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"You say you want Next Gen?"

Next Generation - what does that actually mean? Lifelike graphics, amazing gameplay, games that take years to complete. For everybody, Next Generation means different things, but one word comes to my mind when someone mentions next generation games - new.

It's all good and well to have brilliant graphics; lifelike characters and landscapes. But if you've seen the landscapes and characters before, what's the point? Games need good gameplay, but sometimes, you need new types of gameplay, not the same over and over. Longativity - another point, but again doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a great gaming experience.

To be a real gamer you need to crave new and more original game ideas. The amount of times I've played 'new' Beat-'em-ups and found them to be almost exactly like a 'different' one I've played is such a significant amount you wouldn't believe it. But then when I finished playing I felt empty - like I needed more than that.

I've seen many other people say they want "Next Generation gaming" and go off and happily play Metal Gear Solid 2. I'm not saying it's not a decent game, it's just the same as the first Metal Gear - that's all. You could call it next gen, but when you see what games are due to be coming out in the not-too-distant future, you'd promptly see what a mistake that would be.

Now - think of what Next Generation games are being made and now. Animal Crossing, Bomberman Generations, Celda (Or Cell-Zelda to many others), Rez, Luigi's Mansion and Jet Set Radio: Future. That's all I can name. As you can see, originality seems to be lacking the industry, not many new experiences for us gamers. Now some people are very happy with Halo, it's a long and solid game, but can you call it next generation, well, no, not all games that are brilliant are classed are next gen, they're classed as good games. But while people are playing this, they're forgetting about the shorter games like Luigi's mansion that are a very new experience to gaming.

While you could say it's too much like a fishing game to be a next generation title, it's not. So a lot of the game revolves around catching ghosts in a fishing game-style, but it's the way it made into something totally different. It's not just like basic fishing games - you don't just go into a room and reel in ghosts, that's just part of the game. You have to solve puzzles and explore, now if you know of any fishing games where you have to do that, tell me!

Also something very new about Luigi's Mansion is the layout of the game. There's normally two main layouts that get split into smaller groups. They are 2D and 3D, but Luigi's Mansion hasn't just chosen one, it's chosen both. The game is set out like a 2D platformer but you can go in all directions like a 3D platformer, plus the actual game is 3D, so you can't argue there.

There is something about Next Generation that I've feared was going to happen for ages. People are starting to judge games on appearance. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" must of never caught on. Many people say they want Next Generation gaming, and Shiguru Miyamoto does what they want him to do - he comes up with a next generation game. This next generation game goes by the name of Celda. Miyamoto uses the latest Cell-Shading technique to make an innovative and original title, and what happens? People throw it back it his face and say they want the "Old Zelda". Celda is one of the best things that happened in video gaming for ages. Is has cartooned graphics, so what? It's not like the old Zelda, exactly! It's something new for me, as a gamer, to experience.

True gamers will see this title for what it really is; something new and not "That really bad looking cartooned Zelda". But is this something against Cell-Shading or Zelda. Well, I don't think it's Zelda, lets put it that way! Not all Zelda games are ridiculed like this, but Cell Shaded games are. JSR:F is Cell-Shaded and turned out to be one of the best games the X-Box has seen. Bu it's not at the top of X-Box owners list, mostly Halo is. It's not appreciated as much as it should be. But you can't really call that being ridiculed because it's Cell-Shaded can it?! But less popular games like Bomberman Generations isn't even thought about. If you ask any 'Cube owners what they're looking forward to and I guarantee that it won't be BG. It's new, it's Cell-Shaded and people are un-sure of that. I think it's a great looking game and plan to get it on release, but is that really enough? I don't think so.

There is one thing that really surprised me and showed that many people don't like change. On April 1st (April Fools Day) a fake story was that Perfect Dark 0 was going to be Cell-Shaded. I though "What's so bad about that?". I saw the screen shots, not bad, but some people were going mad, just because the graphics had changed, even though they hadn't at all. Cell-Shaded Perfect Dark might be what we need. Trying to make an FPS with Cell-Shading would surely be a challenge and something new - but once again, people being scared of something new.

So, you say you want Next Generation? Be very careful before you do...

Thanks for reading

RiCkOsS

I thought cell-shading was on the Saturn first, but obviously I stand corrected. At least I got the company right.

I think that a Cell-Shaded sonic game would be brilliant. I like the look of the glass sonic that people are giving away for his 10th birthday.

RiCk0sS wrote:
I think Cell-Shading first appeared in a Sega game, I'm not sure, but it
> never really caught on, now it's just starting to.

*

Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast is where cel-shading started - so yeah, it was a SEGA game. But it was originally designed to compliment the graffiti art style of the game, but now it seems to get everywhere. But I like it, and I think the GameCube Zelda will suit it nicely.

RiCk0sS wrote:
> By the way, off the topic, do you have MSN Nomad?

*

For some unknown reason I don't.

Good point Nomad.

If all designers started to just follow a certain crowd then we'd have nothing. That's why people like Shigsy have to do different things. I think Cell-Shading first appeared in a Sega game, I'm not sure, but it never really caught on, now it's just starting to. It's games like JSR:F, Celda and Bomberman Generations who are taking risks to do something new and make sure this brilliant idea catches on.

By the way, off the topic, do you have MSN Nomad?

Jet Set Radio Future was top of my XBOX list, but I'm probably in the minority.

I like good graphics, but the obsession with making graphics look as real as possible is taking over. Yeah it's fine in sports sims like F1 games, but I prefer games which attempt to be original on all fronts and that includes graphical originality.

Heh, okay Jet

;-P

Erm...Thats graphics.

Great topic Rickoss. A GAD contender, although I do not want to jynx (Sp) you. Erm....gaphics are taking over.

Cheers.

I feel that games are purchased because they look nice if people haven't played the game. Maybe if there were more arcades, game demo's could be show-cased, giving gamers a taste of what they might want to buy. Plus with the TRIFORCE Board on the way, arcades will be boosted so more gamers will come.

It would be a great way to advertise and maybe playing a full version of the game for money, surely it would work.

But it might not be to everyone's taste.

Some good points there, and it is strange how people have started critisising games looks more than ever??
Maybe it is something to do with the fact that there's nothing all that new and original in the gameplay of these next-gen. games.

I agree with you on your points about the lack of originallity.

Good topic. :)