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They say that first impressions count don't they? Well they do! Your very first impressions of games come about when you first hear of them; like in a magazine or even what you hear from a friend.
I mean, lets face it, if a friend tells you a game is rubbish for x amount of reasons, you'll more than likely remember that, and be put off buying that game. Or if you see a program like Thumb Bandits, you'll probably see a game and think "Wow" or maybe "it looks rubbish".
But what about when you've bought the game, it's in your PC's disk drive, or in your console, and you've just turned it on? Does what your first see amount to anything when it comes to your opinion on the games you're about to play for the first time?
I think it does.
Let me take for example, my first playing of Rugby 2001. Yep, it's that sport which many footballers dislike, because it shows footballers up to be ballet artists in comparison. My first impression I got from it was not from the game's introduction (which was about average for an EA sports title), it wasn't even from the first few seconds of playing the game. It was from it's installation!
The game featured the two English commentators (couldn't get my region's version - Wales)
I mean, lets face it, if a friend tells you a game is rubbish for x amount of reasons, you'll more than likely remember that, and be put off buying that game. Or if you see a program like Thumb Bandits, you'll probably see a game and think "Wow" or maybe "it looks rubbish".
But what about when you've bought the game, it's in your PC's disk drive, or in your console, and you've just turned it on? Does what your first see amount to anything when it comes to your opinion on the games you're about to play for the first time?
I think it does.
Let me take for example, my first playing of Rugby 2001. Yep, it's that sport which many footballers dislike, because it shows footballers up to be ballet artists in comparison. My first impression I got from it was not from the game's introduction (which was about average for an EA sports title), it wasn't even from the first few seconds of playing the game. It was from it's installation!
The game featured the two English commentators (couldn't get my region's version - Wales)
In quite a few cases, an introductory FMV sequence can have a pretty big influence on my first impressions of a game. I'll use Quake III Arena on the Dreamcast as an example. When I first saw the opening FMV intro where Sarge is up against all those aliens (I believe you were there when I first saw that, Edgy), I thought to myself, "this game is gonna be kick-ass!"
So, FMV intros have a big influence on first impressions.
So, FMV intros have a big influence on first impressions.
They say that first impressions count don't they? Well they do! Your very first impressions of games come about when you first hear of them; like in a magazine or even what you hear from a friend.
I mean, lets face it, if a friend tells you a game is rubbish for x amount of reasons, you'll more than likely remember that, and be put off buying that game. Or if you see a program like Thumb Bandits, you'll probably see a game and think "Wow" or maybe "it looks rubbish".
But what about when you've bought the game, it's in your PC's disk drive, or in your console, and you've just turned it on? Does what your first see amount to anything when it comes to your opinion on the games you're about to play for the first time?
I think it does.
Let me take for example, my first playing of Rugby 2001. Yep, it's that sport which many footballers dislike, because it shows footballers up to be ballet artists in comparison. My first impression I got from it was not from the game's introduction (which was about average for an EA sports title), it wasn't even from the first few seconds of playing the game. It was from it's installation!
The installation featured the two English TV commentators (couldn't get my region's version - Wales). They were talking about previous matches and the first thing they commented on was Wales's brilliant play many years ago. I was shocked to be able to hear something like this, instead of boring music, or nothing at all. It was quite funny, and I was intrigued by it all. The attention to detail was already high, before I'd even got into the game!
But that was an unusual case. Most games have boring installations, or the speed on modern processors now means that games are installed fairly quickly anyway. Most of the time, the first impression you get is from the introductory cutscene, be that before the game's menu screen, or after you've pressed play.
Theme Hospital was the first game I noticed by it's cut scene, when I got my first PC all those years ago. The inroductory cut scene was strange, but funny, featuring Darth Vader as a patient, and a SuperMan-like feature when the surgeon ripped open his shirt. I knew by this that I would enjoy this game for a long time, and I still do (it's been around 5/6 years now!)
My first impression of Conker's Bad Fur day, however, I got when a friend of mine (namely Dark Mark) brought it to my house, and went straight to the Great Sloprano! That was the funniest moment I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing in my whole life! (In a gaming sense that is).
Sloprano himself is just an original character, I've never known any game characters to burst into song as you try to fight them, not like Sloprano anyway, and the lyrics are just so comical! But usually I like to start playing a game from the begginning.
But, I have to say the best intoduction to a game I've ever had the pleasure of playing was in Command & Conquer Red Alert.
You first see (in black & white) scientists talking about their invention, then one of them sits down in it. The other pulls a lever and the first one gets teleported to the past. Then (in colour) you see young Adolf Hitler walking around a German street. The scientist greets him, they shake hands, and the scientist ends up back in the chair, seconds after he left. You then hear from the second scientist, "did it work?", the other replies, "Time will tell, sooner or later, time will tell."
It's a clever introduction which basically makes out that Hitler has been wiped out from history, and that history will change itself. When you get to playing the game, the Russians are the ones doing all the attrocities and trying to use technology to take over the world, whereas the Allied forces, ran by a German, are trying to save it with Time Travel technology.
To fully understand, it's best to get the game and play it yourself (there are packs available with Red Alert and it's 2 add-ons from most game retailers).
Anyway, do you think that first impressions count? And do you think it's amazing that I haven't talked about any consoles being better than any others for a change? :)
I mean, lets face it, if a friend tells you a game is rubbish for x amount of reasons, you'll more than likely remember that, and be put off buying that game. Or if you see a program like Thumb Bandits, you'll probably see a game and think "Wow" or maybe "it looks rubbish".
But what about when you've bought the game, it's in your PC's disk drive, or in your console, and you've just turned it on? Does what your first see amount to anything when it comes to your opinion on the games you're about to play for the first time?
I think it does.
Let me take for example, my first playing of Rugby 2001. Yep, it's that sport which many footballers dislike, because it shows footballers up to be ballet artists in comparison. My first impression I got from it was not from the game's introduction (which was about average for an EA sports title), it wasn't even from the first few seconds of playing the game. It was from it's installation!
The installation featured the two English TV commentators (couldn't get my region's version - Wales). They were talking about previous matches and the first thing they commented on was Wales's brilliant play many years ago. I was shocked to be able to hear something like this, instead of boring music, or nothing at all. It was quite funny, and I was intrigued by it all. The attention to detail was already high, before I'd even got into the game!
But that was an unusual case. Most games have boring installations, or the speed on modern processors now means that games are installed fairly quickly anyway. Most of the time, the first impression you get is from the introductory cutscene, be that before the game's menu screen, or after you've pressed play.
Theme Hospital was the first game I noticed by it's cut scene, when I got my first PC all those years ago. The inroductory cut scene was strange, but funny, featuring Darth Vader as a patient, and a SuperMan-like feature when the surgeon ripped open his shirt. I knew by this that I would enjoy this game for a long time, and I still do (it's been around 5/6 years now!)
My first impression of Conker's Bad Fur day, however, I got when a friend of mine (namely Dark Mark) brought it to my house, and went straight to the Great Sloprano! That was the funniest moment I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing in my whole life! (In a gaming sense that is).
Sloprano himself is just an original character, I've never known any game characters to burst into song as you try to fight them, not like Sloprano anyway, and the lyrics are just so comical! But usually I like to start playing a game from the begginning.
But, I have to say the best intoduction to a game I've ever had the pleasure of playing was in Command & Conquer Red Alert.
You first see (in black & white) scientists talking about their invention, then one of them sits down in it. The other pulls a lever and the first one gets teleported to the past. Then (in colour) you see young Adolf Hitler walking around a German street. The scientist greets him, they shake hands, and the scientist ends up back in the chair, seconds after he left. You then hear from the second scientist, "did it work?", the other replies, "Time will tell, sooner or later, time will tell."
It's a clever introduction which basically makes out that Hitler has been wiped out from history, and that history will change itself. When you get to playing the game, the Russians are the ones doing all the attrocities and trying to use technology to take over the world, whereas the Allied forces, ran by a German, are trying to save it with Time Travel technology.
To fully understand, it's best to get the game and play it yourself (there are packs available with Red Alert and it's 2 add-ons from most game retailers).
Anyway, do you think that first impressions count? And do you think it's amazing that I haven't talked about any consoles being better than any others for a change? :)
DRAT! Clicked Submit before finishing it.....
I'll finsih it off now....
I'll finsih it off now....
They say that first impressions count don't they? Well they do! Your very first impressions of games come about when you first hear of them; like in a magazine or even what you hear from a friend.
I mean, lets face it, if a friend tells you a game is rubbish for x amount of reasons, you'll more than likely remember that, and be put off buying that game. Or if you see a program like Thumb Bandits, you'll probably see a game and think "Wow" or maybe "it looks rubbish".
But what about when you've bought the game, it's in your PC's disk drive, or in your console, and you've just turned it on? Does what your first see amount to anything when it comes to your opinion on the games you're about to play for the first time?
I think it does.
Let me take for example, my first playing of Rugby 2001. Yep, it's that sport which many footballers dislike, because it shows footballers up to be ballet artists in comparison. My first impression I got from it was not from the game's introduction (which was about average for an EA sports title), it wasn't even from the first few seconds of playing the game. It was from it's installation!
The game featured the two English commentators (couldn't get my region's version - Wales)
I mean, lets face it, if a friend tells you a game is rubbish for x amount of reasons, you'll more than likely remember that, and be put off buying that game. Or if you see a program like Thumb Bandits, you'll probably see a game and think "Wow" or maybe "it looks rubbish".
But what about when you've bought the game, it's in your PC's disk drive, or in your console, and you've just turned it on? Does what your first see amount to anything when it comes to your opinion on the games you're about to play for the first time?
I think it does.
Let me take for example, my first playing of Rugby 2001. Yep, it's that sport which many footballers dislike, because it shows footballers up to be ballet artists in comparison. My first impression I got from it was not from the game's introduction (which was about average for an EA sports title), it wasn't even from the first few seconds of playing the game. It was from it's installation!
The game featured the two English commentators (couldn't get my region's version - Wales)