The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
-Did you know that if you bathe naked in the rays of a rainbow you will attain eternal youth?-
No of course you didn't, because the above statement is untrue, but within the ever-expanding limits of "videogameplay" it could well be the case.
Almost anything is possible amidst the arena of polygon expression: the dream ribbon of the game creator's imagination can fly just about anywhere it so desires.
All that is needed is the necessary technical and artistic skill, and fantastical moments, happenings, visions, stories and worlds can be woven.
It is this potential of creative freedom and visual possibility which makes videogames so exciting.
We can all gaze into the future of gaming and imagine what games might be like in five, ten, twenty years time, yet still we cannot see with clarity what lies beyond the horizon of the present.
But I think one thing is becoming clear: AS GAMEWORLDS BECOME INCREASINGLY "REALISTIC & INTERACTIVE", THEY WILL ALSO AT THE SAME TIME BECOME MORE "UNREALISTIC & MAGICAL".
Yet to be created "Virtual Reality" games (for example) will not just be simulations of real world events, they will also allow "age-old fantasies of superhuman ambition" to be explored and experienced with astounding realism and interaction.
In the future of gaming, fantasy and realism will merge like never before - what is real and unreal will blur into one, and virtual worlds beyond our current comprehension will be born.
When compared to literature and film, the videogame entertainment industry is still only in its infancy.
We can only wonder at what we will be playing when it gains just a modicum of maturity.
There is no doubt that the content of games will travel into new areas.
-Perhaps they will begin to convey messages of ideological, psychological and philsophical significance and gain the "official" respect and attention that other artforms currently enjoy?
-Perhaps they will go beyond mere all-out action and violence and instead attempt to enlighten, inspire and emotionally move the player?
How ever things unfold, I guess all most of us can do is watch, wait and expect, and in the meantime - play.
But when I think about what the future of gaming has in store, I always think of games wherein realism and fantasy merge into ONE..... I think of dreams and visions becoming more real..... I think of *the super-magical*.
No of course you didn't, because the above statement is untrue, but within the ever-expanding limits of "videogameplay" it could well be the case.
Almost anything is possible amidst the arena of polygon expression: the dream ribbon of the game creator's imagination can fly just about anywhere it so desires.
All that is needed is the necessary technical and artistic skill, and fantastical moments, happenings, visions, stories and worlds can be woven.
It is this potential of creative freedom and visual possibility which makes videogames so exciting.
We can all gaze into the future of gaming and imagine what games might be like in five, ten, twenty years time, yet still we cannot see with clarity what lies beyond the horizon of the present.
But I think one thing is becoming clear: AS GAMEWORLDS BECOME INCREASINGLY "REALISTIC & INTERACTIVE", THEY WILL ALSO AT THE SAME TIME BECOME MORE "UNREALISTIC & MAGICAL".
Yet to be created "Virtual Reality" games (for example) will not just be simulations of real world events, they will also allow "age-old fantasies of superhuman ambition" to be explored and experienced with astounding realism and interaction.
In the future of gaming, fantasy and realism will merge like never before - what is real and unreal will blur into one, and virtual worlds beyond our current comprehension will be born.
When compared to literature and film, the videogame entertainment industry is still only in its infancy.
We can only wonder at what we will be playing when it gains just a modicum of maturity.
There is no doubt that the content of games will travel into new areas.
-Perhaps they will begin to convey messages of ideological, psychological and philsophical significance and gain the "official" respect and attention that other artforms currently enjoy?
-Perhaps they will go beyond mere all-out action and violence and instead attempt to enlighten, inspire and emotionally move the player?
How ever things unfold, I guess all most of us can do is watch, wait and expect, and in the meantime - play.
But when I think about what the future of gaming has in store, I always think of games wherein realism and fantasy merge into ONE..... I think of dreams and visions becoming more real..... I think of *the super-magical*.
Page:
unknown kernel wrote:
I think we'll also see all
> that extra processing power going towards more abstract and stylised graphics,
> that, while beautiful, are not realistic.
I agree.
I was attracted to Jet Set Radio & Rez because of the unique style of the graphics.
Even though I like graphics to be realistic - in terms of light and shadow effects, and textures etc, there is (like you say) always room for the surreal and the abstract.
Many people thought Rez's graphics were not worthy of being a PS2 game, but I thought they were excellent in their own unique way.
I think we'll also see all
> that extra processing power going towards more abstract and stylised graphics,
> that, while beautiful, are not realistic.
I agree.
I was attracted to Jet Set Radio & Rez because of the unique style of the graphics.
Even though I like graphics to be realistic - in terms of light and shadow effects, and textures etc, there is (like you say) always room for the surreal and the abstract.
Many people thought Rez's graphics were not worthy of being a PS2 game, but I thought they were excellent in their own unique way.
V.V.V.V.V. wrote:
>Graphics will become more and more realistic - this is only natural - but hopefully gameplay will steadily become more and more fantastic and magical, making the perfect blend.
I think we'll also see all that extra processing power going towards more abstract and stylised graphics, that, while beautiful, are not realistic. An example would be the cel-shading techniques which were impossible before consoles reached a certain level of power. Jet Set Radio, for one, is certainly not 'super-magical' in itself; but the visual side of things could be described as such. Similarly games like Rez don't aspire to realism but do create a different universe through their aesthetics. I hope we never lose this sort of unreality as photorealism becomes a more viable prospect.
>Graphics will become more and more realistic - this is only natural - but hopefully gameplay will steadily become more and more fantastic and magical, making the perfect blend.
I think we'll also see all that extra processing power going towards more abstract and stylised graphics, that, while beautiful, are not realistic. An example would be the cel-shading techniques which were impossible before consoles reached a certain level of power. Jet Set Radio, for one, is certainly not 'super-magical' in itself; but the visual side of things could be described as such. Similarly games like Rez don't aspire to realism but do create a different universe through their aesthetics. I hope we never lose this sort of unreality as photorealism becomes a more viable prospect.
Solskjær_24 wrote:
> Yep, in games anything is possible as we have the technology available!
I
> wonder if we'll ever run out of original ideas in the future??
There'll always be original ideas.
I just hope the future of gaming will not be littered with an obsession with "realistic gameplay".
Graphics will become more and more realistic - this is only natural - but hopefully gameplay will steadily become more and more fantastic and magical, making the perfect blend.
> Yep, in games anything is possible as we have the technology available!
I
> wonder if we'll ever run out of original ideas in the future??
There'll always be original ideas.
I just hope the future of gaming will not be littered with an obsession with "realistic gameplay".
Graphics will become more and more realistic - this is only natural - but hopefully gameplay will steadily become more and more fantastic and magical, making the perfect blend.
Yep, in games anything is possible as we have the technology available!
I wonder if we'll ever run out of original ideas in the future?? And all games would end up virtually the same, leaving manufacturers to limit all gamers to just one console!
I wonder if we'll ever run out of original ideas in the future?? And all games would end up virtually the same, leaving manufacturers to limit all gamers to just one console!
Spellbinder wrote:
> V.V.V.V.V. wrote:
> -Did you know that if you bathe naked in the rays of a
> rainbow you will attain
> eternal youth?-
if only this was true, we could
> live forever and play games forever.
----
Well you never know, it might be true.....?
But the point is that (in a videogame) such things CAN be true.
Any fantastic idea no matter how fanciful can be put into a game and made to work - this is what makes gameplay and gameworlds so creatively open.
> V.V.V.V.V. wrote:
> -Did you know that if you bathe naked in the rays of a
> rainbow you will attain
> eternal youth?-
if only this was true, we could
> live forever and play games forever.
----
Well you never know, it might be true.....?
But the point is that (in a videogame) such things CAN be true.
Any fantastic idea no matter how fanciful can be put into a game and made to work - this is what makes gameplay and gameworlds so creatively open.
When I think of "fantasy" games, I think of much more than the typical RPG/Final Fantasy stuff.
I prefer dark, surreal and peculiar fantasy to the "classical/Tolkienesque fantasy.
The point about the fantasy comics is an interesting one: they are always visually striking and the storylines are in effect already written - so the graphical style and the plot would be already in place, so they are perfect material to base games on.
Games seems to be moving too far in the direction of realism - both graphically and in terms of gameplay.
Games that depict and explore "unusual and strange" fantasy realms seem to be well in the minority.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but that's how it appears to me.
I prefer dark, surreal and peculiar fantasy to the "classical/Tolkienesque fantasy.
The point about the fantasy comics is an interesting one: they are always visually striking and the storylines are in effect already written - so the graphical style and the plot would be already in place, so they are perfect material to base games on.
Games seems to be moving too far in the direction of realism - both graphically and in terms of gameplay.
Games that depict and explore "unusual and strange" fantasy realms seem to be well in the minority.
Maybe I'm mistaken, but that's how it appears to me.
It would be nice to see more fantasy games but I think thats too much too hope for. Square, with Final Fantasy, are the only company who bother to make an effort in this field. For everyone else its a case of raiding Tolkien and horrow films for some monsters, throwing in a plot about our here - who is always male - and sending him on a quest for vengeance/justice/rescue the frail princess. Bladurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Diablo, all these are good games but nothing really new is in them. Even Maxiom on the PS2 is just Ghost And Goblins 3D !
With the Next gen consoles it seems the direction is towards reality, not away. GTA3, MGS2, Ace Combat, DOA3, PGR, Halo, Resident Evil Biohazard - all superb and a credit ot their systems, but fantasy, and different ? No.
You know whats even more annoying ? In the American comics industry there are tons of brilliant writers who, I believe, could work with developers to bring some of the greatest fantasy games ever, to gamers. Aria, Sandman, Death, The Dreaming, Darkchylde, Darkness, Fables, any vertigo.DC adult title there is, would all make fantastic settings as they involve alternate worlds coexisting with outrs, and spilling over into them.
Take Aria by Jay Anacleto. A story about 4 fairies who live in the real world and appear as normal humans, until their realm spills over into ours, and they have to return.
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. This epic spanns all of human history as The Endless - 8 sort-of gods, guide and use humans in their own power games, and there is so much more to it that I could well exceed the world limit if I were to try and tell it all.
The point is that the potential is there to be used, but generic FPS 7 is a safer bet.
With the Next gen consoles it seems the direction is towards reality, not away. GTA3, MGS2, Ace Combat, DOA3, PGR, Halo, Resident Evil Biohazard - all superb and a credit ot their systems, but fantasy, and different ? No.
You know whats even more annoying ? In the American comics industry there are tons of brilliant writers who, I believe, could work with developers to bring some of the greatest fantasy games ever, to gamers. Aria, Sandman, Death, The Dreaming, Darkchylde, Darkness, Fables, any vertigo.DC adult title there is, would all make fantastic settings as they involve alternate worlds coexisting with outrs, and spilling over into them.
Take Aria by Jay Anacleto. A story about 4 fairies who live in the real world and appear as normal humans, until their realm spills over into ours, and they have to return.
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. This epic spanns all of human history as The Endless - 8 sort-of gods, guide and use humans in their own power games, and there is so much more to it that I could well exceed the world limit if I were to try and tell it all.
The point is that the potential is there to be used, but generic FPS 7 is a safer bet.
Nice post Vee.
Gaming is such a creative artform, because it's not just creating magical worlds on canvas, it's bringing them to life. All the interaction in gaming is making the artform even more special.
The problem with some people is they still class computer gaming as 'Brain frying'. Okay, maybe not 'Brain frying', but computer gaming is not an artform to some people.
True artists will see it's more than that.
I know you were trying to get more across than i commented on, but i felt i had something to say, good luck on winning GAD for it.
Gaming is such a creative artform, because it's not just creating magical worlds on canvas, it's bringing them to life. All the interaction in gaming is making the artform even more special.
The problem with some people is they still class computer gaming as 'Brain frying'. Okay, maybe not 'Brain frying', but computer gaming is not an artform to some people.
True artists will see it's more than that.
I know you were trying to get more across than i commented on, but i felt i had something to say, good luck on winning GAD for it.
I see no reason why both can't co-exist...
good post :-)
good post :-)
Page: