a modest editorial on the current state of games

[quashpdarkman]

this is a very long read, but it is a recollection of various thoughts i've had over the past year that have recently been provoked by the replaying of some classic games. this is very opinionated and incredibly biased, so if you're the type to disagree easily, you might as well just skip over all this.

ever since i first played through mgs2 back in 2002, i have regarded it as one of the greatest games ever made. i mean top 3 material. even though it drew some sharp criticism for not being completely true to the original (mostly just people bitching about raiden) i've still always regarded mgs2 as the best game in the series. even after playing through mgs3, i still held my position. as time has gone by, so have my memories of the game. all the hype around mgs4 got me in the mood to play through both of the mgs games i own. they're both pretty easy games for me even on extreme, so i figured it'd be a good way to spend a lazy weekend. i decided to sit through all of the cutscenes and everything. this was going to be the time i absorb absolutely everything about the series once and for all.

20 hours of gameplay and cutscenes later, i still say that mgs2 is the best in the series, and still one of the greatest games ever made.

it's rooted very deeply into the original, which is why some people disregard it as a rehash or discredit it's originality, but those tend to be the same people who either don't like or understand metal gear's story (who also happen to be the people who criticize the game for having cutscenes). but once you've sat through both of them in one sitting (well, okay, two. i did have to sleep) it becomes very clear that the sequel has far surpassed the original in every way. the presentation, the gameplay, and especially the plot, have all matured from the original. even the twin snakes fails to bring the original up to par with 2, and it was a very faithful recreation.

if you've played either one of them, you can probably counter argue everything i just said rather effectively. either way, this has made the wait for mgs4 harder than it's ever been. i'm buying mgs3 this week (i did beat it, although it wasn't my copy) and spending this upcoming weekend playing though that. after that, it will just be a matter of weeks before i go on my media detox and play all the way through mgs4.

in all honesty though, i can't think of a single game released in the last year that will ever be remembered on the same level as mgs2 is. not even in the last four years. 2007 and 2004 were both very good years for games, but there has yet to be another game that follows in the footsteps of mgs2 in terms of overall quality. i guess you could say the shenmue series, but both of those games came out before mgs2 did. most games anymore really don't capture the essence of what makes a game great; a symphony of visual presentation, audible immersion and intriguing plot. even for all of the good titles that were released last year, bioshock is the only one that will be remembered ten years from now, and maybe halo 3, tf2, guitar hero and rock band depending on their ongoing status in pop culture.

ignore my blatant nostalgia fueled sentimentalism for a minute here, and ask yourself this. ten years from now, what game from this generation is going to be remembered? not just remembered, but remembered as a great game at the time, and as a great game by current standards? many of the psx/n64 classics that people were upholding on a pedestal just around the time of mgs2's release have nearly all faded into obscurity. the only games on the psx that are still discussed on a regular basis are ffvii and metal gear solid, much like how sm64, starfox 64, goldeneye and the zelda games on n64 are the only n64 games that are still remembered by everyone. sure mischief makers and incredible crisis were and still are awesome games, but no game developer is out to make a game better than either one of those.

i guess what i'm saying is that there's no standard in games anymore. there's no benchmark for developers to surpass, only business models to mimic. halo was arguably the beginning of the most prolific genre of the decade, but how many fps' have been as well-received as the original halo? not even talking about review scores, but how well have these games managed to keep their fanbases? i'm certain that the majority of people who played ghost recon 2 never played the original, and those few who did play the original felt disenfranchised by all of the changes in ghost recon 2. and let's face it; when we look back on this generation, we won't be hailing ghost recon 2 as the definitive title of the era (or at least, i would hope not). not to say that it's a bad game, but it's hardly a masterpiece by any stretch of the means.

some of you are probably wondering why i chose ghost recon 2 of all games, and that's exactly the reason why i chose it; it's already been largely forgotten. it's day in the sun is over, and most people have moved onto r6:v2 by now.

but that just happens to be the problem with the game industry today; competition no longer exists. we currently have three consoles, and three consoles only. this isn't like the 90's where we not only had nintendo, sega and sony but also snk, 3D0, atari, philips and many others trying to make their way into the market. most people never owned a neo-geo or a jaguar, but their very presence in the market was still a very real threat to nintendo and sega. while they may not have been very competitive in terms of market share, they were still there, and had nintendo or sega left themselves off guard, one of them could've easily changed the course of history by overtaking one of them. sound familiar? it's exactly what happened when sony entered the market. sega screwed up big time with the saturn, and sony saw an opportunity and seized it. had it not been for sega's own misfortune, and more importantly, sony's initiative to compete, video games would be very different today. but now it's become simple; the wii is targeted towards people who don't normally play games and the nintendo loyal, the 360 is targeted towards people who have traditionally played games and want something new, and the ps3 is targeted towards the sony loyal and those who want the absolute best in high def gaming. all three fill their niches quite adequately, and this has become the biggest deterrent the industry has ever seen. this stagnancy has made the industry easier than ever to enter. certainly you've seen those devry commercials attempting to recruit gamers to take their game design courses?

quite simply, there lies the problem in everything: games are now being made by gamers, and with free content distribution becoming an ever prevalent way to add content to games, games have become more streamlined than ever. this lowering of standards has made games not a matter of being better than what everyone else has out there, but a matter of improving upon what you've already created. case in point: sports games. and although this can be applied to most every genre anymore (most notably fps, rpg and rhythm), it is the most painfully obvious in the sports genre. not even in the span of a decade have mainstream sports games become monopolized by a single company. this kind of success was unheard of in the 90's; even nintendo had a hard time overtaking sega in the early 90's, and as soon as sony got the psx in the lead, sega was quick to strike back with the dreamcast, which was swiftly defeated by the ps2.

if you only read one part of this incredibly long rant of mine, read this.

i'm not saying that good games aren't still made. i've thoroughly enjoyed several games released in the last year, and even a few from this year. what i am saying though is that this monotony within the industry has become so prolific to the point where even companies that used to compete with each other have now all been forced to submit to mass consumer demand (honestly, five years ago who would've expected a game like rome: total warfare or the hulk to be made by sega?), and that this has become the industry's single biggest problem. in a sense, it's almost the exact opposite of the crash, but in other ways it's a sign of this or next generation becoming it's successor. while it's true that every console and era are defined by only a select few games, it's also true that this generation really doesn't have any games yet that can even come close to filling that gap. if you ask me, it's just a matter of time before the industry as a whole becomes consumed in the same greed that it did over twenty years ago.

[BBboy20]

Their heading toward the Hollywood way yet being successful about it...*sigh*

[Flavius]

You know what, I can definitely relate to you. To be perfectly honest, the last time I had a gut-churningly awesome experience was purchasing my Dreamcast and playing the hell out of games like Soul Calibur, Power Stone, and Ready to Rumble. Sure, I was sufficiently geeked up when I went out and bought my PS2 shortly after launch, and my Gamecube and Xbox (both on launch day), but I don't know, it just wasn't the same. I think part of that had to do with what happened to the Dreamcast, to be honest with you. I really thought that Sega did no wrong with that console, other than launch with an 800lbs. gorilla looming on the horizon. When I saw it down for the count, less than two years after launch, it admittedly made me wonder if it was still all about the fun, or just all about the latest and greatest.

Of course, in retrospect I'm nowhere near as cynical. In fact, I knew the true answer was a little of both (fun with the latest tech!). The real answer, at least for me, was that I was changing far more than the games or the industry were. I went from being a slacker high schooler playing videogames with his buddies to a slacker college student playing videogames with his buddies. Soon, I found myself in a serious relationship, and I moved out of my best friend's house off campus, and moved in with my girlfriend. Sure, we still played games, but since we weren't seeing each other quite as much, we were going out to clubs and bars more, playing football, going to games, etc. The gaming took a little bit of a backseat. Not for them, mind you. They'd still be playing instead of going to whatever boring ass class was going on that day. But for me, I just didn't seem to have as much time.

Fast forward about eight years, give or take, after law school, getting married, moving to my new job, having a child, moving to another new job, buying a house, having another child...well, lot of milestones passed there. And with each change, I've just naturally found myself busier and busier. My hobby, as much as I love it, has taken even more of a backseat over the past several years. I'm not judging anyone else, but personally, not only am I perfectly fine with that, I know that, for me, that's the way it had to go. That said, when a late night presents itself and I'm not hanging out with my wife (which I love) and the kiddies have gone to bed (or one of those unicorn days that happen once in a blue moon when I'm left at home to fend for myself and have complete reign over everything), I'm not going to lie: popping in a good videogame is one of the first things I'll typically do.

Lot of words up there, but I guess what I'm getting at is that I feel much of it comes down to the nostalgia factor. I'm not saying that's necessarily the case in your situation, but I know that it's certainly the case for me. I know that for every awesome memory I have of, say, firing up Super Mario Bros. on my NES for the first time, there's another kid out there now having a similarly awesome experience firing up Super Mario Galaxy on their Wii for the first time. And while I'm pretty jealous of those kids sometimes, I actually think that's pretty cool. I don't know, I'm definitely not ready to give up games yet, and I can still get pretty excited about new games and systems (I've been playing GTA IV inside my head for what seems like months!). But I also recognize that, much like riding a rollercoaster, your senses can dull to the experience over time, and it's never quite as awesome as the first time.

Good stuff. Glad we had this chat. I'll catch you over at Denny's at 4:30pm. Don't be late, or we'll lose the "good" booth.

[BBboy20]

http://thehaisho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=27334

[Blue Falcon]

Funny, I also just recently had my own write-up on my current feelings of the gaming industry, and why I'm looking more into indie gaming with some hopeful potential in terms of development.

Anyway here's a link to the TGISource forums where I made the post. (as to not completely hijack your thread)

I think I'm going to try and start making games or something.

[Lord Moon]

Reading though both quash and Flavius' posts I think what's happening is a little bit of nostalgia and a little bit of "why aren't things like the good old days."

Granted the video game industry is huge. Raking in billions of dollars and giving the rest of the entertainment industry a run for it's money. And that my friends is part of the problem.

Problem because most games don't seem unique. They standout until the "next big thing" comes along. In quash's example Ghost Recon 2 being "The Game to Play" until Rainbow Six Vegas came out. It's pleasing a mass audience, like releasing one action movie blockbuster in the summer to make big money and then releasing the winter blockbuster action movie to clean up in the winter, rinse, repeat. Both games are similar in style, just different stories and settings. Star Trek and Star Wars, both are similar in style, just different stories and settings. Gaming companies are like the big movies studios now. They have shareholders to answer to, they have to make money, so we get franchise games that are marketed to bring in a mass audience to make that money.

Now while big gaming companies do shovel out the mass games they do have their "indie movie scene" and that satisfies the creative needs, and pushes the industry into some new innovations. And much like the indie movie scene, some of these great games get overlooked. Remember ICO? Beyond Good and Evil? REZ? etc. These were games that are hailed as masterpieces, yet they barely sold and were eventually relegated to the bargain bins and gone before gamers realized it. With REZ we got lucky and it's now been re-released, but most others are talked about on boards about how good they were and how the industry has screwed up by not making more of them. It's not completely the industries fault, many gamers want to go with "a known quality" and that means the mass marketed games.

Unlike the movie industry though it's not often that a game continues to make money. For example, Citizen Kane. Considered one of the greatest movies ever made. Made in 1941. I can guarantee anyone in a film or video school will see it in a class they take. It continues to make money for all involved. I can go out now and buy a copy and watch it. Goldeneye, considered THE FPS game on the Nintendo 64. I can go to eBay, I'll probably find a copy, but most people will probably need to buy a Nintendo 64 so they can play it. Some games we get lucky and they re-release, but many never see the light of day again.

Or maybe you might have heard of a little quirky Japanese game called Katamari Damacy? A game that was originally thought to not appeal to a mass market and was brought to the states originally as a budget title to just fill space on the shelves. Sometimes the quality game comes from out of nowhere.

So the gems will stand out, they just don't pop up that much anymore. I agree MGS2 was an awesome game. The first in the Metal Gear series that I played. For me the game was great. Some parts of the storyline may have floated by me since I had not played the first, but the game is still one of my all-time favorites.

The high quality games you crave are still out there. It's just in this day and age that the the industry is so big and so driven to appeal to the mass audience that finding the quality game may take a bit more digging, just like in the movie industry. And just like the movie industry there will be the industry stars that will put out nothing less than a high quality game. MSG4 because Hideo Kojima is working on it. Peter Molyneux may over-hype/over-promise, but he will put out arguably good games that push innovations. Shigeru Miyamoto is the modern day Walt Disney.

The gaming industry isn't small anymore. And while it you might not see it competition is still there. Three companies leave plenty of room for competition, not to mention the large number of companies and individuals making games out there. Every one of them are fighting for your dollar. (Though you do have a few that are in it for "the art and not the money".....right, ya gotta eat so that means you gotta sell something.)

Microsoft now realizes they've been missing out on the family angle that Nintendo has capitalized on. Why do you think there is a Family Night now on Xbox Live or the recent in flux of family or group games. Scene it, a number of board games being translated to to XBLA. Microsoft is attempting to catch up. I'm sure you heard the rumors that Microsoft is working on a motion sensitive controller. Sony for the most part has been so wrapped up in pushing Blu-Ray that it's been only appealing to the hardcore gamers, now that that battle is over expect to see them also go for the mass appeal.

I don't know how old you are, it really doesn't matter, but it seems to me you're just having a "it's not like the good-old days" moment. Like Flavius said, some little kid right now is putting Super Mario Galaxy in and to him this will be a defining game moment for him. And a few years down the road he'll say the same thing, "What happened to all the quality games?" It's not a good thing, nor a bad thing it's just time and change.

[quashpdarkman]

Originally Posted by Lord Moon

It's not a good thing, nor a bad thing it's just time and change.

that's something i've tried my best to keep in perspective, which is the reason i felt it appropriate to point out the criticism mgs2, a well acclaimed and universally accepted masterpiece received even back when it was new. there were people at that time thinking more or less the same thing i'm thinking now.

to an extent, you're right. this is just the evolution of the medium and eventually we'll see another influx of mass competition like we did all those years ago. i do also acknowledge that the industry in a sense has collapsed under it's own weight (ie: every game has to be a masterpiece or be a multimillion seller). i may just be paraphrasing everything you just said but it's because i agree with you fully. i just happen to not like it.

Originally Posted by Lord Moon

Unlike the movie industry though it's not often that a game continues to make money.

this is one thing i did find pretty amusing to hear, especially in an age where people are paying $5-$10 for roms. i'd be willing to bet that nintendo has made more money on vc than they have with even the best selling wii titles (although brawl may be an exception to that, but then again, why does that game sell?). if anything, selling back titles for massive profit has become the easiest way to make money. if dreamcast games weren't so easily pirateable, sega would've jumped on this bandwagon a long time ago (and maybe as the dc scene whithers they will. rez hd and triggerheart excelica are a promising start) and they would have enough money to actually finish a new sonic game.

still though, i can't help but shake the feeling that ten years from now gaming could very possibly be in the same slum that movies have been in for quite some time. everything is just too similar for me to write off the possibility.

[Lord Moon]

Originally Posted by quashpdarkman

to an extent, you're right. this is just the evolution of the medium and eventually we'll see another influx of mass competition like we did all those years ago. i do also acknowledge that the industry in a sense has collapsed under it's own weight (ie: every game has to be a masterpiece or be a multimillion seller). i may just be paraphrasing everything you just said but it's because i agree with you fully. i just happen to not like it.

Ebb and flow,it's in every industry.

Originally Posted by quashpdarkman

this is one thing i did find pretty amusing to hear, especially in an age where people are paying $5-$10 for roms. i'd be willing to bet that nintendo has made more money on vc than they have with even the best selling wii titles (although brawl may be an exception to that, but then again, why does that game sell?). if anything, selling back titles for massive profit has become the easiest way to make money. if dreamcast games weren't so easily pirateable, sega would've jumped on this bandwagon a long time ago (and maybe as the dc scene whithers they will. rez hd and triggerheart excelica are a promising start) and they would have enough money to actually finish a new sonic game.

Something rather new so to speak, but the point I was trying to make is for the most part you need an old system to play old classics. I do like that you can get some of the old classics now on the new systems, but unlike the movie and music industry that has a single standard (ie CD or DVD) I can't get a Nintendo classic on my Xbox, but that is an discussion for a different subject.

Additionally for the next next-gen if I didn't have my old system I would have to buy it again.

Originally Posted by quashpdarkman

still though, i can't help but shake the feeling that ten years from now gaming could very possibly be in the same slum that movies have been in for quite some time. everything is just too similar for me to write off the possibility.

Ebb and flow. For hard and medium core fans we hate the ebb of nothing and love the flow of goodness.

Besides, as much as people folks bash Devry, eventually (if you apply the law of averages) the next Hideo Kojima or Shigeru Miyamoto will come.....though his/her name might be Pat Jones.

[jwg]

I personally enjoy games now more than I ever did in the "good old days" of yesterday's consoles.

Online multiplayer makes games like Halo 3 and CoD 4 last me for years, not just play it, beat it, then put it on the shelf to collect dust.

I do not like the idea of the sports genre being damn near monopolized by EA if a certain deal goes through.

Imagine what football games could be like if we had, oh I don't know, NFL Gameday, 2K, Madden and possibly another football game from someone else all competing year in and year out. Oh well, I'm afraid basketball games are next.

It amazes me all the "LOL EA IZ gonna buy Take Two. GO EA!!LOL!!" idiots never think about this.

I guess they can enjoy their shi.., ok mediocre, sports games and fucking 60 dollar a year roster updates. I won't support it. I wish more people didn't.

So, yeah, not all is good and wonderful these days either.

[Zidy]

I was thinking about something similar to this yesterday. Games never give me that wonderful feeling I had anymore, like I had during the PSX games. I just started playing Frogger for the PS1 and remembered how much I loved it, and I couldn't really see me doing that 10 years from now with any current games, besides Oblivion probably.