This article is pretty good. It was published a couple of months before the
X-Box 360 was realased. The author makes some pretty accurate predictions for what has transpired so far this generation, although he does seem to underplay or ignore some issues from preivous generations. Enjoy!
Exactly. Look at the wii and its success and it is due to state of the art graphics but innovative way to play games. Same goes to the ds and its way to play games.
There's really only three reasons why Nintendo does so well here in America:
1.) It's a household name in video games. Especially for the parents today who are now in their 20's, 30's and 40's who grew up playing Atari and Nintendo.
2. Nintendo has become somewhat synonymous with non-violent video gaming. For all those parents out there who don't want their children playing ultra-realistic violent games, buying a Nintendo console or handheld could be a simple solution to that. Of course, there are a few mature games on the Wii and DS (like Mortal Kombat) but its number certainly pale in comparison to what is seen on the Xbox 360, PS3 or PSP.
2.) Soccer mom's and their lack of knowledge when it comes to video games. If I had a dollar for every time I've walked into a Gamestop and seen a "soccer mom" at the counter asking questions about what game they should get for their child or nephew... then I would have my credit card paid off and there would be a PS3 sitting in my living room.
As you can see, I'm saying that it's all about the parents. Because any kid who has knowledge of video games knows (or should know) that all the "best games" are on the 360, PS3 and PSP. And that's not an opinion, that's a fact
"Welcome to the circus of values!"
Currently Playing: Crysis (360), Destiny demo (PS3), Roadblasters (MAME)
The problem with this article are that there are so many things that drive console sales besides graphics, so the numbers don't really provide that much extra credibility.
I definitely think great games can be created without great graphics. It's getting harder for a new game to get a green light though unless it reaches a certain standard for graphical flash, and that standard has been raised as the technology has developed. The only games I can think of that are able to find some commercial success and still have bad graphics are games like N+ and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, and even those games have a fair amount of polish at least in terms of animation.
On the other hand, we are seeing too many realistic games that are all grey and brown apocalyptic worlds. I think graphics will move away from photo-realism over time and emphasize style. Borderlands is a pretty good example of a step in that direction. That's one of the first games in a long time that I got excited about in pre-release hype based on the graphics alone. Every other realistic game that has army men, zombies, race cars, or space marines just looks boring to me simply based on graphics because they are simply TOO realistic. They lose some of their character and imaginative fantasy in their realism. Once games achieve photorealism, or should I say movierealism, it will no longer be possible to go up from there. I look forward to this day because the drive for realism will have been achieved, game designers will have learned many excellent tricks to achieve it, and they can finally get to the business of creating unique and stylistically exciting characters and enivronments. I want to see more worlds that really look different, like the one in Zeno Clash, for example.
I think games will take the direction of whatever's profitable.
If that means we play a realtime version of James Cameron's Avatar someday, then that's what it will mean.
If it means games degenerate into something lame where everything's a Chinese knockoff with pirated roms stored inside a cheap plastic machine you buy at a flea market, then that's what it will mean.
Or maybe we'll have virtual reality. Or games embedded in your clothes. Or something so esoteric and unpredictable I can't even imagine it. I would have never imagined some of the stuff we're playing today. In many respects this generation of consoles actually defied my predictions.
It's a business, and while there's ambitious people working in it who want to do stuff that's "cool" or "expressive" or whatever, they can't do it unless it makes a profit.
Because any kid who has knowledge of video games knows (or should know) that all the "best games" are on the 360, PS3 and PSP. And that's not an opinion, that's a fact
umm.. Isnt that an opinion?
2600 Jr. - NES - SNES(x2) - Nintendo 64(x3) - Gamecube(x2) - Wii - Sega Genesis (Model 2) - PSOne (Model 1) - PS2 Slim - Game Boy - Game Boy Pocket - Game Boy Color - GBA(x2) - GBA SP(x2) - DS - DSLite - PC
Because any kid who has knowledge of video games knows (or should know) that all the "best games" are on the 360, PS3 and PSP. And that's not an opinion, that's a fact
umm.. Isnt that an opinion?
Nope.
"Welcome to the circus of values!"
Currently Playing: Crysis (360), Destiny demo (PS3), Roadblasters (MAME)
