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Consoles are getting good. Real good. The transition from NES to SNES, and Master System to Megadrive, was actually a lot more revolutionary than it first appeared.
The step from Super Mario Bros on the NES, to Super Mario World on the SNES, was one HUGE jump. That's the thing really... Miyamoto, crazy as he is, really does love to make things that we can get hyped about, and still live up to it. In fact, he excels in it.
Yeah yeah, I know not everyone likes his games... but to me, he really is a genius. There's not a real lot you can do in 2D... but he still managed to come up with enough to keep the flow going, puzzles and bosses that challenged you, continously. Fantastic. And so many damn levels.
And then came the N64, and once more we bounced around while we were promised more Mario. And he lived up to the hype.
Think he's going to fail now? See, Mario 64 wasn't an evolution of Mario World really... but a whole new game. Mario Sunshine is going to be what he's learnt from Mario 64. He just doesn't stop learning, and that's what I feel, makes the best designers, and artists.
But there was one huge change when it came to 3D, something quite pyschological... all the time all we could see was the far right edge of the screen, scrolling towards the left as we ran, unveiling more dangers, more enemies.
And then we faced 3D. Not only could we run in more directions, up, left more, right more... we had to look up and down... but we could SEE more. Instead of constantly watching that right edge, we could look into the distance. We could decide which way to go, not by arrows saying "HARD" and "EASY"... but by looking. Seeing what we could see, deciding for ourself which way to go.
I talk to you today, however, about one of my top ten hatreds.
Pop up.
We're not in the land of 2D anymore. We don't have that edge. There IS no edge in 3D. We can just see what we see... so why the hell do we have to suffer with things suddenly appearing?
The bane of games, in my opinion. If you're looking for something, you don't want to have to run everywhere and hope it fades into view... you should be able to either just see, or use binoculars to see it better... pop up is horrible.
And that's one thing I'm really, really looking forward to. We looked at the N64, Playstation... and we thought it was pretty damn good.
We can look at the Gamecube, the PS2, the X-Box... and now we think the same. Trust me, we ain't seen nothing yet.
For one day, one game will be released when for once we can SEE. No longer would we have to bother with this fading crap, but truly play a game like it's supposed to be. What the hell's the point of flying over great cities, when they're represented by a single texture on the ground? You want to see cars moving, huge buildings like lego beneath you. You want to see something, and go there. Not run in any wild direction and hope for the best.
And that's what's been so wrong with games, in the last era. Instead of combatting the pop up [Like Miyamoto did, God bless 'im. He used paintings for backdrops], they simply made really, really claustrophobic twists and turns... tunnels and caverns. Not nice. Everything was compacted, and we felt we were walking around levels, instead of lands. Alright... yeah, it was last generation, but it sucked. Zelda was great because you could run in a direction for more than five seconds without hitting a wall... some gamers even became bored with it, because it was too open for them. They couldn't really play a game without someone to hold their hand and direct them through it.
Linear. If we can't truly see, then how on earth are we supposed to have a choice on where we go? How cool would it be, to climb a cliff-face miles high, push a giant boulder off it, and then watch as it tumbled below, knocking away the cliff, and landing at the ground with a mighty bang [few seconds later], and with a cloud of dust exploding around it as it landed.
Sure, graphics. "Gameplay matters most"... but there are many levels of gameplay. You want someone to REALLY enjoy the game, you'll have to suck them into it, and that's where graphics come in. You allow someone to really feel threatened, afraid... then you've got them by the neck, and you can do whatever you like. It's not a control thing, it's just for an experience. Games are that, experiences. If we can't play a game and come out of it better off, then the game wasn't worth playing. Most Nintendo games you play so you come out happier, with a feeling of fun. Some games want you to think about actions, characters, plot-lines. Others want to scare the hell out of you. It's all emotions, it's all experiences.
And go play Skies of Arcadia. :0)
The step from Super Mario Bros on the NES, to Super Mario World on the SNES, was one HUGE jump. That's the thing really... Miyamoto, crazy as he is, really does love to make things that we can get hyped about, and still live up to it. In fact, he excels in it.
Yeah yeah, I know not everyone likes his games... but to me, he really is a genius. There's not a real lot you can do in 2D... but he still managed to come up with enough to keep the flow going, puzzles and bosses that challenged you, continously. Fantastic. And so many damn levels.
And then came the N64, and once more we bounced around while we were promised more Mario. And he lived up to the hype.
Think he's going to fail now? See, Mario 64 wasn't an evolution of Mario World really... but a whole new game. Mario Sunshine is going to be what he's learnt from Mario 64. He just doesn't stop learning, and that's what I feel, makes the best designers, and artists.
But there was one huge change when it came to 3D, something quite pyschological... all the time all we could see was the far right edge of the screen, scrolling towards the left as we ran, unveiling more dangers, more enemies.
And then we faced 3D. Not only could we run in more directions, up, left more, right more... we had to look up and down... but we could SEE more. Instead of constantly watching that right edge, we could look into the distance. We could decide which way to go, not by arrows saying "HARD" and "EASY"... but by looking. Seeing what we could see, deciding for ourself which way to go.
I talk to you today, however, about one of my top ten hatreds.
Pop up.
We're not in the land of 2D anymore. We don't have that edge. There IS no edge in 3D. We can just see what we see... so why the hell do we have to suffer with things suddenly appearing?
The bane of games, in my opinion. If you're looking for something, you don't want to have to run everywhere and hope it fades into view... you should be able to either just see, or use binoculars to see it better... pop up is horrible.
And that's one thing I'm really, really looking forward to. We looked at the N64, Playstation... and we thought it was pretty damn good.
We can look at the Gamecube, the PS2, the X-Box... and now we think the same. Trust me, we ain't seen nothing yet.
For one day, one game will be released when for once we can SEE. No longer would we have to bother with this fading crap, but truly play a game like it's supposed to be. What the hell's the point of flying over great cities, when they're represented by a single texture on the ground? You want to see cars moving, huge buildings like lego beneath you. You want to see something, and go there. Not run in any wild direction and hope for the best.
And that's what's been so wrong with games, in the last era. Instead of combatting the pop up [Like Miyamoto did, God bless 'im. He used paintings for backdrops], they simply made really, really claustrophobic twists and turns... tunnels and caverns. Not nice. Everything was compacted, and we felt we were walking around levels, instead of lands. Alright... yeah, it was last generation, but it sucked. Zelda was great because you could run in a direction for more than five seconds without hitting a wall... some gamers even became bored with it, because it was too open for them. They couldn't really play a game without someone to hold their hand and direct them through it.
Linear. If we can't truly see, then how on earth are we supposed to have a choice on where we go? How cool would it be, to climb a cliff-face miles high, push a giant boulder off it, and then watch as it tumbled below, knocking away the cliff, and landing at the ground with a mighty bang [few seconds later], and with a cloud of dust exploding around it as it landed.
Sure, graphics. "Gameplay matters most"... but there are many levels of gameplay. You want someone to REALLY enjoy the game, you'll have to suck them into it, and that's where graphics come in. You allow someone to really feel threatened, afraid... then you've got them by the neck, and you can do whatever you like. It's not a control thing, it's just for an experience. Games are that, experiences. If we can't play a game and come out of it better off, then the game wasn't worth playing. Most Nintendo games you play so you come out happier, with a feeling of fun. Some games want you to think about actions, characters, plot-lines. Others want to scare the hell out of you. It's all emotions, it's all experiences.
And go play Skies of Arcadia. :0)
So what we need is a more solid world in which to play our games.
But this would take years to develop, and would probably be much like a decent game engine, and be modified and used in many, many games.
No developer would spend a couple of years creating a huge 3D world, if it could only be used in one game, it just wouldn't be profitable, so they create just as much as they need to. Stick a huge wall around the edge, or trees so thick you can't see through, and you have go go no further than the area you play in.
But I think we'd like to be able to look over that wall, see other cities in the distance. A world in which stuff happens that has no relevance to the game, and you may never even know about. A world with it's own wildlife, which in one game you may hunt, but in another you may befriend.
Of course, if this world could then be used in a number of games, it may well be more likely to be created. But I guess there is another option. Middleware. Some companies may just develop customisable 3D worlds, and sell them to developers in order to save them time.
Then it may well get over-used, and people will hark back to the old days, when every game looked different?
But this would take years to develop, and would probably be much like a decent game engine, and be modified and used in many, many games.
No developer would spend a couple of years creating a huge 3D world, if it could only be used in one game, it just wouldn't be profitable, so they create just as much as they need to. Stick a huge wall around the edge, or trees so thick you can't see through, and you have go go no further than the area you play in.
But I think we'd like to be able to look over that wall, see other cities in the distance. A world in which stuff happens that has no relevance to the game, and you may never even know about. A world with it's own wildlife, which in one game you may hunt, but in another you may befriend.
Of course, if this world could then be used in a number of games, it may well be more likely to be created. But I guess there is another option. Middleware. Some companies may just develop customisable 3D worlds, and sell them to developers in order to save them time.
Then it may well get over-used, and people will hark back to the old days, when every game looked different?
I understand what you're talking about. Well, kind of. You've described it better than I could. It would be interesting to see.
Yep, consoles have now got to the point where pop-up has been eliminated, although I think we may still see it in some PS2 games.
The Xbox and Gamecube (I think the Xbox has it) has a special processor thingy that totally eradicates pop-up and fogging altogether.
That should make you happy, Grix :-)
Great post by the way.
The Xbox and Gamecube (I think the Xbox has it) has a special processor thingy that totally eradicates pop-up and fogging altogether.
That should make you happy, Grix :-)
Great post by the way.
Consoles are getting good. Real good. The transition from NES to SNES, and Master System to Megadrive, was actually a lot more revolutionary than it first appeared.
The step from Super Mario Bros on the NES, to Super Mario World on the SNES, was one HUGE jump. That's the thing really... Miyamoto, crazy as he is, really does love to make things that we can get hyped about, and still live up to it. In fact, he excels in it.
Yeah yeah, I know not everyone likes his games... but to me, he really is a genius. There's not a real lot you can do in 2D... but he still managed to come up with enough to keep the flow going, puzzles and bosses that challenged you, continously. Fantastic. And so many damn levels.
And then came the N64, and once more we bounced around while we were promised more Mario. And he lived up to the hype.
Think he's going to fail now? See, Mario 64 wasn't an evolution of Mario World really... but a whole new game. Mario Sunshine is going to be what he's learnt from Mario 64. He just doesn't stop learning, and that's what I feel, makes the best designers, and artists.
But there was one huge change when it came to 3D, something quite pyschological... all the time all we could see was the far right edge of the screen, scrolling towards the left as we ran, unveiling more dangers, more enemies.
And then we faced 3D. Not only could we run in more directions, up, left more, right more... we had to look up and down... but we could SEE more. Instead of constantly watching that right edge, we could look into the distance. We could decide which way to go, not by arrows saying "HARD" and "EASY"... but by looking. Seeing what we could see, deciding for ourself which way to go.
I talk to you today, however, about one of my top ten hatreds.
Pop up.
We're not in the land of 2D anymore. We don't have that edge. There IS no edge in 3D. We can just see what we see... so why the hell do we have to suffer with things suddenly appearing?
The bane of games, in my opinion. If you're looking for something, you don't want to have to run everywhere and hope it fades into view... you should be able to either just see, or use binoculars to see it better... pop up is horrible.
And that's one thing I'm really, really looking forward to. We looked at the N64, Playstation... and we thought it was pretty damn good.
We can look at the Gamecube, the PS2, the X-Box... and now we think the same. Trust me, we ain't seen nothing yet.
For one day, one game will be released when for once we can SEE. No longer would we have to bother with this fading crap, but truly play a game like it's supposed to be. What the hell's the point of flying over great cities, when they're represented by a single texture on the ground? You want to see cars moving, huge buildings like lego beneath you. You want to see something, and go there. Not run in any wild direction and hope for the best.
And that's what's been so wrong with games, in the last era. Instead of combatting the pop up [Like Miyamoto did, God bless 'im. He used paintings for backdrops], they simply made really, really claustrophobic twists and turns... tunnels and caverns. Not nice. Everything was compacted, and we felt we were walking around levels, instead of lands. Alright... yeah, it was last generation, but it sucked. Zelda was great because you could run in a direction for more than five seconds without hitting a wall... some gamers even became bored with it, because it was too open for them. They couldn't really play a game without someone to hold their hand and direct them through it.
Linear. If we can't truly see, then how on earth are we supposed to have a choice on where we go? How cool would it be, to climb a cliff-face miles high, push a giant boulder off it, and then watch as it tumbled below, knocking away the cliff, and landing at the ground with a mighty bang [few seconds later], and with a cloud of dust exploding around it as it landed.
Sure, graphics. "Gameplay matters most"... but there are many levels of gameplay. You want someone to REALLY enjoy the game, you'll have to suck them into it, and that's where graphics come in. You allow someone to really feel threatened, afraid... then you've got them by the neck, and you can do whatever you like. It's not a control thing, it's just for an experience. Games are that, experiences. If we can't play a game and come out of it better off, then the game wasn't worth playing. Most Nintendo games you play so you come out happier, with a feeling of fun. Some games want you to think about actions, characters, plot-lines. Others want to scare the hell out of you. It's all emotions, it's all experiences.
And go play Skies of Arcadia. :0)
The step from Super Mario Bros on the NES, to Super Mario World on the SNES, was one HUGE jump. That's the thing really... Miyamoto, crazy as he is, really does love to make things that we can get hyped about, and still live up to it. In fact, he excels in it.
Yeah yeah, I know not everyone likes his games... but to me, he really is a genius. There's not a real lot you can do in 2D... but he still managed to come up with enough to keep the flow going, puzzles and bosses that challenged you, continously. Fantastic. And so many damn levels.
And then came the N64, and once more we bounced around while we were promised more Mario. And he lived up to the hype.
Think he's going to fail now? See, Mario 64 wasn't an evolution of Mario World really... but a whole new game. Mario Sunshine is going to be what he's learnt from Mario 64. He just doesn't stop learning, and that's what I feel, makes the best designers, and artists.
But there was one huge change when it came to 3D, something quite pyschological... all the time all we could see was the far right edge of the screen, scrolling towards the left as we ran, unveiling more dangers, more enemies.
And then we faced 3D. Not only could we run in more directions, up, left more, right more... we had to look up and down... but we could SEE more. Instead of constantly watching that right edge, we could look into the distance. We could decide which way to go, not by arrows saying "HARD" and "EASY"... but by looking. Seeing what we could see, deciding for ourself which way to go.
I talk to you today, however, about one of my top ten hatreds.
Pop up.
We're not in the land of 2D anymore. We don't have that edge. There IS no edge in 3D. We can just see what we see... so why the hell do we have to suffer with things suddenly appearing?
The bane of games, in my opinion. If you're looking for something, you don't want to have to run everywhere and hope it fades into view... you should be able to either just see, or use binoculars to see it better... pop up is horrible.
And that's one thing I'm really, really looking forward to. We looked at the N64, Playstation... and we thought it was pretty damn good.
We can look at the Gamecube, the PS2, the X-Box... and now we think the same. Trust me, we ain't seen nothing yet.
For one day, one game will be released when for once we can SEE. No longer would we have to bother with this fading crap, but truly play a game like it's supposed to be. What the hell's the point of flying over great cities, when they're represented by a single texture on the ground? You want to see cars moving, huge buildings like lego beneath you. You want to see something, and go there. Not run in any wild direction and hope for the best.
And that's what's been so wrong with games, in the last era. Instead of combatting the pop up [Like Miyamoto did, God bless 'im. He used paintings for backdrops], they simply made really, really claustrophobic twists and turns... tunnels and caverns. Not nice. Everything was compacted, and we felt we were walking around levels, instead of lands. Alright... yeah, it was last generation, but it sucked. Zelda was great because you could run in a direction for more than five seconds without hitting a wall... some gamers even became bored with it, because it was too open for them. They couldn't really play a game without someone to hold their hand and direct them through it.
Linear. If we can't truly see, then how on earth are we supposed to have a choice on where we go? How cool would it be, to climb a cliff-face miles high, push a giant boulder off it, and then watch as it tumbled below, knocking away the cliff, and landing at the ground with a mighty bang [few seconds later], and with a cloud of dust exploding around it as it landed.
Sure, graphics. "Gameplay matters most"... but there are many levels of gameplay. You want someone to REALLY enjoy the game, you'll have to suck them into it, and that's where graphics come in. You allow someone to really feel threatened, afraid... then you've got them by the neck, and you can do whatever you like. It's not a control thing, it's just for an experience. Games are that, experiences. If we can't play a game and come out of it better off, then the game wasn't worth playing. Most Nintendo games you play so you come out happier, with a feeling of fun. Some games want you to think about actions, characters, plot-lines. Others want to scare the hell out of you. It's all emotions, it's all experiences.
And go play Skies of Arcadia. :0)