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In the past, console developers had one focus: reaching arcade perfection. With arcade machines attaining the pinnacle of graphical and audio excellence, anyone who could imitate such feats on a console would truly mark their name in gaming history. And so, up to the 32-bit era consoles got closer and closer to perfecting the moving sprites of Street Fighter II and colourful worlds of the Metal Slug.
We were almost there too until arcade developers did something revolutionary- they created 3D polygon based games. And so the journey began a new, with consoles once again trying to get closer and closer to arcade perfection...
But now, in the 128-bit age, consoles have not only equalled arcades, but have surpassed them. With no “big brother” to look up to and imitate, where should consoles developers turn to take their inspiration from?
Sadly the answer appears to be films. A non-interactive media form is leading the way in interactive game development with games’ plots, gameplay and depth all dictated by the linear media of films. Game designers have felt the need to copy long cut-scenes and linear plots to attain great games. Long gone are the days of choice in games...
So, where to next? Clearly games cannot take ideas from films indefinitely. While film, as a media, has developed and explored every possible technique and methodology, games are still improving, growing and expanding. Perhaps game developers will just have to be brave and try out new ideas, rather than the tried and tested means of other media. Then again, they could just wait for another Nintendo classic to copy...
Sonic
We were almost there too until arcade developers did something revolutionary- they created 3D polygon based games. And so the journey began a new, with consoles once again trying to get closer and closer to arcade perfection...
But now, in the 128-bit age, consoles have not only equalled arcades, but have surpassed them. With no “big brother” to look up to and imitate, where should consoles developers turn to take their inspiration from?
Sadly the answer appears to be films. A non-interactive media form is leading the way in interactive game development with games’ plots, gameplay and depth all dictated by the linear media of films. Game designers have felt the need to copy long cut-scenes and linear plots to attain great games. Long gone are the days of choice in games...
So, where to next? Clearly games cannot take ideas from films indefinitely. While film, as a media, has developed and explored every possible technique and methodology, games are still improving, growing and expanding. Perhaps game developers will just have to be brave and try out new ideas, rather than the tried and tested means of other media. Then again, they could just wait for another Nintendo classic to copy...
Sonic
Duck, good question... where do arcade developers get their ideas from...
Well, I'm going to make a bold statement...
"Sega are the most original game developers in the world".
Ok, so you may not completely agree, but with games like Jet Set, Rez, Space Channel 5 and Monkey Ball I think everyone will agree that Seg are certainly in the top crop for original games...
Now, Sega own 60% of the arcade market, and have always had a massive share in it. So, by having consoles developers copy arcade games, you are invoking originality in the industry.
Looking at an even wider scope, 99% of arcade games probably come from Japan. And, let's face it, almost every truely original game comes from Japan. So, when Western developers copy arcade game concepts, they are actually creating more and more original titles for consoles.
Sonic
Well, I'm going to make a bold statement...
"Sega are the most original game developers in the world".
Ok, so you may not completely agree, but with games like Jet Set, Rez, Space Channel 5 and Monkey Ball I think everyone will agree that Seg are certainly in the top crop for original games...
Now, Sega own 60% of the arcade market, and have always had a massive share in it. So, by having consoles developers copy arcade games, you are invoking originality in the industry.
Looking at an even wider scope, 99% of arcade games probably come from Japan. And, let's face it, almost every truely original game comes from Japan. So, when Western developers copy arcade game concepts, they are actually creating more and more original titles for consoles.
Sonic
But to whom did the arcade developers look for their inspiration?
I'm sure that there are pleanty of people in the industry capable of doing things on a level above what we accept as a 'good' game on current consoles. If they do, maybe it will be like sonic suggested, waiting for another nintendo (well, not necessarily them, but any of the people doing new, successful things) game to 'copy'.
Films? Well, i'm not sure that it's got all that much bigger as an influence, except that there is now the disk space and technology available to make more realistic cut-scenes. In gameplay, to be honest i'd probably disagree that games are really becoming much more linear. There are still games with multiple routes or ways of doing things, even choice of whether to join the good or bad guys (command and conquer, sonic adventure 2). I'm not sure that they were really all that much more common in the 'good old days'.
I'm sure that there are pleanty of people in the industry capable of doing things on a level above what we accept as a 'good' game on current consoles. If they do, maybe it will be like sonic suggested, waiting for another nintendo (well, not necessarily them, but any of the people doing new, successful things) game to 'copy'.
Films? Well, i'm not sure that it's got all that much bigger as an influence, except that there is now the disk space and technology available to make more realistic cut-scenes. In gameplay, to be honest i'd probably disagree that games are really becoming much more linear. There are still games with multiple routes or ways of doing things, even choice of whether to join the good or bad guys (command and conquer, sonic adventure 2). I'm not sure that they were really all that much more common in the 'good old days'.
I would like to see developers focus more of their energy into "graphical originality".
This current obsession with "realism" is driving me nuts, and slowly but surely gameplay is going the same way.
I can count on one hand recent games that actually have a unique visual style: Rez, Jet Set Radio, err, I'm struggling.....
If you ask me, the videogame industry needs more truly "fantastic" games.
Games that take the player to places that seem truly alien and exotic.
But so many people judge graphics by "how real they look".
I've lost count of the times I've heard idiots say that they "don't like REZ because it has basic graphics" - talk about missing the point!
This current obsession with "realism" is driving me nuts, and slowly but surely gameplay is going the same way.
I can count on one hand recent games that actually have a unique visual style: Rez, Jet Set Radio, err, I'm struggling.....
If you ask me, the videogame industry needs more truly "fantastic" games.
Games that take the player to places that seem truly alien and exotic.
But so many people judge graphics by "how real they look".
I've lost count of the times I've heard idiots say that they "don't like REZ because it has basic graphics" - talk about missing the point!
PC games have surpassed arcade quality for some years.
Perhaps the consoles of the future will look there for inspiration.
IB
Perhaps the consoles of the future will look there for inspiration.
IB
In the past, console developers had one focus: reaching arcade perfection. With arcade machines attaining the pinnacle of graphical and audio excellence, anyone who could imitate such feats on a console would truly mark their name in gaming history. And so, up to the 32-bit era consoles got closer and closer to perfecting the moving sprites of Street Fighter II and colourful worlds of the Metal Slug.
We were almost there too until arcade developers did something revolutionary- they created 3D polygon based games. And so the journey began a new, with consoles once again trying to get closer and closer to arcade perfection...
But now, in the 128-bit age, consoles have not only equalled arcades, but have surpassed them. With no “big brother” to look up to and imitate, where should consoles developers turn to take their inspiration from?
Sadly the answer appears to be films. A non-interactive media form is leading the way in interactive game development with games’ plots, gameplay and depth all dictated by the linear media of films. Game designers have felt the need to copy long cut-scenes and linear plots to attain great games. Long gone are the days of choice in games...
So, where to next? Clearly games cannot take ideas from films indefinitely. While film, as a media, has developed and explored every possible technique and methodology, games are still improving, growing and expanding. Perhaps game developers will just have to be brave and try out new ideas, rather than the tried and tested means of other media. Then again, they could just wait for another Nintendo classic to copy...
Sonic
We were almost there too until arcade developers did something revolutionary- they created 3D polygon based games. And so the journey began a new, with consoles once again trying to get closer and closer to arcade perfection...
But now, in the 128-bit age, consoles have not only equalled arcades, but have surpassed them. With no “big brother” to look up to and imitate, where should consoles developers turn to take their inspiration from?
Sadly the answer appears to be films. A non-interactive media form is leading the way in interactive game development with games’ plots, gameplay and depth all dictated by the linear media of films. Game designers have felt the need to copy long cut-scenes and linear plots to attain great games. Long gone are the days of choice in games...
So, where to next? Clearly games cannot take ideas from films indefinitely. While film, as a media, has developed and explored every possible technique and methodology, games are still improving, growing and expanding. Perhaps game developers will just have to be brave and try out new ideas, rather than the tried and tested means of other media. Then again, they could just wait for another Nintendo classic to copy...
Sonic