He he, to me it's not the nostalgia, but the fact that there is very little innovation outside the fantastic indie scene.
I find the innovation in the technology the most exciting.
I know it sounds very tedious and one-up-ish comparing polygon counts etc, but the GPU hardware tessellation in the current generation of graphics cards leaves me gobsmacked frankly.
I don't think we can be far off proper virtual reality stuff now. Displays are getting light enough and high enough pixel density that visor displays etc are finally becoming science fact and the technology even exists to see where you are looking and how far away your eye is focussing etc now.
Yeah, the rehash of material is a safe bet - you can't blame the industry. I just hark back to the days with quirky games like Skooldaze, Worst Things Happen At Sea, Bugaboo, Frankie Goes to Hollywood etc.
Currently I'm glued to Hotline Miami, Thomas Was Alone and totally drooling over the prospect of Lifeless Planet :)
regardless of graphics, the ZX Spectrum allows me to visit many more original environments than modern PC games. The only other machine to offer such diverse experiences is the Amiga 1200.
Even now I have the choice to buy a Speccy game, or buy a PS3 game. They both cost the same. More often then not, for me, the Speccy game looks and plays much better than its modern counterpart. Nice to have a bit of a change though.
Most games of the current generation are very much, 'seen it all before,' but the worst thing about it, is that I saw it all before just a few weeks ago.
Do you think programmers get the same pleasure from making games as say Jof did? Is it possible to push the hardware nowadays?
No, they get treated even worse. They still get the ludicrous pressure and over-work close to deadlines, but now they have no say whatsoever in how the game looks or plays. That's all decided by 'professional designers' and 'focus groups', often being skewed and co-erced by managers devoid of imagination.
Which is why you get the same old cr@p over and over again.
Happens right across software too - companies only want to hire one designer, then hire a bunch of jobbing code-monkeys to bash the code out accordingly. Experienced coders not welcome. That's why the business-process or customer-tracking software your employer has bought in is such a piece of cr@p too.
This is odd as I was thinking the very same thing a few days ago. The basics of most games have been around for years.
Skyrim = Paper Based D&D
and all the other comparisons that have been made.
My take was.
Are there any games that the basics of the game could never have been made on the Speccy?
For example:
Skyrim & Fallout = Any number of text adventures/RPG's
Gran Turismo = Any racing game
Fifa = Its a football game
God of War = Its a beat 'em up
etc etc etc
The only game that I could think of was Portal. The physics involved in this game make it more than just a puzzle game and more than just a platformer.
Are there any games that the basics of the game could never have been made on the Speccy?
For example:
Skyrim & Fallout = Any number of text adventures/RPG's
Gran Turismo = Any racing game
Fifa = Its a football game
God of War = Its a beat 'em up
etc etc etc
The only game that I could think of was Portal. The physics involved in this game make it more than just a puzzle game and more than just a platformer.
depending on how you interpret that, any game that involves touch-screen and/or 'tilt' as a vital part of its controls I suppose.
for example you couldn't replace the touchscreen control on Flick Football with a joystick or keys, it wouldn't be anywhere near adequate. But obviously the concept is just 'football' , which of course has been done on the spec...
Do you think that modern graphics take away that feeling of using your imagination that you had to apply to Speccy games?
I think one reason that I myself find Speccy graphics more endearing is that you know someone spent the time doing it manually, even something so small as making a pixel flash (e.g. the indicator light in Turbo Esprit). Graphics these days have effectively been designed by a computer, based on the algorythms that have been created by a committee.
I respect that people enjoy graphics and processing power and all that. But for me a game is more about what you do with it than what it looks like. Although that said, design is very important. The way it looks is certainly a component but its not just "how realistic" or "how many pixels" for me. Pacman and Robotron for example, they are magnificent in design. Beautiful really. You couldn't say that about, I dunno, Assassins Creed or Call of Duty.
Isn't it better to remain open minded? I've just bought a wii U which is great. The latest super mario is a return to form, but its not a patch on the NES original or the Snes version. There's an aesthetic in the former that's lacking and an originality in the latter. For me, the mini game where you tilt a triangle with your head on it about round a Donkey Kong inspired course is nearer where it's at. Simple, compelling and yes, beautiful.
So apart from the massively improved graphics, studio quality audio, larger gameplaying areas, being able to go online and play multiplayer, the ability to use mods to extend the game far beyond it's original limits, the availibilty of patches to correct any unforseen gameplay issues and being able to purchase and play your games without leaving the house - what has modern gaming ever done for us?
So apart from the massively improved graphics, studio quality audio, larger gameplaying areas, being able to go online and play multiplayer, the ability to use mods to extend the game far beyond it's original limits, the availibilty of patches to correct any unforseen gameplay issues and being able to purchase and play your games without leaving the house - what has modern gaming ever done for us?
Bankrupted a number of development teams due to the huge production costs involved in said graphics.
Bankrupted a number of development teams due to the huge production costs involved in said graphics.
I was only kidding , but I do think that sometimes what modern gaming has brought to the table is undermined or forgotten. Tbh I think the biggest loss in gaming is innovation - modern gamers have ceased to be surprised, which is something that happened quite regularly when we fired up games back in the day.
Regarding bankruptcy though, there have ever been companies going under or being swallowed up by taking a gamble that they will get more out than they put in - Look at Mikrogen with their ram-pack or Imagine with their megagames. True, the amounts of money that can be lost these days are far greater, but then again so are the potential profits.
Nowadays it's not just stupid or over ambitious ideas that can bankrupt companies. A company can go under because their latest game wasn't a huge blockbuster hit. It seems you can't survive on modest sales, you either have GTA/Call of duty levels off success or you go under with no middle ground. The current business models can't sustain and a market crash is inevitable. They'll have to dig up those E.T. cartridges to make room for the FIFA ones!
Comments
Paintball gun accident wasn't it?
He he, to me it's not the nostalgia, but the fact that there is very little innovation outside the fantastic indie scene.
I find the innovation in the technology the most exciting.
I know it sounds very tedious and one-up-ish comparing polygon counts etc, but the GPU hardware tessellation in the current generation of graphics cards leaves me gobsmacked frankly.
I don't think we can be far off proper virtual reality stuff now. Displays are getting light enough and high enough pixel density that visor displays etc are finally becoming science fact and the technology even exists to see where you are looking and how far away your eye is focussing etc now.
Aye wiv' a twitch of his massive tash Geoff banned me, I had to go to Denton Burne instead :(
Yep, I'd have to agree. Although the general public seem quite content to buy the same games over again.
Which is why they make them of course :)
Same reason that people write trashy paperback novels or publish gossip magazines, it's a good way to make money. :)
Gauntlet is just Rogue with ghosts though ;)
Naw naw, it's Berserk with Elves ;)
Yeah, the rehash of material is a safe bet - you can't blame the industry. I just hark back to the days with quirky games like Skooldaze, Worst Things Happen At Sea, Bugaboo, Frankie Goes to Hollywood etc.
Currently I'm glued to Hotline Miami, Thomas Was Alone and totally drooling over the prospect of Lifeless Planet :)
Even now I have the choice to buy a Speccy game, or buy a PS3 game. They both cost the same. More often then not, for me, the Speccy game looks and plays much better than its modern counterpart. Nice to have a bit of a change though.
Most games of the current generation are very much, 'seen it all before,' but the worst thing about it, is that I saw it all before just a few weeks ago.
Indeed! :-)
Which is why you get the same old cr@p over and over again.
Happens right across software too - companies only want to hire one designer, then hire a bunch of jobbing code-monkeys to bash the code out accordingly. Experienced coders not welcome. That's why the business-process or customer-tracking software your employer has bought in is such a piece of cr@p too.
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
http://meprogrammer.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/spectrum-got-there-first.html
so yer you did see it all before... matty smiths classic was highly influenced by bill hogue's work
http://www.bigfivesoftware.com/
Ha ha, I'm loving the comments below.
"Uninspiring and pretentious."
Hardly, there is tongue in cheek in there that has wooshed over some peoples heads. :)
Skyrim = Paper Based D&D
and all the other comparisons that have been made.
My take was.
Are there any games that the basics of the game could never have been made on the Speccy?
For example:
Skyrim & Fallout = Any number of text adventures/RPG's
Gran Turismo = Any racing game
Fifa = Its a football game
God of War = Its a beat 'em up
etc etc etc
The only game that I could think of was Portal. The physics involved in this game make it more than just a puzzle game and more than just a platformer.
I just saw this today - it should be achievable and should have been done prior :)
Well butter my baps!! I sit corrected :-)
for example you couldn't replace the touchscreen control on Flick Football with a joystick or keys, it wouldn't be anywhere near adequate. But obviously the concept is just 'football' , which of course has been done on the spec...
I think one reason that I myself find Speccy graphics more endearing is that you know someone spent the time doing it manually, even something so small as making a pixel flash (e.g. the indicator light in Turbo Esprit). Graphics these days have effectively been designed by a computer, based on the algorythms that have been created by a committee.
IIRC Zombi U is actually a semi-sequel to one of the developees first games from the 8-bit days, so you could be right!
Both games use the same perspective.
Isn't it better to remain open minded? I've just bought a wii U which is great. The latest super mario is a return to form, but its not a patch on the NES original or the Snes version. There's an aesthetic in the former that's lacking and an originality in the latter. For me, the mini game where you tilt a triangle with your head on it about round a Donkey Kong inspired course is nearer where it's at. Simple, compelling and yes, beautiful.
karate champ in the arcade pre-dates both that + IK ?
cyclone... desert / jungle strike
Bankrupted a number of development teams due to the huge production costs involved in said graphics.
I was only kidding , but I do think that sometimes what modern gaming has brought to the table is undermined or forgotten. Tbh I think the biggest loss in gaming is innovation - modern gamers have ceased to be surprised, which is something that happened quite regularly when we fired up games back in the day.
Regarding bankruptcy though, there have ever been companies going under or being swallowed up by taking a gamble that they will get more out than they put in - Look at Mikrogen with their ram-pack or Imagine with their megagames. True, the amounts of money that can be lost these days are far greater, but then again so are the potential profits.
I was on about Speccy games though :p