Wave based mobs pop out of nowhere' system. They essentially recycled 10 different places throughout the entire game. It honestly makes me sad to say that i have the DLC for this game as well, and i can tell you... I actually got more enjoyment out of Legacy / Mark of the Assassin than i did out of playing most of that game. You can sum up Dragon Age II in one word... "Lazy".

This is the kind of thing that is wrong with the gaming industry. I wont go into the whole Hardcore VS Casual aspect, but i will say one thing. A lot of games getting produced today just feel lazy. Sure, they can look great, but you can see cut corners everywhere, and lots of times, these cut corners are sold back to us in the form of DLC. This whole DLC assault going on in this generation of games is sickening. Dungeon Defenders is a good example of a game that rapes you with DLC. The Original Price of the game was $15. To get all of the DLC (Full Price) You have to spend around $40. This is more than 2.5x the price of the game.

On top of all of that, games these days are selling something called a "Season Pass" for DLC. This is the greediest thing I've ever seen. You're basically paying for a promise that you'll get any DLC developed within a period of time. You're not guaranteed to get anything at all. Games doing this include: Borderlands 2, Darksiders 2, Saints Row: The Third, and Quantum Conundrum.

Lol @ this forum being so dead.

[Tristana]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

Really, You'd recommend this streamlined PoS? This game is one of the biggest things wrong with the gaming industry right now.

I've played Dragon Age II, and beat it (Yeah, i know... I'm not very proud of it) The story wasn't bad, but certainly doesn't hold a candle to the complexity that Dragon Age: Origins had. The combat albeit more fluid and entertaining was watered down by the shitty 'Wave based mobs pop out of nowhere' system. They essentially recycled 10 different places throughout the entire game. It honestly makes me sad to say that i have the DLC for this game as well, and i can tell you... I actually got more enjoyment out of Legacy / Mark of the Assassin than i did out of playing most of that game. You can sum up Dragon Age II in one word... "Lazy".

This is the kind of thing that is wrong with the gaming industry. I wont go into the whole Hardcore VS Casual aspect, but i will say one thing. A lot of games getting produced today just feel lazy. Sure, they can look great, but you can see cut corners everywhere, and lots of times, these cut corners are sold back to us in the form of DLC. This whole DLC assault going on in this generation of games is sickening. Dungeon Defenders is a good example of a game that rapes you with DLC. The Original Price of the game was $15. To get all of the DLC (Full Price) You have to spend around $40. This is more than 2.5x the price of the game.

On top of all of that, games these days are selling something called a "Season Pass" for DLC. This is the greediest thing I've ever seen. You're basically paying for a promise that you'll get any DLC developed within a period of time. You're not guaranteed to get anything at all. Games doing this include: Borderlands 2, Darksiders 2, Saints Row: The Third, and Quantum Conundrum.

Lol @ this forum being so dead.

too bad borderlands is an amazing game (1 and 2 included)

also board is :

[FontSize72LOL]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

too bad borderlands is an amazing game (1 and 2 included)

also board is :

I never said Borderlands 1 or 2 was bad, just the idea of paying for a season pass (A promise), is bad. Unless that season pass guarantees you a certain amount of DLC at fair value (In which it becomes more akin to a pre-purchase) Its a ripoff.

[Tristana]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

these days games are so bad and dont offer replay value

i'm gladly willing to support developers like 2kgames through season passes and $$$
i want them to make more good games



but i do think DLCs for shit like premade shit (pay 2 unlock shit thats already on disc!@!, Street Fighter x Tekken characters) and dumber shit (prestige shit for cal of duty) is dumb

[Senip]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

I hate borderlands 1 and 2, honestly. It's like "HERE I'LL JUST DROP THESE 5 MILLION PIECES OF LOOT DONT MIND ME!"

[Tristana]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

if ur playing borderlands for the items ur doing it wrong

play with irl friends !!

produce unforgettable moments while drunk

[Emanresu13]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

bl2 season pass says you're getting 4 dlc packs so it is like a pre-purchase

same with bf3 premium, they've stated what they're selling

sf x tekken and on-disc dlc in general is pretty sleazy (thx capcom)

can't really make a good judgement on cod but i know i hate activision and cod so it's probably awful

[Pseudo Enigma]

Re: Let's talk about the video game industry

So I am watching my friend play. She doesn't call herself a gamer. She doesn't brag that she has some of the best games in her library of games. She just plays and expects me to share the same love of the games. While watching her play I notice that she gets excited over the smallest things in games that I have seen over a thousand times in other games.

It was only recently that I noticed how sad that last sentence is. I've seen too many things in video games and it's become monotonous. I can't be excited over the simple things in them anymore. I feel like when I was younger video games were almost magical and that they had some special taint over my childhood. Watching my friend reminded me of that fact.

It seems that because I have played so many video games that it just seems so damn expected when a certain sequence happens or what not. I can't enjoy it because I am thinking about how damn expected it was and why it couldn't have been less expected. Or how easy the battle was and how I remember it being tough for another person, or even just thinking that it might've been tough for people.

What I have obtained from this experience is a new perspective.. what if we all are just over analyzing games because we think that they could be so much better. What if that very thought is just blinding us from the perfection of certain games around us? I honestly envy that girl who finds the smallest things in games enjoyable, because she's happier playing them than I am. I wish I could get that back.

//videogaming emo post 2012