The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only.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.
Where has the the originality gone ? Where is the driving force that games companies used to thrive upon ? Where is the sense of ambition and inventiveness ?
What am I on about ?
Well, as I posted yesterday, I recently read The First Quarter, a book that chronicles the developments in video games and consoles over the last 25 years. From the early days it is obvious that many games companies and console developers had a code of practice whereby they would only produce a game if it used fresh and new ideas, if it redefined videogaming as we know it. Of course, there were the usual 'jackals' who just copied what everyone used to do, but on the whole developers had vision.
But now look at the industry. It is rare these days that a software house comes up with a new idea for a game, and more and more often companies are just pumping out re-vamped (and often worse) versions of existing game types. In effect the competitors just flood the market with imitations, until the genre becomes so tired that it is not worth looking at anymore.
When is the last time we really saw a new type of game ? Even classics like GT3 are in reality just new versions on an old theme. There are exceptions of course, take Rez for example.
OK, it is true that we do get games that take an existing genre and develop a game that is so good that it doesn't matter if we've seen similar before (SSX Tricky and MGS2 being a case in point). Why do companies just try to imitate each other ?
When SSX came out it was a breath of fresh air, but now look what has happened... we are overwhelmed with a slew of second rate snowboard/skiing/etc. titles that are really not worth paying for.
When we first saw MGS2 we thought "my God, this is going to be so cool...". Then all of a sudden there are imitators appearing (e.g. Headhunter). Again the copying begins.
It worth noting that this is not just confined to gaming either....
In the movies this is a regular occurrance, for example:
Two Robin Hood movies in the same month
Two "asteroid hitting earth" movies in the same month
etc.
Also in the music industry... remember Cher started using that warped electronic voice thingy in "Do you believe in love"... well now it is everywhere.
Authors note: KevD is not a Cher fan, and never will be. Just using her as an example.
But back to games. It really is very hard to forsee what direction companies are going to take games in in the future.
I'll be the first to admit that it is very hard to come up with a new genre that will appeal to people. Have you ever sat down and tried to think of a completely new game type, that doesn't use elements from games you've played before ? I have tried, and failed on numerous occasions.
Maybe someone out there has an idea that they think is a load of crap, where in fact it could just be the next step forward in gaming.
So this is a plea, if not for KevD then for all us gamers everywhere....
If you have a new game idea, why not post it here and get it reviewed by your peers ? If it seems to get a good response why not then try to submit the idea to a games company (after ensuring that you can proove that you were the inventor (use registered mail, not email !!).....
It is worth a try.
Please don't spam this one up.
Thanks for reading, looking forward to seeing responses.
KevD.
What am I on about ?
Well, as I posted yesterday, I recently read The First Quarter, a book that chronicles the developments in video games and consoles over the last 25 years. From the early days it is obvious that many games companies and console developers had a code of practice whereby they would only produce a game if it used fresh and new ideas, if it redefined videogaming as we know it. Of course, there were the usual 'jackals' who just copied what everyone used to do, but on the whole developers had vision.
But now look at the industry. It is rare these days that a software house comes up with a new idea for a game, and more and more often companies are just pumping out re-vamped (and often worse) versions of existing game types. In effect the competitors just flood the market with imitations, until the genre becomes so tired that it is not worth looking at anymore.
When is the last time we really saw a new type of game ? Even classics like GT3 are in reality just new versions on an old theme. There are exceptions of course, take Rez for example.
OK, it is true that we do get games that take an existing genre and develop a game that is so good that it doesn't matter if we've seen similar before (SSX Tricky and MGS2 being a case in point). Why do companies just try to imitate each other ?
When SSX came out it was a breath of fresh air, but now look what has happened... we are overwhelmed with a slew of second rate snowboard/skiing/etc. titles that are really not worth paying for.
When we first saw MGS2 we thought "my God, this is going to be so cool...". Then all of a sudden there are imitators appearing (e.g. Headhunter). Again the copying begins.
It worth noting that this is not just confined to gaming either....
In the movies this is a regular occurrance, for example:
Two Robin Hood movies in the same month
Two "asteroid hitting earth" movies in the same month
etc.
Also in the music industry... remember Cher started using that warped electronic voice thingy in "Do you believe in love"... well now it is everywhere.
Authors note: KevD is not a Cher fan, and never will be. Just using her as an example.
But back to games. It really is very hard to forsee what direction companies are going to take games in in the future.
I'll be the first to admit that it is very hard to come up with a new genre that will appeal to people. Have you ever sat down and tried to think of a completely new game type, that doesn't use elements from games you've played before ? I have tried, and failed on numerous occasions.
Maybe someone out there has an idea that they think is a load of crap, where in fact it could just be the next step forward in gaming.
So this is a plea, if not for KevD then for all us gamers everywhere....
If you have a new game idea, why not post it here and get it reviewed by your peers ? If it seems to get a good response why not then try to submit the idea to a games company (after ensuring that you can proove that you were the inventor (use registered mail, not email !!).....
It is worth a try.
Please don't spam this one up.
Thanks for reading, looking forward to seeing responses.
KevD.
wrote:
> To Mystique: Yes there is life after love ! (Why do you ask ?)
To Nomad_Soul: That may be the problem.... if people took the time to come up with something interesting the future of gaming might look a lot brighter.
Right now the future of gaming does look bright (but only really cheap sunglasses bright) with more originality it can get brighter (expensive diamond coated sunglasses bright!).
We can only hope....
> To Mystique: Yes there is life after love ! (Why do you ask ?)
To Nomad_Soul: That may be the problem.... if people took the time to come up with something interesting the future of gaming might look a lot brighter.
Right now the future of gaming does look bright (but only really cheap sunglasses bright) with more originality it can get brighter (expensive diamond coated sunglasses bright!).
We can only hope....
do you believe in life after love?
No origial ideas + No spam = No replies.
(Sorry, this is spam.)
Loads of people on here have original game ideas - maybe they've not got time to write them down.
(Sorry, this is spam.)
Loads of people on here have original game ideas - maybe they've not got time to write them down.
Where has the the originality gone ? Where is the driving force that games companies used to thrive upon ? Where is the sense of ambition and inventiveness ?
What am I on about ?
Well, as I posted yesterday, I recently read The First Quarter, a book that chronicles the developments in video games and consoles over the last 25 years. From the early days it is obvious that many games companies and console developers had a code of practice whereby they would only produce a game if it used fresh and new ideas, if it redefined videogaming as we know it. Of course, there were the usual 'jackals' who just copied what everyone used to do, but on the whole developers had vision.
But now look at the industry. It is rare these days that a software house comes up with a new idea for a game, and more and more often companies are just pumping out re-vamped (and often worse) versions of existing game types. In effect the competitors just flood the market with imitations, until the genre becomes so tired that it is not worth looking at anymore.
When is the last time we really saw a new type of game ? Even classics like GT3 are in reality just new versions on an old theme. There are exceptions of course, take Rez for example.
OK, it is true that we do get games that take an existing genre and develop a game that is so good that it doesn't matter if we've seen similar before (SSX Tricky and MGS2 being a case in point). Why do companies just try to imitate each other ?
When SSX came out it was a breath of fresh air, but now look what has happened... we are overwhelmed with a slew of second rate snowboard/skiing/etc. titles that are really not worth paying for.
When we first saw MGS2 we thought "my God, this is going to be so cool...". Then all of a sudden there are imitators appearing (e.g. Headhunter). Again the copying begins.
It worth noting that this is not just confined to gaming either....
In the movies this is a regular occurrance, for example:
Two Robin Hood movies in the same month
Two "asteroid hitting earth" movies in the same month
etc.
Also in the music industry... remember Cher started using that warped electronic voice thingy in "Do you believe in love"... well now it is everywhere.
Authors note: KevD is not a Cher fan, and never will be. Just using her as an example.
But back to games. It really is very hard to forsee what direction companies are going to take games in in the future.
I'll be the first to admit that it is very hard to come up with a new genre that will appeal to people. Have you ever sat down and tried to think of a completely new game type, that doesn't use elements from games you've played before ? I have tried, and failed on numerous occasions.
Maybe someone out there has an idea that they think is a load of crap, where in fact it could just be the next step forward in gaming.
So this is a plea, if not for KevD then for all us gamers everywhere....
If you have a new game idea, why not post it here and get it reviewed by your peers ? If it seems to get a good response why not then try to submit the idea to a games company (after ensuring that you can proove that you were the inventor (use registered mail, not email !!).....
It is worth a try.
Please don't spam this one up.
Thanks for reading, looking forward to seeing responses.
KevD.
What am I on about ?
Well, as I posted yesterday, I recently read The First Quarter, a book that chronicles the developments in video games and consoles over the last 25 years. From the early days it is obvious that many games companies and console developers had a code of practice whereby they would only produce a game if it used fresh and new ideas, if it redefined videogaming as we know it. Of course, there were the usual 'jackals' who just copied what everyone used to do, but on the whole developers had vision.
But now look at the industry. It is rare these days that a software house comes up with a new idea for a game, and more and more often companies are just pumping out re-vamped (and often worse) versions of existing game types. In effect the competitors just flood the market with imitations, until the genre becomes so tired that it is not worth looking at anymore.
When is the last time we really saw a new type of game ? Even classics like GT3 are in reality just new versions on an old theme. There are exceptions of course, take Rez for example.
OK, it is true that we do get games that take an existing genre and develop a game that is so good that it doesn't matter if we've seen similar before (SSX Tricky and MGS2 being a case in point). Why do companies just try to imitate each other ?
When SSX came out it was a breath of fresh air, but now look what has happened... we are overwhelmed with a slew of second rate snowboard/skiing/etc. titles that are really not worth paying for.
When we first saw MGS2 we thought "my God, this is going to be so cool...". Then all of a sudden there are imitators appearing (e.g. Headhunter). Again the copying begins.
It worth noting that this is not just confined to gaming either....
In the movies this is a regular occurrance, for example:
Two Robin Hood movies in the same month
Two "asteroid hitting earth" movies in the same month
etc.
Also in the music industry... remember Cher started using that warped electronic voice thingy in "Do you believe in love"... well now it is everywhere.
Authors note: KevD is not a Cher fan, and never will be. Just using her as an example.
But back to games. It really is very hard to forsee what direction companies are going to take games in in the future.
I'll be the first to admit that it is very hard to come up with a new genre that will appeal to people. Have you ever sat down and tried to think of a completely new game type, that doesn't use elements from games you've played before ? I have tried, and failed on numerous occasions.
Maybe someone out there has an idea that they think is a load of crap, where in fact it could just be the next step forward in gaming.
So this is a plea, if not for KevD then for all us gamers everywhere....
If you have a new game idea, why not post it here and get it reviewed by your peers ? If it seems to get a good response why not then try to submit the idea to a games company (after ensuring that you can proove that you were the inventor (use registered mail, not email !!).....
It is worth a try.
Please don't spam this one up.
Thanks for reading, looking forward to seeing responses.
KevD.