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In the ever-changing world of gaming, there is one factor that is constantly ignored - defying the laws of physics. What if you could float around the levels? What if when you pulled something, it flew forwards? This would be one of the most interesting features in recent memory, but what doors will it open? I'm not saying that games developers should go out and milk it for all it's worth, but I'd like to see a developer have a damn good try at this feature. It would be a challenge for even the cream-of-the-crop developers, as it would involve creating an entirely new physics engine, which would be hard to make coherent, along with an entirely new universe (which would need to be presentable on a 2D screen) and a system, which the player could comprehend. I think that many game developers would love to have a go with this type of thing, but are scared of two things.
a) Money – money is all that matters nowadays in the gaming industry, which is a big shame. Sure, I can understand game companies not wanting to spend too much on a game, but they probably are scared that a game of this type would not pull in enough revenue. I’m sure that many people would buy it for the novelty factor – not that they can rely on that for their entire sales though, or it will be dismal at best. It’s a sad fact that game companies won’t be a little daring, or a little experimental, as the gaming market would be a lot more interesting and pull in a lot more potential buyers if it was. Of course, it is completely understandable that they are not more experimental, because money doesn’t grow on trees. In a perfect world – it would.
b) Popularity – If Final Fantasy was unpopular – do you think they’d be a series of 9? They wouldn’t do it out of sense, and because they simply wouldn’t make the money back that they spent on making it. If a company made a game with a healthy budget, but it was unpopular, all the hard work of programming new engines etc will be wasted, so they need to be sure that the general public are ready for it, by presenting a demo to an audience and asking them on their opinion, in the form of a vote etc. It also depends on genre, in that certain genres are more popular than others. Luck is a factor, because you need to release a game at the right time to get the right audience. You need to wait until the market is practically dead/dying before releasing a game if you want the highest audience possible, but that’s not to say to wait months because of a busy market.
There are already elements of defying gravity in games left and right. Take Star Wars games – the force powers and the unbelievable weapons that do impossible things are a good example. Also Half Life has a command line cheat, enabling you to float along the ceiling, but it is a little touch-and-go, in the aspect that it’s impossible to get back onto the ground without de-activating the cheat. There’s an add-on for HL called “Peaces Like Us”, which is absolutely surreal, but gamers have taken to it very well! Offices rotate on their sides and you can walk upside down on the ceiling! The Matrix is being developed for the PS2, and I’m quite sure that many out-of-this-world effects will be implemented, ensuring for spectacular viewing. Imagine the helicopter smashing into the building and creating a ripple effect – bliss for gamers. Imagine chasing after a stray item, when an invisible force tears your arm off, turns you inside out and removes you from existence.
There doesn’t need to be all complicated variables or new engines if you want just the basics of a politically incorrect game – just create a space FPS game! All you have to do is grab any Quake, Unreal or Wolfenstein game, add a little code and voila – you have floating characters and weapons that drift away from you – sorted! To create a more advanced game of this genre, you would have to insert so many different variables that you may just have to sit content with a space FPS game – because it’s just not worth the bother. The demand for this sort of game is dangerously small, and so developers are unlikely to listen to the avid few – unfortunately for them. It is very complicated, and would take years to make an entirely new engine and would it be new anyway? Would it just be the opposite of the current physical laws we now have enforced upon us?
What if the laws of physics didn’t apply?
::Floats up into air::
a) Money – money is all that matters nowadays in the gaming industry, which is a big shame. Sure, I can understand game companies not wanting to spend too much on a game, but they probably are scared that a game of this type would not pull in enough revenue. I’m sure that many people would buy it for the novelty factor – not that they can rely on that for their entire sales though, or it will be dismal at best. It’s a sad fact that game companies won’t be a little daring, or a little experimental, as the gaming market would be a lot more interesting and pull in a lot more potential buyers if it was. Of course, it is completely understandable that they are not more experimental, because money doesn’t grow on trees. In a perfect world – it would.
b) Popularity – If Final Fantasy was unpopular – do you think they’d be a series of 9? They wouldn’t do it out of sense, and because they simply wouldn’t make the money back that they spent on making it. If a company made a game with a healthy budget, but it was unpopular, all the hard work of programming new engines etc will be wasted, so they need to be sure that the general public are ready for it, by presenting a demo to an audience and asking them on their opinion, in the form of a vote etc. It also depends on genre, in that certain genres are more popular than others. Luck is a factor, because you need to release a game at the right time to get the right audience. You need to wait until the market is practically dead/dying before releasing a game if you want the highest audience possible, but that’s not to say to wait months because of a busy market.
There are already elements of defying gravity in games left and right. Take Star Wars games – the force powers and the unbelievable weapons that do impossible things are a good example. Also Half Life has a command line cheat, enabling you to float along the ceiling, but it is a little touch-and-go, in the aspect that it’s impossible to get back onto the ground without de-activating the cheat. There’s an add-on for HL called “Peaces Like Us”, which is absolutely surreal, but gamers have taken to it very well! Offices rotate on their sides and you can walk upside down on the ceiling! The Matrix is being developed for the PS2, and I’m quite sure that many out-of-this-world effects will be implemented, ensuring for spectacular viewing. Imagine the helicopter smashing into the building and creating a ripple effect – bliss for gamers. Imagine chasing after a stray item, when an invisible force tears your arm off, turns you inside out and removes you from existence.
There doesn’t need to be all complicated variables or new engines if you want just the basics of a politically incorrect game – just create a space FPS game! All you have to do is grab any Quake, Unreal or Wolfenstein game, add a little code and voila – you have floating characters and weapons that drift away from you – sorted! To create a more advanced game of this genre, you would have to insert so many different variables that you may just have to sit content with a space FPS game – because it’s just not worth the bother. The demand for this sort of game is dangerously small, and so developers are unlikely to listen to the avid few – unfortunately for them. It is very complicated, and would take years to make an entirely new engine and would it be new anyway? Would it just be the opposite of the current physical laws we now have enforced upon us?
What if the laws of physics didn’t apply?
::Floats up into air::
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Ah phsycis schmysics. I hate that thing.
S + ~ x ^ = sqidego to the power of |
well who cares:D
Good topic slyviaa- but can't most superheros float, fly and swim...
S + ~ x ^ = sqidego to the power of |
well who cares:D
Good topic slyviaa- but can't most superheros float, fly and swim...
Oh yeah, sorry.
I suppose it would be interesting... although if there is life out there in the far corners of the universe, it probably wouldn't be such a surprise to them; and besides, the "feeling strange" factor will only be present until you've got used to the new environment.
Oh, and laws are there to be broken.
I suppose it would be interesting... although if there is life out there in the far corners of the universe, it probably wouldn't be such a surprise to them; and besides, the "feeling strange" factor will only be present until you've got used to the new environment.
Oh, and laws are there to be broken.
No! I think you miss the point Delta!
Imagine if the universe were slightly different then garivty may be less weak say... and why can't we make games where this is the case... that's what the topic is about!
Sonic
Imagine if the universe were slightly different then garivty may be less weak say... and why can't we make games where this is the case... that's what the topic is about!
Sonic
"Besides, why is it called a LAW? Did Newton himself, turn into a politician and make the law himself after the House of Commons (and Lords) agreed on the law? Eh?"
I've always wondered this. It's probably attached to the fact that it's like a law, in that is can never be broken. I mean physically never be broken.
I've always wondered this. It's probably attached to the fact that it's like a law, in that is can never be broken. I mean physically never be broken.
If the laws of physics didn't apply, any theory could be made up, and I wouldn't have to struggle through college learning someone else's thoughts (Newton, etc.) Besides, why is it called a LAW? Did Newton himself, turn into a politician and make the law himself after the House of Commons (and Lords) agreed on the law? Eh?
Has Monkey_Man been banned??
Really??
Really??
POP
or TOP
to the TOP
to STOP
the HTML :D
or TOP
to the TOP
to STOP
the HTML :D
POP
or TOP
to the TOP
to STOP
the HTML.
or TOP
to the TOP
to STOP
the HTML.
POP
or TOP
to the TOP
to STOP
the HTML.
or TOP
to the TOP
to STOP
the HTML.
POP above the "silly" HTML. NOw stop moaning please.
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