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We look back at the early years of gaming and we see the birth of genres, we see the first Platformer, the first shoot ‘em up and the first driving game. But genres haven’t stopped today but sadly these days some don’t get further than the first few games.
Sheep Dog ‘N Wolf a damn good title and was oddly called a Steal ‘em up, now this is still an early idea and may progress in to something more but right now it is just a one hit wonder despite its similarities with Silicon Valley (or for PS1 owners Evo’s space adventure). Some though don’t turn out to be one hit wonders. Survival Horror genre (which is also oddly named) is now a widely accepted genre to go along side platformers and Racers. Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark are probably the biggest names but Onimusha and Devil May Cry aren’t far behind. Despite this Survival Horror is still quite old now what new genres have been created over the last couple of years that will revolutionize the gaming future?
Crazy Taxi: Despite being around in the arcades for sometime this brilliant new idea on the driving front to use on a console. It was popular enough to gain a sequel but there were problems with both and we all knew it, you couldn’t stand it for so long. Fears of this being a trend within the game industry though came to an end with the brilliant Simpson’s Road Rage.
Party games: No one honestly thought this idea had a future but oddly it does??? Although a great game Mario Party are one of few N64 titles to get a third outing and with a fourth planned for the Gamecube! The idea was then passed on to THQ who implemented the idea into the Rugrats games and then Acclaim gave it a go in South Parks Chef’s Luv Shack.
Dancing games: I never understood the attraction to these I thought the idea of dance mats and button bashing was just stupid but after playing on SEGA’s awesome Space Channel 5 and my entire view of them has changed. Dancing games are huge in Japan and quite popular in other places as well, if you haven’t tried one don’t get put off but the idea button pressing at the right moment is damn well addictive.
Extreme Sports games: These exploded after Tony Hawks, now Matt Hoffman, SSX, Jet Set Radio and many more. These games are fast and require quick-fingered players, timing is of the essence and so they have become addictive. Be it racing style like Trickstyle, straight trick games like Tony Hawks or Graffiti games like Jet Set (grind) Radio they are some of the most popular games to date
But creating new genre’s is becoming harder and harder to do but creating a new genre isn’t the only way forward revolutionizing an older one is also a great thing to do. Over the last generation this has happened to even the oldest genres. Platformers have gone through many changes first Mario and Banjo revolutionized them with the new 3D worlds that were brilliant and refreshing changing platform games forever, Sadly Banjo and Donkey Kong went too far so Conker appeared and refreshed it all and again this is a new revolutionary way for the platform genre.
Shoot ‘em ups changed after the arrival of Goldeneye and all big Shooters like it are following in Goldeneye/ Perfect Darks footsteps. Halo, Agent under fire and Timesplitters are but a few that has followed in Goldeneye’s footsteps and again this was a game that changed the view of Shoot ‘em ups. Tekken revolutionized beat ‘em ups and most of us have forgotten Street Fighter and Killer Instinct its all Tekken and Dead or Alive these days. Driving games changed with the introduction of the 3D stick now the handling is much more precise.
So what of the future? Will Eternal Darkness revolutionize Survival horror promising the new Psychological side of the genre? Will Mario Sunshine return platformers to the former glory last seen early in the N64’s life? Will the new Zelda change the way developers think when they make adventure games? Who knows but then I suppose that is what makes the future so exciting!
Here’s to the future.
Dringo.
Sheep Dog ‘N Wolf a damn good title and was oddly called a Steal ‘em up, now this is still an early idea and may progress in to something more but right now it is just a one hit wonder despite its similarities with Silicon Valley (or for PS1 owners Evo’s space adventure). Some though don’t turn out to be one hit wonders. Survival Horror genre (which is also oddly named) is now a widely accepted genre to go along side platformers and Racers. Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark are probably the biggest names but Onimusha and Devil May Cry aren’t far behind. Despite this Survival Horror is still quite old now what new genres have been created over the last couple of years that will revolutionize the gaming future?
Crazy Taxi: Despite being around in the arcades for sometime this brilliant new idea on the driving front to use on a console. It was popular enough to gain a sequel but there were problems with both and we all knew it, you couldn’t stand it for so long. Fears of this being a trend within the game industry though came to an end with the brilliant Simpson’s Road Rage.
Party games: No one honestly thought this idea had a future but oddly it does??? Although a great game Mario Party are one of few N64 titles to get a third outing and with a fourth planned for the Gamecube! The idea was then passed on to THQ who implemented the idea into the Rugrats games and then Acclaim gave it a go in South Parks Chef’s Luv Shack.
Dancing games: I never understood the attraction to these I thought the idea of dance mats and button bashing was just stupid but after playing on SEGA’s awesome Space Channel 5 and my entire view of them has changed. Dancing games are huge in Japan and quite popular in other places as well, if you haven’t tried one don’t get put off but the idea button pressing at the right moment is damn well addictive.
Extreme Sports games: These exploded after Tony Hawks, now Matt Hoffman, SSX, Jet Set Radio and many more. These games are fast and require quick-fingered players, timing is of the essence and so they have become addictive. Be it racing style like Trickstyle, straight trick games like Tony Hawks or Graffiti games like Jet Set (grind) Radio they are some of the most popular games to date
But creating new genre’s is becoming harder and harder to do but creating a new genre isn’t the only way forward revolutionizing an older one is also a great thing to do. Over the last generation this has happened to even the oldest genres. Platformers have gone through many changes first Mario and Banjo revolutionized them with the new 3D worlds that were brilliant and refreshing changing platform games forever, Sadly Banjo and Donkey Kong went too far so Conker appeared and refreshed it all and again this is a new revolutionary way for the platform genre.
Shoot ‘em ups changed after the arrival of Goldeneye and all big Shooters like it are following in Goldeneye/ Perfect Darks footsteps. Halo, Agent under fire and Timesplitters are but a few that has followed in Goldeneye’s footsteps and again this was a game that changed the view of Shoot ‘em ups. Tekken revolutionized beat ‘em ups and most of us have forgotten Street Fighter and Killer Instinct its all Tekken and Dead or Alive these days. Driving games changed with the introduction of the 3D stick now the handling is much more precise.
So what of the future? Will Eternal Darkness revolutionize Survival horror promising the new Psychological side of the genre? Will Mario Sunshine return platformers to the former glory last seen early in the N64’s life? Will the new Zelda change the way developers think when they make adventure games? Who knows but then I suppose that is what makes the future so exciting!
Here’s to the future.
Dringo.
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Strafex wrote:
> The_King wrote:
Hmmm, fair point on goldeneye i
> guess! Although it's
> a damn close - wasn't Quake 2 released just before
> Goldeneye?
No.
> Goldeneye came first and made Quake 2 look rusty outdated and pretty much,
> crap.
Apart from better graphics, smoother gameplayer, Goldeneye took the FPS
> genre and introduced stealth, Sniping, 4 player splitscreen deathmatch,
> headshots (in games like Quake 2, it didn't make a difference where you hit
> them.), mission based levels (rather than simply get from A to B), instead of
> being a "rapidly shoot monsters from hell" sim it was a "tactical
> and inventive secret agent" sim.
Trust me, it took the PC a whole year
> to catch up with the likes of Half Life.
When i refered to Quake 2, i was talking about the PC version, not the utter c**p that was the N64 incarnation. However, if you're saying that GoldenEye makes the PC version of Quake 2 look outdated then you need your eyes testing.
Everything else you said is fair comment. So i guess, yes Goldeneye did revolutionise the FPS genre.
> The_King wrote:
Hmmm, fair point on goldeneye i
> guess! Although it's
> a damn close - wasn't Quake 2 released just before
> Goldeneye?
No.
> Goldeneye came first and made Quake 2 look rusty outdated and pretty much,
> crap.
Apart from better graphics, smoother gameplayer, Goldeneye took the FPS
> genre and introduced stealth, Sniping, 4 player splitscreen deathmatch,
> headshots (in games like Quake 2, it didn't make a difference where you hit
> them.), mission based levels (rather than simply get from A to B), instead of
> being a "rapidly shoot monsters from hell" sim it was a "tactical
> and inventive secret agent" sim.
Trust me, it took the PC a whole year
> to catch up with the likes of Half Life.
When i refered to Quake 2, i was talking about the PC version, not the utter c**p that was the N64 incarnation. However, if you're saying that GoldenEye makes the PC version of Quake 2 look outdated then you need your eyes testing.
Everything else you said is fair comment. So i guess, yes Goldeneye did revolutionise the FPS genre.
The_King wrote:
Hmmm, fair point on goldeneye i
> guess! Although it's a damn close - wasn't Quake 2 released just before
> Goldeneye?
No. Goldeneye came first and made Quake 2 look rusty outdated and pretty much, crap.
Apart from better graphics, smoother gameplayer, Goldeneye took the FPS genre and introduced stealth, Sniping, 4 player splitscreen deathmatch, headshots (in games like Quake 2, it didn't make a difference where you hit them.), mission based levels (rather than simply get from A to B), instead of being a "rapidly shoot monsters from hell" sim it was a "tactical and inventive secret agent" sim.
Trust me, it took the PC a whole year to catch up with the likes of Half Life.
Hmmm, fair point on goldeneye i
> guess! Although it's a damn close - wasn't Quake 2 released just before
> Goldeneye?
No. Goldeneye came first and made Quake 2 look rusty outdated and pretty much, crap.
Apart from better graphics, smoother gameplayer, Goldeneye took the FPS genre and introduced stealth, Sniping, 4 player splitscreen deathmatch, headshots (in games like Quake 2, it didn't make a difference where you hit them.), mission based levels (rather than simply get from A to B), instead of being a "rapidly shoot monsters from hell" sim it was a "tactical and inventive secret agent" sim.
Trust me, it took the PC a whole year to catch up with the likes of Half Life.
Dringo wrote:
> Not what i meant, Wolfenstein and Doom invented 3D FPS i am well aware but
> Perfect Dark and Goldeneye, with hit detectors, realistic AI etc...
> revolutionised the Genre.
Hmmm, fair point on goldeneye i guess! Although it's a damn close - wasn't Quake 2 released just before Goldeneye?
However, by the time Perfect Dark was released games like SoF (for the ultimate hit detection) and Half Life (for the best AI in the business) were released, so i don't think Perfect Dark did anything to 'revolutionised' the genre.
Still one (the Virtua Fighter one) out of two isn't bad ;-)
> Not what i meant, Wolfenstein and Doom invented 3D FPS i am well aware but
> Perfect Dark and Goldeneye, with hit detectors, realistic AI etc...
> revolutionised the Genre.
Hmmm, fair point on goldeneye i guess! Although it's a damn close - wasn't Quake 2 released just before Goldeneye?
However, by the time Perfect Dark was released games like SoF (for the ultimate hit detection) and Half Life (for the best AI in the business) were released, so i don't think Perfect Dark did anything to 'revolutionised' the genre.
Still one (the Virtua Fighter one) out of two isn't bad ;-)
Not what i meant, Wolfenstein and Doom invented 3D FPS i am well aware but Perfect Dark and Goldeneye, with hit detectors, realistic AI etc... revolutionised the Genre.
Nice post Dringo - quite interesting.
However, as a point of fact Tekken didn't revolutionise the beat 'em up genre. I think you'll find this was virtua Fighter - the FIRST 3d beat 'em up ever released in the arcades and on a home console for that matter.
Second point. Goldeneye didn't revolutionise the shoot 'em up. Wolfenstien 3d and Doom started the whole 3D shooting genre. Okay, this wasn't on a console, but the fact remains that Wolfenstien started the whole thing - without it we may never have seen Goldeneye, Perfect Dark et 'el!
Just thought that needed saying!
;-)
However, as a point of fact Tekken didn't revolutionise the beat 'em up genre. I think you'll find this was virtua Fighter - the FIRST 3d beat 'em up ever released in the arcades and on a home console for that matter.
Second point. Goldeneye didn't revolutionise the shoot 'em up. Wolfenstien 3d and Doom started the whole 3D shooting genre. Okay, this wasn't on a console, but the fact remains that Wolfenstien started the whole thing - without it we may never have seen Goldeneye, Perfect Dark et 'el!
Just thought that needed saying!
;-)
I think Silicon Knights have got it covered Strafex...
And yes i agree (for a change) whilst looking at the world genre i realized sorry guys that RARE can't do it, Shigsy can yes BK was good but BT and DK was dissapointing now i want a new refreshing remake of a classic like Crash.
And yes i agree (for a change) whilst looking at the world genre i realized sorry guys that RARE can't do it, Shigsy can yes BK was good but BT and DK was dissapointing now i want a new refreshing remake of a classic like Crash.
Personally i'm just gonna stop thinking about it, becasue i was very dissapointed with two of Sony's biggest christmas games. DMC and Jax&daxter were supposed to be amazing. I got bored after 30 mins on each one. I iz just gonna stop thinking about it...
I think that this psycological business is likely to get very annoying as you won't know what the hell is actually going on.
I think that revisiting classic genre's is another way to impress.
Mario Advance. A nes rip off but I still loved it as it reminded me of a style of game that I'd not played for years!
I'd like to see the Gamecube DK in a similar style to the original Crash Bandicoot, only using more imagination to make the classic A to B even more interesting.
Having several different secrets/exits in each level is one good way of doing this.
I think that revisiting classic genre's is another way to impress.
Mario Advance. A nes rip off but I still loved it as it reminded me of a style of game that I'd not played for years!
I'd like to see the Gamecube DK in a similar style to the original Crash Bandicoot, only using more imagination to make the classic A to B even more interesting.
Having several different secrets/exits in each level is one good way of doing this.
Sibs wrote:
Oh, and I agree with that Eternal Darkness thing, I have been
> really excited about that game ever since I first heard about it. I mean, you
> may look into your inventory, only to find all your stuff gone, but then a white
> flahs comes, and if you check again, it is back. And you open a door, and your
> arms fall off, then your head, then torso, and you are left with a pair of legs.
> They fall to the floor, and again the white light flashes, and you realise you
> haven't yet opened the door, and just imagined it...
What would be interesting you pop through a door to see a huge Zombie who is seemingly impossible you try to beat him but you cant and you die but insteads of dying normally you appear right where you opened the door you go through the door and the room was empty... there was no boss...
Thats Psychological for you.
Oh, and I agree with that Eternal Darkness thing, I have been
> really excited about that game ever since I first heard about it. I mean, you
> may look into your inventory, only to find all your stuff gone, but then a white
> flahs comes, and if you check again, it is back. And you open a door, and your
> arms fall off, then your head, then torso, and you are left with a pair of legs.
> They fall to the floor, and again the white light flashes, and you realise you
> haven't yet opened the door, and just imagined it...
What would be interesting you pop through a door to see a huge Zombie who is seemingly impossible you try to beat him but you cant and you die but insteads of dying normally you appear right where you opened the door you go through the door and the room was empty... there was no boss...
Thats Psychological for you.
Nice post Dringo, good point put forward. There are so many unknown genres and more to come in the future.
I've always found that a good old board game on the PC is quite a lot of fun. Not many people recocnised this as a very good idea because they could just get a real board game out of the secret board game stash and play the real thing. But some of the animations and extra rules can make all the difference in a platform genre. Take monopoly for the PC. It's already a classic board game outside of computer gaming, so the only way to really make money by selling it would be to add more options and funny animations to it. For example the aunction option. I never used that in real life but it's really fun. Another example of PC gaming is Cluedo, like the original but fun animations aswell.
Looking into the future, we have a brand new genre on the horizon. The GameCubes (And as a world record) fastest selling game, Luigi's Mansion. This is going to be called a spook 'em up. Killing little ghosties and stuff. This might have been donw before on a Ghost Busters game or something, but i've never seen it done on a console. A brand new genre (I think) for a brand new console.
Again, nice post Dringo.
RiCkOsS
I've always found that a good old board game on the PC is quite a lot of fun. Not many people recocnised this as a very good idea because they could just get a real board game out of the secret board game stash and play the real thing. But some of the animations and extra rules can make all the difference in a platform genre. Take monopoly for the PC. It's already a classic board game outside of computer gaming, so the only way to really make money by selling it would be to add more options and funny animations to it. For example the aunction option. I never used that in real life but it's really fun. Another example of PC gaming is Cluedo, like the original but fun animations aswell.
Looking into the future, we have a brand new genre on the horizon. The GameCubes (And as a world record) fastest selling game, Luigi's Mansion. This is going to be called a spook 'em up. Killing little ghosties and stuff. This might have been donw before on a Ghost Busters game or something, but i've never seen it done on a console. A brand new genre (I think) for a brand new console.
Again, nice post Dringo.
RiCkOsS
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