Five things I hate about games
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Mar 2nd 2006 at 9:28AM }
Quick, what are the FIRST FIVE PROBLEMS you think of when you think about the state of gaming today? They don't have to be the biggest problems or even the most important problems. They just need to be the five at the top of your mind. Don't think too much. Just type your list into the comments below. Unleash!
Here are mine:
- The portable device trade-off. I want a GameBoy Micro-sized device with a PSP-sized screen that runs on standard memory and gets 48 hours of battery life. So far, we're still trading off performance for battery life for portability. This one's not going away anytime soon, but that doesn't mean it can't bother me.
- Just-for-kids perceptions. It annoys the hell out of me that games are perceived as children's media. Games are for all ages. How long is it going to take before everyone knows this basic fact? Until this is known, we'll be dealing with opportunistic and ill-informed politicians and the sensationalist media that egg them on.
- My wife won't play 'em. I'm working on her... but it's a long, drawn-out campaign. Extrapolate my plight across millions of families. Out of all the forms of media, only comic books demonstrate such skewed male-female consumption demographics.
- Exergaming is too lame. Where's the friggin' holodeck, already? I'd happily run miles every day if I were able to run through the corridors of a Strog-infested spaceship. I'd be a black-belt in several martial arts if I could really step into Dead-or-Alive 4. I'd have abs and buns of steel if it were possible to actually play soccer, baseball, tennis or hockey in my living room.
- Games aren't educational enough. I like media that expand my mind and that take me into mental territory that I would not have traversed on my own. Books, radio, movies, music: they do this. The percentage of games that do this is woefully small. Games should make us smarter, better humans. They should lubricate neural pathways that are crucial to everyday success. Sure, they should entertain, too, but I don't think that entertainment and uplift are mutually exclusive.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Cerixus @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:44AM
Saving: Hopefully the next-gen consoles will fix this, but why hasn't anyone figured out save-games? I just got Tiger Woods 06 and it's like "Do you want to save?" (10 second delay) "Are you sure you want to save?" (10 second delay) "Do you want to overwrite?" (20 second delay). Some games do have it figured out, but it should be a standard thing by now...
ck @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:50AM
1. No more sequels. Where's the creativity and original IPs? (Although I am excited about GoW2 and KH2, but those are exceptions, not the norm).
2. Console saves. It's frustrating when part of a game is so hard to get through and you cannot save at all during the sequence. The game loses all the fun after I try a section of a game for 2 hours straight without getting through it.
3. Madden Kids. I hate those college kids who go out and buy the latest Madden just because it's Madden. They're the reason the video game market has gone stale.
4. Adventure games are dead. What happened to this genre? I loved it. Please Lucasarts, please start being a fun company again.
5. MMORPGs. I just really cannot think of spending a monthly subscription fee to play D&D (or something very similar) with others online. Grab me a beer and let me crack open my old Dungeon Masters guide and invite some friends over.
Stu L Tissimus @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:53AM
I have one complaint. Loading screens. One of the reasons that I prefer my GameCube to my other systems (*puts up fire resistant shield*) is because most games don't have any load times.
Scott @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:56AM
Hm, you could always play soccer, baseball, tennis or hockey FOR REAL!
I'm totally with you on the "my wife won't play them" point though.
C. Grant @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:56AM
Cerixus: hear hear!! Playing through Getting Up right now, and the saving is so cumbersome, and pointless! Of course I want to save, and of course I want it saved on the same place I saved it last time, and no I don't care that you're currently doing, and of course I'm not going to turn off my game console.
Similarly, saving in portable games. I was inclined to flunk GTA:LCS because of the save-feature alone. This should be understood: in a portable game, the ability to save anywhere anytime is a necessity, not an option. I hesitate busting it out in public if I'm not sure I'll have the time to get somewhere, get something done, and get back to save it.
.ed @ Mar 2nd 2006 9:59AM
1. DS lite, up to 20 hours or so? thats awesome.
2. I think Nintendo is plagued by this more than any company, sports have helped bridge the gap.
3. Nintendo seems to be changing this, along with the sims...
4. I'll be content with Revolution until then, at least it's a step in the right direction, and at E3, Iwata was talking about putting the game "actually in the room" within the decade. so im hopeful.
5. I agree, but thanks to sim city 4, i am a successful businessman. you just have to look at what you're actually playing. DS has brain training, for obvious learning too.
the moral of this post... Thank Nintendo.
Babylonian @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:10AM
1) Sequelitis.
2) Moderate lack of cinematic production values.
3) Good franchises being whored out.
4) Life not getting any easier for independent developers.
5) Developers lying and exaggerating the quality of their mediocre titles. Feel free to make shitty movie tie-ins, guys, but don't BS us about it.
Baka @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:12AM
1. Load Times! Most of the current action / FPS games are linear in design. I don't see why every few rooms or ever couple hundred yards, the game has to stop and load a new section of the level. HL2 is prime example. They designed the game so there is only one way to go so it should know what to load and should start doing it as you approach the area.
2. Cheating! I know it will never go away. Someone will always find a way to cheat in a game. That doesn't mean I have to like it.
3. Price of the New Generation! All of the next gen equipment is way overpriced (PS3 and Rev pending)! At least $60 per game and consoles running in at $300 (for a crippled console) or more. It's just plain ridiculous.
4. Subscription Fees! I want to play World of Warcraft so bad, I can taste it. But I can't afford $15/month + $50 for the game. Guild Wars got it right but it lacks alot of the things that makes WoW so interesting.
5. Artificial Intelligence! Come on, I learned to program basic A.I. my sophomore year in college. Surely a multimillion dollar budgeted game can afford to program so kind of proper decision making in a game. I recently played Black which is beautiful but the A.I. is dumber than a brick. Soldiers walk past fallen comrades while on patrol and don't even bat an eye. Snipe one of a pair of soldiers and the other doesn't even notice. At least F.E.A.R. showed that at least someone out there put some effort into A.I.
Dignan17 @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:14AM
I'm sorry, but you lost me at #1. You want a GBA Micro-sized device with a PSP-sized screen? Can anyone see the problem here?
How do you propose controlling this device that has no room for buttons or directional pads? On the sides? That would be lots of fun.
What you suggest is my ideal PMP, not portable gaming device.
Martin @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:14AM
1. No more adventure games: Why? I'd really love to have a new Full Throttle or a new Indy adventure game (nothing arcade-like).
2. When sequels suck: For instance, EA Sports made an excellent Fifa Road to World Cup 98, and then, destroyed all that making sequel after sequel that sucked. Same happened with the last NBA Live.
3. Not enough original ideas: I finished Shadow of the Colossus in a day, because it was something really different that really caught my attention, but, sadly, this is an exception in an unoriginal industry.
4. Cross-platform games: I hate when a really cool game is available in a platform I don't own. I can't have 3 consoles and a PC, you know?
5. Music and voices: Luckily, this looks like an improving field, but when the music and the voices (or translation of voices) suck, the whole game tends to annoy you a lot more than when they don't.
Babylonian @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:17AM
To Dignan17: It was hyperbole. A joke. The Micro is actually smaller than the PSP's screen. It was just a combination of all the problems plaguing handheld gaming: Battery life, actual portability, and screen quality.
Don Peredor @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:17AM
Okay, here are mine, from fifth to first:
5. Moving too fast. Anyone remember a little system called the SNes? Remember how great that little grey box with the purple buttons was? So many good games where released on that baby - and then 3D made it's advent, and suddenly *poof*, 2D games were made all but obsolete. My point is that we are trying to advance too quickly. The industry needs to slow it down a bit and concentrate more on making better games, not better-looking games.
4. Sequels. Ugh, how many Final Fantasy's am I going to have to play? How about Jak & Daxter's? Harry Potter's? Super Mario's? Though these franchises have passed the test of time, I would really like to see some new heroes other than a bunch of spiky meterosexuals, an angsty elf with a furry weasel, a nerdy wizard, or an overweight plumber with an affinity towards mushrooms.
3. Lack of creativity towards character design. The main character's sprite/model is what the player has to stare at for the entire game. Tony Hawk had a great idea that I am surprised wasn't picked up by other games - design your own character avatar. It's simple, it's easy, and allows the player more say in what his/her character will look like.
2. Japan. They get all the cool game stuff! Mother 1+2 on GBA, Mother 3 on GBA, wacky colored Gameboys, toys galore, special editions of my favorite games, earlier release dates, school being cancelled for the release date of popular games, even actual pokemon, thanks to genetic engineering and a bit of Shinto magic. ...okay, that last one was made up, but my point is Japan gets all this cool stuff and we get left with whatever floats across the pond. Europe must have it even worse.
1. Conventions that won't die. I hate it that in every RPG I play, a good nights sleep (which last 3 seconds) is enought to raise the dead, purge poisons, and mend even the worst magical maladies. It isn't just with RPG's either. Shoot-em-up's have the unnamed "glowy power-up" that miraculously improves your ship's health or gives you super lasers! Platformers are built around "find X arbitrary items in this arbiltrarily themed world to get this other arbitrary item to open the door to the arbitrary boss". Sports games haven't changed since the days of the SNes, either; they have simply gotten prettier. I really hope that one day, a company will realize that defined conventions merely hold back the evolution of gaming and ruin our immersion.
modeps @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:18AM
#1) Lack of Originality in mainstream titles. The industry is flooded, thanks in large part to EA, by substandard "upgrades" that pass themselves off as sequels. EA has the money and the power to be innovative yet they're just a sequel and license business now.
#2) Sports Exclusivity. Started again by EA, now 2K Games also hase exclusivity. It stifles competition and you cant honestly tell me that Madden this year was really worth the price now that no one else is around to contend.
#3) High Price of HDTVs. Granted it's not specific to games, but while HDTVs are still dropping in cost, they are still up there. I've got a house and a kid on the way, there are other things I want to spend my money on.
#4) My wife still rarely touches the controller, unless it's to move it. I'm only happy she's been getting into Bejeweled on the 360... even if that's available on the computer already... it's a start I guess.
#5) I cant think of a 5 right now.
airolson @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:20AM
1) Not enough decent casual games! Put another way, not enough games that are fun for 20 minutes or for 2 hours.
2) The wheel of franchise IP, of which games are becoming merely a spoke, on the same level as movies, books, and lunchboxes.
3) Too much emphasis on making games look and feel like movies!
4) Too many male power fantasies!
5) Games are getting too expensive to make and play!
For balance, here are five things I love:
1) Nintendo! (the DS and Revolution in particular)
2) The indie game scene is exploding with awesome!
3) Mod support in games like HL2, Doom 3, and UT2k?
4) Online distribution methods and other enabling technology for small, do-it-yourself studios.
5) Online services like XBox Live!
Martin @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:25AM
Conventions that won't die. I'd really love to see a FPS where a shot in the middle of your stomach (or a headshot in a single player game) means death like in real life, instead of a little flashy red effect and the ability to run and hide.
I know it would be hard as hell, but I would try it anyway.
Old Elvis @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:29AM
1)Would like to have the games play exactly the same on portable devices as it does on the console.
2) more drvining titles for the Gamecube. ( wheres the Colin McRae Rally or TOCA series for the Gamecube?).
3) Better information on what's really going on with some games distribution. ( Dance Dance Mario, sold out immediatley is it cancelled Delayed etc? Took too long to find out.)
4) Fighting with wife and Kids to play!
Brian @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:31AM
1. Moronic reviews: it's not my fault that everybody keeps buying Madden. After all Madden games RARELY get anything less than an 8, but usually are in the 9 range. Granted, everything is exactly the same except for two minor gameplay mechanics, but who cares cuz it's Madden!
2. Fun games arent "serious enough" for most gamers: why does a game need to be Halo or GTA to be hailed as a truly great game? Geometry Wars is in instant classic, but because it doesn't have Master Chief, it doesn't get the respect it deserves. The game is damn fun, which is what makes a game A GAME and not a movie. Halo is more movie than game.
3. Launch envy: everyone expects systems to launch with Metal Gear Solid or Grand Theft Auto and if they don't then the system sucks and they go back to playing the PS2. Yet, the sad fact is the PS2 launched with FANTAVISION! The Gamecube launched with Luigi's Mansion. The Xbox launched with Halo. Ironically, only a handfull of gamers even cared about Halo until about a year later when the 16 player networked Halo started to catch on.
4. Nintendo is not gaming's savior. Nintendo made dumb moves with the N64(no disc drive) and the Gamecube(no DVD) and has thus been stuck in kiddie game land. Sure, both systems had their plusses, but the Gamecube was their least remarkable system ever. It was a big step backward for gaming. The only reason Nintendo still exists is because of their handheld gaming stranglehold. In the big consoles, Nintendo has been beaten so badly it's not even fair. Maybe it's time for Nintendo to make an Appleesque return, but just like Apple, they had to make a lot of mistakes before they were relevant again.
5. Gaming is too diverse. GTA and Pokemon are in two separate universes doing two separate things. We need to stop lumping all gaming together as generic video games. Movies have their own niches: blockbuster, kung-fu, indie, etc... and gaming needs to develop a similar genre parition in the minds of gamers. Something like blockbuster games (halo, gta), casual games(bejewled, zuma), indie(Wik: fable of souls), etc... If we didn't look at a game and say, well it's really cool, but it's not halo we'd all be better off. I mean, Perfect Dark never has played like Halo, yet everyone expected it to for some reason and thus the game was not really given any respect.
Thomas Crymes @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:34AM
1. In a fantasy world, I want to go on-line and play against a mix of people who are worse,the same, and slightly better than I. And they would be mature enough to have the common goal of an enjoyable time online. Read: players won't be flaming and insulting, griefing, and generally not using good sportsmanship, and know that everyone wants to have a good time, and not flip out when I accidentally cause them to spin out in PGR3.
2. I want games to be as hard as I want them to be and not a bit harder. I don't want to spend 3 hours trying to beat the 3rd Level Boss. If I've had enough, bang, Boss is dead, I move onto next level. I have a whole idea on how to design games this way, but I won't get into it here :)
3. I want the Illuminati decide on a single hardware platform that is updated once every five years. All companies develop for it, and the consumer only needs one system. I don't want to own a 360, PS3, and a revolution. I'd rather have a single P360Revolution.
4. I want Duke Nukem Forever. I'm not ashamed to say it. I don't care how long it's been in production. Just gimme my game dammit!
5. I want the elimination of Fanboyism everywhere. I want people to engage in debate over the pluses/minuses of a game. I'm less interested in learning that John Doe's mother is a hamster because he likes his Nintendo/Halo/Madden/insert game related thing that makes you somehow sub-human for liking.
LJ @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:35AM
I don't know about any of you guys but a while ago I found this article with 20 reasons. This guy makes a pretty good argument. http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/games/manifesto.html
Todd @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:36AM
My wife will play them, but sometimes it get's ugly. She has what I like to call Videogame Turrets Syndrome. Normally she's nice and sweet, but let a game piss her off and that changes like a werewolf during a full moon. I can't play 2 player games with her simply because of her attitude. Also if we are playing a one player game it still becomes a competition. She doesn't want me to help her and gets mad if I offer advice; but sometimes, if she needs help from me and I don't know what to do she still gets mad and thinks I'm lying to her when I tell her I don't know. I think it's because we both like games a little too much.
32_Footsteps @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:36AM
Okay, for my five...
1. Developers are too focused on making games prettier, not more fun. This one has been a long-time complaint.
2. Remakes that kill the great parts of the original in the name of "modernizing" the game.
3. Gamers online think the epitome of wit is to recite George Carlin's seven words (just the words, not the actual routine) as often as possible.
4. I miss the beat 'em up. Nobody really bothers with them anymore.
5. Excessively long story sequences. Yes, I love a good story, but it should not take so long that you can literally go into the kitchen, make a sandwich, realize you're out of mustard, go to the convenience store down the street to get more mustard, finish making the sandwich, and eat it and still not miss any gameplay.
maddoxx @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:36AM
Yeah... it would be nice for game people to step things up a bit. I feel that many of the SNES games were much better and more inventive because they had less to work with. These days, you simply run around a fishbowl, looking at stuff.. dialogue is trite.. you simply get keys to open doors..
What happened to the days when items actually did stuff? Like ropes to climb trees, fire to burn stuff.. etc.. that's why many zelda games are so great.. but I'm unable to see why that formula is so hard to duplicate.
Jake @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:37AM
1) I want a portable gaming device that does everything. The PSP is the closest thing so far but the whole UMD and Memory Stick Duo thing turns me off to it (but I still bought one). I hope someday to see an open source device with a standard media type that will integrate all my devices into one. MP3 player, Games, movies, Internet Browser, organizer, phone etc... etc...
2) The notion that games cause all the problems in the world. As you so noted in the original post, some games are for adults and I whole heartedly agree. I as a child saw some pretty horrific movies and played adult games yet I didn't turn out to be a class-mate shooting, hooker beating kid. If anything those games may have saved me from doing it, because I could go home and let off some steam on a digital hooker. Screwed up kids are going to end up screwed up in most cases no matter what they see. As with a lot of issues, people need to wake up and see what the real problem is.
3) Games are for guys. This one is changing pretty quickly, but I'd love it if my GF was more into games. She respects my game time but doesn't seem interested. Maybe that’s just the way she is but to me it seems its the way she was raised. Society seems to say that video games are for guys. As you pointed out they are for everyone and can help many people in many different ways. I know I’m a better problem solver because of video games.
4) All too many games seem exactly like older ones. Tell me, do you really think the video gaming industry is old enough to recycle material like the movie industry is? I for one love fresh material, and especially open ended games. Games that you can make your own, games that you can use a strategy on that no one else has used and be successful or for that matter fail and learn. But a mindless game with flashy lights and sounds every now and then is good too. (Luminies, Tetris)
5) Gaming as a pro sport. To me this seems like the large gaming community trying to find another way to advertise their games. Why would I want to watch someone play a game? The only reason I can think of is to absorb their techniques and or just be amused but the amusement only last a few minutes. I can't even make it through the whole 6 min Mario competition video with out being bored. I’d rather see competition’s of no name gaming programmers and companies competing to make great games. Turn it into a series. I know I’m probably alone on that but, the whole pro gamer thing is just another advertising ploy designed to destroy our free will and make us robots.
sepll cehck @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:39AM
1. The lack of cooperation between the big three. I know they are in competition but the market is big enough. A one console to rule them all with the three working together and sharing the console/licensing profits. Basically a standard gaming format.
2. The use of disc media on home consoles. It should all be hard drive driven.
3. Accessory price gouging.
4. Failure to meet consumer supply demands.
5. Games that require hintbooks or gamefaqs to fully explore the game. See # 3.
Tucker @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:40AM
#1: Fanboys.
Mark Felps @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:45AM
1. People who bitch constantly about sequels but still rent or buy those sequels. You are the problem. So long as you feed EA and the other sequel-hacks your money, they are going to keep churning them out. Someone upthread said "How many Final Fantasy sequels am I going to have to play?" The answer? None. No one is putting a gun to your head. Quit buying them and they'll quit making them.
2. The save thing. There are dozens of games who get it right. What the hell is so hard? I should never HAVE to mess with saving. While I should have the option of changing how the game saves, the default should be seamless and often.
3. Cinematics. Yes, very pretty. Could we actually play the game now?
4. Terrible online setups. Having played two or three EA 360 games, I have to say that their entire connection system is broken beyond all reason. From having to constantly reload your profile in Tiger Woods, to having to read a freaking FAQ just to play FNR3 online. The adjective here, again, is SEAMLESS. I want to click a button and find myself playing online with the character I made, without having to screw with a bunch of settings. Do you think my wife is going to wade through a handful of settings screens? My kid? My non-gamer buddy?
5. There is more to a sandbox than GTA. While I truly enjoy GTA, it's really slaughtered the idea of sandbox games. Not Rockstar's fault, of course, but it was so sucessful that we're still dealing with non-stop GTA clones of every variety. Yeah, I like to shoot grandmas in the street, but there's more to life, no? I can think of a dozen different sandbox-type games that don't involve being a gangster. Why can't the gaming companies? What we're interested in is emergent gameplay, not neccesarily just seeing how many people we can murder.
6. Gaming media coverage. I don't know who's worse -- the mainstream media for writing about a subject they don't understand, or the gaming media for obsessing over ever tiny detail as if it were the most important thing on Earth. How many stories have YOU read about the release date of the PS3? How many did you read about Hot Coffee, that covered the exact same ground, over and over again. That most of the coverage is poorly written, entirely subjective, and half-assed is just a given.
Shad Genki @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:47AM
1. Cost of gaming...with the rapidly dropping cost of technology, you would think gaming would follow suit. In fact the reverse is true, as each generation pushes the cost to buy the next console with new games every few years. As gamers get older, this prices them out of the hobby. Focusing on current-gen systems and improving game quality to keep the console alive longer could change this trend. I can rebuild my computer to be more powerful and more useful than next-gen systems for the same price as your next-gen console.
2. Handhelds. One has great and simple multiplayer functionality, the other plays MP3s and movies easily. One has a great library of titles, and the other has a great homebrew community. For God's sake, please make a single, small, efficient handheld that can do it all. I haven't bought any because each one has only 50% or so of the things I want it to do. If I'm going to drop $200 on your handheld, you need to offer more than some half-assed toy. And when you release it, make sure it does what you say. I don't want to wait 10 to 12 months for addons and upgrades to do what you said it could do 6 months before launch.
3. Crappy library. I don't care if you can make 1,500 games for your console if it only has 2 or 3 I actually want to play. I'd prefer you make only 100 or 200 titles that are completely solid, offer unique storylines, worlds and gameplay, and give me the functionality to be sociable and enjoy them with my friends online and offline. It's not too much to ask. Also, sequels of games that sucked to begin with, and the same franchises used for the past 5 to 20 years aren't going to cut it anymore. People buy them because there's not much else to buy. Wake up and smell the potential revenue behind originality.
4. Cross-platform development. I have resolved to buy a single next-gen system this time around. No more of this 2 or 3 console stacking bullcrap. I don't have the time or the money to waste on a bunch of different consoles just to play 2 or 3 exclusive titles anymore. It's stupid. If you're not going to profit from console sales to begin with, then just make your unique tiles cross-platform. Likewise, make it easier for your competitors to develop for your console as well, and stop crapping on your fanbase. You've already earned their loyalty in cold-hard cash, so what do you have to lose?
5. If I wanted to play with kids, I'd go to the park... If kids still do that anymore, I'm not sure because I think they're all online telling me to go suck my own weenus. And I don't need to be told by some kid every few minutes that I have no balls when I know his haven't even dropped yet. It's time to segregate the online community. I want to play my games with people over the age of 18. You can validate my credit card and email address and even my driver's license if you wish, if it'll mean I can get into a different online tier for 18+ gamers when I want to. I'll go play on the general (read, kids) tier when it's a slow weeknight and not enough adults are playing.
Chris @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:50AM
Here's my top five gripes:
1. Silly restrictions on movement. If I come to a low fence or a small stream in the real world, I can jump over it and continue. Many games still restrict you from climbing over these kinds of barriers.
2. Games that do not allow you to return to where you've come been. Oh, you missed the weapon expansion in the last stage? Too bad. Start over.
3. Structured saves. It's this Resident Evil typewriter/Prince of Persia fountain nonsense. These conventions make no sense in the context of the games. Why not go for something simpler, like a heart rate monitor? So long as your heart rate is up (i.e., there are enemies nearby or you're hanging from a cliff) you can't save, but as soon as your heart rate normalizes, you can save as often as you want.
4. Storyline that stops gameplay. Metal Gear Solid 2, I'm talking about you. You can weave story into gameplay—just use voiceovers effectively, like Prince of Persia. There's no need to stop the game every three minutes for a cutscene. A good game director knows how to let the storyline unfold as you play.
5. Aliens and Monsters. Ooh, aliens and monsters. I better kill them, because aliens and monsters are bad! Hey, if we're going to have to mow down thousands of insectoid aliens (who always seem to like decorating their ships with neon purple textures), give us a good reason. Not "Well... they're bad!"
Gonzo @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:51AM
The one I most agree with is 4. It's 2006 already, not only should we have a "holodeck", but we should have giant robots and teleportation too. I'm sick of these archaic airplanes. What, are we in the 1800s here; we need to imitate birds to get around?
The third point I don't have a problem with because my wife is into games. We don't have the same favorites but we both enjoy strategy games and sim games. She's also a big fan of those hentai dating sims you find on line for free.
The second point I think is also a bit of a problem but not too much. We just have to wait for the old people (who only have known video games as something they bought for their kids) to die off. Then we won't be bothered by their snooty looks and remarks. I usually whip up some lewd and uncensored comeback for them if they give me a disingenuous "and how old ARE you?" or something like that. Don't be afraid to curse at old people, sometimes they really deserve it, especially if they're into more sophmoric board games. One time I told a monopoly loving old bag where she could stick her scotty dog.
As for my own complaints? Sorry but I don't have any. I think video games are one of the most amazing things to come out of the last century. I was born just before the dawn of the first home video gaming boom, and so much has been done with them in those 30 years that sometimes I can't believe my luck that a game enthusiast like myself was born at such a revolutionary time. I just can't wait to see how much more is done with them before I die.
Tatsuya @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:53AM
1. Non gamers. Talking with people who don't know anything about vide games are so boring.
2. Wires. Having every consoles, I'm starting to have too much wires in my living room, soon I won't be able to even see the floor.
3. No worlwide compatibility. I want to be able to play any games I bought in Japan or in the US on my european console. I still don't see the point: if I pay to get the game I should have the right to use it no matter the country I live in.
4. Special edition consoles. Not fair for those who have already bought the original console.
5. Disparition of adventure games. I love those, where are the days of Sam & Max, Day of the tentacle, Grim Fandango, Kyrandia, etc.
Karmakin @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:56AM
Here's my two biggies.
#1. Gamers complaining about a "lack of innovation". Great games are NOT made through innovation. They're made through great execution. Things such as the control structure, level and character balance make great games. It's actually hard to not innovate in some way (even small) when making a game, if the designers are any good, and the designers have to be good to execute correctly.
As a side note, I want designers spending time on gameplay, not on coming up with unique characters.
#2. We need a new control mechanism. The current analog control mechanism is not detailed enough to really bring on a truly next-gen feel. We need a 3-d controller of some sort. Oh..wait. Nintendo is bringing this out.
modkennylaine @ Mar 2nd 2006 10:58AM
People have brought up alot of great ideas (namely on price and subscription fees, which I hate as well).
1.) More co-op. This is changing, but I'd love to see it integrated in more than just FPS and sports games. Give me role-playing games that have it, at least on consoles--Diablo 2 had it, but we need more games like that on the systems (or at least higher profile ones). Crystal Chronicles and Four Swords were tons of fun, too bad they required so many extra peripherals.
2.) Gaming and girls. I'm female, and I guess I've been extra lucky to be surrounded by girls who game. I also have a bf who games, so either a.) I'm an anomaly, or b.) times, they are a-changin'. While it's still disconcerting to see booth babes as a fixture in gaming events, new games have been drawing in females like flies, it seems--and I've talked to quite a few girls who only game with WoW because their boyfriends got them into it. Personally, I don't need to see too many of the games change--a great game transcends gender and age.
3.) Price--someone already mentioned it, but 20 dollars is the sweet spot.
4.) Insistence on 'out-shocking' the next game. Y HALO THAR ROCKSTAR!
5.) Poor domestication. Not necessarily limited to translation, but the fact that Japan will get all these cool freebies or games just won't come over here (whoop whoop, big problem with the Sega Saturn).
oh, and one more.
6.) BLACK AND WHITE BAD INSTRUCTION MANUALS--Hey, let's take a tip from the late, great(?) Working Designs--jam 'em in with color and fun facts AND some lil' freebies. Soul Calibur 3 was like, maybe ten pages of pointless information.
Paul @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:03AM
1. I hate that games are not given there due as a valid hobby/ form of entertainment. Games make more money than the movies do every year but when you say you watched a movie last night you don't get nearly the disgusted look you get when you say you played fight night although you would be in the majority in that sitaution.
2. Why won't Bungie just listen to their throngs of fans and just give everyone the pistol.
3. Another Halo one, why doesn't Bungie program the much talked about, but underperforming, "Banhammer" to obviously recognize when people are cheating. If a person commits suicide three times in a row, I'd wager it wasn't by accident. Bounce them or let the team vote them out.
4. When is everyone going to realize that the playstation is not that damn good. If i see another sneak around stealth game or stupid RPG I'm gonna go nuts.
5. When is Nintendo going to stop trying to reinvent the wheel. They were the damn wheel. All they had to do was follow the trends, like getting rid of cartridges and adding a few more mature games, and they would have ruled video games til this day.
SynikaL @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:06AM
Posted by Jake:
"the whole pro gamer thing is just another advertising ploy designed to destroy our free will and make us robots."
God you're dumb. You obviously have never played any videogame competitively, which is fine, but your lack of experience/insight with the movement shows through in that absolute garbage piece of social commentary. It's almost as if you just read something similar in a book or something and you decided to say it because it sounded good to you.
Competitive gaming is an outlet for a lot of gmaers and gives them a chance to make REAL money doing what they love. As a gamer if you can't understand that you're a bigger idiot than your quote suggests.
*Back on Topic*
Besides the obvious stuff, I have only two real problems:
1. Where in the hell are my co-op beat em' up games? And I'm not talking low budget bottom-of-the-barrell messes like "Spikeout". I want a a multiplayer Beat em' Up that a developer actually puts time, monsy and rescources into making it good. It's not like their isn't a market for that type of game. Hey Majesco, what in the hell are you doing with the Double Dragon licsence? Where's my next gen DD with 4 player support? I'LL GIVE YOU MONEY FOR IT.
2.Everything's going online and I can't stand it. I love my XBL as much as the next guy, but I'm all about playing games on the couch with a group of buddies. Not only has the industry all but ceased making games best suited with this social aspect in mind (i.e colorful, easy to pick up multiplayer games), but most games with any multiplayer involved are usually forcing you to play online (why can't I host a LAN party with "Burnout Revenge"? Why does it have to be a FPS?). It's no wonder SSBM is the only videogame that I play today.
-Kye
GlitchCog @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:07AM
Don Peredor,
Your number 5 is great. That's exactly how I felt about first PlayStation. It was like everyone was shouting, "yay, let's accept terrible control for terrible 3D graphics!" Psuedo 3D games like Super Mario Kart and even full 3D SNES games like Star Fox were the stepping stone into "PlayStation" 3D, but there wen't enough of them to bridge the gap. Gameplay never made it across.
The_Predator @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:12AM
1) Games Testers taking flak for bugs in code when 90% of the time, they spot it, and the developers don't do anything about it.
2) Hardware being released which companies know, KNOW, they are going to make obsolete when they release it AGAIN in a few months with a better screen or something. I'm not stupid, hardware is planned years ahead of time, when they release a device, and release it again with some modifications they KNEW they needed on the first one, in the first place, it makes me completly sick. And the problem is, even the greatest companies are guilty (nudgewink).
3) Games Journilism in Newspaper & TV. "This sequal looks fab! It improves on the last installment, and will sell by the bucketload, 10/10!" "Not heard of this? What is it? Oh well, rubbish 6/10"
Why bother jumping on the bandwagon at all?
4) People that think games are for kids / people that think people should wake up and smell the adult-gaming coffee.
Seriously, I couldn't give a flying ass-monkey is games are seen as a kids thing. In that case, I'm proud to be a kid for the rest of my life if the alternative is I don't know, Conservative politics?
5) GWBush runs the world, not Pliskin. For shame.
"Terrorists? Give me 10 hours, some coolant spray, and have my breakfast ready."
Gonzo @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:14AM
Wait...
I spoke too soon. I do have one complaint but it can really be be applied to most consumer goods. Expensive crap that's so flimsy it breaks with regular use, and usually right after the warranty is up.
Yea I'm looking at you Sony.
nick @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:19AM
1- "convergence"
2_ the psp (and Sony in general)
3_ FPSs and WWII stuff
4_ lack of fun, quality experiences
5_ that people still consider Nintendo "kiddy"
Greenspin @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:19AM
There's only one thing that really bothers me about gaming today: Online play. I have been playing games for over 20 years and can't undestand for the life of me why this is so important. Why would I want to shell out MORE cash to play with people online whether it's XBL or some generic MMORPG.
Granted playing a MMORPG is fun, but at what point was it okay to keep charging people for the "previledge" of playing a game? I am not a pirate and have paid for every game I've ever owned (which is a ridiculous number). I even pay the "premium" pricing for a game when it first gets released. Yet these companies still want their collective hands in my pocket.
As much as I hate to say it, if the future of gaming is one where I'm forced to play with people online and have to PAY for the "previledge" you can count this vet out.
Wayne @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:21AM
5 things from the game development perspective...
1) Better Graphics = Better Games | So 360 is out, and what do we get to look at. Pretty much a graphics showcase, yea it's nice in some ways but pushing graphics as substance started to show as a bad policy around the PS2 launch. Titles like X-Squad and Summoner say, "Damn, well we have these graphics, what are we gonna do with them. Pluss it's hard to program." No more X-Squads.
2) Better Graphics + Existing Franchise = Better Games | Lots of people have said this. The Upgrade. If you are gonna make an upgrade make it cheaper. I only pay $50 for Madden when i don't know what to buy my Dad for Christmas... and there's something wrong when after a year the game cost $6.99.
3)Making it multiplayer is enough | I'll admit i fall for this, since introducing the human element to games with multiplayer is usually an insant kudos. But the lasting appeal comes from the innovation here as well as other element in the game. Don't take a platformer-puzzler game and just add Deathmatch. I mean... HAVE a deathmatch, but there needs to be more.
4)Gaming is about business and software | The above 3 owe alot to this one. Mainstream software development is a decidedly different market. However because of scale, the only applicable business model out there is mainstream software development... so we get stuck with it. We are buying the latest, almost finished, kinda the same as the last one or something else we already have, we had to push it out for deadline but call us with your problems and maybe we'll patch it software.
5) Well, the buy it, that's success right? | Despite the above we do. It gets purchased. Partially because "we" references anyone who ponies up the cold hard cash and that included the high volume market of here today gone today customers. That's why games get made. I like to play games, and little flaws here and there don't bother me so much, so i rent it or go to a friends house. But i don't buy. Heck nowa days i can usually watch a game trailer and be satisfied.
Shawn Oster @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:27AM
5. I hate everything about portable game devices. They turn everyone into zombies.
4. I hate extreme fanboys whose only joy in life is to put down everyone that is not them.
3. I hate cheaters, grifters, farmers, gankers and wankers. Basically all the people that take the games either too seriously or not seriously enough.
2. I hate when people blame games for violence and that goes for the people that do the violence that say, "Doom made me do it". Really, if your grasp on reality is that shaky do everyone a favour and check your ass into a mental ward.
1. I hate when a game comes out for a console you don't own or when a game does come out it's been given the Lowest Common Denominator treatment so it can run on all the consoles. I'm over this whole console war thing, I don't care who wins, I just want one stinking console.
Shawn Oster @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:27AM
5. I hate everything about portable game devices. They turn everyone into zombies.
4. I hate extreme fanboys whose only joy in life is to put down everyone that is not them.
3. I hate cheaters, grifters, farmers, gankers and wankers. Basically all the people that take the games either too seriously or not seriously enough.
2. I hate when people blame games for violence and that goes for the people that do the violence that say, "Doom made me do it". Really, if your grasp on reality is that shaky do everyone a favour and check your ass into a mental ward.
1. I hate when a game comes out for a console you don't own or when a game does come out it's been given the Lowest Common Denominator treatment so it can run on all the consoles. I'm over this whole console war thing, I don't care who wins, I just want one stinking console.
whinger @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:30AM
1) Publishers
2) Publishers
3) Publishers
4) Publishers
5) Publishers
What a bunch of unimaginative, money-grabbing, souless, screw-anyone-for-a-buck, lying, thieving ****s.
DG @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:38AM
1. Games are too damed expensive. Note to developers: I will not pay $60 for a video game. I will wait two or more years to pay $15 for a used copy.
2. How many times do we have to fight World War II before we finally win it?
3. Lowest common denominator advertising. We can do better.
4. New systems with the same controllers. I remember the switch from NES to Genesis. We all said to ourselves, "We have THREE buttons now? WOW!" Of course the SNES blew our minds. How Sony can use the exact same controller three systems in a row is beyond me. I won't buy it.
5. Not enough game diversity. FPS/Racing/Sports/Fighting/zzzzzzzz..........
knight37 @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:39AM
Five things I hate about gaming:
1. EA. They gobble up everything they can, like a black hole, sucking the very life out of gaming.
2. Franchise-syndrome. Everything has to be a franchise this or that. Game makers concentrating more on "building a franchise" rather than making a fun game. Gaming press is partially to blame here, since they're always talking about this.
3. Lack of save-anytime. PC gaming used to get this right 99% of the time, but even that platform is now being plagued by misguided game designers who think that controlling when you can or can't save should be a game design element. It shouldn't. That's lame. Increasing difficulty by removing the ability to save is just pathetic, it shows you really have no clue about game design. And consoles had an excuse back in the old days of limited resources, but with 8mb+ save cards, there's no excuse now. I want to save when I want, where I want. I don't always have more than 10 minutes to try and make progress in the game, don't make me wait 30 before the next save point.
4. Only catering to hardcore. I hate games that require endless repetition over and over and require perfect timing to succeed. I play games for fun, and I'm a casual gamer. I make a lot of money. I want to spend it on your games, but if you make things so that only a teenager with lightning reflexes can do it, you can count me out.
5. Overpriced next-gen games. $60 is too high for most of the next gen titles that offer little more than their much cheaper current-gen counterparts. I mean seriously, GUN for 360 is $60?!! WTF? That game is like 10 hours of decent entertainment, worth around $30. Trying to charge $60 for that is highway robbery.
mxavier @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:40AM
1. Great games take too much time to finish completely.
2. The gaming market is oversaturated with many derivative games. I simply opt out on playing games like the Devil May Cry sequels, Metal Gear Solid sequels, most sports games, Splinter Cell sequels, Prince of Persia sequels, Dead or Alive sequels, Grand Theft Auto sequels/clones, Halo sequels/clones, etc.
3. Handhelds should allow me to continue playing a saved game from a console. For example, I'm currently playing Zelda: Wind Waker. I want to be able to continue playing that game outside of the house on a portable.
4. I want to be able to play any retro game on a handheld with ease.
5. The amalgamation of gaming machines with media machines. I have no technological desire for an all-out, in-your-face, do-everything machine.
Darth Pixel @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:43AM
1. No more adaptations, cookie-cutter games, copycats, derivatives, hacks, knockoffs, prequels, rip-offs, sequels...unless they are completely re-invented titles.
2. Bring back adventure games.
3. Have console manfacturers make it easy for new studios to emerge.
4. Allow studios to distribute their games directly, via the Internet.
5. Stop trying to quantify what makes games good or bad. I don't care about the number of weapons a game has. I don't care if FSAA was applied in 2 passes or not.
6. Quit pretending Xbox Live is the only thing that matters.
7. Fix the release dates. Don't say anything until it's ready, then say it will ship 2 weeks later.
8. Bring back creativity.
9. Bring back fun.
10. Enough with WW II games.
11. Enough with gangsta games.
12. Enough with sports game franchises that add no enjoyment to their iterations.
13. Stop pushing a media convergence scheme people have rejected for the past 5 years already.
Drew @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:48AM
Do you really want your wife to play video games. My girlfriend loves Animal Crossing WW and I have to let her play when I want to.
Honestly, are we all losers.
Jake @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:49AM
Posted by SynikaL
"God you're dumb. You obviously have never played any videogame competitively"
I actually compete in a few game leagues, mostly FPS and my teams always do fairly well. I game to have fun and never really see it as an avenue to make money. If you’re good enough to make money at gaming, more power to you but 99% of people aren’t. I wish I could put enough time in it so I could be, but I'd rather put that time into other "IRL" things that actually give back.
Oh, your inability to criticize with out name calling speaks volumes about you.
SuicideNinja @ Mar 2nd 2006 11:56AM
1. Sony needs to grow up and start talking about gaming instead of trash-talking the competition (that according to them isn't competition). Consumers need to stop thinking that Sony spits gold out of their mouths.
2. More publishers need to accept that the Xbox 360 is a good platform for their popular franchises *cough* Square-Enix *cough*.
3. Nintendo needs to be more of a player in the console world. The Revolution should change this, but it remains to be seen.
4. Developers need to be more daring with their sequels (I doubt sequels will go away; consumers are hooked on familiarity). If a sequel is more of the same with nothing interesting to offer...it fails. Yet when they revamp and start from scratch, they end up being good. They should do this from the start instead of rushing out a subpar product shaming it's predecessor(s).
5. Alien vs Predator 3 (the game) isn't out, and isn't being worked on. AVP1 and AVP2 are still more interesting than most FPS' available, and AVP2 had and still has a huge fanbase. It doesn't make any sense to leave this franchise behind.