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A friend of mine once said:
"I went out last night with 40 quid, and when I got back home all I had left was a fiver and a pocket full of shrapnel!"
By "a pocket full of shrapnel" he was referring to a huge pocket load of rattling loose change, but the quirky phrase has stuck with me ever since - and why? - because it was said in a flamboyant manner.
And where would videogames be without flamboyance?
Max Payne, for instance, would be just another average third-person shooter if it wasn't for the brilliantly effective "bullet-time" - surely one of the coolest gameplay tricks ever incorporated in a game.
It's the bullet-time which makes Max Payne so unique and enjoyable to play.
Without it, the game would lack a certain, err, what's the word? - Ah yes, "flamboyance".
If a game is to be addictive and fun, a certain amount of flamboyant gameplay is essential.
I would even go as far as stating that the best and most memorable games are always the most flamboyant.
It's like footballers: when you think of the greatest players, which ones spring to mind?
George Best
Pele
Maradona
Cruyff
They all played the beautiful game in a stylish, creative and daring way - in other words: with flamboyance.
From a visual point-of-view, realism can improve the gaming experience: it can increase the feeling of immersion - of actually being IN the gameworld, but when gameplay is restricted by some half-baked attempt at realism - well that's just as soppy as a box of frogs.
Flamboyant, over-the-top gameplay is where the fun is - it's what makes playing games so enjoyable.
When I play a game I want the gameplay equivalent of George Best; I don't want to be stomping around like some third division hard-working midfield water-carrier.
Graphics can be whatever they want to be - realistic or otherwise, but apart from the odd realistic sim, gameplay should always be attempting to be as flamboyant as possible.
I say bring on the spectacular: sparky and daredevilish, swashbuckling and extravagant - it's the way it should be.
The current state of affairs isn't too bad, but I would like to see developers go further and just take the way games PLAY to outlandish levels.
Games looking real: fair enough.
Games playing real: that's like a hairy drunken demon banging on your front door in the dead-of-night.... surely no one wants that?!
Having said that, if gameplay was genuinely realistic in every sense, then the immersion created would be truly amazing; but the fact is that realistic gameplay is (at present) confined to just minimal realistic elements, and is limited - so the best way to keep games fun is to inject the gameplay with a healthy dose of fantasy - and the more flamboyant this fantasy is the better.
"I went out last night with 40 quid, and when I got back home all I had left was a fiver and a pocket full of shrapnel!"
By "a pocket full of shrapnel" he was referring to a huge pocket load of rattling loose change, but the quirky phrase has stuck with me ever since - and why? - because it was said in a flamboyant manner.
And where would videogames be without flamboyance?
Max Payne, for instance, would be just another average third-person shooter if it wasn't for the brilliantly effective "bullet-time" - surely one of the coolest gameplay tricks ever incorporated in a game.
It's the bullet-time which makes Max Payne so unique and enjoyable to play.
Without it, the game would lack a certain, err, what's the word? - Ah yes, "flamboyance".
If a game is to be addictive and fun, a certain amount of flamboyant gameplay is essential.
I would even go as far as stating that the best and most memorable games are always the most flamboyant.
It's like footballers: when you think of the greatest players, which ones spring to mind?
George Best
Pele
Maradona
Cruyff
They all played the beautiful game in a stylish, creative and daring way - in other words: with flamboyance.
From a visual point-of-view, realism can improve the gaming experience: it can increase the feeling of immersion - of actually being IN the gameworld, but when gameplay is restricted by some half-baked attempt at realism - well that's just as soppy as a box of frogs.
Flamboyant, over-the-top gameplay is where the fun is - it's what makes playing games so enjoyable.
When I play a game I want the gameplay equivalent of George Best; I don't want to be stomping around like some third division hard-working midfield water-carrier.
Graphics can be whatever they want to be - realistic or otherwise, but apart from the odd realistic sim, gameplay should always be attempting to be as flamboyant as possible.
I say bring on the spectacular: sparky and daredevilish, swashbuckling and extravagant - it's the way it should be.
The current state of affairs isn't too bad, but I would like to see developers go further and just take the way games PLAY to outlandish levels.
Games looking real: fair enough.
Games playing real: that's like a hairy drunken demon banging on your front door in the dead-of-night.... surely no one wants that?!
Having said that, if gameplay was genuinely realistic in every sense, then the immersion created would be truly amazing; but the fact is that realistic gameplay is (at present) confined to just minimal realistic elements, and is limited - so the best way to keep games fun is to inject the gameplay with a healthy dose of fantasy - and the more flamboyant this fantasy is the better.
Having a truly realistic game relies on having a subject that everyone actually finds interesting. After all, you could have a totally realistic shopping simulator and how many people would buy that? (well, at least one person on here I would imagine, you guys will buy anything ;-) )
But yes, it's nice to have those larger than life games that don't just try to re-create life but enhance it and make it 'better than life', to borrow a Red Dwarf phrase.
But yes, it's nice to have those larger than life games that don't just try to re-create life but enhance it and make it 'better than life', to borrow a Red Dwarf phrase.
RM18 wrote:
> I understand your point, but to continue the football analogy further,
> we need one type of games - the realistic, the accurate, the (dare I
> write it) mundane games to appreciate the flamboyance of the games you
> mention. PLayers like George Best wouldn't be able to strut their
> stuff if they didn't have others like Nobby Stiles doing the donkey
> work for them.
*
Yeah, but a "great midfield worker" can be just as flamboyant in his own way - like Roy Keane, Graham Souness and David Batty.... Okay, maybe not David Batty :)
> I understand your point, but to continue the football analogy further,
> we need one type of games - the realistic, the accurate, the (dare I
> write it) mundane games to appreciate the flamboyance of the games you
> mention. PLayers like George Best wouldn't be able to strut their
> stuff if they didn't have others like Nobby Stiles doing the donkey
> work for them.
*
Yeah, but a "great midfield worker" can be just as flamboyant in his own way - like Roy Keane, Graham Souness and David Batty.... Okay, maybe not David Batty :)
Strafex wrote:
> > I've always found over-realistic racers like Gran Tourismo to be
> really boring.
I have to agree. The only racers I've only ever really liked were games like Rush 2049 on the N64 (They have to remake this for GC!) It was mad, huge and completely unrealistic. However, realisitc games like Operation Flashpoint are excellent. Its just the realistic driving games that seem to be very dull (and of course Flight Simulater 2002 etc etc)
:)
> > I've always found over-realistic racers like Gran Tourismo to be
> really boring.
I have to agree. The only racers I've only ever really liked were games like Rush 2049 on the N64 (They have to remake this for GC!) It was mad, huge and completely unrealistic. However, realisitc games like Operation Flashpoint are excellent. Its just the realistic driving games that seem to be very dull (and of course Flight Simulater 2002 etc etc)
:)
I understand your point, but to continue the football analogy further, we need one type of games - the realistic, the accurate, the (dare I write it) mundane games to appreciate the flamboyance of the games you mention. PLayers like George Best wouldn't be able to strut their stuff if they didn't have others like Nobby Stiles doing the donkey work for them.
Yep.
I love Smash Brother's over the top gameplay.
It's fast, furious and fun (although the single player modes don't quite do this as well as the multiplayer).
I've always found over-realistic racers like Gran Tourismo to be really boring.
There is a place for realism in games, but seeing as nearly ALL games do it like this nowadays, it wouldn't harm devellopers to try something a little new.
I love Smash Brother's over the top gameplay.
It's fast, furious and fun (although the single player modes don't quite do this as well as the multiplayer).
I've always found over-realistic racers like Gran Tourismo to be really boring.
There is a place for realism in games, but seeing as nearly ALL games do it like this nowadays, it wouldn't harm devellopers to try something a little new.
A friend of mine once said:
"I went out last night with 40 quid, and when I got back home all I had left was a fiver and a pocket full of shrapnel!"
By "a pocket full of shrapnel" he was referring to a huge pocket load of rattling loose change, but the quirky phrase has stuck with me ever since - and why? - because it was said in a flamboyant manner.
And where would videogames be without flamboyance?
Max Payne, for instance, would be just another average third-person shooter if it wasn't for the brilliantly effective "bullet-time" - surely one of the coolest gameplay tricks ever incorporated in a game.
It's the bullet-time which makes Max Payne so unique and enjoyable to play.
Without it, the game would lack a certain, err, what's the word? - Ah yes, "flamboyance".
If a game is to be addictive and fun, a certain amount of flamboyant gameplay is essential.
I would even go as far as stating that the best and most memorable games are always the most flamboyant.
It's like footballers: when you think of the greatest players, which ones spring to mind?
George Best
Pele
Maradona
Cruyff
They all played the beautiful game in a stylish, creative and daring way - in other words: with flamboyance.
From a visual point-of-view, realism can improve the gaming experience: it can increase the feeling of immersion - of actually being IN the gameworld, but when gameplay is restricted by some half-baked attempt at realism - well that's just as soppy as a box of frogs.
Flamboyant, over-the-top gameplay is where the fun is - it's what makes playing games so enjoyable.
When I play a game I want the gameplay equivalent of George Best; I don't want to be stomping around like some third division hard-working midfield water-carrier.
Graphics can be whatever they want to be - realistic or otherwise, but apart from the odd realistic sim, gameplay should always be attempting to be as flamboyant as possible.
I say bring on the spectacular: sparky and daredevilish, swashbuckling and extravagant - it's the way it should be.
The current state of affairs isn't too bad, but I would like to see developers go further and just take the way games PLAY to outlandish levels.
Games looking real: fair enough.
Games playing real: that's like a hairy drunken demon banging on your front door in the dead-of-night.... surely no one wants that?!
Having said that, if gameplay was genuinely realistic in every sense, then the immersion created would be truly amazing; but the fact is that realistic gameplay is (at present) confined to just minimal realistic elements, and is limited - so the best way to keep games fun is to inject the gameplay with a healthy dose of fantasy - and the more flamboyant this fantasy is the better.
"I went out last night with 40 quid, and when I got back home all I had left was a fiver and a pocket full of shrapnel!"
By "a pocket full of shrapnel" he was referring to a huge pocket load of rattling loose change, but the quirky phrase has stuck with me ever since - and why? - because it was said in a flamboyant manner.
And where would videogames be without flamboyance?
Max Payne, for instance, would be just another average third-person shooter if it wasn't for the brilliantly effective "bullet-time" - surely one of the coolest gameplay tricks ever incorporated in a game.
It's the bullet-time which makes Max Payne so unique and enjoyable to play.
Without it, the game would lack a certain, err, what's the word? - Ah yes, "flamboyance".
If a game is to be addictive and fun, a certain amount of flamboyant gameplay is essential.
I would even go as far as stating that the best and most memorable games are always the most flamboyant.
It's like footballers: when you think of the greatest players, which ones spring to mind?
George Best
Pele
Maradona
Cruyff
They all played the beautiful game in a stylish, creative and daring way - in other words: with flamboyance.
From a visual point-of-view, realism can improve the gaming experience: it can increase the feeling of immersion - of actually being IN the gameworld, but when gameplay is restricted by some half-baked attempt at realism - well that's just as soppy as a box of frogs.
Flamboyant, over-the-top gameplay is where the fun is - it's what makes playing games so enjoyable.
When I play a game I want the gameplay equivalent of George Best; I don't want to be stomping around like some third division hard-working midfield water-carrier.
Graphics can be whatever they want to be - realistic or otherwise, but apart from the odd realistic sim, gameplay should always be attempting to be as flamboyant as possible.
I say bring on the spectacular: sparky and daredevilish, swashbuckling and extravagant - it's the way it should be.
The current state of affairs isn't too bad, but I would like to see developers go further and just take the way games PLAY to outlandish levels.
Games looking real: fair enough.
Games playing real: that's like a hairy drunken demon banging on your front door in the dead-of-night.... surely no one wants that?!
Having said that, if gameplay was genuinely realistic in every sense, then the immersion created would be truly amazing; but the fact is that realistic gameplay is (at present) confined to just minimal realistic elements, and is limited - so the best way to keep games fun is to inject the gameplay with a healthy dose of fantasy - and the more flamboyant this fantasy is the better.