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| Late 70s to 80s- technology was poor but developers were bold | 24 | |
| 90s to early 00s- the best balance of technology and ideas | 90 | |
| Early to mid 00s- good tech and consoles hadn't destroyed creativity | 44 | |
| Right now- graphics and sound tech are immersive and getting better | 104 | |
| I don't care | 42 |
My first job was in the computer games industry. A game used to be an alternate reality, like a fantasy novel, or film. You could never fool the player that what they were playing was real because there wasn't the processing power to render semi-reality. So you thought about gameplay and enhancing the alternate paradigm you'd created. Like many in the industry, I yearned for the day when the technology was good enough for me not to know the difference. And I was awe-inspired by what we could do when we could plot an alternate reality that was real enough to be real.
Then a sad thing happened. Reality took over as the only driver in development. All focus was on making something look real. And now the alternate reality doesn't exist; only simulation of actual reality. The FPS genre is seen as distinct from sports sims, but are they? I'd argue no. I'd argue that an FPS is just an ever more real simulation of a real world situation. When was the last time you saw a game that either created a genre or didn't sit inside one that already existed?
There is a reason that 3D is big again now and it flows directly from my argument. It's the breaking down of another departure from reality. Full body suits that enable you to feel the impact of what you are doing are next. It's just a logical extension of the hydraulic chair or any kind of haptic technology.
The last wall to be broken down is that between the interface and the human brain. When we can plug in directly and there really is no difference between generated experience and actual experience, I believe we're fucked. Who would willingly spend a life that's often disappointing, frustrating, and unfulfilled when a believable alternative is handed on a plate.
What actually is a life? Is it what you experience or what you can choose to experience?
I presume you've already seen Videodrome? If not, check it out, I think it'a a great commentary on topics such as this.
Diving into a think hole again I see. May I join you?
Are you choosing the experiences, or are the experiences choosing you? And are these experiences meaningful? Is life the culmination of meanings we attach to experiences? Why do we choose to attach meaning to some experiences, and not others. What are any of our choices if not an internal mind game to see what will happen, to give us an experience to describe as life. What happens when we stop playing these games...I don't want to know that, sounds meaningless.
Started on a point, turned into a rant, and ended up as questioning existence. You're more than welcome to join me on this. I'd sooner not be alone, but I don't want to drag anyone down with me.
Define meaningful, though, and be careful how you do it.
Drag? How do you know it's down and not up? Is this an ascending or descending spiral? Is there a fixed point in which to orient myself?
Careful!? Is that a warning? What exactly do you think you are warning me of, being wrong? I cannot define "meaningful" for you nor do I think I want to with such a danger sign. Sounds like a mind trap. I can only define things of meaning for myself, and I know this definition isn't absolute.
Are you going to define "meaningful" for me?
It did sound like a warning but it wasn't directed at you, but at all humanity. It wasn't a trap for you but again, for everyone. If humans choose a reality that is engineered and controlled by a small subset of other humans, how likely is it that they'll get the reality they want, as opposed to the reality that is most profitable? How likely is it that those who control "reality" will not be corrupted in some way by their new-found power? It was a sly comment on what already happens in the world.
You may want to dismiss it, though, because I haven't slept since Thursday night (it's Sunday morning), I'm suffering with the flu, I'm hugely stressed at a launch date tomorrow (despite thinking I've thought of everything and all will be well), I've had caffeine (despite being a bit allergic, and it making my brain spin), I've run out of ice cream, I'm being followed around by a housefly which is quite patently in love with me because it refuses to be more than a few feet from me, and I'm uncharacteristically grumpy and slightly dazed. :)
Now. Games are finally being recognized as part of the entertainment industry, not as a way for kids to waste time.
games from the past had better story line, but no question about which era has the best graphics.
The 90s surely were golden years of PC gaming that brought us some gems, but I'd still pick today.
I honestly do not get how these systems pick names. I mean you go from Super Nitendo onto the Nitendo 64!
Mmmm...I really love both the '90s-'00s and now (gaming-wise) for different reasons. But I think I'd have to go with the first, mainly since there were so many fresh ideas. Plus, I would be lying if I said I'm not particularly biased towards anything old-school.
Being born in '87 and somewhat biased, I would say the 90s. Even if the technology and realism weren't great, there were LOADS of amazingly off-the-wall ideas in the mainstream.
Try making a pitch to your average game developer of today and say you want to make a game involving an earthworm, the intestinal tract, pencils, fast food and landfill sites.
Assuming that Earthworm Jim had never actually been made up to that point, you'd either get laughed out of the office and told that people don't want their heads fucked with or you'd get this face :|.
Also, I think game music was more interesting than I reckon it usually seems to be now, because the developers and composers were limited by the soundcards in the consoles.
Give the soundtracks from the likes of Earthworm Jim 1 and 2 and Ristar a listen (They're on Youtube). Even if you weren't born when they were around and don't reckon you like 16-bit/8-bit music, you can't deny that there is some very good quality composing going on there. The former two took a lot of their inspiration from classical and ragtime music and - I believe - would have introduced many people to songs that would otherwise probably be lost somewhere in time.
These days, game music seems to be more about ambient sounds and a few musical notes lumped in than actually composing a piece.
Having said that, I think that there are still some very interesting and unique ideas, but that they're harder to find and come by these days.
I think back in the 90's just were more creative ideas left and now the famous games are all the same because they prooved to be the most interesting in society... If you want new ideas you have to wait pretty long for good new games like "Heavy Rain" or sth. like that...
Incidentally I'm more like well I don't know an english word for it but translated it means "Graphic whore" and I really prefer a good clean picture over the crappy 8-Bit graphics back in the 90's... But I also like remaked Retro games which have a clean 8-Bit graphic what is also nice!
I personally believe the 16 bit generation was the best. It was a great balance of creativity and technological advancement. The tech wasn't good enough to use as a crutch so games still had to be creative.
That being said I do highly enjoy the current trend of open world games that allow you to choose your own ending, good or evil, etc.
I think this poll would be better if you asked it by video game generation. In my opinion there is a huge difference between the early to mid 90s and early 2000s. By the late 90s 3D games were widespread which is a huge difference from the early 90s.
im a fan of blizzard. cuz of world of worldcraft and starcraft. but 2 answer ur question i dont rly care. id say tht strategic war games where its build and conquer r the best.
Maybe because i have outgrown video games to a large extent (MGS4, Batman:AA, Fallout 3, Hitman:BM and the Mass Effects have secured their spot in my favourite video games of all time, though)and they are the games i grew up with, but 90s games. Playstation 1+2 - you couldn't beat it. I had a Gamecube, though, because im a fag. The only games i enjoy now (apart the ones mentioned above) are strategy and empire/city/tycoon games.
Just good stories, gameplay and ideas. Im not too fussed about graphics at all, i hate it when people think that makes a good game.
Plus todays games, and the people who play the, are just annoying. I remember when the games were just for recreation but my young mind could just slip for hours into a game like THPS2. Now you get boring gimmick games on the Wii and Kinnect (I DONT WANT TO PLAY WITH MY GRANDMOTHER, JUST FUCK OFF) but on the other end you get the people who take their games wayyyyyyyyyyy too seriously - these embarrassingly self styled "hardcore" gamers. Losers.
Plus, games are too expensive for what they are - Fallout 3 and Mass Effect are worth the money and if the games are sweeeeet like Batman AA and MGS4 then i dont care. But you want me to pay £45 for a five hour campaign on Call Of Duty? Fuck off. I borrow those off my friends after they release the next installment and enjoy the single players, no way am i going to play with these faggy "hardcore" gamers online.
But yeah, 90, early 2000s were awesome.The Metal Gear Solids and Tony Hawks Pro Skaters are all i remember playing though.
FFFFF click the wrong thing!late 90's early 2000's rocked for games! now it's just a rat race with copy and pasted plots, controls,ect. They need to spend more time on these things. not that all of them are bad but now theres so many to sort through. =(
I'd say 90's, graphhics sucked, but the games n such were so cool growing up with. So hard to play the old playstation games, but when I was little they were the coolest graphics.
Are people fucking mental? There are only a few proper PC game developers at the moment like Valve, Blizzard, IO Interactive and if Battlefield 3 is good, Dice too.
There are some good indie devs around now too, let's not forget Minecraft, Audiosurf and some others.
Generally though, PC games are becoming nerfed to pander to consolers, to make the most profit...
I chose early to mid 00's, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, GTA: San Andreas, World of Warcraft and so many others.