30 replies to this topic

[Jess Ragan]

(I'm posting this on a handful of message boards to guage peoples' reactions to it. My apologies if you've already read this)

All throughout my childhood, adults would warn me that eventually, I would outgrow video games and lose interest in them.
They were half right. Video games aren't as exciting for me as they used to be, but it feels more like the games have outgrown ME, rather than the other way around.
Seriously, what's happened to the video game industry lately? Every game for the PS2 has to feature steroid-engorged men, enormous-breasted women, and/or gratuitous violence if the designers want to have any hope of them being released. To name an example, Sony refused to let Working Designs release the newest Legend of the Mystical Ninja game in the United States, while eagerly giving the green light to Grand Theft Auto 3, easily one of the most controversial games ever released. Had this been Nintendo ten years ago, the situation would undoubtedly have been reversed.
Companies are even toughening up the sequels to unapologetically cute games, including two of last year's most popular 3D platformers. Rachet of Rachet and Clank fame is now "going commando", with all that the term implies, and even Jak and Daxter has a more serious storyline as well as more dangerous weapons for the main character.
My question is this: what's wrong with cute games, anyway? Are they such a turn-off to the average gamer that they all have to be redesigned with a slick, "extreme" new look and feel? Why aren't we seeing games like Super Mario World 2 released in this day and age? And how long will we have to suffer with the "extreme" fad before people come to their senses and finally realize that gameplay is far more important to a game than slick targeted marketing and controversial (but increasingly predictable and stale) content?
What I'm trying to say is this... more cute games, please. And give us fewer games with musclebound heroes ripping their enemies to shreds with chainsaws and machine guns while you're at it.

JR

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Y'know, I like the cute factor, but what I REALLY miss is the abstraction factor. With an old-school character like Pac-Man, Pooka, Guzzler, Galaxian motherships or what have you, there's room for you to fill in the blanks in your mind as to what these characters really look like, if indeed you wish to fill in those blanks at all. Now it's all spelled out. To some extent, this also spills over and dovetails with my annoyance with "movie-style" gaming, where the game's creators have already mapped out what they want to have happen, and it's up to you to figure out how to make that course of events progress as they had planned. I kinda resent that - it's like Dragon's Lair writ large, a choose-your-own-adventure book with only one way to "win." This is largely why Pikmin caught my eye when it came out. Kids aren't the only ones looking for non-violent games. I work in TV news, I get my share of violence second-hand. I really don't want to live a Bruckheimer movie when I'm off duty.

But then, I think I've gone off on this spiel many times. But this very phenomenon is why I'm a RETROgamer, with the emphasis on RETRO.

[Paralistalon]

Quote

To name an example, Sony refused to let Working Designs release the newest Legend of the Mystical Ninja game in the United States

WTF?! Mystical Ninja is awesome!

Back to your question, I think you should get a GameCube.

[Zloch]

I don't understand this either.

I like cute games. I'm 29 and I really enjoy games like Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and Super Monkey Ball. I also enjoy GTA III, Halo and Resident Evil as well but in the case of GTA III, the novelty has some what worn off while I still play SMB.

I know Nintendo takes a lot of flak for being a kiddie system. What's wrong with that? I think there is room for both types of games. Neither one appeals to me exclusively.

Sean

[Ze_ro]

Dude, if you want "cute" games, go get a GBA or a Gamecube. There's no shortage of "cute" games for either of those systems. In fact, I'm getting pissed off because there are hardly any non-cute games for the GBA... I look through EB, and all I see are Rugrats and Olsen Twins rubbish.

And frankly, I never found Anime or Super-Deformed stuff to really be "cute" at all... most of it just looks creepy.

--Zero

[Gregory DG]

Ze_ro said:

Dude, if you want "cute" games, go get a GBA or a Gamecube. There's no shortage of "cute" games for either of those systems.

No kidding. Even Advance Wars 1 & 2 have the cute factor. Great games though.

[Raijin Z]

Yeah, Viewtiful Joe is all about rape and eviceration. 9_9

[itatton]

i dont think metroid fusion is cute, but its certainly not steriodriffic either

the cube is probably the best deal in gaming right now, you can nab a used system for 70-80 dollars these days, and it is by far the least problematic system on the market right now

i think its been known for awhile, but the "M" ratings on games really mean its marketed toward an angsty 13 year old.

[Agent X]

Jess Ragan said:

Companies are even toughening up the sequels to unapologetically cute games, including two of last year's most popular 3D platformers. Rachet of Rachet and Clank fame is now "going commando", with all that the term implies, and even Jak and Daxter has a more serious storyline as well as more dangerous weapons for the main character.

The original Ratchet and Clank is rated T for Teen. From everything I've seen, the second game will be, too. The "Going Commando" in the title of the second game is merely a pun. I don't think they're trying to turn this into a pornographic game.

The original Jak and Daxter is rated E for Everyone, while Jak II will probably be rated T. Yes, it's got a more serious storyline, and it's got some gunplay (also the main reason why Ratchet and Clank was rated T). Just because it's now sporting a T rating rather than E doesn't mean it's any less "cute" than the original game was--the art style is still the same.

Anyway, here's how I feel. I personally tend to gravitate more towards what some people might call "cute" games than I do the "mature" games. For someone who's 31 years old, I don't have a whole lot of "blood and guts" games in my library, compared to most of my friends. I know some people who buy primarily M-rated games, just because the little "M" in the corner means they'll get loads of blood, violence, death, sexual situations, or profanity. Not me. We're starting to see a lot of games that put "mature content" ahead of compelling gameplay. That's not to say all of them are like that, though.

On the other hand, I won't automatically buy a game just because it's "cute" and loaded with birds and bunnies and butterflies and flowers and smiling clouds. I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but just like with the "mature" crowd, there are just as many lazy developers churning out sickeningly saccharine games that play like crap.

Theme and art direction are not indicative of the quality of gameplay. I just want more good games.

[Nintendo Penguin]

I am currently writting an article for my website that loosly deals with this subject....

.... what do you guys think is missing from modern games?

[Raijin Z]

Replay value. Most new games are just AWFUL a second time through.

[chrisbid]

originality, simplicity, gameplay, imaginiation, points, replay value, synthisized music, garbled voice samples, pixels, sprites, inspired box art, short instruction manuals, copyright dates staring with 198, cartoon ninjas, horrid jingles, dignified old white men shilling the product, joysticks, black & white/color switches, cartridges, woodgrain, overlays, gimmicky peripherals, gatefold boxes, numb thumbs, sore writsts, activision patches, manual RF switches, saturday morning cartoons starring arcade game characters, one programmer-one game, and heart and soul

other than that, modern games are pretty much the same

[Nintendo Penguin]

Both of your posts are exactly what I am ranting about! Great minds think a like!

[liveinabin]

Sorry to pip in at such a late point, but Jess, every word you say is wonderfully true. I'm sick of seeing games with 'adult' content when what they really have is 'adolescent' content. Adult for me means a good complex plot, ingenious level design and enough originality to keep a jaded long-time gamer entertained.
And if they make a game with all these requisites AND tiny japanese robot bunny ninjas, then well, so much the better:)

[Defiance131]

Nintendo Penguin said:

I am currently writting an article for my website that loosly deals with this subject....

.... what do you guys think is missing from modern games?

Style. Give me a wild color palette, or make it dark and moody; it doesn't matter. Immerse me in the game world; don't just throw a bunch of chunky polygon models into a world with bad textures. MDK is a game with great style. NiGHTS, my favorite game, has great style. The Panzer Dragoon games have great style. FF games have style. I don't care what genre it is, just make it all fit together in a nice, tidy package.

The "X" factor. I work at a game store. People always ask, "is this game like Halo?" or "is this game like Vice City?" Those two games have a hook, people are drawn to them. Not necessarily because they're the most original ideas, but because there's something intangible that people are drawn to... it's the "X" factor. It's fun. The game looks good, it controls well, the music is great, and you want to keep playing it.

A good story. I play a lot of RPGs, but that's not to say this is the only genre that needs to tell a story. Give me an intelligible plot, and chances are, I'll like the game. Halo is all about killing things, but it's got a good story too.

The fun factor. Is it fun or is it frustrating? I played NCAA Football 2003 to death last year. I was never frustrated with it, and I looked forward to playing it each time I sat down. You're going to keep going back to things you enjoy. If you play through a game and get stuck in a spot, what's the incentive to go back?

An emotional reaction. Make me grin while I'm playing the game, or scare me so badly I have to sleep with the lights on. Games are interactive, and the content of a game should do something to elicit a reaction. The Soft Museum on NiGHTS makes me grin because I love the level design and the music. Creeping around in Halo with a crappy weapon and very little ammo makes me sit on the edge of my seat. Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun make me feel like a badass when I can get a better score than my husband. But I'm not talking about the kind of emotional reaction that makes you throw your controller against the wall and burn the game.

Based on all that, there are cookie-cutter games on every platform. It's been a long time since there's been something truly revolutionary. I think some developers have tried, and the public just wants more of the same -- they want Halo and they want GTA. I'm all for blowing things up in nice big, bloody chunks, but I also love games like Animal Crossing.

I think a lot of people got into the gaming industry because it's a huge money maker, not because they want to do something inventive or original. I don't have anything to base this on, but the gaming industry has got to be due for it's own form of the dotcom bust. The strong will survive, and the weak will -- and should -- be flushed down the toilet.

[Starscream]

Nintendo Penguin said:

I am currently writting an article for my website that loosly deals with this subject....

.... what do you guys think is missing from modern games?

Nothing at all if ya ask me. I love modern gaming. The way I see it, games have evolved but some players haven't. Not a bad thing but just an observation. Lotsa people on here have been into games at least since the NES and grew up on games. Alot of those people have soft spots for what they grew up on and still prefer it right now - like Nintendo. Quite a few people love the Gamecube and it's games because that is what they have always played - those style games - and they just can't get enough of them. There's a history there with those gamers to love those games. Those same people tend to dislike more serious, violent, or involving games with realistic graphics. The other side of the coin is those who love the serious style games that dispise cutsie games. the way I'm seeing it, why does anyone even bitch about modern gaming? There is more than enough to keep everyone happy. The fun factor hasn't disappeared at all, maybe the player is just not fun anymore. I get a good chuckle when anyone says modern games are all the same and unoriginal, blah, blah, blah. Did anyone ever really take a look at the 2600 library? NES? Genesis? Or PC Gaming? They are just as full of crap as anything, boring crap, cookie cutter crap, same old same old crap. I think too many players quit having fun a long time ago because they forgot how to have fun. Me, I'd much rather play games than bitch about em.

So to answer your question, all that's missing is gamers that like to have fun.

[shep]

Starscream said:

Nintendo Penguin said:

I am currently writting an article for my website that loosly deals with this subject....

.... what do you guys think is missing from modern games?

Nothing at all if ya ask me. I love modern gaming. The way I see it, games have evolved but some players haven't. .....

So to answer your question, all that's missing is gamers that like to have fun.

Hmmm not quite, modern gamers think gaming has evolved into this awesome thing, and has gotten just sooo much better, which is definetly not true. Now that gaming has become almost a "hip" thing to do at any age, we have all of this "mature" (mature meaning, taking a game, throwing in very out of place this such as cursing, extreme violence, sex and alocohol references) crap where, as mentioned above, some "masculine" muscle man hero or gaint breasted woman has to save his/her people from some army or other higher power because they are the last hope. (Id take Pikmin or Mario over Halo and Duke Nukem anday). Todays games lack creativity, and when a company does become creative, and it is a sucess, other companies mimick it to death, or depending on the company, release 5 million sequels. I also agree with the comment on replay value, most games arnt fun to ever play through again. I also would like to throw in the opinion that most games are hard to pick up and play.

[Starscream]

shep said:

Starscream said:

Nintendo Penguin said:

I am currently writting an article for my website that loosly deals with this subject....

.... what do you guys think is missing from modern games?

Nothing at all if ya ask me. I love modern gaming. The way I see it, games have evolved but some players haven't. .....

So to answer your question, all that's missing is gamers that like to have fun.

Hmmm not quite, modern gamers think gaming has evolved into this awesome thing, and has gotten just sooo much better, which is definetly not true. Now that gaming has become almost a "hip" thing to do at any age, we have all of this "mature" (mature meaning, taking a game, throwing in very out of place this such as cursing, extreme violence, sex and alocohol references) crap where, as mentioned above, some "masculine" muscle man hero or gaint breasted woman has to save his/her people from some army or other higher power because they are the last hope. (Id take Pikmin or Mario over Halo and Duke Nukem anday). Todays games lack creativity, and when a company does become creative, and it is a sucess, other companies mimick it to death, or depending on the company, release 5 million sequels. I also agree with the comment on replay value, most games arnt fun to ever play through again. I also would like to throw in the opinion that most games are hard to pick up and play.

Ok yea you are right, modern games just all suck. They have not evolved and have no redeeming values, mature games are shit and we should all just be happy with Pikmin and Mario especially Pikmin because it is not a modern game by any means. What are all of the dumbshits thinking when they buy games they like, even those serious involving games. Glad I'm not that stupid. Hell, we should have just never bought anything beyond an Atari because nothing is or will ever be able to be better. And damn, it's too bad that programmers can make realistic looking graphics, or cel shading for that cartoony look, have more than 8 colors on the screen, utilize more than 2 of the same sounds for every game they only half ass make, how the hell could they make creative games with such limitations?! And you are right, every single game for the older systems were all different - no 2 were ever alike, and there were no sequels either. Never seen another Mario after the first one or even any Mario rip offs. And it was more fun back in the day when games weren't all that challenging but damn it all to hell using the controllers was. Man, that 5200 controller can never be outdone or even that stellar RF connection with it's crisp, clean signal. Stupid me, what was I thinking when I posted all that other crap.....Gaming has become just a horrible thing. How will we survive?

[NE146]

I really see it both ways. First of all, with my 50+ xbox games, my 15+ GC games, and my buttload of PS2 games, the last thing I do is shy away from the latest and greatest videogames.. Heck, even since the 2600/colecovision/5200, the latest and greatest has always been my modus operendi! BUT.. I can see where these guys are coming from more or less.

I'll tell you what I don't dig.. is the push towards REALISM in games.. I dunno but I just don't get off controlling some other humanoid figure in a "realistic" environment.. maybe it's just me. I'd much rather control a turnip or something Look at a game like Unreal or even Halo.. Yknow what I'd like to see is that sort of gameplay but in a Mario style universe with powerups that do stuff like make you fly, or a star powerup that makes you invincible and can kill people by running into them, or banana peels that make guys fall, or a lighting bolt that makes everyone small.. you get the idea. Give it some nice cartoony environments with big bright green plants and cartoony water with some big cartoon fish that will swallow you, and you got yourself a game!

Again maybe it's just me but I get sort of tired of all the gritty dark graphics. I like em bright and cheery And I'm an old bastard!

So whether it's "modern" games or the classics (which of course WERE once "modern" themselves) I play games to get away from the real world. So the further away from "realistic" it does that, the better for me

[Starscream]

I don't know, realism can be cool and fun too. I must be odd - I can play any era of games and be happy

[NE146]

Starscream said:

I don't know, realism can be cool and fun too. I must be odd - I can play any era of games and be happy

No... not odd at all. As I open up my newly acquired NCAA 2004 and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, I obviously do too. But I just wanted to state my overall preference

[shep]

Starscream said:

Ok yea you are right, modern games just all suck. They have not evolved and have no redeeming values, mature games are shit and we should all just be happy with Pikmin and Mario especially Pikmin because it is not a modern game by any means. What are all of the dumbshits thinking when they buy games they like, even those serious involving games. Glad I'm not that stupid. Hell, we should have just never bought anything beyond an Atari because nothing is or will ever be able to be better. And damn, it's too bad that programmers can make realistic looking graphics, or cel shading for that cartoony look, have more than 8 colors on the screen, utilize more than 2 of the same sounds for every game they only half ass make, how the hell could they make creative games with such limitations?! And you are right, every single game for the older systems were all different - no 2 were ever alike, and there were no sequels either. Never seen another Mario after the first one or even any Mario rip offs. And it was more fun back in the day when games weren't all that challenging but damn it all to hell using the controllers was. Man, that 5200 controller can never be outdone or even that stellar RF connection with it's crisp, clean signal. Stupid me, what was I thinking when I posted all that other crap.....Gaming has become just a horrible thing. How will we survive?

Dont put words in my mouth, and please stop with your immature sarcasism, I didnt say all modern gaming sucked, I didnt even say modern gaming sucked at all, same with "mature titles", and I didnt say there wasnt crap for the older consoles, and werent unoriginal games.

[Foxy Cleopatra]

Sarcasism is fine, I relish sarcasism. I live for sarcasism... oh wait I think I mean sarcasm...
Anyway...

I like to play games. If they are cute and have good game play I'll play it. If it has some bad-ass vampire bitch tearing people apart and good game play I'll play it. I don't think modern games are getting too violent, too realistic, too adult. It's all about gameplay. If you don't want violent games with blood and gore, don't buy them.

If you want cute games buy cute games... but I would like to ask a question to those people who prefer cute games..
Are you the people with all those stuffed animals in the back windows of your car?
I'm asking becauseI wonder if there are any other aspects of your life that are full of cute and fuzzy bunnies, or is this strictly something new to bitch about concerning video games?

[Jetboot Jack]

I'm afraid I don't agree with the notion that modern games are eschewing cute or "non real" scenarios or characters, a casual look at IGN for the PS2 shows the following games listed for release, the bold ones are not what I would call Mature or Realistic:


Madden Classics -- Did your favorite team make the list?
Sonic Heroes High-Res, Very crisp visuals to be seen in this new Sonic.
Create-A-Backyard! -- Are you a wrestler without a backyard? Create one now!
Batman: Rise of Screen Tsu -- A character created by the legendary Jim Lee. Awesome!
Four Conan Screens! -- Drive your enemy before you and hear the lamentation of the women!
Seven Samurai 20XX Shots -- Kurosawa's classic, hundreds of years later.
Xenosaga Episode II Screenshots -- Click here or forever hold your peace.
Rogue Ops Makeover -- Nikki goes from long and brown to short and blonde. Sweet.
SSX 3 Slopestyle Movie -- Exclusive movie that shows just how kick ass this game is!
Amazing T3 Trailer -- Is this trailer better than the movie? You be the judge.
Sega Ages Box Shots -- Phantasy Star, Monaco GP, and Fantasy Zone art! Yay!
Baldur's Gate 2 Shots and Movies -- Watch Ysuran slice up nasty orcs.
Final Fantasy XI Gets Fireworks -- Now this is an RPG item we can get used to!
New Music Games From Sony --Sequel to Vib Ribbon and Bear Song?
Mojib Ribbon Is PS2 Bound The quirky music game of love gets its damn sequel!
Transformers Unveiled -- First news on Atari's game plus brand new renders and shots.
Five Splashdown 2 Movies -- Superb animation, roiling water and wet goodness.
Sphinx Renamed -- THQ gets its mummy in there.
NFL Street Trailer -- The official trailer. Watch it now or suffer the consequences.
New Look: Dragon Quest VIII -- Tiny, but breathtaking.

sTeVE

[shep]

Foxy Cleopatra said:

Sarcasism is fine, I relish sarcasism.  I live for sarcasism... oh wait I think I mean sarcasm...
Anyway...

I like to play games. If they are cute and have good game play I'll play it. If it has some bad-ass vampire bitch tearing people apart and good game play I'll play it. I don't think modern games are getting too violent, too realistic, too adult. It's all about gameplay. If you don't want violent games with blood and gore, don't buy them.  

Lol I need to proofread more, anyways thats point I was kinda of trying to make, Im not saying all I play are "cutesy" games, I was just throwing my opinion that some games take it too far...