So games haven't really changed...

During the last eight years, I've had a computer that could only run games up until 2003-2004. Instead of being disappointed at the specs of the computer, I just ended up playing a lot of old games that I've heard of and never played (mostly by looking at metacritic and buying/borrowing games that scored 70+ and interested me since 1990). I found some really fun games in there that I otherwise would've skipped if I had a high end PC like Arcanum, Planescape Torment, Jagged Alliance, Daggerfall, a few text adventures, Caesar III, and stuff like that. Anyway, last week I bought a laptop that can run games fairly well and have had a chance to play the games I've missed (so far I've played CiV, Anno 1401, Metro 2033, STALKER, and Dawn of War II). After the initial shock of playing games that look good for once, I lost interest in the games pretty quickly. I know they are good games technically (and story-wise for Metro), but they feel like the same games from the 90s and early 00s. This isn't a bad thing I guess, but you would think that the genres would evolve a bit. Sure, some have leveling rewards and perks a-la Call of Duty (CiV), but I feel like they've all been done before.

I guess I'm looking for a new genre or something. Minecraft has been a lot of fun and I've seen a few games that look fairly unique like Subversion (which might not even come out) so I know there's always something out there that's different. Anyway, anyone else feel this way? You find any games that have been different?

PS: I'm aware that there's always been a lot of rehashes, spin-offs, and clones of games since they've been around. It just feels like there's a lot more of them now. Maybe it has to do with development costs and playing it safe. Maybe it's graphics. Some of the coolest games I've played have been that way because they didn't worry about animating every action or rendering (probably the wrong word) small enviromental details and used their resources to make an interesting game system. Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

How true, games in the past at times leave some details to our imagination, which is far better than any great graphics can bring us.

Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

How true, games in the past at times leave some details to our imagination, which is far better than any great graphics can bring us.

OutOfPoint

[QUOTE="OutOfPoint"]

Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

How true, games in the past at times leave some details to our imagination, which is far better than any great graphics can bring us.

Travis281

Art is much better when it has to work around obstacles.

I don't know, it could be argued that there is a big diffrence between games likePlanescape Torment and Mass Effect 2. But I see your point, the genres are very similar in many ways.

[QUOTE="OutOfPoint"]

Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

How true, games in the past at times leave some details to our imagination, which is far better than any great graphics can bring us.

Travis281

I agree, I was a console gamer my whole life. Got into pc gaming because of some friends at work for WOW. Now other then mmos, games seems very pointless and have like 20 secs at most of gameplay that is repeated for 8 to 12 hrs and that is a Sp game these days. At least that is how I feel, the mmos genre has ruined normal SP games for me, and they all seem so transparent, but I feel I am jaded

During the last eight years, I've had a computer that could only run games up until 2003-2004. Instead of being disappointed at the specs of the computer, I just ended up playing a lot of old games that I've heard of and never played (mostly by looking at metacritic and buying/borrowing games that scored 70+ and interested me since 1990). I found some really fun games in there that I otherwise would've skipped if I had a high end PC like Arcanum, Planescape Torment, Jagged Alliance, Daggerfall, a few text adventures, Caesar III, and stuff like that. Anyway, last week I bought a laptop that can run games fairly well and have had a chance to play the games I've missed (so far I've played CiV, Anno 1401, Metro 2033, STALKER, and Dawn of War II). After the initial shock of playing games that look good for once, I lost interest in the games pretty quickly. I know they are good games technically (and story-wise for Metro), but they feel like the same games from the 90s and early 00s. This isn't a bad thing I guess, but you would think that the genres would evolve a bit. Sure, some have leveling rewards and perks a-la Call of Duty (CiV), but I feel like they've all been done before.

I guess I'm looking for a new genre or something. Minecraft has been a lot of fun and I've seen a few games that look fairly unique like Subversion (which might not even come out) so I know there's always something out there that's different. Anyway, anyone else feel this way? You find any games that have been different?

PS: I'm aware that there's always been a lot of rehashes, spin-offs, and clones of games since they've been around. It just feels like there's a lot more of them now. Maybe it has to do with development costs and playing it safe. Maybe it's graphics. Some of the coolest games I've played have been that way because they didn't worry about animating every action or rendering (probably the wrong word) small enviromental details and used their resources to make an interesting game system. Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

Wardemon50

Hmm your list of old games are just about all RPGs while the new games you are comparing them to are all FPS and strategy.

Why not try ME series, Witcher 2 and Total War. Those games are very different from old games from the 90s.

I play games from the early to late 90's. They do not in any way feel like the games I play now. I can't think of a genre that hasn't innovated at least a little over 10 years. Most have changed dramtically.

I play games from the early to late 90's. They do not in any way feel like the games I play now. I can't think of a genre that hasn't innovated at least a little over 10 years. Most have changed dramtically.

Cobra_nVidia

[QUOTE="Wardemon50"]

During the last eight years, I've had a computer that could only run games up until 2003-2004. Instead of being disappointed at the specs of the computer, I just ended up playing a lot of old games that I've heard of and never played (mostly by looking at metacritic and buying/borrowing games that scored 70+ and interested me since 1990). I found some really fun games in there that I otherwise would've skipped if I had a high end PC like Arcanum, Planescape Torment, Jagged Alliance, Daggerfall, a few text adventures, Caesar III, and stuff like that. Anyway, last week I bought a laptop that can run games fairly well and have had a chance to play the games I've missed (so far I've played CiV, Anno 1401, Metro 2033, STALKER, and Dawn of War II). After the initial shock of playing games that look good for once, I lost interest in the games pretty quickly. I know they are good games technically (and story-wise for Metro), but they feel like the same games from the 90s and early 00s. This isn't a bad thing I guess, but you would think that the genres would evolve a bit. Sure, some have leveling rewards and perks a-la Call of Duty (CiV), but I feel like they've all been done before.

I guess I'm looking for a new genre or something. Minecraft has been a lot of fun and I've seen a few games that look fairly unique like Subversion (which might not even come out) so I know there's always something out there that's different. Anyway, anyone else feel this way? You find any games that have been different?

PS: I'm aware that there's always been a lot of rehashes, spin-offs, and clones of games since they've been around. It just feels like there's a lot more of them now. Maybe it has to do with development costs and playing it safe. Maybe it's graphics. Some of the coolest games I've played have been that way because they didn't worry about animating every action or rendering (probably the wrong word) small enviromental details and used their resources to make an interesting game system. Imagination is a great thing sometimes.

sleepingzzz

Hmm your list of old games are just about all RPGs while the new games you are comparing them to are all FPS and strategy.

Why not try ME series, Witcher 2 and Total War. Those games are very different from old games from the 90s.

Alot more time, money and effort is spent on the technical, cosmetic and marketing side of things today - often leaving less for gameplay and heart.

The game market -or should I say the focus of the developers- has shifted more towards more casual, younger gamers- and hardcore games are typically less hardcore, daring or challenging. Design has been taken out of the hands of developers it seems in some cases and given to marketers and investment advisers.

I agree, I was a console gamer my whole life. Got into pc gaming because of some friends at work for WOW. Now other then mmos, games seems very pointless and have like 20 secs at most of gameplay that is repeated for 8 to 12 hrs and that is a Sp game these days. At least that is how I feel, the mmos genre has ruined normal SP games for me, and they all seem so transparent, but I feel I am jaded

Advid-Gamer

There's also a lot of talk about 'Innovation'. Innovation is different from Invention. What I want is the invention of new games. Instead of just tweaking and adding to these familiar systems, why not make a new one? It sounds hard at first, but human invent new games all of the time to entertain themselves, whether it be a dumb game of walking on certain floor tiles or games sociopath's play with other people. Some of the most inventive games have been based on the musings of one person applied to games. If we could make these small games into something playable, they'd be surprisingly fun. Shigeru Miyamoto has some ideas for games that he comes up with just like that (http://kotaku.com/5381876/miyamotos-secret-hobby-measuring-stuff) and so has Will Wright.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is the first big release game I've seen that even comes close to this. The single player in the game is pretty standard fare and gets repetitive fast, but the multiplayer is interesting. While not the first of it's type, playing it for the first time is a new experience to most people and encourages thinking. It does have perks and leveling, but even if it didn't it would still be a very intriguing. How many games can that be said for now? Now, Revelations is coming out and that's going to be more of the same with a few innovations to the original formula, but that's another topic altogether (Do we really need games released annually?) There are so many FPSs, RTSs, RPGs, City Builders, and Character Action games that use reward systems to keep us interested. Morality and Choice systems are another one that only really offer skin-deep changes to the same old base game. Talent-trees in a racing game has even been done.

Chess is still a good game even without all of this junk. What do I do when I get bored of Chess? Do I look for a version of Chess that keeps track of my stats, has flashy graphics or a version that has a new piece in it? No. I find a new game, be it a board game, a sport, socializing, or whatever. Chess is fine how it is, just leave it how it is. Why can't we think like this for games too?

Chess is still a good game even without all of this junk. What do I do when I get bored of Chess? Do I look for a version of Chess that keeps track of my stats, has flashy graphics or a version that has a new piece in it? No. I find a new game, be it a board game, a sport, socializing, or whatever. Chess is fine how it is, just leave it how it is. Why can't we think like this for games too?Wardemon50

For example, The Ship, Defcon, Darwinia, And Yet It Moves, Osmos, Uplink, Windosill, Recettear, Mount & Blade, Dead Rising 2, Fate of the World, and The Guild 2 all have wildly different gameplay than anything available 20 years ago. The reason you don't often see this in the games with the biggest budgets, I already went into above.