Played a Game Lately? (900 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.8 on 7 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by gbusman (View user info) at 2004-11-26 03:04:48 EST
this is what I intended to write here http://www.ubersite.com/m/49602 when I got sidetracked...
By lately I mean the past 6 months or so, by game I mean Xbox, and by played I really mean "experienced." Because if you haven't, you don't know what you're missing.
Long have I been a fan of video games, but a couple years ago they really started to bore me. About the time Playstation came out, console games really weren't doing it for me. The long load times, the pixilated animations, and crappy controllers only accentuated the fact that the games were not very fun and focused more on graphics and gore than true game-play. I tend to think of the late 20th and early 21st century as the "adolescence" of gaming. The industry was sadly immature, awestruck at the new graphical realism, and ever pushing the limits of American mothers' tolerance for violence. I went through quite a long stint where all I would play was computer games, favoring the strategy classics like Red Alert 2 and Ghost Recon. I got an Xbox, played some Halo and Sega GT, but honestly I still favored the PC games and had a very unenthusiastic attitude toward the future of consoles in general.
Thankfully, video game middle school is over and the true potential is beginning to shine.
Now I am a seasoned player, and I know better, but the term "video game" still conjures images of Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., and Contra. Not to take anything away from these classics, for they most certainly have their legacy solidified in history. But games like these have quite frankly become cell phone fodder.
I no longer believe that "video game" accurately describes the media being released on Xbox. Lately I have been on an electronic binge and have had a glimpse at an entirely new form of entertainment; and damn is it amazing. Case in point, my most recent play: The Chronicles of Riddick, Escape from Butcher Bay. This game is being displayed on my big screen in High Definition. That's right, normal TV is no longer adequate to display the graphics, we now have HD support in up to 1080i. Recognize, this is better than DVD quality. The sound is true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround fed through optical cable into my home theater. You have full 360 degree awareness. But it's not just the technology that makes the game great.
The staff members involved in creating modern games are second to none in any industry. Where video games used to be a nerd hobby, created by and for (no offense intended, I definitely qualify,) modern studios now attract the best talent available on the planet. The new prodigies no longer go into movies, or TV, or independent artistic endeavors; they go into video games because that's what they grew up playing. The story writers, artists, musicians, animators, and programmers involved in today's games are the new talent, and it shows. The games look real, the stories are immersive, the AI is clever, and the game-play is just plain fun. But the trend is going beyond just beautiful, good games.
Using Riddick as an example again, we see a true convergence between many types of mass media, most notably Hollywood. Vin Diesel actually stars in the game, as does Ron Perlman and a few other screen actors. The cut scenes between levels are cinema quality, and you really feel like a part of the whole story. Consider this: the creators took a box office hit character, Riddick, and chose to tell the story of his eye shine, his most unique and compelling feature, solely in a game. The story would have easily generated millions in another sequel movie. Instead they took the actors, writers, and artists, and put them to work on a game.
When you combine the best technology with the best gaming talent and the best Hollywood talent, it creates a kind of interactive entertainment that people have never been exposed to before. And Riddick is not alone in this category. The overall quality of recently released games is just excellent in every respect. Fable, Halo 2, Spiderman 2, Price of Persia... the list goes on. I'm anticipating Knights of the Old Republic 2 almost as much as Star Wars Episode 3 (almost...)
Old PC gamers will recall a short lived genre in the mid 90's called an "interactive movie." These poor pieces of crap tried to be both a game and a movie, and succeeded at sucking ass at both. I hesitate to resurrect the term because of the horrible connotation it brings to mind, but suffice to say that recent games have succeeded where they failed.
And yet there's still another element involved which I haven't even mentioned: Xbox Live. For a nominal fee ($70 bucks a year) I can play every new game with anyone in the world. So now, while in Chicago, I'm playing Halo 2 in HD and digital surround with my pals in Alabama against some other clan of goons in England while coordinating attacks with each other and shouting taunts at our prey. Get the fuck out. Where is this all heading? I don't know, but I'm going to be there.
-Bus
User Reviews
Submitted by gbusman (user info) at 2004-11-26 13:05:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Ah, Shar... At least one person understands what I'm getting at...
Not yet, there is still a lot of veteran talent in Hollywood making great movies. But I think their time is limited. It is not difficult for me to imagine the demise of movie theaters, or at least a drastic reduction, caused by two factors. One, the popularization of home theaters, and two, the "brain-drain" occuring with talent shifting to video games.
Within our lifetimes I feel fairly confident that film will be known as a dying art. If impressive visuals, heart pounding action, and great story telling were the intent of film, then it is no longer the most effective delivery method for that content. Story tellers no longer need to keep their art between 90 and 120 minutes, as video games can take up to 40 hours or more. They can really explore every idea and facet of the tale. Interactive environments give artists true creative freedom of expression.
Very soon, creators will be able to count on a certain level of quality system that users will be experiencing. You can go to your local electronics store and pick up a bundled surround system for about 200 bucks. Someday, THX certified systems may even be similarly priced. When creators can be gauranteed this level of quality in 80% of their audience, what's the point of going to the theater?
-Bus
Submitted by Shar (user info) at 2004-11-26 07:30:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Interesting.
Now that 'video games' are getting better and better, using talent previously destined for Hollywood, do you think movies nowadays (in terms of quality) are suffering as a result?
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2004-11-26 07:23:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Um, it's like, uh ... did anyone see the movie `Tron'?
-- Homer Simpson
Treehouse of Horror VI
I thought this was an appropriate Simpson quote.
Submitted by funk_boy (user info) at 2004-11-26 06:16:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Computors where invented for Mario karts, and Gravitation.
All other games are simply aspiring to be as good as those two.
Submitted by Iago (user info) at 2004-11-26 05:37:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
My Xbox is under my bed gathering dust.
I never really got into it.
Submitted by PyroBeast (user info) at 2004-11-26 03:25:55 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
PC games aren't doing too badly either, no need for examples.
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2004-11-26 03:11:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Just what is the price of Persia these days?