The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Game Success....I don't really know what makes a game successful, it certainly isn't graphics, although they are a key factor. It isnt really longetivity because Conker isn't very long but it was a hit amongst UK gamers. It definitely isn't sound...and I wouldn't have thought it was the platform.
I think that it must be all of these things rolled into one...but then again how can it be, if it needs all of these things to make a good game, if a game is missing one of these 'ingredients' it can't be a successful game...right?
You know when you go out shopping, let's say for trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts). What do you look for, maybe the logo...but if you see some decent Hi-Tec for about £25 and then some pink Nike trainers for three times the price, what would you pick...some of you will say the pink Nike trainers..why I know not...but in all seriousness the majority of the predominantly male contributors to this site would have the 'decent' Hi-Tec.
But if there is a very diverse range of trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts) available you don't go for the name although that might have something to do with it. You don't just go for the colour, although this as well is a contributing factor...To cut a long post about three sentances shorter you go for the pair that 'click' almost like your eyes have stumbled across a Context Sensitive' pair of trainers(AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts)! and you get a bulb over your head!
It is the same with Games, you see a game, you play a game and if it 'clicks' you buy it...But Game...What do you mean by 'clicks'?
Well I suppose you could just say 'it feels right'. Like when you meet a nice girl (Or boy) you see him/her and you know she is the one for you...it is the same with games...You like Wrestling - Own a Nintendo 64 - No Mercy 'Clicks' - YOU BUY IT! It is the same with all games, if you enjoy the game to you it is a good game.
Successful games are just those that 'Click' with a lot of people...Conker didn't in the US, maybe because of the theme, maybe for another reason but the game wasn't 'successful' because a high number of people didn't 'click' with the game. Whereas, with Phantasy Star, although the Dreamcast user base wasn't exactly huge, is was still a 'successful' game because it sold well, it 'clicked' with people, they liked it - asgain, it sold well - SUCCESSFUL GAME!
Games can, and probably always will be rated by graphics, sound, FMV quality, 'longetivity' and difficulty. But even if a game has all these things in abundance and of very good quality if the theme or something about the game isn't acceptable or just doesn't 'click' then the game won't see much success.
People are often put off by other peoples opinions of games. But who is the other person to say whether the game is right for you. Even if it is Matt Casamassina (IGN 64) or even our hero 'The News Monkey' (Information Primate - for our American counter parts) of Special Reserve they won't be able to tell if the game will 'click' with you.
Game success can only really be measured by the units it has sold. Good games aren't always successful, and successful games aren't always good, but one thing is for sure - games that 'click' with a lot of people are bound to be successful...of course there are loads of factors to consider when rating a game, Graphics, Longetivity, Sound, Difficulty, Price, Platform...the list goes on, but with the right mix of all these things a game can be successful.
It all depends of the game and the gamers who'll play it...
...Muchas gracias, mis amigos!
The Game
I think that it must be all of these things rolled into one...but then again how can it be, if it needs all of these things to make a good game, if a game is missing one of these 'ingredients' it can't be a successful game...right?
You know when you go out shopping, let's say for trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts). What do you look for, maybe the logo...but if you see some decent Hi-Tec for about £25 and then some pink Nike trainers for three times the price, what would you pick...some of you will say the pink Nike trainers..why I know not...but in all seriousness the majority of the predominantly male contributors to this site would have the 'decent' Hi-Tec.
But if there is a very diverse range of trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts) available you don't go for the name although that might have something to do with it. You don't just go for the colour, although this as well is a contributing factor...To cut a long post about three sentances shorter you go for the pair that 'click' almost like your eyes have stumbled across a Context Sensitive' pair of trainers(AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts)! and you get a bulb over your head!
It is the same with Games, you see a game, you play a game and if it 'clicks' you buy it...But Game...What do you mean by 'clicks'?
Well I suppose you could just say 'it feels right'. Like when you meet a nice girl (Or boy) you see him/her and you know she is the one for you...it is the same with games...You like Wrestling - Own a Nintendo 64 - No Mercy 'Clicks' - YOU BUY IT! It is the same with all games, if you enjoy the game to you it is a good game.
Successful games are just those that 'Click' with a lot of people...Conker didn't in the US, maybe because of the theme, maybe for another reason but the game wasn't 'successful' because a high number of people didn't 'click' with the game. Whereas, with Phantasy Star, although the Dreamcast user base wasn't exactly huge, is was still a 'successful' game because it sold well, it 'clicked' with people, they liked it - asgain, it sold well - SUCCESSFUL GAME!
Games can, and probably always will be rated by graphics, sound, FMV quality, 'longetivity' and difficulty. But even if a game has all these things in abundance and of very good quality if the theme or something about the game isn't acceptable or just doesn't 'click' then the game won't see much success.
People are often put off by other peoples opinions of games. But who is the other person to say whether the game is right for you. Even if it is Matt Casamassina (IGN 64) or even our hero 'The News Monkey' (Information Primate - for our American counter parts) of Special Reserve they won't be able to tell if the game will 'click' with you.
Game success can only really be measured by the units it has sold. Good games aren't always successful, and successful games aren't always good, but one thing is for sure - games that 'click' with a lot of people are bound to be successful...of course there are loads of factors to consider when rating a game, Graphics, Longetivity, Sound, Difficulty, Price, Platform...the list goes on, but with the right mix of all these things a game can be successful.
It all depends of the game and the gamers who'll play it...
...Muchas gracias, mis amigos!
The Game
hmmm... not completely original! (unlike my mobile phone gaming topic... well, maybe!)
Anyway, there are some good points that sony should listen to. Graphics do not make great games. Nor do stickers that say Dolby DTS. It is only when these are used in conjunction to great stories and gameply with intense, well thought out levels that games become good.
I would love to see a game that is only made of a few levels, but each of these is very intense and makes you thinnk at every step- maybe in a new genre.
The only problem is that developers have a habit of doing the same old stuff. They say "if it ain't broke don't fix it." That means "this made money last time... lets do it again." Until there are more radical ideas like Cell Shading that really go beyond what has been done before then I can't see games evolving as fast as they hae in the past.
Sonic
Anyway, there are some good points that sony should listen to. Graphics do not make great games. Nor do stickers that say Dolby DTS. It is only when these are used in conjunction to great stories and gameply with intense, well thought out levels that games become good.
I would love to see a game that is only made of a few levels, but each of these is very intense and makes you thinnk at every step- maybe in a new genre.
The only problem is that developers have a habit of doing the same old stuff. They say "if it ain't broke don't fix it." That means "this made money last time... lets do it again." Until there are more radical ideas like Cell Shading that really go beyond what has been done before then I can't see games evolving as fast as they hae in the past.
Sonic
Thanks Doc,
I didn't actually plan what I was going to write so I was bound to miss something out.
But seriously thanks for the extras.
The Game
I didn't actually plan what I was going to write so I was bound to miss something out.
But seriously thanks for the extras.
The Game
Nice post, just 2 things:
Prequels - especially from older machines. eg, when I saw Road Rash 64 cheap, I went for it because of the predecessor's reputation, and a small amount of playing on the earlier versions.
Hype - Perfect Dark was hyped intensely, receiving vast attention, and sold well. Operation Wnback, a great game released at the same time as PD, flopped. It received so little media attention in the shadow of PD that even when people heard about it from the inevitable sources (seeing the game in shops, reviews), they didn't really care enough to pay much attention.
Prequels - especially from older machines. eg, when I saw Road Rash 64 cheap, I went for it because of the predecessor's reputation, and a small amount of playing on the earlier versions.
Hype - Perfect Dark was hyped intensely, receiving vast attention, and sold well. Operation Wnback, a great game released at the same time as PD, flopped. It received so little media attention in the shadow of PD that even when people heard about it from the inevitable sources (seeing the game in shops, reviews), they didn't really care enough to pay much attention.
So you're saying that people like the games that they like?
Well that's news to me. Some people will like a game because its a wrestling game and they like wrestling well thats fair enough. But some people will convince themselves that a wrestling game that suck is good - because they like wrestling (Anyone remember WWF on the Amiga). Whereas others will buy/play the game because they like wrestling and then sit back and say well... this game sucks! We like to call these people gamers.
'Gamers' will play a game and if it is playable and interesting and they think they will play it often they will purchase it.
People will buy certain shoes to seem hip and or cool amongst there peers, I really hope that people don't buy games they have no interest in just because that is THE game of the moment.
Has anyone ever done that?
Well that's news to me. Some people will like a game because its a wrestling game and they like wrestling well thats fair enough. But some people will convince themselves that a wrestling game that suck is good - because they like wrestling (Anyone remember WWF on the Amiga). Whereas others will buy/play the game because they like wrestling and then sit back and say well... this game sucks! We like to call these people gamers.
'Gamers' will play a game and if it is playable and interesting and they think they will play it often they will purchase it.
People will buy certain shoes to seem hip and or cool amongst there peers, I really hope that people don't buy games they have no interest in just because that is THE game of the moment.
Has anyone ever done that?
Game Success....I don't really know what makes a game successful, it certainly isn't graphics, although they are a key factor. It isnt really longetivity because Conker isn't very long but it was a hit amongst UK gamers. It definitely isn't sound...and I wouldn't have thought it was the platform.
I think that it must be all of these things rolled into one...but then again how can it be, if it needs all of these things to make a good game, if a game is missing one of these 'ingredients' it can't be a successful game...right?
You know when you go out shopping, let's say for trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts). What do you look for, maybe the logo...but if you see some decent Hi-Tec for about £25 and then some pink Nike trainers for three times the price, what would you pick...some of you will say the pink Nike trainers..why I know not...but in all seriousness the majority of the predominantly male contributors to this site would have the 'decent' Hi-Tec.
But if there is a very diverse range of trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts) available you don't go for the name although that might have something to do with it. You don't just go for the colour, although this as well is a contributing factor...To cut a long post about three sentances shorter you go for the pair that 'click' almost like your eyes have stumbled across a Context Sensitive' pair of trainers(AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts)! and you get a bulb over your head!
It is the same with Games, you see a game, you play a game and if it 'clicks' you buy it...But Game...What do you mean by 'clicks'?
Well I suppose you could just say 'it feels right'. Like when you meet a nice girl (Or boy) you see him/her and you know she is the one for you...it is the same with games...You like Wrestling - Own a Nintendo 64 - No Mercy 'Clicks' - YOU BUY IT! It is the same with all games, if you enjoy the game to you it is a good game.
Successful games are just those that 'Click' with a lot of people...Conker didn't in the US, maybe because of the theme, maybe for another reason but the game wasn't 'successful' because a high number of people didn't 'click' with the game. Whereas, with Phantasy Star, although the Dreamcast user base wasn't exactly huge, is was still a 'successful' game because it sold well, it 'clicked' with people, they liked it - asgain, it sold well - SUCCESSFUL GAME!
Games can, and probably always will be rated by graphics, sound, FMV quality, 'longetivity' and difficulty. But even if a game has all these things in abundance and of very good quality if the theme or something about the game isn't acceptable or just doesn't 'click' then the game won't see much success.
People are often put off by other peoples opinions of games. But who is the other person to say whether the game is right for you. Even if it is Matt Casamassina (IGN 64) or even our hero 'The News Monkey' (Information Primate - for our American counter parts) of Special Reserve they won't be able to tell if the game will 'click' with you.
Game success can only really be measured by the units it has sold. Good games aren't always successful, and successful games aren't always good, but one thing is for sure - games that 'click' with a lot of people are bound to be successful...of course there are loads of factors to consider when rating a game, Graphics, Longetivity, Sound, Difficulty, Price, Platform...the list goes on, but with the right mix of all these things a game can be successful.
It all depends of the game and the gamers who'll play it...
...Muchas gracias, mis amigos!
The Game
I think that it must be all of these things rolled into one...but then again how can it be, if it needs all of these things to make a good game, if a game is missing one of these 'ingredients' it can't be a successful game...right?
You know when you go out shopping, let's say for trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts). What do you look for, maybe the logo...but if you see some decent Hi-Tec for about £25 and then some pink Nike trainers for three times the price, what would you pick...some of you will say the pink Nike trainers..why I know not...but in all seriousness the majority of the predominantly male contributors to this site would have the 'decent' Hi-Tec.
But if there is a very diverse range of trainers (AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts) available you don't go for the name although that might have something to do with it. You don't just go for the colour, although this as well is a contributing factor...To cut a long post about three sentances shorter you go for the pair that 'click' almost like your eyes have stumbled across a Context Sensitive' pair of trainers(AKA 'sneakers' - for our American counter parts)! and you get a bulb over your head!
It is the same with Games, you see a game, you play a game and if it 'clicks' you buy it...But Game...What do you mean by 'clicks'?
Well I suppose you could just say 'it feels right'. Like when you meet a nice girl (Or boy) you see him/her and you know she is the one for you...it is the same with games...You like Wrestling - Own a Nintendo 64 - No Mercy 'Clicks' - YOU BUY IT! It is the same with all games, if you enjoy the game to you it is a good game.
Successful games are just those that 'Click' with a lot of people...Conker didn't in the US, maybe because of the theme, maybe for another reason but the game wasn't 'successful' because a high number of people didn't 'click' with the game. Whereas, with Phantasy Star, although the Dreamcast user base wasn't exactly huge, is was still a 'successful' game because it sold well, it 'clicked' with people, they liked it - asgain, it sold well - SUCCESSFUL GAME!
Games can, and probably always will be rated by graphics, sound, FMV quality, 'longetivity' and difficulty. But even if a game has all these things in abundance and of very good quality if the theme or something about the game isn't acceptable or just doesn't 'click' then the game won't see much success.
People are often put off by other peoples opinions of games. But who is the other person to say whether the game is right for you. Even if it is Matt Casamassina (IGN 64) or even our hero 'The News Monkey' (Information Primate - for our American counter parts) of Special Reserve they won't be able to tell if the game will 'click' with you.
Game success can only really be measured by the units it has sold. Good games aren't always successful, and successful games aren't always good, but one thing is for sure - games that 'click' with a lot of people are bound to be successful...of course there are loads of factors to consider when rating a game, Graphics, Longetivity, Sound, Difficulty, Price, Platform...the list goes on, but with the right mix of all these things a game can be successful.
It all depends of the game and the gamers who'll play it...
...Muchas gracias, mis amigos!
The Game