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I think Sony are going the same way as Nintendo went. Before Microsoft came along, they were the company with momentum, they were the company with promise, and they were the company with cash. Now, they have little.
I've owned my PS2 since launch day, and up until I got my Xbox, I was pleased with what I had purchased, until now that is. Look at the games due for the console, it's very difficult to pick out a game which I can nail to the release date of to my wall and say I'll have a nervous breakdown if I don;t have it. Everyone screams and shounts about how much of a good year last year was for the games industry, but I tend to disagree. Overall the good games were great, and there were a few games of notable mention which deserved all the praise which was heaped onto them, but something more startling became apparent, nothing new happened last year.
The big sellers were all games which had been seen, and had all been done before. Games worth noting from 2002 are
MGS2
FFX
Timesplitters 2
Ace Combat 4
VF4
Tekken 4
Vice City
and so the list goes on.
Publishers have taken a look at the games indistry, and they have turned it into a holywood type situation where it's all about who can amass the biggest budget, and therefore who can make the best selling games. Very few companies actually released any new IP last year, and those who did were based firmly into existing genres and the last few niche gaming areas were wiped out.
The problem gaming has is that the few people who care about originality have no where to turn. Nintendo have sold out, Sega have sold out, sony will always sell out, and well, the Xbox is a PC console. What do we do next? Artificial intelligence, graphics blah, blah, blah. Who cares, these things are being given a priority over all the things that makes gaming great, originality.
Even looking at my most played games over the last week or so, they're both on the Xbox, and the reason for that is simply Xbox live, for a change I can play the same old games in a new way. I can play another game with massive robots and explosions, but I can humiliate another human in doing so. I can play the same old FPS, but now I can feel a sense of skill rather than unfounded simpleness.
This new thing wont last long however, because, as with everything it gets old. What the gaming industry needs is for one of these massive developers to get into a high level console language and send it to people who want to make a difference in the games industry. We've seen things like Net Yaroze and now the Linux kit and Xbox moifications for PS2, but I'm talking about soemthing different here. I'm talking about a package which people can pick up and make games simply and easily. With the addition of hard drives and broadband connections for gamers the infrastructure is there, now all we need are some peer-to-peer systems where people can exchange games, and make things looks funky at the same time.
In simple terms, we need a system like Flash games on a console. Maybe then if these free and simple games grow in popularity because of their content, the games industry will sit up and take notice of what people want, rather than limiting their options. It's no where near a complete business model, but at least it's a start to look at the problems with conservatism in the games industry as a whole.
I've owned my PS2 since launch day, and up until I got my Xbox, I was pleased with what I had purchased, until now that is. Look at the games due for the console, it's very difficult to pick out a game which I can nail to the release date of to my wall and say I'll have a nervous breakdown if I don;t have it. Everyone screams and shounts about how much of a good year last year was for the games industry, but I tend to disagree. Overall the good games were great, and there were a few games of notable mention which deserved all the praise which was heaped onto them, but something more startling became apparent, nothing new happened last year.
The big sellers were all games which had been seen, and had all been done before. Games worth noting from 2002 are
MGS2
FFX
Timesplitters 2
Ace Combat 4
VF4
Tekken 4
Vice City
and so the list goes on.
Publishers have taken a look at the games indistry, and they have turned it into a holywood type situation where it's all about who can amass the biggest budget, and therefore who can make the best selling games. Very few companies actually released any new IP last year, and those who did were based firmly into existing genres and the last few niche gaming areas were wiped out.
The problem gaming has is that the few people who care about originality have no where to turn. Nintendo have sold out, Sega have sold out, sony will always sell out, and well, the Xbox is a PC console. What do we do next? Artificial intelligence, graphics blah, blah, blah. Who cares, these things are being given a priority over all the things that makes gaming great, originality.
Even looking at my most played games over the last week or so, they're both on the Xbox, and the reason for that is simply Xbox live, for a change I can play the same old games in a new way. I can play another game with massive robots and explosions, but I can humiliate another human in doing so. I can play the same old FPS, but now I can feel a sense of skill rather than unfounded simpleness.
This new thing wont last long however, because, as with everything it gets old. What the gaming industry needs is for one of these massive developers to get into a high level console language and send it to people who want to make a difference in the games industry. We've seen things like Net Yaroze and now the Linux kit and Xbox moifications for PS2, but I'm talking about soemthing different here. I'm talking about a package which people can pick up and make games simply and easily. With the addition of hard drives and broadband connections for gamers the infrastructure is there, now all we need are some peer-to-peer systems where people can exchange games, and make things looks funky at the same time.
In simple terms, we need a system like Flash games on a console. Maybe then if these free and simple games grow in popularity because of their content, the games industry will sit up and take notice of what people want, rather than limiting their options. It's no where near a complete business model, but at least it's a start to look at the problems with conservatism in the games industry as a whole.
That's a bleak future you're painting there and looking at the current release schedule for the PS2 over the next 2 months I've got to agree with most of it, originality is the key.
But I don't think you'll see much of it on the consoles again. On PC yes, PC games are relatively easy to program as a one man band with inspiration, and your games can reach a much larger audience with the world wide web, but console gaming has changed so much from the 8-bit days where 4 guys could knock together a beat 'em up in a year.
But consoles are moving away from pure gaming and heading more and more towards entertaining, which is why you get games with so many cut scenes in them like MGS2, Final Fantasy X and in all probability Tomb Raider: AOD. It's why you have more and more applications coming out on the PS2 (music mixing etc.), and games that aren't really games at all, like Rez, which are more mood setting then entertaining.
Now the biggest games (and it has to be said the best ones) are generally multi-million pound productions, and given the choice between buying 'Grand Theft Auto 9' from Rockstar Games and 'Wizzy's Egg Returns With A Better Ending This Time' from SwordSpines productions I think I'd still give my money to Rockstar. I'd hope to be able to play a demo of 'Wizzy's Egg Returns...etc.' online on the PS2 or the internet or most probably a demo disc and then decide if the outlay of £40 or so is worth it. But I don't think it'll happen.
It's all about risk. If a savvy up and coming independant developer gets it right, they could make a killing, but the financial risks are huge. (E.g., games are very cyclical, shooters one year, driving the next, we're due more space combat or sci-fi games but I think the upcoming 'Defender' may have jumped the gun a bit).
So overall I think if we are to start seeing more original games in the near future, it's going to be on the PC and not on the consoles.
But I don't think you'll see much of it on the consoles again. On PC yes, PC games are relatively easy to program as a one man band with inspiration, and your games can reach a much larger audience with the world wide web, but console gaming has changed so much from the 8-bit days where 4 guys could knock together a beat 'em up in a year.
But consoles are moving away from pure gaming and heading more and more towards entertaining, which is why you get games with so many cut scenes in them like MGS2, Final Fantasy X and in all probability Tomb Raider: AOD. It's why you have more and more applications coming out on the PS2 (music mixing etc.), and games that aren't really games at all, like Rez, which are more mood setting then entertaining.
Now the biggest games (and it has to be said the best ones) are generally multi-million pound productions, and given the choice between buying 'Grand Theft Auto 9' from Rockstar Games and 'Wizzy's Egg Returns With A Better Ending This Time' from SwordSpines productions I think I'd still give my money to Rockstar. I'd hope to be able to play a demo of 'Wizzy's Egg Returns...etc.' online on the PS2 or the internet or most probably a demo disc and then decide if the outlay of £40 or so is worth it. But I don't think it'll happen.
It's all about risk. If a savvy up and coming independant developer gets it right, they could make a killing, but the financial risks are huge. (E.g., games are very cyclical, shooters one year, driving the next, we're due more space combat or sci-fi games but I think the upcoming 'Defender' may have jumped the gun a bit).
So overall I think if we are to start seeing more original games in the near future, it's going to be on the PC and not on the consoles.
I think Sony are going the same way as Nintendo went. Before Microsoft came along, they were the company with momentum, they were the company with promise, and they were the company with cash. Now, they have little.
I've owned my PS2 since launch day, and up until I got my Xbox, I was pleased with what I had purchased, until now that is. Look at the games due for the console, it's very difficult to pick out a game which I can nail to the release date of to my wall and say I'll have a nervous breakdown if I don;t have it. Everyone screams and shounts about how much of a good year last year was for the games industry, but I tend to disagree. Overall the good games were great, and there were a few games of notable mention which deserved all the praise which was heaped onto them, but something more startling became apparent, nothing new happened last year.
The big sellers were all games which had been seen, and had all been done before. Games worth noting from 2002 are
MGS2
FFX
Timesplitters 2
Ace Combat 4
VF4
Tekken 4
Vice City
and so the list goes on.
Publishers have taken a look at the games indistry, and they have turned it into a holywood type situation where it's all about who can amass the biggest budget, and therefore who can make the best selling games. Very few companies actually released any new IP last year, and those who did were based firmly into existing genres and the last few niche gaming areas were wiped out.
The problem gaming has is that the few people who care about originality have no where to turn. Nintendo have sold out, Sega have sold out, sony will always sell out, and well, the Xbox is a PC console. What do we do next? Artificial intelligence, graphics blah, blah, blah. Who cares, these things are being given a priority over all the things that makes gaming great, originality.
Even looking at my most played games over the last week or so, they're both on the Xbox, and the reason for that is simply Xbox live, for a change I can play the same old games in a new way. I can play another game with massive robots and explosions, but I can humiliate another human in doing so. I can play the same old FPS, but now I can feel a sense of skill rather than unfounded simpleness.
This new thing wont last long however, because, as with everything it gets old. What the gaming industry needs is for one of these massive developers to get into a high level console language and send it to people who want to make a difference in the games industry. We've seen things like Net Yaroze and now the Linux kit and Xbox moifications for PS2, but I'm talking about soemthing different here. I'm talking about a package which people can pick up and make games simply and easily. With the addition of hard drives and broadband connections for gamers the infrastructure is there, now all we need are some peer-to-peer systems where people can exchange games, and make things looks funky at the same time.
In simple terms, we need a system like Flash games on a console. Maybe then if these free and simple games grow in popularity because of their content, the games industry will sit up and take notice of what people want, rather than limiting their options. It's no where near a complete business model, but at least it's a start to look at the problems with conservatism in the games industry as a whole.
I've owned my PS2 since launch day, and up until I got my Xbox, I was pleased with what I had purchased, until now that is. Look at the games due for the console, it's very difficult to pick out a game which I can nail to the release date of to my wall and say I'll have a nervous breakdown if I don;t have it. Everyone screams and shounts about how much of a good year last year was for the games industry, but I tend to disagree. Overall the good games were great, and there were a few games of notable mention which deserved all the praise which was heaped onto them, but something more startling became apparent, nothing new happened last year.
The big sellers were all games which had been seen, and had all been done before. Games worth noting from 2002 are
MGS2
FFX
Timesplitters 2
Ace Combat 4
VF4
Tekken 4
Vice City
and so the list goes on.
Publishers have taken a look at the games indistry, and they have turned it into a holywood type situation where it's all about who can amass the biggest budget, and therefore who can make the best selling games. Very few companies actually released any new IP last year, and those who did were based firmly into existing genres and the last few niche gaming areas were wiped out.
The problem gaming has is that the few people who care about originality have no where to turn. Nintendo have sold out, Sega have sold out, sony will always sell out, and well, the Xbox is a PC console. What do we do next? Artificial intelligence, graphics blah, blah, blah. Who cares, these things are being given a priority over all the things that makes gaming great, originality.
Even looking at my most played games over the last week or so, they're both on the Xbox, and the reason for that is simply Xbox live, for a change I can play the same old games in a new way. I can play another game with massive robots and explosions, but I can humiliate another human in doing so. I can play the same old FPS, but now I can feel a sense of skill rather than unfounded simpleness.
This new thing wont last long however, because, as with everything it gets old. What the gaming industry needs is for one of these massive developers to get into a high level console language and send it to people who want to make a difference in the games industry. We've seen things like Net Yaroze and now the Linux kit and Xbox moifications for PS2, but I'm talking about soemthing different here. I'm talking about a package which people can pick up and make games simply and easily. With the addition of hard drives and broadband connections for gamers the infrastructure is there, now all we need are some peer-to-peer systems where people can exchange games, and make things looks funky at the same time.
In simple terms, we need a system like Flash games on a console. Maybe then if these free and simple games grow in popularity because of their content, the games industry will sit up and take notice of what people want, rather than limiting their options. It's no where near a complete business model, but at least it's a start to look at the problems with conservatism in the games industry as a whole.