What Is The Future Of Gaming?

[Seil]

Okay, I totally get that I used to make terrible yet enjoyable drunk posts every once in a while asking people to paint themselves in MSPaint, and that there was silly fun had by all except for Barrel who is determined to be a grumpy Gus. I get that I've gotten less drunk recently and I've since stopped making many enjoyable posts that promote silly fun. This must be rectified at some point, probably soon, where I will ass drunk off my the. However, in my recent days, I've stopped being a mopey, semi-suicidal alcoholioc (Yay!) and become a productive member of society. (Boo.)

But as a Citizen Of This Proud Earth (TM), I've ventured out of my cave and started doing stuff! Like playing the fiddle more, and reading great books, and checking out all the internet things. Okay, so I admit that's all stuff I do in my cave anyway. (Shut up.) But I exercise sometimes!

Anyway, I was watching Yahtz... Yhat... Zero Punctuation with that British twat, and he did a review of Kid Icarus. (Which reminds me, I need to do more HMRWS. Welp, I hope people might read the next one.) Anyway, in the beginning of the review, he remarked on his fascination with his comments fascinating on his relationship with Nintendo. (I spelled 'fascinating' without the spell checker, it must be wrong.)

It got me wondering... what's the future of gaming. (Whoo, topic starts four or five paragraphs in, a new record for me.) I mean, all of my favorite series have come to an end. With the promise of new games to come - Thief 4, ahem - but I remain doubtful. Here's the thing: everyone (game designers) seem to me, at least, to be concentrating on the hardware than the games. I might just be deaf to the new releases - Max Payne and Bioshock Infinite notwithstanding, but it seems like I'm less excited about the new releases line up every year.

What's up with that?

I mean that we're less excited about being fanboys in an inevitable upcoming console war (could just be that we're FUCK YEAH, NPF) but I remember the release of the Gamecube and the XBox. I remember it because it was during the 'Current Events' class that we were doing in middle school and we had to watch/talk about TV news stories. But I remember arguing with my friends and defending my games and console of choice. Whatever happened to the yesteryears? Where are the halcyon days that I sat my fat arse (I'm exercising now, mind you. It's less fat than it was. Ladies...) and played the MGS4 or Silent Hill Hom.... Orig... .... .... The Room?

All I'm saying is that it seems with motion capture in games, with motion controls, and all of the old series either wrapping up or being rebooted (God, I feel old. I'm 23, damn it! I shouldn't have to feel old until the hangover, when I'm stiff in the morning!) where is there left to go?

I'm not saying gaming is dying. I hope it's gonna stick around for another few hundred years, until we meet aliens and play Duke Nukem: Real Life, but it just seems as if we're at an apex now. We're, in the terms of fifth grade English, at the top of the Rising Events stair case and now we're due for a climax.

...Not the dirty kind.

[Bells]

Depends... the future of gaming as the industry sees it, or how we want it?

I Guess the future right now is a even bigger push into Connectivity, a bigger trend on Multiplyer driven content... not necessarily multiplayer GAMES... but games affected by multiplayer interactions.

Something closer to what Dark Souls does, but in a larger scale... i think the focus on Simplicity and community will simply go on. The WiiU (god damn stupid name...) has pretty much tablets for controls and a focus on local multiplayer, that can easily translate to online multiplayer. The Motion control craze is fading fast... but i don't think it will go away quite yet though...

Some games are trying to "diversify" but letting you control aspects of the game via other things, like Mass Effect, WoW and even the new Rainbow six future soldier that have features that allow you to work the main game via cellphone.... so we'll see more of that, for sure.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Originally Posted by Bells

Depends... the future of gaming as the industry sees it, or how we want it?

I Guess the future right now is a even bigger push into Connectivity, a bigger trend on Multiplyer driven content... not necessarily multiplayer GAMES... but games affected by multiplayer interactions.

Something closer to what Dark Souls does, but in a larger scale... i think the focus on Simplicity and community will simply go on. The WiiU (god damn stupid name...) has pretty much tablets for controls and a focus on local multiplayer, that can easily translate to online multiplayer. The Motion control craze is fading fast... but i don't think it will go away quite yet though...

Some games are trying to "diversify" but letting you control aspects of the game via other things, like Mass Effect, WoW and even the new Rainbow six future soldier that have features that allow you to work the main game via cellphone.... so we'll see more of that, for sure.

This is something I want to see more of. I always thought it was a neat concept and it's something I'd love to see done a lot more often.

I'm looking at you Sony, don't let this cross play thing die out. keep it going strong into the PS4 and eventually Vita2 and Xpheria2 5G.

[Seil]

God, I hate Dark Souls.

THAT BEING SAID! I dislike the focus on multiplayer games. The focus, mind you, not (some) of the games themselves. I think that we should put more effort into the single player campaign, because while games like Team Fortress 2 are fun and awesome, some people dun have a good internet connection some people dislike multiplayer.

I've been to the Demo section of the PSN - the only really good title is Warp, which seems more like a puzzle than a game. I mean, what else is there? I Am Alive? That just takes elements from other games and turns it into this mish mash of mediocrity. (Screw you, spell check.)

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I see what you mean Seil, though the focus on Multiplayer is a pretty good thing IMO.

[Kim]

God, I hate Dark Souls.

This has been Terrible Opinions, with your host, Seil McBarrelpants.

[Bells]

You guys think we're seeing the crumble of Triple A Gaming ? I mean, more and more Big titles flaunt and die short of their goals (even if the sales numbers are good) and we see small titles, unique non-brand or new-brand products coming about and a huge avalance of indie and social titles that sweep the playing field even with little to no PR or Marketing behind it.

[Satan's Onion]

The thought occurs to me that, this being a thread about gaming, it would be better suited to our subforum dedicated to gaming.

The further thought occurs that I should be the one to move it.

[Seil]

I seriously could go on and on about Dark Souls, but that'd be petty.

I think, Bells, when you say "you guys," you mean me. 'Cause I'm awesome, but I also have OP status. (Whoo!) So, please, know that these are the opinions of one (or two) man. (Men.)

It's not that I dislike indie titles - I'm actually totally in favor of smaller designers getting to strut their stuff and (hopefully) being picked up - but it's - again - my personal opinion that there's not too many titles these days to be excited about.

What have we got? Assassin's Creed (3, or something? Ezio screwed the pooch on this one) Bioshock Steampunk and Max Payneful Noir. Oh, and that Metal Gear Raiden game. What is there to do but wait for a new, popular game series to rise up?

Well, nothing... Until it relies on crappy motion controls and becomes decidely stupid.

EDIT Thank you, Mr. Onion. I was drunk as a... PULMONARY TRUNK. and wasn't aware of thread organization.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I'm loving the huge indi crowd. It gives me hope that my dreams of being a game designer, even an indi one might not just be a fantasy.

I love how open and big the field is getting and I hope it continues to grow.