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Gameplay, graphics and sound are all very important features in games. Where would Gran Turismo 3 be without its stunningly realistic visuals? Where would Tetris be without its insanely addictive gameplay? Where would Music Generator 2 be without sound effects? However, these three categories are not everything in a game. There must be lastability.
How do you improve lastability? Well, many games just crank up the amount you have to do. Even Gran Turismo 3 can be accused of simply adding to the number of laps as the game progresses. In many cases its just a matter of doing it twice as many times, or doing it twice as fast. In my opinion this is a bad idea, as it can put many gamers off continuing. If you`re getting bored with a game, then you may wish to try something else.
To combat this there are two possible courses of action:
1) The first is to shorten the length of the game, so that it feels less repetitive. Zone of the Enders was a fantastic game, however it did suffer from this first scenario. To avoid letting the player get bored with fighting, the game stopped after a mere 6-10 hours. Similarly The Bouncer was also short lived.
Simply cutting the game short does not work. Both the above games were rightly accused of being too short, especially for a game appearing on a next generation console. As a result, other games have used an alternate, more favourable strategy.
2) The second (and from the gamer`s point of view, more favourable) option is to introduce large variations, secret modes, and additional extras to unlock. Star Wars Starfighter attempted this, with some success. The main game was not incredibly long, however the medal system meant that you could achieve bonus goals that would unlock secret missions, and extra craft. The extra missions included a two player mode. The new craft also varied significantly, making older missions replayable.
The success of games such as Zelda and Final Fantasy has partially depended on the hidden features within the game. Mini adventures such as fishing in Zelda, or playing in the arcades in Final Fantasy 7 were all hugely popular, and added a vast amount of depth and longevity to the game.
Unfortunately there are some games that use a criminal form of secrets. The use of cheat codes has been responsible for this, as virtually every game today has some sort of cheat somewhere inside the game.
Cheats are fair enough if the gamer is unable to progress and requires assistance, however they are unacceptable when they allow access to a part of the game that can not be found without the codes. For example (and I hate to pick a flaw in this game) SSX had the "Running Man" cheat, which allowed you to use a rider, with their board strapped to their back, and their feet whirling below them. Could this be achieved using your own skill in the game? No, you had to enter a cheat code.
Super Bombad Racing did a similar thing. Certain characters could only be unlocked by using a code. Boba Fett and the Tank Droid were accessed with cheats, leaving only Darth Vader to be uncovered the proper way.
To round off, secrets are hugely beneficial to a games lastability, providing a welcome surprise to anyone who makes it far enough. It is also acceptable to use cheat codes when you are stuck. However, I totally disagree with secrets that can only be found using cheats.
How do you improve lastability? Well, many games just crank up the amount you have to do. Even Gran Turismo 3 can be accused of simply adding to the number of laps as the game progresses. In many cases its just a matter of doing it twice as many times, or doing it twice as fast. In my opinion this is a bad idea, as it can put many gamers off continuing. If you`re getting bored with a game, then you may wish to try something else.
To combat this there are two possible courses of action:
1) The first is to shorten the length of the game, so that it feels less repetitive. Zone of the Enders was a fantastic game, however it did suffer from this first scenario. To avoid letting the player get bored with fighting, the game stopped after a mere 6-10 hours. Similarly The Bouncer was also short lived.
Simply cutting the game short does not work. Both the above games were rightly accused of being too short, especially for a game appearing on a next generation console. As a result, other games have used an alternate, more favourable strategy.
2) The second (and from the gamer`s point of view, more favourable) option is to introduce large variations, secret modes, and additional extras to unlock. Star Wars Starfighter attempted this, with some success. The main game was not incredibly long, however the medal system meant that you could achieve bonus goals that would unlock secret missions, and extra craft. The extra missions included a two player mode. The new craft also varied significantly, making older missions replayable.
The success of games such as Zelda and Final Fantasy has partially depended on the hidden features within the game. Mini adventures such as fishing in Zelda, or playing in the arcades in Final Fantasy 7 were all hugely popular, and added a vast amount of depth and longevity to the game.
Unfortunately there are some games that use a criminal form of secrets. The use of cheat codes has been responsible for this, as virtually every game today has some sort of cheat somewhere inside the game.
Cheats are fair enough if the gamer is unable to progress and requires assistance, however they are unacceptable when they allow access to a part of the game that can not be found without the codes. For example (and I hate to pick a flaw in this game) SSX had the "Running Man" cheat, which allowed you to use a rider, with their board strapped to their back, and their feet whirling below them. Could this be achieved using your own skill in the game? No, you had to enter a cheat code.
Super Bombad Racing did a similar thing. Certain characters could only be unlocked by using a code. Boba Fett and the Tank Droid were accessed with cheats, leaving only Darth Vader to be uncovered the proper way.
To round off, secrets are hugely beneficial to a games lastability, providing a welcome surprise to anyone who makes it far enough. It is also acceptable to use cheat codes when you are stuck. However, I totally disagree with secrets that can only be found using cheats.
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Yeh, that kind of thing is fair enough, when you are either stuck completely, or as in your example, you have lost game data.
However, its cheats that let you see things that you can`t find by just playing the game that annoy me.
However, its cheats that let you see things that you can`t find by just playing the game that annoy me.
Sorry, Anyway in my opinion, cheats are only good in one case, take heed and listen... (read)
Your happily playing on a game that has many levels, you have been playing for hours but you decide you need a break. So you quite happly save your proggress.
Coming back to the game you press load... it does not work, you try again... the message data corrupted and your heart sinks. But wait, is there not a level select cheat i could use, why yes. :)
Your happily playing on a game that has many levels, you have been playing for hours but you decide you need a break. So you quite happly save your proggress.
Coming back to the game you press load... it does not work, you try again... the message data corrupted and your heart sinks. But wait, is there not a level select cheat i could use, why yes. :)
I only have one football game, and thats about 5 years old. (Fifa 96 or something). I don`t remember it having any secrets, but perhaps football games could still incorporate secrets, e.g. win the world cup with a team, and you have access to Fifa All Stars which has all players with 100% stats.
Instead, there`ll probably be a cheat to do it :-(
Instead, there`ll probably be a cheat to do it :-(
Playing games how they were meant to be played. :-)
Exactly. Some friends at work also have PS2s, and they also have SSX. When I saw them back at work this summer, they asked how I was getting on. I said: "All finished", to which they replied: "Oh, so you used the cheat code then".
They hadn`t even tried really. They got a couple of bronzes then gave up after a few hours and shoved in the code. Alright, so the untracked course is a tempting goal, but it should be achieved with honour.
They hadn`t even tried really. They got a couple of bronzes then gave up after a few hours and shoved in the code. Alright, so the untracked course is a tempting goal, but it should be achieved with honour.
I completely agree.
That's what make games like the Final Fantasy series so good. Replay value has to be one of the most important factors in a game - i love trying to find little hidden extras and it makes games more satifying.
I hate cheats. In games like SSX and Tony Hawk's 2, i thought it was deplorable that there was a cheat that allowed you to unlock everything. Where's the skill involved in that? Surely games developers must realise that it cheapens the experience of the game, and its not the same sense of achievement if EVERYONE can unlock everything, without even trying....
That's what make games like the Final Fantasy series so good. Replay value has to be one of the most important factors in a game - i love trying to find little hidden extras and it makes games more satifying.
I hate cheats. In games like SSX and Tony Hawk's 2, i thought it was deplorable that there was a cheat that allowed you to unlock everything. Where's the skill involved in that? Surely games developers must realise that it cheapens the experience of the game, and its not the same sense of achievement if EVERYONE can unlock everything, without even trying....
Gameplay, graphics and sound are all very important features in games. Where would Gran Turismo 3 be without its stunningly realistic visuals? Where would Tetris be without its insanely addictive gameplay? Where would Music Generator 2 be without sound effects? However, these three categories are not everything in a game. There must be lastability.
How do you improve lastability? Well, many games just crank up the amount you have to do. Even Gran Turismo 3 can be accused of simply adding to the number of laps as the game progresses. In many cases its just a matter of doing it twice as many times, or doing it twice as fast. In my opinion this is a bad idea, as it can put many gamers off continuing. If you`re getting bored with a game, then you may wish to try something else.
To combat this there are two possible courses of action:
1) The first is to shorten the length of the game, so that it feels less repetitive. Zone of the Enders was a fantastic game, however it did suffer from this first scenario. To avoid letting the player get bored with fighting, the game stopped after a mere 6-10 hours. Similarly The Bouncer was also short lived.
Simply cutting the game short does not work. Both the above games were rightly accused of being too short, especially for a game appearing on a next generation console. As a result, other games have used an alternate, more favourable strategy.
2) The second (and from the gamer`s point of view, more favourable) option is to introduce large variations, secret modes, and additional extras to unlock. Star Wars Starfighter attempted this, with some success. The main game was not incredibly long, however the medal system meant that you could achieve bonus goals that would unlock secret missions, and extra craft. The extra missions included a two player mode. The new craft also varied significantly, making older missions replayable.
The success of games such as Zelda and Final Fantasy has partially depended on the hidden features within the game. Mini adventures such as fishing in Zelda, or playing in the arcades in Final Fantasy 7 were all hugely popular, and added a vast amount of depth and longevity to the game.
Unfortunately there are some games that use a criminal form of secrets. The use of cheat codes has been responsible for this, as virtually every game today has some sort of cheat somewhere inside the game.
Cheats are fair enough if the gamer is unable to progress and requires assistance, however they are unacceptable when they allow access to a part of the game that can not be found without the codes. For example (and I hate to pick a flaw in this game) SSX had the "Running Man" cheat, which allowed you to use a rider, with their board strapped to their back, and their feet whirling below them. Could this be achieved using your own skill in the game? No, you had to enter a cheat code.
Super Bombad Racing did a similar thing. Certain characters could only be unlocked by using a code. Boba Fett and the Tank Droid were accessed with cheats, leaving only Darth Vader to be uncovered the proper way.
To round off, secrets are hugely beneficial to a games lastability, providing a welcome surprise to anyone who makes it far enough. It is also acceptable to use cheat codes when you are stuck. However, I totally disagree with secrets that can only be found using cheats.
How do you improve lastability? Well, many games just crank up the amount you have to do. Even Gran Turismo 3 can be accused of simply adding to the number of laps as the game progresses. In many cases its just a matter of doing it twice as many times, or doing it twice as fast. In my opinion this is a bad idea, as it can put many gamers off continuing. If you`re getting bored with a game, then you may wish to try something else.
To combat this there are two possible courses of action:
1) The first is to shorten the length of the game, so that it feels less repetitive. Zone of the Enders was a fantastic game, however it did suffer from this first scenario. To avoid letting the player get bored with fighting, the game stopped after a mere 6-10 hours. Similarly The Bouncer was also short lived.
Simply cutting the game short does not work. Both the above games were rightly accused of being too short, especially for a game appearing on a next generation console. As a result, other games have used an alternate, more favourable strategy.
2) The second (and from the gamer`s point of view, more favourable) option is to introduce large variations, secret modes, and additional extras to unlock. Star Wars Starfighter attempted this, with some success. The main game was not incredibly long, however the medal system meant that you could achieve bonus goals that would unlock secret missions, and extra craft. The extra missions included a two player mode. The new craft also varied significantly, making older missions replayable.
The success of games such as Zelda and Final Fantasy has partially depended on the hidden features within the game. Mini adventures such as fishing in Zelda, or playing in the arcades in Final Fantasy 7 were all hugely popular, and added a vast amount of depth and longevity to the game.
Unfortunately there are some games that use a criminal form of secrets. The use of cheat codes has been responsible for this, as virtually every game today has some sort of cheat somewhere inside the game.
Cheats are fair enough if the gamer is unable to progress and requires assistance, however they are unacceptable when they allow access to a part of the game that can not be found without the codes. For example (and I hate to pick a flaw in this game) SSX had the "Running Man" cheat, which allowed you to use a rider, with their board strapped to their back, and their feet whirling below them. Could this be achieved using your own skill in the game? No, you had to enter a cheat code.
Super Bombad Racing did a similar thing. Certain characters could only be unlocked by using a code. Boba Fett and the Tank Droid were accessed with cheats, leaving only Darth Vader to be uncovered the proper way.
To round off, secrets are hugely beneficial to a games lastability, providing a welcome surprise to anyone who makes it far enough. It is also acceptable to use cheat codes when you are stuck. However, I totally disagree with secrets that can only be found using cheats.
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