Top 10 Dying Game Genres Revisited
It’s always fun to go back and read old articles that make predictions and see how acurate they are. I pulled this article out from the GameSpy archive. It’s an enjoyable read concerning the gaming genres that are dying in the modern gaming industry.
Here’s the list:
10. Space Shooter (Shmups)
9. Puzzle
8. Light Gun
7. Text Adventure
6. Maze
5. Virtual Reality
4. Educational
3. Full Motion Video
2. Beatemup
1. Graphic Adventure
Keep in mind that this article is over two years old. So one would think that these genres should be completely dead if they were dying out back in 2003.
In fact, the Shmup, Puzzle, and Beatemup is seeing quite a revival. Sure, they aren’t as popular as they used to be, but they are definately alive.
For proof, take a look at some of the Shmups availible on the PS2. Beatemups are even making their way to the 3D world — Capcom is working on Final Fight Streetwise and other games are on their way as well. Puzzle games are still very much alive and kicking on Nintendo and Sony portables as they make for excellent on-the-go entertainment. Meteos (for the DS [more retro on DS]) and Lumines (PSP [more PSP retro titles]) are actually some of the most-talked-about portable games right now.
I also think that Educational games are also an interesting topic. While most gamers aren’t concerned about them, I could definately see a market for them. Leapfrog has developed their own gaming systems for educational games, but I wonder why they don’t just make good educational games for the Gameboy Advance, Gamecube, and PS1. I’m sure parents of younger gamers would love to pick some of these up for their kids and would probably be higher quality that those crap licenced cartoon titles. Plus, they would be cheaper than buying a Leapfrog system.
Anyway, I’m glad to see some of these deserving genres are hanging on. We just need more gamers to keep buying those new retro releases!
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Shmups and 2d fighters are my fav genres of games and while I don’t see Shmups at any arcades I go to these days (as they are to full of Bemani games and inital d) I am happy to know that I can still get the butrton mashery thrill at home.
As for Educational games isn’t here a bunch of succesful traning “games” for the ds in Japan?
Language trainers, Brain Age rip-offs, Trivia games…
Edu-tainment is alive and kicking on the DS.