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Sun 21/10/01 at 00:04
Regular
Posts: 787
Have you ever bought a game purely because of the designers behind it? Have you ever walked into a games store with your wallet bulging and picked a game straight off the shelf and put it on the counter without thinking anymore of it? This is hardly the way you shop for all your games, if you buy it online you always check out the reviews, you may even find the time to look through a magazine with a related review or preview. But whatever you choose to do it is most probably from information youíve picked up somewhere along the way.

If used cleverly this will be to the advantage of the designers. First time designers will be able to construct something so perfect that even if itís the only piece of work they ever do they will still be known for it. Itís not just for games this applies to, think about it. What if Steven Spielberg only ever made one film, and letís says for arguments sake that film was Jaws. The critics loved it, the audience loved it and therefore everyone was happy, then he goes into hibernation for the next 20 years only to reappear with Jurassic Park. From reputation youíd be driven to see it. Even if you see bad reviews of the film, itís not enough to determine you away from the cinema.

The same applies to sequels I suppose, because of the success of the original it brings you forward to go to the next stage, to experience something new that thrilled you the first time and now you ëknowí itís gonna do the same next time. A sequel is never far from the original game, maybe itís a bit faster, a few more options, but itís usually just an extra mission pack, so you know what to expect, and itís because of those reasons that you buy the game.

The press coverage surrounding the game already gives you the impressions of what Santa Claus and his little Elves will be bringing you for Christmas, the first impression is something that you only get once so they show you all the decent bits then leave out the rest. But more on the subject, as you go to buy this game youíve been waiting for all that time for, you suddenly come across something
something new, something the gaming industry has never seen before. This game looks like to smash records and sell in the millions, but there is a slight bit of trouble, at the same time Half Life 2 is being released, a games designer company with a reputation for themselves and a game that had a reputation as well.

In this world it would be my opinion that no matter what the other games looked like Half Life 2 would just wipe the floor and leave them all cowering in the corner wishing they hadnít been created. That wonít happen though, for some strange reason, weíve all been allowed our Own opinions, and that means we can choose the games for ourselves, game designers know that, whatever they make there will ALWAYS be a load of people waiting at 6am on Friday mornings for the game. Thatís not a bad thing though, if it wasnít for everyone wanting different games, weíd never have the reviews about them in the first place, except for the all singing, all dancing reviews and previews that the game producers write themselves saying. ìYour console wonít be the same without it, and if you donít have this game, your friends will think youíre sadî.

Game designers seem to make relatively similar games, e.g. FPS or RPGs they donít usually get distracted from the genre, so you can usually instantly expect whats going to be made next, e.g. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. Perfect Dark wasnít a sequel, and although it used the same graphics engine, and had the similar ëSecret Agentí story line to it, they are the only things that were kept the same, and only because they sold the game, and anything else wouldnít have been as good, but did many of you know the gameís options and details inside out before you plugged it into your console? Or was your face beaming with surprise from the time the game started rolling to the time your fell asleep?

My prediction is that most of you did. You will have been told some of the details by your friends, and accidentally stumbled apon the official website, with information oozing out of every article. Itís everything you hear and see that attracts you into purchasing this item. From reading the simple review, screen shots to the snippets of the story line, all this information is valuable to you, when selecting a game. The designers will all have the effect, and the effect is your opinion. Just think about this, if your told itís brilliant constantly by different groups of people whether it be friends or just the gaming press then youíve already got in your mind that you love this game. So when you get it, chances are youíll still love it and will think highly of it. You might even go to your friendís house and watch or play the game for a while to get a basic idea of it. A good review from a friend is worth more than 100 reviews online, if your friend likes it, starts reminiscing about their favourite parts, the game is sold to you, and the only thing on your mind is, ëHow quickly can I get this game?í

Thanks for taken the time to read

Mr Nice Guy
Mon 22/10/01 at 01:20
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
*Turbonutter wafts Red Faction and Quake 3 around a bit*
Mon 22/10/01 at 00:39
Regular
"Wasting away"
Posts: 2,230
Fogmaster wrote:


I WILL MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS!

*Fog prints off the screen and tries to suffercate Nice Guy with them, yet Nice Guy ain't taking none of it and persuades Fogmaster to try out Commandos 2, he sits down for 5 minutes and is drawn into the sheer addictivness of the game but all of the thinking is just too much for Fog, his tiny brain can't handle it and explodes*
Sun 21/10/01 at 22:47
Posts: 15,443
Now, now, let's not get angry. It's only a forum, after all.
Sun 21/10/01 at 21:50
Regular
"IT'S ALIVE!!"
Posts: 4,741
Mr Nice Guy wrote:
> I'd rather play on my PSX anyday over a N64, apart from maybe Perfect
> Dark but that gets repetitive after a while and it involves no thinking which is
> what I love in games. Something that requires thought and not just guns
> blazing.

I WILL MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS! how dare you dirty this forum with this post! you have brought shame upon your religion.

Perfect dark like all FPS games takes great tactics to complete missions, like the other single minded people on these forums you have not played the game properly, you need to learn some respect for Nintendo, if it was made for 'kiddies' don't you think ONLY 'kiddies' would play it? i'm far from a kiddie, and i'd rather play a N64 game over a Sony game anyday! why? because they have bigger games, more missions, more ideas crammed into the game than and good Sony game, YUK!, you've dirtied my fingeres with this runnish!
Sun 21/10/01 at 16:09
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
But they can't have their cake and eat it. Adult OR children, one or the other. They can't have both, and if they carry on like this they're going to deter the younger gamers, yet they'll never attract the adults. They should leave well alone.
Sun 21/10/01 at 16:06
Regular
Posts: 1,037
Bonus wrote:
What on earth does Resi
> have to do with Nintendo?? Nintendo make their own games, and all of them are
> very much aimed at a young audience. The fact that Capcom have come to the
> Gamecube means nothing about the aim of Nintendo, as you may remember Resi was
> also on the N64.

So what your trying to say is that all of a sudden Capcom just thought of making res4 a GC exclusive and also a remake of all the others that have been relesed on the PSone. Im sure Nintendo really had to convince Capcom to make such a deal. And this shows that Nintendo dont only want children as fans thatey also want adults and teenagers.
Sun 21/10/01 at 16:02
Regular
Posts: 6,492
Code: 144 Complete wrote:
> Bonus wrote:
>Basically, it comes back the arguement about target age, and I
> do
> feel that Nintendo are aiming for a slightly younger age group than
> Sony, a fact
> that Nintendo and Sony themselves have both commented
> on.

I disagree with you there, with Resi1-4 which will have better graphics
> so that they are even more scarier, I think Nintendo are competing with Sony.


What on earth does Resi have to do with Nintendo?? Nintendo make their own games, and all of them are very much aimed at a young audience. The fact that Capcom have come to the Gamecube means nothing about the aim of Nintendo, as you may remember Resi was also on the N64.
Sun 21/10/01 at 15:57
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
Yes, they are having a go buit it's utterly pointless. Nintendo will never, ever compete against Sony in the realism/maturity stakes, they just can't. What with their track record, "Celda", PokÈmon and just the plain appearence og the GameCube, they're best off sticking to what they're good at.
Sun 21/10/01 at 15:35
Regular
Posts: 1,037
Bonus wrote:
>Basically, it comes back the arguement about target age, and I do
> feel that Nintendo are aiming for a slightly younger age group than Sony, a fact
> that Nintendo and Sony themselves have both commented on.

I disagree with you there, with Resi1-4 which will have better graphics so that they are even more scarier, I think Nintendo are competing with Sony.
Sun 21/10/01 at 15:28
Regular
Posts: 6,492
Shocktrooper wrote:
> That's another reason as to why Nintendo games rule: They lack realism. They are
> based upon a fantasy concept. Monkey Ball



Emmmm, SEGA!!!!

:D

(Oh it's coming out for the PS2)

And emm, well, you can barely call games such as Final Fantasy, Dark Cloud, Xenosaga, Herdy Gerdy or Jak and Daxter realistic, can you?? I mean, this arguement just doesn't make any sense, very few games are ultimately realistic, because they would just simply be boring. Realism in games in toned down for a gameplay issue. Anyone starting out playing GT3 would tell you, if there was damage in the game, it just wouldn;t be playable, your race would more than likely be over at the first corner every time. Realism will always take a second place to gameplay, and that is a good thing. What the majority of Nintneods games do have above anyone else (excpet Sega) is a cartoon element. Their games would convert excellently to being children's cartoons and many of them have. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and Donkey Kong (I think) have all had their own cartoon series at one stage or another, and this is the appeal they have. Final Fantasy is being converted to a cartoon, and we will have to wait to see if it has a mature Manga type appearance or the more child sensitive Pokemon style. As for as you can tell from the movie, Final Fantasy tackles mature values, and incorporates some very serious theory. Anyone who has played a final fantasy game or seen the Spirits Within will have heard of the spirit/Gaia theory, this is an actual theory, and was first written about in the 50/60s.

Basically, it comes back the arguement about target age, and I do feel that Nintendo are aiming for a slightly younger age group than Sony, a fact that Nintendo and Sony themselves have both commented on.

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