This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: A new Golden Age ?  (Read 491 times)

silva
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1091
A new Golden Age ?
« on: March 29, 2012, 06:45:16 PM »
Some years ago there was a lot of people protesting against the state in which electronic gaming industry was in. The market was dominated by a couple commercial formulas massified in name of profit. Formulas characterized by shallow and stupidified gameplay (Modern Warfare im looking at you).

Can we say this "creative dark ages" is gone ? Is the diversification in genres and styles we see right now a sign of good times to come ? The revival of old-school classics (like Baldurs Gate 1, Wasteland 1, Grimrock/Eye of the Beholder, XCom and Shadowrun), the release of ingeniously original games (like Minecraft, Portal, Dear Esther and Amnesia), from ultra-hardcore ones (DCS: Black Shark, Victoria 2, Crusader Kings 2), to light-hardcore (Civ V, Anno series, Shogun 2, Mount & Blade, Witcher, Skyrim, Deus Ex: Human Revolution), to more casual ones (Angry Birds, Batman, Terraria, Limbo) are the proof a new golden age is coming ?

The 90s are back ?

Rincewind1

  • Have YOU got any
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7685
    • http://www.smerf.fero.pl
A new Golden Age ?
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2012, 07:54:47 PM »
...while at the same time, the Monsters of DLC roam the land, the Empire of Steam, which allowed the boom in indie gaming is ruled by principles of despotism, brutal conquest against used games that hurts everyone continues, difficulty is getting dumbed down with every game, it's been only a few years since they tried to make games except from First Amendment's protection (Which'd influence entire world, as quite a lot of major game players are set in USA, and produce with USA market in mind), and Binding of Isaac was denied Nintendo's support because of transgressive content.

It had been certainly much, much easier to publish games lately, for the same reason it's much, much easier to publish an RPG lately - the Internet - based channels of distribution are easily accessible and popular.

But at the same time, they did create certain problems. Until those problems are solved, I'd save the cheering for gaming industry.

As for creativity - it was always there. Take a peek at Newgrounds.
Furthermore, I consider that  This is Why We Don't Like You thread should be closed

Benoist

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 22049
A new Golden Age ?
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2012, 09:19:24 PM »
The gamers who loved some of this stuff are aging and coming to their own now. They are mid to late 30s, have more disposable income, and start to have kids of their own whom they are playing game with. This is something that is going to increase in the years to come, and it has an influence on all trends of gaming.

That is good thing(tm).

Doom

  • Fact and Truth Ideologue
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2675
A new Golden Age ?
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2012, 01:42:38 AM »
Your first paragraph addresses the miserable state of FPS gaming, your second covers all others.

While I'm totally with you that FPS has gone nowhere beyond Dumbeddownsville the last few years, I'm not so sure all the other genres were necessarily all that bad a few years ago, or all that much better nowadays.

MMOS? While the WoW-ification of that type of gaming hasn't been great, its spawned so many free-to-play imitators and niche games that that I believe MMOS have had no dips, only steady improvements. Heck, Vanguard (old school MMO where you get screwed if you die and stuff like that) is finally going FTP this summer.

RPGs have always had their ups and downs; Morrowind/Oblivion/Skryim, for example, an uneven trilogy that even with a down is still darn good.

RTS? A genre that started so high, it had no place to go. I mean, top StarCraft players were making 400 clicks a minute, there's just no way to make the genre more intense or fast, and better graphics are meaningless when the game's a blur. On the other hand, they've been trying (and failing, mostly) to hybridize RTS with RPG quite a bit, and I don't have a problem with so many attempts to get it right in different ways.

Strategy? A niche market anymore, "kids these days" and all. This was what computer games are all about 30 years ago, but such games are still being cranked out, and the awesome level has never been better with no 'low period', really. Panzer Corps, Crusader Kings, whatever the latest Grigsby game is....great stuff of you like that sort of thing.

But back to FPS? Damn, that's amazing how bad that is. No innovations beyond some RPG ideas, game play that just seems to get more restrictive. Dubious weapon balance. And graphics so intense that modders can't hardly make new maps, forcing the games to go stale, fast. I remember Unreal Tournament that could handle almost every style of FPS...the only style it couldn't do was "sneak and shoot", but for that there was CounterStrike and ridiculously fun Soldier of Fortune 2. Nowdays, you're lucky if the damn games even have spawn protection, much less any sort of balance, or, god forbid, a decent "capture the flag" map, even if that style of play is supported.
(taken during hurricane winds)

A nice education blog.

Ghost Whistler
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5088
A new Golden Age ?
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2012, 03:11:01 AM »
Console gaming is dead.

Publishers treat fans with absolute contempt and put out utter rubbish neutuered for DLC.
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.

StormBringer

  • Harbinger of Chaos
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9320
A new Golden Age ?
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2012, 08:59:09 PM »
The indie market is where it's at for innovation these days.  The Humble Bundle is a great place to start looking for innovative games.  Here's another quickie list.

Many of these don't have the flashy graphics of commercial Windows games, but there are some real gems in there.  Game play is pretty much outstanding across the board.  I can dig up some more links, if anyone is interested.
If you read the above post, you owe me $20 for tutoring fees

'Let them call me rebel, and welcome, I have no concern for it, but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul.'
 - Thomas Paine
'Everything doesn't need