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When I were a lad, it were all fields round ‘ere and I used to play me Atari console before a morning’s graft down t’pit.
Nowadays, it’s PS2 this and X-Box that, I tell you young uns you don’t know how good you ‘ave it.
Seriously though, it seems that video gaming is a monster industry now, when just a few years ago it didn’t seem like it.
Or that might just be me wearing rose-tinted spectacles.
I had the Atari and loved Night Driver, steering the white block through pixel road edges with a cumbersome paddle.
Then came the BBC Model B, all 32k of it and classics such as Pedro The Gardener and Chucky Egg.
But I was blown away one day by the Spectrum, this one had 48k and rubber keys. Jet Set Willy, Horace Goes Skiing, so many titles and, with Ghostbusters, it even spoke. Ok, I couldn’t understand it, but that’s not the point.
I graduated to a Spectrum 128k +2, and this one had…..drumroll….a tape player built onto it. Oh how my friends fell about with envy as I demonstrated such titles as Target Renegade and Barbarian (Why has nobody produced a next-gen version of this?…the joy of lopping off your opponents head and the monster sidling on to kick it away was pure genuis).
Then came the Megadrive, and everyone rejoiced. The Super Nintendo took shape, replacing the Master System, and you had to own one of those.
All was happy in the world of computer games.
Then along came something called The Amiga, and everyone was happy.
Good games, disc instead of cartridge and no tapes.
Could this be topped?
(Well, the PC happened and is still happening but isnt technically a “games system”, you can play games but that’s just another function of it).
There were some attempts along the way at consoles, but they didn’t prove massively popular (3D0, Jaguar anyone?). Sega owned the console market, there was no choice apart from Nintendo but they didn’t really figure.
And one day, whilst working as a Xmas temp with a certain company that sells everything and anything you need for any computer, there was something called a Playstation being released, along with Saturn.
I remember the calls we got from people asking which one was best, and the company line was “I’m afraid I cannot tell you which one, as it is a matter of preference” – But I chose the grey box called Playstation.
They sold equally well, and I do remember there being no wait or order system whatsoever for either of these machines.
Playstation wowed the world and the Saturn fell by the wayside.
Which brings us to today’s age of millions of pixels, emotion engines, “PS2 or X-Box” furore that abounds. All I can think is, looking back, in 5 years from now, we’ll all have relegated this month’s system to the small ads section of local rag and arguing over which is better, “X-Box 4 or NintenSonycube 23?”
And you know what the sad thing is?
Nobody will ever make a next-generation Barbarian.
I crime I tells ya.
Kids, don’t know how lucky you are these days.
Bah Humbug
Nowadays, it’s PS2 this and X-Box that, I tell you young uns you don’t know how good you ‘ave it.
Seriously though, it seems that video gaming is a monster industry now, when just a few years ago it didn’t seem like it.
Or that might just be me wearing rose-tinted spectacles.
I had the Atari and loved Night Driver, steering the white block through pixel road edges with a cumbersome paddle.
Then came the BBC Model B, all 32k of it and classics such as Pedro The Gardener and Chucky Egg.
But I was blown away one day by the Spectrum, this one had 48k and rubber keys. Jet Set Willy, Horace Goes Skiing, so many titles and, with Ghostbusters, it even spoke. Ok, I couldn’t understand it, but that’s not the point.
I graduated to a Spectrum 128k +2, and this one had…..drumroll….a tape player built onto it. Oh how my friends fell about with envy as I demonstrated such titles as Target Renegade and Barbarian (Why has nobody produced a next-gen version of this?…the joy of lopping off your opponents head and the monster sidling on to kick it away was pure genuis).
Then came the Megadrive, and everyone rejoiced. The Super Nintendo took shape, replacing the Master System, and you had to own one of those.
All was happy in the world of computer games.
Then along came something called The Amiga, and everyone was happy.
Good games, disc instead of cartridge and no tapes.
Could this be topped?
(Well, the PC happened and is still happening but isnt technically a “games system”, you can play games but that’s just another function of it).
There were some attempts along the way at consoles, but they didn’t prove massively popular (3D0, Jaguar anyone?). Sega owned the console market, there was no choice apart from Nintendo but they didn’t really figure.
And one day, whilst working as a Xmas temp with a certain company that sells everything and anything you need for any computer, there was something called a Playstation being released, along with Saturn.
I remember the calls we got from people asking which one was best, and the company line was “I’m afraid I cannot tell you which one, as it is a matter of preference” – But I chose the grey box called Playstation.
They sold equally well, and I do remember there being no wait or order system whatsoever for either of these machines.
Playstation wowed the world and the Saturn fell by the wayside.
Which brings us to today’s age of millions of pixels, emotion engines, “PS2 or X-Box” furore that abounds. All I can think is, looking back, in 5 years from now, we’ll all have relegated this month’s system to the small ads section of local rag and arguing over which is better, “X-Box 4 or NintenSonycube 23?”
And you know what the sad thing is?
Nobody will ever make a next-generation Barbarian.
I crime I tells ya.
Kids, don’t know how lucky you are these days.
Bah Humbug
When I were a lad, it were all fields round ‘ere and I used to play me Atari console before a morning’s graft down t’pit.
Nowadays, it’s PS2 this and X-Box that, I tell you young uns you don’t know how good you ‘ave it.
Seriously though, it seems that video gaming is a monster industry now, when just a few years ago it didn’t seem like it.
Or that might just be me wearing rose-tinted spectacles.
I had the Atari and loved Night Driver, steering the white block through pixel road edges with a cumbersome paddle.
Then came the BBC Model B, all 32k of it and classics such as Pedro The Gardener and Chucky Egg.
But I was blown away one day by the Spectrum, this one had 48k and rubber keys. Jet Set Willy, Horace Goes Skiing, so many titles and, with Ghostbusters, it even spoke. Ok, I couldn’t understand it, but that’s not the point.
I graduated to a Spectrum 128k +2, and this one had…..drumroll….a tape player built onto it. Oh how my friends fell about with envy as I demonstrated such titles as Target Renegade and Barbarian (Why has nobody produced a next-gen version of this?…the joy of lopping off your opponents head and the monster sidling on to kick it away was pure genuis).
Then came the Megadrive, and everyone rejoiced. The Super Nintendo took shape, replacing the Master System, and you had to own one of those.
All was happy in the world of computer games.
Then along came something called The Amiga, and everyone was happy.
Good games, disc instead of cartridge and no tapes.
Could this be topped?
(Well, the PC happened and is still happening but isnt technically a “games system”, you can play games but that’s just another function of it).
There were some attempts along the way at consoles, but they didn’t prove massively popular (3D0, Jaguar anyone?). Sega owned the console market, there was no choice apart from Nintendo but they didn’t really figure.
And one day, whilst working as a Xmas temp with a certain company that sells everything and anything you need for any computer, there was something called a Playstation being released, along with Saturn.
I remember the calls we got from people asking which one was best, and the company line was “I’m afraid I cannot tell you which one, as it is a matter of preference” – But I chose the grey box called Playstation.
They sold equally well, and I do remember there being no wait or order system whatsoever for either of these machines.
Playstation wowed the world and the Saturn fell by the wayside.
Which brings us to today’s age of millions of pixels, emotion engines, “PS2 or X-Box” furore that abounds. All I can think is, looking back, in 5 years from now, we’ll all have relegated this month’s system to the small ads section of local rag and arguing over which is better, “X-Box 4 or NintenSonycube 23?”
And you know what the sad thing is?
Nobody will ever make a next-generation Barbarian.
I crime I tells ya.
Kids, don’t know how lucky you are these days.
Bah Humbug
Nowadays, it’s PS2 this and X-Box that, I tell you young uns you don’t know how good you ‘ave it.
Seriously though, it seems that video gaming is a monster industry now, when just a few years ago it didn’t seem like it.
Or that might just be me wearing rose-tinted spectacles.
I had the Atari and loved Night Driver, steering the white block through pixel road edges with a cumbersome paddle.
Then came the BBC Model B, all 32k of it and classics such as Pedro The Gardener and Chucky Egg.
But I was blown away one day by the Spectrum, this one had 48k and rubber keys. Jet Set Willy, Horace Goes Skiing, so many titles and, with Ghostbusters, it even spoke. Ok, I couldn’t understand it, but that’s not the point.
I graduated to a Spectrum 128k +2, and this one had…..drumroll….a tape player built onto it. Oh how my friends fell about with envy as I demonstrated such titles as Target Renegade and Barbarian (Why has nobody produced a next-gen version of this?…the joy of lopping off your opponents head and the monster sidling on to kick it away was pure genuis).
Then came the Megadrive, and everyone rejoiced. The Super Nintendo took shape, replacing the Master System, and you had to own one of those.
All was happy in the world of computer games.
Then along came something called The Amiga, and everyone was happy.
Good games, disc instead of cartridge and no tapes.
Could this be topped?
(Well, the PC happened and is still happening but isnt technically a “games system”, you can play games but that’s just another function of it).
There were some attempts along the way at consoles, but they didn’t prove massively popular (3D0, Jaguar anyone?). Sega owned the console market, there was no choice apart from Nintendo but they didn’t really figure.
And one day, whilst working as a Xmas temp with a certain company that sells everything and anything you need for any computer, there was something called a Playstation being released, along with Saturn.
I remember the calls we got from people asking which one was best, and the company line was “I’m afraid I cannot tell you which one, as it is a matter of preference” – But I chose the grey box called Playstation.
They sold equally well, and I do remember there being no wait or order system whatsoever for either of these machines.
Playstation wowed the world and the Saturn fell by the wayside.
Which brings us to today’s age of millions of pixels, emotion engines, “PS2 or X-Box” furore that abounds. All I can think is, looking back, in 5 years from now, we’ll all have relegated this month’s system to the small ads section of local rag and arguing over which is better, “X-Box 4 or NintenSonycube 23?”
And you know what the sad thing is?
Nobody will ever make a next-generation Barbarian.
I crime I tells ya.
Kids, don’t know how lucky you are these days.
Bah Humbug
Spyhunter?
This was the one in a sports car with lorries dropping stuff on the road and you could go off and be in a boat as well?
Next Gen version of that?
Blimey, what other games would we like to see polished and buffed up for us 21st Century Gen X'rs to play?
Let's see now....
Horace Goes Skiing - SSX mixed with Syphon Filter
Back to Skool - SIlent Hill with South Park
Barbarian - MAKE THIS NOW! Helf-nekkid women, monsters and swordfights with decapitations. Rock 'n roll!!!!
Target Renegade - Hang on...The Bouncer..forget this one
Elite - Still hasn't been bettered
This was the one in a sports car with lorries dropping stuff on the road and you could go off and be in a boat as well?
Next Gen version of that?
Blimey, what other games would we like to see polished and buffed up for us 21st Century Gen X'rs to play?
Let's see now....
Horace Goes Skiing - SSX mixed with Syphon Filter
Back to Skool - SIlent Hill with South Park
Barbarian - MAKE THIS NOW! Helf-nekkid women, monsters and swordfights with decapitations. Rock 'n roll!!!!
Target Renegade - Hang on...The Bouncer..forget this one
Elite - Still hasn't been bettered
IMO, to argue with Goatboy (yet again), gaming is getting worse, not better. The more games I play, be they on console or PC, the less inspired I feel by them. The graphics are better than they used to be, but are the games really? I don't think so. The problem with how graphics-intensive everything has become is that it makes creating a game more expensive, which leads to developer consolidation, and creativity, along with innovation, is made less important. It's all about graphics now and, though I admire a good bit of flash here and there, I'm getting sick and tired of games without, well, the game. It's the reason why we see more and more sequels, because now that many developers work directly for big industry, they're forced to follow tried-and-true formulas, rather than having space to innovate.
To be frank, that annoys the hell out of me. I WANT new ideas, I WANT good gameplay; I don't care if the graphics look 8-bit as long as the game they're in is fun and exciting to play. We're moving so briskly towards trying to make games look more and more like movies, that we're seemingly forgetting that they're meant to be games. They're not just watched, they're played.
To be frank, that annoys the hell out of me. I WANT new ideas, I WANT good gameplay; I don't care if the graphics look 8-bit as long as the game they're in is fun and exciting to play. We're moving so briskly towards trying to make games look more and more like movies, that we're seemingly forgetting that they're meant to be games. They're not just watched, they're played.
I agree with you on the graphical side. And with a wave of new consoles here, and around the corner, we are going to be noticing the graphical niceties over gameplay for a little while yet. In general it seems to take a console to get to maybe it's third generation of games before the gameplay vs. graphics balance evens out a little. Of course there are exceptions to the rule (SSX being a good case on the PS2), but this is the impression that I get.
As for the number of 'classic' games out there, the great games of today easily equal or surpass the great games of yesteryear. Space Invaders and Pac Man hold good memories for 20 and 30 somethings, but you have to remember that virtually everyone of that age group will have played those games at one point, and there was less to choose from back then. So they have entered the collective consciousness of video gaming. I'm not saying they weren't great games, but then if you look at something like Deus Ex today, just how many (as a percentage say) of video gamers will have played it? Just those who have access to a decent spec PC. Hopefully it will be ported to other machines, but my point is many of the great games of yesteryear originated in the arcade, and so everyone could play them. Nowadays because a lot of the great games are played at home, people may not have even heard of some of the great games, let alone played them. This isn't helped by console magazines portraying PC games as being for nerds either (before anyone says, PC magazines are equally at fault for portraying console games as lightweight). There are great games out there, you just need access to all the available platforms to see how many there are.
As for the number of 'classic' games out there, the great games of today easily equal or surpass the great games of yesteryear. Space Invaders and Pac Man hold good memories for 20 and 30 somethings, but you have to remember that virtually everyone of that age group will have played those games at one point, and there was less to choose from back then. So they have entered the collective consciousness of video gaming. I'm not saying they weren't great games, but then if you look at something like Deus Ex today, just how many (as a percentage say) of video gamers will have played it? Just those who have access to a decent spec PC. Hopefully it will be ported to other machines, but my point is many of the great games of yesteryear originated in the arcade, and so everyone could play them. Nowadays because a lot of the great games are played at home, people may not have even heard of some of the great games, let alone played them. This isn't helped by console magazines portraying PC games as being for nerds either (before anyone says, PC magazines are equally at fault for portraying console games as lightweight). There are great games out there, you just need access to all the available platforms to see how many there are.