Gamings Golden Age

[malakian]

This the technological age, and nothing more. We are at a junction where the technology is beginning to overcome the artistic and conceptual aspects of the gaming community. It's like World War 1. The technology outweighed the tactics AND the hospital conditions that the world had at the time.

It will become balanced again, but only if we stop focusing on the technological techniques, and more on artistic and creative processes.

First of all, I don't agree with that analogy, as I think you're ambiguously wrong about the WW1 thing. Secondly, I don't see why you think that is the case. Surely today, with the offered technology giving artists the ability to see their vision through to excruciating details, we're living in a time where an inspired creator could deliver something far more magical than sonic jumping on a few robot crabs.

For me, my favourite video game experiences (KOTOR, the broken sword games, Mystical Ninja starring Goemon, Jedi Knight 2, the curse of monkey island, latter day Final Fantasy games, the original super smash brothers, lineage 2, halo 2, etc etc) have all been post 16-bit era, and really shape what I consider gaming far more than some mascots with mediocre old two dimensional (and I mean that in more than the graphical sense) games. Increasingly compelling stories, powerfully moving soundtracks, memorable characters and innovative gameplay are just a few examples of how over the years things have been getting better and better. I'll admit right now there is a bit of a dry patch, but I'm by no means dismayed - who knows what the pipeline holds.

 

[LinksOcarina]

The problem though is in the past 7 years, the pipeline has been in a standstill.

Yes some experiences are great in 3d, and a lot of games are excellent games as well, but a majority of these games that are excellent are games that we have, in some form or another, played before. Sequals, prequals, director cuts, special editions, its becoming to homogeneous in terms of innovation that way. Most companies are sticking to the same old formulas because they bring in the same amount of cash in the end.

What are we losing is potentially great franchises. Games like Beyond Good and Evil, Fear Effect, Katamari Damnacy, Stubbs the Zombie,and Ico are all passed over, and looking back on them it is easy to say they were great, but in our minds we want them to be continued. Even old guards like Gauntlet, Bomberman, and Sonic can't keep up anymore, as they go away from the roots that made it special, and are conforming into nothing but redundant tripe in terms of gameplay and what people want. Sonic has become a mario franchise clone, with games like Sonic Team Battle, Sonic Riders, and spin offs of secondary characters. That is just one example.

Sure we have to make games better, but we have to use the technology to make it better to. Adding cool lighting effects, rag doll physics, and other things like that is just icing on a cake. The technology needs to make way for ideas that would make the games not only good looking, but also playable and WORTH playing. We can't rely on over hyped games, like Gears of War and Twilight Princess. Yes there good, and they introduce something new, but imagine how much better they can be if the same people who had ideas to make them in the first place expanded on those ideas.

And if you don't believe me, look as success stories like Wolrd of Warcraft and Pokemon. When they first game out no one would of predicted the impact they would have on not only the gaming industry, but also society. Now, they are mainstays and are likely will always be that way.

 

[mouse1992]

I think the golden age of gaming ended when the Columbine Brothers attacked their own school. Why? Because it's aftermath is people criticizing video and computer games out of the so-called violent content of the games, therefore demoralizing video game industry and weakening them.

 

[pres50]

maybe, or it could just be that all companies care about nowadays is money first and foremost, creativity is a distant second.