I didn't see this mentioned, but it would be quite fun if they included the ability to record and play back motions. Coupled with multiplayer functions, that could be great for creating little kung fu movies.
Considering the amount of time I spent fooling with truck and stair dismount, I'm sure I'll be giving this a whirl.
"In most of the MMORPGs, battles have almost predetermined conclusions based on the level and abilities of those player avatars involved in the fight and the creatures they're fighting against."
Ok, he has an understanding of MMORPG game mechanics, but how is that insightful?
I, too, would enjoy a more action-oriented online experience. No matter how beautiful the game world, there's something about standing in a group huddling around a monster until it falls over that just lacks excitement. I couldn't play Everquest or Asheron's Call for more than a week because of their static battle systems, and although Final Fantasy XI looks amazing, I fear that I'll quickly grow tired of it as well. On the other hand, Ultima Online, which despite its problems had a more active attack system, held my attention for more than a year. I don't know why the writer lumps it in with AC or EQ, because its attack system is more active-- while your character would auto-attack if hit, its battle system was much closer to that of Diablo.
I agree that MMORPGs appeal to a huge audience because they're not skill based, but I wonder if the lack of action MMOGs has to do with latency and synching the actions of a large number of players. I'm sure the reasons are much more complex than this "pc gamers are reflex challenged" argument presented in the article.
There isn't much difference between a game in which one mouse click corresponds to one attack, or one where you hit a button and watch your character swing (or cast) for a while. You're still hitting an attack button at regular intervals, but in the first case you are required to develop a bit of strategy when playing. A game that let you not only attack, but parry, dodge, turn and run, etc, would be a great step up.
I've also heard enough about PlanetSide to keep me from thinking it's a any kind of solution to the problem of dull online games. Unless I'm wrong, the forthcoming Lineage 2 will be action oriented, so that's one to look at. I don't think MMORPGs need to be "twitch" in the FPS sense, but they do need to be more engaging.
I'd be interested in seeing how realistic the locations are. I've been increasingly impressed with games that simulate real life locations, like Midnight Club 2's version of LA, and that's just on consoles.
I wonder if a slew of arcade games with similarly relevant themes (EG. fighting terrorists rather than zombies or aliens) and very detailed, lifelike graphics would help revitalize arcade gaming.
For someone so up in arms about another person preaching on how people should spend their time, one certainly wouldn't think that you'd do it yourself.
Get off that chair, turn the computer off, and go stand on a soapbox on the street corner, indeed.
Aside from free gifts, UO had the best holiday bonus ever in the form of a Christmas PvP server. The entire game world in that server was covered in snow and all trees were decorated with "lights," etc, but the best part was that characters spawned looking like either Santa or an Elf. Everyone had max stats to even the playing field, and only basic weapons and bandages to use.
It was basically a massive deathmatch... pure hilarious pandemonium.
I also seem to remember killer reindeer running around, but I'm kinda groggy from holiday face-stuffing, so I could be wrong.
but I'm reminded of Taco Bell's tie in with N64 back in the day, so it does happen in the States as well, although perhaps not to the same extent.
Personally, I'd like more games that did it the other way around... like Shenmue, where I could enjoy a refreshing carbonated beverage virtually as well as in real life. Although you momentarily have to question your own sanity when you find yourself thinking "Gee, I feel like a drink... in game."
And on a more serious note, I think most modern MMORPGs are missing the tavern aspects. Combat and leveling is great, but I miss the time spent with MUD or UO friends kicking back in taverns, swilling ale and cracking jokes.
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance was a decent game, but no replacement for any other BG series game, and I expect the same from this one. I'll probably wait until it drops to $20 and then convince a friend to buy it (hope it has multiplayer, like BGDA did).
"American society is racist, even though there are antiracist laws," Lesly Voltaire, minister for Haitians living abroad, told The Herald. "It's based on a formerly slave-owning society, which has left its mark, and there are people who think they can make money on that racism."
And it's not offensive and prejudicial when a government official from another country makes a judgement on an entire society based on a practice abolished over 100 years ago?
The world makes me so mad, and this issue is just idiotic.
I'd rather there be more "synergy" between games and writers. No matter how cinematic a game is, it'll still suck if it's got a B-movie equivalent script (as most of them currently seem to).
The situation with games might be even worse, because while someone can buy/borrow a cheap digital camera and (theoretically) make a good movie viewable to anyone with a computer, vcr or dvd player, that's not really possible for games.
Well, console games anyway, but that's the risk you take when buying into a corporate funded content delivery tool.
I haven't been a pc gamer in a long time because of the steep price of (re)entry, but thinking about it, if the worst case scenario of game homoginization takes place, owning a gameworthy PC might be the only way to play creative independent titles.
I'm glad other's felt the same as I did. The VGAs were a disgrace, but I don't know what I was really expecting from a network that markets to the lowest common denominator of men who can't have entertainment without strippers, sports or people injuring themselves/others.
Everyone who was saddened by the VGAs should relay their opinions to the network. The five of us who care can make a difference!
Ah, who am I kidding... I'll just play Viewtiful Joe instead, the game that I think should have won best animation, or at least been a freaking nominee!
Fallout 2 and Baldur's Gate 2 were excellent games, had great stories and sense of setting, and were largely free of the type of cheesy melodrama that seems to have overtaken console RPGs. I hope their type of deep RPG experience doesn't die with Black Isle, but I fear it will.
"It's going to be pretty hard to rationalize punishing Hong Kong students for playing games in class after this revelation..."
I was thinking the same thing!
Why are students complaining? Now they should feel free to play games during lectures, assuming nothing constructive was happening. I don't know how it is in China, but based on my school experiences, I could have spent a lot of time gaming had I been able to use that excuse.
They ask a 23 year old about physical changes that might keep him from playing games... that's just absurd.
I'm 22, and judging by the fact that I've witnessed people as old as 40 or 50 (so ancient!!) still able to use their hands like a regular young person, I don't see any major changes altering the way I play games in the near future.
But seriously, judging by the title I was hoping they found gamers aged 60+ who might have to worry about joint problems and waning eye sight in their future. I've played games my whole life, and I don't see that stopping any time soon. I often wonder if I'll be held back by such issues, and I wonder if game companies will accomodate older gamers in the future with larger controllers (xbox 2,3,etc will already have this covered) and other devices to help them play comfortably.
I'm interested in filmmaking and animation, and the Machinima concept piqued my interest when I first heard about it, but for someone who doesn't have any kind of experience with 3D modeling, it seems just as prohibitive as learning 'regular' 3D animation techniques. Maybe more-so, since I don't have a LAN at my disposal (well, I'm just lacking nearby fellow geeks) and if I was going to spend time gathering voice actors and such, I might as well be spending that time finding actors for live action films.
I can understand the relative ease of use of this compared to keyframe animation, on the other hand its really not something that entices me enough to look into further.
I'm guessing I'm not the type of person this concept targets, although if there was a few programs available that would help me create simple characters and scenes specifically for this purpose, I would definitely try it out. As it is though, I wouldn't be diverted from learning a program like Swift3D, which currently best suits my relatively minimal animation requirements.
I don't know from marketing, but I really don't see how companies like that will ever be crucial to the industry. Is marketing such a problem that it would be worth sharing profits with another company to solve?
I think the industry is set up now so that gamers will find the games they want to be playing without a huge focus on marketing. Buying a console is an investment, no matter how small to some, so it seems that the buyer would want a good return on their investment in the form of quality game titles; thus, they'd go out of their way to find them. Also, game culture on the internet creates a huge amount of word of mouth. While this all applies to more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) gamers, there are already franchises there to attract the casual gamer's attention, with more being created all the time, and the amount of buzz created by the blockbuster titles is enough to attract the casual game buyer.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter how much a company markets a great game (like Ico for instance), it will never be appealing to the majority of gamers, and a company that just copies a model used in the film industry is doomed to fail, because the same principles do not apply to games. People can essentially watch the same movie over and over again, but it takes a lot more to keep games fresh than to change the actors or systematically alter the plot.
Rotten Tomatoes is handy for deciding what movies to see, and I often consult Game Rankings when trying to decide on games, as well.
Oh, and I find the GTA:VC reviewers logic hilariously absurd. That entire passage is hard to follow, but if I'm right in thinking he's trying to say that playing Vice City, like fighting wars, is giving into man's basest desire for violence... I'd have to vocally disagree! It could be easily argued that a game like VC is another manifestation of man's desire to find an acceptable and safe outlet for violence, whereas fighting wars is very unsafe and often unnacceptable for those involved.
Reviewers shouldn't confuse their roles with critics. Rotten Tomatoes is a review site, and so that person's attempt at analysis seems out of place, although I guess this underscores the fact that there really is no acceptable forum for video game criticism yet.
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I didn't see this mentioned, but it would be quite fun if they included the ability to record and play back motions. Coupled with multiplayer functions, that could be great for creating little kung fu movies.
Considering the amount of time I spent fooling with truck and stair dismount, I'm sure I'll be giving this a whirl.
"In most of the MMORPGs, battles have almost predetermined conclusions based on the level and abilities of those player avatars involved in the fight and the creatures they're fighting against."
Ok, he has an understanding of MMORPG game mechanics, but how is that insightful?
I, too, would enjoy a more action-oriented online experience. No matter how beautiful the game world, there's something about standing in a group huddling around a monster until it falls over that just lacks excitement. I couldn't play Everquest or Asheron's Call for more than a week because of their static battle systems, and although Final Fantasy XI looks amazing, I fear that I'll quickly grow tired of it as well. On the other hand, Ultima Online, which despite its problems had a more active attack system, held my attention for more than a year. I don't know why the writer lumps it in with AC or EQ, because its attack system is more active-- while your character would auto-attack if hit, its battle system was much closer to that of Diablo.
I agree that MMORPGs appeal to a huge audience because they're not skill based, but I wonder if the lack of action MMOGs has to do with latency and synching the actions of a large number of players. I'm sure the reasons are much more complex than this "pc gamers are reflex challenged" argument presented in the article.
There isn't much difference between a game in which one mouse click corresponds to one attack, or one where you hit a button and watch your character swing (or cast) for a while. You're still hitting an attack button at regular intervals, but in the first case you are required to develop a bit of strategy when playing. A game that let you not only attack, but parry, dodge, turn and run, etc, would be a great step up.
I've also heard enough about PlanetSide to keep me from thinking it's a any kind of solution to the problem of dull online games. Unless I'm wrong, the forthcoming Lineage 2 will be action oriented, so that's one to look at. I don't think MMORPGs need to be "twitch" in the FPS sense, but they do need to be more engaging.
Will I be able to fight as my Sim?
I'd be interested in seeing how realistic the locations are. I've been increasingly impressed with games that simulate real life locations, like Midnight Club 2's version of LA, and that's just on consoles.
I wonder if a slew of arcade games with similarly relevant themes (EG. fighting terrorists rather than zombies or aliens) and very detailed, lifelike graphics would help revitalize arcade gaming.
I just wanted another dose of that sarcastic wit. It's genius as always. Reminds me of my 13 year-old cousin, in fact.
For someone so up in arms about another person preaching on how people should spend their time, one certainly wouldn't think that you'd do it yourself.
Get off that chair, turn the computer off, and go stand on a soapbox on the street corner, indeed.
Aside from free gifts, UO had the best holiday bonus ever in the form of a Christmas PvP server. The entire game world in that server was covered in snow and all trees were decorated with "lights," etc, but the best part was that characters spawned looking like either Santa or an Elf. Everyone had max stats to even the playing field, and only basic weapons and bandages to use.
It was basically a massive deathmatch... pure hilarious pandemonium.
I also seem to remember killer reindeer running around, but I'm kinda groggy from holiday face-stuffing, so I could be wrong.
Was anyone else a part of this insane experience?
We'll work on your joke-telling ability later.
I guess I could take a few lessons from your amazing sarcastic wit.
but I'm reminded of Taco Bell's tie in with N64 back in the day, so it does happen in the States as well, although perhaps not to the same extent.
Personally, I'd like more games that did it the other way around... like Shenmue, where I could enjoy a refreshing carbonated beverage virtually as well as in real life. Although you momentarily have to question your own sanity when you find yourself thinking "Gee, I feel like a drink... in game."
And on a more serious note, I think most modern MMORPGs are missing the tavern aspects. Combat and leveling is great, but I miss the time spent with MUD or UO friends kicking back in taverns, swilling ale and cracking jokes.
*hic*
don't welcome our new Brotherhood overlords.
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance was a decent game, but no replacement for any other BG series game, and I expect the same from this one. I'll probably wait until it drops to $20 and then convince a friend to buy it (hope it has multiplayer, like BGDA did).
From a Miami Herald story about the issue:
"American society is racist, even though there are antiracist laws," Lesly Voltaire, minister for Haitians living abroad, told The Herald. "It's based on a formerly slave-owning society, which has left its mark, and there are people who think they can make money on that racism."
And it's not offensive and prejudicial when a government official from another country makes a judgement on an entire society based on a practice abolished over 100 years ago?
The world makes me so mad, and this issue is just idiotic.
I mean more "synergy" between games and writers rather than games and actors (or directors). Although more voice talent couldn't hurt any...
I'd rather there be more "synergy" between games and writers. No matter how cinematic a game is, it'll still suck if it's got a B-movie equivalent script (as most of them currently seem to).
The situation with games might be even worse, because while someone can buy/borrow a cheap digital camera and (theoretically) make a good movie viewable to anyone with a computer, vcr or dvd player, that's not really possible for games.
Well, console games anyway, but that's the risk you take when buying into a corporate funded content delivery tool.
I haven't been a pc gamer in a long time because of the steep price of (re)entry, but thinking about it, if the worst case scenario of game homoginization takes place, owning a gameworthy PC might be the only way to play creative independent titles.
I'm glad other's felt the same as I did. The VGAs were a disgrace, but I don't know what I was really expecting from a network that markets to the lowest common denominator of men who can't have entertainment without strippers, sports or people injuring themselves/others.
Everyone who was saddened by the VGAs should relay their opinions to the network. The five of us who care can make a difference!
Ah, who am I kidding... I'll just play Viewtiful Joe instead, the game that I think should have won best animation, or at least been a freaking nominee!
Fallout 2 and Baldur's Gate 2 were excellent games, had great stories and sense of setting, and were largely free of the type of cheesy melodrama that seems to have overtaken console RPGs. I hope their type of deep RPG experience doesn't die with Black Isle, but I fear it will.
I'd like to kick the ass of that guy and all his idiot friends who egged him on!
Wait, that wouldn't help solve the problem of gaming being related to violence, would it?
"It's going to be pretty hard to rationalize punishing Hong Kong students for playing games in class after this revelation..."
I was thinking the same thing!
Why are students complaining? Now they should feel free to play games during lectures, assuming nothing constructive was happening. I don't know how it is in China, but based on my school experiences, I could have spent a lot of time gaming had I been able to use that excuse.
Sounds about as uninspired as the crappy music the RIAA has been pushing on us for years.
All I've got to say is...
AMEN!
Shenmue IS the Virtua Fighter RPG. You just have to move a lot of crates and query a lot of people to get to those parts... and buy two games...
"With the GameCube at $99 and PlayStation 2 sales still huge, people are starting to really notice the shrinkage of PC games at retail. Why?"
The question answers itself.
They ask a 23 year old about physical changes that might keep him from playing games... that's just absurd. I'm 22, and judging by the fact that I've witnessed people as old as 40 or 50 (so ancient!!) still able to use their hands like a regular young person, I don't see any major changes altering the way I play games in the near future. But seriously, judging by the title I was hoping they found gamers aged 60+ who might have to worry about joint problems and waning eye sight in their future. I've played games my whole life, and I don't see that stopping any time soon. I often wonder if I'll be held back by such issues, and I wonder if game companies will accomodate older gamers in the future with larger controllers (xbox 2,3,etc will already have this covered) and other devices to help them play comfortably.
I'm interested in filmmaking and animation, and the Machinima concept piqued my interest when I first heard about it, but for someone who doesn't have any kind of experience with 3D modeling, it seems just as prohibitive as learning 'regular' 3D animation techniques. Maybe more-so, since I don't have a LAN at my disposal (well, I'm just lacking nearby fellow geeks) and if I was going to spend time gathering voice actors and such, I might as well be spending that time finding actors for live action films.
I can understand the relative ease of use of this compared to keyframe animation, on the other hand its really not something that entices me enough to look into further.
I'm guessing I'm not the type of person this concept targets, although if there was a few programs available that would help me create simple characters and scenes specifically for this purpose, I would definitely try it out. As it is though, I wouldn't be diverted from learning a program like Swift3D, which currently best suits my relatively minimal animation requirements.
I don't know from marketing, but I really don't see how companies like that will ever be crucial to the industry. Is marketing such a problem that it would be worth sharing profits with another company to solve?
I think the industry is set up now so that gamers will find the games they want to be playing without a huge focus on marketing. Buying a console is an investment, no matter how small to some, so it seems that the buyer would want a good return on their investment in the form of quality game titles; thus, they'd go out of their way to find them. Also, game culture on the internet creates a huge amount of word of mouth. While this all applies to more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) gamers, there are already franchises there to attract the casual gamer's attention, with more being created all the time, and the amount of buzz created by the blockbuster titles is enough to attract the casual game buyer.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter how much a company markets a great game (like Ico for instance), it will never be appealing to the majority of gamers, and a company that just copies a model used in the film industry is doomed to fail, because the same principles do not apply to games. People can essentially watch the same movie over and over again, but it takes a lot more to keep games fresh than to change the actors or systematically alter the plot.
Rotten Tomatoes is handy for deciding what movies to see, and I often consult Game Rankings when trying to decide on games, as well.
Oh, and I find the GTA:VC reviewers logic hilariously absurd. That entire passage is hard to follow, but if I'm right in thinking he's trying to say that playing Vice City, like fighting wars, is giving into man's basest desire for violence... I'd have to vocally disagree! It could be easily argued that a game like VC is another manifestation of man's desire to find an acceptable and safe outlet for violence, whereas fighting wars is very unsafe and often unnacceptable for those involved.
Reviewers shouldn't confuse their roles with critics. Rotten Tomatoes is a review site, and so that person's attempt at analysis seems out of place, although I guess this underscores the fact that there really is no acceptable forum for video game criticism yet.