I totally disagree. Think of it this way: a sport is a genre, not a game. The people who were playing quake are now playing CS:S. Starcraft has had a lot of staying power...but when they makre another RTS that good, then that is where the players will move. Sports evolve as well. Hockey has changed dramatically in the past few years. 2-line passes, goalies only able to play a puck in limited areas behind the net, shoot out..all to give the game more of an offensive edge. Same thing in other pro sports...the game evolves using different equipment and changing rules as they see fit.
You are totally wrong that anyone can do video games. Will sitting down and playing a ton make you a better player? Of course it will. Will playing soccer all day make you a better soccer player? Of course. Does that mean you can be as good as Ronaldino? No! Same with video games, you can play as much as you want, you will always hit a peak. Some people will not only be physically faster than you...they will be smarter, more adaptive, etc. There is no difference. The best chess player in the world isn't going to be the best CS player. Their are infinitely more moves a CS player has than a chess player. Add on top of that you have to coordinate a team...chess looks like child's play. Really, the best chess players learn strategies and they have the ability to quickly figure out what possible moves a player can make. The more moves in the future they can predict and plany for, the better they are. A CS player has to know every match play map by heart. They must be able to coordinate the team to predict what the other team will do to give them the best chance of winning. They then have to have the twitch reflexes to actually kill their opponents before they are killed. I know chess players everywhere don't want to hear this...but chess is an extremely simple game compare ti Counterstrike. Just because video games are new, it doesn't mean it is inferior.
I am sure you are not the only person who hates the labels, but I really doubt there are many of you. I don't see why you have trouble with them. Their context really doesn't change from one game to the next. Hardcore players are people who spend a lot of their time playing games. Casuals enjoy playing games, but either can't or don't want to spend an excessive amount of time playing them. You could argue what that cut off point is...but it is usually fairly easy to classify a gamer in to one of the above. There are always exceptions that fall in to a gray area though.
I don't buy your argument that Sony and Microsoft are going after "10% of gamers". A console is niether hardcore or casual. It all depends on the games that are released for it. Both consoles will play games that cater to both types of gamers. And really, who are you to be so judgemental of others and how they spend their time? I am sure we could analyze your life and find plenty of things we would consider "lame". I don't think gaming hit its peak in the past. I think each year that has gone by has shown a new peak and more people playing games. And yes, these people are normal...not seemingly normal. You seriously have some sterotype issues about gaming. It is no different than listening to music or watching movies...just a form of entertainment that offers more interaction.
Online gaming is very big right now. You can put your fingers in your ears and say "lalalala" but it doesn't change that it has become important. Nintendo has stated in the past that they didn't think console gaming was important to gamers. Now the Wii will have online capabilities. Whether it is downloading older gamers, patching game bugs, downloading new content, or playing against others...the Internet is going to play an integral role in the future of gaming.
WoW is an excellent MMORPG. But it has done absolutely nothing innovative or interesting for the the RPG genre. MMOs are popular mainly because of their social aspects. The one thing WoW did right was made it so that casual players can level more quickly. This shows future games how to set up their MMO, but does nothing for the RPG genre. Remove the social aspect of WoW and you have a miserable excuse of a game. All you have left is a level grind and extremely boring quests. Their is story in WoW, but you have to dig hard for it...most of it you have to get from external websites. RPGs have evolved in to interactive fiction. Story is the key element and in that WoW fails. It has story, but it lacks a storyteller. It also has not brought anything new mechanicwise. So yeah, WoW has made a lot of money and is an addictive MMORPG but it does not belong anywhere near this list.
I think you have jumped the gun too early by making conclusions about consoles that have yet to be released. Besides, by the end of their life cycles, HD will be more common. How common, who knows? But it will give the consoles more lasting power.
The funny thing is...the only thing the Wii has going for it is it's controller (and first party games, of course). If the other consoles make a similar controller that works well...the Wii advantage is gone (Wiirased?). I am sure they have some good patents on that thing though. But it isn't hard to add a new controller after the fact...it is impossible to scale a console's power upward after it is released (mainly due to compatability reasons for older games).
And, like any tool, those that have been around for a while knew that the Internet can and will be used as both tools for good and as a weapon for selfish, self-aggrandizing acts, subversion and propaganda.
Fortunately, in the case of Foley, we have stopped a very sick person from preying on children. It sickens me that the Republicans are somehow trying to blame Democrats and web sites about this. This isn't a partisan issue. The man is really messed up and took advantage of his position of power. Any PERSON (Democrat or Republican) that covered for him or passed the buck to someone else should be canned.
I think the problem is that you brought religion in to the argument. What is the problem that he is a Jew? How is that even relevant to the discussion? I agree John Stewart is liberal...and that slants his show. But unlike conservative media, he will make fun of a Democrat just as much as he would a Republican. It just happens that Republicans hold the Presidency, the house, and the Senate. They are in control make stupid decisions constantly...it would be impossible not to have a show about politics that didn't focus on the Republican...satire or not.
The truth is Slashdot is not biased liberal. It's actually heavily Libertarian. Libertarians fall on both sides of the fence with their views. They want as little ferderal legislation as possible which jives with Rebublicans (to a certain extent). The problem is the current administration is not doing that...at all. They are spending more than any Democrat in office ever.
What draws people to Stewart is that he shows politicians at their worst. Even CNN refrains from airing the stupid things the current administration is constantly coming up with. Why? Because if they do that, they lose access to all the 'juicy' stories because the administration will cut them off. Journalism today is terrible mainly because of that reason. The government holds too much power over them. John Stewart is not encumbered by this and is able to point these things out. That is why people love him and think he is a patriot. He tells the news that CNN and FOX news are to afraid (or unwilling) to.
Sure, no way to prove it. But we can use some common sense and know this. I have friends who flunked out of undergrad because they played video games all the time. I love to play games...but I know in the past I have spent way too much time on them. Getting your kids to have a healthy balance of activities is very important. Didn't really need a study to tell us this, though.
Uhh, sorry, going to have to disagree with you. Some people like to power level and progress as fast as possible. To that, this is fun. Other people like to role play, explore, and take their time. This is fun for them. The two can coexist just fine. They just ignore each other and gravitate towards people that are more like themselves.
I think the real problem is you. You are the type that are jealous of the people who can compete better than you (whether by skill or the ability to play 24/7). There is no online game that won't have some form of competition. If you like to play differently, that's fine...find people who are like yourself. There is no need to bash others because they find enjoyment playing these games differently than you. You come off as someone who wants to be just like them, but lacks the means to compete.
Or you are looking at the past with rose colored glasses. Games are less fun now because you have grown up. Nothing wrong with going back and finding the joy of your childhood in these games. But to think they are strictly superior to modern games is a bit naieve. For example, classic games were a lot of fun to play as kids...but they never brought a tear to my eye like some modern games are capable of.
Uhh, I'd take that wager. In 200 years there would still be Ms. Pacman fans? Come on now. Games haven't matured far enough for them to be lasting. Classical music (arguably) hit it's peak. We don't listen to cave people grunting and hitting on drums. Once a game moves society as a whole..then maybe we might have classical games. Until then, Pacman will drift in to obscurity.
Hardcore...right. I am betting you are another console's fanboy and are just trolling. The fact of the matter is, we don't know how micropayments will work and for what games they will be implemented. I imagine most people wouldn't get them so they would just go away. You know, they talked about doing micropayments for internet use..01 cent per link click, that sort of thing. It didn't fly. So until it becomes this doomsday scenario you predcit...just shut up and wait until it is out.
Eh, I don't really think that is a fanboy statement to be honest. Those games are significantly different. I think he is just being more of a purist. I don't think he was saying those games were bad (I hope not, tactics was great)...it's just that it isn't a core Final Fantasy title. Like playing Super Mario Tennis isn't playing a Super Mario game.
I'm really with you on the price war thing. I think Nintendo is going to be interesting...I don't think a lot of games will be ported to or from the Wii. I think the controller begs for different type of game. So even if there is Madden on all three consoles...the one on the Wii will be a whole different beast. We'll have to wait and see if that is a good thing or not.
You are just a simplistic fanboy. Get your Wii and be happy. The rest of us will sit on the sidelines and wait and see which console will give us what we want. We'll probably get 2 or 3 of the consoles. And when the Wii comes out and has defects, will you be just as bitter? Of course not, you would blame some component manufacturer rather than admit that Nintendo isn't perfect either. Grow up.
All of those have sequels that you can play with your friends. Seriously though, on a new gen system, where everything is so expensive, people are going to take less risks and go with things that have the best chance to sell. Once the architecture is better understood, you might see some 'different' games. But I really don't see what you have to complain about...because of the Wii controller, games will have to be innovative...they may be the same games, but how you interact with it will be totally different. So get yourself one of those. While innovation is fine, I really don't care as long as it is a good game (as do most sane people). The people on here who cry for innovation is driving me nuts. You will never get the innovation of the 80s because games was a whole new medium. Anything you did at that point was an innovation.
Uhh, yeah, racism exists...but I still fail to see how this is racist. From your link, the great white hope basically is a hope that a white person could do well in an activity that is dominated by another race. Whether you would like to realize this or not, we as humans are always going to recognize differences and favor things that are more like ourselves. As a U.S. citizen, is it negative for me to hope U.S. team members will get the gold? Of course not. This is the same thing. Now, if I say I hate black people and hope they lose...that is racism. But rooting for someone of the same race as me? That's natural.
This is a serious problem these days...you guys need to realize what racism really is. I am not going to apologize to people because I am white or my ancestor (I don't know if they did or not) had slaves. I grew up in a state where white people are a minority (New Mexico). Racial sensitivity has gone to far. If I call someone black, it is not an insult. Why the hell should I call them African Americans? Are all black people from Africa? Were they born in Africa? Shouldn't I be called an English-American then? It's just rampant stupidity and it's time people stop putting up with it.
Everyone on here keeps stating that they are losing money on the console and have to make up the difference in game sales. While this is true, it is only part of the picture. They also will make money from people buying dev kits, licensing their games to run on the PS3, and Sony still makes good profit on all the accessories (extra controllers, memory, cables, etc.). Also, the more consoles they sell, the more game developers will license and produce games on that platform. If BluRay catches on, people will rush out to buy PS3s as it will be a very cheap player. That's a big if but it does give the thing a chance to take off despite its price. This thing isn't just a console, it's the future of Sony. It is a huge gamble and will be interesting to see what happens.
In CS, every time there is a little change, people cry. But the updates keep the game interesting, and if it doesn't work, they remove it soon enough (remember shields?). People like you are afraid of change. They can't adapt or suck at the game and they blame this on new content patches.
With games like this it is actually better to have everyone using the same version. If there are different versions it just makes it more difficult and confusing to find a server to play on. There are bug fixes and they patch exploits. That's really why most people want to play the old versions is they figured out how to cheat and the new patch breaks that ability (not that they have to wait long to find a new one).
The thing is, you bought HL2. You could very easily make it so that steam doesn't update that game. CS:S is an online mod to that game that you get for free. On top of that, they even actively update it for you. Yet you still find the time to complain.
Fine, vote with your wallet...they won't notice. The fact is they make great games and there are tons of people out there who aren't afraid of change in online games. If you really have such issues, I suggest you stay away from PC gaming in general. Get yourself a console, don't connect it to the internet, and enjoy playing with yourself. If you want to play an online multiplayer game, then you should expect things to change. It doesn't matter how the company distributes the game.
Uhh, no. If middle-aged people just went to the gym I would have nothing to look at but the TVs. There are plenty of people in their 20s that go...and thank god that they do.
Slashdot Mirror
I totally disagree. Think of it this way: a sport is a genre, not a game. The people who were playing quake are now playing CS:S. Starcraft has had a lot of staying power...but when they makre another RTS that good, then that is where the players will move. Sports evolve as well. Hockey has changed dramatically in the past few years. 2-line passes, goalies only able to play a puck in limited areas behind the net, shoot out..all to give the game more of an offensive edge. Same thing in other pro sports...the game evolves using different equipment and changing rules as they see fit.
You are totally wrong that anyone can do video games. Will sitting down and playing a ton make you a better player? Of course it will. Will playing soccer all day make you a better soccer player? Of course. Does that mean you can be as good as Ronaldino? No! Same with video games, you can play as much as you want, you will always hit a peak. Some people will not only be physically faster than you...they will be smarter, more adaptive, etc. There is no difference. The best chess player in the world isn't going to be the best CS player. Their are infinitely more moves a CS player has than a chess player. Add on top of that you have to coordinate a team...chess looks like child's play. Really, the best chess players learn strategies and they have the ability to quickly figure out what possible moves a player can make. The more moves in the future they can predict and plany for, the better they are. A CS player has to know every match play map by heart. They must be able to coordinate the team to predict what the other team will do to give them the best chance of winning. They then have to have the twitch reflexes to actually kill their opponents before they are killed. I know chess players everywhere don't want to hear this...but chess is an extremely simple game compare ti Counterstrike. Just because video games are new, it doesn't mean it is inferior.
I am sure you are not the only person who hates the labels, but I really doubt there are many of you. I don't see why you have trouble with them. Their context really doesn't change from one game to the next. Hardcore players are people who spend a lot of their time playing games. Casuals enjoy playing games, but either can't or don't want to spend an excessive amount of time playing them. You could argue what that cut off point is...but it is usually fairly easy to classify a gamer in to one of the above. There are always exceptions that fall in to a gray area though.
I don't buy your argument that Sony and Microsoft are going after "10% of gamers". A console is niether hardcore or casual. It all depends on the games that are released for it. Both consoles will play games that cater to both types of gamers. And really, who are you to be so judgemental of others and how they spend their time? I am sure we could analyze your life and find plenty of things we would consider "lame". I don't think gaming hit its peak in the past. I think each year that has gone by has shown a new peak and more people playing games. And yes, these people are normal...not seemingly normal. You seriously have some sterotype issues about gaming. It is no different than listening to music or watching movies...just a form of entertainment that offers more interaction.
Online gaming is very big right now. You can put your fingers in your ears and say "lalalala" but it doesn't change that it has become important. Nintendo has stated in the past that they didn't think console gaming was important to gamers. Now the Wii will have online capabilities. Whether it is downloading older gamers, patching game bugs, downloading new content, or playing against others...the Internet is going to play an integral role in the future of gaming.
WoW is an excellent MMORPG. But it has done absolutely nothing innovative or interesting for the the RPG genre. MMOs are popular mainly because of their social aspects. The one thing WoW did right was made it so that casual players can level more quickly. This shows future games how to set up their MMO, but does nothing for the RPG genre. Remove the social aspect of WoW and you have a miserable excuse of a game. All you have left is a level grind and extremely boring quests. Their is story in WoW, but you have to dig hard for it...most of it you have to get from external websites. RPGs have evolved in to interactive fiction. Story is the key element and in that WoW fails. It has story, but it lacks a storyteller. It also has not brought anything new mechanicwise. So yeah, WoW has made a lot of money and is an addictive MMORPG but it does not belong anywhere near this list.
I think you have jumped the gun too early by making conclusions about consoles that have yet to be released. Besides, by the end of their life cycles, HD will be more common. How common, who knows? But it will give the consoles more lasting power.
The funny thing is...the only thing the Wii has going for it is it's controller (and first party games, of course). If the other consoles make a similar controller that works well...the Wii advantage is gone (Wiirased?). I am sure they have some good patents on that thing though. But it isn't hard to add a new controller after the fact...it is impossible to scale a console's power upward after it is released (mainly due to compatability reasons for older games).
And, like any tool, those that have been around for a while knew that the Internet can and will be used as both tools for good and as a weapon for selfish, self-aggrandizing acts, subversion and propaganda.
Fortunately, in the case of Foley, we have stopped a very sick person from preying on children. It sickens me that the Republicans are somehow trying to blame Democrats and web sites about this. This isn't a partisan issue. The man is really messed up and took advantage of his position of power. Any PERSON (Democrat or Republican) that covered for him or passed the buck to someone else should be canned.
I agree, this site seems full of Wiitards lately. (It's a joke, relax)
Teach me how to do my job.
Thanks!
(I kid! I kid!)
I think the problem is that you brought religion in to the argument. What is the problem that he is a Jew? How is that even relevant to the discussion? I agree John Stewart is liberal...and that slants his show. But unlike conservative media, he will make fun of a Democrat just as much as he would a Republican. It just happens that Republicans hold the Presidency, the house, and the Senate. They are in control make stupid decisions constantly...it would be impossible not to have a show about politics that didn't focus on the Republican...satire or not.
The truth is Slashdot is not biased liberal. It's actually heavily Libertarian. Libertarians fall on both sides of the fence with their views. They want as little ferderal legislation as possible which jives with Rebublicans (to a certain extent). The problem is the current administration is not doing that...at all. They are spending more than any Democrat in office ever.
What draws people to Stewart is that he shows politicians at their worst. Even CNN refrains from airing the stupid things the current administration is constantly coming up with. Why? Because if they do that, they lose access to all the 'juicy' stories because the administration will cut them off. Journalism today is terrible mainly because of that reason. The government holds too much power over them. John Stewart is not encumbered by this and is able to point these things out. That is why people love him and think he is a patriot. He tells the news that CNN and FOX news are to afraid (or unwilling) to.
Sure, no way to prove it. But we can use some common sense and know this. I have friends who flunked out of undergrad because they played video games all the time. I love to play games...but I know in the past I have spent way too much time on them. Getting your kids to have a healthy balance of activities is very important. Didn't really need a study to tell us this, though.
Uhh, sorry, going to have to disagree with you. Some people like to power level and progress as fast as possible. To that, this is fun. Other people like to role play, explore, and take their time. This is fun for them. The two can coexist just fine. They just ignore each other and gravitate towards people that are more like themselves.
I think the real problem is you. You are the type that are jealous of the people who can compete better than you (whether by skill or the ability to play 24/7). There is no online game that won't have some form of competition. If you like to play differently, that's fine...find people who are like yourself. There is no need to bash others because they find enjoyment playing these games differently than you. You come off as someone who wants to be just like them, but lacks the means to compete.
Or you are looking at the past with rose colored glasses. Games are less fun now because you have grown up. Nothing wrong with going back and finding the joy of your childhood in these games. But to think they are strictly superior to modern games is a bit naieve. For example, classic games were a lot of fun to play as kids...but they never brought a tear to my eye like some modern games are capable of.
Then start writing your own.
Uhh, I'd take that wager. In 200 years there would still be Ms. Pacman fans? Come on now. Games haven't matured far enough for them to be lasting. Classical music (arguably) hit it's peak. We don't listen to cave people grunting and hitting on drums. Once a game moves society as a whole..then maybe we might have classical games. Until then, Pacman will drift in to obscurity.
Your concept that there is something the developers can or will do to stop modders is what comes of as "not realistic" to me.
Hardcore...right. I am betting you are another console's fanboy and are just trolling. The fact of the matter is, we don't know how micropayments will work and for what games they will be implemented. I imagine most people wouldn't get them so they would just go away. You know, they talked about doing micropayments for internet use. .01 cent per link click, that sort of thing. It didn't fly. So until it becomes this doomsday scenario you predcit...just shut up and wait until it is out.
Eh, I don't really think that is a fanboy statement to be honest. Those games are significantly different. I think he is just being more of a purist. I don't think he was saying those games were bad (I hope not, tactics was great)...it's just that it isn't a core Final Fantasy title. Like playing Super Mario Tennis isn't playing a Super Mario game.
I'm really with you on the price war thing. I think Nintendo is going to be interesting...I don't think a lot of games will be ported to or from the Wii. I think the controller begs for different type of game. So even if there is Madden on all three consoles...the one on the Wii will be a whole different beast. We'll have to wait and see if that is a good thing or not.
You are just a simplistic fanboy. Get your Wii and be happy. The rest of us will sit on the sidelines and wait and see which console will give us what we want. We'll probably get 2 or 3 of the consoles. And when the Wii comes out and has defects, will you be just as bitter? Of course not, you would blame some component manufacturer rather than admit that Nintendo isn't perfect either. Grow up.
All of those have sequels that you can play with your friends. Seriously though, on a new gen system, where everything is so expensive, people are going to take less risks and go with things that have the best chance to sell. Once the architecture is better understood, you might see some 'different' games. But I really don't see what you have to complain about...because of the Wii controller, games will have to be innovative...they may be the same games, but how you interact with it will be totally different. So get yourself one of those. While innovation is fine, I really don't care as long as it is a good game (as do most sane people). The people on here who cry for innovation is driving me nuts. You will never get the innovation of the 80s because games was a whole new medium. Anything you did at that point was an innovation.
Uhh, yeah, racism exists...but I still fail to see how this is racist. From your link, the great white hope basically is a hope that a white person could do well in an activity that is dominated by another race. Whether you would like to realize this or not, we as humans are always going to recognize differences and favor things that are more like ourselves. As a U.S. citizen, is it negative for me to hope U.S. team members will get the gold? Of course not. This is the same thing. Now, if I say I hate black people and hope they lose...that is racism. But rooting for someone of the same race as me? That's natural.
This is a serious problem these days...you guys need to realize what racism really is. I am not going to apologize to people because I am white or my ancestor (I don't know if they did or not) had slaves. I grew up in a state where white people are a minority (New Mexico). Racial sensitivity has gone to far. If I call someone black, it is not an insult. Why the hell should I call them African Americans? Are all black people from Africa? Were they born in Africa? Shouldn't I be called an English-American then? It's just rampant stupidity and it's time people stop putting up with it.
You are assuming that people who play Second Life are normal.
(I kid, I kid!)
Everyone on here keeps stating that they are losing money on the console and have to make up the difference in game sales. While this is true, it is only part of the picture. They also will make money from people buying dev kits, licensing their games to run on the PS3, and Sony still makes good profit on all the accessories (extra controllers, memory, cables, etc.). Also, the more consoles they sell, the more game developers will license and produce games on that platform. If BluRay catches on, people will rush out to buy PS3s as it will be a very cheap player. That's a big if but it does give the thing a chance to take off despite its price. This thing isn't just a console, it's the future of Sony. It is a huge gamble and will be interesting to see what happens.
Holy crap! You mean now you have to think before buying? No wonder you are freaking out. Good luck!
In CS, every time there is a little change, people cry. But the updates keep the game interesting, and if it doesn't work, they remove it soon enough (remember shields?). People like you are afraid of change. They can't adapt or suck at the game and they blame this on new content patches.
With games like this it is actually better to have everyone using the same version. If there are different versions it just makes it more difficult and confusing to find a server to play on. There are bug fixes and they patch exploits. That's really why most people want to play the old versions is they figured out how to cheat and the new patch breaks that ability (not that they have to wait long to find a new one).
The thing is, you bought HL2. You could very easily make it so that steam doesn't update that game. CS:S is an online mod to that game that you get for free. On top of that, they even actively update it for you. Yet you still find the time to complain.
Fine, vote with your wallet...they won't notice. The fact is they make great games and there are tons of people out there who aren't afraid of change in online games. If you really have such issues, I suggest you stay away from PC gaming in general. Get yourself a console, don't connect it to the internet, and enjoy playing with yourself. If you want to play an online multiplayer game, then you should expect things to change. It doesn't matter how the company distributes the game.
Uhh, no. If middle-aged people just went to the gym I would have nothing to look at but the TVs. There are plenty of people in their 20s that go...and thank god that they do.