How are modern games spoiling us?

[Peench]

Reading through this article got me thinking about being spoiled by video games these days. The article lists 7 ways video games are spoiling us these days but I believe there are more. Just today I was chatting with a friend about the sheer number of great games out today. With games like COD4, Rachet & Clank, Bioshock, Unchartedrake's Fortune and Super Mario Galaxy to name a few, we are living in an age of gaming nirvana. I know that I simply do not have time to play all of the awesome games out now.

But I wonder why there are so many games that we consider to be good nowadays. Is it the fact that games look or sound better, or is it that storytelling in games has gotten better or is it simply the way games are set up that makes us consider them great?

This poll is different in that you do not have to vote for only 1 option. Take your pick among all of the options and voice your opinion as to what options make gaming as awesome as it is today.

[lovekeiiy]

I don't know if I would say games are so much better today than yester-year. I haven't play a game in a long that capture my imagination like Zelda: Link to the Past. That game rocked on so many levels, it just isn't funny.

What I do think, why there are more fun games out, is that game developers have a very good idea what the public thinks is fun and good. I'm sure there is some kind of formula for practically guaranteed money makers; see hollywood movies for example of sticking to a formula.

I do believe game developers have gotten much better at delivering a more immersive product, thus the improved graphics and sounds. I wouldn't say the stories are better than before, just better told--graphics, audio, cut scenes, and so forth. Remember how you got the back story to the original Zelda..two pages in the manual, LOL.

Some things I think have improved the gaming experience, overall, are the online gaming multiplayer, wireless controllers and so forth. Not that the cords made a bad experience, but you were tethered to the console, so if you have a large room, you may not have been able to sit on the couch and so forth; I remember have to sit on the coffee table when I was living at UCSD because of that issue. And the online gaming, it's just made multiplayer games an all new genre in itself. You can always find someone to play against, which is usually way more difficult than the AI.

With all that said, game developers still can put out gaming turds. I'm not talking about games where developers tried something new and didn't work well. I'm mean just crap, no matter how you look at it; example Superman on Nintendo64.

[Desi Cuse]

Matchmaking. What's up with the percentages? They don't add up to 100.

[Peench]

Because people can submit multiple votes.

[Desi Cuse]

Originally Posted by Peench

Because people can submit multiple votes.

I did not know that.

[Peench]

Originally Posted by Peench

This poll is different in that you do not have to vote for only 1 option. Take your pick among all of the options and voice your opinion as to what options make gaming as awesome as it is today.

Well not necessarily voting more than once, but being able to vote for more than one option.

[Prophet0ne]

I really wanted to vote for "open worlds" but most of the new games coming out are pretty restrictive on where you can travel to. Oblivion was great for that but I agree with keiiy about games like Zelda or Mario on the 64, it just seemed a lot more fun back then to cruise around in the fields slaying moblins or goombas or jumping over obstacles on your horse. The openness seemed HUGE to me the first time I plugged those babies in. Just using the look around function was a visual treat. Point is no game has really captured that "this is massive" in game feeling for me lately so I didn't vote for it.

[BrewCityUpstart]

I voted the top 3, with the story being most important.

[Thornes70]

Taking all hardware considerations out of the picture, I'd say the only two things that stick out in my opinion are graphics and sound.

When I think about how games looked on say, the Atari 2400 and up to the PS1, games looked blocky, choppy, one-dimensional, and pretty bland; nowadays, I've played games that are jawdropping gorgeous at times and have made me do a doubletake on whether the screenshot I'm looking at is real or not! Soundwise, games have come a long way in that it's now commonplace (and expected) to have surround-sound in games.

DLC is a close third, adding more life to a game that otherwise would've been shelved a long time ago.

What I'm still disappointed in though is what seems to be a lack of new & innovative things in the games themselves: I'm sick of crates! I'm amazed so many games (FPS for example) don't have standard movements like leaning or even jumping, and what's with the 'run over gun to gain extra ammo?' It also makes me roll my eyes when I get stopped by a barbed-wire fence to keep me "on the map" or glowing arrows in a racing game.

Then there's the gametypes - they're pretty much always the same. The devs that come up with new, innovative gametypes are the ones that stand out in my eyes.

[Peench]

Great points Thornes. Regarding innovation, that's why I like games like Gripshift and Echochrome:



I can't wait until Echochrome comes out for the PS3. This one looks like it will be fun.

[Quo]

1. Matchmaking, 2. Graphics, 3. Wireless Controllers.

Matchmaking/Online play is catamount. Making games a social event is what will make gaming mainstream...

[Dark Alocer]

Graphics, open world, and wireless controllers. I didn't get into online gaming untill I bought my 360, and I have to tell you that I am utterly addicted to it. It is just the bee's knees. After playing online on the PSN and XBL I'm kind of bummed about wasting years of my life NOT gaming online. And to touch on what prophet said, few and far between are the times when i'm like "this is epic". The first time was playing Metal Gear Solid for the PS1, and the most recent being the first time I turned on one of my newer consoles (my PS3) from the remote. I remember thinking "this is how controllers should be.. damn console makers.. was that so hard?".