Indeed. Nintendo has Mario/etc., Kirby, Samus Aran, and many other mascots still featured in current games...
However, I think the reason there aren't as many mascots today as there were before is because there are now so many games on the market, all with their "AMAZING" graphics to pull people in. After all, who needs a mascot when you can have reflective, shiny, rippling water?:P
"And would your average gamers even admit they need help?
Of course not."
I aggree. Either the gamer is a casual one who doesn't really care all that much about getting l33t skillz, or the gamer is at least semi-hardcore who wouldn't dare learn l33t skillz from some in-game help thing.
Besides, you know how annoying those help/hint/tutorial/whatever things are in most games.
Yeah... just imagine... "World of Starcraft"... lol... I can just see all the little zurgs running around saying things like "Want to buy - Claws of Protoss Slaying" etc...
Back on topic:
I aggree that all the fantasy MMO's do get a bit annoying, especially when I am browsing the game department and I see that some other game company has published their "me-too!" fantasy MMO...
because "urban" games aren't quite as popular as FPS/fantasy MMO's, and besides... how would a hardcore player of a certain MMO like their game being described as a "clone of (some other MMO)"?
Slashdot Mirror
I would have to say (in no particular order):
Sad, isn't it?
Needs some Pink Floyd.
However, I think the reason there aren't as many mascots today as there were before is because there are now so many games on the market, all with their "AMAZING" graphics to pull people in. After all, who needs a mascot when you can have reflective, shiny, rippling water? :P
Besides, the DS is great and all... but how many of the games use ONLY the touch screen?
I aggree. Either the gamer is a casual one who doesn't really care all that much about getting l33t skillz, or the gamer is at least semi-hardcore who wouldn't dare learn l33t skillz from some in-game help thing.
Besides, you know how annoying those help/hint/tutorial/whatever things are in most games.
Back on topic:
I aggree that all the fantasy MMO's do get a bit annoying, especially when I am browsing the game department and I see that some other game company has published their "me-too!" fantasy MMO...
because "urban" games aren't quite as popular as FPS/fantasy MMO's, and besides... how would a hardcore player of a certain MMO like their game being described as a "clone of (some other MMO)"?