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Things seem to be regressing to a point - going back to the "good old days"
eds1275:
I do enjoy newer games. They are fun... but they are also a commitment. You need time to play them, and when you're in one if you don't keep up with it, you sometimes have difficulty with the story because any memory lapse can really put you out in left field if you forget some valuable info. But there seems to be a resurgence of games that you can just turn on and play with no worries of having to sit through 20 minutes of cutscenes, credits, and then 2 levels that are way too easy because game companies assume that you are too lazy to rtfm so they incorporate some sort of horrible tutorial into the game itself, and even tie it into the story if they can.
Anyway, lately the xbox live indie, arcade, ipod/ipad/iphone, browser based, etc games have been showing up on my radar. These are mostly games that are easy to pick up and play but hard to master. Sounds a lot like arcade games to me.
My current favs are:
Angry birds and Angry Birds Rio [this one seems to be really popular with ladies and also people who are finally coming out of their shell and getting into games at a later age.]
Trials HD
SFIV [this one could totally be released as an xbox live arcade game]
Avatar Golf [xbox live indie]
Bejeweled [actually just about anything by PopCap]
opt2not:
All of this has to do with the fact that the economics of making games is changing (has changed). You have to remember that the gaming industry is a business. Run by people who are in business to make money, not to make great games.
These smaller games, downloadable, cellphone, etc... are less risky to make, are quicker to get out, and in the case of phone games, has a larger exposure than what consoles can give you.
The days of the console is in trouble.
Take it from me, I've been working as an Animator in the video game industry for over 11 years now, have made a handful of high-profile successful titles, and have noticed how the industry is in vast turmoil right now.
Look at the market, at all the studios that have shut-down/did mass lay-offs (heck, here in Vancouver alone in the last 6 months!). You're either a high-budget 10+ million dollar, 4+ year development studio, or you're a small budget mobile, or web based studio. There is no room for the middle ground anymore. It's just too risky from a business standpoint. Also note, that most studios strictly hire short Contract workers, rather than take on permanent full-time staff. Again, another safe business standpoint.
Sooooo, in catering to this climate, we're seeing a lot of resurgence of the more simpler games with smaller designs, and smaller teams, with Arcade sensibilities. Gone are the days where every studio is fighting for "the next massive 80+ hour game". Retro throwbacks, free-to-play with DLC monetization, subscription based games are what is successful right now.
You're right in saying it sounds more like arcade games.
My producer said something along these lines the other day, that really hit it home for me (especially since arcade games are my passion/hobby): "We've gone back to the days of the arcade business model. Back then, you'd pay 25¢ for your short gameplay experience, get your fix, then move onto the next product. Since the consumer investment was so small, people didn't mind shelling out change to play. Hook a million people to coin-up and you've made a successful title. This is akin to now, where people are paying 99¢ for simple cell-phone games, play them for their small experiences, then move onto the next 99¢ game..."
javeryh:
I don't know... I pretty much hate all iPhone games - even Angry Birds (no skill required!). I do not like where the industry is headed if the iPhone and a bunch of crappy $1 games become the gaming preference of the future. I do like Trials HD (it's too damn hard though - the opposite of Angry Birds) and other XBLA games like Pac-Man Championship Edition and of course any fighting game is going to be pick up and play.
I feel like any game with a story needs to be a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 12-15 and they should retail for $30. Like you said, I don't have time for 40+ hour games but I do like to get invested in a story if the game is good. I loved Bioshock and that was about a 15 hour game - perfect.
I think the main problem is that due to the sudden increase in popularity of video games over the last 15 years and their acceptance into the mainstream there are just too many great games out there and you can't play them all.
VespaGuy:
In my younger days, I enjoyed the games with long campaigns. But as I've gotten older, gotten married, and had a child, I just don't have the time to play for extended periods. Not only that, sometimes I go without playing for weeks or months, only to pop in a game I was in the middle of and feel completely lost (where was I? What was I looking for again?).
In the past few years, I've really become a big fan of smaller games. I welcome the trend. As a PS3 owner, I've taken a shine to Pixeljunk's offerings (Monsters, Eden, Shooter 1 & 2) as well as a few other games (Joe Danger stands out as a favorite).
opt2not:
--- Quote from: javeryh on April 01, 2011, 02:59:10 pm ---I don't know... I pretty much hate all iPhone games - even Angry Birds (no skill required!).
--- End quote ---
Me too, I'm not a fan of Angry Birds. It's not really a good game, but it is the most successful one, and I can see why since it is probably the most casual of games out there.
So they did something right.
Right now the only iPhone games I'm playing is Battleheart - an arena-based RPG game, that simplifies the fighting mechanics of WoW and puts it into touch-screen mobile form...and Hoggy, an awesome free puzzle/platformer game. Both have wonderful artwork too!
There are some iphone gems out there, but you have to look really hard for them.
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