The Downfall of the Gaming Industry

[lnakuma]

I still remember the days I play tetris on nes, computer, t189 in school way back then. it doesnt have story line or super graphic at all.

as a pc gamer, only game i play right now is wow. i am against monthly fee also, absolutely hate it. but on the other hand compare to all ppl around me. let's say minimum 1 xbox360 or ps3 game for every two month. i am actually saving money on gaming.

i play game with friends, just like calling friends over for contra, street fighter etc. again those game doesnt really have well written storyline or good graphic, but it is still more enjoyable than the games now-a-day.

im a gamer not an expert game designer. from what i think is current games follow old game steps. like street fighter, it started a new way of game. so, unless game designers create a new game play style, it wont be as memorable as old games(original). because it just a better graphic of copy cat.

 

[dylburger]

I agree with the lack of solid stories in videogames. The absolute peak IMO was Ocarina of Time. That game could be made into a movie any day of the week... just an amazing enthralling game. But games, and stories like that have gone the way of the dodo in favour of the action, easy multiplayer stuff that requires no effort whatsoever.

It also seems to me that "beating a game" is getting too easy. Games started catering to the lowest common denominator and stopped being such a challenge. Do you have any idea how proud I was when I finally beat FF 1... It took me like 2 years. These days you have a guide who tells you how to defeat every enemy, or solve every puzzle. Its really sad. But on a brighter note, you can always go back. I've been rocking a NES emulator for quite some time and replaying all the old games. Best of all is that you don't need a powerful machine!

 

[aymen215]

well the sales are really falling.i think there is so much good free games,

 

[skai123]

Can you explain to me what you mean by original?
new game mechanic, storyline, acting, graphic style...?

are games like:
Valkryia Chronicles
Flower
Okami
ICO
Shadow of the Colossus
original to you?

Popular series will always have sequels/spin-offs etc...

 

[chucklebutte]

its the rehashed reused garbage first person shooters that really ruined games for me. poor story lines, short games, horrible controls, and just no substance what so ever... PS2 XBOX generation was the start of this down hill crapalooza which is the current state of video games and gaming on the whole.

 

[changc]

The gaming industry suffers the same problem that the music industry does. They got big, and as they got big they wanted to find ways to get more customers. So video games are now mass-produced and perfectly formulated for popular appeal. The goal is to get as many people as possible to buy your product, not to satisfy them. They are now big enough that they have a promotional infastructure (if you think video game review sites and magazines aren't paid, you're a giant tool) and media presence, so anything with enough hype will generate sales.

The problem with gaming these days is that at its essence, gaming is either 1) purely entertainment, or 2) storytelling. Games like Pacman, Pole Position, Galaga, etc. had amazing, addictive gameplay. Games like Earthbound, Final Fantasy 6, Ocarina of Time, and others had powerful stories. The best games are a combination of entertainment (gameplay) and storytelling. The mass growth of video game companies, however, means that there is increasingly a hierarchy and corporate rule imposing restrictions, blocking ideas and concepts that aren't "market friendly", and only hiring big names.

I personally feel that one of the biggest flaws in the VG industry right now is that the writers and scripters are terrible. There are no longer any memorable plots, and if there are, they are shown through the use of ten thousand cutscenes. I want to play my game, not watch it. Quick Time Events are stupid band aids with repetetive button pressing. The companies think that adding in orchestral arrangements, voice acting, and the newest graphics will make a video game fun, but it doesn't. You don't need these things to have a good time.

 

[wolflock]

Zen-r! LOL. I am with you there. I remember Gorilla.bas and Nibbles.bas (Now revamped and on cell phones as SNAKE)

I remember playing a text based Golf too on my system. Drooling over my friend's Commodore 64 which took AGES to load paperboy or double dragon. Atari with it's Tanks and stuff. I really sound old. I remember Going BALISTIC for Wolfenstein 3D, then DOOM and then shot to the moon with Duke Nukem 3D (Shake it babe!). And the games just depended on speed and a bit of skill to clock. Now you have to have 4 hands and 37 fingers just to control the game. I still love my gaming, but I do find myself growing bored with a new game quite quickly now. I am still a BIG fan of Starcraft though and cant WAIT for 2 to come out.

Played Turok and was very unimpressed compared to the old Turok and Turok 2 Seeds of Evil.

 

[Smith6612]

I remember playing a text based Golf too on my system. Drooling over my friend's Commodore 64 which took AGES to load paperboy or double dragon. Atari with it's Tanks and stuff. I really sound old. I remember Going BALISTIC for Wolfenstein 3D, then DOOM and then shot to the moon with Duke Nukem 3D (Shake it babe!). And the games just depended on speed and a bit of skill to clock. Now you have to have 4 hands and 37 fingers just to control the game. I still love my gaming, but I do find myself growing bored with a new game quite quickly now. I am still a BIG fan of Starcraft though and cant WAIT for 2 to come out.

You need more Vespene Gas and more Minerals before Starcraft II comes out! Otherwise I'm waiting for that game as well. If Blizzard would just release it sooner rather than putting out a crap load of teasers, I'd be less anxious

 

[200206695]

I find it quite unusual that a lot of the best selling games are orientated around shoving a gun to peoples heads. i guess it is human nature but it does make you wonders sometimes....:nuts:

 

[fractalfeline]

Yeah, I lament how I can walk into any given gaming section in the store and shelves are full of MMOs, FPS, and those build-em up strategy games. Last games I actually bought were the Fallout Trilogy, Civs 4 BTS, and C&C 3: Kane's Wrath. The last truly original game I can think of right now is Katamari Damancy (and I absolutely loved that game!) More often than not, I'm really truly bored of my video game collection and go to Micro Center or something looking for a new game and end up walking out empty handed. I suppose that's what NES and SNES emulators are for.

Yeah about the movie, music, and video game industry getting up in arms over piracy. Produce better movies, music, and video games, and people might find it convenient to buy them off the shelves or off your website rather than download them freebie. Cuz yeah, I'm not paying $10 a ticket to watch Yet Another Romantic Comedy or Yet Another Religious-Themed Horror Flick or Yet Another Stalker/Serial Killer Suspense Film. Yawwwn. It's not even worth the $1 for the Red Box.

 

[p0qnt]

I've been reading about the gaming industry dying since I took old PC Gamer and CGW mags to middle school. Troll around gamespot, or whatever games news site you like and you'll find plenty of PC games across many genres. I feel like they've become a bit less quirky, but even then, there are still about as many solid games coming out as I ever remember, just a hell of a lot more games in general so that can be harder to see sometimes.

 

[arunproff]

As long as there is money to be made there wil always be a huge (read bloated) industry that is in for the money and will continue to push games that promote graphics and require you to upgrade your PC every 1.337 years.

I used to play CS, WoW, BF/BF2 etc and looked forward to new commercial releases. But after I discovered indie games, I'm really hooked.

Here are a couple of sites http://db.tigsource.com/ and http://www.indiegames.com/

Currently I'm playing Dwarf Fortress its an ASCII game, kind of like the old rogue games, but with so much more in it! Actually DF probably requires a decent machine to play, purely because of the complexity of the game.

I guess what I'm saying is the industry may have its ups and downs, but will continue to push the same tried formulas. For new fresh ideas now I would always check the indie scene.

 

[macdonpr]

With each new generation coming forth they start out playing games earlier and earlier. I feel that the gaming industry will be expanding for quite some time as long as there are people that are interested in both playing and designing games.

 

[elfuego2]

im glad that i found this thread, i love my snes console and i still play my FFII, FFIII and other great games, i also like modern games, but nothing como close to Super street fighter and killer instinct