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Have you ever wished for a game that defied genre classification? A game that was so abstract and different that you couldn’t simply call it a ‘shooter’ or a ‘racer’ or an ‘adventure’. Maybe we are looking in the wrong places for the answer. Maybe the answer isn’t a new genre which is so obscure no-one else has had the idea (or the guts to make the idea reality).
Maybe we should be looking for a game that allows you to play any other genre. Maybe we should be searching for a life simulator. A game where you can do anything. From taking part in illegal street races to joining the SAS. But it could be without the restraints of reality.
Of course, it would have to be some kind of online RPG, unless AI was radically advanced. But it would not have to be a ‘classic’ style RPG. You wouldn’t necessarily need loads of statistics. Within the game world there could be virtual reality arcades, which would allow you to take on any role (such as a rally driver, playing against a number of other players who were on that same VR arcade machine at the time). Any genre could be implemented in these VR arcade machines, which would eliminate the need for tons of stats like the traditional online RPG. Of course, that’s not to say stats couldn’t be used. For example, it’s all very well and good taking part in a VR rally race, but if you wanted to become a ‘real’ rally driver in the ‘real’ online world, your character would have to earn experience through racing, and get good enough to be sponsored, etc. The game could even incorporate futuristic racers and other futuristic genres (space shooters for example) by being set in the future, but still having less advanced areas in the game world where today’s technology is still widely used.
I simply took one example of racing. Pretty much any genre and profession could be implemented, from becoming a crime lord, to a SWAT member, to a street brawler, to a professional wrestler. You could become an army general and command forces from a RTS viewpoint, or get hired as a bouncer at an exclusive club or a run down pub. Even become a terrorist...
People who wanted to rely on raw skills could play the VR arcade versions of these in the game (which would have no stats as they are arcade machines), and other people could work their way up with stats and money and skills. Perhaps simply having all genres thrown into one game would just make it feel like a number of different games all combined to one online community. But the different genres could interact. A rally driver or footballer might get offered a bribe from the Mafia to lose a game or race. Does he (or she) choose to accept, or defy them? Does s/he even go so far as to inform the authorities? And how will the mob react to this? Assassinate them during a game/race? Will you be the hitman hired for the job?
Of course, it would mean a variety of different game engines, from FPS to third person perspective, to racing, to 2D and 3D beat em up. And I don’t think any game like this will be around for a very long time. But looking for totally new genres may not solve all problems with originality. Anything new (and successful) inevitably sparks a whole host of clones. Maybe simply breaking down the conception that games have to be limited to simply one or two genres will breath some new life into them.
Maybe we should be looking for a game that allows you to play any other genre. Maybe we should be searching for a life simulator. A game where you can do anything. From taking part in illegal street races to joining the SAS. But it could be without the restraints of reality.
Of course, it would have to be some kind of online RPG, unless AI was radically advanced. But it would not have to be a ‘classic’ style RPG. You wouldn’t necessarily need loads of statistics. Within the game world there could be virtual reality arcades, which would allow you to take on any role (such as a rally driver, playing against a number of other players who were on that same VR arcade machine at the time). Any genre could be implemented in these VR arcade machines, which would eliminate the need for tons of stats like the traditional online RPG. Of course, that’s not to say stats couldn’t be used. For example, it’s all very well and good taking part in a VR rally race, but if you wanted to become a ‘real’ rally driver in the ‘real’ online world, your character would have to earn experience through racing, and get good enough to be sponsored, etc. The game could even incorporate futuristic racers and other futuristic genres (space shooters for example) by being set in the future, but still having less advanced areas in the game world where today’s technology is still widely used.
I simply took one example of racing. Pretty much any genre and profession could be implemented, from becoming a crime lord, to a SWAT member, to a street brawler, to a professional wrestler. You could become an army general and command forces from a RTS viewpoint, or get hired as a bouncer at an exclusive club or a run down pub. Even become a terrorist...
People who wanted to rely on raw skills could play the VR arcade versions of these in the game (which would have no stats as they are arcade machines), and other people could work their way up with stats and money and skills. Perhaps simply having all genres thrown into one game would just make it feel like a number of different games all combined to one online community. But the different genres could interact. A rally driver or footballer might get offered a bribe from the Mafia to lose a game or race. Does he (or she) choose to accept, or defy them? Does s/he even go so far as to inform the authorities? And how will the mob react to this? Assassinate them during a game/race? Will you be the hitman hired for the job?
Of course, it would mean a variety of different game engines, from FPS to third person perspective, to racing, to 2D and 3D beat em up. And I don’t think any game like this will be around for a very long time. But looking for totally new genres may not solve all problems with originality. Anything new (and successful) inevitably sparks a whole host of clones. Maybe simply breaking down the conception that games have to be limited to simply one or two genres will breath some new life into them.
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Have you ever wished for a game that defied genre classification? A game that was so abstract and different that you couldn’t simply call it a ‘shooter’ or a ‘racer’ or an ‘adventure’. Maybe we are looking in the wrong places for the answer. Maybe the answer isn’t a new genre which is so obscure no-one else has had the idea (or the guts to make the idea reality).
Maybe we should be looking for a game that allows you to play any other genre. Maybe we should be searching for a life simulator. A game where you can do anything. From taking part in illegal street races to joining the SAS. But it could be without the restraints of reality.
Of course, it would have to be some kind of online RPG, unless AI was radically advanced. But it would not have to be a ‘classic’ style RPG. You wouldn’t necessarily need loads of statistics. Within the game world there could be virtual reality arcades, which would allow you to take on any role (such as a rally driver, playing against a number of other players who were on that same VR arcade machine at the time). Any genre could be implemented in these VR arcade machines, which would eliminate the need for tons of stats like the traditional online RPG. Of course, that’s not to say stats couldn’t be used. For example, it’s all very well and good taking part in a VR rally race, but if you wanted to become a ‘real’ rally driver in the ‘real’ online world, your character would have to earn experience through racing, and get good enough to be sponsored, etc. The game could even incorporate futuristic racers and other futuristic genres (space shooters for example) by being set in the future, but still having less advanced areas in the game world where today’s technology is still widely used.
I simply took one example of racing. Pretty much any genre and profession could be implemented, from becoming a crime lord, to a SWAT member, to a street brawler, to a professional wrestler. You could become an army general and command forces from a RTS viewpoint, or get hired as a bouncer at an exclusive club or a run down pub. Even become a terrorist...
People who wanted to rely on raw skills could play the VR arcade versions of these in the game (which would have no stats as they are arcade machines), and other people could work their way up with stats and money and skills. Perhaps simply having all genres thrown into one game would just make it feel like a number of different games all combined to one online community. But the different genres could interact. A rally driver or footballer might get offered a bribe from the Mafia to lose a game or race. Does he (or she) choose to accept, or defy them? Does s/he even go so far as to inform the authorities? And how will the mob react to this? Assassinate them during a game/race? Will you be the hitman hired for the job?
Of course, it would mean a variety of different game engines, from FPS to third person perspective, to racing, to 2D and 3D beat em up. And I don’t think any game like this will be around for a very long time. But looking for totally new genres may not solve all problems with originality. Anything new (and successful) inevitably sparks a whole host of clones. Maybe simply breaking down the conception that games have to be limited to simply one or two genres will breath some new life into them.
Maybe we should be looking for a game that allows you to play any other genre. Maybe we should be searching for a life simulator. A game where you can do anything. From taking part in illegal street races to joining the SAS. But it could be without the restraints of reality.
Of course, it would have to be some kind of online RPG, unless AI was radically advanced. But it would not have to be a ‘classic’ style RPG. You wouldn’t necessarily need loads of statistics. Within the game world there could be virtual reality arcades, which would allow you to take on any role (such as a rally driver, playing against a number of other players who were on that same VR arcade machine at the time). Any genre could be implemented in these VR arcade machines, which would eliminate the need for tons of stats like the traditional online RPG. Of course, that’s not to say stats couldn’t be used. For example, it’s all very well and good taking part in a VR rally race, but if you wanted to become a ‘real’ rally driver in the ‘real’ online world, your character would have to earn experience through racing, and get good enough to be sponsored, etc. The game could even incorporate futuristic racers and other futuristic genres (space shooters for example) by being set in the future, but still having less advanced areas in the game world where today’s technology is still widely used.
I simply took one example of racing. Pretty much any genre and profession could be implemented, from becoming a crime lord, to a SWAT member, to a street brawler, to a professional wrestler. You could become an army general and command forces from a RTS viewpoint, or get hired as a bouncer at an exclusive club or a run down pub. Even become a terrorist...
People who wanted to rely on raw skills could play the VR arcade versions of these in the game (which would have no stats as they are arcade machines), and other people could work their way up with stats and money and skills. Perhaps simply having all genres thrown into one game would just make it feel like a number of different games all combined to one online community. But the different genres could interact. A rally driver or footballer might get offered a bribe from the Mafia to lose a game or race. Does he (or she) choose to accept, or defy them? Does s/he even go so far as to inform the authorities? And how will the mob react to this? Assassinate them during a game/race? Will you be the hitman hired for the job?
Of course, it would mean a variety of different game engines, from FPS to third person perspective, to racing, to 2D and 3D beat em up. And I don’t think any game like this will be around for a very long time. But looking for totally new genres may not solve all problems with originality. Anything new (and successful) inevitably sparks a whole host of clones. Maybe simply breaking down the conception that games have to be limited to simply one or two genres will breath some new life into them.