Where has all the fun gone?

Gandalf501 · 27 Aug 2006 at 01:35

Freeman has hit the nail on the head with his thread, Games you can't seem to grasp and enjoy that other people make look amazing!

I'm bored! I have loads of games, im thinking of upgrading to conroe and XT1800, yet there isnt a modern game that I really enjoy playing... Would upgrading really make these games better, or would I just play them an extra day or so, until the novelty of the improved graphics wear off.

I think that the genres have become tired, and the software companies keep churning out the same stuff, different graphics, year after year.

Take RCT (Roller coaster tycoon) for example...

RCT was brilliant. It was loads of fun, and you played it again and again (Well I did).

RCT2 was RCT1 with scenerio editor...

RCT3.... 3D graphics. Plenty of potential there then.... Nope, its dull as dishwater...

GTA. Wicked game. How cool was it to jump in a car, and plough into loads of hari crishnas?

GTA2, same approach, but awful graphics

GTA3, Liberty City (Too depressing)
Vice City, too Neon
San Andreas, too similar...

Likewise the Doom Series...

Im not sure about upgrading any longer.... Might just sell my stuff, downgrade and play the old classics instead, spend any extra money on a christmas holiday...

In fact, im going to dig out RCT and play that... Yeah, I love this game man..
Any old classics do it for you?

sunlitsix · 27 Aug 2006 at 01:38

RCT, i can play that for hours

Gandalf501 · 27 Aug 2006 at 01:49

http://forums.rctspace.com/index.php?showforum=34

Duouk2000 · 27 Aug 2006 at 02:19

You're just in a gaming slump, most people get them from time to time. Just wait till the good stuff comes out over the next few months or go back and play some games you missed (you can't have played them all).

Tute · 27 Aug 2006 at 02:57

I totally agree with you. It seems to be all about how good the graphics are, or the new improved physics, than actually making the game exciting and fun to play.

Just looking along my game shelf, i'd probably like to trade half of them in for new games - but what new games? Prey? Well i've got Doom 3 so that's that.

All new FPS'es (unless they're a WW2 clone, OMG how many of those are there now?) follow the same damn storyline.

Companies need to design stories like Final Fnatasy 7, or Warcraft 3. But i'm scared those days are long gone.

I don't know whether to blame my WoW addiction on the game itself or the lack of anything else decent to play.

[/rant]

caff · 27 Aug 2006 at 03:09

As a wannabe games developer, this is the question I ask myself - what is fun? Why am I bored of games in general, is it that I am just jaded?

The key problem is that the industry(tm) wants you to play a certain type of game, so there are a handful of genres / game styles that are pushed heavily at the consumer. The downside is that people are less aware that there's still loads of games being developed that don't follow the standard format, and can still provide immense fun.

Think outside the box - look to mods for your existing games (and not just standard 'shoot different aliens' mods - go for the crazy ones).

Then there's shareware and freeware. Ok they won't challenge your hi-spec PC, but you might have more fun with a game of tetris or chess than a state-of-the-art FPS.

And look to more on-line games vs. human opponents, as these offer a greater depth of competition. After all, the boredom that creeps in when playing games stems from gaining a greater knowledge of the mechanics that drive games. On the whole you will get a more diverse experience. Try everything, flight simulators, soccer games, driving games, RPGs, maybe stuff you wouldn't normally think of trying.

People go through phases, and some people enjoy one type of game or another. Of course graphics can draw you in, but they won't keep you there. You have to have a fundamental passion to play and beat the game.

Edinho · 27 Aug 2006 at 03:44

Its a problem that always been there though. Look at games history all the way from the introduction of pong in the 70's. Each game has pretty much been a copy of the previous. You get the occasional breakthrough of something that genuinely changes the scene.

Your right though in that we seem to be coming to the point where games are just being rehashed with the same formula, its even worse in PC gaming imo. The scramble for Warcraft in the last 12 months hasn't help much. Developers see the success its had, regardless of wether its warranted, and start to throw out Warcraft clones in the hope of making some money. I dont think you can put the blame solely on Warcraft.

The biggest factor in the lack of innovation is cost. In the days of the commodore 64 you could pretty much write a game in the bedroom and have a sellable product, meaning massive diversity in the types of games out there. Look at Elite for example that game was simply 20 years ahead of its time. You just cant do that now games cost $m's to make and unfortunately developers cant and wont take risks with that sort of money.

The future of gaming imo lays in multiplayer, but it needs a big change, after that it probably will go back to bots. I envisage something like Total Recall where you go in and are actually in the game as opposed to and being an observer mmmm Sharon Stone

PikeyPriest · 27 Aug 2006 at 12:45

IMO the cost of developing games (and time) has made many companies stick to the tried and tested ideas that they know will sell well. Lets be honest its hard to remember many original EA games and those that are have been released with slightly tweaked grapics (and more bugs

) for 2/3 more versions. The more original games tend to come from the slightly less well known developers (ie i would say that oblivion was pretty original in its play style and world, even if the concept is fairly old).

Original games do come out, but they do seem further apart now than ever before. My only worry is that the large games companies will probably continue to pump out sims 4/5/6/7/8/9 for as long as they can guarantee sales rather than work on a new concept that could fail.

I still want to see some more RPG/FPS games......

Ugley_Matt · 27 Aug 2006 at 13:46

There is still fun out there but it tends to be passed over for top of the line gfx. People spend hundreds on their hardware and are reluctant to spend the cash on so,ething that doesnt push it. Similarly games companies dont want to put a game out without some new gfx effects to pull people in. Its now moved over to physics, with everygame proudly proclaiming rag doll physics, which bear no respemblance to real life its trying to portray.
I think the game that had the most fun factor lately was Lego StarWars, but an awful lot of people dismissed it as being a kids game, but that is exactly why it was so fun.
Its also the reason why Nitendo are still in business, they realised that they cannot compete with the sheer power and bells and whistles of the Xbox and PS so they dont bother, instead they come up with wierd, wacky and fun games.

Kreeeee · 27 Aug 2006 at 13:52

Doosht · 27 Aug 2006 at 15:47

Forget Carlos Fandango graphics, go back to the basics. Uplink is what gaming is all about IMO.

n3crius · 27 Aug 2006 at 15:54

Tute said:
I totally agree with you. It seems to be all about how good the graphics are, or the new improved physics, than actually making the game exciting and fun to play.

Just looking along my game shelf, i'd probably like to trade half of them in for new games - but what new games? Prey? Well i've got Doom 3 so that's that.

All new FPS'es (unless they're a WW2 clone, OMG how many of those are there now?) follow the same damn storyline.

Companies need to design stories like Final Fnatasy 7, or Warcraft 3. But i'm scared those days are long gone.

I don't know whether to blame my WoW addiction on the game itself or the lack of anything else decent to play.

[/rant]

too right, i wonder the same.

Duouk2000 · 27 Aug 2006 at 16:31

Nothing has changed, some games push the boundaries with graphics, others rely on great gameplay and some just play it safe. So there isn't anything out\coming out that intersts you? Then wait till there's something that does interest you, stop upgrading your pc and do other things in the mean time.

If nothing else you'll save a bit of cash.

HangTime · 27 Aug 2006 at 22:19

By and large I'm still having a lot of fun with gaming, as I have for the past 20 years. The biggest problem for me right now is finding the time to play.

I can see why some people may get slightly disillusioned by the plethora of clones, sequels and 'similar' games which get released, but there are plenty of relatively original titles out there if you look hard enough. And to be honest, as far as I'm concerned 'original' isn't always synomynous with 'fun' anyway (and conversely, 'more of the same' isn't necessarily boring).

geeza · 27 Aug 2006 at 22:27

yep, games used to be so much better, GTA, full throttle, redalert1, doom, need for speed 2se.

Its all about graphics now, not much else. personally i think even things like crysis will be a let down.

I played GTA so much. give me back some good gameplay!

HangTime · 27 Aug 2006 at 22:47

I'm not always convinced by the whole 'graphics have taken over from gameplay' argument which has been rolled out for the last X years. If you look at modern FPS, yes they have improved graphics, but they also have other enhancements compared to older titles:

-Developed storyline including voiceovers, cutscenes etc
-Much better provision for multiplayer (client<->server model over tcp/ip, in game browsers, different gametypes etc)
-3d environments (this is not just a graphical advance; it effects gameplay as well)
-Additional controls such as flashlight, crouch, prone, lean, reload etc etc
-Improved combat AI
-UI enhancements like radars showing you the direction of your objectives - a lot less frustrating than running around randomly looking for an exit.

Don't get me wrong, games like Doom2 were fantastic at the time, but they aren't in remotely the same class as the likes of Far Cry or Halflife 2, and not just in graphical terms.

Even the classics like Red Alert can be quite hard to go back to for me, due to the relatively poor UI (in terms of some of the stuff you can automate in modern titles etc).

We also shouldn't underestimate the importance of graphics in some titles. For racers, I think they can help to create a more immersive experience. There's no way in my eyes that NFS2:SE is as good as NFS:MW or even NFS

2000.

geeza · 27 Aug 2006 at 23:38

HangTime said:
There's no way in my eyes that NFS2:SE is as good as NFS:MW or even NFS2000.

Sure they may be more immersive but it was fun to just bomb around a track seeing how many spins you could make traffic do into the trees that looked like sticks of celery!

Dunno theres something aobut games from back then that just made them more fun. everything is getting too realistic, games should be fun

locutus12 · 28 Aug 2006 at 01:47

Gandalf501 said:
Freeman has hit the nail on the head with his thread, Games you can't seem to grasp and enjoy that other people make look amazing!

I'm bored! I have loads of games, im thinking of upgrading to conroe and XT1800, yet there isnt a modern game that I really enjoy playing... Would upgrading really make these games better, or would I just play them an extra day or so, until the novelty of the improved graphics wear off.

I think that the genres have become tired, and the software companies keep churning out the same stuff, different graphics, year after year.

Take RCT (Roller coaster tycoon) for example...

RCT was brilliant. It was loads of fun, and you played it again and again (Well I did).

RCT2 was RCT1 with scenerio editor...

RCT3.... 3D graphics. Plenty of potential there then.... Nope, its dull as dishwater...

GTA. Wicked game. How cool was it to jump in a car, and plough into loads of hari crishnas?

GTA2, same approach, but awful graphics

GTA3, Liberty City (Too depressing)
Vice City, too Neon
San Andreas, too similar...

Likewise the Doom Series...

Im not sure about upgrading any longer.... Might just sell my stuff, downgrade and play the old classics instead, spend any extra money on a christmas holiday...

In fact, im going to dig out RCT and play that... Yeah, I love this game man..
Any old classics do it for you?

2004 was a good year, we got doom3, chronicles of riddic, half life 2. 2005 had battlefield 2, 2006 ... well... erm... nothing.

2007 is where ita going to pick up again with the following 4 titles

Unreal Tournament 2K7: not my thing but good for people with too much testosterone.

Spore: possibly the most innovative game ever made, will keep you playing for years.

Crysis: needs no introduction.

Supreme Commander: never mind reshaping the map of the RTS genre, this ones going to throw it out and draw a new one. its also the game ive been waiting for chris taylor to make since 1998

Pumpkinstew · 28 Aug 2006 at 01:57

Blame developers/publishers for being lazy all you like but if they try something different nobody buys it.
For example The Movies, Psychonauts, Evil Genius all had great reviews and disappointing sales figures.

CrowK · 28 Aug 2006 at 02:09

Check out the rankings on gamerankings.com (not a competitor in any way are they?)

for 2000 there are 45 games that got average reviews of 80% or more
in 2001 there were 34
in 2002 = 40
in 2003 = 44
in 2004 = 33
in 2005 = 37
and in the last 12 months = 30
and that includes some of 2005 obviously

so I think it's fair to say that theres a bit of a lull in quality at the moment.
Probably to do with new consoles. Notice the slump between 2000 and 2002 :eek:

That said there should be plenty of decent titles next year :cool: