Unlimited Lives Anyone?

It’s no question that our games and our game systems are far more efficient and superior to what we started out with.

Trust me, there is no way I’m bashing Atari, or for those true gamers, Magnavox Odyssey.

Compared to Xbox 360 and PS3 they stand no chance. Let’s step aside for a second and forget about graphics, because to be honest, when you hear about how far we have advanced in gaming it seems to be one of the only things that gets talked about. I don’t think we realize the little things. Some of which have made the biggest advances for gamers. For instance, being able to save our games. It seems like a small and obvious upgrade, but it might just be the biggest one of them all. When games were only minutes long it might have been no big deal. Think about it tho, some of our games take days just to get to the end. That doesn’t include all the extra stuff they give us to do in between. Now what if you couldn’t save that game? It would suck wouldn’t it? We have come accustomed to seeing that little auto save sign in the corner that we don’t even have to think about it anymore.

So how about maps on the screen? What if they still gave us paper maps like the original Zelda? (Lets ignore Grand Theft Auto and it’s silly map for a second. I’m pretty sure that’s only in there to make you feel more a part of the game.) For the most part paper maps might be too ridiculous to make for the worlds they create for us these days. I can picture it now. You finally get Call of Duty, Fable, Assassins Creed, Fallout, ect. You open the box. One CD, check! Bonus material, check! One 6 foot by 6 foot size map…check? It just doesn’t seem very realistic.

So did anyone order a side of unlimited lives? Cuz I know I sure did. We still have our health meters, but for most games now running out of health doesn’t mean much more than going to the last check point. You still never REALLY die. In Super Mario Bros if you wasted your measly 3 lives before you can gain more you have to start from the beginning again. I don’t see myself dying less than…hmm… 50 times in any given Grand Theft Auto game. That’s when I’m trying too. And I know I’m not the only one.

I also know I’m not the only one who couldn’t aim on Xbox if their life depended on it. I mean, close up not problem, but you’re asking me to snipe some dude who looks more like an ant than a person. I’m gonna easily need about 5 rounds for that. Oh, I have unlimited ammo? Oh, and if I didn’t I could just go steal it from that dead guy two feet away? Perfect! Most shooting games make it pretty easy on us now considering the damage our enemies can take. I don’t think the ducks in Duck Hunt would be too happy about that. In fact, they wouldn’t have time to be happy because they would all be dead first try.

On top of all that we still get our lovely Options button. You can pick exactly how you’d like to control your character. What buttons do what? Analog stick or d pad? Toggle anyone? Volume controls, subtitles, screen settings, sensitivity, language, should I even go on?

We take advantage of most of these things. We always want our graphics to be spot on. Of course…we have every right to. Although there are just certain categories of advancements in gaming that are going unnoticed. So the next time that you’re playing L.A. Noire and you demolish 20 cars with no consequences just be happy you aren’t playing Pole Position.

- Jax

A Painted Game: What Today’s Hardware Could Really Give Us Graphically Besides Realism

Forget cel-shaded Link (although I adore him), and forget hyper-realistic Wii U Link. What if a Zelda game looked like the above illustration from Katsuya Terada?

I’ve always felt that making a game look and feel like an illustration or a painting is a more difficult feat than realism. We know what real water looks like, and reflections, and what not, but a real challenge would be creating an idea of how a painting would behave.

Okami has dipped into this and if you’re looking at cinema then look no further than the very cool scenes from What Dreams May Come featuring Robin Williams in a heaven that has been painted with oil based paints.



It’s an aesthetically beautiful movie and it’s pretty well written too from what I remember. Now I know that there are a couple of games today doing this type of direction such as El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.



But, I’ve played El Shaddai and it’s not very accessible and it’s weirdness is a bit contrived. That’s why I think a Zelda game which mostly straight-forward with the art style features in one of Terada’s illustrations would be so gorgeous. All of the colors would be so powerful and convey so much emotion.

I get giddy thinkin’ about how rad a Zelda game like would look. Absolutely giddy I tell ‘ya.

- Kyle

Graphically Speaking: A Positive Prespective on Where We’re Headed

“

The Xbox 360 and PS3 are the two most powerful gaming consoles on the market today. In actuality, they really aren’t much different from a computer. Both have a CPU, a GPU, some RAM, and a hard drive, just like a PC, yet most computers are replaced every three to five years with upgraded models. Despite being about five years old already, the PS3 and 360 both have a planned life-cycle extending through 2015.

These old systems are leading to stagnation in the gaming industry. Every year, people flock to buy the new Halo or Modern Warfare, but all we get is a bit of new game content; graphics overhauls are out of the question. PC games - and gamers - are suffering for it. In order to make games cross-platform compatible developers have to cater to the significantly weaker hardware in consoles. Epic Games has already produced a tech demo of its latest Unreal Engine 3 running on current generation PC hardware, pushing hard for next-gen consoles to get here faster.

”

Paul Escallier of Maximum PC



Let’s focus on a key statement in the above quote:

These old systems are leading to stagnation in the gaming industry. Every year, people flock to buy the new Halo or Modern Warfare, but all we get is a bit of new game content; graphics overhauls are out of the question. PC games - and gamers - are suffering for it.

Paul shares his opinion with many other games, I’m sure - and this opinion of graphical innovation being the main driver of the industry is very valid. In my experience of talking with peers, and co-workers, most would agree that graphics are very important to them and they often refuse to play great games with primitive or childish graphics.

Obviously some of the most popular games in the industry have a heavy focus on realism and graphics, such as Call of Duty, but the other big driver is robust multiplayer systems. Both of these features have been implanted from PC gaming into console gaming. The Xbox Live platform has been heavily successful with it’s PC-like gaming and online functionality so for games to maximize their profits it is obvious that they need great graphics and great online re-playability.

The downside to this is I think a lot of gamers like me get frustrated with the direction of gaming, and they curse people who obsess over graphics and online play, and toss aside lower end and single play experiences. While the consoles do seem to increasingly become less adventurous with disk releases, I think independent gaming has never been more successful with the LIVE Arcade and the Playstation Store. While the majority of Xbox 360 and PS3 owners probably do not buy indie games for their system, it’s a big thing to take note of if you’re becoming jaded about today’s gaming scene.

To highlight one of the even more important advancements for gaming with an emphasis on game play over technological aesthetics is the rise and popularity of the iOS App Store. This however brings up another issues certain gamers have with mobile and browser gaming and that is this hatred for casual gaming which is essentially the same kind of disdain gamers have for core graphical gaming, but the opposite end of the spectrum of course.

This kind of worry and hatred of a certain body of gaming again is pointless as games that still cater to everyone’s and anyone’s preferences are still being created. Of course on the surface it may seem like Call of Duty and Angry Birds is where gaming is going, but that is mostly untrue, because that is a slice of where of gaming is going. Admitedly it’s a large slice, but in no way is it a true indicator that you’ll never see the kind of gaming you love ever again.

I think gaming is more popular than ever and I think that can truly only be a good thing for the industry, and for us as gamers.

Could you imagine if society as a whole didn’t care about gaming? Where would be now? I don’t think we’d have the creativity and quality of titles that we see across the entire gaming medium. From the AAA titles to the $1 App Store gems, gaming would not be where it is today if it wasn’t a mass producing money making machine that caters to the whole rather than it’s individual parts.

The wonderful thing is that those niche individual parts are in no way being left behind in today’s market - in fact they’re being catered to more than ever.

- Kyle

What happened to Cave Story?

First of all I apologize for you having to watch that On The Spot intro.

Secondly I’m not trying to be a hater - but seriously this just looks awful. I have nothing against NIS either, because no one could ever make a Cave Story remake with polygons and a 3D effect that would look better than this to me.

Even if it was on better hardware.

The issue is that primitive graphics were a key part of Cave Story’s original charm and now that’s been discarded. I also don’t like the updated 2D graphics when the game came out on Wii Ware.

I just don’t see the point, because Cave Story came out during a time in which it could’ve had the graphics that it’ll have on the 3DS, but it was a design decision to make the game with sprites.

All this updating to Cave Story dilutes the game’s value for me and it’s sad to see something so pure and simple become so aesthetically destroyed by technology and misdirection.

- Kyle

Number One with a Drill Bucket! A Small Exposition Promoting a Way to Create Better Games

Xbox Live members received a real treat last week in the form of Capcom’s Dead Rising 2: Case 0, a five hour, five dollar stand-alone prequel to their latest zombie whomp-fest.  Early critics pegged it as a paid demo, but with over 300,000 units sold in its first week (an XBLA record, apparently) and an incredible amount of positive buzz, Case 0 is not only a success, but it just might make a serious impact on the future of games.

Earlier this year, I was charmed by the slick DSiware tie-in, Dark Void Zero, another Capcom promotion which took the same premise as its full-priced counterpart and shrunk it down into an 8-bit arcady platformer.  The result, although short, was a game I, and a lot of others, really enjoyed.  Dead Rising 2: Case 0 takes this idea one step further and offers us a fully realized experience in the game world it too promotes.  Providing a tight, well-paced challenge, Case 0 incorporates the same approach to time management and leveling as the original Dead Rising, while adding a viscerally-rewarding weapon customization system.  But the most exciting thing about Case 0 is it provides a satisfyingly complete experience in such a short and sweet package.

And I want more. Not more Dead Rising 2 (although Case 0 has me considering it). No, I want more short, affordable action games. More downloadable games. More good games. 

Take any flawed, third-tier action shooter that came out for console with little fanfare, sold miserably at $60 then disappeared — Legendary, or Golden Axe, or any of the host of Gears or Halo wannabes that just were too wonky to enjoy. Now imagine if they were reworked, the story tightened and made more accessible, poorly implemented mechanics removed, pacing polished, action perfected — all tightened into an enjoyable five hour adventure that sold for five bucks. I’d buy it. I think you would too. 

There’s too much inflexibility over what a console action game should be.  Matt Kish’s recent post lamenting the predictable state of game narrative made an excellent point about how certain games never change. Popular action shooters, especially money-printing franchises like Halo, dare not tamper with core gameplay.  The problem is this attitude trickles down and influences the developers of lesser games.  Case 0 shows us an alternative that might be very good for both gamer and the industry. Sure, this one is meant to get you excited for the full game. But as an example of what future games could be like, Dead Rising 2: Case 0 is very important, and by buying it you send a message to the industry that short, affordable games are just as desirable as the big ones.  Also, you’ll be getting a pretty darn good game for only $5.

- Andy