Home
While there are tons of games I can't imagine without a menu, thus making the whole "second screen is the menu" idea appealing, there's also an argument for incorporating the HUD into the gameplay and eliminating that menu screen altogether.
I think the most exciting ideas let you look in another direction - the rearview mirror, periscope, binoculars, view through the shield, etc.
I like the perpetual radar / metal detector type ideas too, since they keep you in the action and treat the controller like a real-world device.
I wonder if there will be top-down targeting systems too, like if you could call in an air-strike or plot troop movements with the touch-screen, rather than pointing to a spot in 1st person like you do in Mass Effect and Battlefield."
You make a lot of great points here. For me, I'd sum it by saying that I've made friends while playing videogames, in neighboring states and on the opposite side of the world. Reading a good book makes me feel connected to the author and a part of a shared audience, but I can't say I've made a friend literally while reading. That isn't to say I don't talk to people about books - I was passing around my copy of Swamplandia! during drinks with friends the other night; I think they were interested.
But yes, I agree that I'd still feel part of a videogame community if Gamestop went under. It's actually been a while since GS made me feel part of their local community of gamers; a couple of years ago I knew all of the guys at the store by name, and then one night the staff was totally replaced. I used to go in and talk about new games, inevitably walking out with something. Now I feel anonymous there, and I buy more games on Amazon as a result.
Ironically, I feel less anonymous online, particularly on gaming site - hell, I even post here with my real name."
That was before simultaneous co-op even existed, though. For that, I'd have to say Slime World on the Sega Genesis. In that you had to explore a toxic alien planet with a squirt gun - it simultaneously killed enemies and washed the acid goo off of your partner; it was awesome."
Tomb Raider didn't lose me after the first game - I would say I was in denial about the decline of the series for a couple of years and then finally gave up on it completely. It's weird, but nice, to be interested in it again. Here's hoping that Tomb Raider turns out to be as good as it looks. "
It definitely seems to me that KDR can be too much of a concern at times, but the games are built to encourage that.
I used to play Team Fortress Classic many years ago, where there were no experience points - just winning and losing. Every match was a fresh start. Sometimes I think back to that and find myself wishing people would all try to complete an objective, but on the other hand I know my memory is colored by nostalgia - people probably always worried more about KDR than they should have been, just more so now. I hope that developers will find more way to encourage players to focus on the objective, but I don't really have a great solution myself."
Obviously there is an adapted version of the arcade at places like Dave and Busters, but I think that any new version of the Arcade industry needs to take inspiration from your statement about providing a different experience from what they have at home.
To that end, I think we'll be seeing a sort of video game arcade resurgence (or hybrid) as places like these become trendy:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/06/mojo-icuisine-uses-table-as-interactive-menu/
So in the above, restaurants use projectors and touch-pads to display menus and games directly onto tables. Imagine yourself playing games at a round table with friends while you're out having a beer. I think this is the kind of new experience people want."
I applaud what you’re saying here – I think it’s good to compare this with films though. I remember that when Clerks first came out, it was so different and interesting that I was willing to forgive the flaws – particularly some poor acting, lines delivered in such a way that they spoiled an otherwise well-written joke. Innovative games are often flawed in a similar way, but with the downside of being more expensive to try than an off-beat film.
Maybe the best way for developers to launch a risky, new title is to follow the example of Portal, which was short and inexpensive. "
At the same time, I think well-designed maps give you the possibility of holding a tactical position, but not a guarantee. There shouldn't be boxes and walls that protect a player from any and all attacks, though if you've ever played a deathmatch level that consists of a large empty room, you know how important.cover is. There has to be some balance.
In my opinion, campers are a problem if they are on your team, and refuse to go after an objective in an objective-based game, or if they are spawn killing. The possibilty of spawn killing is of course a flaw on behalf of the designers, but it effectively breaks the game if there's no safe place to start."