Post by contention on Jun 30, 2006 16:44:33 GMT -5
This thread was made simply to ask the question that seems to pop up in many conversations that focus around games; that of which states in ways, "How have your favorite games changed over time?" When answering this statement, you can focus your reply on anything. If you wish to, you speak about how your favorite gaming genre has changed; or you can broaden your angles and speak from the classics up to the Next-Gens. Whatever suits you in your speaking, feel free to put it down. It would be interesting to see if you enjoy the cultivations that are being made to games, or if these movements are something you would rather see go down the drains.
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Throughout time there have been many additions to the sort of games that we play and obviously seem to enjoy during our play-endused sugar rushes. Even our most beloved classics have been altered for todays youth; in fact, a lot of the shifting of our favorite media could be based on how the younger generations react to it. Majority has it that when we were younger, the games that we adored were usually very simplistic. There weren't large digital effects, and those little "Beware of Seizure" warnings were non-existant. Heck, even in game lighting had hardly been introduced. Our days were filled with very fine point actions, usually winding around the objective of finding a lock and eventually opening a door. It taught us the basic fundamentals of adult-hood, "Everyone misplaces their keys". Stairs and Elevators were foreign to our little eyes, we used things like pipes and air drafts to get us around. Now unfortuantly we know what "pipes" really means, but we won't touch that; just remember to always say no. The Nintendo and the Personal Computer were our only friends, and the countless hours we spent together were good. We all bounded with them, we knew they'd never turn their backs on us. Even today they still remain, sure they've had their fair share of personality disorders and physcoligical speeches; yet haven't we all Mr. Miyamoto, haven't we all?
During these tough times in our childhood, all of us were eventually introduced to the world of First-Person-Shooters; it was the new kid on the block, consoles wouldn't even touch them. There was one brave soldier though, that in which we called the Personal Computer, better known as the PC. Oh, they were the best of friends; even if the genre happened to constantly change every single year. Sometimes, we all have to wear diffrent shoes to finally know which pair will actually fit. You should have seen them though, they were always supporting one another; never giving in and causing troubles. Even today the PC stands for everything mighty that the First-Person-Shooter might have to offer. Though, over time as all things must, the consoles eventually picked up it's drift. Even still though, the consoles just can't seem to treat the First-Person-Shooter with enough dignity; imagine it like the popular kid who calls you their friend, then they never invite you to their parties. However, the First-Person-Shooter was a strong fighter, and it's still out there covering ground from computers to consoles; yes, it does know how to swing in many ways. It's like highschool for our little buddy, growing long hair and undergoing the last years of puperty. He is still growing up, right in front of our eyes; when those college years come he is going to conquer them with ease, likely because he doesn't have to pay because he is as well not real.
Everyone has got to start somewhere, even with the might First-Person-Shooter you see in front of yourself today. You don't get that buff without some long-sturdied time practicing; everyone has being small and work their way up to the big boys. This game was like the wheel to the whole genre, of course this sentence can easily be debated. There were many Three-Dimensional First-Person-Shooters before hand, however they did not reach the peak of popularity like Wolfenstein had; if you wish to, you can always mention their names later on if it pleases. Anyway, as it was, Wolfenstien was a very simplistic shooter. There really wasn't anything to it, and for the PC the functions were very easy to use. It also brought to vision a certain view on "Nazi Germany", bang bang and boom boom. However, you could say that the atmosphere of the levels really weren't to captivating; more or less the functions gave you the ability to run down countless hallway after countless hallway. Eventually, you would come across doors, and this was the highlight of your day; opening them was like finding Presents under your tree on Christmas Morning. However, these presents turned out to be homocidal Nazis hoping to ruin your life. If World War Two was as easy as this, it wouldn't have lasted more than three days; at the time though this game really broke it grounds sound wise and graphic wise. Here is a little example of what you call, the "Nitty Gritty":
(A few pixels went a long way, fourteen years ago)
Downright written, the value of this new entrance to the genre really broke some barriers. As well this "beauty" was created by Activision software in the year of 1992; interesting isn't it, especially since their name is still around. However, the gameplay wouldn't offer much to the years of today; back then though it was splendid to spend hours upon hours merely walking around nothing more but a really large room. If you happen to have a Phobia of extremly stretching hallways and open spaces, Wolfenstein likely wouldn't have fed your inner needs. Even if you weren't around back in the 1930s, this world supplied you with all you really needed to fight off those dirty enemies. Except, you weren't really on the defense, the majority of things stuck to you trying to escape from the Germans. Unlike its big brother, "Return to Castle Wolfenstein", "Wolfenstein 3D" really only offered you with a few types of enemies, yet as said for that era it was something special to merely be given a Third-Dimensional take through the "Blurry, Pixilated, and likely Hang-Over" demented eyes of B.J Blackowicz. Original isn't it, why don't you try saying his last name ten times real fast.
While there might have been two Dooms, leave out the third for now (You'll ruin the future), this little section will cover the first part of the trilogy. Now when it comes to the simple name of Doom, many people can actually relive the days of yore when the title was first released into our world. Even if you are say, of the age around thirteen this game somehow was still likely placed in your hands. Due to its extreme popularity there were many great things spread around about it. Even enough funds to go ahead and remake that of a second piece later on. Besides all that though, you might think that Doom was simply a remake of Wolfenstien; strangely enough it really wasn't. Doom in and of itself offered something that other First-Person-Shooters before it had yet to. It gave an open door into the world of "levels" in a Third-Dimensional genre. Now by "levels" this means like walking up stairs or falling off a floor onto a lower floor. Such creation allowed the publishers to play with their maps more carefully; as well as give leinancy to the players to establish their own. This breakaway from the other games in the series really gave the First-Person-Shooters new ground to walk on. Instead of travelling down paths over and over again, you could now walk on a flight of stairs and ride on fun pieces of land that went back and forth or up and down. There was something odd about this effort though, if an enemy was on a lower moor than you, you could still take them out without aiming. Of course, back in those days you couldn't aim. To the program, taking your shot meant you had to be facing the direction of a foe. That's right, bullets used to be magical.
(So, I'm taking it that we really aren't in Kansas anymore)
This fellow game really offered what you would call a revolution to this genre; every title that came afterwards followed in the same footsteps. However, while Doom might have been breaking for a new set of ideas; it was also a pain to service on many computers. Those that installed it were pretty much due to crash not to long afterwards. You can't hold to much prejudice on the matter though, the first release of the game was created by a couple of guys that had hardly experience at all. You could say though that by now, with Id Software, they've really made their shoe stick into the gravel. When any "Chef" says bam, they best be thinking about this game while they do it. Words can't explain what this gave way to; new programs, new systems, sounds, music, everything in general. As well, for a very downgraded version of todays games, it really had a nifty lighting system. Even for a choppy perception, the lights would realistically flicker on and off as you made your way through its corridors. At least now people could rest in peace, knowing that Hell was not just one big warehouse like setting, but actually a room that contained platforms. Oh, and as well, don't forget the variety of monsters that were displayed in Doom; from demons to zombie(fied) humans. As well as some kicky weapons that ranged from Rocket Launchers to the BFG. Now the name of this gun can't be said, but with a bit of imagination you could likely figure it out. Also, no one could ever forget the use of a chainsaw that was implanted in the second Doom itself.
When going big, Half Life went there; when you were hurt and betrayed by your friends, Half Life was there. When you broke up with your girlfriend and felt crushed on the inside, Half Life was still there. We all remember Half Life, it shall forever be stuck in our minds until the day that we die. Hopefully they have this title in the afterlife, we need it to stay sane. This game, for it's year, definetly broke a line between the vision of graphics and gameplay. The story itself was captivating, however its resembled that of the old Doom title. You know, working in a science lab until all "Hell" breaks lose. Instead though, these enemies weren't demons, they were aliens from a little place we love to call Xen. You took the role of Gordon Freeman, who obviously seemed to be mute or just to lazy to talk. Everything seemed fine when you started working at Black Mesa, obviously. Even though it wouldn't take long to notice that all the security guards looked like clones, and that the scientific team really had no diversity. After your little accident, getting your tail out of the sewage pipes would be harder than you thought; especially with the U.S goverment biting at your heels. Clean up a mess they thought, well you could say that you actually made it a bit harder for them. Not only was this tale captivating and the twist seriously horrific, there was a character in this game that no one can ever forget. We call him the G-Man, he has no real name, all you know is that he seems to enjoy everything about you. Even for the late 20th century, the graphics here were still visually stunning. Enemies really seemed to be there, as well as the guns that you kept in your inventory. There really wasn't anything special about your items, except the trusty HEV suit which would keep you alive no matter the cost.
(You would think a scientist could really see the impossible odds here)
But, the single-player mode wasn't the only thing that kept people interested in the game. A lot of the credit went online as well, for you see this was created by Valve. Valve has gone around and made countless majestic games for the Genre of FPS. From Team Fortress Classic to Counter-Strike. You can't deny their beauty and intelligence, however you can deny the immature children that have overrun their servers. When this was first released it offered us as a global world to enjoy each others company. Even if that meant blowing off your friends head and placing a bomb under his feet. We became violent pals, but we were all still there for each other. Unless you took our flags, then we became outraged and would eventually stop communications. Enough of that though, as you can see the game itself really offered breathing room to anyone wanting to try something new and eloquent to their features. Replayability was awfully lanky though, and there was trully no reason to go back through it all. Except to hear those awesome heart-pounding songs and ballads that kept your guns " a' blazing " no matter the cost.
"Doom 3-2004"
Sure sure, so you can remake yourself with pretty graphics so what; so you can make your music take our souls away and make us cry in terror. So what if you can make your lights flash as we travel through your worlds, and who cares if you actually make us want to turn you off so that we can sleep at night. Actually, wait a second, those are all good things. Everyone remembers this game, it's that in which can not be forgotten; it shall sting the membrane for as long as possible. People try to discredit it, due to the darkness and familiarity of some places in the game. Of course, the game was meant to be dark seeing as it was a remake of the legendary solo title of the past. However, if this is what happens when you change, then maybe some change is actually very good. This title kept everyone nearly on the edge of their seats, however a downside to the fear was the fact that it would cost your PC a lot of pwer to push it. For its time, the graphics were literally amazing and heart breaking. Yet, the majority of computers had not been able to posses such strengths as of that time. Now, any could go on about this game for a long lengthy period. The basic informat you need to know is the fact that in truth, there are flaws and positive features all over this beast. While the game might have made you jump, it didn't take long to figure out where the baddies would come from to scare you. Pick up a valuable item and you might find yourself being tackled by hordes of demons, that wasn't to interesting after a bit. Although, you could say that getting touched by the demons was enough to make you back off and shoot like you had never shot a gun in a game before:
(Some certain "game" took some steroids)
The use of weapons and movement were easy to obtain and understand, it wasn't a process that would have to be taught over time. In all out honesty, there isn't much that can be said on this game that hasn't been said for Doom. It broke ground, just like its older brother, it made something that others had never seen before. In the future, games would come to challange its engine and story though. Take for example the lovely tropical seas of Far Cry and the "Communist-like" life style of Half Life 2. Games move like we move, and even from creation they never back down. They've gone foward, while the thought of classic is faded in this genre, it can never be forgot where everything started out from.
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"Why do we shoot, the way we shoot?"
Throughout time there have been many additions to the sort of games that we play and obviously seem to enjoy during our play-endused sugar rushes. Even our most beloved classics have been altered for todays youth; in fact, a lot of the shifting of our favorite media could be based on how the younger generations react to it. Majority has it that when we were younger, the games that we adored were usually very simplistic. There weren't large digital effects, and those little "Beware of Seizure" warnings were non-existant. Heck, even in game lighting had hardly been introduced. Our days were filled with very fine point actions, usually winding around the objective of finding a lock and eventually opening a door. It taught us the basic fundamentals of adult-hood, "Everyone misplaces their keys". Stairs and Elevators were foreign to our little eyes, we used things like pipes and air drafts to get us around. Now unfortuantly we know what "pipes" really means, but we won't touch that; just remember to always say no. The Nintendo and the Personal Computer were our only friends, and the countless hours we spent together were good. We all bounded with them, we knew they'd never turn their backs on us. Even today they still remain, sure they've had their fair share of personality disorders and physcoligical speeches; yet haven't we all Mr. Miyamoto, haven't we all?
During these tough times in our childhood, all of us were eventually introduced to the world of First-Person-Shooters; it was the new kid on the block, consoles wouldn't even touch them. There was one brave soldier though, that in which we called the Personal Computer, better known as the PC. Oh, they were the best of friends; even if the genre happened to constantly change every single year. Sometimes, we all have to wear diffrent shoes to finally know which pair will actually fit. You should have seen them though, they were always supporting one another; never giving in and causing troubles. Even today the PC stands for everything mighty that the First-Person-Shooter might have to offer. Though, over time as all things must, the consoles eventually picked up it's drift. Even still though, the consoles just can't seem to treat the First-Person-Shooter with enough dignity; imagine it like the popular kid who calls you their friend, then they never invite you to their parties. However, the First-Person-Shooter was a strong fighter, and it's still out there covering ground from computers to consoles; yes, it does know how to swing in many ways. It's like highschool for our little buddy, growing long hair and undergoing the last years of puperty. He is still growing up, right in front of our eyes; when those college years come he is going to conquer them with ease, likely because he doesn't have to pay because he is as well not real.
"Wolfenstien 3D-1992"
Everyone has got to start somewhere, even with the might First-Person-Shooter you see in front of yourself today. You don't get that buff without some long-sturdied time practicing; everyone has being small and work their way up to the big boys. This game was like the wheel to the whole genre, of course this sentence can easily be debated. There were many Three-Dimensional First-Person-Shooters before hand, however they did not reach the peak of popularity like Wolfenstein had; if you wish to, you can always mention their names later on if it pleases. Anyway, as it was, Wolfenstien was a very simplistic shooter. There really wasn't anything to it, and for the PC the functions were very easy to use. It also brought to vision a certain view on "Nazi Germany", bang bang and boom boom. However, you could say that the atmosphere of the levels really weren't to captivating; more or less the functions gave you the ability to run down countless hallway after countless hallway. Eventually, you would come across doors, and this was the highlight of your day; opening them was like finding Presents under your tree on Christmas Morning. However, these presents turned out to be homocidal Nazis hoping to ruin your life. If World War Two was as easy as this, it wouldn't have lasted more than three days; at the time though this game really broke it grounds sound wise and graphic wise. Here is a little example of what you call, the "Nitty Gritty":
(A few pixels went a long way, fourteen years ago)
Downright written, the value of this new entrance to the genre really broke some barriers. As well this "beauty" was created by Activision software in the year of 1992; interesting isn't it, especially since their name is still around. However, the gameplay wouldn't offer much to the years of today; back then though it was splendid to spend hours upon hours merely walking around nothing more but a really large room. If you happen to have a Phobia of extremly stretching hallways and open spaces, Wolfenstein likely wouldn't have fed your inner needs. Even if you weren't around back in the 1930s, this world supplied you with all you really needed to fight off those dirty enemies. Except, you weren't really on the defense, the majority of things stuck to you trying to escape from the Germans. Unlike its big brother, "Return to Castle Wolfenstein", "Wolfenstein 3D" really only offered you with a few types of enemies, yet as said for that era it was something special to merely be given a Third-Dimensional take through the "Blurry, Pixilated, and likely Hang-Over" demented eyes of B.J Blackowicz. Original isn't it, why don't you try saying his last name ten times real fast.
"Doom-1993"
While there might have been two Dooms, leave out the third for now (You'll ruin the future), this little section will cover the first part of the trilogy. Now when it comes to the simple name of Doom, many people can actually relive the days of yore when the title was first released into our world. Even if you are say, of the age around thirteen this game somehow was still likely placed in your hands. Due to its extreme popularity there were many great things spread around about it. Even enough funds to go ahead and remake that of a second piece later on. Besides all that though, you might think that Doom was simply a remake of Wolfenstien; strangely enough it really wasn't. Doom in and of itself offered something that other First-Person-Shooters before it had yet to. It gave an open door into the world of "levels" in a Third-Dimensional genre. Now by "levels" this means like walking up stairs or falling off a floor onto a lower floor. Such creation allowed the publishers to play with their maps more carefully; as well as give leinancy to the players to establish their own. This breakaway from the other games in the series really gave the First-Person-Shooters new ground to walk on. Instead of travelling down paths over and over again, you could now walk on a flight of stairs and ride on fun pieces of land that went back and forth or up and down. There was something odd about this effort though, if an enemy was on a lower moor than you, you could still take them out without aiming. Of course, back in those days you couldn't aim. To the program, taking your shot meant you had to be facing the direction of a foe. That's right, bullets used to be magical.
(So, I'm taking it that we really aren't in Kansas anymore)
This fellow game really offered what you would call a revolution to this genre; every title that came afterwards followed in the same footsteps. However, while Doom might have been breaking for a new set of ideas; it was also a pain to service on many computers. Those that installed it were pretty much due to crash not to long afterwards. You can't hold to much prejudice on the matter though, the first release of the game was created by a couple of guys that had hardly experience at all. You could say though that by now, with Id Software, they've really made their shoe stick into the gravel. When any "Chef" says bam, they best be thinking about this game while they do it. Words can't explain what this gave way to; new programs, new systems, sounds, music, everything in general. As well, for a very downgraded version of todays games, it really had a nifty lighting system. Even for a choppy perception, the lights would realistically flicker on and off as you made your way through its corridors. At least now people could rest in peace, knowing that Hell was not just one big warehouse like setting, but actually a room that contained platforms. Oh, and as well, don't forget the variety of monsters that were displayed in Doom; from demons to zombie(fied) humans. As well as some kicky weapons that ranged from Rocket Launchers to the BFG. Now the name of this gun can't be said, but with a bit of imagination you could likely figure it out. Also, no one could ever forget the use of a chainsaw that was implanted in the second Doom itself.
"Half-Life-1998"
When going big, Half Life went there; when you were hurt and betrayed by your friends, Half Life was there. When you broke up with your girlfriend and felt crushed on the inside, Half Life was still there. We all remember Half Life, it shall forever be stuck in our minds until the day that we die. Hopefully they have this title in the afterlife, we need it to stay sane. This game, for it's year, definetly broke a line between the vision of graphics and gameplay. The story itself was captivating, however its resembled that of the old Doom title. You know, working in a science lab until all "Hell" breaks lose. Instead though, these enemies weren't demons, they were aliens from a little place we love to call Xen. You took the role of Gordon Freeman, who obviously seemed to be mute or just to lazy to talk. Everything seemed fine when you started working at Black Mesa, obviously. Even though it wouldn't take long to notice that all the security guards looked like clones, and that the scientific team really had no diversity. After your little accident, getting your tail out of the sewage pipes would be harder than you thought; especially with the U.S goverment biting at your heels. Clean up a mess they thought, well you could say that you actually made it a bit harder for them. Not only was this tale captivating and the twist seriously horrific, there was a character in this game that no one can ever forget. We call him the G-Man, he has no real name, all you know is that he seems to enjoy everything about you. Even for the late 20th century, the graphics here were still visually stunning. Enemies really seemed to be there, as well as the guns that you kept in your inventory. There really wasn't anything special about your items, except the trusty HEV suit which would keep you alive no matter the cost.
(You would think a scientist could really see the impossible odds here)
But, the single-player mode wasn't the only thing that kept people interested in the game. A lot of the credit went online as well, for you see this was created by Valve. Valve has gone around and made countless majestic games for the Genre of FPS. From Team Fortress Classic to Counter-Strike. You can't deny their beauty and intelligence, however you can deny the immature children that have overrun their servers. When this was first released it offered us as a global world to enjoy each others company. Even if that meant blowing off your friends head and placing a bomb under his feet. We became violent pals, but we were all still there for each other. Unless you took our flags, then we became outraged and would eventually stop communications. Enough of that though, as you can see the game itself really offered breathing room to anyone wanting to try something new and eloquent to their features. Replayability was awfully lanky though, and there was trully no reason to go back through it all. Except to hear those awesome heart-pounding songs and ballads that kept your guns " a' blazing " no matter the cost.
"Doom 3-2004"
Sure sure, so you can remake yourself with pretty graphics so what; so you can make your music take our souls away and make us cry in terror. So what if you can make your lights flash as we travel through your worlds, and who cares if you actually make us want to turn you off so that we can sleep at night. Actually, wait a second, those are all good things. Everyone remembers this game, it's that in which can not be forgotten; it shall sting the membrane for as long as possible. People try to discredit it, due to the darkness and familiarity of some places in the game. Of course, the game was meant to be dark seeing as it was a remake of the legendary solo title of the past. However, if this is what happens when you change, then maybe some change is actually very good. This title kept everyone nearly on the edge of their seats, however a downside to the fear was the fact that it would cost your PC a lot of pwer to push it. For its time, the graphics were literally amazing and heart breaking. Yet, the majority of computers had not been able to posses such strengths as of that time. Now, any could go on about this game for a long lengthy period. The basic informat you need to know is the fact that in truth, there are flaws and positive features all over this beast. While the game might have made you jump, it didn't take long to figure out where the baddies would come from to scare you. Pick up a valuable item and you might find yourself being tackled by hordes of demons, that wasn't to interesting after a bit. Although, you could say that getting touched by the demons was enough to make you back off and shoot like you had never shot a gun in a game before:
(Some certain "game" took some steroids)
The use of weapons and movement were easy to obtain and understand, it wasn't a process that would have to be taught over time. In all out honesty, there isn't much that can be said on this game that hasn't been said for Doom. It broke ground, just like its older brother, it made something that others had never seen before. In the future, games would come to challange its engine and story though. Take for example the lovely tropical seas of Far Cry and the "Communist-like" life style of Half Life 2. Games move like we move, and even from creation they never back down. They've gone foward, while the thought of classic is faded in this genre, it can never be forgot where everything started out from.