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Geek Culture / Bored of video games or just clinical depression?

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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 26th May 2008 00:20 Edited at: 26th May 2008 00:23
Hello TGC masses

I've had 2 new roommates move in a few weeks ago and they are THE definition of bronzed hardcore PC gamers. Souped up next-gen PC and several large cd cases of literally EVERY video game worth mentioning.

Now it's been almost a year since I seriously touched a game due to college life, so I sat down and caught up a bit on the new stuff kids are raving about. I was naturally sat down into what I was told was the new hot fuzz, Bioshock, COD 3&4, and a bunch of the other what's what next-gen titles.

Is it just me, or are games really not doing anything new anymore, and I just get bored of patterns a bit quicker than most people? I mean up until Half-Life 2, I would get lost in the world of games, now I feel like one of those old 80's guys who complain about today's music. I am still very young, why is this happening? I just get bored with games. I'm seeing nothing but the same stuff, re-done with new graphics. Now I know this sounds cliche and lame and has been mentioned an infinite amount of times but everyone, but where is this all going?

Is anyone else finding they're picking up a game, mildly going through it, mumbling something about "been there done that" and putting on another game?

It's a scary feeling, I feel like a part of my childhood is waving it's arm and retreating into some well, and my new life of martial arts & weightlifting, 9-5 job, gf and own apartment and bar nights has replaced it?

I don't wanna be one of those has-been nerds who claim they've turned their life around and are now more concerned with their social life and career development than with games, but honestly, games are making it too easy for me.

Are there any other (FGA) Failing Gamers Anonymous members out there who once spent hundreds of hours leveling up their Diablo 2 character to be dominant in duels and quests, but now prefer the UFC or sports or fitness, and leveling up their own real-life character?

Formerly known as Megaton Cat
Insert Name Here
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Posted: 26th May 2008 00:23
... I don't know, there have still been some pretty innovative games out there, Portal and Audiosurf both experimented with new ideas. I think there's still a lot of scope out there for new designs.

Lee Bamber - Blame Beer
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 26th May 2008 00:25
Is it a bad sign that I find Loco Roco on the PSP more amusing and attention grabbing than 90% of what is considered innovative today?

Formerly known as Megaton Cat
Samoz83
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Posted: 26th May 2008 00:35
I am the same I get bored very quickly with new games, such a disappointment.

www.firelightstudio.co.uk
flickenmaste
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Posted: 26th May 2008 01:04 Edited at: 26th May 2008 01:05
yea i find new games are more boring..hints why i hate COD4 and halo


all these new games are just run and gun, point click ur dead

"hahha lolol ur suck newb haha im the best watch me kick ur but lolol" <---- thats the people who play those games

What you know wont hurt you- except me
Darth Kiwi
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Posted: 26th May 2008 01:16
Maybe you should try some of the older, more complex games? I'm not saying there was ever a "golden age" or anything, but oldies like Thief, System Shock and Deus Ex were both entertaining and felt like they weren't dumbed down.

(And, yes, they were all done by Looking Glass. Thank God they existed... *shudders at the thought of nothing but DOOM clones*)

Of course, there's nothing stopping modern devs from doing equally complex (or even more complex) games, but rising production values and the unfortunate popularity of mediocrity make it unlikely...

I'm not actually a Kiwi, I just randomly thought it up one day.
NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th May 2008 01:23
I don't think games are doing enough with user-created content. Sure, you get the occasional exception such as Spore, etc., but when was the last time you saw a game as easy to make levels for as Quake 3, for instance? Half of the gameplay in my case was making my own levels for it! Scanning over the list of games on my bookshelf under two years old... nope, none of them have any UCC.


I fail at life. No, really.
SpyDaniel
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Posted: 26th May 2008 01:35
I only get bored of games when I have completed them 2 or more times and know them back to front. The biggest time wasters in my opinion are God sims, because you'll start playing at 10AM and stop at 9PM leaving you wondering where the time went.

I found Cod 4 and Bioshock to be great games and a lot of fun. I've completed Bioshock at least twice, but now its just boring as I know what is going to happen. Though with CoD 4, I can play it forever because I love war games and the multiplayer helps too.

Samoz83
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Posted: 26th May 2008 01:46
Thief now that's a great game series, my favourite was of course number one, wish looking glass still existed.

www.firelightstudio.co.uk
Preston C
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Posted: 26th May 2008 01:47 Edited at: 26th May 2008 02:02
Quote: "Is it a bad sign that I find Loco Roco on the PSP more amusing and attention grabbing than 90% of what is considered innovative today?"


No, this isn't a bad sign. People have different tastes in video games, not everything is going to appeal to everyone else, and not everything that is considered horrible by the media is going to be bad to everyone.

I never got into Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, etc. But I still play some of the classics (or more recent games), especially if I can just pick them up, play, and not leave frustrated because of idiots. What I can recommend is trying to play games with friends as much as possible, or play games that you can pick up and play in small intervals.

Want a great multiplayer frag fest? Unreal Tournament 2004 still works just fine.
Want an alternative game to slaughter things with? Try something different and play Overlord.

Or, if you're looking on the console side of things, fear not, there are plenty of casual games out for all three consoles, but specifically I can say that games on the Wii are paced well enough so that you can play them for an hour, and be satisfied for what you accomplished when you're done.

Or, if that fails, go back to playing what you know to have, at one point, been fun. Diablo servers are still up, and if you wanted, you could try some third party mods such as Eastern Sun. Me, personally, am experiencing a similar case, and I'm using this approach: I'll be signing up for a Final Fantasy XI account some time this week, and I've been playing mostly my old playstation games

[Edit] Yet, if none of those work, remember: there is more than video games, and you can always find another hobby. There are plenty of them out there.

AMD Opteron 185 Dual Core 2.6 Ghz | 2 GB RAM | 8800 GTS 640MB | Vista Home Premium 32 Bit
tha_rami
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Posted: 26th May 2008 02:24
Whoa, you just described my feelings a bit - games are getting too dumbed down. Games need to be accessible, and only a few games are still aimed at the hardcore gamer. Nowadays, réal games aren't 'economically feasible', as the target audience consists out of housemothers, grandpa's and your dishwasher. Not only that, but also, we're reaching a point where 'originality' no longer sells. People want more of what they know. There's only a few games being innovative - and the rest of the games has to come either from graphics (Crysis) or atmosphere (Bioshock). The time of Deus Ex and Metal Gear Solid is gone. It's our generations that'll feel nostalgia hit the soonest, I think - games get old fast. Real fast.

Pick up some retro games you haven't played yet. That gets you back in the mood a bit .


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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 26th May 2008 03:20 Edited at: 26th May 2008 03:26
The problem is not that I can't find great older games to go to, it's just that the industry has no future in my eyes. Companies are getting larger and games are getting more expensive to make.

I've also slipped demographics I guess. Even though I have aged too gradually for me to notice, there's a big difference between living with your parents and having lots off free time and living alone and devoting time to other things.

There's literally no desire for me to slog through another RPG, ever again, ever.

I'm glad there are people out there like me too. When I talk about this issue with other gamers, they always agree with me, (like in the case of this thread) but from the perspective of someone who AGREES gaming is going downhill, yet still continues to buy the next releases with the hope that something new is in there.

I mean, how many people were mega hyped with the novelty that was promised in Assasin's Creed, only to buy it and realize it's the same thing over and over?

I even played my beloved Halo 3 and realized it was basically just Halo 1, which I coincidently already played before.

Formerly known as Megaton Cat
SunnyKatt
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Posted: 26th May 2008 03:44
Quote: "Bioshock, COD 3&4,"


Maybe it's because you played those games. There are better ones you need to try.

tha_rami
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Posted: 26th May 2008 03:45
Oh, buying games - barely - if I buy any game at all, it better be extremely innovative. I'm contemplating GTA IV, as its been said that it goes beyond the hype - slightly disappointing in some aspects, but overwhelming in every aspect that's in it. Well, that's the stuff! Alan Wake should be fun too. Besides that, mostly handheld games - those seem to have the most innovative things.


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soapyfish
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Posted: 26th May 2008 04:54 Edited at: 26th May 2008 04:58
How about challenging your friends to find you a game that you actually enjoy?


I used to play a lot of games and spend a lot of money on games (and even more on games magazines) but I now spend more time and money out with friends, having a drink, having a laugh.

I'm talking about free time here, I don't live in a busy place so outside of college I would have very few chances to talk to friends face-to-face if I didn't make my own plans, which I do.

I just get more out of talking to friends than I ever would playing games. Granted I'm sometimes talking ABOUT games but I'm still spending time with friends. Honestly the fact that drinking is involved probably has something to do with it because it gives us all somewhere to sit at the end of the week and have a chat, a laugh and even get things off our chests (the drinks don't necessarily have to be alcoholic of-course, there's nothing more unsociable than being 'that piss head')

I recently got GTA4 and it's a great game but I'm not playing it right now, a few years ago I probably would have been. As it is I've just spent the night with some friends and now I'm contemplating a nice lazy bank holiday monday with perhaps a bit of casual gaming thrown in if I feel like it.

If you're not a fan of modern games, which is fair enough, have a look back at some games you maybe missed first time around. Hitman was one for me, never touched it first time around, picked it up for £5 last year and loved it.

There are always other things in your life and if you find yourself wanting to do something other than play video games then go for it.

bitJericho
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Posted: 26th May 2008 05:25
Quote: "I mean, how many people were mega hyped with the novelty that was promised in Assasin's Creed, only to buy it and realize it's the same thing over and over?"


Actually, I quite enjoyed Assassins's Creed. And I don't enjoy many games. Assassin's creed is the first game I finished in a while, except for Portal.


Hurray for teh logd!
Inspire
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Posted: 26th May 2008 05:38
I feel exactly how you are.

That's why it's awesome being an indie game developer. You get to make the kinda games you like to play.

The only games I have been finding entertaining are colorful platformers, LocoRoco and Lumines, Guitar Hero, and Halo 3. Most other games don't motivate me enough.

Megaton Cat
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Posted: 26th May 2008 05:52 Edited at: 26th May 2008 05:54
Quote: "How about challenging your friends to find you a game that you actually enjoy?"


Don't quite understand what you're getting at there...?

"Hey Scott, I DARE you to find a game I will like"

It's at friends/roommate's places that I get to sample these games in the first place.

Formerly known as Megaton Cat
Gil Galvanti
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Posted: 26th May 2008 07:58 Edited at: 26th May 2008 07:59
Everyone seems to say that, how games are "so much less innovative and worse than they used to be", but I really don't see that, I think that games are just getting better and better. Many developers are learning from the past, and using the newest technology to enhance the experience (Bioshock couldn't have been done nearly as well with the graphics of 10 years ago, that's part of what makes the game). Of course there are crap games, and of course there is not as much to be "invented" or innovated on as there used to be, because so many things have been tried now. Same thing with movies. I find CoD4 a perfect example of taking everything good from past games, and putting it all in one box. Bioshock is a good example of innovation and a nice story and immersion. Assassin's Creed, although disappointing from it's repetitive gameplay, was in other ways very innovative (control scheme, being able to climb on everything, a massive, seamless world) and could have been much better than it was. Company of Heroes is an amazing RTS, combining realism, strategy, history, and all while maintaining a fun balance. Guitar Hero, while I never got into it much just because of tastes, basically started a new genre by itself. So I really don't see what it is about people complaining about how crappy games are getting, because I really don't see that in the industry, and I don't see it with upcoming games like Spore (don't start Rami ) and Battlefield: Bad Company, or new engines like Euphoria. I think it's more about people losing interest in gaming in general, or just playing games that aren't really their "style".


flickenmaste
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Posted: 26th May 2008 07:59
Im not a big console fan...the shooters i like are americas army and tribes....

I love MMOs but alot of them just suck now

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Agent Dink
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Posted: 26th May 2008 08:26
I kinda feel the same way you do Aikicat. I mean... The games aren't bad really. I just don't get hooked quite so easily anymore.

My cousin keeps telling me to get a 360 but honestly I don't think I've played any 360 games that will keep me going to the end or being worth $50+ Sure the games are fun but they aren't addicting like some of the old ones were. Like. I really need to make Terra Nova work on my PC. It's an old game. For whatever reason despite it's age, it's dos 3d graphics, it's horribly acted cutscenes, the game just has an appeal. It just feels right! I can't explain how most games nowadays don't live up to that feeling anymore It's kinda sad. I guess everyone has their golden age of gaming. I love my roots. The new stuff just never grabs my attention...

Well that's not entirely true. Crysis and CoD4 had me hooked in single player and CoD4's multiplayer is good for a few days at a time every now and then.

When it comes to console games they are always more fun co-op or vs friends and stuff. I don't like playing alone on the newer consoles for some reason. I guess I just wish that games could maybe revert to the old days a bit. Maybe they're getting too realistic? That's probably why I like Crysis so much, it's very realistic, but at the same time it has elements of old school games, super fast speed, high jumps, other special abilities, aliens, etc.

Jeku
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Posted: 26th May 2008 08:48
If you want to see how the games were good in the "good old days", just pop open an Atari 2600 and try to get immersed. Most of those games can't keep me entertained for 5 minutes and had absolutely no storyline to be found. Today's games are rich in graphics, shallow in story, and are repetitive as all hell. You can blame the big publishers and their "don't try anything risky" cookie-cutter mentality.

It's nice to see unique and innovative games on PSN, Wii-ware, and XBLA.


Mr Makealotofsmoke
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Posted: 26th May 2008 09:29
go play deus ex. the games in the 90's seams to be fairly good. I have a habit of getting bored with most games. I have only finnished a few games in my life, most recent being HL2 lol


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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 26th May 2008 11:56 Edited at: 26th May 2008 12:08
Quote: "Is it just me, or are games really not doing anything new anymore, and I just get bored of patterns a bit quicker than most people? I mean up until Half-Life 2, I would get lost in the world of games, now I feel like one of those old 80's guys who complain about today's music. I am still very young, why is this happening? I just get bored with games. I'm seeing nothing but the same stuff, re-done with new graphics. Now I know this sounds cliche and lame and has been mentioned an infinite amount of times but everyone, but where is this all going?

Is anyone else finding they're picking up a game, mildly going through it, mumbling something about "been there done that" and putting on another game?"


I've found a similar thing or at least to an extent - I'm no where near as excited as I was about games, I mean the excitement was probably lost when I was waiting for Final Fantasy X2, well some was left over for XII, both of which disappointed me. When I saw FEAR and Doom 3 in a magazine, for both I thought 'they look awesome', played them, good graphics, and nice game play, but after a while they were a snore. Half Life 2 was a great game for me and it didn't have a brilliant plot in my eyes, but it managed to kick some butt and have been hoping the industry could pull of something like that again and I must admit, I've played about 20 minutes of Gears of War with a friend on his 360 and the gameplay looks promising and will probably buy it when I get my new laptop - whether or not it keeps the interested going I'll soon find out.

But seeing games that disappoint me pushes me away a little bit, but when I get a new laptop and some money (which I'll be getting soon, hopefully), I'm going to try some of the latest releases and see if they have anything better. But what I'm really hoping for is something more original and not Doom, Half Life and Halo clones in the FPS area and better RPGs (Oblivion and Dark Messiah are good IMO and I am one of the few people that preferred Oblivion to Morrowind but like most games, they have good points that fall due to 'samey-ness' - after a while both seemed to repeat themselves and you do think 'been there, done that')

For me, the best games are: Dino Crisis 1 & 2, Final Fantasy 6 though 9, (admittedly, the ones before that didn't grab me as much) Phantasy Star (the 2D ones), Desert/Jungle/Urban Strike, Gunship 2000, Monkey Island 1,2 and 3, Broken Sword 1 and 2, Half Life 2, Crash Bandicoot 1 and 2, Day of the Tentacle, the original Metal Gear Solid, Prince of Persia 1,2 & 3, Zelda up until Wind Waker (as I haven't played the latest), Black & White

We need some people to think "what's a good idea?" as opposed to "what sells?" because I don't think that was the mind set of any of the above. If you're asking "what sells?" then you're just repeating what has already been done many times before.

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
Darth Kiwi
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Posted: 26th May 2008 12:09
Quote: "The problem is not that I can't find great older games to go to, it's just that the industry has no future in my eyes. Companies are getting larger and games are getting more expensive to make."

I do wonder if the industry will one day just sort of rot from within and just sort of collapse.

But the way I see it, the crappier the mainstream titles get, the angrier indie devs will become and the more motivated they will be to make the kind of game *they* want. Which means, essentially, that as long as there are talented programmers out there, we can't really lose.

I'm not actually a Kiwi, I just randomly thought it up one day.
Drew Cameron
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Posted: 26th May 2008 12:53
First game I've bought in the past 5 years is GTA IV. And I only play it for an hour or so a day.

Games these days just aren't the same. Can't even bring myself to get excited about MGS4 to be honest. Great, it's got better graphics. So what?

tha_rami
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Posted: 26th May 2008 14:20
I heard MGS4's first half is amazing, and the second half was a bit of Kojima-style "OH MY GOD I NEED TO TIE THE LOOSE ENDS!". I'm getting it. I need to know the loose ends.

Quote: "(Bioshock couldn't have been done nearly as well with the graphics of 10 years ago, that's part of what makes the game"

Hah, I'd still take Deus Ex over Bioshock anytime, and compared to System Shock, Bioshock isn't that much greater, really. Those games are all 8-15 years old.

I won't start on Spore, Gil, because it's actually the only game I agree with you that it has innovative features. Bioshock is System Shock dumbed down with better graphics. Assassins Creed is basically Prince of Persia freeform. Call of Duty 4 is the fourth installment! How can that be innovative?

Like said, the market isn't going to collapse. What is going to collapse is the hardcore gaming market. We're just not profitable anymore. Instead, Mario & Sonic Olympic Games and games like those are going to get big.


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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 26th May 2008 15:32
I don't know, I think there is a market for hardcore gamers, just the 'hardcore I like to blow the living crap out of things' hardcore games. I mean, I enjoy shooting things - but only casually - like in shoot-em-up arcarde games, these games will only immerse me to a point and not the full mile.

We need some more games that require brain-power, some thinking and ideas that will keep the gamer going, or something like as some of us writers put it, full with questions the audience want to answer, and followed by further questions - a strong plot. We've proven we can make things look amazing and have amazing realism, brilliant physics and the lot - lets apply that to effective game design - rather than redoing the same old things with better technology.

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
5Louiz
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Posted: 26th May 2008 16:32 Edited at: 26th May 2008 16:35
Maybe your interests are changing slightly. I did feel in a similar way once. Almost nothing that was related to games excited me. I looked at my favourite games and I was too down to even start playing them. I believe that this may be considered a kind of depression. I guess that was having a too high dose of that. I was getting saturated. But I just started doing different things like I used to do before becoming a game fanatic, and everything got back to normal. I restarted to really enjoy beginning to play a game and to study things.

I do not know. Some different things with your girl or you boys. Do less mental things. Le parkour and air guitar with your dudes. Have you decided what you really want as profession, by the way? May be related. Dunno.

Cheers.

greenlig
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Posted: 26th May 2008 16:43
Would it be remiss of me to suggest that maybe the industry is more concerned with producing commercially viable products, and less concerned with making games because they love games.

The corporate gamer has shunted the bedroom coder out the door. Games used to be a new frontier, now they are a vehicle for financial success. It's easy to get jaded.

Five guys, pizza, and diet coke made Wolfenstien. Let's get back to it.

Greenlig

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Agent Dink
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Posted: 26th May 2008 17:00
I'd love to see a new 7th Guest or 11th Hour style game. Point and click puzzle game.

Jeku
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Posted: 26th May 2008 19:48
Don't get me started on MGS4--- there is a 90-minute *cutscene* in that game. Argh.

Quote: "Five guys, pizza, and diet coke made Wolfenstien. Let's get back to it. "


Some of the Wiiware, XBLA and PSN games were made by just a few people

Quote: " I'd love to see a new 7th Guest or 11th Hour style game. Point and click puzzle game."


Droool-- a 7th Guest remake would be awesome.


Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 26th May 2008 20:02
Quote: "Don't get me started on MGS4--- there is a 90-minute *cutscene* in that game. "


Why? Seem's a little pointless, cut scenes tend to be there to forward the plot, 90-minutes sounds like a lot of space to put some good game-play and add more to the game. Or better yet, effort spent that could be making the game itself better to avoid too many repetitions and ironing things out - if MGS4 is a kick-butt game out and out, like the original, then fair enough.

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
Jeku
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Posted: 26th May 2008 20:06
Well, I don't buy a game to watch a movie. I don't mind if they're 5 minutes max, but 90 minutes is extremely horrendous. Just imagine if they make it unskippable or if they disable pausing during that time. Hmmm.


NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th May 2008 20:15
So that is why it needs a 50gb disc.


I fail at life. No, really.
AaronG
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Posted: 26th May 2008 20:27
I didn't read this whole thread but the first or so post(s), but Aikicat I have to agree with you.

I myself have lost all interest in games, and now am resorting to working out by jogging and weight lifting, and since then (4 months ago) I've lost 40 pounds, and gained muscle strength. I feel better, I really do, but part of me also misses that gaming perspective. You know?

But yeah I'm 100% right with you there on that topic. Haha, I almost freaked when I read your post I was like "WOW THAT'S HOW I FEEL." haha.

And also within the past 4 months of this...My "opposite sex social life" haha, his increased tremendously. (hint to you geeks out there. haha.)

-AaronG


Gil Galvanti
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Posted: 26th May 2008 23:22 Edited at: 26th May 2008 23:23
Quote: "If you want to see how the games were good in the "good old days", just pop open an Atari 2600 and try to get immersed. Most of those games can't keep me entertained for 5 minutes and had absolutely no storyline to be found. Today's games are rich in graphics, shallow in story, and are repetitive as all hell. You can blame the big publishers and their "don't try anything risky" cookie-cutter mentality.

It's nice to see unique and innovative games on PSN, Wii-ware, and XBLA."

So in other words, you hate all games?

Quote: "Hah, I'd still take Deus Ex over Bioshock anytime, and compared to System Shock, Bioshock isn't that much greater, really. Those games are all 8-15 years old."

Is Deus Ex Bioshock? No. I never said that games couldn't be as good, I said that specifically for Bioshock, the graphical and world style make up a large amount of the appeal I have for the game.

Quote: "Assassins Creed is basically Prince of Persia freeform."

Never played PoP, and I've never heard of another game that has the kind of control scheme and ability to climb on basically everything in a massive world like AC did, as disappointing as the gameplay was.

Quote: "Call of Duty 4 is the fourth installment! How can that be innovative?"

Did I say CoD4 was innovative? . I actually said the opposite, I said it took everything good from past games, and put it all together, meaning they just did everything that's already been done, only right and/or better.

Quote: "Like said, the market isn't going to collapse. What is going to collapse is the hardcore gaming market. We're just not profitable anymore."

I think it's a good thing gaming is becoming more mainstream. People equate that with bad games, which is true in some cases, but I think that the main problem is in the hardcore gamers that are complaining. Either they are losing interest in gaming in general as they grow older, are too close-minded/stubborn to play/accept newer games, or are looking for elements that the new games they play don't have.

Quote: "The corporate gamer has shunted the bedroom coder out the door. Games used to be a new frontier, now they are a vehicle for financial success. It's easy to get jaded.
"

That may be so, but a lot of times good games are produced in the process of financial success . I don't know why people act like games like Bioshock, CoD4, GTAIV, HL2, Oblivion, etc. are crap, when there is obviously something about them if you look at the reviews they get and the number of copies they've sold. I could really care less how innovative something is if the end product is entertaining. Heck, we've been doing superhero movies for 80 years, but does that mean we are going to pass off Batman: The Dark Knight as crap because it can't come up with a new genre or concept for it? Lack of innovation!=crappy game.

Well it seems I'm the only one who feels this way by reading the thread, lol, but like I said, I think it's more that the players are losing interest and growing up (not that you can't play games as you get older) rather than games are getting bad. It really does remind me of the old people who complain about todays music just because it doesn't interest them, or because most of it's been done before. I'm surprised to see opinions like these coming from a game developer forum, if you really think that then a) don't play the supposedly good new games if you think they're crap, or b) you're a game developer, so stop complaining and do better yourself.

Sorry if I come off as rude or annoyed (which I am a bit), but I feel like I'm trying to convince a bunch of old people why our generation isn't a complete failure at everything we do and will do.


Peter H
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Posted: 26th May 2008 23:25
Quote: "And also within the past 4 months of this...My "opposite sex social life" haha, his increased tremendously. (hint to you geeks out there. haha.)"



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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th May 2008 23:28
I think another problem with a large proportion of the industry is that it is now trying to be realistic rather than stylistic. I've played some games which looked completely and utterly unrealistic, but had a style that charmed. A lot of new games are all about realism and have no passion.


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SunnyKatt
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Posted: 26th May 2008 23:48
Gil Galvanti
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Posted: 26th May 2008 23:49
Quote: "I've played some games which looked completely and utterly unrealistic, but had a style that charmed. A lot of new games are all about realism and have no passion."

I disagree, games can easily be both. Bioshock has a very stylistic look and feeling, but is very realistic looking at the same time. CoD4 is realistic, but that doesn't mean that it's not a great game. Assassin's Creed has both a unique style and realism as well.


Samoz83
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Posted: 27th May 2008 00:28
I thought it was that MGS4 had 90 minutes of cut scenes which would be more likely considering MGS3 had something like 65 minutes

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Jeku
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Posted: 27th May 2008 01:12
Quote: "I thought it was that MGS4 had 90 minutes of cut scenes which would be more likely considering MGS3 had something like 65 minutes"


I have no idea what you're saying in that sentence.

Not sure whether you're agreeing or disagreeing, but yes, MGS4 has a 90 minute cut scene.


tha_rami
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Posted: 27th May 2008 01:40 Edited at: 27th May 2008 01:49
Quote: "Don't get me started on MGS4--- there is a 90-minute *cutscene* in that game. Argh."

I couldn't care less. Metal Gear Solid is game and movie, and if those 90 minutes wrap it all up in a great way, I wouldn't care if I would have to watch a full length movie. The series deserve such attention to detail and story in its final episode and no less whatsoever.

@Gil
System Shock, and in extension Deus Ex, are the spiritual ancestors of your beloved Bioshock. That's why I compared them. Know your history, eh.

@Gil as well:
Quote: "I think it's a good thing gaming is becoming more mainstream. People equate that with bad games, which is true in some cases, but I think that the main problem is in the hardcore gamers that are complaining. Either they are losing interest in gaming in general as they grow older, are too close-minded/stubborn to play/accept newer games, or are looking for elements that the new games they play don't have."

I don't, and I think that any hardcore gamer would agree with me in that regard. With more mainstream, we get more crap that should be playable for 5 year olds. We've lost massive amounts of challenge in games, and massive amounts of depth in games. Instead, we see increasing numbers of well-selling shallow games. What hardcore gamers are looking for are the best games, the games that make you feel a part of the world, a world that makes you go 'wow'. The last time I had that, was my first few steps in GTA IV. Before that, I can't even remember a game that did that since my first steps on the Halo ring in Halo 1. That was pretty 'wow'. Or wait, Portal, a minigame, did that too. Beyond Good and Evil, too.

@Gil too!
Quote: "I don't know why people act like games like Bioshock, CoD4, GTAIV, HL2, Oblivion, etc. are crap, when there is obviously something about them if you look at the reviews they get and the number of copies they've sold."

Those games are good, although only CoD4 and GTA IV improve on their earlier installments. Bioshock, HL2 and Oblivion are all a disappointment to me. Bioshock was too shallow, HL2 not so revolutionary and Oblivion an overall disappointment. You know what worries me? That Beyond Good and Evil barely sold at all. Nowadays, games are marketing and money. Most of the soul in games is gone or disappearing rapidly. Risks are shunned, even though there's far more money and technology available.


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Gil Galvanti
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Posted: 27th May 2008 01:48 Edited at: 27th May 2008 01:54
Quote: "@Gil
System Shock, and in extension Deus Ex, are the spiritual ancestors of your beloved Bioshock. That's why I compared them. Know your history, eh."

I know they were, but that doesn't make them the same game. I've never played them before so I don't know what they did to be so great so I can't compare. And I don't know why you seem to be implying negativity in my "beloved Bioshock" when it's regarded by many to be one of the best games ever made, 9/10 being the worst major critic score it received. And you seem to think that I criticized your beloved Deus Ex and System Shock, when I've never played them to be able to do that, and would probably like them if I did.

Quote: "I don't, and I think that any hardcore gamer would agree with me in that regard. With more mainstream, we get more crap that should be playable for 5 year olds. We've lost massive amounts of challenge in games, and massive amounts of depth in games. Instead, we see increasing numbers of well-selling shallow games. What hardcore gamers are looking for are the best games, the games that make you feel a part of the world, a world that makes you go 'wow'. The last time I had that, was my first few steps in GTA IV. Before that, I can't even remember a game that did that since my first steps on the Halo ring in Halo 1. That was pretty 'wow'. Or wait, Portal, a minigame, did that too."

That's what I mean though. You equate the word mainstream with 5 year olds, when that's not the case. Maybe with the Wii, which ironically seems to be your favorite console, that is the case, considering the entire console was geared towards casual gamers. I think that it's not so much the games are changing, but people are changing, growing up with a large selection of genres and games, rather than growing up without them, and only the "nerdy computer guys" played them when they came out.


tha_rami
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Posted: 27th May 2008 01:51
Deus Ex recieved worse scores than that, while being a far better game. Know why? Because back in those days, games could get close to Deus Ex. Nowadays, Bioshock is a pearl. It's honestly discouraging to see that.

PS. You wouldn't like System Shock. You might like Deus Ex though. I should get you that game some day.


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Gil Galvanti
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Posted: 27th May 2008 01:57
Quote: "Deus Ex recieved worse scores than that, while being a far better game. Know why? Because back in those days, games could get close to Deus Ex. Nowadays, Bioshock is a pearl. It's honestly discouraging to see that.
"

Far better game in your opinion . Most people don't rate games on a scale like you do, lol, where if you have game a that is great, it deserves a 9, until game b comes along and is amazing, and deserves a 10 and makes game a into a 6 .

Quote: "PS. You wouldn't like System Shock. You might like Deus Ex though. I should get you that game some day."

Lol, no, you aren't allowed to get me anything else, I'll buy it one day...maybe .


Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 27th May 2008 02:07 Edited at: 27th May 2008 02:13
Ah come on guys, no need to snap at each other - after all they're only a couple of games, Gil likes some of the newies more than Rami and Rami thinks that little compares to some of the great games in the past. No big deal, somebody is bound to like newies over oldies, I mean I prefer Oblivion to Morrowind and Daggerfall, whilst thinking the originals are the best.

I think the game industry is moving away from its great achievements in attempting to sell and personally I don't always think 'mainstream' is a good thing, I actually think it turns a lot of things into sell outs (in terms of music, Marilyn Manson) - looking at what sells rather than coming up with good ideas you like (which tend to make the classics), hence most of the music I listen to tend not to be mainstream at all and I think it's some of the most talented stuff in the world. At the same time, amongst mainstream music, good stuff does come out, it's inevitable that somebody has a good selling idea or something that works and sells at the same time. The same for the game industry, there are still good games being made, whether or not they're as good as the old ones depends entirely on what you get out of a game and your viewpoint on the gaming industry. Perhaps our type of gamer is becoming a minority and of course the mainstream doesn't favour the minorities.

[edit]

Quote: "Most people don't rate games on a scale like you do, lol, where if you have game a that is great, it deserves a 9, until game b comes along and is amazing, and deserves a 10 and makes game a into a 6"


To be fair though, I'm sure the scale is relative to the games availible, compared to the best games out released - if there's a 9 or a 10, then it's going to be good in the same way other released games are good. I'm sure Crash Bandicoot if released today wouldn't do as well as it did when originally released.

"Experience never provides its judgments with true or strict universality; but only (through induction) with assumed and comparative universality." - Immanuel Kant
tha_rami
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Posted: 27th May 2008 02:16 Edited at: 27th May 2008 02:20
Oh, Sepp, don't worry, this is me and Gil discussing stuff. You should read our more political arguments .

Games are relative to competition, but I do not believe in the 'perfect' game. The highest 'score' I'd ever give a game would be 98 and that's only for a game like Majora's Mask, or, Metal Gear Solid.


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Samoz83
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Posted: 27th May 2008 02:44 Edited at: 27th May 2008 02:45
Quote: "MGS4 has a 90 minute cut scene"

I was saying it has 90 minutes of cut scenes, or so I have heard.

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