Games Have Changed
Video games are one of the best sources of entertainment by becoming mainstream and accessible to everyone. They’re selling like hot cakes because they appeal to most audiences. However, that wasn’t always the case. Games themselves, the feel of games, and the definition of playing games have changed and will continue to change.
Before the CD-Rom era, games were often brutal, long experiences. Most people would talk about how poorly the levels were constructed, how unfair the AI was, how easy it was to get stuck/lost in the game, and how they wouldn’t “lose to the game”. They would spend money on software that took much of their time to complete and fulfilled their masochistic impulses. That was what it meant to play a game. A large number of the insanely difficult titles are considered classics and the most memorable.
When the Playstation came out, its hardware brought more options to the developers’ table. This sparked the RPG revolution. Final Fantasy VII was THE game that made roleplaying games mainstream. It was critically noted for its graphics, characters, cinematics, atmosphere, and gameplay. Its cinematics brought the gamer closer to the story while the person feeds on the eyecandy. It was perfect for its time and it made a big push for games.
The 64-bit era brought gamers closer to games with a few controller modifications. The Nintendo 64 brought along the analog stick. This gave a sense of a more controlled sense of movement. During this era, the Goldeneye phenomenon made a breakthrough for console First-Person Shooters. To further enhance the FPS experience, the Rumble Pak was introduced to the N64 and Perfect Dark was one of the popular FPS games to use it. Its sole purpose was to interact with the player by shaking/rumbling when the situation was appropriate (for example, collisions and explosions). The Rumble Pak inspired the Playstation’s Dual Shock controller, which was put to full use (along with the PSX) by Metal Gear Solid. MGS is one of the best action games, not solely on its espionage gameplay, but also for how it interacts with the player.
Previous-gen’s greatest accomplishment was online play. The Dreamcast introduced the structure and the Xbox perfected it and created an efficient, working service. People no longer had to go over to their friend’s place or go to a gathering event to play with other people. This revolutionized multiplayer games. People were able to have fun and compete with other players from the world via the web.
Current-gen brought us a working motion sensor. The Wii is the popular console of our age, not just because of its price, but because of the innovative Wiimote/Nunchuk. This brought about an interactive and accessible experience to broader audience. Players would have to put some physical motion to perform an action within the game. The Playstation 3 has its own motion sensor controller, the Six-Axis. However, most of the PS3 games don’t use its capabilities and follow a traditional format.
Although there have been many innovations, it seems that current-gen gaming has hit a brick wall. Popular games (for the Western audience) are shooters, sports games, and music games. From this, it seems that the Western gamers like a quick, fast paced game and simulations of hobbies. This is very different from previous eras, where people looked for a long game that would challenge them and provide an unforgettable experience. Modern-day players play games just for cheap thrills (maybe because of short attention span); they don’t really sit down to actually play and enjoy what the game has to offer.
Another point I would like to make about this generation of games is that games are converging rather than trying to make further revolutionary efforts. The overwhelming amount of FPS games is a moneymaking shell that contains similar (if not the same) material and substance, except for the titles that have established an enormous fanbase. Other than that, I can only differentiate these games as either run’n’gun or stop’n’pop styles. Further evidence of convergence would be the similarities between the mechanics of Gears of War and Metal Gear Solid 4/Online. The grenade system looks very similar and they concentrate a lot on stop’n’pop action. To add more fuel to the fire, the action aspect is being put into every gaming genre other than the music games. There will probably be no such thing as an “action-game” since action is a fundamental part in every product.
What will the future bring? I think there will be ONE game where a person can do anything and everything (not World of Warcraft). Why? The short attention span of players, the major interest in simulations, and the convergence of games are major factors from this generation that’ll eventually develop the ONE game that will offer the escape and entertainment ANYONE can enjoy for any amount of time.
