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Now here's a novel idea. Who here thinks that gamers should be rewarded for their gaming prowess? I do! I reckon that games should have prizes for top scores, decent prizes worth playing for. You understand what I mean? Well then, come in...
Games are games, nowadays. You play to win the game, but winning the game in itself is bad because you're most likely not to come back to it. A sequel walks round the corner, you vaguely remember what the old game was like but discard it in the misconception that the game was crap. It has happened to me, I know it has. With Tony Hawk's 3 and 4, I didn't want them until I actually played them. This happens with many games, and the question I'm really putting to you is - what motivates you to buy a game?
There are a few obvious answers to this. Firstly, if it's a hyped up sequel game you're likely to buy it whether it's good or not. Such as Grand Theft Auto Vice City - initial pre-orders out numbered actual stock given to shops in this country on release date. You can't tell me that every one of these 250,000 people had played or read about Vice City before. No, they just bought the game on the presumption that it would be as good as its predecessor. Lucky for them that it was, hey.
And secondly, there's the good old magazine review. I've bought many games which I would never had, on the basis that they got great reviews in magazines. Edge, for one, inspired me to buy Halo after giving it a 10/10, and the same goes for Rez which got an 8 (I think) and Burnout 2. I'll tell you now - I loathe shooting and racing games - I hate the adrenaline, but I still bought them anyway since they were great games. At least they taught me that I shouldn't buy games because they're the genre I like. And why? Because they're good games, and gaming magazines gave them good reviews.
Finally, there's the fact that you love a certain genre. I personally are a Role Playing Game junkie. I bought some very sub-excellent RPGs for my PlayStation 2 which I doubt many other people would have bought, had they not been RPG fans. Games such as Grandia 2, Jade Cocoon 2 and Legaia: Duel Saga. I buy games because they're the genre I like, and so do you. This is somehow similar to the sequel part, in that you'll buy a sequel regardless of quality, if it was a genre you like.
There's always a but. No, not THAT kind of but, but a but which butts in and 'buts' everything I just said. Anyway, It's all fine and dandy. There are plenty of reasons why we buy the games that we do, and plenty more I haven't mentioned. Peer pressure, for one. I managed to persuade a friend to buy Super Bombad Racing last year because they graphics were nice. Guess who got a refund the following week :-). Anyway... I buy games for my reasons, you buy games for yours.
But. With the flurry of games coming out this winter, how are we meant to choose between the endless streams of high and good quality gaming. I mean, to buy every 80%+ game this Chrimbo would cost an absolute fortune. Well, I have got a good idea which I think might persuade the punters, and the players, to buy games.
The simple art of competition. I know many games contain little square cards telling you if you give them all your details (no doubt for future 'advertising', then they'll enter you into a draw for a lollipop (not worth the price of the stamp)). Well, already very tempting to me, the prospect of online gaming doesn't just open up a world of Massively Multiplayer Gaming, open piracy and cheating, but also the ability to enter official tournaments. Ones such as massive LAN parties, except in your own home. Ones the size of the Olympics - proper Unreal Tournaments, where the top prize may be a holiday, or £10,000. I remember a competition on the demo disc of Official PlayStation magazine all those years ago, where you could play to compete for $10,000 US. And you know what? You got a code at the end, and had to go online to post your code. Imagine if your game could log on automatically and do this, and then receiving an e-mail a few minutes later telling you you're the grand owner of this whopping fortune. Nice.
I say 'I think' too much, but the fact is the internet opens up a world of possibilities. For console gaming, that is. Worlds where your game buying decisions don't rely on pre-accumulated hype, but prizes, offers of rewards for getting to a certain area, or score, or level on a game. Whereby if you complete the hidden mansion in Luigi's Mansion, you earn a free Luigi's Mansion t-shirt. Or another mass-producable product which plenty of people are likely to try and earn.
So gamers today, buy your games on the basis of your opinions. If you honestly think that Harry Potter will be a good game, buy it for crying out loud. But remember, next Christmas, when PS2 fans will be playing Auto Modellista, Xbox fans playing Star Wars KOTOR, and GC fans playing PSO. Remember not to buy games the way you're wanted to. Don't give into the hype and buy crap. Your gaming decisions will be massively influenced on what YOU get back from the games. It is going to happen... mark my words.
Games are games, nowadays. You play to win the game, but winning the game in itself is bad because you're most likely not to come back to it. A sequel walks round the corner, you vaguely remember what the old game was like but discard it in the misconception that the game was crap. It has happened to me, I know it has. With Tony Hawk's 3 and 4, I didn't want them until I actually played them. This happens with many games, and the question I'm really putting to you is - what motivates you to buy a game?
There are a few obvious answers to this. Firstly, if it's a hyped up sequel game you're likely to buy it whether it's good or not. Such as Grand Theft Auto Vice City - initial pre-orders out numbered actual stock given to shops in this country on release date. You can't tell me that every one of these 250,000 people had played or read about Vice City before. No, they just bought the game on the presumption that it would be as good as its predecessor. Lucky for them that it was, hey.
And secondly, there's the good old magazine review. I've bought many games which I would never had, on the basis that they got great reviews in magazines. Edge, for one, inspired me to buy Halo after giving it a 10/10, and the same goes for Rez which got an 8 (I think) and Burnout 2. I'll tell you now - I loathe shooting and racing games - I hate the adrenaline, but I still bought them anyway since they were great games. At least they taught me that I shouldn't buy games because they're the genre I like. And why? Because they're good games, and gaming magazines gave them good reviews.
Finally, there's the fact that you love a certain genre. I personally are a Role Playing Game junkie. I bought some very sub-excellent RPGs for my PlayStation 2 which I doubt many other people would have bought, had they not been RPG fans. Games such as Grandia 2, Jade Cocoon 2 and Legaia: Duel Saga. I buy games because they're the genre I like, and so do you. This is somehow similar to the sequel part, in that you'll buy a sequel regardless of quality, if it was a genre you like.
There's always a but. No, not THAT kind of but, but a but which butts in and 'buts' everything I just said. Anyway, It's all fine and dandy. There are plenty of reasons why we buy the games that we do, and plenty more I haven't mentioned. Peer pressure, for one. I managed to persuade a friend to buy Super Bombad Racing last year because they graphics were nice. Guess who got a refund the following week :-). Anyway... I buy games for my reasons, you buy games for yours.
But. With the flurry of games coming out this winter, how are we meant to choose between the endless streams of high and good quality gaming. I mean, to buy every 80%+ game this Chrimbo would cost an absolute fortune. Well, I have got a good idea which I think might persuade the punters, and the players, to buy games.
The simple art of competition. I know many games contain little square cards telling you if you give them all your details (no doubt for future 'advertising', then they'll enter you into a draw for a lollipop (not worth the price of the stamp)). Well, already very tempting to me, the prospect of online gaming doesn't just open up a world of Massively Multiplayer Gaming, open piracy and cheating, but also the ability to enter official tournaments. Ones such as massive LAN parties, except in your own home. Ones the size of the Olympics - proper Unreal Tournaments, where the top prize may be a holiday, or £10,000. I remember a competition on the demo disc of Official PlayStation magazine all those years ago, where you could play to compete for $10,000 US. And you know what? You got a code at the end, and had to go online to post your code. Imagine if your game could log on automatically and do this, and then receiving an e-mail a few minutes later telling you you're the grand owner of this whopping fortune. Nice.
I say 'I think' too much, but the fact is the internet opens up a world of possibilities. For console gaming, that is. Worlds where your game buying decisions don't rely on pre-accumulated hype, but prizes, offers of rewards for getting to a certain area, or score, or level on a game. Whereby if you complete the hidden mansion in Luigi's Mansion, you earn a free Luigi's Mansion t-shirt. Or another mass-producable product which plenty of people are likely to try and earn.
So gamers today, buy your games on the basis of your opinions. If you honestly think that Harry Potter will be a good game, buy it for crying out loud. But remember, next Christmas, when PS2 fans will be playing Auto Modellista, Xbox fans playing Star Wars KOTOR, and GC fans playing PSO. Remember not to buy games the way you're wanted to. Don't give into the hype and buy crap. Your gaming decisions will be massively influenced on what YOU get back from the games. It is going to happen... mark my words.
I think freebies are great (who doesn't?) providing it's not some cheap tat. However, I feel Nintendo are going a little too far expecting people to buy 20+ games just to get their hands on a free Game Boy. I reckon SR staff are going to be knicking the pin-cards from GameCube games for their own use now.... :P
The thing about Nintendo VIP is that it rewards you for buying games, NOT completing them. Now, I think that if the prizes such as the WaveBird and GBA didn't require so many points (like, only 1000), and you got points only for completing certain games (you get a code at the end) it would be much more worthwile. Well, for me anyway :).
½pint wrote:
> Oh, and while you're here - congratulations on winning the Edge avatar
> competition :-).
Read that too :D
Nice one Totoro..
And also, good post 1/2 pint. After completing a game, I wanna get something in return. Some worth the effort it took to do, a big reward.
Nintendo VIP is rewarding people with stars for buying the game, why not with stars for completing it?
*idea pops into Fuzzy's head*
Hmmm...
> Oh, and while you're here - congratulations on winning the Edge avatar
> competition :-).
Read that too :D
Nice one Totoro..
And also, good post 1/2 pint. After completing a game, I wanna get something in return. Some worth the effort it took to do, a big reward.
Nintendo VIP is rewarding people with stars for buying the game, why not with stars for completing it?
*idea pops into Fuzzy's head*
Hmmm...
It's a good idea about extra modes - I remember Nintendo of America doing a competition with Mario Tennis, where they give out 'secret' codes to unlock special tournaments, then you could get a special score depending on how well you play. It is a good idea, but unlocking perhaps special downloadable levels would be better, that way you can't cheat your way to unlocking things.
I too wrote something similar, back in the dark ages. Instead of offering CDs, T-Shirts etc (which is, to be honest, a very good idea anyway) I suggested having many more modes to open, especially deathmatch style modes with bots as well as human players.
Unreal Tournament is cool not just because you can play real players, but because the AI bots are good to fight against when you are on your own, if more styles of game went this way it would be a lot better. Imagine GTA 1-on-1 trying to kill each other in various ways while building up your empire. You could unlock this mode when completing the game.
At least in GTA:Vice City you get to unlock cool stuff as you go along, but perhaps there could have been a quick access menu for things like the helicoptor or golf course and the ability to play them as mini-games, just like in Super Monkey Ball. That would be reward in itself.
Other games, too, could use this to give you much more life to the game and encourage your need to finish it to get all the extra. Then, perhaps, the highest scorer on these could apply for prizes from the generous software companies.
Even having free subscriptions and being able to enter competitions would be a good idea, it would benefit the companies and the magazine companies too.
Unreal Tournament is cool not just because you can play real players, but because the AI bots are good to fight against when you are on your own, if more styles of game went this way it would be a lot better. Imagine GTA 1-on-1 trying to kill each other in various ways while building up your empire. You could unlock this mode when completing the game.
At least in GTA:Vice City you get to unlock cool stuff as you go along, but perhaps there could have been a quick access menu for things like the helicoptor or golf course and the ability to play them as mini-games, just like in Super Monkey Ball. That would be reward in itself.
Other games, too, could use this to give you much more life to the game and encourage your need to finish it to get all the extra. Then, perhaps, the highest scorer on these could apply for prizes from the generous software companies.
Even having free subscriptions and being able to enter competitions would be a good idea, it would benefit the companies and the magazine companies too.
Oh, and while you're here - congratulations on winning the Edge avatar competition :-).
Well, you agree it's a good idea, don't you. It's bound to happen, and there are bound to be tonnes of other strange new gaming related things come along when consoles are online. Who's up for downloadable TS2 maps?! :-)
Btw, of course i'm definitely not saying you copied my idea (seeing as it got no replies), just that we had the same sort of idea ;)
I did a similar topic a few weeks back called “Gameplay rewards: points mean prizes?”
It had the same sort of ideas about offering prizes, like t-shirts, CDs etc, to good gamers for their efforts.
http://ukchatforums.reserve.co.uk/ space display_messages.php?threadid=55901&forumid=185
It had the same sort of ideas about offering prizes, like t-shirts, CDs etc, to good gamers for their efforts.
http://ukchatforums.reserve.co.uk/ space display_messages.php?threadid=55901&forumid=185
Now here's a novel idea. Who here thinks that gamers should be rewarded for their gaming prowess? I do! I reckon that games should have prizes for top scores, decent prizes worth playing for. You understand what I mean? Well then, come in...
Games are games, nowadays. You play to win the game, but winning the game in itself is bad because you're most likely not to come back to it. A sequel walks round the corner, you vaguely remember what the old game was like but discard it in the misconception that the game was crap. It has happened to me, I know it has. With Tony Hawk's 3 and 4, I didn't want them until I actually played them. This happens with many games, and the question I'm really putting to you is - what motivates you to buy a game?
There are a few obvious answers to this. Firstly, if it's a hyped up sequel game you're likely to buy it whether it's good or not. Such as Grand Theft Auto Vice City - initial pre-orders out numbered actual stock given to shops in this country on release date. You can't tell me that every one of these 250,000 people had played or read about Vice City before. No, they just bought the game on the presumption that it would be as good as its predecessor. Lucky for them that it was, hey.
And secondly, there's the good old magazine review. I've bought many games which I would never had, on the basis that they got great reviews in magazines. Edge, for one, inspired me to buy Halo after giving it a 10/10, and the same goes for Rez which got an 8 (I think) and Burnout 2. I'll tell you now - I loathe shooting and racing games - I hate the adrenaline, but I still bought them anyway since they were great games. At least they taught me that I shouldn't buy games because they're the genre I like. And why? Because they're good games, and gaming magazines gave them good reviews.
Finally, there's the fact that you love a certain genre. I personally are a Role Playing Game junkie. I bought some very sub-excellent RPGs for my PlayStation 2 which I doubt many other people would have bought, had they not been RPG fans. Games such as Grandia 2, Jade Cocoon 2 and Legaia: Duel Saga. I buy games because they're the genre I like, and so do you. This is somehow similar to the sequel part, in that you'll buy a sequel regardless of quality, if it was a genre you like.
There's always a but. No, not THAT kind of but, but a but which butts in and 'buts' everything I just said. Anyway, It's all fine and dandy. There are plenty of reasons why we buy the games that we do, and plenty more I haven't mentioned. Peer pressure, for one. I managed to persuade a friend to buy Super Bombad Racing last year because they graphics were nice. Guess who got a refund the following week :-). Anyway... I buy games for my reasons, you buy games for yours.
But. With the flurry of games coming out this winter, how are we meant to choose between the endless streams of high and good quality gaming. I mean, to buy every 80%+ game this Chrimbo would cost an absolute fortune. Well, I have got a good idea which I think might persuade the punters, and the players, to buy games.
The simple art of competition. I know many games contain little square cards telling you if you give them all your details (no doubt for future 'advertising', then they'll enter you into a draw for a lollipop (not worth the price of the stamp)). Well, already very tempting to me, the prospect of online gaming doesn't just open up a world of Massively Multiplayer Gaming, open piracy and cheating, but also the ability to enter official tournaments. Ones such as massive LAN parties, except in your own home. Ones the size of the Olympics - proper Unreal Tournaments, where the top prize may be a holiday, or £10,000. I remember a competition on the demo disc of Official PlayStation magazine all those years ago, where you could play to compete for $10,000 US. And you know what? You got a code at the end, and had to go online to post your code. Imagine if your game could log on automatically and do this, and then receiving an e-mail a few minutes later telling you you're the grand owner of this whopping fortune. Nice.
I say 'I think' too much, but the fact is the internet opens up a world of possibilities. For console gaming, that is. Worlds where your game buying decisions don't rely on pre-accumulated hype, but prizes, offers of rewards for getting to a certain area, or score, or level on a game. Whereby if you complete the hidden mansion in Luigi's Mansion, you earn a free Luigi's Mansion t-shirt. Or another mass-producable product which plenty of people are likely to try and earn.
So gamers today, buy your games on the basis of your opinions. If you honestly think that Harry Potter will be a good game, buy it for crying out loud. But remember, next Christmas, when PS2 fans will be playing Auto Modellista, Xbox fans playing Star Wars KOTOR, and GC fans playing PSO. Remember not to buy games the way you're wanted to. Don't give into the hype and buy crap. Your gaming decisions will be massively influenced on what YOU get back from the games. It is going to happen... mark my words.
Games are games, nowadays. You play to win the game, but winning the game in itself is bad because you're most likely not to come back to it. A sequel walks round the corner, you vaguely remember what the old game was like but discard it in the misconception that the game was crap. It has happened to me, I know it has. With Tony Hawk's 3 and 4, I didn't want them until I actually played them. This happens with many games, and the question I'm really putting to you is - what motivates you to buy a game?
There are a few obvious answers to this. Firstly, if it's a hyped up sequel game you're likely to buy it whether it's good or not. Such as Grand Theft Auto Vice City - initial pre-orders out numbered actual stock given to shops in this country on release date. You can't tell me that every one of these 250,000 people had played or read about Vice City before. No, they just bought the game on the presumption that it would be as good as its predecessor. Lucky for them that it was, hey.
And secondly, there's the good old magazine review. I've bought many games which I would never had, on the basis that they got great reviews in magazines. Edge, for one, inspired me to buy Halo after giving it a 10/10, and the same goes for Rez which got an 8 (I think) and Burnout 2. I'll tell you now - I loathe shooting and racing games - I hate the adrenaline, but I still bought them anyway since they were great games. At least they taught me that I shouldn't buy games because they're the genre I like. And why? Because they're good games, and gaming magazines gave them good reviews.
Finally, there's the fact that you love a certain genre. I personally are a Role Playing Game junkie. I bought some very sub-excellent RPGs for my PlayStation 2 which I doubt many other people would have bought, had they not been RPG fans. Games such as Grandia 2, Jade Cocoon 2 and Legaia: Duel Saga. I buy games because they're the genre I like, and so do you. This is somehow similar to the sequel part, in that you'll buy a sequel regardless of quality, if it was a genre you like.
There's always a but. No, not THAT kind of but, but a but which butts in and 'buts' everything I just said. Anyway, It's all fine and dandy. There are plenty of reasons why we buy the games that we do, and plenty more I haven't mentioned. Peer pressure, for one. I managed to persuade a friend to buy Super Bombad Racing last year because they graphics were nice. Guess who got a refund the following week :-). Anyway... I buy games for my reasons, you buy games for yours.
But. With the flurry of games coming out this winter, how are we meant to choose between the endless streams of high and good quality gaming. I mean, to buy every 80%+ game this Chrimbo would cost an absolute fortune. Well, I have got a good idea which I think might persuade the punters, and the players, to buy games.
The simple art of competition. I know many games contain little square cards telling you if you give them all your details (no doubt for future 'advertising', then they'll enter you into a draw for a lollipop (not worth the price of the stamp)). Well, already very tempting to me, the prospect of online gaming doesn't just open up a world of Massively Multiplayer Gaming, open piracy and cheating, but also the ability to enter official tournaments. Ones such as massive LAN parties, except in your own home. Ones the size of the Olympics - proper Unreal Tournaments, where the top prize may be a holiday, or £10,000. I remember a competition on the demo disc of Official PlayStation magazine all those years ago, where you could play to compete for $10,000 US. And you know what? You got a code at the end, and had to go online to post your code. Imagine if your game could log on automatically and do this, and then receiving an e-mail a few minutes later telling you you're the grand owner of this whopping fortune. Nice.
I say 'I think' too much, but the fact is the internet opens up a world of possibilities. For console gaming, that is. Worlds where your game buying decisions don't rely on pre-accumulated hype, but prizes, offers of rewards for getting to a certain area, or score, or level on a game. Whereby if you complete the hidden mansion in Luigi's Mansion, you earn a free Luigi's Mansion t-shirt. Or another mass-producable product which plenty of people are likely to try and earn.
So gamers today, buy your games on the basis of your opinions. If you honestly think that Harry Potter will be a good game, buy it for crying out loud. But remember, next Christmas, when PS2 fans will be playing Auto Modellista, Xbox fans playing Star Wars KOTOR, and GC fans playing PSO. Remember not to buy games the way you're wanted to. Don't give into the hype and buy crap. Your gaming decisions will be massively influenced on what YOU get back from the games. It is going to happen... mark my words.