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Only Wimps Continue!

lordofduct - May 8, 2005

		lordofduct		May 8, 2005
			What is up with new games coming with infinite continues? I don't play many new games, but as I sit and watch my friends play these games I come to realize most of them have NO GAME OVER! Dexter was playing Prince of Persia, if you die you can just restart just mere minutes before were you got to over and over again, as many times as you would like! I don't remember the original Prince of Persia being like this. If you can't beat the new one, that just means your fuckin' dumb! Anyone can freakin' beat this game if they just take their damn time. How can one even take pride (screw the freakin' sins here) in beating a game. I remember if you came into class and said I beat Contra Hard Corps, SMB 3, Kid Chameleon (oh was this game infamous in my school) you were hoorahed for doing something so difficult. You had to first take the time to beat it, but the most important was to actually have the SKILL needed. Beating these new games only require skill to beat it quickly, but anyone can just beat it. This is bunk! Wheres the replayability in that? I'm going home and playing Ikaruga.

CrazyGoon

May 8, 2005

	
	
		
		
			What is with new games?

Dunno. This topic could have easily existed 6 years ago.

Here's a possible chain of events that led to the demise of the game over screen, and then some:

1.) A gamer picks up a game, plays for a decent amount of time, and looses his lives before the game has ended.

2.) Gamer, instead of blaming him/her self, blames the game, remarking that it cheats to win, or that certain aspects of the game are impossible to pass. Thus, gamer never learns how to improve.

3.a) Gamer stops playing games, and considers them a waste of time, and learns how to skateboard.

3.b) Gamer continues gaming, but only plays games which are easy enough for him/her, and whinges at each and every time the game is moderately hard.

4.) Developers get feedback from gamers, who seem distressed from the challenges put before them.

5.) Developers begin to implement cheat codes via game genie/ action replay devices/ and later through the game itself, which allows the player to pass the game indefinately.

6.) Gamer uses the aformentioned methods to pass games, and is thrilled to be able to finally play through an entire game without the unfair computer terminating his/ her progress.

7.) Gamer's search for walkthroughs for games which don't have codes, and slowly builds confidence as he/ she passes game by game. Soon they are so confident, they can play through an entire game (after beating it through cheating though) without cheating!

8.) The confident gamers boast about being able to pass games without cheating, and begin to form the concept that cheating is for loosers.

9.) Developers try to cater for both groups by leaving the cheats in the game, aswell as introducing game saving.

10.) Both groups of gamers are happy, and the game saving is a huge success - only that the games are still a bit too hard.

11.) But clever the developers were; they decided to allow for unlimited and frequent saving - even from anywhere in the game!

12.) Such a success was the unlimited saving, that gamers never feared dying ever again! Such a relief for their lives! (pun

)

13.) Games though, still required excessive saving to pass, which once again, began to become frowned upon. There was a dilemma.

14.) But the developers were smart and knew about this dilemma, so they finally began making the games themselves easier. The game over screen was phased out as the developers belief was that gamers were mocked/ intimidated by it's presence.

15.) Gamers rejoice, as all can now pass games without excessive saving, cheat codes, or even walkthroughs!

16.) Gamers once again find reasons to be upset. This time, the problem is that the game isn't long enough anymore - everyone simply breezes through the game that it's over before they started.

17.) Developers comply with the increasing demand that games need to be longer. FMV sequences/ cutscenes dramtically increased game length (especially the ones you can't skip!)

18.) Gamers are happy that they are now getting their money's worth.. although, now that they think about it, 90-100 dollars (AU) seems a bit expensive. (Obviously, the gamers were forgetting about how expensive cartridges were, or weren't entirely familiar with them in the first place.

19.) Developers/ Publishers allow for a mark down on games after they have been sitting on the shelve for sometime. Re-releases often entice gamers with different packaging, and some even featured bonus extras.

20.) Still, some gamers want to make sure they are getting the good stuff, so they won't even consider buying/ trying a game unless it has high ratings/ reviews, or is a sequel of a previously stellar seller.

21.) Developers catch on, and dish out sequel after sequel of a popular game. Some developers spend all their time and money on a single game/ franchise, and market the hell out of to ensure they get good ratings - of course, the increasingly gorgeous graphics didn't hurt.

22.) Gamers begin to despise sequels. They learn to accept them, on the counts that they are innovative enough.

23.) Developers try their best to change existing (working) ideas around so they will be seen as innovative. Many clones result from this.

24.) Gamers continue the endless search to find aspects of games that need "improving" - by their standards, at least. After all, isn't a technology that doesn't keep up with their standards futile/ obsolete?

and soon to come...

25a.) Gamers finally tire of the easy, visually dazzeling games and find something else to do.

25b.) Gamers whinge that games are too easy. The, oh so cunning, developer is listening.. the cycle continues...

There ya go. A bit exaggerated, cynical, and sarcastic, but that's what I managed to spot after a few years of sitting back and watching the industry.

Don't get angry at me please

		Raijin Z		May 8, 2005
			Meh. You can save at any time in Doom 3, but after you come out of a fight on the losing end, how many times will you reload to do it again, just to say fuck it and limp onward?

		Dud		May 9, 2005
			Gamers in general are all a bunch of cynical, grumpy, whiny little punks with too much time on their hands (I'm not trying to exclude myself, I'm just as guilty of this) that need to learn to appreciate things for what they are. I tend to agree gaming has declined since the Genesis was retired, but I still enjoy current games even though they aren't as difficult or fun as they used to be. ADDENDUM: That was mean, sorry about that.

		it290		May 9, 2005
			Actually, IIRC the original Prince of Persia did have infinite continues. You were on a time limit, though. Anyway, for most games these days I think having infinite continues/retries is a good thing, as most are pretty long and it would be rather annoying to have to start all over. Also, controls are generally weird and not very tight in many modern games, so I think any frustration with the controls would just be compounded by not having continues. If I'm really devoted to a game, and the game is catered towards skill, I'll generally try to 1 credit clear it, but otherwise I don't really care. The only new+somewhat mainstream games I've played lately that fall into this category at all are Viewtiful Joe 1+2, but I consider those too hard to attempt a 1cc. It's not like infinite continues are a new thing, anyway. Try beating Ninja Gaiden on one credit!

		emazur		May 9, 2005
			I'm now in my mid twenties, and after taking a break from (new) gaming for a few years I bought myself an xbox and gb advance this past dec/jan. These systems have been around for awhile, and their games from previous years can be had for cheap, and that's how I've been building up my library of games. Quite a few actually, more than I have time for. I find myself wanting to get a good playing, beat it, and then move on to another game. For xbox, I've done just that with Mad Dash Racing and Panzer Dragoon Orta (didn't much bother with getting the extra bonus stuff). Difficulty for both games seemed OK to me, except for the last bosses, where I had to search the web (something a gamer should never HAVE to do in my opinion). For GBA, I've been satisfied with Shining Force (beat it) and Fzero (didn't want to go through the trouble of making it up to the fourth class, but enjoyed playing anyway), and Atom Boy (beat on easy difficulty). On the other hand, I played on xbox Blinx the Timesweeper which I wound up not enjoying. Enjoyed it at first, but got WAY too hard later on, spoiling the game. On GBA, I played at least halfway through Crash Bandicoot Purple before it got spoiled by the fact that I'd have to go back and complete to perfection all the "mini games" in order to collect some crystals to progress farther into the game, which would be too tough and just not worth it. So for me it's alot about "showmanship". The game that shows me a good time and knows when to exit the stage and make room for the next "performer" will win my praise. The game that has a difficulty that interferes with the flow of the game will find itself being traded away and resented. In my younger years I'd be willing to put up with some crap if the game had other redeeming qualities. For example, Phantasy Star II was a great game, but the leveling up, huge mazes, and random battles is not something I would tolerate in a game these days. There are many games out there-> I want to play, enjoy, and move on to the next one without getting bogged down. I think (but I'm not positive) that the majority of xbox and ps2 owners are in their twenties, or over. Maybe they have similar attitudes, and so the games of today are reflecting this. Since I've only been back into gaming for 5~6 months now, I can't really say if it's so or not. Another game I beat (breazed through, actually) is Star Wars on GBA. Currently, I'm about half way through Castlevania on GBA-> tough boss fights! My opinion thus far about modern games is that the difficulty is a mixed bag. Let's not forget that the games of previous generations weren't always so tough. I recall beating River City Ransom on NES the weekend we rented it.