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It has been said that people wither dwell on the past of think or think about the future. Too often in gaming, we always focus on the future and neglect the past and the present, and it's an attitude that is not always healthy (if I had my way, the Ghost of Christmas Future would be out of a job). What are we having for dinner tonight? (p.s. I'm not... actually... inviting you for dinner) What are we doing tomorrow? What about next week? What about Christmas? You get the message (probably about two questions ago).
Maybe it's human nature, I don't know. Rather than focus on the here and now, we speculate, worry, ponder, agonise and gaze into what the future may bring. In the case of most of us lot, we do the same, but whereas 'responsible' adults think about how the next bill's going to be paid, we think about the future of gaming - two forums alone dedicated to it on this site, I rest my case. Why not forum for classic games? Classic videogaming ventures of days gone past still deserve to hold their own in today’s market, and in my view, a some of them are a darn sight better than what we get today.
Whilst prophesising and predicting can be fun, sometimes the case may be that we spend so much thinking about what's going to happen, or what might happen, that we don't take time out to think about the present or appreciate the past. And this is what this post is dedicated to - appreciating the past. Looking at the GAD winners list, I saw two recent posts about the future of gaming, so lets redress the balance. Many of you will have childhood memories of favourite TV programmes. I know I did. He-Man (he still rules), Thomas the Tank Engine, Transformers, Thundercats etc were great shows. Ditto old games. Sometimes I reminisce about my favourite games growing up - the old Sonics, Doom, Duck Hunt, Tetris, were all personal faves. As time passes, why consign them to the rubbish bin?
Like a good wine (not that many of you should know, and if you do, tsk) many old games will be even more enjoyable now – vintage, I call it. Not only can you rediscover your old games and approach it with a more knowledgeable viewpoint and, after years of playing, finely honed skills, but it allows you to remember old memories of when you were just a wide-eyed kiddie trying these new-fangled machines out for the first time. It’s worth appreciating the old games and remembering your old games – in many cases, we may never see their like again.
Take Tetris for example, a devilishly simple concept that has seen dozens of attempted copies, and hardly any that are even fit to lick it’s right-angled boots. Or even, dare I say it, the old Marios. Now I’m a fan of Mario Sunshine, and have been enjoying it immensely, but let’s face it, is it better than Mario 64? Not even close in my book. For some of us looking for the perfect gameplay experience, the over reliance of graphics means the future might not the place to peer into – we already have it in the games of the past.
Maybe that is a perspective to ponder – we are looking for the future to deliver us better and better gaming experiences, and in certain respects it is – better technology means more interactive, not to mention bigger, gaming environments, graphics and sound are better than ever before, and more money is being invested as a whole. But for raw gaming experiences, you can’t beat a good ol' LucasArts point-and-click, and as for the graphics vs. gameplay debate, who here rates the 3D Monkey Islands over the 2D? Not many I’d bet.
The basic, underlying theme is this. It’s all well and good thinking about what the future may hold, and it’s fun speculating about virtual reality headsets and whatnot, but it’s also worthwhile remembering and appreciating your old games, and the games of yesteryear. So stop trying to peer into your crystal ball, take the box full of old Mega Drives, Amigas or NESs from the cupboard, dust it off and remember the good old days. One final thought…
As Jerry Springer would never say…
“Be good to yourself. And your old games.”
Thanks for reading – I’ve been RM18, you’ve been superb. (spot the reference) :D
Maybe it's human nature, I don't know. Rather than focus on the here and now, we speculate, worry, ponder, agonise and gaze into what the future may bring. In the case of most of us lot, we do the same, but whereas 'responsible' adults think about how the next bill's going to be paid, we think about the future of gaming - two forums alone dedicated to it on this site, I rest my case. Why not forum for classic games? Classic videogaming ventures of days gone past still deserve to hold their own in today’s market, and in my view, a some of them are a darn sight better than what we get today.
Whilst prophesising and predicting can be fun, sometimes the case may be that we spend so much thinking about what's going to happen, or what might happen, that we don't take time out to think about the present or appreciate the past. And this is what this post is dedicated to - appreciating the past. Looking at the GAD winners list, I saw two recent posts about the future of gaming, so lets redress the balance. Many of you will have childhood memories of favourite TV programmes. I know I did. He-Man (he still rules), Thomas the Tank Engine, Transformers, Thundercats etc were great shows. Ditto old games. Sometimes I reminisce about my favourite games growing up - the old Sonics, Doom, Duck Hunt, Tetris, were all personal faves. As time passes, why consign them to the rubbish bin?
Like a good wine (not that many of you should know, and if you do, tsk) many old games will be even more enjoyable now – vintage, I call it. Not only can you rediscover your old games and approach it with a more knowledgeable viewpoint and, after years of playing, finely honed skills, but it allows you to remember old memories of when you were just a wide-eyed kiddie trying these new-fangled machines out for the first time. It’s worth appreciating the old games and remembering your old games – in many cases, we may never see their like again.
Take Tetris for example, a devilishly simple concept that has seen dozens of attempted copies, and hardly any that are even fit to lick it’s right-angled boots. Or even, dare I say it, the old Marios. Now I’m a fan of Mario Sunshine, and have been enjoying it immensely, but let’s face it, is it better than Mario 64? Not even close in my book. For some of us looking for the perfect gameplay experience, the over reliance of graphics means the future might not the place to peer into – we already have it in the games of the past.
Maybe that is a perspective to ponder – we are looking for the future to deliver us better and better gaming experiences, and in certain respects it is – better technology means more interactive, not to mention bigger, gaming environments, graphics and sound are better than ever before, and more money is being invested as a whole. But for raw gaming experiences, you can’t beat a good ol' LucasArts point-and-click, and as for the graphics vs. gameplay debate, who here rates the 3D Monkey Islands over the 2D? Not many I’d bet.
The basic, underlying theme is this. It’s all well and good thinking about what the future may hold, and it’s fun speculating about virtual reality headsets and whatnot, but it’s also worthwhile remembering and appreciating your old games, and the games of yesteryear. So stop trying to peer into your crystal ball, take the box full of old Mega Drives, Amigas or NESs from the cupboard, dust it off and remember the good old days. One final thought…
As Jerry Springer would never say…
“Be good to yourself. And your old games.”
Thanks for reading – I’ve been RM18, you’ve been superb. (spot the reference) :D
The only game I really know of that features the past is Duke Nukem Zero Hour on the N64.
The reason they focus on the future is because they can open up their imaginations a bit. I mean, no-one knows what the future holds, what technology would really be like, what the possibilities would be, and so it opens up a new world of gaming development. They have so much freedom when they focus on the future, whereas, if developers choose to make a game about the past, it has to include an event which has already happened, which could take a lot of research and work to get right without complaints from people saying, "That didn't really happen" or "When was that?".
The reason they focus on the future is because they can open up their imaginations a bit. I mean, no-one knows what the future holds, what technology would really be like, what the possibilities would be, and so it opens up a new world of gaming development. They have so much freedom when they focus on the future, whereas, if developers choose to make a game about the past, it has to include an event which has already happened, which could take a lot of research and work to get right without complaints from people saying, "That didn't really happen" or "When was that?".
MoJoJoJo wrote:
> Excellent point. I used to keep digging out my old Amstrad (I believe
> it's in the shed right now) to have trip down memory lane by playing
> Harrier Attack etc. Ah, happy memories
>
> Might dig my SNES out soon...
My SNES is permanently set up in the front room. Best console ever.
> Excellent point. I used to keep digging out my old Amstrad (I believe
> it's in the shed right now) to have trip down memory lane by playing
> Harrier Attack etc. Ah, happy memories
>
> Might dig my SNES out soon...
My SNES is permanently set up in the front room. Best console ever.
i remember the first console i ever had, i was about 6 and my dad bought me an atari, does any one remember them...
Excellent point. I used to keep digging out my old Amstrad (I believe it's in the shed right now) to have trip down memory lane by playing Harrier Attack etc. Ah, happy memories
Might dig my SNES out soon...
Might dig my SNES out soon...
It has been said that people wither dwell on the past of think or think about the future. Too often in gaming, we always focus on the future and neglect the past and the present, and it's an attitude that is not always healthy (if I had my way, the Ghost of Christmas Future would be out of a job). What are we having for dinner tonight? (p.s. I'm not... actually... inviting you for dinner) What are we doing tomorrow? What about next week? What about Christmas? You get the message (probably about two questions ago).
Maybe it's human nature, I don't know. Rather than focus on the here and now, we speculate, worry, ponder, agonise and gaze into what the future may bring. In the case of most of us lot, we do the same, but whereas 'responsible' adults think about how the next bill's going to be paid, we think about the future of gaming - two forums alone dedicated to it on this site, I rest my case. Why not forum for classic games? Classic videogaming ventures of days gone past still deserve to hold their own in today’s market, and in my view, a some of them are a darn sight better than what we get today.
Whilst prophesising and predicting can be fun, sometimes the case may be that we spend so much thinking about what's going to happen, or what might happen, that we don't take time out to think about the present or appreciate the past. And this is what this post is dedicated to - appreciating the past. Looking at the GAD winners list, I saw two recent posts about the future of gaming, so lets redress the balance. Many of you will have childhood memories of favourite TV programmes. I know I did. He-Man (he still rules), Thomas the Tank Engine, Transformers, Thundercats etc were great shows. Ditto old games. Sometimes I reminisce about my favourite games growing up - the old Sonics, Doom, Duck Hunt, Tetris, were all personal faves. As time passes, why consign them to the rubbish bin?
Like a good wine (not that many of you should know, and if you do, tsk) many old games will be even more enjoyable now – vintage, I call it. Not only can you rediscover your old games and approach it with a more knowledgeable viewpoint and, after years of playing, finely honed skills, but it allows you to remember old memories of when you were just a wide-eyed kiddie trying these new-fangled machines out for the first time. It’s worth appreciating the old games and remembering your old games – in many cases, we may never see their like again.
Take Tetris for example, a devilishly simple concept that has seen dozens of attempted copies, and hardly any that are even fit to lick it’s right-angled boots. Or even, dare I say it, the old Marios. Now I’m a fan of Mario Sunshine, and have been enjoying it immensely, but let’s face it, is it better than Mario 64? Not even close in my book. For some of us looking for the perfect gameplay experience, the over reliance of graphics means the future might not the place to peer into – we already have it in the games of the past.
Maybe that is a perspective to ponder – we are looking for the future to deliver us better and better gaming experiences, and in certain respects it is – better technology means more interactive, not to mention bigger, gaming environments, graphics and sound are better than ever before, and more money is being invested as a whole. But for raw gaming experiences, you can’t beat a good ol' LucasArts point-and-click, and as for the graphics vs. gameplay debate, who here rates the 3D Monkey Islands over the 2D? Not many I’d bet.
The basic, underlying theme is this. It’s all well and good thinking about what the future may hold, and it’s fun speculating about virtual reality headsets and whatnot, but it’s also worthwhile remembering and appreciating your old games, and the games of yesteryear. So stop trying to peer into your crystal ball, take the box full of old Mega Drives, Amigas or NESs from the cupboard, dust it off and remember the good old days. One final thought…
As Jerry Springer would never say…
“Be good to yourself. And your old games.”
Thanks for reading – I’ve been RM18, you’ve been superb. (spot the reference) :D
Maybe it's human nature, I don't know. Rather than focus on the here and now, we speculate, worry, ponder, agonise and gaze into what the future may bring. In the case of most of us lot, we do the same, but whereas 'responsible' adults think about how the next bill's going to be paid, we think about the future of gaming - two forums alone dedicated to it on this site, I rest my case. Why not forum for classic games? Classic videogaming ventures of days gone past still deserve to hold their own in today’s market, and in my view, a some of them are a darn sight better than what we get today.
Whilst prophesising and predicting can be fun, sometimes the case may be that we spend so much thinking about what's going to happen, or what might happen, that we don't take time out to think about the present or appreciate the past. And this is what this post is dedicated to - appreciating the past. Looking at the GAD winners list, I saw two recent posts about the future of gaming, so lets redress the balance. Many of you will have childhood memories of favourite TV programmes. I know I did. He-Man (he still rules), Thomas the Tank Engine, Transformers, Thundercats etc were great shows. Ditto old games. Sometimes I reminisce about my favourite games growing up - the old Sonics, Doom, Duck Hunt, Tetris, were all personal faves. As time passes, why consign them to the rubbish bin?
Like a good wine (not that many of you should know, and if you do, tsk) many old games will be even more enjoyable now – vintage, I call it. Not only can you rediscover your old games and approach it with a more knowledgeable viewpoint and, after years of playing, finely honed skills, but it allows you to remember old memories of when you were just a wide-eyed kiddie trying these new-fangled machines out for the first time. It’s worth appreciating the old games and remembering your old games – in many cases, we may never see their like again.
Take Tetris for example, a devilishly simple concept that has seen dozens of attempted copies, and hardly any that are even fit to lick it’s right-angled boots. Or even, dare I say it, the old Marios. Now I’m a fan of Mario Sunshine, and have been enjoying it immensely, but let’s face it, is it better than Mario 64? Not even close in my book. For some of us looking for the perfect gameplay experience, the over reliance of graphics means the future might not the place to peer into – we already have it in the games of the past.
Maybe that is a perspective to ponder – we are looking for the future to deliver us better and better gaming experiences, and in certain respects it is – better technology means more interactive, not to mention bigger, gaming environments, graphics and sound are better than ever before, and more money is being invested as a whole. But for raw gaming experiences, you can’t beat a good ol' LucasArts point-and-click, and as for the graphics vs. gameplay debate, who here rates the 3D Monkey Islands over the 2D? Not many I’d bet.
The basic, underlying theme is this. It’s all well and good thinking about what the future may hold, and it’s fun speculating about virtual reality headsets and whatnot, but it’s also worthwhile remembering and appreciating your old games, and the games of yesteryear. So stop trying to peer into your crystal ball, take the box full of old Mega Drives, Amigas or NESs from the cupboard, dust it off and remember the good old days. One final thought…
As Jerry Springer would never say…
“Be good to yourself. And your old games.”
Thanks for reading – I’ve been RM18, you’ve been superb. (spot the reference) :D